Ball Lightning(95)

“Are you crazy?”

“You’re the crazy one if you stay.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No. It’s just a feeling.”

“Can’t you think of my feelings? How can I leave at a time like this?”

In the dark, Lin Yun heard a long sigh. “I fulfilled my duty at the meeting in Beijing last week. Now I’ve done my duty as far as you’re concerned.” He waved both hands at the darkness, as if casting something aside. “There. Since you’re not going to leave, then let’s make preparations to watch the spectacle together. A spectacle beyond our wildest dreams!”

Under the moonlight across the vast sand of the Gobi, in a carpet of white temporary warehouses, three hundred strings spun their silent, endless dance.

*

The next morning, the base received notice that a special leading group would arrive that day to take over. The news pushed excitement to new heights, for this was an unmistakable sign that the macro-fusion test was a go.

That afternoon, the leading group arrived in two helicopters. Heading the group was a major general named Du Yulun. He wore glasses and cut a cultivated figure, a scholar-general. The group was warmly welcomed at the landing site by base leadership and the entire ball lightning project team. When Colonel Xu’s introductions reached Lin Yun, Ding Yi noticed that General Du’s smile vanished, and when Lin Yun saluted, he clearly heard her call him “teacher.” General Du just smiled thinly and gave a slight nod before moving on to the next person.

On the way to the office building, Ding Yi overheard Colonel Xu talking to General Du.

“You seem to know Major Lin, sir?”

“Hmm. I was her doctoral advisor.”

“I see.” Colonel Xu did not inquire further. Clearly he had also noticed their unusual interaction. But Du Yulun did not change the topic.

“I did everything I could to stop her from getting her degree,” he said, turning his head to look at Lin Yun following far behind them.

“Why? Major Lin was exemplary in her discipline.”

“In her discipline, I’ll acknowledge that she was the most exemplary student I’ve ever advised. Her technical gifts were without peer. But in our area of research, I place the same value on a person’s morality as on their talent.”

Colonel Xu was evidently a little surprised. “Oh...?yes. Lin Yu’s personality is a little abrasive, a little headstrong—”

“No, no.” The general waved a hand. “It’s not about temperament. I believe that someone who treats guns like drugs is unfit for weapons research. Particularly cutting-edge and new-concept weapons.”

Colonel Xu said nothing, but turned slowly to look back at Lin Yun.

“Colonel Xu, you’ve probably heard of the liquid mine incident.”

“Yes. The Discipline Inspection Commission at Headquarters told me about that....?What? Did the investigation find anything?”

The general nodded. “She sold the technology to Chile and Bolivia simultaneously. That’s deplorable, and she must be held responsible.”

Colonel Xu, his expression grim now, looked back at Lin Yun again. She was engrossed in conversation with some young technical officers.

“Lin Yun will be isolated for investigation. Starting now, she is not to be permitted to have contact with any of the materials or equipment pertaining to string research. I must specifically state that this is the wish of General Lin Feng. He knows his daughter even better than I do.”

“But...?she is the key tech on base. Without her, the fusion test can’t proceed.”

General Du looked meaningfully at Colonel Xu, but said nothing more.

*

They all realized that the atmosphere wasn’t right as soon as the meeting started, but what General Du led with came as a shock.

“Colonel Xu, what sort of show are you running here? You attended the meeting in Beijing. You ought to understand the intent of the higher-ups. You ought to know that there has never been a plan to go forward with macro-fusion tests, much less any sort of decision to do so! We ordered you to proceed with preparations only as a precautionary measure.”

Colonel Xu sighed. “Sir, I have made this clear to the comrades on the base time and again, but...?they have their own ideas.”

“It’s because of your permissiveness of a certain dangerous line of thinking on base that they have been misled.”

A murmur passed through the meeting room.

“Now I will read out the order that’s been handed down.” General Du adjusted his glasses, and began. “First, immediately cease all preparations for macro-atomic fusion tests and seal up all experimental equipment. Second, cease all experimental research on macro-nuclei, all experimental projects involving macro-nuclei, and strictly restrict research on macro-nuclei to the confines of pure theory. Third, release the vast majority of collected macro-nuclei currently in storage back into the atmosphere, retaining only one-tenth for future research use. Fourth, the special leading group will take over all facilities on base. Apart from a small number of personnel to keep guard, all members of the ball lightning project team are to vacate immediately and return to Beijing to await orders.”

Silence descended on the meeting room, but the icy stillness did not last very long. It was Lin Yun’s voice that broke it.