"We have arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster."

  — Carl Sagan, Cosmos

  "Failure..."

  Rilke, now the Director of the Circular Accelerator Institute, awoke from his memories of four years ago and looked down at the documents before him.

  Lying there were two derived formulas—keys that would catapult Trusen, a backwater of physics, into a new era.

  It had taken a year and a half just to interpret the binary content using Fluid Computers. Another year was spent on theoretical research. Constructing the verification facility had consumed yet another year, even with the nation’s full resources mobilized.

  When it was proven that mathematics was the universal language, mathematicians cheered. But physicists were bewildered. The concepts derived from the formulas—the 'Absoluteness of the Speed of Light' and the 'Mass-Energy Equivalence Principle'—shook the very foundations of their common sense.

  Because of the war, everything was classified. But starting with the decoding of the disc, the era of classifying matter solely by chemistry ended. Through atomic structure, the existence of Cognate Elements (Isotopes) was revealed. To confirm this, a massive centrifuge was built in Yonic, and Rilke, the discoverer, was appointed as its Director.

  "Are these formulas truly correct? They might just be hypotheses the Disc-Senders conjectured mathematically. We've tried elements up to the 80s range with no results."

  The debate between chemists and mathematicians flared up again. Pardin, the Chief Mathematician of the Numerical Analysis Team, retorted.

  "All physical laws can be expressed in mathematics. This is no different. Look at the Electromagnetic Integration Equation. A trivial shielding experiment proved everything. We simply failed to find it because our planetary conditions differ from theirs. Who could have imagined that Luna's tidal forces were the cause of the noise?"

  Pardin referenced an experiment that had succeeded by chance a few months ago in the Fluid Computer room, intricately woven with copper piping switches.

  Chief Engineer Pollack sighed and took over.

  "Causes always look easy once you know the results. The Mass-Energy Equivalence experiment is too dangerous. We have to push every known high-temperature, high-pressure process to its limit. We’ve already had three high-pressure tank leaks. We only avoided an explosion by sheer luck."

  Pollack flipped through the accident log and added.

  "The collision plate cannot withstand the impact with current materials. We had to fabricate everything with Beryllium and Tungsten, but securing them during wartime was a nightmare. We barely finished it. We need to slow down and check the systems."

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  Irritation laced Pollack's voice. Rilke tried to soothe him.

  "Unfortunately, what the disc contains is not a manual, but results. All we can do is trial and correction. We survived the interpretation phase the same way. If this experiment succeeds, we can generate massive energy even without Hemolysis Points. It is an innovation for human civilization."

  Behind Rilke’s words lay the hidden objective: 'Victory in the War.'

  Silence descended on the conference room. Only the ticking of the clock broke the stillness.

  "What is the next element?"

  A researcher asked. Silence followed.

  "How much Uranium enrichment have we secured?"

  Rilke asked another researcher.

  "About 500 persils. Calculations suggest 400 persils should be sufficient."

  Rilke fell into deep thought at the researcher's answer. This was a path no one in the room had ever walked. The theory was just a mathematical derivation; no one could guarantee the outcome.

  "Let's go with Uranium. We will use all 500 persils."

  Rilke said, his gaze fixed on the documents.

  "Calculations say 400, but just like the shielding experiment, there could be environmental variables unique to our planet."

  Rilke paused to catch his breath. The administration and the military were impatient. The war was rushing toward its end, and the shadow of defeat was looming large. Chancellor Rolf was becoming hysterical, plagued by blame for the timing of the intervention.

  "Let's pour everything we have into one shot."

  It was a difficult thing for a scholar to say, but Rilke made the decision. No one in the room met his eyes.

  "We need at least a week to prepare."

  At Pollack's words, Rilke replied.

  "Please do it in three days. The situation is not favorable."

  Rilke swallowed the rest of his words, and Pollack silently nodded.

  Karen looked down at the massive circular accelerator from atop the basin ridge.

  It was shaped like a giant letter 'q'. A structure designed to accelerate within a circular track and then shoot out in a straight line once a specific velocity was reached. If she knew the warhead weight and the final exit velocity, she could figure out the stage of the project.

  "How do you plan to infiltrate?"

  At Tirn’s question, Karen quietly surveyed her surroundings.

  The local cell had gathered a fair amount of intel in three weeks. Based on their observations so far, there was little difference from the information they had received. The regret was that they were still building connections, making human infiltration difficult.

  Karen had been observing the facility through a telescopic lens for three days.

  As expected of a critical facility, security was tight. There was a powerful Hemolysis Point nearby—perhaps it had been a volcanic zone in the past—so the facility didn't even need external steam pipes. There was a river flowing out of the facility that looked like a viable infiltration route, but since it doubled as a steam vent and had heavy traffic, it was heavily guarded, just as the local cell had reported.

  Underwater infiltration was the only option, but with their current equipment, it was impossible.

  "Tirn, I need to get a closer look. I need to check the condition of that area where the barbed wire is."

  Karen pointed to where the facility met the foot of the mountain.

  "But places like that are usually sealed off with mines. It could be more dangerous."

  Tirn objected.

  "I saw it when it rained yesterday. A lot of soil washed away. Probably because they cleared all the trees for surveillance."

  Karen stood up quietly and descended the slope. From a closer vantage point, the clearing was narrower than expected, and the barbed wire was low enough to offer a possibility.

  "I see traces of repair. Looks like there was a landslide recently."

  At Tirn’s observation, Karen nodded and examined the spot again.

  "We'll check the guard patterns there for the next three days, then decide on the infiltration route."

  Karen finished speaking and began digging into the earth to conceal herself.