Bruno’s predictions had more or less come true… Especially in regards to Nikola Tesla. Fearing the idea of leaving the “land of opportunity” which was the United States behind, especially in this booming era of free enterprise in the region. The genius inventor had declined to initially accept Bruno’s invitation to move to the German Reich and work for him. Despite Bruno acquiring many of the era’s greatest inventors, Tesla remained firm in his decision. But as Bruno also expected, nobody else was really willing to invest in his ideas that were just “not profitable” from the perspective of businessmen who could not grasp the bigger picture of Tesla’s brilliance and what it meant for the world, and humanity as a whole.
Money began to dry up very quickly, and when the War broke out, that only further become a matter of complication, as US companies began to infringe on his patents, or at least those that were still giving him some monetary compensation.
The United States of America had entered a state of fervent isolationism, and this allowed them to justify ripping off patents from major European powers involved in the war by stating “they had no intention of aiding either side with compensation.”
This, of course, caused many issues in society, as the United States began to pursue a path of self-sufficiency, both economically and military. Reinforcing the Monroe Doctrine, and more or less isolating itself from global trade out of fear of provoking both major alliances within the ongoing Great War.
In the long term, this newfound desire for Autarky and the importance which the United States government put upon it had many benefits for the American nation and its people. But in the short term, it would also cause problems for the economy as a whole.
And unfortunately for Tesla, who was already financially unstable, he had been a victim of these major consequences in ways that damn near rendered him homeless and bankrupt. Having few options left, as his attempts to legally compel companies to obey international trade regulations, such as financial compensation for his patents filed abroad, had all but failed.
The man was in the middle of packing up what few belongings he had left, as he was rather frantically trying to escape a hotel room which he had been living in for the past week, but had yet to pay for. Soon, the time upon him would be to do just that, and he could not afford to do
So.
And as Tesla did so, the most coincidental thing occurred. The card which Bruno had given the man nearly a decade ago, one which had various means to contact the German General and titan of industry, fell out of one of his old coats. A coat he had not worn in years, but was the only thing currently keeping the cold of winter in New York city from eating him alive.
At first Tesla did not notice the card which fell out of his pocket and onto the floor, that is until the knock on the door had startled him into tripping over one of his shirts which was hewn aside, causing to fall face first in front of the small device.
The shout at the door, which came from the angry manager who was demanding payment which had long since been past due, was just enough to awake Tesla from the stupor he had temporarily entered upon hitting his jaw on the floor.
And when he opened his eyes, he saw the name on top of the card. Forcing the man to remember the offer Bruno had made him many years ago. An offer Bruno had said was in perpetuity. He had messed up, run out of time, and was now incapable of escaping the hotel room without payment.
Payment he could not provide. As a result, he quickly opened the door, with a rather frantic gaze and stared the hotel manager in the eyes, desperately asking for one thing as he assured the man he would be properly compensated for all the time that had been spent occupying the
room.
“I need to use your phone… If you allow this, I promise you, I will pay you in full, and will even give you a nice tip for your generosity in this matter so far…”
As much as the hotel manager considered Tesla to be a shifty character, one who might try to swindle him out of what he was due. The man ultimately was swayed by the confidence in Tesla’s eyes and tone, as well as the man’s natural charisma, or whatever he had managed to pull out of the depths of his soul in that very moment of need.
In Bruno’s past life, the first transatlantic phone call had occurred in 1927, over a decade from the current year. However, due to the last decade being heavily influenced across the world by Bruno’s substantial investment into the world’s greatest scientific minds, as well as global trade and communication methods. Tesla was able to call across the Atlantic and to the nation of Germany.
Tesla just so happened to be calling at the exact hour of the day to make it into contact with a woman in Berlin who was nearing the end of her shift. A woman who worked for Bruno, and when she heard exactly who was calling, her eyes opened wide, before a smug smirk appeared across her face.
“Mr. Tesla, my employer has been waiting for your call for the better part of a decade now… With that being said, he has made sure that someone stays here at this phone during every hour of the day in case you were specifically to call us.
While Mr. von Zehntner is currently away performing his duties as general in the war. He has given me full authority to assure you that his offer still stands as he gave it to you all those years ago. And that any expenses needed to secure your move to Berlin will be paid in full whenever you require it by the company. Shall I assume this call of yours is your agreement to come work for my employer?”
As much as Tesla did not want to admit it, there was not much left for him within the United States to continue struggling for. Bruno’s offer, he had always thought, was simply too good to be true. Yet, if this woman wasn’t lying to him, he had paid round-the-clock employees to do one simple thing, and that was to maintain a careful vigil over the phone in case he called at any hour of the day.
And Bruno had done so for the better part of ten years. In addition to this, the offer still stood, and Bruno was willing to financially compensate the man for his move to the German Reich. Even if things did smoothen themselves out here in the United States, he was between a rock and a hard place at the moment.
Being given a lifeline in his moment of need, when nobody else would do so, was more than enough to convince the genius inventor to finally accept Bruno’s offer. After which he managed to negotiate the transfer of funds necessary to pay the hotel for his stay and his safe passage to Berlin. How exactly he managed to swing such a thing would be lost to history. But in the end Nikola Tesla moved to Berlin to work for Bruno, that much was certain.