Title: The 355
By: greygoose70
Chapter 12
CIA Langley
"Well, everybody it looks like we have our work cut out for us."
"I'll say, like where is she going to plant this device," Jordan spouted.
"And how is she going to activate it," Kate rejoined!
"Okay Vittoria you're up. We need to know everything you can tell us about this antimatter of yours. And I'm not saying that to be mean spirited. We're trying to save a government from obliteration and the possible destruction of a city and countless lives."
"What to say we order lunch first," Ilsa said.
"I'll order pizza," Emily replied retrieving a local pizzerias' menu from a desk drawer.
After they finished devouring three extra-large 'kitchen sink' pizzas from Giovanni's Pizza Palace the group got down to work. Vittoria pulled out the white board and drew a schematic of what a 'penning trap' looks like and explained how it functions. "The trap uses a homogeneous axial magnetic field to confine the antimatter particle radically and a quadrupole electric field to confine the particle axially. The magnetic field in combination with the electric field causes the charged antiparticles to move in a motion much like a epitrochoid."
"And that motion is…" Kate began.
"Think of a roulette table," Vittoria interrupted.
"So when we find this 'penning trap', how do we stop it from detonating? Rick inquired.
"We would need to keep it in suspension," she answered. "If it loses its charge it will release a laser-like beam of negative particles (antimatter) till it contacts positive particles (matter), then…boom."
"And how do we do that?" Ilsa asked.
"One way is to maintain its charge by changing out the battery with a fresh one. The United States has a super collider located near Grandview Texas. We can connect to the super collider there, we can then slowly eliminate its negative ions destroying it."
"Next question; how do we go about finding it?" Kate posed to the group.
"Well if you are trying to eliminate an entire sitting government the size of ours where would you place it," Rick posed in return.
"We need a map!" Jordan declared. "Should have one in my desk," Terri shouted over her shoulder as she sprinted from the room.
When she returned they spread out the map on the conference table where they all gathered around to view it.
"I'd put it here," Kate announced pointing to the Capital Building. "It houses both members of Congress plus the Supreme Court."
"Good choice," Rick responded then continued saying, "but you'd want to take out the Executive Branch as well which is the White House. In addition those buildings are heavily secured, sneaking in a planting a bomb would be damn near impossible."
"So Rick where would you put it," Ilsa asked.
"In here," he replied indicating the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum building. "It's midway between the two locations, has less security, easier to sneak someone in and out of."
"How would you get someone in," Emily said.
"Considering our perpetrator is a master of disguise my first guess would be as a part of the cleaning crew."
"And your second," Kate followed with.
"Not sure that's why we're going to take a field trip tomorrow and check out the place. What do you all say we call it a day meet in the hotel dining room for dinner at seven."
"Works for me," Jordan said. "Me too," cried the five other women.
Next Morning, Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
At 0900 hours Rick Rodgers and his entourage of six women entered the Air and Space Museum. "So what are we looking for, Rick," Kate asked.
"A couple different things," He replied. "First, all access points, every conceivable way of getting in here. Second, and this will be the hardest, the best place to hide the antimatter device…"
"Are you fricking nuts!" Jordan clamoured. "Do you know how big this place is?"
"If you'll let me finish. I would concentrate the search in the Space section. It will be the midway point I brought up yesterday. You ladies get started I'm going to see what kind of help security can give us."
After Rick left the women determined they would be better off if they worked in pairs. Ilsa decided she would team with Vittoria, they would start in the Space section look for access locations as well as good hiding places. Kate and Jordan joined forces and took off in one direction while Emily and Terri left in the opposite direction. It was agreed they would all meet up at the Garden Café for a late lunch at two.
1430 Hours, The Garden Café
"So what did everybody find," Rick asked after their orders had been taken.
"Other than the main entrance there are only two other ways into the museum. An employee/service only entrance at the west end and a huge overhead door supposedly used for bringing in exhibits," Kate reported.
"That pretty much confirms what I learned from Security," Rick responded. "And all doors have electronic locks. What about potential hiding locations."
"There the list gets long," Ilsa replied. "Very long," Vittoria added.
"Any way it can be narrowed down?"
"Yeah if you're Superman," answered Vittoria.
"What do you mean," Emily said.
"Some of the best places are on the exhibits that are hanging from the rafters. The resulting impact with the marble floor would create a release of energy unlike anything ever seen before," Vittoria responded.
3:00PM, Air & Space Museum
Carisa Petrovich roamed the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum admiring the multitude of exhibits but more importantly looking for the perfect spot to place the device…and finally finding it.
TBC