14 January 1911: An examination room in a building near Cali
The door opened to reveal a middle-aged fellow in a white coat, clipboard in hand. Raoul, who'd been fidgeting in the plain wooden chair for several minutes, stopped rapping his fingers on the metal table. "Hey, Doc!", he exclaimed cheerfully. "No offence, but it's about time, you know."
The doctor smiled sheepishly. "My apologies - I have other duties to attend to as well. It keeps me busy. Now, I just have to ask you a few questions, and then we're done for today."
"Today?", Raoul repeated. "I thought I was going back to the institution right away."
"I want to keep you overnight, just to be on the safe side", the doctor replied. "Your room will be more comfortable than your normal cell, so think of it as a bit of a perk."
"Fair enough. How's the food here?"
The doctor frowned. "It can't be any worse than what you're used to", he conceded.
Raoul laughed. "I'll live, then. Fire away with the questions, then."
"I'll do that", the doctor replied. "Some basic questions to start - mainly to ensure the paperwork is correct. Your name?"
"Raoul Mendoza."
"Your current location of incarceration?"
"Cali, in the Special Ward."
"Your alleged offence?", the doctor asked.
"Jeez, do we need to cover that?", Raoul asked.
"I'm not judging you - just confirming what it says here", the doctor assured him.
"Alright", Raoul replied. "I like children too much."
"Mmm-kay", the doctor replied. "What prompted you to volunteer for this test?"
"I was told I'd get time off my sentence", Raoul said. "That's still going to happen, right? 'Cause it didn't seem that difficult."
"I'm just a doctor", the other man replied. "But I'm sure the terms of your agreement will be honored."
"Good", Raoul said. "Next?"
"What room were you in?"
"O-cho."
"How many other people were with you?"
"Ah...nine. Didn't say much. We all kept to ourselves."
"Did you in any way touch or adjust the gas mask once the technician placed it on you?", the doctor asked.
"Hell, no!", Raoul exclaimed.
"Once the technician left the room and the door was closed, did you see anything unusual?"
"No."
"Did you hear anything unusual?"
"Other than a bunch of mooks breathing with gas masks?", Raoul asked rhetorically. "I heard a hiss once or twice, like a snake."
"Did you smell sewage at any point?", the doctor continued.
"No", Raoul replied. Hesistantly, he added, "Should I have?"
"Definitely not", the doctor assured him. "Did you smell anything at all?"
"Smelled something like moldy grass at one point", Raoul allowed. "Should I have?"
"That's just the mask, acting as it was supposed to", the doctor stated nonchalantly. This was true; Raoul's test group had been wearing masks impregnated with phenate hexamine, which appeared to be only partially effective against carbonyl dichloride. "Did you see, hear, or smell anything else before the technician returned to the room?"
"Some fans came on about fifteen minutes before he came back. The breeze was nice - those masks ain't comfortable."
"That is true", the doctor said. "Did you deviate from the technician's instructions for removal of the masks, disposal of the masks and issued garments, or showering and cleaning?"
Raoul shook his head. "Again, hell no!"
"How do you feel right now?"
"Fine. Good. I should, right?"
"Of course", the doctor said. It had only been an hour and a half, after all. "Good. Well, Senor Mendoza, that's all I needed to know. The guards will escort you back to your room, and we'll have you back at the Special Ward tomorrow afternoon or so. If you need anything, there's a bell in the room. Just ring."
"Peachy", Raoul said. "Thanks, Doc."
"Thank you, Raoul", the doctor replied.
Finally, an effective way to "cure" child molesters! ;) ;D
I guess there'd be more sympathy for Raoul if he'd been a pickpocket instead. Oh well, next time...
26 January 1911: Cartagena
Cardinal Juan Rodriguez stared at the springstyle* and blueprint...
(http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/614/cristorv7.png)
...with wide eyes and open mouth. Several lesser Church officials stood around the desk with expressions ranging from blissful to skeptical. The Dutchman responsible for the work stood on the Cardinal's left, hands clasped in front of him, eyes flitting about to gauge the reaction of the Colombians.
"This is...inspirational", the Cardinal said at last. "Magnificent."
The Dutchman nodded modestly; taking pride in the work would, of course, have been sinful.
"Could we convince the Government to build such a vessel?", Rodriguez asked in general.
"The Armada has its own priorities - salvation of heathens and spreading the Word of God do not rank well amongst them", Arch-Bishop Sandoval, himself a retired naval chaplain, noted. "We are further challenged by the size of this vessel. There are just two facilities in the nation capable of building it, and the Armada has both reserved indefinitely. If it were to be built, it would have to be in a foreign facility."
"Would the Government not rule the ship illegal?", Arch-Bishop de Velasco queried.
"The President would undoubtedly wish it to be - but Colombian-registered shipping is allowed to be armed for defence against criminals and heathens", Sandoval said.
"Financing it could be a challenge", Rodriguez observed.
"We could collect additional tithes from the laity at large", Arch-Bishop Menendez noted. "Donations from the private sector may also be an option, give that they are tax-deductable. We could also appeal to our brethern in other progressive Catholic states for participation."
"How would we operate it?", de Velasco asked.
"Thousands of the laity are retired naval personnel", Sandoval said. "Given the call of a crusade, many would answer. In practical terms, we would require one or more smaller escorts, lest some infidels attempt a reverse David-and-Goliath."
"I am unsettled that this body is seriously considering this notion", de Velasco observed.
"True faith is under threat around the world", Cardinal Rodriguez replied, "And too many secular governments sit idle, preserving their treasuries as Catholics are persecuted and martyred. The Protestent Swiss and their wars of aggression against Catholic Brandenburg and Austria. The enslavement of the cradle of civilization and our holiest cities by the Ottomans. The existence of the blasphemous filth in Mesoamerica. I remind you, Arch-Bishop, that evil triumphs when good men do nothing. This young man", he said, placing his hand gently on the blushing Dutchman's shoulder, "has presented us with an opportunity to do something."
*Thanks, Korpen! See this post for details: http://www.navalism.org/index.php?topic=2041.msg22965#msg22965
:D Goodstuff!
Minor nitpick, the Germans are not Catholic, they are Calvanist.
Oh... boy.
The Catholic population of the CSA is torn between national allegiance and their devotion to God.
The Protestants are torn between the Good and Evil that a militant Catholic Church has done in the world.
Who knows how something like this could turn out.
The Rohirrim do not know what to make of this design.
Quote from: Ithekro on March 19, 2008, 05:36:44 PM
The Rohirrim do not know what to make of this design.
Church bells?
In the Netherlands the question is, as always: How can we use this to make a profit?
18 February 1911: Cartagena
Admiral de Irujo and Vice-Admiral Calderon sat back, drinks in hand. The overseas deals looked to be settled, and the domestic plans were relatively straightforward - and there was still a half hour before the lunch hour.
"Hey, funny story", Calderon remarked after sipping at his wine. "I was down at the docks Tuesday, discussing arrangements for Matador with their chief operating officer-"
"Mateo? How's he doing?", de Irujo interjected.
"No, Mateo retired", Calderon said. "This was Carmino de Guevara."
"Mateo retired? When did that happen?"
Calderon said, "Almost a year ago, now. Last time I saw him, he was talking about retiring to Cayenne."
"Good God. I hope not."
"Well, that's what he was saying at the time. Carmino hasn't heard from him", Calderon noted. "However - Carmino did share that he'd had a meeting with Andres Sandoval earlier in the month."
"I don't know the name", de Irujo stated, reaching for the wine bottle.
"He's a former chaplain in the Armada - saw action in the Fifth War as a youth. Nowadays, he's an arch-bishop somewhere."
"Okay", de Irujo shrugged.
"Well, Sandoval's apparently asking after class two slip availability, here and in some of the other ports. On behalf of the Church."
de Irujo regarded his subordinate curiously. "Is there a flood coming that we should know about?"
Calderon shrugged. "That's not where I'm going with this. See, I was over in La Guaira last week to discuss main battery delivery schedules for Warrior and Matador with Burmudez Ordnance - and as I was heading out of their building, a guy in arch-bishop livery was heading in."
Now de Irujo shrugged. "Coincidence. Unless you're implying that it isn't. Was it Sandoval?"
"I don't know. I've only heard of the man, haven't met him", Calderon said. "But I thought it was an interesting set of events."
"I suppose. Perhaps the Church is looking at building a yacht or something, and want a sternchaser."
"Maybe. They do manufature the ten centimetre guns we use", Calderon agreed.
"It's probably nothing, then", de Irujo suggested. "More wine?"
21 February 1911: La Prensa NacionalQuoteA Baltic Confederation battleship arrived in Cartagena last night, bearing the Confederation's Foreign Minister for a series of meetings with our nation's own Foreign Affairs Minister, the esteemed Eduard Torres.
"The Ministers will be discussing a range of issues, such as the now-resolved piracy problem, trade and investment opportunities, and the somewhat rocky relationship between the Confederation's Dutch allies and our own Iberian allies", noted a Foreign Affairs spokesman.
It is the first high-level meeting between the two nations since before the Confederation - previously the Baltic League - flirted with communism for a period in the early part of the last decade. Relations between the two nations reached their nadir in 1902/03 as the then-League occupied parts of Cuba in support of the Mad King Juan and his top-down communist revolution. With the change in government and philosophy by the now-Confederation, officials in both nations express optimism that a strong friendship can be forged.
Apart from the expected three to four days of meetings with Minister Torres, Senor Jessen will also join the President for a dinner at his residence, tour the old city, and attend a concert by the Cartagena Symphony Orchestra at the National Musical Hall.
28 February 1911: Cartagena"You wished to see us, Senor President?", Defence Minister Ricardo Alizandro queried as he and Admiral de Irujo took seats in the presidential office.
"Yes - something has come up, and I need it acted upon", President Alizandro replied tersely, handing his uncle a sheet of stationary.
Ricardo noted the letterhead and asked, "The Kaiser wrote you?"
"We correspond every few months. One has to invest in relationships with other powers, you know. Anyway, read it."
Ricardo skimmed through the formalities and summary of the Kaiser's children's recent accomplishments, slowing down as he noted an underlined sentence:
Quote...I am most enthused about the prospective construction of a new Hohenzollern to replace my beautiful staatsyacht, destroyed by those rat-fink makers of aerated cheese during their last major spree of international vandalism.
"The urgent matter is a Brandenburger royal yacht?", Ricardo asked.
"No - the urgent matter is my own lack of a yacht", the President replied. "The Kaiser's getting one, and I've heard it suggested that the Emperor's getting a new one built as well. I need one as well."
"But we have a yacht", Ricardo observed.
"That's the family yacht", Rey said, "And while she's a lovely little ship, she's a lovely
little ship - and old, and slow. We have to keep up appearances, you know." Ricardo's expression being somewhat skeptical, the President added, "Or I could simply borrow one of our big battleships, like Senor Jessen did, every time I need to visit Cuba, Cayenne, or Coquimbo."
Admiral de Irujo stiffened, and his eyes shifted over to his Minister. "It would not be difficult to modify the design of a privately owned vessel. The Prado family yacht is highly regarded."
"Yes, it is", the President agreed. "I like the swimming pool."
"But our budget and building programs for 1912 are set", Ricardo remarked.
"Oh", Rey said. "Well, that's too bad - but at least Triunfante, Porfiado, and Luchador will be available for me to choose from. Luchador sounds handy, being fast and all."
In the pregnant pause that followed this observation, Ricardo looked over to his senior naval officer. "I suppose we could find some flexibility in the building program", he said grudgingly.
"I'm sure we can delay a protected cruiser or the like", de Irujo agreed.
"Excellent", President Alizandro beamed.
Quote28 February 1911: La Prensa Nacional
Foreign Affairs Minister Eduard Torres told reporters yesterday that he was quite pleased with the results of his meeting with his Baltic Confederation counterpart.
"We discussed the issue of maritime security in the Caribbean, of course, but of more significance, we discussed our place in the world and how we can work together to make it a better place."
Senor Torres confirmed that he had discussed the possibility of working as a concilliator between the Baltic Confederation and the Deutcher Kaiserreich Brandenburg, which have travelled down very different paths since the exile of the Prussian monarchy and upper class decades ago. "This depends on the interest within the DKB, of course, but I am more than willing to host any such discussions that might the two nations."
Minister Torres was more cagey when asked about the troubled relationship between our Iberian allies and the Baltic Confederation's Dutch allies. "We have agreed upon a general course of action intended to minimize the risk and consequences of Dutch/Iberian conflict, but I am not at liberty to disclose the specifics."
Industry Minister Sebastien de Soto also met with Minister Jessen, with the two men touring a garment factory and a gasoline distribution station in the nation's capital. "There was some exploratory talk of trade and investment agreements, the former with respect to our heartlands, the latter with respect to the Confederation's overseas possessions", Minister de Soto noted. "Nothing concrete, but a good foundation for further discussion if we received direction to have it."
Naval enthusiasts, meanwhile, were pleased at the opportunity to view one of Europe's largest battleships, the Preussen, as it lay at anchor in Cartagena's roadstead. Adding to their excitement, the French battleship Superbe paid a brief call to Cartagena shortly after Preussen's arrival. "It's like Christmas", one aged veteran opined from a wharf. "Now we just need to build something bigger for ourselves."
6 April 1911: Cartagena
"So", President Rey Alizandro remarked, "This exposition in Bruxelles next year: Is it a big deal? What're we doing?"
"It's a big deal", Sebastien de Soto replied. "This is going to be a gathering of the world's top businesses and a number of national governments, all there to sell or buy services and products. There's enormous potential for deals to be made - the kind of deals that have an impact on national economies."
The President nodded. "Okay, so it's a big deal - what about my other question?"
"The pavillion design has been set, and construction begins next month. Our slogan will be 'The Future is Colombian'."
"That has a vaguely menacing sound to it", Eduard Torres observed.
"I'm told it translates well", de Soto replied. "It tested well with our focus groups, I should add."
"Perhaps the Confederates will make their slogan, 'The Future won't be Colombian if we can help it'", Ricardo Alizandro quipped. "And the French can go with, 'The Past is French.'"
Torres shook his head sadly. "Thank God you're not the foreign affairs minister", he muttered.
15 June 1911: Near Pava'ia'i, Colombian Polynesia
A trio of local women collecting breadfuit had found the body, partly covered by palm fronds on the eastern slope of A'oloaufou, several miles southwest of Pago Pago. They'd dispatched a youth to walk to Pago Pago to inform the constabulary, and by mid-afternoon, several members of the island's police force were on the scene.
It wasn't the first murder victim Detective Joaquin Acosta had seen in his seventeen months here - the rowdy harbour district had seen to that a few times already - but it was certainly the most disturbing.
"I don't see any other wounds", the patrolman beside him observed.
"Nor I", Acosta confirmed. "So it would seem that...those...are the likely cause of death."
The patrolman grunted his agreement.
Acosta added, "So the question then becomes: how does a young man, being in all other respects quite ordinary in appearance, come to possess a pair of arms where his legs should be?"
The patrolman nodded back in the direction of the Green Cross Compound. "Maybe you oughta go talk with the doctors."
His arms where his legs should be...
Could have been worse I guess. They could have put his legs where his arms used to be. :)
29 August: Esmeraldas
"Thank God", Admiral de Irujo said wearily, flopping into a chair in the admiral's quarters aboard the battleship Porfiado.
"A three hour commissioning ceremony, in dress whites, on a summer afternoon at the equator?", Vice-Admiral Davidson exclaimed, "Who thought that was a good idea?" The Jamaican's face was flushed, and his hands gripped a glass of iced water like it was the Holy Grail itself.
"That was an ordeal", de Irujo agreed. "However, I was referring more to having the ship in service. I feel like I have a real navy again."
Davidson, now the commander-in-chief of the Caribbean Fleet, murmured, "Mmm", as he drank. "It's a good start, anyway. Enough to make us look like we're serious about protecting our own front yard."
"It puts us on par with the Confederates or the French", de Irujo said. "And it reduces the gap with Rohan, though we'll never really close it."
"The new class will be enough; it's not like we're trying to outbuild them", Davidson commented. "Speaking of the new class - what's the story with the guns?"
"We've got a contract in place with the Dutch now. They're getting Valiente and Helene as partial payment."
"Scrap value?"
"Yes", de Irujo said.
"So that work on triple twelve inchers is just a waste?"
de Irujo shrugged. "It's a useful fallback for us if we need it for some reason, but I can't imagine the Dutch would renege on the contract. On the other hand, we might end up using it for future armored cruisers - three triples versus four twins on the next class."
"I think I'd rather use twin fourteen inchers like the Dutch", Davidson said, "They're on the right track with that approach."
"We'll see about that", de Irujo replied.
"What's the thinking around the Poderosos? Scrap?"
"They're already thoroughly obsolete, so I can't say I favor keeping them around. I've heard that the Naval Veteran's Association is looking to pick one up as a museum ship; it's something I'll have to talk over with the Minister. As for the other, there's been a suggestion that we convert one to a command ship for the amphibious forces. Problem there is the old VTE engines - can't keep up with the amphibs."
"That's a problem", Davidson agreed. "Any thought towards doing what the Italians apparently did?"
"Building an aerodrome on top of a battleship?", de Irujo replied. "If that's what they did - and it's not like we have hard intelligence on the matter, just some civilian reports - I suspect they're finding it to be a pointless failure. Aeroplanes barely work as a curiosity; there's no military value to them. If we wanted to talk about an airship tender, then perhaps I'd listen more attentively."
"Meh", Davidson grunted. "Any airship big enough to carry wireless probably has the range to operate from land bases."
"Maybe we should just turn her into a big tender of some kind. I'm having a hell of a time getting any authorized these days."
"We could use Sentinela and Guardia for the same thing, couldn't we?"
de Irujo shook his head. "Scrapping contracts have already been signed. Soon as everybody's sobered up from New Year's, they're going for razor blades."
"How unfortunate for them", Davidson said. "But I guess they're not going to be the last ones to meet that end."
"The only reason they're in service is a lack of replacements - and we'll be taking care of that soon enough."