Project Fenrir

The man sat at the table and sorted through the files before him. After a moment, he found the one he was looking for. He regarded it for a moment, his face grim, took a deep breath, and then opened it. Four packets of paper lay in it, each packet expertly linked together with sturdy oversized paperclips. He His eyes darted over the page, the German words being translated to English in his mind as he read.

MEMO: 8TH OF APRIL, 1942 FROM: DR. ANTON SCHULLER TO: PROJECT FENRIR STAFF

Welcome gentlemen, to your new laboratory. I hope you find it to your liking. With that said, let me make some further comments.

It is my intention to assure you that Project Fenrir is not in the hand of an enemy. I am well-acquainted with the late Dr. Waldgraf's research and his theories, and I consider them brilliant, and revolutionary. Indeed, I will come out and say that I consider the work we do here to be absolutely vital to the future of the Third Reich. When--as inevitably shall be the case--we win this war, having broken the decadent, weak twin Jew-inspired evils of democracy, and Bolshevism, our German nation will stand astride this continent of Europe with an empire filled with filthy, inferior Slavic untermenschen that will inevitably try to undermine our glorious victory, and sully our Aryan purity. Means of control will be necessary, for despite our sterling efforts, we will not initially have the numbers to simply overpower them indefinitely. Project: Fenrir is, to my mind, one of the finest efforts to combat this shortcoming. Using the raw materials of the Untermenschen themselves, we shall construct a loyal army of occupation. And this aside from the vast benefits to biology, to surgery, to every field of medical and scientific endeavor that this project shall advance.

Gentlemen, allow me state it is my honor to work with you.

The man frowned to himself, and flipped to the next sheet of paper.

MEMO: 12TH OF APRIL, 1942 FROM: DR. ANTON SCHULLER TO: PROJECT FENRIR STAFF

Having reviewed Dr. Waldgraf's results, I believe I have figured out why this project's previous efforts have stalled in the manner that they have. While it is tempting to use adults, I am firmly convinced they lack the elasticity of health which is given to the young. Simply put, an adult body cannot accept the changes that it will be subjected to in our work. Henceforth, we will be using children between the ages of ten (10) to fourteen (14) years.

Likewise, our other subjects should be of a similar age. Henceforth, we will be using dogs of one (1) year to two (2) years. As purebreds of these ages are both rare and expensive, we will switch to mongrels, something that--considering the quality of the human stock we will be working with, I personally find quite appropriate. I have also bought a group of breeding dogs who will serve to grant us a ready supply for future experiments.

It is my hope, gentlemen, that we will soon see great results from these measures.

The man put the packet down with a grimace. He took a deep breath, and then flipped the page. EXPERIMENT 106 PERFORMED: 30TH OF APRIL 1942 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Subjects expired on table.

After some debate, it was agreed to continue the surgery, so as to perfect our methods in surgical hybridization.

Results photographed, and put on file.

Remains disposed of.

The man frowned at another file, labeled 'Fotos'. His hand darted towards it--then stopped. Instead, he flipped to the next page of the packet.

EXPERIMENT 107 PERFORMED: 3RD OF MAY, 1942 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Subjects expired on table.

Surgery continued, so as to perfect our methods in surgical hybridization.

Results photographed, and put on file.

Remains disposed of.

EXPERIMENT 108 PERFORMED 7TH OF MAY, 1942 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Subjects expired on table.

Surgery continued, so as to perfect our methods in surgical hybridization.

Results photographed, and put on file.

Remains disposed of.

The man began to flip through the pages with increasing rapidity. The notes continued with dull, horrifying sameness. At Experiment 123, when the 'Surgery continued, so as to perfect our methods in surgical hybridization' after the 'Subjects expired on table' it became 'as is standard procedure'. But aside from that, nothing really seemed to change. As he flipped through the packet, he came across a solitary letter inserted between Experiment 143 and Experiment 144.

INTERNAL FILE COPY 22ND OF SEPTEMBER, 1942 TO: REQUISITIONS FROM: PROJECT FENRIR

We must protest the quality of the subjects we have recently been sent. These children are in an atrocious condition--starving, badly beaten, and in many cases, ridden with typhus and infections of a similar nature. While we understand that much of this is simply the result of scarcity that the barbaric aggression of the Allies has brought about--it is hard, after all, to justify giving Jewish filth supplies when Aryan youth are suffering--the fact remains such subjects are useless to us. Aside from the dangers of infection, we have enough troubles with our subjects perishing during our operations--having them perish BEFORE we get around to experimentation phase increases our difficulties astronomically. We must therefore ask that a supply of children captured be sent to us immediately on their apprehension. This will assist our efforts immeasurably.

The man stared at the letter for a while, his expression indignant. He took many deep breaths, and then went on. The experiments continued, in all their monotonous horror. And then, to his surprise, something different happened.

EXPERIMENT 168 PERFORMED 6TH OF JANUARY, 1943 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Operation concluded, successfully.

Subject blinked three times.

Subject expired.

Results photographed, and put on file.

Autopsy performed to see if any conditions that lead to successful operation could be isolated.

Remains disposed of.

The man flipped to the page following that--and watched as the subjects immediately went back to expiring on the table prior to conclusion of the experiment. A few "successes" appeared after that, but as they inevitably expired after some pathetic display of what the doctors insisted was "life", the man found himself wondering if these occasional variations were nothing more than the willing self-delusion of men desperate for results. As he finished up one packet, and then moved onto another, his eyes kept going to the file labeled 'Fotos'. He shook his head, and began the next packet.

EXPERIMENT 203 PERFORMED 26TH OF MAY, 1943 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Subjects expired on table.

Surgery continued, so as to perfect our methods in surgical hybridization, as is standard procedure.

Results photographed, and put on file.

Remains disposed of.

With a weary sigh, the man began to flip through the packet again.

After Experiment 215, there was a memo. MEMO: 17th OF JULY, 1943 FROM: DR. ANTON SCHULLER TO: PROJECT FENRIR STAFF

I am greatly pleased that the great Dr. Maximilian von Rosenstein and his Project Baldr staff will be joining us. Their work for the Reich is invaluable, and I am convinced that their assistance will allow Project Fenrir to reach its next stage.

The man rolled his eyes, and moved on to the next page.

EXPERIMENT 216 PERFORMED 20TH OF JULY, 1943 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

WITH ASSISTANCE FROM: DR. MAXIMILIAN VON ROSENSTEIN DR. JOHAN KLEMENS DR. RUDOLPH HELLER DR. SIGMUND GEIN

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Subjects expired on table.

Surgery continued.

On surgery's completion, results photographed, and put on file.

Rosenstein and staff prepared subject using the Rosenstein method of chemical injection.

Electricity applied to subject.

Subject twitched and contorted, but ultimately did not revive.

Remains disposed of.

The man nodded quietly, and turned to the next page.

EXPERIMENT 217 PERFORMED 23RD OF JULY, 1943 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

WITH ASSISTANCE FROM: DR. MAXIMILIAN VON ROSENSTEIN DR. JOHAN KLEMENS DR. RUDOLPH HELLER DR. SIGMUND GEIN

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Subjects expired on table.

Surgery continued.

On surgery's completion, results photographed, and put on file.

Rosenstein and staff prepared subject using the Rosenstein method of chemical injection.

Electricity applied to subject.

Subject twitched and contorted, but ultimately did not revive.

Remains disposed of.

The man flipped through the pages once again, wondering how long this new state of affairs would go on.

The answer turned out to be not very long.

INTERNAL FILE COPY 19TH OF AUGUST, 1943 TO: REICHSFUHRER-SS HEINRICH HIMMLER FROM: DR. ANTON SCHULLER

I am sending this to you in the strictest confidence. Having worked with Dr. von Rosenstein for over a month now, I and my staff are all but convinced that he is playing a mammoth and knowing fraud on the Reich. His methods due not work as he states they do--further, having examined them, we find NO reason for them to do so. If necessary we can produce a file analyzing his claims and demonstrating their utter baselessness.

And sure enough, when the man flipped the page, he saw...

EXPERIMENT 225 PERFORMED 24TH OF AUGUST, 1943 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Subjects expired on table.

Surgery continued, so as to perfect our methods in surgical hybridization, as is standard procedure.

Results photographed, and put on file.

Remains disposed of.

And so the packet went on. There were the usual "successes"--and the man couldn't help but let a savage grin escape at the thought that not one had occurred when von Rosenstein and his men had been there--all strange and oddly pathetic, including one that read, 'Subject panted for ten (10) seconds, then expired.' Eventually, the second packet ended, and a third packet began. On the whole, it was a rather bland year, with little of note for Project Fenrir. Save for a single notice.

MEMO: 17TH OF MARCH, 1944 FROM: DR. ANTON SCHULLER TO: PROJECT FENRIR STAFF

Due to scarcity, we shall be forced to cut the use of anesthesia during the subjects' preparation for surgery by the Waldgraf method. It is hoped that our present expertise will allow us to deal with this loss with no detriment to our present efforts.

The man frowned as he felt a sickening feeling spread in his stomach. Oh, he very much doubted it proved any detriment to their efforts at all. He doubted it very much.

And so the pages flipped on, as the man searched for some sign of awareness--some vague recognition on the part of these men that what they were doing was barbaric, foolish and cruel. He never found it. The third packet was finished, and the fourth began. It was thinner than the previous three, and after Experiment 373, the man read the following note.

MEMO: 9TH OF APRIL, 1945 FROM: DR. ANTON SCHULLER TO: PROJECT FENRIR STAFF.

I find I must ask staff to remain calm. The rumors of an Allied advance are baseless and false--even now our triumphant Wehrmacht forces them back. Let us work, as they do, courageously and industriously to further our glorious Third Reich through our bold scientific labors.

And flipping to what was the last note in the packet, the man found himself reading the following epitaph for Project Fenrir...

EXPERIMENT 374 PERFORMED 10TH OF APRIL, 1945 BY: DR. ANTON SCHULLER DR. JOHAN OSTERBACH DR. HERMANN PFALZ

Subjects prepared according to the Waldgraf method.

Operation begun.

Subjects expired on table.

Surgery continued, so as to perfect our methods in surgical hybridization, as is standard procedure.

Results photographed, and put on file.

Remains disposed of.

They'd rolled in two days later, the man thought. They'd rolled in, Schuller had shot himself, Pfalz had taken cyanide, and Osterbach had tried to hang himself. He'd failed, and was presently in an Allied POW camp, where the man suspected he'd wait for a while, and then have the Allies finish the job up properly for him. They'd come, and they'd ended this... degraded exercise in grotesque murder and torture disguising itself as a scientific experiment. They ended it, and now all that Project Fenrir could show after so many years, and so many lives... young lives wasted was this ridiculous, horrible listing of failed "experiments".

Well, almost all. The man's eyes darted to the file marked 'Fotos'. He reached for the file, and steadied himself. He knew what he'd find here, after all. They'd botched that last 'disposal' and his men had found that charred, obscenely violated corpse. He knew what he was going to see when he opened this file, and that--that meant he could handle this...

He flipped the file open with a sudden motion that sent many of the photographs within flying out to the table. The man saw them, and that sick feeling in his stomach became an overpowering urge to retch. He rose to his feet and rushed to the door...

"Major!" came Corporal Williams' voice, as Major Worth exited the room. The Major turned awkwardly, and accepted the NCO's salute. "Sir... I've been looking for you. It's... it's the kids.  I... well, my German isn't as good as yours, but... but they have a question, and it's pretty easy to understand, so I... I have to ask you, sir..."

"What is it, Corporal?" asked Major Worth tiredly, hoping that he could keep his composure long enough to avoid vomiting right in front of the man.

"It's..." The corporal debated things, then went to a window, and gestured outside. The Major glanced out the window.

A small crowd of smallish children with yellow stars of David sewn into their clothes were there, playing with dogs and puppies. "Ahhh!" cooed one young girl, stroking a puppy that cheerfully licked her face. "Mein liebling!" The puppy gave a cheerful yip.

The Major felt his stomach settle somewhat. "They want to know if they can keep the dogs, sir," said Corporal Williams, his expression hopeful.

"I don't see anything wrong with that," said the Major, smiling somewhat. "Of course, their parents will have the final yea or nay..." Assuming they're still alive, he thought to himself.

Williams nodded. "Checking out the files, sir?"

"Uh huh." The Major turned and headed back into the room. Somehow--somehow he thought he really could handle it now.

Corporal Williams followed him. "So--what were they doing here?"

"Killing people, Corporal," said Major Worth. "They were killing people." He scowled, one hand on the files. "The brass will want copies of this, but if I had my way, I'd torch this entire worthless package of shit." He nodded towards the photos. "Especially those."

Corporal Williams gulped, and then nodded. "No argument here, sir." The two men stood there, staring in disgust at photo after photo showing a child's body with a dog's head grafted to it, with varying degrees of surgical skill. "No argument at all."