|
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
| Home About Contact | ||
|
Flight into the UnknownMany things that were unthinkable a few years ago have become reality. What is now considered unthinkable could soon become reality. 
The autumn evening was cool and damp as Claudia stood by the window, gazing out into the dusk. The wind carried the rustling of leaves, swirling in small eddies over the gravel driveway. The silence was almost overwhelming, but suddenly the sound of tires on gravel broke the quiet. “Look, here they come. They finally made it,” Claudia said to her husband Thomas, who stood by the front door, hands deep in the pockets of his old jacket. The car rolled slowly up the driveway and came to a stop with a brief squeal. The doors opened almost simultaneously. Sophie, Claudia’s daughter, got out, followed by her husband Felix and their two children, Mia and Finn. They looked exhausted but relieved to have finally arrived. Claudia hurried over to them and pulled the children into a loving embrace. “Come out to the terrace in front of the house,” she said with a smile. “Thomas is waiting there.” Thomas raised his hand in greeting as they reached the terrace. “Hello, sit down. That must have been a long drive.” Sophie collapsed heavily into one of the chairs. “It’s all a disaster,” she began with a deep sigh. “The car’s battery only had three percent left. At first, we couldn’t charge because the power was rationed, and then our charging cards stopped working – they were simply blocked. We stopped eight times trying to charge. If we hadn’t left, they would have taken Felix and conscripted him. They were already at our door. Our doorbell system sent us pictures. Then we switched off our phones so they couldn’t track us here.” Thomas, leaning with crossed arms against the house wall, raised his eyebrows. “Do you remember, Sophie, what you were doing when we protested against the abolition of cash? Probably watching Netflix?” Sophie shot him a sharp look. “Or Disney! You just don’t understand how to simplify things!” Thomas snorted. “Yes, I do understand. They simply blocked your cards.” Claudia placed her hand reassuringly on Thomas’s arm. “Thomas, be glad they’re finally here after such a long time.” “I’m glad,” he replied, raising his hands placatingly. “I really am!” “I baked a cake,” Claudia said, trying to steer the conversation into calmer waters. “Come, sit down.” Everyone gathered around the large wooden table on the terrace. The leaves rustled in the wind, and in the distance a few village dogs howled. Sophie looked tense, her hands trembling as they rested on the table. “Luckily, we were able to cover our tracks because we turned off our phones,” she said quietly. “Nowadays, you’re watched everywhere.” Thomas frowned. “Hey, your car, can it receive updates automatically?” Felix nodded. “Yes, that’s a great feature. It also keeps the charging stations updated. When I started working at the district office back then, they had equipped employee parking spots with charging stations and staff could charge their cars for free during work hours. Many then got electric cars. That was really great.” Thomas looked skeptical. “Was, you’re speaking in the past tense?” Felix sighed. “Well, after a few months, they apparently saw the electricity bill and said they needed to save money. From then on, employees had to pay for charging. They were pretty disappointed. The prices weren’t really cheap either.” Thomas nodded thoughtfully. “Back to the updates. Did you have those turned off today?” Felix shrugged. “Uh, no.” “Well,” Thomas said dryly, “then they probably know where you are. At least, they can know. But luckily, the government hasn’t managed to provide proper mobile coverage here yet. Maybe your car has no reception here. However, you left a trail with your charging attempts.” Sophie looked helplessly at her father. “Dad, what else could we have done?” Thomas’s gaze hardened. “Do you remember what you were doing when we demonstrated for peace with Russia? Netflix watching?” “Disney!” Mia suddenly interrupted cheerfully, and Sophie smiled as she lovingly stroked Mia’s head. Thomas shook his head and turned to Felix. “Why do they want to draft you?” Sophie sighed. “Anyone unemployed for more than six months can be drafted.” Thomas looked at Felix in surprise. “But you work at the district office?” Felix looked down. “Unfortunately, not for eight months now. Artificial intelligence does my job better and costs less. They’ve laid off many people. Finding a new job in administration is pretty hopeless right now.” Thomas snorted contemptuously. “So now you’re supposed to be cannon fodder.” Felix lowered his head, and the mood at the table grew heavy and oppressive. Claudia wanted to say something, but Sophie was quicker. “Dad, you said you could help us. Can we charge our car here?” Thomas looked up at the sky. Dusk was falling, and it looked like rain in the distance. “Look, it’s getting dark soon. Charging an electric car won’t happen today.” Felix frowned. “Don’t you have a power storage system?” “That’s not enough to fill your battery,” Thomas answered calmly. “And even if it were, you’d just be standing at a charging station you can’t use because your cards have been blocked.” Sophie buried her face in her hands. “What are we supposed to do now?” At that moment, a loud hissing cut through the air. Everyone looked up and saw five contrails stretching across the sky. “Kinschal! The Russians are buying you time,” Thomas said quietly and stood up. “Felix, come with me to the wine cellar.” Sophie looked confused. “The wine cellar? What is he supposed to do in the wine cellar?” Felix shrugged, gave Sophie a brief look, and silently followed Thomas. The wine cellar was built into the hillside right behind the house. “The cellar is ancient,” Thomas explained as he opened a heavy wooden door. The cool air and the smell of earth greeted them. “Where are the wine bottles?” Felix asked as they entered the dim room. “Or do you store wine in oil barrels?” Thomas chuckled. “A few years ago, some of us in the village sat together and discussed how to use green energy when electricity is basically free. One guy in the village is quite good at chemistry and physics. Another is a really good tinkerer. Five months later, the prototype was ready.” Thomas pointed to a device on the wall. “Almost everyone in the village has one of these devices in their wine cellar. And as luck would have it, the lease contract of the guy who had put up a wind turbine on the field above had expired. He should have torn it down anyway; it was already written off. So we pooled our money and bought the wind turbine from him for a symbolic euro. And whenever the wind blows, these devices produce tasty diesel fuel, which we use for heating and driving.” Felix looked at him wide-eyed. “But isn’t it inefficient to turn electricity into diesel and then fuel the car with it?” Thomas grinned. “Thanks to this inefficiency, we can get you out of the country. Bring the two cans along. The tank is still relatively full, but better to have it than not.” Felix nodded, lifted the heavy cans, and asked, “How far can we get with the diesel?” “Two thousand kilometers, non-stop, only pee breaks,” Thomas answered seriously. “We can load more cans if needed.” Felix thought for a moment. “The only question left is where to go abroad.” Thomas pondered. “How about Montenegro? I know someone there.” Felix looked at him questioningly. “Doesn’t that conspiracy journalist Reitschuster live there?” Thomas grumbled. “The one who warned exactly about what’s happening to you now, which you didn’t protest against? Yeah, he lives there!” Sophie, who had meanwhile stepped to the door of the wine cellar, looked worriedly at her father. “Will you really help us?” Thomas: “Of course! But, do you remember what you were doing when we…” Sophie interrupted him: “Oh, Dad, what else could we have done?” Thomas replied slightly irritated: “What you are finally doing now! Not going along! Demonstrate, protest, resist! And above all: Just don’t cooperate!” Author: AI-Translation - Gisela Becker | 07.10.2024 |
|
| Other articles: |
 | Origin and Meaning of Place Names - Part 3 - with Nadja Laue, Madlen, Karsten, and ThomasIn the latest episode of our talk series "Origin and Meaning of Place Names," we dive once again into the fascinating history of the Burgenland district. Tour guide Nadja Laue lead... zum Artikel |
 | City of Weißenfels Offers 500 Euro Reward for Stolen Schiller Memorial PlaqueThe city of Weißenfels is asking for help: Between April 3, 2025, at 14:00 and April 5, 2025, at 20:30, the historic bronze plaque was stolen from the Schiller Memorial in Klemmbe... zum Artikel |
 | 19th Zeitz Children's Festival – Moritzburg Castle Park transforms into a colorful children's paradise on June 1 starting at 10 AMInternational Children's Day, celebrated every year on June 1, aims to draw attention to children's rights and needs, strengthen them, promote friendships among children, highlight... zum Artikel |
|
Support the operation of this website with voluntary contributions: via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/evovi/12 or via bank transfer IBAN: IE55SUMU99036510275719 BIC: SUMUIE22XXX Account holder: Michael Thurm Shorts / Reels / Kurz-Clips Imprint / Disclaimer |