Gero Kramer
Gero Kramer was an SS General, more precisely an "Obergruppenführer", and a member of the Templar Order and Abstergo Industries. During World War II, Kramer oversaw the operation "Uranprojekt" aimed at developing atomic weapons for the Third Reich, which he secretly used as a cover to finance Templar projects, such as the proto-Animus, Die Glocke, or Josef Mengele's researchs on genetics.
Biography
The advent of the Third Reich
- "The Templars are behind most of the great conflicts of history, from Alexander the Great to the French Revolution, going through this war."
- ―Boris Pash to Eddie Gorm about the Templars and their involvement in World War II.[src]
In the early 1930s, the Templar Order plotted to hand over Germany to the rising Nazis and subsequently infiltrated its hierarchy. Around a decade later, one of their own, the General Kramer was put in charge of the nazi atomic project, the Uranprojekt. During his time at the helm of the project, Kramer foiled numerous attempts to infiltrate the Unranprojekt, killing all the Assassins sent by the Brotherhood.
In 1935, Kramer sent his subordinate, Otto Hammerstein, in London to steal and smuggle advanced technologies from the Allies to help the SS in their race for atomic weapons.
Recruitment of Gorm
- "Do I look like a fool, Mr. Gorm? You are a war hero, a man who would have every reason to pursue us to hell rather than betray his country! Otto perhaps believes in you, but not I. Give me one good reason not to have you shot!"
- ―Kramer to Eddie Gorm, 1942[src]
In 1940, Hammerstein, who was undercover as the criminal "Jack Turpin", recruited Eddie Gorm, a former officer of the British Navy and a docker in the East End to steal plans from French scientists exiled in the city. Impressed by Gorm and unaware that he was in fact a double agent sent by Boris Pash, a spy and US colonel, Hammerstein exfiltrated the British to Germany where Gorm incorporated the SS, quickly becoming one of its rising stars.
In 1942, in Berlin, during a sumptuous reception at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, Gorm and Hammerstein met Josef Mengele, who shared with the two SS officers his exitement about his researchs on the superman, which were financed by Kramer. Mengele also informed Gorm that Kramer was there and wanted to meet him in his office.
Upon their first meeting, the SS General accused Gorm of being a spy, stating that despite Hammerstein's praise he couldn't truly believe that a British war hero who lost his family in a German bombardment could defect to the Reich. To convince Kramer, Gorm simply explained that he had always served his country faithfully but that in return he was shuned from the navy, his brother was sent to die in prison and the British governement was so ineffectual that it let his family die. Apparently convinced by Gorm's speech, Kramer appointed him as the new head of security of Werner Heisenberg, the lead scientist of the Uranprojekt.
A few days later, before an audience of Nazi, Kramer made an eloquent speech about the power of the Reich and their scientific progress. Unable to restrain himself after hearing his "friend" gloat about the weapon that will soon allow the Nazi to destroy entire cities, Gorm stabbed Hammerstein. And taking Heisenberg hostage, threatened the soldiers to kill him if they did not let them escape. Kramer ordered his men to hold back as he needed them both alive and Gorm was able to isolate himself with his hostage in a laboratory.
Soon after, rescued by his handler in Berlin, Julia Dusk, the English managed to escape after having extorted valuable information from Heisenberg, who revealed to him that the Uranprojekt was only a decoy. In fact, Kramer used the credits allowed to the project to finance another weapon developped by foreign scientists in Norway, Die Glocke.
Showdown in Norway
- "By exploring your past, I will locate dozens of other artifacts that will help the human species transcend!"
- ―Kramer to Eddie Gorm[src]
In February 1943, Otto Kramer was in Norway, where he spent time in the machine which he had supervised construction: Die Glocke, who was in the hydroelectric plant in Vemork. Moreover, he was waiting for Eddie Gorm, whom he knew he would join him one day to confront him. That day came on the 27th of February. As a full-fledged assassin, initiated and trained by Pash, Eddie engaged the combat with his Hidden Blade, his dagger and his abilities while Kramer welcomed him with his brute force and a machete. While at first Eddie seemed to take over the Templar by cutting his blades, he wanted to kill him with his own machete, but Kramer killed him with his right arm, Came to plant itself to the bone. But Otto finally mastered the Assassin, taking him by the throat and lifting him from the ground until he lost consciousness.
Before he resumed his mind, Kramer tied his enemy to the machine chair, designed by Nikola Tesla, who unlike the official version, had not died a month earlier in New York. This machine was used to explore the past of the connected individual, a machine coupled with Tesla electric coils, a heavy water reactor designed by French scientists abducted by the Nazis in London in 1940 and a Pomme d'Eden. Kramer explained what the Fragments of Eden were to Gorm, and how a single Apple had already opened to the Templars his knowledge of genetics, doing prowess as evidenced by his wounds already closed. It was Kramer's purpose, to go back to Gorm's genetic memory, which was actually the container of an important line of Assassins, unknown to him, to locate other Fragments. As Tesla started the machine, Gorm screamed in pain.