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Atomic Trap
Prologue
Mrs. Bateman gripped her cane
tightly in one hand and pulled her personal
shopping cart closely behind her. With a hunched
back, she steadily hobbled on her way, timing
her steps to the regular click as the
cart rolled past the sidewalk cracks. Sunday
mass had just ended, and she was headed home to
bake a cake for tonight’s monthly choir party.
Humming a soft tune, Mrs. Bateman
entered her house and softly set the purchased
eggs, flour, and vanilla essence on the kitchen
counter. She set her oven for preheating at
350°F and began to prepare the ingredients. As
she whisked the eggs, a pungent burnt smell
permeated the room. Wisps of gray curled from
the oven, covering the kitchen in an obscure
haze. Mrs. Bateman rushed to the oven to turn it
off. She opened the door, and upon peering into
the smoke, promptly fainted.
As the haze cleared, the unbearable
smell of burnt flesh emerged. A charred cat lay
inside, with its legs standing stiff in the air
and the fur on its back badly singed. The racks
were still tinged with a smouldering red,
representing an unspoken warning of what was to
come.
Chapter One
“Have you heard? Another burnt cat
case was reported last week! How is it possible
that the police have not yet caught this feline
killer?”
“It’s only February, and yet, it’s
the second incident this year! How many more
times must this cruelty happen before they can
finally solve this case?”
The small town of Pond buzzed with
feelings of anxiety, trepidation and uneasiness.
The citizens were unnerved by the continuous
appearances of burnt cats – these happenings
first began a few years ago, and to date, there
have been a total of seventeen slaughters
reported. These killings happen sporadically,
without any apparent motive and without any
perceptible pattern. The most recent reporting
involved an elderly woman who, upon preparing to
bake a cake, found a dead cat inside her oven.
As a result, she suffered from a heart attack
but fortunately made a full and robust recovery.
Although the police consequently deployed all
available forces to thoroughly investigate, no
breakthroughs had been made.
With a population of roughly 30,000
people, Pond was a peaceful municipality
situated north of New York City. To its east
rested an impossibly still lake – a lake so
tranquil and silent that air of eeriness weighed
upon it year-round. On the northern end of the
town lay a densely packed forest, its beautiful
vivid green standing as a stark contrast to the
muted hues of the lake. Multiple sightings of
wild coyotes prowling near the forest opening
have been made in the past years; as such, no
citizen dared to venture near that vicinity.
For this reason, the United States
Department of Defense constructed a secret
military base, code-named The Nucleus, deep
within this forest. The obsidian black walls of
the hidden fortress housed the country’s top
scientists. These researchers worked on the
government’s most closely guarded secrets,
inventing and engineering the military’s most
advanced technology and weapons. In fact, the
seventeen burnt cat carcasses were all directly
related to these scientific R&D projects.
The Nucleus’
premises were constantly under close
surveillance, with armed military personnel
conducting rounds regularly. Specially trained
forces were deployed within the building during
work hours, as well as positioned at all of the
external entrances. When all
scientists
would leave in the
evening, the same number of Special Forces
members would patrol outside the institute.
However, the number of members within the
building would dwindle, and surveillance
responsibility for the night shift would fall to
one member of the Special Forces. This
individual would guard the premises alone until
9 a.m. the next morning when replaced
by a full squad of
the Special Forces.
There were two
entrances
into the building, and all individuals had to
comply with stringent security protocols and
policies, supported by the use of
state-of-the-art technology. In addition to
requiring top-level clearance, the personnel
also had to pass through advanced imaging
technology and multiple detectors. The final
step of the security procedure was biometric
authentication, complete with fingerprint scans,
palm scans, retina scans, and voice recognition.
Objects and materials were strictly prohibited
from entering and leaving the building; the only
exception was the clothing worn on the body,
which had to be searched and approved by
security. Car keys and
other personal belongings must be kept by the
special forces and will be released at the exit.
In order to ensure that the system was
infallible, imageries were taken of each
personnel and reviewed. The clothing worn upon
entry and exit of the building would have to be
compared and confirmed to be identical before
the individual could be granted a leave of the
institute.
If personnel attempted to bring additional
objects into The Nucleus other than the clothing
worn on their bodies, a verbal warning would be
issued the first time. The goods would then be
confiscated, scrutinized, and then available for
pickup only upon the visitor’s leave. If
personnel attempted to take things away from The
Nucleus, not only would the objects be
confiscated and closely examined, but the person
would be taken in for questioning. Further
action may even be taken, such as demerit points
and dismissal. If what the person had attempted
to remove was confidential material classified
as a state secret, he or she risked being
charged for treason.
The Nucleus had many
valuable inventions created by its brainy
scientists. There was a missile engineered to
travel at Mach 30 while carrying 100,000 tonnes
of munition
which could reach
its target within half an hour from any location
in the world, a handheld laser gun that could
penetrate an inch of steel plate within its
three-mile radius, and a satellite navigation
gun that could kill from a thousand miles away.
The most recent and prized creations were a
bulletproof coating for soft materials that
matched any shirt in texture and versatility, as
well as antimatter, the most expensive
material of all times.
Due to the extreme importance of these
innovations and materials, top military
personnel commonly frequented The Nucleus to
monitor new advancements and ensure progress was
on schedule. That morning, a stately figure
crisply dressed in a clean uniform strode
briskly through security, acknowledging the
salutes of others with a curt nod. Lieutenant
General Donald Smith was an impressive
character; his tall frame and well-built stature
carried a certain power and strength that filled
the room. His short hair and mustache were
speckled with flecks of gray, and his clear
emerald eyes took everything in with a piercing
gaze. A three-star general of the army and
highest in command at The Nucleus, Smith looked
much younger than his age of 50 years.
Smith was accompanied by a young Chinese
scientist, who stood in stark contrast to the
sharp commander. Alpha Young’s stout and short
figure was consumed by his white laboratory
coat. His almond eyes were enlarged by the thick
lens of his silver-rimmed circular glasses,
giving him the air of an academic scholar.
“Please, sit.” Smith entered his office and
motioned to the seat facing his leather seat.
“So… First-Class Honours
Graduate of the Faculty of Mathematics at the
University of Cambridge, studied
six years further to obtain a Ph.D. in Physics.
You specialize in the study and use of
antimatter.” Smith closed Young’s resume and
extended his hand: “Impressive history.
Welcome to The Nucleus.”
“It’s an honour.” Young cordially shook Smith’s
hand.
“I hope you’ll forgive my curiosity, but I
couldn’t help but wonder… as an American
citizen, why did you choose to study in the UK?”
Young looked embarrassed and cleared his throat
before beginning: “My parents were definitely
the main influencing factor. Being Hong Kong
immigrants, they had a certain preference for
Britain and British things. Their dream was
always to send their children to Cambridge
University because they perceived that
institution to be the best in the world. As
their only son, I felt a filial duty to fulfill
their dream.”
Smith gave a chuckle and said: “I wouldn’t dare
say that Cambridge is the world’s best, as many
American institutions are just as prestigious.
Here, let me introduce you to some of America’s
finest minds!” He stood up and led Young into
the laboratory, where Dr. Bruce Berry and Dr.
Robert Bryant stood waiting.
Despite their age gap of more than 30 years,
Berry and Bryant shared many similar traits.
Both were MIT graduates who took only five years
– half the time of what it takes an average
individual – to complete their undergrad to
Ph.D. degrees. The two scientists had connected
immediately when they first met, and their close
relationship resembled that of father and son.
Berry was the Chief Science Officer (CSO) at The
Nucleus and was also the lead of the Antimatter
Project. At roughly 60 years old, he had worked
at the institution for over 30 years and had
many years of scientific research experience.
With a head full of snowy white hair, a bulging
belly, and a rosy tinge to his round face, Berry
was nicknamed Old St. Nick by many of his
younger colleagues.
Bryant was a striking figure who towered over
Young at six feet tall. His tanned skin and
golden hair emitted a healthy glow under the LED
lights. Being only in his mid-thirties, Bryant’s
broad shoulders and strong physique made him fit
for military service; however, despite
descending from a lineage of remarkable military
agents, Bryant had chosen to enter the
scientific field of research.
“Gentlemen, this is Dr. Alpha Young
who hails from Cambridge University and
specializes in the study of antimatter.” Smith
purposely emphasized the British alma mater of
Young in his introduction to the American
scientists, causing Young to blush slightly
again.
He then turned to address Young, saying: “Dr.
Young, please meet Dr. Berry, who is both the
pioneer of antimatter and the CSO of The
Nucleus, as well as Dr. Bryant, who oversees our
development of bulletproof coating for soft
materials. These two gentlemen are MIT
graduates. I will leave you three to further
discussion.” Smith gave a slight tilt of his
head and headed back to his quarters.
Berry watched him go with a solemn expression on
his usually cheery face. Given his own
increasing age nearing the national age of
retirement, coupled with the antimatter
specialization of Young, Berry knew that Young
was purposely hired to replace him. In fact,
Berry was given explicit directives to welcome
Young as a part of the Antimatter Project and to
transfer all his existing knowledge to the
Cambridge graduate.
“Dr. Young, Dr. Bryant has some testing
scheduled for today, so I will be your tour
guide this morning,” said Berry politely while
Bryant gave a slight smile and made his leave.
“Come, follow me – let me show you the different
facilities around The Nucleus.”
He brought Young to the various labs and
quarters, explaining in detail the created
inventions, the different experiments conducted,
and the developments made. Throughout the tour,
Young would smile courteously and nod
respectfully but did not seem particularly
amazed by the R&D experiments carried out at The
Nucleus.
“And, last but not least, this is our oldest and
most interesting contraption,” Berry said with a
wink. He gestured ceremoniously to a glass wall
of a room, behind which rested a flat,
unimposing, dark gray platform that was
connected to a black machine: “Voila – the time
travel machine!”
Unable to control himself, Young gave a slight
gasp and rushed to the glass, his fingers
dancing excitedly all over the surface. He
pushed his sliding silver frames back up his
nose, eyes darting animatedly like an eager
child waiting to open his Christmas presents.
Young muttered breathlessly: “How astounding! A
time-travelling machine! Simply remarkable!
Splendid, utterly splendid! I’ve asked and have
personally visited all the top universities, but
none of them have invested in researching time
travel. But then again, The Nucleus is the top
research institute for military weapons and
technology, so I really shouldn’t be surprised…”
Young’s voice trailed off as he straightened up
and regained his composure.
Berry gave a knowing smile, and gestured to the
door: “Come, let me take you inside so you can
get a closer look.”
A single man in his mid-fifties stood inside the
room, fiddling with some of the controls on a
machine that had just previously won Young’s
undivided, riveted attention. He was impeccably
dressed in a form-fitting three-piece tweed
suit, complete with a crisp bow tie. His wispy
brown hair was gelled to the side, and he exuded
an air of confidence. Despite being a scientist,
he looked every inch the savvy and successful
businessman. As Berry called his name, Dr. Henry
Stone turned around, revealing a set of powder
blue eyes.
“Dr. Stone, it is my great honour and pleasure
to introduce you to Dr. Alpha Young, the newest
addition to the Antimatter Project at The
Nucleus.”
Stone extended his arm and grasped Young’s hand
in a firm shake: “Pleasure. Please excuse the
absence of my lab coat; I had the day off
originally, but decided to come back and check
on something.”
“Oh, no worries.” There was an awkward break
before Young rushed to ask: “Does the time
travel machine actually work?”
“There’s been some progress,” Berry answered,
and shared a smile with Stone.
“Have we successfully travelled into the future?
Or maybe into the past?” Young excitedly
continued. He knew that the brightest minds
internationally had not yet achieved any headway
in this field; as such, even if the result was a
mere one millisecond difference, it would still
be considered a ground-breaking success.
Stone cleared his throat and said:
“Unfortunately, we have yet to effectively
travel through time. However, we have attained
success in transporting materials through
space.”
“So you mean teleportation?”
“Not quite, as there are
some limitations associated with this
transportation. Firstly, it can move only
organic matter. Secondly, the machine can only
ship matter within a ten-mile radius. It cannot
go any further beyond this distance. Lastly, but
most importantly… none of the organic matter
transported can handle the energy and power of
the
high-frequency teleportation
rays. The rays kill all living matter; we have
attempted to transport living creatures, but
they were found dead upon arrival. Even lifeless
creatures cannot sustain the immense power and
arrive burnt to a crisp. You may have heard the
recent news about all the burnt cat bodies –
they were the direct result of our
experimentation, and not due to some psychotic
cat hunter.” Stone paused a second to allow
Young to digest and absorb all this information.
Young’s eyes rested on a set of lights mounted
from the ceiling, with its bulbs directed to the
opaque, smoky-gray platform. Noticing the focus
of Young’s gaze, Berry interrupted Stone: “The
gray flat surface at which you are looking is
where we place the cats for teleportation
experimentation. I’m sure you’ve heard of
graphene – in fact, I have no doubt that you
should be very familiar with its properties. It
is widely known to be the world’s slimmest yet
strongest nanomaterial with properties that
outrank some of the best materials we currently
have. For instance, its conductivity is greater
than both silicon crystals and carbon nanotubes,
while its thermal conductivity is higher than
that of carbon nanotubes and diamonds. Its
resistivity is actually the lowest in the world,
below that of copper and silver. Due to these
superior properties, graphene is used in many of
the world’s most advanced electronic systems.”
“Now,” Berry continued: “The platform that you
see is composed of super-graphene, a substance
personally engineered by Dr. Stone. Its strength
is a hundred times that of graphene, which is
why it is able to withstand the energy of the
teleportation rays.”
Stone cleared his throat, his face distorted
with a sour expression. Sarcastically and drily,
he drawled: “Dr. Berry, it seems that you
possess an unusual interest in time travel.
Perhaps you’d like to join our team since you
appear to be such an expert in this field.”
Realizing that he had trespassed upon Stone’s
area of expertise, and as a consequence, had
displeased Stone, Berry immediately apologized:
“My apologies for encroaching on your research,
Dr. Stone.” He glanced down at his watch and
said: “Well, it’s time we got going, Dr. Young.
Thank you, Dr. Stone, for your patience and
time.”
The two antimatter specialists continued on
their way through the building, stopping by a
curious creation. There was an opening in the
wall in the hallway, and embedded in it was a
half concave shape. Upon approaching it, Young
was able to catch a better glimpse and could see
that the concave shape was actually a glass
capsule that was open to the hall.
Berry explained: “What you
see here is our escape passage, the most vital
and important contraption in this building. If
The Nucleus is in any sort of danger – arson,
robbery, terrorism, you name it – then we use
this passageway as a means of escape. All you
need to do is run into the opening and into the
capsule. The glass door will close once you
press the
red button to your
right-hand side, surrounding you in a
bulletproof and fireproof structure.”
“There’s only one of these capsules in all of
The Nucleus?” Young asked incredulously.
“Oh no, not at all! There are twice as many
capsules as there are people in The Nucleus. In
fact, you can find one of these structures
dispersed around the building.” Berry gestured
down the hall, and Young could see a few other
similar openings.
Berry then continued: “The
centralized security system will then take this
glass capsule, and transport you to a random
location near the military base of The Nucleus.
The computerized system ensures
that each capsule
takes you to a different location, and each
time, the location differs.
The rationale behind this
provision is the idea that if someone wanted to
kidnap any of us, they couldn’t just follow us
using another capsule, as they wouldn’t end up
in the same place.”
“Now, since all of the scientists
working here are considered valuable assets of
the U.S. government, the Pentagon is immediately
notified if anyone deploys a capsule. Military
personnel will then arrive at the destination
location to protect us.” Berry gave a cynical
smile: “Although they say that they’re
protecting us, it’s more so to guarantee that we
will not steal any confidential or top-secret
information.”
Berry concluded the tour with some housekeeping
items, stating: “There is no wireless internet
in The Nucleus; any and all transmission and
communication signals from personal devices are
blocked from the outside world. The only
internet connection exists on the state-owned
computers in the building, where all
transmissions are handled from a centralized
system. The NSA and military have access to and
records of all correspondence from these
computers, including e-mails, web searches, and
even a complete history of what you have typed.”
Upon seeing the alarmed expression on Young’s
face, Berry teased with a wink: “So remember to
keep things professional, and don’t be too
passionate when writing or communicating with
your significant other!”
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