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Great Writing - Home > SF > The Alchemist, the Angel and the LHC Part 1
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Science Fiction and Fantasy
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| The Alchemist, the Angel and the LHC Part 1 | |
| By John_O | ||||||
| 04 September 2008 | ||||||
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This is the continuing Chronicle of Jonny Zee; new challenge and new location. The LHC is the CERN Large Hadron Collider, which is due to go live next week, located close to Geneva. The challenge is to stop it from being destroyed, not by demons, but by angels - now read on. It was more like a cathedral than an experimental station but then the purpose of this awesome space was to find the ‘God’ particle, the Higgs Boson condensate, possibly, the most fundamental particle in all the universe. The Large Hadron Collider was in concept very simple, accelerate two streams of particles to just short of light speed and then slam them into each other. The theory predicted that these were the energy levels just instants after the Big Bang, the first moments of creation, and somewhere in the boiling, roiling explosion of particles created would be the most primitive building blocks of the modern universe. Nice theory. Of course it could be totally wrong and the experiment could stand as the most expensive failure in the history of modern particle physics. But as Jonny stood on the floor looking up at the stories high detector station deep under Geneva he wasn’t thinking of costs, success or failure, he was lost in the magnificence of the structure that soared all about him. “It has that effect on everyone.” Klaus Schuster said beside him as Jonny looked about in silence. “You can’t appreciate how big it is until you actually stand here.” Jonny replied and then grinned at his companion. “Big science.” “The biggest.” Klaus affirmed with a nod that set his orange hard hat wobbling on his head. The stocky blond Texan was the supervisor of the station and keen to pick up the detector installation schedule, which had slipped badly after the tragic death of the previous installation manager in a road accident. “It’s a pretty tall order to get it all online in time Jon but you’re the man for the job, all the guys back in the States just rave about you saving the LINAC at Berkely.” “I do my best.” Jonny shrugged self deprecatingly. Berkely had been a fill in job, just for the fun of getting some particle physics back in his skill portfolio, no demonic activity whatsoever, but it had led to this sudden head hunting operation as the LHC neared completion. “Well this is the best of the best Jon, crack this one and you can pick your next position anywhere in the world.” “That’s a nice thought.” Jonny said with a smile, but he had already dismissed it as a viable reality. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the guys.” The guys were the team of senior technicians who were overseeing the nuts and bolts installation of the myriad detectors. They were old hands at this game and were probably more than a little resentful that one of their own wasn’t promoted to the position, like the lately deceased Hans Braun had been. Klaus made the introductions and then stood back for Jonny to give his little speech. Facing the forty-three faces Jonny knew that he had to prove himself to them before they would respond to his leadership. But how to achieve that crucial first step? Jonny stood silently for a few moments, slowly letting his calm gaze pan across the tight knit group of men and women. Then he nodded just the once. “What do you need?” He asked them. They looked at each other, this wasn’t the usual management pep talk. Jonny pointed to one of the older men present, singling him out for his response. “What do you need to get us back on schedule, Bertrand ?” Jonny asked him. “Well…I need to have at least five working on the optical grid, we’re down to three and its just impossible to get it all done.” “Okay, we’ll look at who can be brought in to help. Francine, how about you ?” Jonny moved on to single out a short brunette with fashionable but hideous heavy black glasses. “I ‘ave paperwerk, I lose maybe a day in ze week to it.” She answered him in a broad southern French accent. There were plenty of nods around the room in agreement from other section heads. “Well that’s par for the course.” Jonny said with a smile. “But as far as possible I’ll shunt that onto the secretaries, the real science paperwork, give it to me tomorrow when I meet all the section heads.” Now heads were turning this way and that and a subtle undercurrent of approval was wafting around the room, he was winning their support. “I guess I should give you the standard pep talk, so here it is. I’m going to be working sixteen hour days if that’s what it takes, I expect you to work more efficiently than me so you won’t have to stay so long. If there’s a problem bring it to me straight away and I’ll move whatever mountain is necessary. Now you’ve got work to do and I’ve got to find my office, thanks, see you all tomorrow.” As the last member of the team left the little rest room Klaus gave Jonny a wry smile. “That was the weirdest intro talk I have ever heard, but I reckon you hit just about all the right buttons. You seriously want to see your office now ?” “No.” Jonny laughed. “I know where it is, I made a point of looking up the ground plans of the LHC facility before coming.” “Oh ?” “Sure, there are any number of bottlenecks in getting the installation complete just because of the layout of this place, the optical fibres have been routed through a main service tunnel that still has fork lifts running up and down it. Ever tried to make a clean optical coupling with so much dust flying around ?” “Ah, yeah. I see that could be a problem.” “Can you set me up with a meeting with the main contractor’s site manager ? We need to get the last deliveries made and the fork lifts out for good.” “Okay. Tomorrow soon enough ?” “Make it eight thirty, before he gets too much on his work sheet.” “You weren’t kidding about the sixteen hours then ?” Klaus smiled. “No, I lied, it’ll more likely be eighteen.” Jonny replied seriously. “Now I think I am going to take one luxurious uninterrupted wander around the place, I don’t think I’ll get another opportunity like this.” Back down on the dusty concrete floor of the LHC Jonny walked the length and breadth of the hall, noting where heavy construction was still in progress and where the installation teams were back at work. This was no idle tourist wander, he was busy identifying the conflict points, plotting solutions. He was so absorbed in this activity that he didn’t register Artemesia’s agitation at first, and it was only when she actively appeared before him and pointed upwards that he stopped and looked. Above them in the vast open space something was disturbing the placid air, at first Jonny thought it might be a demon breaking through but Artemesia hadn’t warned him of such and he couldn’t ‘hear’ that fingernails on blackboard sensation as a demon moved through the fabric of the universe. No, this was an altogether gentler invasion, the air subtly shimmering and perhaps a faint susurrus ‘hiss’ in his demon sensitive ear. Then without further disturbance a huge figure hung in the brightly lit air, six wings all moving in synchrony and the six pairs of alien eyes sternly surveying the great scientific endeavour from the inhuman face. “Gabriel.” Jonny whispered in horror. Two of the black within black eyes fastened upon him whilst the others still panned around the immense space, now shrunken by the giant presence of the arch angel, and Jonny felt like he was being turned inside out, every thought, every deed exposed to cold, calculating scrutiny. Artemesia moved between the pair and hung like a shield before him, deflecting that devastating stare allowing Jonny to take a shuddering breath and recover some of his composure from the stunning shock of seeing the arch angel after so long. Gabriel, the architect of his present condition. He saw just what this intervention was costing Artemesia, her angelic form was writhing like a jelly under a bombardment with a water cannon, her delicate wings shivered and shrivelled, her gleaming blond hair curled up into blackened shards and her perfect body twisted this way and that into the tortured demonic precursor form that Gabriel wished upon her. “Artemesia.” Was the only word uttered by the giant form that hung like a brilliant stainless steel structure above them, so alien in thought and aspect. “Artemesia, come to me my love.” Jonny said quietly. She needed no second invitation and plunged into his welcoming physical embrace where she could shelter from the onslaught of her judge and executioner, Gabriel. Now all six eyes bore down on Jonny but he was mentally prepared for the shock and he felt Artemesia rally within him and bolster his own substantial defences against the arch angel. “Gabriel, by the book I bind you.” Jonny intoned. The hard face of lines split where a lipless mouth formed to spew forth a condescending laughter. “Save your pathetic efforts for the demonic masses.” The icy tones filled his ears with a roar. “By the bell I summon you.” This time the gigantic form gave a shudder and began to descend, losing some of its dominating stature. “By the candle I…” He paused. Gabriel, had now shrunk down to his own size and despite the frantic beating of all six wings, the Arch Angel was pinned helplessly in the air before him, just an arms length away. He leant forward, thrusting his face into that inhuman vision before him. “Now here’s an interesting question Gabriel.” Jonny posed coldly. “What happens if I complete the spell ? Will you burn and be consigned to hell ? Or burn and be despatched back to heaven ?” The Arch Angel ceased its struggles and cast the full intensity of its venomous gaze on Jonny, the few humans that had been exposed to such treatment had begged for its mercy in moments, but he just shrugged. “Won’t work Gabriel, I have faced and defeated your opposites the arch demons, it was only the surprise of seeing you that left me defenceless. Now tell me why you are here.” “The Powers will consign you to Hell for all time.” Gabriel retorted with genuine ire. “Mistake number two Gabriel, never develop emotions, it brings you down to my level. Why are you here ?” “This abomination threatens the immemorial gulf.” Gabriel told him angrily. “How ?” “It seeks to recreate the creation, when heaven and hell were set apart, never to be rejoined while time turns.” Jonny thought about the statement. The LHC was designed to create the conditions just after the Big Bang, so, when were heaven and hell formed and set apart? One atto second, one femto second after everything came into being? Would the experiment create a new conjoined heaven and hell or provide a conduit for the demons and devil to assault heaven directly? No wonder Gabriel was here, just one order below the Powers, the most powerful Arch Angel was the ideal instrument of destruction. “You’re here to destroy the LHC ?” “It must be ended.” “You blow this and you’ll take out most of Geneva in the process.” Jonny answered in cold realisation. “The Powers can’t condone the loss of so many innocent lives.” “Innocent.” Gabriel spat back at him derisively. “But a few children are truly innocent, the rest are fodder for Lucifer such is their sin.” The unsympathetic analysis told Jonny exactly what he needed to do, Gabriel could not be allowed to commit such slaughter, but if he burned the Arch Angel the Powers would certainly destroy him and then the LHC, and all of Geneva, would have no protection. “By the candle…” Jonny began again and Gabriel railed hideously. “I abjure thy sin, begone.” The air seemed to part behind Gabriel as the spell acted upon the fabric of the universe and it rejected the angelic form, spewing it back into the dimension that was the realm of Heaven. A little dust drifted down and a weird hollow wail sounded along the concrete walls but such was the general dustiness and din nobody noticed that they had all been delivered from instant death. Jonny sucked in breaths as though he had just surfaced from a deep and perilous dive. He had bested Gabriel, but that was a pyrrhic victory, the next time Gabriel would protect itself from such banishment; he needed another line of defence against the Power’s intentions. He felt Artemesia’s fear as she lay within his being; that had been an altogether unwelcome reminder that he faced not just Hell’s hordes but also Heaven’s heavies. “And the day was going so well.” He muttered to himself. “We need a plan.” “Jon?” Her quavering voice queried. “Rest my love, I must think and you must recover.” The glow of contentment that spread from her dispelled the lingering icy touch of the Arch Angel and a small smile spread over his face as he resumed his walk around the LHC.
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