Free Close Up the Sky by James L. Ferrell Page A

streaked with gray.
    He offered his
hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Matt. I hope you had a pleasant trip
from Atlanta."
    “For the most part,
sir,” Matt answered, venturing a glance at Taylor. He took Kasdan’s hand and
held it momentarily. The man’s grip was firm, the hand cool.
    "There was a
little incident in the desert on the way from the airport, John," Durant
put in. "I'll explain it to you later."
    "Middle
Eastern Studies?" Matt inquired of Kasdan.
    "Yes, I'm
chief-cook-and-bottle-washer for everything with a Middle Eastern tag on
it," Kasdan replied, smiling.
    "We've just
begun our talk, John. I was about to indoctrinate Matt on the operation here at
Apache Point," said Durant.
    "I see. I
guess you're still in a mild state of confusion, huh Matt?" Kasdan asked
as he sat down beside Taylor.
    "That's
putting it mildly."
    Durant sucked on
the empty pipe a few times as though it was lit, then began speaking. "As
you may know, Matt, the Earth is composed of a certain number of natural
elements, most of which have been identified and cataloged. However, a few
years ago a team of geologists working in the Arizona desert discovered a
substance they were unable to identify as any of the known elements. The sample
was relatively small, only about the size of a grapefruit. They continued to
excavate the area but failed to find any additional quantities. At first they
thought it might be uranium because it emitted radioactivity, but uranium is a
silver-white substance that can appear in a lot of different ores. This
specimen was entirely uncontaminated by any other ore, and emitted a pale green
radiance. Because of the radioactivity, they placed it in a lead-lined
container and brought it back to the laboratory for additional study.
    "At that time
I was chief physicist in the lab that was selected to work with the material. Over
several months we ran a number of tests to determine what it was and if it
could be useful in any scientific applications. During our studies we found it
had an atomic mass and structure different from anything we had ever seen. Though
it was radioactive, we were unable to establish any similarity between it and
the known elements in the uranium series. It also didn't contain any lead, so
we were unable to determine its half-life. We also learned that the radiation
was harmless to humans.” He paused and leaned forward in his chair.
    "I know
you're not a scientist, Matt, so if what I'm saying starts to sound like
gibberish, please feel free to interrupt and ask questions. It's important that
you understand the basics if not the complexities."
    "It's been a
long time since I took physics and chemistry in college," Matt responded,
"but I think I follow. The half-life of a radioactive element is a way to
determine its age by measuring how much of its total volume disintegrates over
a period of time, right?"
    Durant's eyebrows
went up and a little smile lifted the corners of his lips. He seemed pleased
that Matt was familiar with the term. "Exactly!” he replied, then went on. “During our studies we discovered the material
consisted of several different isotopes, one of which was very close to
plutonium. Since plutonium undergoes fission by absorbing a neutron, we decided
to try neutron bombardment. Working with plutonium is dangerous under any
circumstances, and because of the unknown qualities of this new substance, we
took extra precautions to ensure that if any energy was released it would be
kept under strict control.
    "Our newest
reactor, built to the most stringent of technological specifications, was used
for the experiment. To harness any released energy, we employed special
moderators to absorb most of the free neutrons and restrain the reaction. Absolutely
nothing should have been able to escape or enter the confines of the test
chamber. Visual observations took place through special cameras strategically
positioned in several places. When we were positive that all contingencies