[MacGyverGod]

Welcome to chapter 5. From now on the war is on and we'll follow Mac in his missions and assignments he has to do during the long war years. Oh by the way, from now every now and than there will be German spoken in the story but don't worry. For those who don't understand it, there are subtitles. Enjoy!

(We fade in as the texts of Headlines IV and War News I appears and the track Mr. Lincoln from North and South starts playing)
Headlines IV
December 1941 – February 1942

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

December 7 1941
Japan has launched a destructive and provoking attack on the United States. Shortly before 8 a.m. this morning approximately three hundred and sixty Japanese planes appeared underneath the clouds high above the American fleet base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This surprise attack has weakened the American fleet greatly in the Pacific. The Japanese fighter planes, dive bombers and torpedo hunters were launched from fly deck ships who in the greatest secret has neared Pearl Harbor upon till 483 km. The American base was unprotected at that time: the battleships were anchored, the planes were parked wing by wing on the start and the ammunition was behind lock and bolt. In less than two hours, eight American battleships of the Big Ocean-fleet were sunk or damaged en over 2.400 men has died. Fortunately for the United States two of the fly deck ships were not in the harbor, saving them from the damages.

Americans in the United Kingdom

January 26 1942
The first American GI’s (named to the etiquette ‘ Government Issue’ on their material) has arrived in the United Kingdom. They came ashore in the North Irish Belfast and got a warm welcome by the local population.

Singapore falls into Japanese hands

February 15 1942
The big marine base of Singapore has fallen into Japanese hands. This island lays in front of the coast of the southern tip of the British colony Malaya. It was heavily reinforced against an attack of across the sea, but the Japanese bombarded the island from upon the mainland. About one hundred and eighty thousand allied soldiers has been taken prisoners of war by the Japanese. The fall of Singapore means for the allies the loss of their only important dry dock between Durban in South Africa and Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. In a radio speech Churchill described the loss as a ‘major military defeat with heavy consequences’.

War News I
European Home Front

World War II was not only fought on the battlefield but also at the home front. At the dawn of 1943 there was in whole of Europe not one single city left where the streets weren’t scarred by the war: men and women in uniform, damages by bombardments, gasmasks, shortage of food and long waiting lines. Posters tried to stimulate young and old to deliver efforts of war. All of the material, from old iron for airplanes to bones for glue has been collected and recycled. Thousands of children has been evacuated to the countryside. Their teachers moved along so the upbringing of the children wasn’t disturbed.

Fire from the sky

The firebomb developed an intense heat that flared buildings during an air raid. During heavy air raids thousands of firebombs were dropped on the cities, causing heavy fires. During such an attack it was of most importance of quick reacting. This job belonged to the fire department and civil guard.

Radio in times of war

The listening ratings got to record peaks during the war years. Families remained notified by the daily evolution of the war by listening to the news, but the radio also provided one of the very few forms of relaxation. Games, drama’s and child programs helped to keep up the morality.

Harvesting food

During the war blockades in all of Europe and the rest of the world a serious lack of food. Everyone who had a garden or a piece of land was encouraged to breed vegetables and other crops. Fields and parks got ploughed to fill up the daily supplies.

Work goes on

Between 1940 and 1941 Hitler performed an ongoing bomb campaign against England. Despite the heavy damage most peoples carry on with their daily activities.

Living with fear

Everywhere in Europe the war tore up families. In England two million children were brought to the countryside and others overseas to Canada and Australia. In Germany a lot of children were evacuated in 1942 when the allies increased their bombardments. Some children liked their stay on the countryside, but most of them wanted to go back home and preferred to defy the bombards than to live separated of their families.
(The music reaches it's ending and we fade out here)

(We fade in with the military music of The Abyss)
Chapter 5
The First Assignment
Austria
February 16 1942
Night

Two months had passed since the attack on Pearl Harbor. The country received a crushing blow on that day and it took us long before we recovered somewhat from that day. However recovering was going slow, everything else went so fast. After the attack our company was pulled apart. Jack, Chuck, Neill and Jesse were send to the Pacific Ocean to free the islands out of the Japanese hands. Tommy, Charles, Andrew and Murdoc were send to East-Indian Ocean to help out there.
What I was concerned, I got stated as troubleshooter for the American army. Meaning that I had to do several assignments worldwide for the government, but now mostly in Europe near the source of the war machine. (The music fades away here)
I was in what became O’ Neill’s office somewhere hidden in Austria. I was waiting for him to arrive and discuss the details of my first assignment. It was very quiet inside as I sat down waiting. My thoughts were with my friends whom I haven’t seen since the day of the attack. On the desk was a newspaper in which said Singapore had fallen into Japanese hands yesterday. The noise from the other side of the door caught my attention, making me look up. Colonel O’ Neill and generals Thornton and Hammond entered the office. I quickly stood up and saluted them on the appropriate way.
‘MacGyver!’ O’ Neill said and saluted me back as the others did.
‘Private, since the attack on Pearl Harbor, we haven’t seen each other much,’ General Hammond said on a formal tone of voice. ‘You’ve hardly completed your education, when we got pulled into the war. Things got out of hand, but what you’ve shown during the attack not many would do so.’
‘Oh well, I just did my duty as a soldier, sir,’ I said modest.
‘Don’t be so modest, private. You’ve shown courage, initiative and bravery in a dangerous situation. There for the United States Army will reward you.’
‘With a crowd, it would’ve been more official but considered the circumstances, we’ll have to do it this way,’ O’ Neill said.
‘For your actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor you shall be rewarded the Medal of Honor. It’s the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. You have distinguished yourself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of your life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States,’ General Thornton said opening a small box in which the medal was covered.
I could see the word ‘valor’ on it when General Hammond took it out of the box.
‘It is with great honor that the US Military gives this medal to you, which you’ve truly earned,’ General Hammond said while pinning the medal to my uniform. ‘Congratulations, lieutenant.’
I looked up to him when he said ‘lieutenant’ while shaking my hand.
‘That’s right. Though you haven’t fully completed your education but after fulfilling an act like the one on Pearl Harbor, you deserved a promotion and it’s with regards of major Stevenson of the Pearl.’
‘Congratulations,’ General Thornton said and also shook my hand.
O’ Neill did the same thing. ‘Congratulations, son.’
‘Okay, now this is settled, it’s time we discussed your first assignment,’ General Hammond said and gave the word to O’ Neill. ‘Colonel.’
‘MacGyver, it took us two months and a whole lot of nerve to get here in the birth country of Hitler. Things are finally arranged so we can join in World War II. Japan woke up a sleeping giant with their cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor and now we’re going to fight back. The quickest way to stop this war is to take out the core of the machine which is Berlin.’
‘Than what are we doing in Austria?’
‘There are some documents here that can be very important to us to take out the machine. It’s an updated map that shows German outposts that needs to be taken out. If we can put a hold to their ammunition transports and food transports at once, they might feel some wetness. So blow up their ammunition depot for starters. That’s why we have to find out how many there are in this country.’
‘And where do I find this documents?’
‘You will be taken to this fort in the forest,’ General Thornton said pointing to a map. ‘It’s guarded so watch your step.’
‘Once you’re finished, I’ll pick you up here,’ O’ Neill said pointing to a rally point on the map. On the map there was a drawing of the fort and X marked the spot where the documents could be localized.
‘You’ll pick me up?’ I asked.
‘Yeah. I’m going with you, but you have to go in on your own. You’ll get twenty minutes once I drop you off to do your assignment and to come back to our rally point. If you’re not there, I’ll leave without you, so you better be on time.’
‘Yes, sir, you can count on me.’
‘I know. Now get your gear. Dismissed.’

O’ Neill dropped me off at a short distance of the fort in the woods and drove away. I waited till he was out of sight when I made my move. I ran closer to the fort and hid behind a tree. From where I was standing I had a good look at the fort. I could see the entrance way being guarded with two Nazi’s and from the looks of things, they seemed to be the only ones on guard duty. They were just standing there with their rifles in their hands and smoking. I could here them talk about German women.
‘Haben Sie Ilsa gesehen?’
(Subtitle: 'Have you seen Ilsa?')
‘Ilsa? Der blonde mit dem großen Busen?’
(Subtitle: 'Ilsa? The blond one with that big bosom?)
‘Ja.’
(Subtitle: 'Yeah.')
‘Hm. Sie ist sehr hübsch.’
(Subtitle: 'Hm. She is pretty.')
‘Das ist wahr.’
(Subtitle: 'That's true.')
‘Soldiers on guard duty,’ I scoffed.
I took off my green backpack with my equipment in. I had supplies with me, a Colt. 45 and an OSS Hi-standard pistol with silencer and other materials like hand grenades. I wasn’t too fond of carrying these with me but one of the grenades could help me to create a diversion.
‘So this can be useful without killing anybody,’ I figured and pulled the pin out of the grenade. With a good hard throw I threw it into the woods. It exploded and it drew the attention of the guards.
‘He was war das?’ one of the guards said and they ran to where the explosion was.
(Subtitle: 'Hey, what was that?') (Tense music starts playing now)
The road was free for me now and I snuck into the fort. The inner square of the fort however was well defended. There were watch towers installed with search lights with at least one or two men in with MG-42’s, so of course I had to stay out of the lights.
If I remember the hiding place of the map well it should be on the other side of the fort. But those lights were the biggest problem. Each light has their reach and I had to calculate which places are lit or dark and for how long.
It took me a little while to do the calculating but from as soon I knew my calculations were correct, I ran for it, dodging the lights and tried to made it to the other side of the square. Unseen I remained in the darkness and succeeded in getting to the other side of the square. There was a door so I could get inside the fort. The fort was a big maze of rooms, doors and hallways. By following the map O’ Neill gave me I quickly found my way in. I had to go down a long hallway which brought me to the stairs that led to the basement. Carefully I opened the door of the basement. There was no one there. Strange, since I got in I haven’t seen anyone so why the big defense?
On a shelf against the wall I saw the map.
‘Strange place to hide a map,’ I said and took them off the shelf placing them in my backpack. With the map in my backpack I ran back to the square, pressing my back against the wall. I kept an eye on the guys in the watch tower.
I could see another door a little further. I ran to the door which was also open. The door led to the ammunition depot. This was were I was supposed to be too. I had to place explosives here to destroy it. Than the ammunition and food transports will be stopped and this outpost would become useless to the Nazis.
I placed my explosives on strategic places of the depot to make sure the whole building will be destroyed. Once they were set I got out of there to the truck where O’ Neill was waiting.
‘How did it go?’ he asked when the depot exploded.
A gunshot hit a tree besides me. (The track The U-Boat Base from the game Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb starts playing now)
‘Get in!’
I jumped in the truck.
‘It went good. I got the map.’
‘Alright now we can figure out there other outposts,’ O’ Neill shared.
I looked in my side mirror.
‘Not if we don’t get out of here fast.’
Two motorcycles with sidecars on appeared in sight. They started shooting at us.
‘Oh, damn, man. What the hell?’ O’ Neill screamed. ‘They’re shooting at us.’
‘Yeah, no kidding,’ I said sarcastic.
‘No man. I’m serious,’ O’ Neill said not comprehending my small joke.
One of the motorcyclists came very close to my side and wanted to shoot.
‘Get down,’ O’ Neill said and fired with his own gun to the motorcycle. My window shattered into bits. I don’t know how he did it but he managed to hit the driver of the motorcycle well. Than they crashed. That’s one down and one more to go.
‘One down,’ O’ Neill said.
‘One more to go,’ I continued.
The other motorcycle appeared at O’ Neill side and fired. They hit him now in the shoulder. O’ Neill screams. ‘Ow, son of a b*tch, that hurts.’
He grabbed to his shoulder and instantly I took on the steering wheel.
‘O’ Neill, we gotta switch or we both get killed.’
‘Yeah. Now!’
We switched seats. The truck became steady again when I took over and when the motorcycle tried another attempt to kill us, O’ Neill made me ram them by abruptly turning the steering wheel. The motorcycle crashed against a tree in a small fireball.
‘That’ll teach him,’ O’ Neill growled.
‘You didn’t had to make me though, I would’ve gotten them.’
‘Yeah, sure, how?’
‘I would’ve thought of something.’
‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know. Something.’
‘I would’ve liked to see, how you would’ve gotten them, without killing them.’
‘You just ruined your chance.’
‘Maybe some other time.’
‘You alright?’ I asked.
‘No. But I think I’ll live.’
Despite the wounded O’ Neill this first assignment I finished with success. But this is just one of the so many other assignments I had to do.
(The music becoming victorious, reaches it's peak and we fade out here)

[MacsChick]

Awesome as usual! Thank you!

[MacGyverGod]

Welcome.