Napoleon waited for some type of explanation from Illya, who kept smiling and staring at something beyond the control panel at which the robot had been situated. The office itself was a glass enclosed cubicle filled with lights and levers, computers and whirring components that were beyond Napoleon's technical savvy.
"Illya, your smile is full of promise and yet… what gives? What is this, exactly?"
Illya turned to look at his partner, the blue eyes lit up now with a glint not unlike what other men would exhibit in the presence of a beautiful woman. He extended his arm and pointed out into the seemingly endless void that was the interior of the mine.
"This, my friend, is the foundation for a physics experiment the likes of which I have never witnessed first hand. Thrush seems to have developed a huge magnetic field, a superconducting magnet. Can you see what's out there?"
Napoleon scanned the darkness until he recognized glints of refracted light bouncing off of… sapphires?
"Are they floating out there?"
Illya was still smiling, although he was letting his fingers graze over the various keyboards and toggles that populated the control panel.
"Somehow, here in this mine shaft, Thrush has scientifically created a superconducting magnet that is causing a repulsive interaction of opposing forces. That causes the gemstones to levitate in a little magnetic bowl, thus producing this field of floating sapphires. It is a fantastic discovery… whoever discovered this has gained a place that is years ahead of other quantum theorists.''
So enthralled by the sight of the floating gems were the two agents that they failed to hear footsteps behind them.
"That is exactly correct, Mr. Kuryakin. Or, shall I say Dr. Kuryakin?"
Napoleon and Illya turned around at the sound of that voice. Illya was shocked at the woman's presence, the memory of his earlier opinion of her suddenly altered.
"You? Why the subterfuge of the waitress job? Certainly you do not need the money."
The woman who had guided him through his breakfast choices was now dressed in a Thrush uniform that she wore beneath a white lab coat, her formerly down home attitude replaced by an authoritative air that seemed to also include knowledge of the fantastic sight beyond the glass viewing panes.
"I play my part, just as you play yours. I seem to have done a better job of mine."
The grin was infuriating to both men, but it was Napoleon who replied.
"You seem to know our names. Perhaps you will tell us who you are, seeing as how we appear to be your guests now."
The woman smiled, a wicked and knowing smile that sent shivers up the Russian's spine. Something about her was familiar…
"Oh, I think I'll let you just stew over it for awhile. In the meantime, Dr. Kuryakin and I have some things to discuss.'
Motioning to the door, the woman indicated the direction she wanted her men to take Solo.
"Lock him up and don't leave him anything to play with. These men have a nasty habit of finding the most absurd methods of escape."
Napoleon didn't resist as he was pulled on, then guided out of the door and down the hallway to a nondescript cell. It was only a few doors down from the control booth, not that it was of any benefit at the moment. A cot was the only piece of furniture, and there were no windows. The walls were damp, much like a cave, something that made the single light hanging from a beam seem eerie and slightly dangerous.
Back in the control room the mysterious woman and two Thrush guards remained with the curious Russian. Even though he had a sense of dread concerning anything that might still occur, his curiosity was gaining the upper hand. He wanted to know about this fantastic magnetic cavern and the work being done here. Quantum theorists had many questions about extreme magnetism and quantum gravity. Many of these theories hadn't even reached official status, were merely whispered about in closed meetings and late night drunken debates. To find this here, within the grasp of Thrush… Illya's mind was full of questions and a degree of fear at the possible scenarios it presented.
"I see, Dr. Kuryakin, that you have conjectured your way into a fair state of concern. You must realize that Thrush is your best bet for being a part of this, shall we say, ground breaking discovery. I can't imagine that staying with the U.N.C.L.E. will ever get you close to participating in this type of scientific work."
Illya eyed the woman with a glare he normally reserved for Angelique or some other femme fatale who might come calling. He knew this woman, but could not put a name to the face…
Napoleon decided to sit down and try to figure out who was in charge of this operation. The woman was familiar, but not in a way he could readily identify. Where had their paths crossed before, and why hadn't he recognized her in the restaurant?
If Illya's reaction to the magnetic field was any indication of the purpose of this satrapy, then it wasn't a laser at the heart of it. Something about quantum physics, which meant Napoleon didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of figuring any of it out. Had they purposely lured Illya here? Why? Did Thrush really think they could get Kuryakin to change sides, just because of some floating gemstones?
As Illya listened to the woman talk, something about her, the arrogance and self-conceit, began to register a memory. Unbelievably, she revealed herself without meaning to by the very lack of identity. He knew who she was. The question was, should he let her know that of which he was now certain?
Napoleon's brain was twirling like a top, a magnetic top perhaps. In this magnetized mine shaft, the idea of spinning endlessly was not entirely out of the question. There, he did have a little idea of how things worked…and then it hit him.
"Egret."
Illya narrowed his eyes as the identity of the woman became clearer. Of course, it had to be…
"Dr. Egret, you seem to have, uh…filled out a little since last we met."
The plump woman in front of him scowled, the discovery of her identity was not a complete derailment to this project, but the irritation of this skinny young man commenting on her recent weight gain was enough cause for a slap across his impertinent face.
Illya didn't react outwardly, but his mind began to race as his memories of dealing with this diabolical female genius challenged him to make some type of move. The two guards were implacably stationed at the door, their amusement at the comment about her weight obvious. Too many biscuits and not enough exercise was the consensus of all three men in the room.
"Have your little laugh, Kuryakin. You still don't know how I did it, and you won't until you agree to work for Thrush. I need one more piece of the puzzle, and I believe you can help me find it. If you don'tagree to help me, then your Mr. Solo will suffer the consequences.''
Illya stared long and hard at the woman, his hatred for her and all things Thrush was evident in his expression. What, he wondered, could he possibly add to this situation that one of their own physicists couldn't? Or, was it possible that Egret had plans to keep this to herself?
"What do I get out of this should I consider your proposal?"
Dr. Egret laughed, and the timber of her voice betrayed a madness that Illya had not recognized in his previous encounter with the woman.
"You, Dr. Kuryakin, will have the satisfaction of not being responsible for the death of your partner. Isn't that enough for the nobleman you pretend to be? Oh, I know of your history and your family's tenuous claims. You will help me,Illya, because you can't bear the deaths of innocent victims, of which your friend Mr. Solo is one in this situation. You will help me because I demand it!"
She was mad, no doubt about it. Better to placate her now than provoke some unnecessary violence against Napoleon.
"All right. I will agree to help you, but I want Napoleon's safety guaranteed. I want him with me, at all times. Those are my conditions, doctor."
She seemed to calm down with that. Her eyebrows rose nearly to her hairline as she threw her head back in a type of celebratory gesture, raising her arms in mock adulation of the man she was courting.
"You, Dr. Kuryakin, shall have your wishes concerning Mr. Solo. I have rooms prepared for you. We will begin work immediately after you settle yourselves into your new accommodations. This is a new era, Kuryakin. We will be lauded as the gods of a new universe, one that we design and that is under our command."
Illya rolled his eyes at the grandiose pronouncements. Of course it was ridiculous, and within a few hours or days, he and Napoleon would topple this madwoman's enterprise. For now he would let her think that cooperation was in the air.
"Yes, well… whatever you say Dr. Egret. I look forward to your explanation of the magnetic corridor beyond this glass."
Dr. Egret signaled for the two guards to escort Kuryakin to his new quarters, and spoke in a whisper to one of them to go and retrieve Solo from the cell he was currently in. They nodded and opened the door for Illya, going first to collect Napoleon before leading them both to their new apartment.
Walking side by side along the rocky corridor, the UNCLE agents let their eyes explore their surroundings. They each knew what the other was thinking, so that by the time they had reached the destination, a plan was easily put into motion. Within a few heartbeats, the Thrush guards were knocked unconscious and lying inside the apartment that had been designated for Illya and Napoleon.
It took only a few minutes for the men to change into the Thrush uniforms and assume their identity. Illya opened the door a crack, checking for any patrols that might come by.
"It's clear… let's go."
They were heading back to the control room, rounding corners with a measure of caution, when they saw Egret close the door behind her and head in the opposite direction. Napoleon pointed towards their destination and motioned for Illya to follow him.
They managed to slip into the control room once again, this time disabling the cameras that Illya had observed during his 'interview' with Dr. Egret. They wouldn't get caught like that a second time.
Now Illya was searching the control panel, looking for clues to the magnetic field beyond the glass enclosure. He had his doubts about Egret's supposed discovery of a natural superconductor. Not only that, but the probability was that it was a fluke of some sort, and that with the advent of warmer temperature within this space it would overheat and bring down this side of the mountain. People's lives were at risk, and they were all innocents. Dr. Egret was right about that much; Illya wouldn't stand for the loss of innocent lives.
Napoleon didn't have a clue what to do in this scenario. He was waiting for Illya to give him some directions, and he was pretty sure a stick of dynamite wasn't the way to go here.
"Illya, what are we supposed to do now? I hope you have some type of plan."
Illya smirked as only he could, a sign for his partner that there were answers ahead.
"We need to raise the temperature in here. Somewhere, somehow, Egret has installed coils for cooling this environment below its natural levels. She is attempting to replicate the necessary situation for … '
Napoleon looked a little glassy eyed. He really didn't need the details.
"Okay, this is what we're going to do."
They set about following Illya's proposals, setting the unseen coils for a temperature above what was necessary for the magnetism to remain intact. Illya was able to decipher the Thrush scientist's system of knobs and toggles, and as close as he could the time for the meltdown was designated at twenty minutes.
"Napoleon, when I give you the signal, hit that switch over there, it's the alarm to evacuate. At least they had enough sense and fore thought to include it here. This place is going to implode in twenty minutes, and we want it completely empty."
Illya finished his calibrations and held up his hand, counting down to zero. Napoleon was ready to hit the alarm button and did so in synch with Illya's signal.
"Now, let's get out of here… Go!"
With that the two men were out the door and heading for the exit, winding back the way they had come in. The klaxons were ringing and men were streaming out of several corridors, some of them directly from the mine itself. Illya and Napoleon recognized a few of the men they had seen in the restaurant on their two visits, and hoped that everyone would get out before the mountain came down on itself.
Dr. Egret was catapulted from her desk at the sound of the alarms, cursing UNCLE, Kuryakin and Solo in one breath as she headed for her own personal escape route. There were other mountains in the world, and she would find one just like this and do it all over again. First though, she had to get out before disaster struck.
On the outside, as the drama unfolded within, another man was pulling into the parking lot. He had traveled for hours getting to this isolated mountain locale, and his mission was only just beginning.