Ubelmann the Unknown (5th Column)

Summary

  • CategoryStory Arc
  • RemovedIssue 3
  • ContactsLaurie Pennington (Independence Port), Ashwin Lannister (Independence Port)
  • Level Range25 - 30
  • NoteThe 5th Column was overthrown by the Council in Issue 3: A Council of War. All 5th Column story arcs were replaced with slightly modified ones featuring the Council.


Stop the 5th Column raid

Laurie Pennington

I got a tip this morning about a 5th Column raid on a government office. I haven't been able to find out any details, even the function of this particular office. Red Tomax, I have the feeling something big is going down. I need you to stop that 5th Column raid.

Try to find out what the Column's after, won't you?

Part 1: Defeat all soldiers in office (4 archivists to save, Investigate raid)
Office @ Steel Canyon 5th Column

There is no directory in this lobby, no license, no photographs. No detail reveals anything about the business done here.

Objective: You found some old documents.

ClueOld documents

The 5th Column were examining these files when you interrrupted their raid. The yellowed pages appear to desribe an alternate plan for the invasion of Europe during World War II.

Mission Complete: You have defeated the 5th Column.

Laurie Pennington

That's odd. I know the 5th Column has old roots, but what possible use could they have for World War II documents?


Rescue the historians from the 5th Column

Laurie Pennington

Apparently the 5th Column isn't satisfied with stealing World War II documents. Now they're actually stealing World War II historians! Several experts in the era have been reported missing. I need you to rescue those historians from the 5th Column!Something tells me the 5th Column's interest is more than academic.

Part 2: Save kidnapped WWII historians (5 historians to rescue)
Abandoned office @ Perez Park

The 5th Column aren't looking into the past out of simple curiosity. There must be something they hope to gain.

Mission Complete: You rescued the historians from the 5th Column.

Laurie Pennington

Whatever the reason, the 5th Column's sudden interest in history only seems to be growing. Something tells me that this 'Ubelmann' character is the key, but I wonder what it's all about?


Stop the 5th Column from getting the files

Laurie Pennington

I just received an anonymous tip that the 5th Column is still investigating World War II history. Seems there's a warehouse in this city that has a bunch of old FBI files on civil and military leaders and heroes from the 1940's. The government hasn't touched the place in decades, but it sounds like the 5th Column is eager to rummage through it now. Can you stop the 5th Column from getting those files?

The 5th Column has been really focused on the past recently, and we still don't have a clue why.

Part 3: Defeat all 5th Column soldiers (Find clue to 5th Column's plan)
Warehouse

Dusty file cabinets stand against the wall, their contents ripped out and scattered on the floor.

Objective: You found some old files

ClueHero files

This box is filled with old files on American heroes from World War II. Most of the extensive files are intact, but one is missing. A quick search reveals that they took the file on Thunderhead, a hero who fought in Europe and North Africa.

Mission Complete: You stopped the 5th Column raid and found a possible clue to their next target.

Laurie Pennington

So the FBI had full files on all the heroes from the war years? That's not too surprising, really. But why would the 5th Column take the file on Thunderhead? From what I understand, Thunderhead's days as a hero are ancient history. Still, I better check on him. Last I recall he was still alive.


Rescue Jim 'Thunderhead' Bartlett from the 5th Column

Laurie Pennington

After that 5th Column raid on the old FBI files I did some checking. Turns out that the World War II era hero Thunderhead is still alive in retirement. Jim 'Thunderhead' Bartlett goes by his civilian name these days, it looks like someone's out to upset his retirement. His granddaughter just reported that he's been kidnapped by the 5th Column! Fortunately, my anonymous tipster is still on the ball. I have a good lead on where we can find him.

I wonder if this is was all about Thunderhead? but that doesn't make any sense. Why would the modern 5th Column care about what he did back in the war? Or maybe there's something here that we're just not seeing yet.

Part 4: Rescue Jim 'Thunderhead' Bartlett
Warehouse @ 'Boomtown'

You've heard stories of Thunderhead's exploits during the war; who hasn't? You hope you're in time to save him.

Mission Complete: You have rescued Jim 'Thunderhead' Bartlett from the grasp of the 5th Column.

ClueConversation with Jim 'Thunderheart' Bartlett

When you rescued Jim 'Thunderhead' Bartlett, he told you:

'Good to see you, kid. I thought I was done for. The ol' light[n]ing ain't what it used to be, I guess. Those Nazi goona brought in a fellow to interrogate me. When I saw him, my jaw nearly hit the floor. He was the spitting image of Wolfgang Ubelmann, a German intelligence officer I crossed paths with back in the war. He introduced himself as Ubelmann, and acted like he knew me. Heck, he even remembered stuff only Ubelmann should have known. But he hadn't aged a day. He took off as soon as he heard you were coming.'

Laurie Pennington

The Bartlett family wanted to extend their thanks to you for rescueing Jim, who's doing fine by the way. From what he told you I'm starting to think that this 'Wolfgang Ubelmann' character may be the key to all of this. But it doesn't seem like we have all of the pieces together yet.


Stop the 5th Column raid

Laurie Pennington

I got another anonymous tip about the 5th Column. This time it seems like a normal 5th Column operation. No browsing document archives or kidnapping historians and old heroes; this time they're raiding a Lockhart Aerotech lab working on prototype defense systems. Are you ready to stop that 5th Column raid?

This anonymous tipster sure seems to know a lot about the 5th Column's recent forays into history, as well as this mysterious Ubelmann character.

Part 5: Defeat all 5th Column in lab
Laboratory @ Steel Canyon

Lockhart's security system was no match for the brute force of the 5th Column. It's up to you to protect the company's inventions.

Mission Complete: You stopped the 5th Column raid and found a note on one of the defeated soldiers.

ClueSigned orders

You found these orders on one of the 5th Column soldiers you defeated at the Lockhead Aerotech lab. The orders list several items to steal, including some high tech equipment that was produced for Portal Corp. They also give the location of the 5th Column base these stolen items are to be delivered to. The papers are signed by one Lt. Wolfgang Ubelmann.

Laurie Pennington

So, the anonymous tipster is still trying to help us find Ubelmann, or stop him at least. But something doesn't add up. How does this informant know so much about the 5th Column? Why weren't those orders you found encoded? And who is Wolfgang Ubelmann?


Investigate the base

Laurie Pennington

These signed orders you found on the 5th Column place this Lt. Ubelmann at one of their underground bases. The place will be well defended, but you may be able to find some answers there, if you can fight your way through to them. Will you investigate the base?

Make no mistake, this is going to be dangerous.

Part 6: Investigate 5th Column base (Locate Ubelmann, Learn about Ubelmann)
5th Column base @ Talos Island

You're a lot more interested in Ubelmann than his underlings, but you know you'll have to fight through them to get to him.

Objective: You found an extremely interesting book.

ClueZeitspielraumexperimente

This book, written in German in the last days of World War II, appears to be about early time travel experiments. One section has been highlighted heavily, and notes are scribbled along the margin in English. The notes are about the abysmal failure rates of the program, and about the test subjects used in the experiments. The identity of the last test subject jumps off the page at you: an intelligence officer named Wolfgang Ubelmann.

Objective: There's a message addressed to you on this computer.

ClueAnonymous e-mail

You found the following message on a computer in a 5th Column base:

Red Tomax:

It is good that you have found the orders I had planted. I have been pleased with your ability to follow the anonymous tips I've left for you so far. Unfortunately, Lt. Wolfgang Ubelmann left this base shortly before you arrived. While I am sorry to see so many of my comrades captured, it was a risk worth taking.

Lt. Wolfgang Ubelmann must be stopped. Now that he has gathered much of teh information he sought, he will sonn attempt to complete the purpose he was sent here for. Even now he is likely attempting to jury rig a devise to return him to his original point of origin. This cannot be allowed.

I have provided you with coordinates for your next target. Stop Ubelmann.

Mission Complete: You discovered Ubelmann's location and found a clue to his real origins.

Laurie Pennington

All the interest in the Second World War, the way he acted like he knew 'thunderhead' Bartlett, the tech thefts, and the mention of his name in that book. I hate to think it, I hate to say it, but it would explain so much. Wolfgang Ubelmann may be a time traveller from the 1940's. A man from the past sent to observe the future. With the information he now has, he could change his future, our present. It would explain everything. Everything, that is, except why that 5th Column informant is trying to help us stop him.


Stop the construction of the device

Laurie Pennington

Whoever Ubelmann is or whenever he's from, our inside informant has given us a good shot at catching him. Apparently the 5th Column has been stockpiling parts for a time machine to send Ubelmann back to the past. I still don't know if I believe that Wolfgang Ubelmann is a time traveller from the Second World War, but we should stop the construction of that device. We can't take the chance that it might work.

Of course, if Ubelmann really is trying to get back and change history, then stopping him could save generations. Which is a lot to think about.

Part 7: Stop building of time machine (5 parts to secure)
Warehouse @ Kings Row

The idea of changing the part is one that has long tempted the world's greatest temporal pyhsicists. Most of the sane ones have learned to let it go.

Objective: You secured the parts and found some orders signed by Ubelmann.

Clue5th Column orders

These orders direct the 5th Column soldiers to take the parts they've collected to a Portal Corp. lab. From the looks of things, Ubelmann is almost ready to attempt his trip back in time.

Mission Complete: You prevented the 5th Column from building a time machine and found a clue to Ubelmann's location.

Laurie Pennington

You prevented the 5th Column from constructing that crazy time machine, but there's oen last thing to do. You've got to capture Ubelmann and put an end to this. if he does have a way back to the 1940s with enough information to change history, then he has to be stopped.


Stop Wolfgang Ubelmann

Laurie Pennington

The orders you found in that 5th Column base told us exactly where to find Wolfgang Ubelmann. Now you just have to catch him. According to those orders, the Column plans to modify the machinery in a Portal Corp. lab to make a one-way time gate and return Ubelmann to the past. We can't let that happen. This is the last chance we have to end this. If you can stop Wolfgang Ubelmann, then this is over.

Take out Ubelmann, and we're home free.

Part 8: Defeat Ubelmann and his guards
Laboratory @ Talos Island

As far as you're concerned, neither past nor present is safe as long as Ubelmann remains free.

Mission Complete: You have defeated Wolfgang Ubelmann, the man from the past.

Laurie Pennington

Ubelmann is recuperating from the battle, but the prison doctors say his recovery will be short lived at best. It seems that he'd already suffered a massive radiation overdose during his trip through time. The doctors give him a year at the outside, and that's only because of the Ubermenschen enhancements the 5th Column gave him.

It's ironic. Even if Ubelmann had made it back to the past, he never would have lived to see the future.

This letter came. I haven't opened it, but it's addressed to you from Requiem. The Requiem. The villain from the 40's, the one who led the original 5th Column. I don't know if it's real. I really hope that it's not. But old evils like him seldom just disappear.

You did well, Red Tomax. Generations yet to come owe you their thanks.


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