sorry for the delay. my tank is fight too
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Location Detection Error
Erika and I made our way to the H44-class super battleship moored along side Ishikari. She slowly bobbed in the waves, rising upwards then downwards, like a sleeping beauty resting before the storm. Erika managed to get the two of us over, constructing a bridge out of thin air. We landed on the deck with a slight creak of the wood paneling.
"Wow," Erika whistled. "She looks even more impressive in person."
"You're telling me," I say back, taking in the surroundings. She was massive. Everything about the KM Bismarck was massive. From the guns, to the turrets, to the bridge -- heck, even the AA mounts were huge. The Germans sure were compensating for something in the last months of World War Two.
"I wonder how she got here though..." she ran her slender fingers over the cool metal of a gun barrel. "You know as well as I do that both our ships are blueprint designs. So who brought them here?"
"Whoever decided to base this world off World of Warships."
"But I don't understand why though." She dug her hands into her coat's pockets, then turned around and leaned on the turret's armour. "It just doesn't make any sense at all. Why warships from World of Warships? Why us? As far as I can tell, I don't see anyone on my RADAR, human or ship girl. It's just us two."
"What about Abyssals?" I pointed out. "Couldn't they do something like that? Warp reality, create a reality marble, a dream bubble, a nexus point, something?"
Erika shook her head helplessly. "I don't know, Al. I'd like to think that they couldn't..." the blonde rubbed her eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh. "But honestly, stuff like that?" She shrugged, "That's Dakota's department, not mine." She stared at the sky, then back at the ship. "If it was the Abyssals, I'd doubt they would have taken the effort to create a replica of a blueprint ship. Not to mention two of them."
"Or ones that match up exactly with our ships in the game," I agreed. "So we're looking at an unknown force, dealing with unknown powers, and we may or may not be alone." I folded my arms. "I really wish that all of our problems could be solved with excessive force and skillful computer hacking."
--
After our short interlude on the bow of the ship, we continued our way up the citadel of the ship, heading for the bridge of the warship. After meeting the men and women who served on my vessel, I fully expected to be treated to the same experience on Erika's ship. Instead, we found only one man.
One very famous German man. Otto von Bismarck was waiting for us on the bridge, his arms crossed behind him, looking out towards the shimmering blue see.
"I see that you have arrived," he said by way of greeting. He had a stern looking face, a permanent scowl on his mouth. He looked every bit like the imposing Prussian man that became the first Chancellor of Germany, the man who unified the Germanic states into one single country. He was the father of the German Republic, and he carried with him the experience, power, and presence that an accomplished statesman like him seemed to possess at all times.
A presence that evaporated when he laid his eyes on Erika. "Ah," he said, instantly dropping his 'tough German chancellor' façade. "How are you, little Erika?"
"F-Father...?" she whispered.
"Daughter," he replied, sweeping the shorter girl into a tight hug. The two were laughing -- laughing and crying, father and daughter reunited after centuries of separation. I wiped a couple tears from my eyes, excusing myself from the room and letting the two catch up.
--
"So," Otto von Bismarck turned to face me. "You're the man who is courting my daughter."
"Yes," I tonelessly responded.
"Hmph." He eyed me over. "She could have chosen much worse." He then walked toward the windows, gesturing for us to follow him.
"I will keep this brief, as you have no doubt heard about the situation from the Japanese captain already." He took off his glasses, and pocketed them. "That is not what I had summoned the two of you here for."
"The road ahead will be long, and tough. There will be many things that will test your resolve, your skills, your bravery and courage, but most important of all," he tapped his chest, "is the bond between the two of you."
He turned toward me, his features solemn. "All I can ask of you, Admiral Schmitt, is to keep my daughter safe."
"I will."
"And Erika, please take care of your husband. The two of you need each other to make it through this hellish nightmare."
"I will, dad."
"Then I will leave you two to your business."
He slowly faded away, before taking us into one final hug.
"Take care. I will be watching you from above from now on."
And then he was gone, leaving only the two of us on a lonely ship.