Periodic Tales Chapter Twenty Six
Polonium (Part Two)
Author's Note: I know it's been a while since I posted in this story line, but prepare for another dose of the periodic table! This element was inspired by Kate221b.
Polonium is an extremely toxic element if ingested or breathed in. However, it is relatively harmless otherwise as human skin is sufficient to block alpha particles emitted by the radioactive element.
James Heneghan wrote the mark across the front cover- 55- and scrawled his feedback comment: "Safe topic, but you need to be more ambitious next time". Yet another boringly predictable report, recounting the West Acre boy Mark Thompson's efforts to build an internal combustion motor from scratch. If he had a pound for every similar project he'd seen from his students over the years, he'd be able to afford a more upmarket car than the ancient Renault in his driveway. What is it about school boys and cars?
The forty-three year old bachelor was a Master at Harrow College, who specialised in mechanical engineering. It was a core unit for all fourteen year old Removes, alongside Information Technology. Unfortunately, in the 1990s, IT was way more interesting to the boys than the old "nuts and bolts" subject, and he sometimes struggled to get his students to see the relevance of it.
It was going to be a long night. He took a slurp from his coffee mug and reached for the next folder on the pile. This was the written report of the term-long "independent project" that each boy was required to complete. The written report had to explain the challenge presented by the engineering problem they selected, give some history, identify the key issues, and justify their proposed solution at every step of its production. It was designed to test the pupil's ability to do self-directed study; the more thorough the research, the more methodical the approach, the higher the mark. Tomorrow the practical demonstrations of their working models would take place- a ten minute presentation to be delivered by each of the forty-three boys taking the class this term.
Heneghan had a sheet beside him, where he was allocating each of the boys to one of the six masters who had "volunteered" to hear the presentations. Some of them enjoyed the demos- "It's always fun to watch the wheels fall off" was how one of the history masters put it. The three IT masters were also keen- the trend towards robotics driven by simple computer programs made them more interested. And robots did help deflect some of the boys' distain for "grease monkeys" into something more enticing to future engineers. Over time, however, he had come to terms with the fact that very few of his pupils would go onto become qualified engineers- despite the country's crying need for them and the chronic skills shortages that damaged the UK's prospects. He was cherry-picking the best ones he wanted to see himself; he found it too depressing to discover how little of an impact his teaching had on the others. Mark Thompson's rather average work was quickly allocated to Michael Jeffries- the PE instructor was a petrol head who lived for cars.
A sigh escaped him as he picked up the next folder on the pile and saw the name: WSS Holmes. Here was an example of the problem. A boy that every other Harrow master seemed to think was a genius, yet Heneghan had struggled for weeks to keep him interested in the curriculum. "Boring" was the boy's only comment when asked for his opinion of the class work in the second week. He'd kept him back after the session ended to see if he could kindle any spark of enthusiasm.
"Mister McGarry says you are a star pupil in chemistry. Mechanical engineering requires the same kind of problem solving; the two disciplines are closely related. If you're willing to keep an open mind, I think you could enjoy this subject."
The sullen sideways look from the boy suggested otherwise. "Chemistry is not boring. This stuff…" the fourteen year old gestured at the structural diagrams of mechanical objects pinned on the classroom walls, "…well, it's just a means to an end, isn't it?"
Heneghan argued that means and ends were linked- and if Holmes meant to get the most out of Harrow, he had to take the required subjects.
"That's the problem, sir. It's required. All the other subjects, I can take an exam or do a test to show that I don't have to waste my time. My other teachers are willing to adjust their teaching so I don't get bored. I'm doing A level and above work in my other subjects, so learning how a…a gear works is just so basic." He fidgeted in his seat.
"Basic? No, that's not fair. To get mechanical engineering right requires mathematics, physics and chemistry, an understanding of materials and how they work, and it's creative, as well. Think of it as scientific problem solving, with a practical result. Design a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door."
Holmes was looking out the window, with a puzzled frown. "Why would I want to catch a mouse? And why would I want to attract anyone to come to my door?"
Heneghan had just rolled his eyes at the literal interpretation, and sent the boy onto his next class. Looking at Holmes' name on the assignment cover sheet, he sighed and turned over the page to read the title of the boy's independent project.
"The Design Challenges of an Umbrella Weapon"
That made the Master's eyes widen. He'd had students in the past who had tried their hand at making a gun or cannon, even a homemade bomb once that he had to stop before it progressed beyond the first stages. "Not socially acceptable, Roberts," had been his advice. "Try something else less likely to end with the police taking an interest in you."
This topic, however, was…unusual, to say the least. Was Holmes taking the mickey? Choosing something frivolous to show he thought the whole subject to be a waste of time? He flipped over to the table of contents, and was surprised to see an outline that promised a completely serious treatment of the subject.
The first paragraph of the introduction explained,
"There is a serious issue of how law-abiding citizens can be prepared to defend themselves against attack without raising suspicions. Gun and knife control laws that stop a person carrying a concealed weapon mean that it is increasingly difficult for someone to protect themselves against criminals who are not deterred by the laws. My objective is to turn an ordinary harmless object that would be overlooked by an attacker into a defensive weapon capable of incapacitating that attacker. Fortunately, the English weather provides me with an obvious choice- an umbrella that can be used as a weapon."
Heneghan smiled. He just might find this amusing. The Master wrote a comment in the margin: "Well done for considering the legal constraints on design ideas!"
There followed an serious chapter on the history of the umbrella, its origins in ancient times ("Historians argue whether it was first 'invented' by the Chinese or the Egyptians over three thousand years ago, but most agree that these first versions were designed to keep both sun and rain off of its users. A symbol of wealth and status, these parasols were carried by slaves or servants, if wall and scroll paintings are to be believed.")
The next section covered the historical evolution of the basic design components of every umbrella- the canopy, ribs and stretchers, the shaft and the runner that opened and shut the umbrella, as well as the evolution of the materials used for each over the millennia ("The story of the modern umbrella is linked to the Industrial Revolution and the ability of craftsmen like Samuel Fox of Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, to draw steel wire to the quality needed to form the ribs of what we know today as the 'gentlemen's umbrella.")
Heneghan got up and poured himself another cup of coffee. Like most school teachers, he normally marked papers in a particular way. He knew the grading criteria for this assignment, and went looking for them, which meant a quick scan through all the pages to be sure that the necessary items were present. It was a mechanical process of mental boxes being ticked, and writing grammar and punctuation assessed. If the required elements of research, history, design, materials, specifications and construction processes were laid out and persuasively communicated, with good use of visuals, references and a scientific grounding in mathematics, physics and engineering practicalities, then the points would add up to a high mark.
As he settled back into his desk chair, he found himself reading Holmes' text differently. Chapter Two was all about the evolution of the modern umbrella as a weapon, starting as early as 1838, "when the Baron Charles de Berenger suggested several ingenious methods for using an umbrella in defence against highwaymen and ruffians." The report went on to talk about "Bartitsu founder EW Barton-Wright's articles in Pearson's Magazine", which used the umbrella as the first line of defence, and how by 1908, the idea had crossed the Atlantic to be taught in Philadelphia.
"But, all these uses were examples of existing umbrellas being put to a defensive use, rather than a specially designed weapon." There followed three paragraphs on the "umbrella sword"- where a short rapier like weapon was hidden within the shaft of the umbrella. Heneghan smirked when he read Holmes' comment: "The effectiveness of such weapons, however, depends on the fencing skills of the user, which for obvious reasons, have declined in the twentieth century. Legal constraints against concealed bladed weapons make this option unacceptable for my purpose."
Then the next section of the chapter made his eyes widen: a detailed design analysis of the weapon used to kill the Bulgarian Georgi Markov, victim of an "umbrella assassination" at a bus stop on Waterloo Bridge in late August 1978. "This was a much more challenging design exercise- to develop the ability to propel a pellet with a lethal dose of poison." Holmes obviously had an interest in the macabre. Detailed schematic diagrams accompanied the text to demonstrate how compressed air had been used to propel a tiny pellet no larger than a pin head at least three feet. The Master remembered reading about this in the newspapers when he was at school. There had clearly been some investigations since those days which revealed much more about the plot, including how a 'pilot' exercise on the Paris Metro had failed to kill Vladimir Kostov, another Bulgarian dissident, two weeks before Markov was killed.
What fascinated Heneghan was Holme's analysis of the pellet. "To be effective, the tiny pellet needed to be very small, so as to avoid raising suspicions during an autopsy. The poison, too, needed to be carefully selected so as to mirror natural causes of death. Ricin is not a particularly fast acting poison, and the victim took several days to die. The earlier target Kostov actually survived. So a lethal dose in such a tiny pellet delivery system could not be considered a defensive weapon capable of incapacitating an attacker."
When the master turned over to the next section, he found Holmes' 'solution'. "The propellant system used by the Bulgarians is a sound one, and my design has merely taken advantage of the technological improvements to materials design and compression techniques over the past sixteen years."
The new weapon schematics were impressively detailed. Measurements down to 1.5 millimetres were included, as well as weights and chemical compositions. The weapon was an adaptation of an existing "eight rib manual Gents Tube Frame umbrella with dark-brown hardwood handle" made by Fox Umbrellas of Surrey. There was a reference to an Appendix in the back of the report, to which the Master briefly turned. It was a fully detailed budget that made his eyebrows rise. Holmes must have read enough proper technical design specifications with budget breakdowns to be able to approximate what was required.
The design process was then carefully detailed with a time line worthy of a scientific paper. He spotted a week in which a delay was footnoted. "Manual operation was necessary, as the automatic version interfered with the trigger mechanism. This set the project back by nine days. Fortunately, Fox Umbrella Company was willing to exchange my original purchase with one that had no automatic opening mechanism."
By the time he had reached the twentieth page, Heneghan was hooked. The mechanics of the adapted umbrella were explained in detail. Materials changes from the Bulgarian version were carefully noted. The propellant used was much more powerful, so the payload could be heavier. "With no need to hide the penetration of a 1.3mm pellet, a larger ball bearing of 3mm is used. This can be manufactured to order with surprising ease; my version took a mere six weeks between order and delivery by a well- established Midlands manufacturer who was happy to drill a hole in each hollow ball." A page in the Appendix included a photocopy of Holmes' design spec sent to the Midland Bearing Company of Kingswinford, which would have been treated by their ordering department without a thought that it had come from a fourteen year old schoolboy.
Unlike the Bulgarian umbrella, this version of the weapon could fire three pellets. "I was not obliged to follow the Bulgarians' insistence on using a ball bearing made of platinum and iridium, to ensure that it did not distort on impact and create a suspicious entry wound. This allows a more potent dose of a different sort to be delivered (See below, Section 4.2 Ballistics, and Chapter Five- The Payload)."
He took a good look at the design of the pellets. Holmes proposed injecting his 3mm ball bearings with poison, then sealing the hole with a wax plug that dissolved at body temperature as described. "The friction of propulsion and entry into the assailant's body will accelerate the melting process and deliver the poison within moments of penetration." It was a perceptive application of science and design to a lethal intent.
The ballistics section included detailed mathematical calculations of the firing trajectories and distances for the weapon.
The final chapter was…scary. As Heneghan read on, he realised that Holmes' love of chemistry might have played a key part in choosing this project. "I originally thought that polonium 210 would be a suitable poison, but soon realised that obtaining the quantity needed was not easy. Nor, after researching the medical symptoms it induces, did it seem suitable to the task at hand- no matter how lethal its reputation." The section went on to give a detailed explanation of why his new "poison of choice" was a form of aconitum- deadly nightshade. There was yet another appendix detailing the biochemistry of alkaloid toxicity and why monkshood had been the classical choice of poisoners for centuries. "Easily obtainable in my home garden, just one tenth of a grain is sufficient to kill, and an attacker will be seriously incapacitated within moments of being hit. Death takes place anywhere between eight minutes and an hour, leaving time for interrogation. This makes my design more effective as a weapon. As the adage goes, the best defence is a good offence."
Heneghan wrote the mark – a 95- on the front cover and scrawled a comment beneath.
"I am pleased to see that you now appreciate the challenges of mechanical engineering. A highly unorthodox project, albeit with somewhat suspect ethical motives. You will not be allowed to use real poison in the demonstration- and certainly not with a live target!"
He wrote Holmes' name on the demonstration list for himself. He would make sure to examine the pellets before the umbrella's poison payload could be test fired. Wouldn't put it past him to have tried it earlier; he seems to take these things very seriously. He'd tell McGarry to keep an eye on him when the boy was around any toxic substances in the future. Sherlock Holmes was certainly one of the more memorable students he'd ever taught at Harrow. He reached for the next report on the pile.
oOo
What an utter shambles. Mycroft was not a man who needed to shout. The quiet tap of his umbrella on the wooden floor had been enough to silence the cacophony of voices in the room. Assembled in the large meeting room in the Cabinet Office were the best and the brightest minds from the three intelligence services, the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism command together with their radiation team, experts from the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, council officers from Westminster and Camden boroughs, and a senior member of the Crown Prosecution Office.
The post mortem on Alexander Litvinenko had just been read out to the room. The Home Office Senior Pathologist was clear: "Cause of death is now confirmed- poisoning through ingestion of Polonium 210. Unfortunately, the symptoms are notoriously difficult to pin down- and the test results proving its presence only came through seventeen hours before he died. There was no injection or wound site, so this is not a case of Bulgarians wielding umbrellas", the pathologist noted wryly." You will need to look for how a tasteless, odourless but nevertheless lethal element was introduced to his food or drink."
Within hours of a meeting with two Russians in central London, the Russian dissident Litvinenko had started to vomit. Admitted to Barnet General Hospital three days later, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was moved for specialist treatment at University College London Hospital thirteen days later. Even before he was moved, MI6 had mobilised a multi-agency taskforce to investigate the possibilities. It had taken the services 22 days to confirm the toxin, but by the time the truth was known, he was already in a coma. He died seventeen hours later.
It was one of Mycroft's personal nightmares. There was something about Polonium 210 that created alarm- unseen, undetectable without specialist equipment- it was the stuff of spy novels and James Bond movies. Unfortunately, in this case, it had proved to be non-fiction.
Mycroft moved to the front of the room, all eyes on him. "We have work to do, ladies and gentlemen. One good thing about Polonium- it leaves evidence behind in the shape of detectable alpha particles. Sites all over London will have to be investigated and contaminated traces identified and removed. There is a public health issue, and it will not be possible to keep this one under wraps."
He added dryly, "thanks to the victim and his wife's bedside interviews, once the truth becomes known there will be a ridiculous amount of media hysteria. There will be scare-mongering and finger pointing, I am sure, about how a radiation threat could go undetected for 22 days, during which time 'countless innocent civilians' could have been exposed. We must have the evidence ready to counter such stupidity. Mister Smithson, best give the official HPA line, please."
The grey haired man stepped forward and turned to address the room. "Whatever the media say, the truth is that the risks are very low. As an alpha-emitter, Polonium 210 represents a radiation hazard only if taken into the body. Alpha particles don't travel far - no more than a few centimetres in air. They are stopped by a sheet of paper or by the dead layer of outer skin on our bodies. Therefore, external exposure is not a concern and it does not represent a risk to human health as long as it remains outside the body. Most traces of it on a person can be eliminated through careful hand-washing and showering. The main risks are to the health care staff at Barnet and UCL hospitals, if they had an open wound themselves, or somehow ingested the victim's bodily fluids. Normal hospital hygiene should have eliminated that risk. So the public message can be reassuring. "
Privately, Mycroft doubted whether the media would be so placated, but he blandly said "it's our responsibility to get that message out while we are pursuing the investigation." His brow furrowed as he went on, "Internationally speaking, things will be more difficult. There is no way that the Home Secretary will be able to deny that Litvinenko was employed by MI6. At that stage, our investigation into the two Russians implicated in his murder will have become an affair of state, rather than a factual exercise. Successful prosecutions are…unlikely."
He gave Charlotte Carter of the CPS a doleful look. "Cases may be brought simply as an exercise of putting pressure on Putin's government. And things could get ugly between us and the Russians." He then turned his attention to Gareth Jenkins, the Met's top officer on the case. "There will demands for public inquiries, and you need to be seen to have done everything by the book, with no loose ends. The widow will make sure that this one stays in the public eye for months." He gave a wan smile. "Not the best place in which to conduct an investigation, but it is what we are left with."
Despite his mild demeanour, Mycroft was inwardly fuming. John Greenway, the current MI6DG,was an idiot. He should have known that Litvinenko would be targeted. And in such a high profile way- an assassination designed to catch the news headlines, carefully orchestrated to embarrass the UK government, at a crucial time just after Blair had announced his intention to resign the premiership. Political infighting within the Labour Party over who should succeed was crippling the image of the government. Why am I not surprised that they chose now to execute Litvinenko?
Still, whatever stupidities had led the dissident to meet with Andrei Lugovoi and Dimitri Kovtun, his MI6 handler should have known better than to allow it to go ahead. Litvinenko had been lured to the meeting by Lugovoi, who promised fresh evidence about Spanish links to the Russian mafia. As if that wasn't incentive enough, the Russians had also dangled the prospect of something about the links between Putin's FSB and the death of the St Petersburg journalist, Anna Politkovskya, last month.
It was a classic entrapment exercise, and the proffered intelligence was simply too good to be true. Mycroft would make sure that his MI6 handler would be dealt with. And it was time to think of a new replacement for Greenway; perhaps Elizabeth Ffoukes would finally get the chance to take the top position for which she was eminently suited. Mycroft respected her talents and her discretion- attributes the current incumbent lacked. There might be one silver lining in this dark cloud of polonium.
He continued, "We have four hours before the COBRA meeting, and one week before the Home Secretary needs to make a statement to Parliament. We need to use that time wisely." His Security Liaison Service was playing the co-ordinating role. "My PA will give you your assignments. Now that we know exactly what we are looking for, the forensic evidence will be simple to acquire." He gestured with his umbrella over his shoulder at the evidence board. "The timeline of his movements on the 1st of November is clear. Traces of polonium 210 are likely to be found at key points in his route that day- some of which will have been left by his assassins. We suspect the two so-called dissidents he met with at the Millennium Hotel are the culprits, so check the planes they arrived on and departed on, and where they went during their stay in this country. Polonium 210 has a half-life of just over one hundred and thirty eight days, so plenty of time to track this one down before the evidence…disappears."
Murmurs from the room threatened to become conversations. Mycroft needed to get them to focus. He coughed discretely, and the talking stopped. "You have two hours to prepare your papers for circulation to COBRA. I suggest you get started." He shouldered his umbrella and walked out.