Review: Block 109

Block 109 by Vincent Brugeas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rating 4 out of 5 | Grade: A; Underrated
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war; and politics

Synopsis
1941, Adolf Hitler chancellor of the Nazi Party is assassinated during a rally. Following which all key members of the party were hanged for treason, leaving Heinrich Himmler to assume the role of chancellor.



His first act as leader is the creation of the New Teutonic Order, to combat the growing influence of the SS and its leader Reinhard Heydrich. To this effect, he appoints Paul Zytek, a relatively unknown officer as the Grand Master (Hochmeister) of the Order.

By 1944 the German thermonuclear program ‘Project Ragnarok’ bears fruit, the first German thermonuclear bomb becomes operational. 1945, USA & UK are the first targets of the bomb, reducing them to nuclear ruins.

In 1947, Himmler died, leaving a power vacuum in the German High command. Both Zytek & Heydrich supported by their respective orders vie for power. The teutonic order prevails, Zytek is chosen as President of the Third Reich; Heydrich maintains his position as Reichfuhrer.

The Soviet Union is the only remaining opposition to the Germans. Having used the time to prepare their own economy, they are more than a match to the German forces led by the Teutonic order. War is fought not just by men, but by & planes; but also by hulking metallic automatons duking it out on either side. Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR becomes a prolonged conflict, extending to the year 1951, when both sides are at a stalemate, and only around 30% of the global populace is intact.



Asia, Africa & rest of the world, left unchecked, is ravaged in turns; by Imperial Japan, then the Russians & Germans, who plunder its resources, all to feed the ever hungry ravenous beast that had become war in Europe.

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Thoughts

There have been too many ‘Nazis won the World war using advanced weapons/time travel’ plots, which make for quite an interesting read. Quite a few hilariously absurd Video games too; I’m looking at you Wolfenstein, Command & Conquer.

After all, it is a period of history of quite some significance to civilization as we know it in particular. Also defining politics, society, economics and human values for quite a long time to come. There is a veritable wealth of information in regards to this period, be it historical records, first hand accounts, biographies, critical analysis and such. No wonder it is such a motherload for aspiring writers to delve into.

Plus, I suppose at some fundamental level, we as a collective zeitgeist want to explore the other side of this black mirror. To know, as bad as things are now, it could’ve been worse, much worse. (A reminder, nearly seven decades afterwards, the global Jewish population has yet to rebound to its pre 1939 levels.)

When I picked up Block 109 by Vincent Brugeas, I only considered it to be yet another pulp fiction guilty pleasure to keep my mind entertained at the metaphorical fictional collective memory of humanity. Boy was it a pleasant surprise to be proven wrong.

The Butterfly Effect & Hypercompetent Nazis

So, this whole thing kicks off, when in alternate earth 1941, Hitler is assassinated by an unknown sniper. In the purge which follows in the Nazi high command, fueled partly by needing to find the culprit and mostly with political maneuvering, Heinrich Himmler becomes Fuhrer, while the rest are purged. His second in command Reinhard Heidrich became head of SS. To prevent him getting too much power, as checks and balances, Himmler creates the new Teutonic order, and appoints as its Grand Master, an unknown officer HochMeister Zytek.

Following this, it’s almost as if, without Hitler’s more Paranoid neurosis, hysteria and narcissism, more rational voices in the German leadership & military were able to get a more freehand in directing the war effort. Leading to more early victories in the western front, as well as development of the bulking behemoths known as Panzermen, which were able to steer the war effort in favor of Germany.

This was also attributed to the fact how Germany was able to develop thermonuclear weapons, and lacking the humanitarian concerns or morality of the allies, at least the western allies, reigned nuclear holocaust on USA & UK.

Yet instead of a convenient global nazi victory, these events only lead to a prolonged conflict, where 70% of the world population dies of nuclear holocaust, the world has become a huge resource sink for perpetual war, and humanity is moving from bad to worse everyday.

Despite gaining pyrrhic victory against all but the Soviets, in typical Nazi fashion, their worst enemy turns out to be their own ambitions; as the Nazi leadership of the newly established Germania is more concerned with getting rid of their political opponents than winning the war. Oftentimes prioritizing the former in sacrificing the latter.

Most historians (armchair & real) would argue that no amount of superweapons or miracles could’ve saved Nazi Germany from its inevitable defeat, perhaps prolonged it. There is no scenario which showed a complete Nazi victory. Which is true; in terms of resources, industrial production and manpower, the allies far outpaced Germany even on their best days. But this is a fictional retelling, and certain creative liberties are to be taken for an engaging narrative.

Nazi Zombie apocalypse

What starts as a narrative about how the world is going to shit, the internal politics of the new Germanic order, and how groups of soldiers at the Soviet front were trying to desperately cling to life amongst neglect and resource constraints, soon took a dark…erhm… darker turn with the introduction of several viral infected mutated berserkers.

These were in fact humans experimented on by the Nazi scientists to develop a super soldier serum. It worked, sort of. It did give him enhanced strength, just with a small caveat of destroying all personality and rational thought, turning them into ravenous creatures hunting down normal humans.



At this point I wondered whether the narrative would shift into a Worldwar Z sort of scenario, as this is one case where that name would really fit. But surprisingly, the Zombies, much like Nazi autobots & nuclear weapons were only one part of the grander story. Which is what I can respect, not letting a single McGuffin take over the string of your storytelling.

A Sympathetic Nazi; or is he

So initially, I thought Zytek to be this mastermind who was steering the Nazi regime as well as the world as per his grand plans. Then it turned out, he was just an anti-Nazi resistance fighter who assassinated Hitler. This unintentionally changed things for the worse; the Nazi party became much more competent and managed to almost win the war.

Their nuclear devastation of the Americas ended up killing Zytek’s family, thus making him the unwitting architect of their death. Which then fuels his part nihilistic, part (what do you call it, when someone wants to wipe out most of humanity, so that the rest can get a fresh start?) Utilitarianistic? Attitude. (Well Intentioned Extremist; got to love TV tropes)

It's all for the greater good; of at least good of the future generations

Turns out, Zytek, the guy who became the Nazi leader, was not really a Nazi at all; rather someone who is a German loyalist. At least that is how it began, and he was the one who assassinated Hitler all those years back.

He had infiltrated the Nazi party & the SS, under orders from Wilhelm Canaris, acting as a spy, and later saboteur to steer the ruling elites away from the staunch Nazi ideology. But things started to fall apart, following the natural death of Canaris, as well as the presumed death of his family, sent to America for their safety, following the Nuclear bombardment of North America.

After this, Zytek began to see war as an unstoppable evil, being perpetuated by not only the Nazis, but most other world nations. As long as modern civilization continued to be, there would be continued war. To stop war for good, it was necessary to put a stop to the modern world of man

To this effect, Zytek gathered allies and loyalists among the regime and especially his own Teutonic Order. Henning von Tresckow & Claus von Stauffenberg, members of Operation Valkyrie in the real world, are some of his trusted lieutenants.

Zytek’s ultimate aim was the near extinction of the human race, at least those who still lived in populated nations. To this effect, he decided to co-opt the German Thermonuclear arsenal, as well as the newly developed viral weapon.

Zytek’s faction is planning to destroy all major population centers and revert humanity back to the preindustrial era. This includes himself and much of the Nazi regime. The only ones to survive would be a selected group of 6000 individuals, with an assortment of animal and plant life, who will be safe within an artificial enclosure deep within the German heartland. After the end, it will be their responsibility to reclaim the earth & to guide the remnants of humanity to a new future. And you know, repopulate the planet.

After securing the 6000 chosen individuals inside the bunkers, Stauffenberg initiates armageddon by releasing the German nuclear arsenal targeting all major population centers and military installations. While also simultaneously releasing an army of mutated berserkers infected with the virus into the land, who will, over the course of their lifespan, hunt down and kill most of the warring forces.

While the metaphorical slate is being wiped clean, Zytek’s chosen will ride out the storm in Block 109, the modern ark.

I like how the writers draw us in with the Nazis winning the world war scenario, making us complacent thinking this is going to be another fascist power trip, then make a whole heel turn to a philosophical discussion about war, life and to what lengths one can go for true peace.


Characters

Zytek as a character works. He is not someone who is one off, and makes us the reader go through an emotional rollercoaster. From being introduced as Himmler’s successor and the ‘Nazi Hochfuhrer’, to someone who is crazy enough to commit global nuclear holocaust, a shrewd tactician outwitting his opposition, a double agent who was breaking down the Nazis from the inside, the devastated man who lost his family (partially due to his own actions), and finally someone who resolves to become the ‘Well intentioned extremist’ who wants to bomb humanity back to the dark ages only to give the reminder a chance at a new, better future without war. He goes through a lot of phases, and his change often takes us as a reader along for the rollercoaster ride.



The fact that he, and his order acknowledge the evil that they had become, and willingly decide to be casualties in the final conflict, so as to become the nourishment for the coming generations is just (chef’s kiss). Zytek teeters the line of being a morally scrupulous guy with too much power, and a messiah complex. But averts it by the emotional side of him, the compassion he shows for his fellow soldiers, and the hope that he places on those chosen to populate the Block-109, for a better tomorrow. I haven’t seen a character with this many shades in quite some time, and it feels good to read.

Towards the end, the story somehow makes us sympathize with people, who are technically Nazis, and have done terrible things in name of the greater good, but also genuinely believe their actions no matter how much vile is to lead to a better future. To make us invested in such characters is perhaps a testament to the author's skill.

Artwork

The Artwork by Ronan Toulhoat is minimalistic, almost like a sketch painting, but is effective. Be it in portraying the dark dreary dangerous and hopeless conditions of the front, as contrasted by the clean, pristine and roman like architecture of the capital.

Or be it to communicate the horror induced by the viral infected berserkers who delve in the shadows and spread fear even among grown men.



Colors, when used sparingly is to accentuate the titanic strength of the Teutonic order, or the despair brought about by nuclear holocaust on populations.

And in one quite symbolic instance, it's used to show the contrast between the vibrant world that was, before the war, and the colorless world that it is in the present.




Final Nitpickings

As is usually the case, and as political experts have often theorized, even if they were not defeated during the second world war, the Nazi sociopolitical doctrines are so unstable that peace time, or lack of impending conflict would be sufficient to cause them to implode. Even here, the biggest threat that the regime faces is not the soviets, but the machinations of various factions within the party itself.

Even as bitter battle wages in their eastern front, the Nazi leaders are more keen on politicking and Assassinating their opponents, even if that can lead to strategic losses in the war. Revealing secrets to the enemy, leading to the death of their opposition military, sending hapless soldiers into suicidal campaigns just for political brownie points, administering the bioweapon to soldiers in the frontline in lieu of super soldier serums.

One of the more outrageous cases for suspension of disbelief is the hyper competency, as well as strategic infallibility of the Reich. Over the course of the story, it seems that Nazis are killing more German soldiers by their actions and political purges than the enemy. Yet still, they have enough military forces still left to hold the front line and continue battling the Soviets.

Towards the end, even after the SS have been purged from the Reich, there is a battalion worth of SS loyalists remaining , who march to Berlin to face the depleted forces of the Teutonic Order. They just seem to make up soldiers out of thin air.

Also, a lot of excuses are made for the 'protagonist'/ messiah for the greater good, that is Zytek. As to why he allowed the Jewish Holocaust (In this world the concentration camps were not discovered by the public), or why his supposed arks mostly have only Caucasian members (Nazis didn't leave much in terms of non-Caucasian selection populations), or how these white saviors were to guide the rest of humanity, or its reminder to a brighter future (which, in a way would feed into the superior Aryan race theory).

But despite all this, Block 109 is a thought provoking and emotionally engaging story. Please give it a try, as I see it is relatively unknown.


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