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The Helix Ion Part 4

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When silence entered the old tunnels once again, Carlos turned to Leonid Brezhnev. Hailed his attention, and finished the presentation with an ace in the whole; One that would earn Dr Carlos Hudson more than a name for himself.

"The Ion has one more property, which I think you should take heed of. If subjected to a strong electric charge, the element 115 becomes explosively unstable. Anything over a few 100s of thousands of volts is enough to reverse the ionic bonding. Seymchan has mass enough to cause something similar to a double Hiroshima atomic bomb if it was say, struck by lightning. What would be left would be highly radioactive, and high up in the atmosphere, able to drift over Moscow and any surrounding cities."

The light chatter ceased, almost simultaneously the world leaders leaned forward in their chairs. All except for Brezhnev, who was shouting at his petrified translator. Once he was brought up to date, growling and snarling they left in a hurry. The translator trailed behind in disbelieve and horror. The feeling was the same from everyone in the room. From the looks on their faces, Russia hadn't been experiencing much snow in the recently. God help them, Carlos prayed silently but seriously. Religion was more of a choice for the wolves before the revelation, but that didn't affect people's perceptions of the afterlife.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"The greedy dogs had it coming to them; if it wasn't for me and my work, Russia might have been underwater by the time those savages had realized what had happened."

"You're treading on thin ice Hudson, so don't slip up."

"You mean don't get pushed, Drawl."

"If you are pushed, it's because you are in the way."

"I thought dogs were meant to pull not push."

"Damn you Hudson, don't you bring politics into this. If the communists heard what you were saying or anyone else on that matter ..."

"Leave it alone, it's not a big deal."

"That's rich coming from the wolf who said, and I quote, 'becomes explosively unstable."

"So I'm a hypocrite now?"

"You'll be a skull in a gulag at this rate!"

Drawl was the United States' correspondent with the country's top civilians, usually genius scientists or revolutionary entrepreneurs, Drawl had met them all. He was the middle man and his work often involved the CIA or FBI. Especially if said person wasn't co-operating. Hudson was overly brutish and aggressive with him; being walked all over was not a situation Carlos wanted to find himself in. Sadly, science and politics don't mix, and those in charge were only paid to care about one. Carlos was not about to let the biggest discovery of this age be taken from under his feet. For all he knew the government might actually use the Helix Ion in the space program, or worse, as a nuclear deterrent.

Drawl's phone rang, he answered whilst looking at Carlos, Hudson returned the stare.

"Okay, yes sir, I understand", Drawl replied quickly.

He started off on a brisk walk, beckoning Carlos to follow.

"What is it?"

"The vice president wants all wolves with knowledge of the meteor to meet him in the west tunnel conference room now."

"Let's not keep them waiting then." Carlos replied, breaking into a run. His long coat and tail flapping behind him, the quizzical looks they got from running down hall ways and skidding around corners were irrelevant.

"I'll keep this brief; I know you all have your own obligations and duties but the president wanted all of you here. After Dr Hudson's presentation we have reached the conclusion that for the sake of America's social and fundamental integrity, we must secure the last of the Seymchan meteorite..."

Hudson and Drawl had been the furthest away and simultaneously burst through the double doors. Drawl was jet black and Hudson nearly identical to his daughter, the same light colour except for his white gloved paws. It was almost comical, but no one laughed.

"Thank you for joining us gentlemen, please take a seat." The only spaces left were at the end next to each other, the vice president continued, "As I was saying we must protect our country's welfare as well as our very way of life; especially in these times of political turmoil. I was informed a few minutes prior that the meteorite has come to rest as Dr Hudson predicted. The rest of Seymchan has landed in Vietnam." They all sat and digested the information; nothing to argue about had been said yet. A young analyst put his hand up and spoke loudly, "who else knows besides us and the Vietnamese, should we be concerned about the communists?"

They all turned as one to look at him, and then the vice president. It was a valid question. "Everyone knows, especially the Communists, that's why I was ordered to call this meeting; to decide how to proceed. The President is leaning on the side of an invasion but he is..."

Carlos intervened instantly, "you can't be serious, invade Vietnam? The USSR has been backing them for years, you'd never win!"

"Sit down Hudson", Drawl growled as he grabbed Hudson's light fur, "You have no say on the subject so I'd stop now before you embarrass yourself anymore!" He turned to look at the vice president, "Why does he need to be here anyway?" No opposition came from what the dark wolf had said. As far as the rest of them were concerned, a full scale invasion had obvious advantages; it gave no chance for the enemy to get the upper hand. Anyone who disagreed was either completely lacking in common sense or was a heretic by definition. "Dr Hudson was only requested to attend this meeting because of his knowledge of the 115 element," The VP rotated his head stiffly towards Charlotte's father, "And he will not be in our company for much longer if he continues to be intolerable. Anyway this matter would be strictly between the government and the military. In fact I have personally drawn up some cover up motives for the assault on Vietnam..."

Carlos looked around in amazement, he could not believe it, in front of him generals, business men, even the young analyst were all shaking hands and smiling, agreeing. He could feel the talking as one, saying that 'it was the only way forward' and that 'the Vietcongs had it coming, the dirty communists.' Was he the only one sane? Carlos asked himself. "You can't do this, we can't, the Vietnamese are peaceful, they neither possess the power nor the intent to cause any damage to America even with ..."

"Yes you told us Doctor, but may I remind us all that it was you who put immense weight on the value of this resource, but also the danger it holds. Therefore it is in the best in....."

"In the best interests to secure the Helix Ion for ourselves, for the sake of our entire species, for the sake of the greater good. You're insane, it's vulgar and criminal. Also to think that you would send our men into a harsh jungle climate where they have no training without even telling them why they were really doing what they had been ordered to do. You just let them die and I bet you wouldn't bat an eye lid."

He suddenly felt a rage build up inside him, he wouldn't let it happen, he couldn't The hair on the back of his neck became erect, his muzzle shortened and creased as his lips and teeth parted into a snarl. Pupils no bigger than dots, Carlos lunged across the table at the vice president of the United States of America. The wolf who's laziness and self-confidence that matched history's worst commanders of war, was about to bring about the genocide of thousands of millions of innocent Vietnamese and misguided American's alike. Who would then be despised, seen as criminals by their own kind; by their own families and packs and the very state they had sworn to protect from an unreal threat. Serve in a war caused by greediness and misplaced fear. Hudson knew that if this was step one, than step two would be world war 3, and step three would be barren wasteland where his child would have to live for the rest of her life, destroyed by missiles and nuclear retaliation to a preposterous invasion.

It was a shame that Drawl knew Hudson so well.

The two wolves collided mid-air and went sailing across the polished table diagonally. The dark wolves' weapon was already out, pointed at Carlos' face. "Stop it, give up, you can't do anything to change their minds."

"Then I'll just have to rip them out", Hudson's jaw came crashing down centimeters from Drawl's arm.

"Kill him now!" Screamed the VP, his reaction was one shared with many of the bystanders around the table. The tunnels would be sealed once they were no longer needed, possibly indefinitely, no one would ever have to know.

"I can't sir, it's not the right thing to do." Adrian Drawl looked into the face of Carlos Hudson, the one wolf that had not hated him from the moment they met - unlike everyone else. Drawl looked up, though he agreed with his only real friend he could not stand up to the madness as Carlos did. "Fine then Mr Drawl you're dismissed, but hand me that gun." He passed over the snuff nosed, overly crude and distasteful revolver...

"...I'm sorry Mrs Hudson, I couldn't do anything. Blood lust had consumed Carlos, he was gone, I don't think even you would of recognized him."

"What happened Adrian, just tell it to me straight", she sniffled, tears ran down soft fur, flattening and matting it.

"He lost it; Carlos couldn't stand even the idea". He sighed and continued; "They held him down and put my handgun to the back of his head..."

"Oh my", she collapsed into a nearby chair, clasping her muzzle and sobbing.

"I'm sorry, I just, did not understand what was going on, and I couldn't react to what I was seeing. It was surreal", he clasped her shoulder lightly, "He'd been normal seconds before but he just, snapped; I've never seen such a strong emotional response. Are you sure he didn't have bipolar disorder?"

"I'm sure I ... it's just ... what can I do?" She raised her muzzle; "I'm pregnant, nearly in labour, no money coming in and the government spending the rest on that stupid war." Her eyes darkened, "I almost wish the communists would win; I hate the uncaring, scum of a government that executed my husband and I want to see them burn in hell. I do not despise this country, but it is hard to distinguish between the frauds and the heroes of America. I'm scared Mr Drawl, I worry about Charlotte and her future, what if there is no America when she is born? No constitution, no law, no chance of survival in a fallout zone. What will be her fate with or without the Helix Ion?"

Drawl blushed in anger and in agreement, he spoke softly, "I didn't realise he had told you, Carlos had seemed so detached from family, from home or anything comforting." He sighed once more; "I can get you a pension, a good one. The tax commission will pay for your and Charlotte's needs." Adrian gave his final condolences and left for the door. As he headed towards his goal she kept talking, "Carlos told me everything, in secret of course; usually over the breakfast table or in bed." He paused and replied quietly, but with a sharp edge to his words, "I really am sorry, and I want you to remember that not all of this country is as sick as those few that were around that table in the tunnel. They truly were demons, but the rest of us have souls and God will see that."

Hand on the door Drawl paused one more time, his ears raised as his eye brows furrowed. Cogs began to turn and an idea started to form and grow; One that would go on to change history some thirty five years later when a young psychologist, who's investigation with a civilian survivor of the Vietnamese war was about to take a turn for the unexpected.

Drawl rotated 180 degrees. Then he sat. Then he shared.