Arbeit Macht Frei

2

"Viktor, have you ever watched any of Mengele's experiments?" Hans asked nervously as Viktor continued the tour of the camp.

"Only some; very interesting in my opinion." Viktor held his hands firmly behind his back.

"But the first time you watched, did it seem a little, well, for lack of a better term, cruel?"

Viktor was quiet for a moment. He took several breaths before answering. "I suppose. The first experiment I watched was on two small children. They had no relation, they didn't even look similar. Mengele wanted to test if he could switch limbs without destroying the ability to use them.

"He took the children's legs. Just the left one of each child. It took him several hours to attach the leg properly. He stitched each individual vein. When the legs were completely sewn onto the children, he tried to get them to walk. They put the weight on their right leg, obviously, but when they attempted to walk, they fell. After several attempts, Mengele realized he had failed and shot both children in the temple. He then used the bodies for dissections. I think he was trying to see if a difference in the insides of the children would affect the proper use of the legs."

"It's monstrous."

Viktor shook his head. "It's science. Josef doesn't focus just on children. Anyone that is sent to a camp is eligible to be tested on."

"Do you have children?" Hans stared around him. The smell of decomposing flesh was no longer making him queasy.

Viktor nodded his head. "I've two. A nineteen year old son, Tobias, and a fifteen year old daughter, Emma."

"Could you imagine them being exposed to something such as that?"

Viktor shook his head. "Work stays at Auschwitz. Family should never be exposed to what we see on a daily basis."

Hans nodded in agreement. "That's why I lied when Mengele asked if I had children."

"You lied?"

"After watching him kill two young girls? Yes, I lied; without hesitation as well."

Viktor stood straight. "Well just make sure Josef never finds out that you've lied to him. I doubt he'd let you forget it."

Hans took a deep breath. "Monstrous."

Viktor re-positioned his hands, tightening the grip he held behind his back. "You should get used to it as quickly as possible. This is your job, now."

"I suppose you're right." Hans kept his chin firm. "Perhaps you should show me more of the camp."

Viktor nodded. "Good idea. This way." He turned and led Hans east with his hands behind his back.

Hans was once again faced with the challenge of trying to not see any of the decaying skin around him, but after watching the death of the young girls, he couldn't help but search for other signs of such torture throughout the camp.

It wasn't hard to find others. He witnessed a man eat a bug out of desperation. He witnessed a woman's breast be forcefully removed to stop the spread of infection. He watched another cylinder of gas be dropped on another batch of human beings who were deemed unfit.

Viktor stopped walking close to the edge of camp.

There was a row of men along the fence. They stood thin as cables, standing in a ditch. Slowly hacking away at the dirt. Their ankles were shackled, but Hans doubted they had the strength or will power to run.

"This is the heart of Auschwitz." Viktor introduced.

"This is the closest thing to any of my expectations I've seen all day."

Viktor didn't respond; he stared at the men in front of him.

A man in the ditch swung towards the dirt, but his legs collapsed under him, and he fell to the ground.

"Right on time." Viktor sighed. "Come on, this is the other half of our job."

Hans followed reluctantly.

Viktor jumped into the hole and unshackled the man from his chains. He lifted the body and placed it at the top of the ditch and jumped out.

"Is he dead?" Hans asked quietly.

"If he isn't, he will be."

"How do you mean?"

"If they collapse, they go on the pile."

Hans stopped. "Pile?"

Viktor nodded. "Come on." He lifted the man easily in his arms.

They walked to a gateway in the fence, and Hans unlocked it for Viktor. Viktor led his way around a corner, and stopped in front of a warehouse. It was larger than Hans' house. Viktor pulled open the door.

Hans felt bile rise in his throat. "Lord, have mercy."

The warehouse was filled with dead bodies. The smell of rot consumed Hans. A thin aisle went straight through the center of the pit. The walls were covered. Windows at the top of the warehouse were barely able to allow any light due to being hidden.

Viktor pulled the striped clothes from his man, and dropped him at the edge of the pile. "The lord won't help you here."

They quickly left the warehouse.

"Don't worry," Viktor said as they walked back into the camp, "You get used to the smell."

"I hope." Hans sighed.

One of the soldiers in the camp was carrying another body.

"How long have you been working here?" Hans watched the soldier go.

"Since a year after Auschwitz opened. It was April, nineteen forty one."

"That's a long time to be in a place like this."

"It's only been three years."

"But three years here," Hans looked around him. "I've been here a day, and I'm not sure that I have the stomach for it."

Viktor nodded. "That's how I felt my first day. Then when I saw one of Mengele's experiments I felt the same way. You just happened to get both in one day."

"Is he a decent person?" Hans asked. In his mind he already had the answer. No. No decent person would murder little girls in the name of science.

"He's a scientist. This is his job. Yes, he finds it intriguing, but I believe there is a part in all of us that is twisted enough to want to know the outcome of things such as this. He is just daring enough to actually test for the results. I'd be more afraid of the Red Army than him."

"The Red Army?"

"Soviets. They're not very fond of what we stand for."

Hans nodded, and directed the conversation back towards Mengele. "I suppose it's better he tests on these people other than other civilians."

Viktor nodded. "You'll learn that these are not people. They are prisoners."

"What are they convicted for, anyways?"

"A range of things. Usually work camps are for Jews, but Auschwitz takes gypsies, mentally handicapped, dwarfs, and homosexuals. Practically anyone who doesn't fit into society."

"So anyone who he doesn't deem appropriate?"

"Those who we don't deem appropriate." Viktor corrected.

Hans sighed. "Of course."

"Well, I'd say it's about time for us to go home for the day."

Hans couldn't help but smile in the thought of returning to his clean, fresh home.

Viktor removed a hand from behind his back and held it out to Hans. Hans took it and shook firmly.

"Welcome to Auschwitz."