by Mark Spaid
“Why not; aren’t you confident it’ll work?”
“Not completely. After all this is just a test.”
“Okay, I’ll wait until we try it today.”
“When will you be ready?”
“Just as soon as you leave me alone to finish these last numbers.”
“I’ll be over there,” Kleinschmidt said and sat in a corner and waited. A half an hour later, Warren sat up, put his pencil down and smiled.
“We’re ready.”
“Good job.” Kleinschmidt came back and stood behind Warren as he entered the equations in the control panel.
“The target is that old truck. Can you see it out here; it’s about a mile away. There are red flags all around it. Here,” Warren said and handed Kleinschmidt a pair of binoculars.
“Yeah, I see it.” Warren watched the object through a sort of view finder; it was a scope much like a high-powered rifle.
“Watch carefully; three two one.” He pushed a button and there was a slight noise like the snap of a clicker.
“What happened? Where’s the truck?” Warren looked with his binoculars and smiled.
“It worked.”
“But how? There was no explosion.”
“No, there wouldn’t be.”
“But the entire truck is gone. Where’d it go?”
“Everywhere.”
“What do you mean everywhere? I have to tell you, Dr. Peabody, I’m confused. What am I going to tell my superiors?”
“Tell them it worked.”
“But they’re going to want to see pictures of the devastation.”
“There won’t be any pictures of the wreckage because there is no wreckage.”
“I’m lost.”
“I can understand that. This is a new area for everyone, including me. We grew up with big bombs; the atom bomb and the hydrogen bomb. They make incredible explosions and can wipe out an entire city with millions of people in a flash. We expect to see the aftermath where things are obliterated, smoking ruins and such but this weapon’s different.
“Can you explain it so I and the people I work for can understand.”
“I’ll try…you see in the UFT there are the four forces. Electromagnetism, gravity, weak nuclear forces and strong nuclear forces.”
“I understand something about gravity and electromagnetism but what about the weak and strong nuclear forces?”
“Weak nuclear forces hold the electrons in orbit around the nucleus of each atom. The strong nuclear forces hold the protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Normal chemical reactions have to overcome the weak nuclear forces and that’s fairly easy to do. Any time there’s a fire a chemical reaction occurs and the weak forces have been negated. But separating the protons and neutrons…now that’s a very different thing and much harder”
“That’s splitting the atom.”
“That’s right, very good. In the weapon we have here, the weak forces in the UFT were inconsequential. I just ignored them. I had to break apart the nucleus so I could use the neutrons as a weapon.”
“So, this is a neutron weapon?”
“Yes, to sum it up and make it simple, that’s what you can tell your superiors.”
“But what’ll you tell them when they see something just disappear? Not blow up but vanish.”
“I’ll tell them that the truck did not blow up or disintegrate. It was changed into a nearly infinite number of particles of infinitesimal size as to simply disappear.”
“Can this be done to entire cities?” Kleinschmidt asked. Warren looked at his boss and his shoulders sagged in despair.
“Yes, it can.” Kleinschmidt took out his cell and walked away talking to someone. “What have I done? I’ve given them a weapon that can destroy any part of the Earth they want to or the entire Earth. But they made me and they would’ve killed me if I’d refused. Gee, it sounds like all those Nazis after the war who said they were just following orders. And, I was too…to save my skin. Does that make it right? No, but does it make it wrong?” Probably; I don’t’ know…I can think all night trying to justify what I’ve done and what does that prove?” He looked at some of his paperwork as Kleinschmidt came back and sat down.
“Question…here with that truck you could see it but what about a target ten thousand miles away?”
“I’d have grid numbers; simple latitude, longitude… degrees minutes and seconds.”
“So, you could pinpoint a target and do to it what you did to the truck?” Warren let out a deep breath.
“Yes.”
“In Europe, Australia, Africa or wherever?”
“Yes.” Kleinschmidt walked around the room stopping to look out towards the spot where there’d been a derelict truck before it encountered Warren’s particle beam weapon and make no mistake about it, this weapon was Warren’s creation.
“You’ve done well, Dr. Peabody…very well. My superiors will be pleased and you can expect a bonus.”
“Thank you.” Warren wasn’t sure why he said thank you. He certainly wasn’t cultivating Kleinschmidt’s approval other than what was necessary to preserve his life. “Why am I doing this?” He thought to himself. “Am I that much of a coward that I’d give them this unspeakably powerful weapon to kill whoever and as many as they like? But I have a prosthetic leg. I’m handicapped. How can I fight back? Forget it, Warren, we’ve already established that you were always a coward. Stop using your leg as an excuse. Do I even have a set of moral scruples? Do I have a conscience? Will I be responsible for all the deaths this weapon will cause? I am a coward, I am responsible for everything here and in the future, I apparently have no moral scruples at all at least not ones strong enough to refuse to make these things for the Nazis and it looks like my conscience doesn’t bother me enough to overcome my cowardice. I think I have a conscience but if you can’t act on it and do the right thing then it can be argued that you don’t have one. Other men would’ve refused to build this thing and have been shot. They are heroes but not me. And, no I don’t possess the courage to kill myself, so you can forget that. I’ll continue to do their bidding as long as they threaten to kill me if I don’t. There, I said it before everyone else does. I’m a lackey for the Nazis because I’m a gutless coward.”
“I’m leaving now, Dr. Peabody. I’ll be back in a day or so. I need you to arrange another demonstration.” Warren nodded and Kleinschmidt left.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“I remember now where there’s an abandoned cabin near here,” Mario said.
“Where?” Andy asked.
“Over that ridge and about another three miles.”
“Tatiana, Mario knows of a deserted cabin and it’s not far,” Andy said.
“Good, as soon as everyone’s ready, we’ll take off. I don’t like being in the daylight.”
“After we arrive, I think I know where we can find a mode of transportation,” Mario added. They trekked through the woods until they found the cabin Mario was talking about. It was dirty but large enough to accommodate them for a night or two. They cleaned it out and settled in after eating what food they had left.
“Who owns this place?” Jozette asked.
“Stick Patterson,” Mario said.
“Stick?” Jozette asked.
“Yeah, he’s a local character. Six four and about a hundred pounds…thus the nickname stick.”
“You know him?” Justin asked.
“I do…I bought a motorcycle off him once.”
“Does he have anything that’ll hold more people?” Dave asked.
“I’m going to go see him and find out.”
“Is that why we’re here?” Lexi asked.
“Partially, we did need a place to stay tonight and a vehicle. I’ll see if he has something for us to drive.”
“Mario and I’ll go together and try and bring back something to take you guys to Bloomington,” Janet said.
* * *
“Stick, your old pal is here,” Mario said as he and Janet walked into a ga
rage where a man was under a car working.
“Who is…?” The man started to say as he slid out on his creeper then he saw Mario and sighed.
“Hello, Stick,” Mario said with a big smile.
“What do you want?”
“What kind of a greeting is that for one of your best customers?”
“It’s the same one I give to everyone and where’d you get the idea you were one of my best customers?”
“It’s obvious isn’t it?”
“Not to me.”
“Oh, come on, Stick, I got my cycle here.”
“Yeah, I remember…you weaseled me down to about cost.”
“But we shook on it,” Mario said with a big smile. Stick got up, wiped off his hands and stood looking down at Mario.
“I mainly did it to get rid of you that day.”
“Ow, that hurts and I thought we’d reached a consensus.”
“We had…you wanted a cycle and I wanted to get rid of you.”
“You’re getting harsh in your old age.”
“It comes with the job…what do you want, Mario?”
“Right to the point; that’s what I like about you, Stick.”
“So, get to the point…what do you want?”
“A vehicle.”
“Well, that narrows it down considerably,” Stick said as he rolled his eyes.
“My friends need something to get them to Bloomington.”
“Where are these friends?”
“Staying in your cabin.”
“How quaint. I should charge you rent. I’d put up a beef but it’s been empty for years.”
“Thanks for being so understanding, Stick.”
“How many friends?”’
“Three.”
“Well, that opens up possibilities. Do you want a plane, a helicopter, ship, you name it”?
“I was thinking a car,” Mario said.
“Okay, I have a dozen or so in that row at three grand.”
“Stick, come on old buddy, I’m looking for a real bargain here.”
“Well, that row, there’s four at two Grand.”
“They look like their ready for the crusher.”
“They are.”
“I do need something that actually runs.”
“Well, you should’ve said so.”
“Do you have anything…that runs for three hundred. That’s all I have.”
“Three hundred and you want a car that runs?”
“Yes.”
“My grandad bought a car for a hundred and fifty once.”
“There you go, now we’re talking.”
“In 1964. Three hundred dollars can get you a used golf cart without the batteries.”
“Stick for old time’s sake.”
“What old times. I barely know you.”
“Boy, you’re very abrasive today.”
“For three hundred dollars it’s hard to be anything else.”
“Come on, Stick, they’re desperate for something… anything that runs and can get there.”
“Three hundred dollars?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see it?” Stick asked and Mario handed him some bills. “Three-hundred on the nose. Do you have any money for gas?”
“Well…”
“So, you want a car and a full tank of gas for the three hundred.”
“My mind was sort of working that way.”
“You’re the last of the big-time free loaders, Mario…you know that?”
“Guilty as charged.” Stick looked out at his selection and thought for a moment then looked at the money in his hand and nodded.
“Alright, I’ve got something that runs for three hundred and I’ll fill it up before you leave.”
“This?” Mario asked as they stood in front of the vehicle Stick was offering.”
“This is it…take it or leave it.”
“This all you have?” Janet asked trying not to laugh at what Stick was selling them.
“For three hundred dollars it is.” Mario walked all around and even kicked the tires.
“We’ll take it.” They left with a tank of gas and drove as close to the cabin as they could get.
“Did you find something to get us to Bloomington?” Tatiana asked. As Mario and Janet came walking up to the cabin. Janet was smiling.
“Sort of,” Janet said then she broke out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Justin asked.
“Why don’t you come and see what we have,” Mario said and they walked to their new vehicle. Little Wolf chuckled and Dave turned to Sol who was smiling and shaking his head.
“A hearse, you bought a hearse,” Tatiana said as she sighed. ‘This is the best you could do?”
“With three hundred dollars, yes it was,” Mario replied.
“Does it run well?” Little Wolf asked.
“Yeah, it should get you there and he gave us a full tank of gas,” Janet said.
“I wanted to get their inconspicuously. I guess that’s out,” Tatiana said as she walked around the vehicle inspecting it.
“It’ll do, thanks, Mario,” Dave said.
“Alright, let’s go back to the cabin and get ready for tonight,” Tatiana said and they left. She turned around one last time and looked at the hearse as she shook her head and moaned.
* * *
“Sherloff!” Colonel von Laden yelled from his office.
“Yes, Colonel.” Sherloff ran to the door and stood at attention.
“We’re taking the hostages out of here.”
“When?”
“Right now.”
“Where are we taking them, sir?”
“All you need to know is that we’re taking them out of town, so get moving.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where’re we going?” The Mayor’s wife asked.
“On a trip,” Sherloff said as the hostages were ushered up the stairs and into two cargo vans.
“Sherloff and von Laden were in a car and led the two vans out of town and into the country where they stopped in the middle of a field.
“Let them out,” von Laden said and the van doors were open. Their eyes adjusted to the light and the twenty-four remaining hostages stood looking at one another.
“What’re we doing here?” The Mayor asked.
“I think we all know what’s next,” Father O’Brien said.
“What?” A terrified woman asked as she looked around just short of panic.
* * *
“Dr. Peabody let me introduce you to Colonel Reinsdorf and General Armstrong,” Kleinschmidt said as he walked in with two uniformed and bemedaled officers of the SS.
“How do you do, gentlemen,” Warren said and offered a handshake but received no offer in return. That was fine with him because the sight of these SS officers made him ill.
“These men are here to see a test of your weapon,” Kleinschmidt.
“I see, well, I didn’t know anyone was coming. I don’t have a test ready at this moment.”
“Dr. Peabody, just fire up the machine,” Kleinschmidt.
“But there’s no target,” Warren said.
“Please do as I ask, Dr. Peabody.” Warren shook his head but sat down and started warming up the weapon. After five minutes of sparking and humming there was a low but strong sound and they could feel the vibration. The weapon was ready.
“Okay, it’s ready but we still have no target,” Warren said.
“Look through your binoculars, Dr. Peabody,” Kleinschmidt said as he was looking through his own. Warren stood and viewed the field and he sighed and moaned.. The hostages were standing in a circle.
“No, you can’t,” Warren said.
“We can and we will,” Kleinschmidt said. Those are traitors to The Greater Reich.”
“But they’re not. They’re innocent and the only reason they were arrested was to force the perpetrators to come forward.”
“And they didn’t so now we act.”
“Dr. Peabo
dy, use the weapon on the hostages,” General Armstrong commanded.
“But…” Warren started.
“Dr. Peabody, I suggest you comply unless you want to join them,” Kleinschmidt said. Warren looked at both officers and Kleinschmidt before moving to the control panel. He checked the coordinates and shook his head before activating the weapon. There was a short but distinct jet of energy that lasted a second. The hostages were standing and waiting and when it happened it would’ve been impossible for them to know what was going on or even why Sherloff and von Laden were watching from a safe distance. There was a flash and twenty-four people were gone…diced into a billion microscopic pieces. Armstrong and Reinsdorf watched through binoculars and smiled. Warren lowered his head. He’d just killed twenty-four innocent people and he knew that his device would be used to kill thousands perhaps millions.
* * *
“Tomorrow we take another twenty-five hostages,” von Laden said to Sherloff as they drove back to the SS station.
“Where should we get them?” von Laden thought for a moment then a gleam came over his face and he turned to Sherloff.
“There’s a school near the park. It’s a girl’s school. Take twenty-five ten-year old’s.” Sherloff looked at von Laden in shock but didn’t dare argue.
“Yes, sir.” They drove for eight miles back to town but neither one said a word.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Berlin July 1940
“Goering is here to see you, Mein Fuehrer,” an adjutant said to Hitler as he sat drinking tea in the Reich Chancellery.
“Send him in, Corporal.”
“Mein Fuehrer.”
“What do you want, Goering?” Hitler and Goering had an on again off again relationship. In short, they hated each other. Goering was an early member of the Nazi Party and at the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 where he was severely wounded and developed a life-long addiction to morphine as a result. He was a loyal party member and as loyal to Hitler as anyone was. To his face all the Nazis were bowing, sycophants. But behind Hitler’s back they hated him and perhaps Goering most of all. He was a World War I hero with numerous medals for bravery and accomplishments as a pilot. Hitler was a mere undistinguished corporal in the infantry. Goering and other air force officers looked at infantrymen as dirt. Now, of course, Goering kept this to himself to preserve his life and position but he was sickened to be subordinate to Hitler. He believed in the political views of the Nazis but not in Hitler.
