His footsteps echo through the narrow hallway leading down to the lab. His heart's ringing in his ears, not able to pick up on anything else. The project he's been working on for so many years was finally showing results, after all.
"Claus! Mr. Claus!" a man shouted from behind him, stopping Claus in his tracks.
Claus's body stiffened, his hand grasping the papers in his hand firmly as he immediately recognised that damned voice.
"A-ah, good morning Research Director Frank..." He said as he turned around with a forced, nervous smile on his face.
Frank slowly walks over to stand in front of Claus, towering over him with his big stature. The dim light of the morning sun shined through the windows, casting its glow onto their faces as it rose, like the victory soon to rise upon the nation after the great failure of Stalingrad...
Or perhaps it was a cry of the stars, a requiem for their impending doom.
Research Director Frank looked down at the Reich's greatest trump card, Claus. He was known as the greatest theoretical scientist after Albert Einstein, and the man who just finished creating the weapon that, in theory, would conquer the skies.
"Good morning indeed, Mr. Claus..." Frank said with a smile, gesturing with his hand to walk together with him towards Claus's lab.
"Ugh, what the fuck does he want now..." Claus cursed to himself.
"Is... there something you need from me, Mr. Frank?" Claus said in a hesitant voice. Memories of the last time he disappointed Frank Bermann flashed through his mind... it makes him shudder.
"I decided to watch the official test run as well. The machine is completed, right? Last time you said it would take about a month or so?" Frank said in a calm voice
"It's finished, Director Frank. We received the refined moon dust we had requested..." Claus trails off as they walk to his lab, where the "Nebula" is being kept at. A glorious weapon of mass destruction that could shatter the heavens' core.
"Aha, that is delightful. I always knew you could pull it off, Mr. Claus." Frank said as he pat his shoulder, which made Claus shudder and falter in his step. But he kept his composure and continued walking.
"Haha... Thank you, Mr. Frank..." He says timidly, looking down as they walk.
They talk about the usual stuff like the weather, or how the war is going as they walk.
When they finally reach the lab's main entrance, the guards salute them and open the doors. They enter the magnificent research lab of the Reich, a lab that the government held no resources back while creating. The other researchers around glance at them as they enter, a tired but proud smile on their faces as they murmur among each other.
"Well then, i'll be watching from above, Mr. Claus." Frank says with a smile, walking over and up to the spectators rail that circles above the lab behind a glass pane.
Claus nods, relieved to finally have Frank away from him. He sighs and looks forward at the Nebula. It's emitting an ominous voice, as if the machine is humming along to the breaths of the universe.
Claus's eyes fix on the nebula for a brief moment. It dominates the center of the lab; a monstrous, awe-inspiring assembly of hard steel and fine circuitry standing at ten meters tall. It was designed from the very essence of Einstein's theories and refined by Claus's own, the Nebula can create localized gravity points and bend the very fabric of space itself to it's operator's will.
In theory, it is powerful enough to warp the ground, upheave the seas and send aerial targets spiraling. A true all-encompassing weapon of destruction, fit to it's name. It's "target specific" range makes it incredibly safe to use as well.
Claus's gaze falls back down as his assistant, Alana, as she walks up to him. She holds out a few papers showing the small test runs they had made. Lifting an apple from the ground, crushing it and inflating it with air. All successful.
"Good morning, Claus." Alana said with a smile. She may be the only thing keeping Claus on his feet. The two always had a sweet tension between them, but they never showed that around others.
"Good morning, Alana." Claus said as he looked through the papers, nodding. "Thank you."
They exchanged a small glance at each other, giving a brief smile before Claus sighs and focuses back on the matter at hand.
Ignoring any greetings or hellos, he makes quick steps to the rostrum where he'll make his announcement. The short distance of twenty meters feel like twenty worlds under his feet as he gets closer to the rostrum. His mind starts to fill with dread, despite what little calmness he managed to gather just now...
"Should i be really doing this? Shit!"
"What have we... what have i created? I should've just ran away to USA with albert... Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! So many are going to die..."
And through sweat and ringing sounds echoing in his ears, he makes it to the rostrum. He climbs up the stairs. Seeing Claus walk up to the rostrum, everyone gathers around the nebula, looking up at the rostrum where zenith is waiting for the atmosphere to settle.
He looks down at the crowd briefly, looking over everyone. He calms down slightly as he spots Alana, who is giving him a small smile, silently cheering him on. His lips curve into a soft smile as he tries to regain his composure.
Seeing as everyone has settled and listening, he takes a deep breath. He looks up at Hitler who is also present for this momentous day, sitting at the spectating room made solely for important people
Taking a step back and raising his trembling right arm in a firm salute, Claus says loudly:
"Heil Mein Führer!"
He lowers his arm and continues:
"It is an honor to stand before you on this historic day. Under your leadership, the Reich has achieved greatness" He says, still looking up at Hitler; who is looking down at him with a satisfied expression on his face.
His gaze lowers back to the crowd, taking a brief glance at everyone -officers, scientists, soldiers- before he steps forward and clears his throat on the podium. He takes a deep breath, trying his hardest to hide away the guilt, fear and dread inside him. He starts:
"Generals, honored colleagues and devoted sons of the Fatherland."
"Before you stands the Nebula, the pinnacle of modern science." He says as he gestures with one hand to the big machine standing in the middle of the lab.
"The Nebula is not merely a machine, or a weapon of war. It is a testament to the German scientists' superior intellect and innovation, as well as our key to absolute victory; and later dominance on the whole world. What we are about to unveil today will not only shape the outcome of the war, but the course of the world's history itself."
He pauses for a few seconds as the crowd starts to applaud and cheer him. He nods with a forced smile on his face, gripping the podium as he tries to steady himself.
He wipes his forehead with a tissue as the crowd calms down and goes silent again. He sighs, closing his eyes for a second...
"It's... too late now, is it not? What's done is done..."
He opens his eyes and looks up at the bright ceiling of the lab. He murmurs to himself quietly "Oh lord... Forgive me..."
He looks back down at the crowd and lets out a deep breath before resuming:
"I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the brilliant minds who worked tirelessly by my side for years. Without all of your dedication, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to this project, Fatherland would not be standing on the precipice of triumph today."
"This great achievement is not mine alone!"
He says with a genuine smile on his face this time. He is, after all, a scientist. And he can't help but be excited for having discovered the secrets of the universe to this extent, despite all the conflicting emotions raging inside.
"It belongs to each and every one of you, who have given your all for the Fatherland's future." He says as his eyes scan the room, meeting with all his colleagues eyes as he speaks.
The room erupts into a louder applause, all the white uniforms smiling brightly; some hugging each other and some jumping in joy.
Claus looks down at the joyous crowd, watching his colleagues' happiness. His lips curve into a soft, almost invisible smile. Despite the gnawing guilt and the wounded pride of a scientist whose work has been weaponized... He can't help but smile. What else can he do now?
He sighs and rubs his face, finally done with his speech. As the crowd calms down, he speaks:
"I would like to ask everyone to move up to the spectators' rail and watch from there as we prepare for the official start-up of the machine." He says as he steps back from the podium.
The crowd starts to climb up the ladder to the spectators' rail, which encircles above the lab. It's wide enough for everyone so the crowd can watch comfortably.
The ground floor of the lab is now empty, save for the technicians and essential personnel for the test.
Seeing this, Claus decides to go down the rostrum down to the lab grounds.
His mind is quiet now, despite the raging storm inside just a minute ago. Perhaps he's finally come to terms and accepted himself after the speech. Whatever it is, his mind is empty.
He slowly walks over to the Nebula, looking up at the enormous disaster. As he looks at his masterpiece, he feels his mind go numb. Something's... something off about this machine.
"Huh? What's going on..?"
"I feel like... something's off... are we missing something?"
Claus looks at one of the technicians and speaks:
"William, did we encounter anything unusual in the previous test runs?"
William, who is doing one final check before the run, glances up. He speaks with his American accent:
"No sir. We didn't. Is something on your mind?"
Claus looks at him for a few seconds before turning his head back to Nebula
"Nah, just making sure..."
William nods, returning back to the check-up.
But Claus just can't shake off this feeling...
"What's wrong with me..?"
He sighs and decides to brush it off
"Ugh,I need to rest more..."
After the final check-ups and preparations, the personnel join the crowd in the spectators' rail.
And now, Claus is the only one left on the ground floor.
In his solitude, the weight of his responsibility crushes him like a shroud. He stands there, a lone figure amid a sea of abandoned echoes, haunted by loneliness that has always been his closest companion...
The great machine before him is no longer just steel and circuits. A harbinger of catastrophic destruction... And it's architect, now trembling before his creation.
Steeling his resolve, Claus walks to the operation chamber where he will start up the machine. In the previous tests, they would only operate it in 10% output to avoid any issues. But in today's test, they will gradually increase the output up to 50%.
The main goal of this test is to lift and crush a container that weighs twenty tons. If successful, the Nebula is to immediately be deployed onto the battlefield. If it is not, the battle is already lost...
Claus shuts the operator rooms door, isolating himself, and looks down at the operator box, decorated with buttons and levers that control the machine. A plaything of gods.
With a deep, steadying breath, he pushes the primary lever. Instantly, the room's lights flicker erratically, and a silent, piercing screech emanates from the Nebula, making even the hardened technicians shudder. The spectators on the rail, including a keen-eyed Hitler, watch with bated breath.
After the machine gathers enough energy and the "ding" of confirmation is heard, Claus flicks the small levers to turn off the security measures. He turns a key, confirming to the machine the usage of authorised personnel.
With a deep sigh, Claus grabs the massive arms that are used to control where and how the machine is supposed to bend space. In that single moment, thought of what this machine will be used for fill his mind once again. But he pushes them aside. He rejects the guilt, the dread and the responsibility of the lives that rest upon his creation.
"Fuck it, we ball."
And so, he carefully moves the arms. The machine's groans and hums vibrate the air, making everyone's bodies tremble.
15%
The container shakes. The space around it bends, the appearance of the container's surroundings seem like it's alive, moving. The crowd can feel the wild vibrations of the space's movement. Even the technicians and assistants, who were used to the 10% power of the machine stand in awe at what 5% can do.
25%
The container lifts into the air. Nothing is clear anymore. It's like looking at an abstract painting, except it's real. And no longer recognizable. The light around the container bends, some parts of it going dark, some parts going bright. The terrifying ripples of the space-time continuum crack the concrete around.
35%
"Terminating the test run!" Claus yells into the mic of the operator room, panicked, his mind filled with fear as he slowly steps into the territory of god.
"Keep going, Claus!" Hitler orders, even his calm demeanor broken down in the awe of this god-like creation.
Some parts of the walls crumble under the intense load of the bending space. Some spectators pass out, some vomit, as they are directly exposed. Other barely hold onto to their conscious in the midst of chaos, their minds trembling.
Some who manage to stay on their feet beg Claus to stop
"Claus, stop it!" Alana shouts before passing out as well
And maybe in one-millionth of a second, the whole of twenty tons get squeezed into the size of a baseball.
Hearing Alanas voice and seeing his colleagues passing out, Claus can't react in time.
%40
An explosion... no, an erasure unfolds. The machine overheats and malfunctions despite the hundreds of security measures set it place.
Energy, that which is equivalent to a trillion suns burning for a trillion years, collapses in on itself, devouring all that existed within.
It happens in an instant of a moment. A brief, quiet thuck; followed by the silent, delicate rip of reality itself. No fire, no debris... no thing left in the range of collapse.
The city of Ohrdruf -that the contained gravity field covered- simply doesn't exist anymore. A crater remains, its edges unnaturally smooth... as if erased by the fingertip of gods...
A great storm fills the empty vacuum that was erased. And now, nothing is left to call something was there...
Perhaps this was the consequence of rushing the project. Maybe the coolers weren't working properly? Maybe Claus did something wrong in the operators room.
And maybe it was the divine punishment of mankind's attempt mimicking gods.
Whatever it was, is no longer. There's no report to make, no witnesses to remember what happened...
There was only the silent sobs of the shining stars above the crater.