Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman
There are a couple of substances which have the potential to cause conflict among these Antarctic Space Nazis:
One is antibiotics: Karl Gebhardt was an influential SS doctor who'd been very much opposed to them. Since there is a definite potential for the ASN to be exposed to new diseases on the world of blond barbarians, the decision on taking antibiotics with them, or otherwise, may be quite important. |
Ouch.
Dr. Gebhardt was not only a part of the original conspiracy, he still survives half a century later, as some twisted, inhuman
thing. Technically, he's not among the absolute
highest authorities in the militaristic enclave of the ASNs, being outranked by roughly a dozen 'people', but when it comes to medical matters, his influence is vast.
Unless Himmler or someone else in the absolute inner circle overruled Dr. Gebhardt in 1945, it looks like the ASNs remain solidly TL6 in the field of antibiotics, i.e. effectively without them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman
The other is tobacco. Hitler was a strong anti-smoker, but most men in Nazi Germany smoked quite a lot. If the ASN don't take tobacco with them, and grow it, they may be without it for a long time. |
Yeah, looks like the unfortunate true believers will have to do without. Technically, smoking was never
banned among the ASN, just smoking on duty, but once the smokers ran out of tobacco they brought along, they'll have had to do without.
The slave farms around the Last Redoubt are prosperous, but the climate is an idealized German one (Westphalian), which I imagine will not serve for tobacco.
I imagine that hardy ASN homesteaders might do a
Trekboer thing to reach areas of their new world more suitable to tobacco (growing it in another world is possible, but would require official investment in permanent gates, unless one of the industrial sites happens to be in a tobacco-friendly climate), but in the first decade or two, there's little chance that such freebooting ways would be tolerated (as every TL7 person is urgently needed) and while that might be relaxed as the home world grows more prosperous, I don't know how much demand there would be for tobacco if no one had gotten any for years.
Likely enough other vices replaced tobacco in the first generation. Whatever could be grown easily in an idealized Westphalian climate with extremely nutritious soil. Maybe they are weed-smoking ASN?