by L. S. Wood
Now, we don’t have to work any longer on that stupid timely anti-plunging detonator-activating device we have been racking our puny little brains out on for this past long month. Why did you not see the simplicity in this problem before, Charles? I mean why had we not seen how foolishly simple the whole- damn solution was before? It is so damn simple that one of my two little kids could have worked this problem out all by themselves.”
It has just been so damn plain crazy around here! The solution to this whole damn problem has been staring us in the face right along for months. With a newly designed activating altimeter pressure regulating sensory switch in hand, we should be ready to test the atomic nuclear device in just about a week, more or even less is my guess. I will have the boys in instrumentation get going on this right away, and start work on the pressure switch now. In the meantime, I will call Washington and get permission from General Carey and the Security Council to detonate the Egg as soon as we have their permission.
While Nate and his crew readied the pressure switch, we can simulate the barometric pressure change in altitude by using an oxygen 02 cylinder canister with an airline along with a pressure switch connected to an air line with an operative pressure-regulating valve.
I will call Washington straight away and get going on getting the Egg’s nest assembled.”
CHAPTER FOUR
The Word
Good afternoon, General Carey’s office, Lieutenant Moody speaking. How may I be of assistance?” “Lieutenant Moody, this is Red Duck calling! Is General Carey available in his office today, please?” “One moment please, Red Duck, I will connect you straight to General Carey, sir. He was just talking about you to the staff this morning, sir. Is everything all right, sir?” “Everything is better than all right, thank you!” “He will be pleased to hear that, Red Duck!”
“This is General Carey, how may I help you?” “Hello General, this is Red Duck Charlie calling, sir. I need your permission to lay up for the construction of building the nest for the hatching of the Egg, sir.” “Yes, sir, Red Duck, you definitely have our permission for the nest construction to begin in order to hatch the Egg. I want to meet personally with you and your staff prior to the Egg’s detonation. The egg’s securities staff should be at the testing facilities by the week’s end. You have our permission, Red Duck, to call on base civil engineering on our behalf. You can have Major Wood issue the necessary instructions to his men for the nest to be constructed straight away, Charles. Major Wood can have his office call securities here in Washington if there are any questions or concerns in constructing the nest. I will see you soon, Red Duck.” “Good day, General.”
“Hello! Hello! Damn fool phone lines anyway! Hello, operations, operations, is anybody working in there today?” “Good morning operations, this is Staff Sgt. Morris speaking, how may I direct your telephone call this morning.” “Sergeant Morris! This is Red Duck calling from laboratory Expo, Delta, and Charlie would you please patch this call through to Major Wood at once, Sergeant Morris, if you wouldn’t mind please!”
Charles’s voice sounded dreadfully irritated to Sergeant Morris’s ears on the phone line. “One moment please, Red Duck, I will connect you straight away, sir.” “Operations, Major Wood speaking”. “Major Wood, this is Red Duck Charlie, from Expo, Delta, Charlie calling, sir. We are ready for construction to begin on the nest for the Egg at Expo, Delta, Charlie, key word Bravo, Major Wood. We will be ready to hatch the Egg as soon as you can have the egg’s nest constructed for its hatching, sir. Securities in Washington want you to furnish the men, the materials, and the security forces straight away, sir. They are counting on your timely preparation in the nest’s completion for its hatching, Major, at your earliest convenience, sir. I have followed the strict chain of command as directed, Major Wood. Orders in proper chain command by General Carey, Sir. I have called to alert General Carey on our progress and our needs. I have secured through him the proper channel of permission and the projects code name for the Mannequin Towered Nest, sir, to be built straight away with your help, Major.”
“What is the word and code given to this project, Red Duck?” Captain-Colonel-Major-Duck-Delta-Major-Wood-Duck-Charlie-Wood-Major, Major Wood.”
“The code name is correct Red Duck. The preparations for the nest shall get underway immediately. I will have the nest prepared for hatching shortly, Red Duck.” “Thank you, Major Wood, and have a good day.”
“Everything is ready to go, Roger. The nest preparations are underway as we speak. We had better get a move on fine tuning this new baby before we forget what I said we have to do with that pressure sensory altitude activating device. What a mouth full. We will be able to activate the new device safely from the new concrete steel bunkered facility once the Egg finds the cradle at the nesting sight. I still cannot believe we did not think of that simple little idea of using a pressure switch a long time ago. I bet my little boy, Billy, could have figured that switch idea out all by his lonesome just by playing with that new erector set that Sally and I gave him for Christmas last year. It is a real shame sometimes that we cannot see the damn forest for the trees it seems. Especially when the entire world is counting on us for a solution to everyone’s dire need in peace and tranquility. If only people from around the world could get along, there wouldn’t be a need for all this fighting crap and stuff, and the world would be one heck of a lot better off place to live for everyone.”
It is truly amazing, how it takes a few crazed-up individuals who greedily want what another individual or whole country have that they don’t have. They go after them in war or any other means they have to secure themselves that which does not belong to them. Greed in individuals, kills any spirit of love or tranquility for others, and for what?
Why do people not let others around the world live happily? Let them enjoy what they have and not want to be tyrants in the world who want power over all others. Oh well, enough said! Let us get back to work on this warhead that will put an end to all that greedy stuff, right Roger?” “Yes, Charlie!”
CHAPTER FIVE
The Convoy
Several crews of electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and many heavy equipment operators from base’s civil engineering who had been waiting around for months, finally had the go ahead to assemble for their mission. The crews quickly assembled in the civil engineering yard and prepared for an immediate departure on their expected but unsure assignment. The excited workers instantly mobilized the second Major Wood gave them orders for the preparation of the coded duty venture they were all assigned to perform at this special Army airbase.
Many large stacked up heavy wood, sheathing, and other equipment of supplies for the nest construction had been previously loaded onto many military vehicles that were parked inside the motor pool gated area. The trucks had been sitting there locked away in the desert all covered up with large protective tarps over them for months. It behooved the many military men to what their real assignment was going to be.
The majority of men who were stationed out in the country’s vast hot desert were basically doing nothing but sitting around being bored out of their minds. Most of the time they waited to move out with whatever was beneath the many tarp-covered trucks, and bring it somewhere out in the desert or wherever their orders would lead them. This type of wishy washy assignment with a war going on abroad confused the hell out of all the men.
With orders given to engineering to assemble, the men in civil engineering ran to their different loaded motor vehicles, similar military fighter pilots running from their preparation rooms to their military fighter aircraft, ready to take off and fight the enemy in a moment’s notice.
By 1200 hours Eastern Time, the convoy of military trucks had reached its first checkpoint between guard shacks numbered 48 and 49 respectively. The guards assigned the two out-posts were taken-a-back with the sudden surprise of the large convoy approaching them as it rolled up between their two positi
ons from within the compound.
The soldiers on duty demanded to know why hadn’t they been notified about what was going to take place. Due to the top security of the special orders given by General Carey, and the special matter at hand, they were not notified. All phone lines except the invasion phone lines had previously been shut down at base communications prior the convoy leaving the base. All other personal phone lines would remain down until further notice after the nest was complete. All regular non-high security communication phone lines were strictly off limits to all personnel until further notice.
A messenger on a motorcycle went around to all Charlie check-point positions informing the personnel on duty there, not to use any phone lines. They were to use the designated red line in case a dire emergency arose. If an enemy was approaching their post or attempting to breach their station, they could use the phone line, and only then! Any personnel using phones other than for military reasons of any kind from their secured position’s would be dealt with severely by a full military court martial, and would spend many years behind bars in a military detention center.
General Carey did not want anyone outside the base knowing anything about what was taking place out in the desert at that time. He didn’t want any of the lines between the guard shacks to get tampered with or tapped into. He didn’t want any alien force to prevent the hatching of this very formable device at a most crucial time in the life of the war and the forthcoming of human freedom around the globe. Tough security was imminent with this special assignment.
Security in the Egg’s development was the main reason for all the safeguards put into place. None of the guards on duty at their assigned guard shacks knew anything about what was taking place in the desert until completion of the experiment was to take place. Even then, the guards stationed in their shacks were in the dark to what was taking place around them.
A crew with many phone linemen went to work immediately digging up new trenches in the desert floor, and laying out mile after mile of new phone line cables and connectors buried deep beneath the sands in the desert. The rest of the large convoy of trucks proceeded out across the desert sands to a new opening breached in the fence for access to the hatching sight. Another linemen crew came quickly along behind the first burying the newly dropped wire beneath the sands in the hot desert floor protecting them from passing vehicles traveling to and from the new gated area. The lines were being buried deep in the sand to protect them from damage, and prevent immediate access to them for ease of tampering or tapping into them for espionage reasons.
The air around the compound became an even more top security issue, as the airmen stationed at the base flew continual missions around the perimeter of the facilities and out over the nesting site around the clock to keep any and all enemies and other stray pilots away from the facilities prior to the detonation of the egg.
Not knowing it, Old Stew Jones just happened to be the unfortunate pilot flying too close to the compound that day when they surprised him. The squadron was returning back to the airstrip after spending several long tiring hours flying around and around in circles about the outer perimeter surrounding the compound protecting its airspace, a couple days prior to the egg being detonated. The guards on duty at guard shacks number 48 and 49 Charlie stations, upon arrival of the convoy, received strict orders to stay put inside their posts, and to wait quietly there. They were not to use any phone lines under any circumstances until new orders arrived for them to do so. Their new orders would come down to them by way of special messenger in a specially sealed envelope under the private seal of the base commander. An additional six heavily-armed men were stationed instantly with them as additional protection at their volatile post.
They were to help guard the new opening made in the base perimeters fence of the top security outpost along with an armored vehicle equipped with two machine guns and a grenade launcher. These new men would take over all communications with base control using decoding radio messengering while the breach in the fence was unprotected.
Prior to the convoy leaving the main base, messengers went out to all the perimeter guard shack posts around the compound to inform them of maneuvers taking place in the desert that day, and to ignore any dusty flumes being made inside the compound made by all the trucks rolling over the dusty sands. All guards shacks except for numbers 48 and 49.
A second guard shack, quickly erected just twenty feet away from the original number 49 guard shack, was called number 49½. This was to protect both sides of the newly installed swinging gates against unlawful access to the compound.
Delta Charlie Bravo Two post number 491/2 guard shack would become the new focal point of the new nesting facilities communication post. No one without the direct permission of either Major Wood from civil engineering or that of General Carey from military defense headquarters in Washington D.C. could enter or leave through the newly gated area. No one could exit out of the compound through this gated area without one of a newly developed electronically engraved insignia pass, which recorded the movement of all personnel each way through the gate of the compound.
Almost immediately upon arrival, the top security sensing tracking wire was dug up, cut, spliced, and then reburied in the new roadway made in the fence. The twelve-foot high protection fence had been breached and re-gated. The military convoy of trucks with a full platoon of military police and armored guard carriers escorted the vehicles out of the newly installed gate and proceeded northward toward the site where the nest and its control buildings were to be erected.
Another couple of miles further north in the desert from the main facilities was another gated compound which required top security clearance for entry. A small guard force was assigned to this much smaller circular compound way out in the desert.
A change of guards took place a couple of times per shift, depending on the heat of the day and the cold of the night out in the desert. Some of the men were becoming slaphappy while protecting the small fenced-in area.
They wondered why anyone in their right mind would want to protect such a small postage-stamp size parcel of land, the size of a single city block barren of any life other than a single blade of witch grass. It was the home of a passing rattlesnake or two and a flowering cactus growing by the post shack, way the hell out in no-man’s land. They all figured the land beneath the desert floor had to have some value to it. It had to be rich in oil, a gold mine, or some other great value for their government to assign an entire platoon of military police to protect the wasteland 24/7.
CHAPTER SIX
Facts Unknown
None of the scientists making the nuclear bomb knew what the extent of damage this new atomic fusion in raw materials would have on the earth as it was the first of its kind ever detonated on the planet. It left many scientists with doubts in their mind as to what might occur to the earth’s core the minute the fusion in atoms took place. What other catastrophic events other than a humongous blast would be produced or occur when the splitting of this manmade matter, was not clearly known to the scientists of specific matter in material science.
These scientists could only muse through deduction of equation in mathematical science as what to expect from the catastrophic reaction in splitting these atoms all at once might have or could cause near the epicenter of the explosion and the immediate earth surrounding the explosion.
By some unforeseen circumstance, the raw materials below the earth’s surface sizzling with flowing magma beneath the desert floor near the blast site if laced with hot liquid uranium, anything was possible to happen to the planet when the blast occurred.
If the first splitting of an atom caused an acute adverse unstoppable worldwide atomic splitting reaction, the world once known to mankind as planet earth, might just possibly disintegrate into billions, trillions, and possibly zillions of tiny fragmented pieces of molten rock and turn itself instantly into space dust.
The react
ion could occur in a matter of mille-seconds, and none of the earths’ population would be any the wiser for it.
The scientists who were working diligently on the project had taken every precaution they could think of into heightened scientific formulas. They gave it their best in scientific judgment and painstaking reflection on the physical subject matter they had at hand before coming to their conclusion of the worst scenario that could happen to the planet. They were sure it should not or would not come down to that, or at least they hoped not.
The scientists figured that if it did occur, no one on the face of the earth would feel the pain from the instant blast, as all would turn instantly into space dust, including them. They all laughed about it. “What the hell” the scientists thought, “ashes to ashes, and dust to dust. Everyone on planet earth was born to die, and the sooner would not be as bad as the later if Hitler’s Germany did manage to take control over the entire world.”
Everyone knew there would be no peace on earth or the possibility of living freely ever again, quietly or securely around the globe for any of its inhabitants. Not until Hitler’s’ sick total genocide prevailed all over the earth with his enforced annihilation of imperfect human beings, except for his sick desire of a total population with all blond haired and a blue-eyed race of human beings. He had no use for any human beings that did not fit his credibility of being born perfect except for his soldiers fighting for him. If they should die fighting for his cause, he did not care. Hitler would stop at nothing. He would destroy the children of any blond haired blue-eyed followers if they produced children with different colored hair or eyes that were not of his liking. He would even take the lives of his own children and his children’s children if they were not born perfect in his mind’s eye. Everyone knew he was a sick-minded lunatic and needed to be stopped immediately. Even if this new weaponry destroyed the earth, it would not be as bad as living under a dictator like Hitler.
