First Casualty of the Race
Moscow State University
May 9th 1980
Patriotic music playing over the loudspeakers and singing coming from a little further down the river, in the center of the city. May 9th is the 35th anniversary of the end of WWII, and almost the whole population of the city are out on the streets celebrating. In a small lab, inside MGU Kiril Ryazanov is working with a few colleagues.
"So how do we make it bigger?" - Kiril was excited but at the same time somewhat cynical -
"We can make it, but this is never going to be enough."
"Well, so far we've been using aluminum, could we use something else?"
"No, that is not the problem," - it was always so frustrating when Kiril had to explain things to others -
"We need to make more particles, a better way to accelerate them..."
"Well, how about we go down one flight of stairs and ask Kurchatov? He's our nuclear physisist," - a small laugh, it became a joke that Kurchatov never leaves his lab.
"And where are we going to get the accelerator?" - Kiril didn't like people making fun of Kurchatov, after all he was exactly the same way.
"That would be Chelomey's field. But he, like normal people, is probably at the parade. Common, lets go."
And with that most of the scientists left the lab. Kiril remained standing by the window, looking outside, but not paying attention to the sounds of festivity coming from everywhere. He was focusing on something far greater and something that just barely escaped his comprehension.
July 12th
"So you are positive it will work?"
"I am never positive, its science afterall," Chelomey was a much more lighthearted person than Kiril.
"Will it do it?" - Kiril was not only serious, he was impatient.
"How should I know? Its not built for it. Its built to propell a wave, like an electron wave. But I don't see why it wouldnt, just try it."
"Fine, fine. I wonder would people would say if they found out that nuclear physisists don't really know if the experiment will work or not before they perform it."
Chelomey laughed, while Kiril did not, and just walked off carrying with him a very large and cumbersom piece of machinery.
August 2nd
"It works! It works!" - shouts came from the three scientists gathered around a monitor when Kiril walked in.
"I see things are going well, how are you Igor?" - Kiril was in a good mood, it would seem things were going well for him as well.
"I am wonderful," - roared Kurchatov while combing his immence beard -
"What are you here for?"
"Can I not just visit to check on how the progress is going?"
"Of course, we always check on how each other's progress is going. Every time we need something we do." - Kurchatov winked, -
"Now, how can I be of service?"
"I need protons. And lots of them."
"Like, protons without anything? As in after a nuclear reaction?"
"Exactly." - Kurchatov looked at Kiril with a very inquisitive look.
"Tell me what on Earth you are up to," - and the two men walked over to a nearby window.
September 23rd
Sakharov finished giving his presentation in the Blue Hall of the MGU and the scientists that have gathered there to listen to him begun applauding. As he left the podium a scientist aproached him and begun talking.
"Mr. Sakharov, Mr. Sakharov, I have something important to tell you" - Sakharov tried to think of the name of the scientists who was talking to him, but he couldnt quite remember it.
"You see Mr. Sakharov, the lecture you just gave...Im doing what you were talking about right now, next month we are starting final experiments," - Sakharov's eyes widened. Could it be that this unknown scientist acomplished what Sakharov believed would come only over the next decade?
"If you would like to attend or look over my reasearch I would be honored." And the scientist shuved a bunch of papers into Sakharov's hands. Sakharov looked down at them and was even further stunned..."Theory of Acceleration", "Collision Theory", "Combination and Energy Theory", "Trial Runs", "Adjustment and Accelerator", "Final Preparations", it was all there.
As he walked off without saying a word to the scientist he glanced down at the name that he couldn't remember. "Kiril Ryazanov"...a would be nobel prize winner within the next two years.
October 9th
Two tiny pieces of Uranium, barely enough to reach critical mass, seperated by a distance of about a meter. Encased in a led casing, with only one opening. As one piece slides closer to the other through a really simple lever mechanism a very slow reaction begins, and as long as a person does not stand next to the opening the radiation will not effect him or her. Simple and brilliant.
"Here is your proton source" - Kurchatov was glowing with pride. The kind everyone experiences when they have come up with a simple but ingenious solution to a problem.
"And as long as they are far enough apart nothing will happen?" - Kiril looked in amazement at the machine.
"Yeah. I mean, there will be radiation of course, protons, neutrons, gamma rays, all the fun stuff, but it will be encased inside the led tube, and only the protons will get through the opening because of the charge on it. Simple, eh?"
"What if the two pieces get too close?" - Kiril couldnt take his eye off the machine.
"Well, then you got a nuclear reaction and boom! A crater with a diameter of a few kilometers where MGU used to be." - Kurchatov lauges out loud.
"It will work"- whispered Kiril, more to himself than to his laughing colleague.
November 1st
A few scientists gathered in a small laboratory. A massive set-up consisting of the accelerator that Chelomey provided, the proton-generator that Kurchatov built, and a casing around all of them with an ingenious led and glass container at the other end.
"Accelerator working?"
"Yes, tested it three times."
"Is the Uranium in place?"
"Unless you stole it."
"Shut up! Is the scaner ready?"
"Its been born ready."
Chuckles in the lab. Kiril snaps again at the smartmouth scientist. Then puts on gloves and proceeds to the generator which has been standing idly by. He begins moving the lever slowly, whispering -
"Common, common, just a little bit."
The two pieces of Uranium move closer, Kiril can feel the heat forming inside the container, and could only imagine all other kinds of radiation that was pooring out of there.
"We got something, yes, confirming, one hit."
"Common, common, a little more," - Kiril still wispering to himself and the machine.
"Four more, correction - seven. Wait, ten, no...no...Yes! Its working, count up to almost thirty and rising. Its working!"
"Yes! Lets see how far we can go. A little more and then we shut it off." - Kiril was glowing with pride.
"Count up to past two hundred, are you still pushing them closer together?"
"What?" - Kiril looked up, having not heard the last sentance. As he moved up he knocked the lever of the Generator. The whole lab looked as it slid all the way down and launched one piece of Uranium into the other. A pause of complete silence followed, not counting the buzzing that was now coming from the scanner which counted hundreds of hits a second and from the Generator where heat was creating a whispering sound. Everyone watched as a greenish glow was growing stronger and stronger and Kiril, the closest one, could already feel the heat against his body. In the next second Kiril grabbed the Generator and opened it, releasing all the radiaton that was piled up in there, and then, with his hands covered only in gloves, grabbed one of the Uranium pieces and seperated them. The whistling sounded ended and the ominous glow disappeared. Everyone looked at Kiril.
"Nobody move, stand right where you are." - He rushed to the chalk board that was in the lab.
"Alright, they were together for about 3-4 seconds. Plus the 12 seconds that they were apart, but reacting at slow pace. Now, everyone! How far away from the Generator where you?"
Random numbers tossed at Kiril, as he bagan his calculations. Everyone paused and stared at him in complete scilenece. Those who knew a little about nuclear chemistry realized that he was calculating the dose of radiation that each person in the room reseived. After twenty minutes he sighed with relief, -
"You will all be alright. Now get out of here."
It did not take asking the scientists twise and everyone was gone. Kiril was left alone in the room where he had just performed the most advanced experiment possibly in the whole world. He looked at the last column of the calculations and checked it over, and then over again. No, there was no mistake. He was the closest to the Generator, the dose he reseived was past fatal. By a lot.
November 9th
Kiril Ryazanov died today. The cause of death was not made public. The family insisted on a closed-cascet funeral, and no one had objections. It was a small and private event with only a few of the closest colleagues attending.
