“What are you doing with the stem cells?”
“All manner of things. These cells can be modified to create any type of human tissue, from the skin to brain matter. I have used them to heal and enhance injured soldiers, as well as to treat one of our committee member’s damaged liver. Soon, I hope to be able to repair torn cartilage with the help of a nano scaffold, which we inject into the damaged area. Stem cell research will be mankind’s salvation.” He said this as a matter of fact.
Leaving the ward, the men reached a second elevator, and Von Klitzing pressed the call button.
“This is amazing, Gentlemen. I am very impressed! How are we using this research to our advantage?”
Both men looked at each other before looking back at Michael.
“That would be your job, Herr Hofmann,” Dr Ecker said and laughed.
“I do, however, have some recommendations, should you be interested,” Von Klitzing interjected.
The lift door opened, and the men took it to the floor above. Another hospital ward was behind the third-floor lift doors. This one was inhabited by three men in their thirties.
“These are our sons, Herr Hofmann. They have all been given two injections of the viral solution and are responding well to the treatment.”
Each man sat on the side of his bed, as a male nurse read to them from a large file.
“The nurses are recounting dates and experiences from their grandfathers’ lives.” It reminded Michael of his process and the feeling it had left him with—of being drowned. All he held dear was washed from his memory like dirt from a windscreen.
This is more brutal than any physical torture.
He could see the fear in the men’s faces as they slowly succumbed, and strangers were introduced to their bodies.
“When will they be ready?”
“Only a matter of days now. Maybe the beginning of next week.” Ecker shrugged his shoulders. “Better not to rush these things.”
Michael knew Hofmann’s plan was to replace certain board members with these men. He knew that they would be more focused than their predecessors and full of the enthusiasm of youth.
“I need them in place as soon as possible, Dr Ecker. It is high time the world felt the force of the real Meyer-Hofmann!”
The remark had stung, but neither of the men let it show. Michael allowed himself an inner smile nevertheless. Back in a lift, they were deposited in the large second-floor barracks. A similar room could be found at a military facility anywhere in the world. Rows of neatly made dark green bunk beds, separated by tall steel lockers, lined the whitewashed walls. The vinyl floor was polished to an unnatural gloss, so that you could see your face in it. Only every other fluorescent strip light was on, and there was no sign of life.
Von Klitzing had taken a back seat to Ecker up until this point, but he suddenly became very animated, coughing loudly to get the other men’s attention, keen to get back into Hofmann’s favour.
“This is one of our main barracks, Herr Hofmann. The other one is on the first floor.”
“Very impressive, Herr Von Klitzing, and where are the men?”
“The majority are on the first floor. The second floor housed the older troops who have now been stationed abroad.”
“Abroad, where abroad?”
The men came to a stop in the middle of the barracks, Dr Ecker taking the opportunity to take a seat on one of the bottom bunks.
“Herr Hofmann, I have put two strategies in place that I think will make a large contribution to the cause. I have arranged for some large banks to experience some liquidity problems at our convenience. It should not take more than one bank failing to trigger the next financial crash and destabilise the world’s financial institutes further. I believe that if we can create another market crash, it will remind the general public that they cannot trust their current governments and banks with their futures. The ground will be ripe for the creation of a new National Socialist Party. You, Herr Hofmann, should be its leader; your speech on the balcony of the Rathaus proved that to me. Hitler himself would have been proud!”
“That is very kind of you to say, Herr Von Klitzing, but we would probably be better to start with someone who is already known in the political community.”
“Do not underestimate yourself, Herr Hofmann, and do not overestimate the voting public. They are all greedy, selfish lemmings; dangle a big enough carrot in front of them, and they will follow you!”
Michael took a moment to digest the information.
Did he really think he could cause a stock market crash?
“I also believe it is time we deal with the Jewish problem. But we can only do that when they have lost the Americans’ support. I plan to create an atrocity in the Middle East on a scale that has not been seen before. It will be apparent to the world who was responsible, a war crime committed by the Jews.”
Michael had been so absorbed with Von Klitzing’s plans, he had unconsciously taken the weight off the drawing pin stuck into his heel. Without warning, he found himself fighting Hofmann for control, desperately pressing his heel down hard into the floor, whilst, at the same time, trying to understand what it was that Von Klitzing was saying.
“What do you have planned?” He managed to get the words out and buy himself time.
“With your permission, we will provoke an attack on Iran by the Jews. They are so trigger-happy, it won’t be difficult. We have a contact within the Mossad and evidence that the Iranians are virtually ready to become a nuclear power. The Israelis cannot allow that to happen; they will attack Iran. When they do, I have men on the ground in Iran, who will expand the attack, making it catastrophic for the entire region.”
“How do you plan to do that?” Michael was winning the fight but needed more time. He too sat, pressing his heel hard into the floor whilst letting out a sigh. “Sorry, Herr Von Klitzing. I must take the weight off.”
“The Israelis will hit nuclear research targets. We will hit their nuclear power plant in Bushehr. We plan to cause a nuclear disaster that will make Chernobyl look like spilt milk in comparison. Even the Americans will have to distance themselves from the Jews.”
Michael nodded as if agreeing with Von Klitzing’s reasoning. He winced as the pain drove Hofmann back into his unconsciousness. He began to rub his back as if it were giving him pain, hoping to hide the internal battle he was in.
“Are you all right?” Von Klitzing asked.
“I’m fine. Please, continue.”
“My men have smuggled several mobile AT-2 units over the Iraqi border into Iran.”
“AT-2?”
“It’s a surface-to-surface guided anti-tank missile we got from some Russian connections.”
“What is its purpose?”
“Two or three direct hits should be enough to penetrate the core of the nuclear plant. We have twenty missiles, and the men’s orders are to use them all.”
“If it works, what will happen?”
“Difficult to say. At least, a massive radiation leak. Maybe even a thermal runaway.” Von Klitzing smiled, proud of himself.
Michael knew what a thermal runaway was, but he let Von Klitzing explain.
“A thermal runaway is an exothermic reaction. The reaction produces heat that, in turn, creates more heat. The whole plant’s radioactive materials would be consumed. The entire area would be contaminated. With luck, the whole region would be made uninhabitable.”
“The radiation will contaminate a massive area, kill hundreds of thousands.” Michael could feel himself shaking with fear.
This could not be real. He struggled to stand and was helped up by Von Klitzing.