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#Post#: 296--------------------------------------------------
Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: insert name Date: June 1, 2017, 8:32 pm
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Okay, so I don't have any concrete ideas for present timeline
things for some frequent posters (want Woodstock to be through
before I get into stuff that happens after), so instead I'm
going to set up a couple Threads to talk about people's general
backstories and various points in history. I'm going to let
people set the first scene or just describe things, if they'd
like, but ca jump in if need be.
This one is for Dr. Hertz.
#Post#: 299--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: PlebeianTyrant Date: June 2, 2017, 9:49 am
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<German>
"No, I haven't heard from Madalene... Not since December. I'm
sorry I'm not there... I will try to get you a boat ticket to
come here, but the Americans do not want many Jewish
immigrants... Yes, I would get as many as possible... No, I
haven't forgotten my family... Mother, please don't speak like
that. If they hate us that much I'm sure they would let the Jews
leave... Those are just rumors... Yes, okay... I will... I love
you as well... Tell Karl not to make trouble... Bye."
Dr. Hertz hangs up the small rotary phone sitting on top of a
cheap wooden desk. The sun shown in through the blinds in the
windows, making odd shapes around the small office. Boxes sat
all over the room, the phone being the first thing he had
unpacked in preparation for his mother's late night call (God
only knew how or what she had to do to get her hands on a phone
given the situation in Germany). He leans forward with his
elbows in the desk and removes his glasses and rubs his eyes.
Tears begin working their way out from between his fingers. He
couldn't stand lying to his mother like that. He had already
tried and pulled as many strings as he could, but no could help.
There new Nazi government has shut down emigration and the
American public wasn't being very sympathetic to foreign
concerns. If he had more money or clout, maybe he could snuggle
his family out, but that was a long shot. America was doing
terribly financial sense, and they didn't want become involved
in expensive overseas endeavors.
Hertz decided to take his mind off something he could do very
little about. Unpacking his new office at the military base
could wait. Everything he had was basically sitting in this
room, and it wasn't a lot of stuff. He wanders over to a box,
dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief, opening he finds his
personal effects: a few passages of the Torah, pictures of his
family, his diplomas, passport, a small golden star of David,
and he was really looking for. He pulled the bottle of brandy or
if the box; a gift from a friend back at Cambridge. "Thanks
Richard. You continue to be a life saver." Hertz mumbles at the
bottle.
Just then, there's a knock at his office door. Here jerks out of
his stupor. "Hallo? Kommt in."
His secretary pokes her head in through the barely opened door.
Hertz recalls that he was given a secretary today, but with the
moving in and the phone call he forgot someone else was nearby.
He remembers that she's pretty and he liked how clean her teeth
were when she smiled.
#Post#: 303--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: insert name Date: June 3, 2017, 1:30 am
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The young woman stands sheepishly just inside the doorway. She
smiles, but the clean teeth flash only briefly before it becomes
all lip, pressed thin with awkward worry. It's hard to tell if
she's nervous about the scene before her, or just the new
employer.
"I thought-" she says, "That is, would you like some help
setting your office up?"
[hr]
OOC
So, based on this
HTML http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/voices/info/decrees/decrees.html<br
/>useful and incredibly depressing site this is probably 1941.
Phones are confiscated in 1940, but its in '41 that use of
public telephones becomes illegal and travel outside the country
is officially banned.
Also, what precisely is the work Hertz does for the government?
I'm ignorant as to what biologists get hired for (though I'm
sure there's any number of things).
#Post#: 311--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: PlebeianTyrant Date: June 4, 2017, 1:03 pm
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"Oh! Uh... Sure, you can help me with my books." Hertz perks up
a little and turns away from her to gesture at some boxes behind
him and to wipe away more of the tears. "Just unpack them and...
put them... ehhh... there." He points to some shelves built into
the wall on the north side of the room.
Once she starts, he puts the bottle down on his desk and sets
about moving his personal affects to the desk. He subtly blows
his nose while the secretary has her back turned to him. As he
watched her to sneak more dabbing and blowing in to make himself
more presentable he paused. How long has it been since he'd
been with a woman? He stole glances at her between putting
pictures up on the desk and putting journals in the drawers.
She had a womanly figure and her shirt clung to her chest
tightly showing off her bosom quite well. Her pleated skirt
stopped right above her knees letting him see her calves. She
nearly caught him staring, but he managed to grab a piece of
paper and begin scratching notes on it to look busy.
After an hour of directing her helping, he gathered his courage
and asked, "I'm new here. Is there​ somewhere decent to
eat? I'm sick of cafeteria food." He chuckles slightly.
#Post#: 312--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: insert name Date: June 4, 2017, 11:40 pm
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The young woman sets to her work with a certain nervous energy,
but not with any real confidence. She worries so much about
making mistakes that her motions become clumsy and the mistakes
follow. Dropped books, boxes in the wrong place. No harm is
done, save perhaps to Hertz's opinion of her. They've saddled
him with an inexperienced klutz. Hand the Jew the worst of the
secretarial pool.
Still, she clearly wants to help. The phone stares at Hertz,
reminding him that wanting to help isn't always enough.
When he asks her about lunch, she hesitates a moment.
"That depends," she says, "Do you keep kosher? There are a few
I've been told to recommend if you don't, but I haven't been to
them, myself."
It's a slight surprise. Hertz hadn't really considered the
possibility this young woman was Jewish. Should he be offended
they went out of their way to pair her with him, or comforted by
some semblance of familiarity. His superiors are at least
concerned, but is this compassion or condescension? Maybe they
keep the Jews together here as well, so when the time comes...
It is so easy to worry.
The woman has a concerned look on her face, opens her mouth as
though to speak, and then shuts it again.
[hr]
OOC
This is in DC, correct?
#Post#: 313--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: PlebeianTyrant Date: June 5, 2017, 5:48 am
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OOC
If this is Rita, she's not Jewish. That's why Hertz never raised
his children as Jews. Their mother wasn't one. They would need
to be confirmed. Doesn't stop her from being aware. Also, I
didn't have a place in mind, so it could be DC, or anywhere
else. New Mexico was where they were doing a lot of weapons
testing.
IC
[quote]They've saddled him with an inexperienced klutz. Hand the
Jew the worst of the secretarial pool. [/quote]
At least she's​ good looking. They could've handed him
some old hag who'd tell him all about her idiot children
constantly and would be confused by things like radios.
[quote]The woman has a concerned look on her face, opens her
mouth as though to speak, and then shuts it again.[/quote]
Hertz's eyes refocus on her after his small bout of paranoia.
"What? Oh... I suppose I should... You know what? We don't have
to if you don't want." He walks over to his desk and picks up
his hat and puts it on. It's an old bowler hat from England,
another gift from Richard. "Lead the way." He gestures at the
door, forcing a smile.
#Post#: 316--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: insert name Date: June 5, 2017, 12:19 pm
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OOC
Huh... I don't have notes on it, but I thought Hertz had made a
point of marrying Jewish.
Mind you, I think what I was thinking of may have been that we
discussed Justin being Jewish, because Hertz encouraged her to
marry a Jewish man.
Well, I apologize for posting quite a bit that was just wrong.
I'll get to an IC post soon.
#Post#: 318--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: insert name Date: June 5, 2017, 6:30 pm
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OOC
So, yeah, ignore that part about her never eating non-kosher.
The line should probably have been:
"That depends," she says, "Do you keep kosher? There are a few
I've been told to recommend if you do, but I haven't been to
them, myself."
So, you know, mostly the same.
You know, I'd put you at Fort Detrick, but it won't be all that
involved in bioweapons research for about two years... in fact,
in the States almost no one is doing work on bioweapons right
now, because they're generally considered impractical. As of
this scene, there's some talk, but nothing substantial yet.
So... you're probably in Missouri at Fort Leonard Wood, working
for the Chemical Warfare Services (founded in WW1, name changed
to Chemical Corps in 1946)
[hr]
IC
If anything surprises Rita in Hertz's speech it's the use of
'we', but she recovers quickly. "No, no, it's alright," Rita
says quickly, "There's a place called Hofberg's on Kennedy
street. It's supposed to be really good. Uh... do you have a
car? Because, I take the bus."
Hertz doesn't have a car, but getting a taxi isn't too hard.
Hoffberg's is a kosher delicatessen that advertises 25¢ hot
dogs. The menu also has Russian caviar $1.25, sturgeon for 85¢
and corned beef. It's a small place, but a cozy atmosphere and
several people around the counters. Some are just coming in to
buy meat, others getting sandwiches and bagels.
The man behind the counters is middle aged, maybe in his
forties. He smiles at the two of them as they come in. "Hey
there! Nice to see a new face! What can I do for you?"
The place is fairly cheap, but the patrons have a mix of working
class and higher. A lot of middle class, educated looking men
and women.
HTML https://www.jhsgw.org/images/uploads/objects_of_the_month/2013/_normal/hofbergs-exterior.jpg<br
/>
HTML https://www.jhsgw.org/images/uploads/objects_of_the_month/2013/_normal/hofbergs-menu.jpg
[hr]
OOC
Okay, technically the menu is from the 1950s, but you get the
point.
#Post#: 319--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: PlebeianTyrant Date: June 6, 2017, 6:19 am
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Hertz gets the two of them a table. Asks Rita what she wants and
puts in the orders. He sits back at the table with Rita. "You
know, I have never tried an American 'hot-dog' before. We had
wurst in Hamburg, which was good. Then I lived in England for
ten years and they had sausage. They would eat them raw
sometimes, can you believe that? Unhealthy. I'm curious what
America has to offer. I like the look of them. Very clean and
nice."
"So, tell me a something about you. I am curious about a pretty
lady like yourself. How do you work for the military?" Hertz
asks after the food arrives.
#Post#: 320--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
By: insert name Date: June 6, 2017, 12:14 pm
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The Hoffberg's kosher beef hotdog is good, but simple. The
american sausage seems to lack a lot of the spice and complexity
of traditional East European cuisine.
Rita gets the corned beef.
"I type well," she says with a smile, "And my father worked for
the army for almost thirty years. It makes getting cleared a lot
easier." She does not ask him what brings him to this work.
"Have you found a place here yet, or are you staying on Camp?"
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