The Reich Chancellery's war room held an atmosphere of barely contained fury. Field Marshal von Kleist spread reconnaissance photographs across mahogany with trembling hands. Each image showed another facet of devastation - trenches filled with contorted bodies, defensive positions transformed into mass graves, equipment abandoned by soldiers fleeing invisible death.

"Fifteen thousand, eight hundred and forty-three." Doctor Heinrich Weber's voice carried a strange detachment as he studied casualty reports. "Plus or minus statistical variance of two percent." His hands moved with mechanical precision, sorting data into neat columns even as his mind screamed about the horror they represented. "Efficiency of deployment suggests..."

He stopped, realizing everyone was staring at him. The old Weber would have continued, would have analyzed death with clinical precision. But he'd seen too much now, understood too well how pure efficiency could birth pure horror.

"Continue, Doctor." General Jürgen's voice held iron control masking rage. "We need your analysis."

Weber swallowed. "The deployment patterns indicate localized command initiative rather than central authorization. Dispersal vectors show minimal concern for collateral effects. This wasn't a tactical decision - it was revenge, driven by Sector 7 losses last month."

"Revenge." Von Kleist tested the word like a blade. "They brought chemical weapons to European soil for revenge?"

"The efficiency metrics are clear." Weber fought to maintain professional distance even as his hands shook. "Maximum casualties prioritized over strategic gains. No attempt to capture territory or resources. Pure..."

"Slaughter." Gruppenführer Kramer finished when Weber faltered. "But why now? Why that sector?"

"Because she was there." The new voice came from the doorway. Rothstein entered with fresh intelligence reports. "Initial analysis suggests they deliberately targeted Colonel Tanya's command. Sector 7 wanted payback for their losses."

The room temperature seemed to drop. Everyone knew Tanya's reputation - her mathematical precision, her systematic approach to warfare. And everyone had seen what happened to those who earned her focused attention.

"Her status?" von Kleist demanded.

"Wounded but alive." Rothstein spread medical reports. "Chemical exposure, lung damage, currently recovering at Forward Medical Station 23. Her last transmission requested... unusual resources."

Weber felt cold sweat form as he studied the requisition lists. Industrial chemicals, agricultural compounds, medical testing equipment... individually innocent, but combined in ways that sent chills through his efficiency-trained mind.

"These patterns..." He forced himself to continue analyzing. "She's not just requesting weapons. She's creating an industrial framework for something larger. The efficiency metrics suggest..."

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Again he stopped, seeing the implications. The room waited.

"Doctor?" Jürgen prompted.

"She's applying processing center methodologies to battlefield deployment." The words came out in a horrified whisper. "Taking my optimization systems and..."

"Good." Von Kleist's satisfaction made Weber's skin crawl. "They've shown that such weapons are acceptable. Now they learn the price of that lesson."

"Sir," Weber tried again. "These systems weren't designed for..."

"They were designed for maximum efficiency, Doctor." Kramer's smile held no warmth. "Isn't that what you always preached? Pure mathematical optimization without moral constraint?"

Weber stared at his own calculations, seeing how easily systematic thinking could birth systematic horror. Each column of numbers represented both technical achievement and moral void.

"The diplomatic implications..." Rothstein began.

"Are irrelevant." Von Kleist cut him off. "They crossed this line. Now we show them what that means." He turned to Weber. "Doctor, you will assist Colonel Tanya in optimizing her response. Your efficiency systems applied to her tactical genius."

"The casualty projections..." Weber's voice shook.

"Will be mathematically precise." Kramer's satisfaction was terrible to behold. "Pure efficiency, isn't that right, Doctor? Just like you always wanted."

The room fell silent as Weber stared at calculations that had become weapons. He'd created systems to optimize industrial processes, to maximize productive output. Now those same systems would...

"There are other options." He tried one last time. "Conventional responses, limited retaliation..."

"Look at these photos again, Doctor." Von Kleist's voice was winter. "Look at our men, dying in gas they never trained for, never expected. The Americans crossed this line. Now we show them what that truly means."

Weber's hands moved mechanically, sorting data, analyzing patterns. Each calculation brought him closer to understanding what his efficiency systems would birth. Pure mathematics transformed into pure horror, systematic thinking into systematic slaughter.

"Initial projections suggest..." He forced himself to continue. "Given these resource allocations and deployment vectors..."

The numbers marched across his pages in neat columns. Beautiful in their precision, terrible in their implications. He'd created these systems to optimize industrial output. Now they would optimize something far worse.

"Excellent." Von Kleist studied the preliminary calculations. "Ensure Colonel Tanya receives full support for her requirements. Every resource she requests, every system she needs."

"The international response..." Rothstein tried again.

"Will be irrelevant once they understand what they've unleashed." Kramer's smile was a death rictus. "They wanted to show us that such weapons are acceptable? Now they learn what that really means."

Weber stared at his own handwriting, seeing future horror in present calculations. Pure efficiency stripped of moral constraint. Systematic thinking applied to systematic slaughter. His life's work transformed into death's machinery.

The meeting continued, but he barely heard it. His mind was already racing ahead, seeing how his optimization protocols would be adapted. How industrial efficiency would birth battlefield horror. How systematic thinking would...

A note landed on his desk. Medical reports from Forward Station 23. Tanya's preliminary analysis of his systems, annotated with her own calculations. His hands shook as he read, seeing how she'd already begun adapting his work.

Pure mathematics.

Pure efficiency.

Pure horror.

The calculations continued in neat columns while Weber felt his soul die. They'd wanted revenge. Now they would learn what revenge truly meant when systematic thinking met tactical genius.

The numbers marched on, beautiful and terrible in their precision.

And in Forward Station 23, Tanya began applying those numbers to something far worse than mere revenge.

Something that would teach them all what pure efficiency truly meant when stripped of every moral constraint.

The calculations continued.

The horror grew.

And Weber watched his life's work transform into death's perfect machinery.