5. Merciless
Kohei and Kate began the preparation soon. During their work Black Hole continued growing and its scale became minus 12 power of 10 meters and its emission could be observed clearly by naked eyes. The working should be done by remote controls from the monitoring room due to the dangerous radiation.
“OK, a little more right.”
Kohei did deliberately manipulate an electromagnetic device not to be catch by the Accretion Disk of Black Hole. If it was drawn into the vortex, it would resolve into particles at a moment.
“How is the work going?”
Dr. Holmstein inspected the site.
“It has been smooth so far. We will be able to start an experiment tomorrow.”
“Thank you. The fate of the earth is in your hands, isn’t it?”
It was not exaggerated. If the experiment will fail and Black Hole will continue to grow, it would be fatal for the earth. Kohei and Kate have been continuing sleepless works through 3 days and nights.
The next day.
“Output device, Clear, Calorimeter, Clear. Sensitivity of Monitor Screen is very good.”
An operator’s voice echoed in the monitor room.
“All the preparations have been done. Now we will start the experiment. Let’s begin from 3 Tev.”
Dr. Holmstein nodded calmly. Kohei tap a key board.
“Irradiate the proton beam.”
A bunch of innumerable protons collided at the vicinity of Black Hole and all at once collapsed into matters, anti-matters, electrons and positrons. The monitor screen of calorimeter flashed with reflecting its energy pattern. As Kohei prospected, the flash has faded slowly because they could gain the time thanks to the strong gravity of Black Hole. .
Kate manipulated the electromagnetic device to shoot produced anti-matters into Black Hole. All the members looked into the monitor screen with holding their breaths.
“The energy level was down by 3 percent. It worked effectively.”
A shower of applause spread in the monitor room. At this moment Kohei’s theory was proved. Inside Black Hole pair-annihilations were partially suspended by the repulsion of minus-minus energy charge which stopped the additional energy supply to Black Hole.
“Let’s continue the irradiation. 5 Tev.”
Kohei touched a key pad and Kate shot the anti-matters.
“5 percent down.”
Big applause again. It was the very moment that the human race put Black Hole under control. The color indicated by the calorimeter had clearly changed from red to yellow which means the energy level inside Black Hole had been down.
“Great success.”
The room was filled with big excitement. Thereafter the energy level has been decreasing by 50 percent of the maximum. Everything seemed to proceed favorably. But….
“The energy level dose not decrease. We have no change.”
At 20 percent the change had stopped. Kohei tried again but failed.
“Strange. Is there anything wrong? Any problem?”
Dr. Holmstein questioned worriedly.
“It could be the Neutron Core, couldn’t it?”
“What? Neutron Core?”
“I’m sorry but my theory has not completed yet. There is still an unknown part in my theory. Dr. Holmstein, as you know well, a neutron star is formed after the supernova explosion.”
The supernova explosion occurs as the last stage of a massive star. However large the star is, it will burn out and dwindle eventually due to the strong gravity. At the last point the star will explode massively and collapse to either the Neutron Star or Black Hole depending on the scale of the star.
Kohei continued his explanation.
“Theoretically protons could be pair annihilated with anti-protons because of the reverse electric charge. But neutrons could never be annihilated due to its neutral charge position. Then the neutrons will be accumulated in the core of Black Hole. Even after stopping the pair annihilation the Neutron Core will be left behind, which will make it difficult to erase Black Hole completely. Therefore…”
At this moment an operator shouted.
“The energy level is going up.”
The color of energy patterns was quickly changed from green to yellow, and to red.
“Emergency evacuation. Get out of here immediately”
Dr. Michel yelled. But too late.
A big explosion occurred in the working site and Black Hole burst out the X-ray jet.
“Emergency Warning, Massive Radiation leaking at D Factory. Level 4. Repeating…”
At the same time the thick shielding wall began to descend. All the staffs ran to the exit all together. Only one minute till total shutting down. Even if someone delays, the wall will never ascend again until the radiation level will return to normal. Everybody evacuated one by one and at the last moment Dr. Michel rolled out under the descending wall.
The thick concrete wall shielded the radiation and everybody was now under safe. Each member took off a shield helmet with relief, but only one person did not move, and fell down slowly. It was Kate. She got seriously burn in her back.
“K, Kate.”
Kohei run to approach but interrupted by Dr. Michel.
“No. Kohei, There is a risk for second exposure.”
“But, Kate, Kate is…”
At the medical room.
Kate calmly slept in the isolation bed. Nobody could still touch her due to the high level residual radiation. A doctor’s explanation was continuing.
“Her burn is not so serious. But I have never seen such case before. The volume of her radiation exposure might be approximately as 1 million times as that of the normal X-ray examination. Therefore I cannot expect exactly what will happen on her body from now on.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, in a word, an atomic bomb disease. At present she looks normal. But probably 30 percent of her cells got damaged and cannot be repaired.”
An atomic bomb disease is a kind of sequela of the radiation exposure. The X-ray chops the human DNA like a sharp micro knife. Without DNA the cell would stop its mitosis and could not be reproduced. Thus the human organs will gradually undergo necrosis namely melt down. Nobody can say either when or which part or how.
“I feel very sorry but there is no effective treatment by the current medical technology. All I can say is her life is not so long maybe less than few months.”
“Oh, how merciless.”
Kohei moaned and collapsed.
“Why Kate, not me? If the X-ray beam was off a few more inches, it might be myself.”
Kohei cursed her bad luck. For the first time Kohei sensed a little different feeling to Kate, which was not simple pity but deep love to Kate.
