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"The
team is heading back to 1914 on the trail of a very dangerous time traveller who
is plotting to change world history. It appears that a certain Katerina Potoski
has planned to return to 28th June 1914 and the city of Sarajevo. The Archduke
Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria (18 December 1863 – 28 June
1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His
assassination in Sarajevo on that day is considered the most immediate cause of
World War I. Jericho and his team must prevent the current human time line from
changing."
Episode may contain the following warnings:
“All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical figures, are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical figures appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are entirely fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the entirely fictional nature of the work. In all other respects, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
[1] A little extra warning: this episode contains strong language and some mild violence.
[2]
The original Title for this episode was: ‘NO CHANGES ALLOWED.’
[3]
A ‘Temporal Detectives’ original story.
[4] "1914.” This episode, was conceived and written by the author. Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. Please, no reproduction of any part without written permission. The episode illustration is an original drawing created by the author. It is copyright ©2011 - 2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without written permission.
[5] There is No 'Alexandra' series adult extended version currently available.
Episode details:
Concept
date: 10th July 2020.
First
published: 14th November 2020
Status: COMPLETED & PUBLISHED.
Location: BOOK SERIES 3 – EPISODE 10.
Revisions: 2 [last revised January 2021]
Version:
Final.
Published Episode No. 34
Previous
episode: “Snooker, stockings &
Devilish deceit.”
Next
episode: “The corpse chronicler of
Canterbury Cathedral.”
Age
recommendation: 12+
Average
reading time: Approximately 60 Minutes.
Angel-in-charge: Margret
Team Assigned: Team 74
Mission: 11 - 400180 - 7 - 1914
Human times:
Episode Preview:
"1914."
1. MOSCOW; Monday 3rd November 1958.
The big black car slid a few times on the ice and snow; but the roads were in quite good condition considering the amount of snow that had fallen in the last few days. The driver slapped the wheel a couple of times and really wanted to cuss - loud and frequently - but held his tongue and his temper in check. He glanced into the mirror and watched District Commander Leon Nebcheski, sitting back and reading his little red notebook. He was the Police Commander of this affluent suburb of Moscow.
The other two passenger were unknown to him; but he knew the pretty young woman
was also a Police Officer, he had caught her name; Tatiana Obski, a
detective from the same District office. The other man, a tall thin and very
unpleasant looking individual; he didn't know, but guessed he was from the KGB.
They all seemed to wear the same cheap black suits and hats. Some fucking
undercover outfit he thought.
He pulled up at the address he had been given and jumped from the car, opening
the door for the Commander, who stepped out and pulled his coat around himself.
The KGB man followed and then did Tatiana. They stood on the icy street
and stared up at the apartment block. The doorman was waiting to open the
building doors, brushing snow from his face and gloved hands. The Commander
walked up and nodded; the doorman pulled open the door and saluted like the old
soldier he was. Leon just grunted and they made their way to the top
floor.
The two young uniformed police officer heard the lift arriving and quickly
threw their cigarettes through the slightly open window and adjusted their
jackets and ties. They knew who would be stepping out. The pair came to
attention and pushed open the apartment's door for him and his two
colleagues. They said nothing. The Commander stared at the younger one and
asked; "Is the building empty?" The young man straightened
himself, saluted and said; "Yes Comrade Commander; all the residents
have been taken for interview at the station Sir." He saluted again. The Commander
just grunted again and pushed into the spacious apartment.
The KGB officer wrote down their badge numbers in his notebook and
followed the Commander. Tatiana smiled at the pair and also entered.
The place was a small palace, the furniture was mostly antique and
the rooms were well heated. She sighed; how the other fucking half lived,
whatever happened to the revolution? But she kept those very dangerous thoughts
to herself. The missing tenant had some pretty powerful relations in the party.
If she hadn't, then a District Commander would certainly not be assigned to her
case.
The KGB man gestured to one of the rooms; "It's in here Comrade Commander.
It's quite unbelievable, almost like a shrine to the incident." They
pushed into the room and Tatiana switched the light on. Leon chuckled; "I
know she was a student of history, but why all this, for an
Imperialist dog?" They looked about the room; the walls were covered
with maps, pictures, drawings, anything relating to the assassination of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, in 1914.
There was even a full itinerary of his visit, detailed, almost minute by
minute. His murderer; 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, took up one whole wall.
The tables and even the chairs were covered with books, newspapers and
magazines on the assassination. Leon stared at the photograph of the
Archduke; basically his death had started the glorious revolution of 1917.
The Commander pulled a silver cigarette case from his pocket and lit a smelly yellow cigarette, he smoked slowly; "Any known lovers or really good friends?" He asked Tatiana. She shook her head; "All the students at the university that knew her have been questioned. Apparently, she kept herself to herself. Quite unusual for a young woman at University Sir."
The Commander nodded and stared at the covered walls. He already knew that this 'disappearance' wasn't the usual running off by some love obsessed young woman. There was far more to this and the clues were all over the walls. He had been privy to a very confidential KGB file on the girl and her frequent visits to her University professor, who taught history. The old man also had several reports about straying from official party doctrine; yet no action had been taken against him. Leon guessed that the old professor had very powerful friends in the party elite, as well.
He picked up a silver framed photograph and grunted; young Kaerina Potoski
with her mother and her Uncle. He smiled to himself. Her uncle was known to
have quite a passion for young girls. He replaced the picture and walked to the
door. The KGB man asked nervously; "Do I have anything to report...to
update the Bureau on this matter Comrade Commander?" The Commander stared
at him and almost smiled; "Yes Comrade. That I'm on the case." They
headed for the lift in silence.
The two young officers' sighed and relaxed, lighting up more cigarettes.
One leaned against the wall and stared out the window. He watched as the
big black car pulled away into fresh falling snow. "Do you think the
stories are true about her, the uncle and mother?" The taller one asked
and turned back to his colleague who shrugged his shoulders; "Who knows,
but he really is a kinky bastard." He spat the words out and pushed his
cap up; "Anything perverted said about him could be true." He
added and blew smoke into the air.
The other one chuckled softly and went back to staring out the window; he
would be glad when their shift finished. That's when he heard some noises from
the sealed room; he slapped his colleagues arm and threw his half smoked
cigarette down and pushed open the door. His comrade had already pulled out his
service revolver and the pair entered the apartment slowly.
Tatiana sat in her drab grey office and shifted in her chair. She had pulled
her boots off and sat with her bare feet on the thin carpet. She
picked up a couple of pictures that had been spread across her desk. The
investigation into Katrina Potoski disappearance had drawn a large blank. No
one had seen her leave the apartment; yet she had simply vanished. The grey
canvas bag she hauled into her home on that faithful day; what the hell was in
it? Her uncle wanted answers and there were - apparently - none to give.
Why the total obsession with the Arch Duke and his wife, who were
assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian
province of Bosnia and Herzegovina, back in 1914? She [Katrina] had
covered the bloody day, almost minute by minute; but for what purpose, it was
just history now?
Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without permission.