Chapter 8: 8 | Border of twilight

Nothing that we do, is done in vain. I believe,

with all my soul,

that we shall see the triumph.

—Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

 

---

 

8 September 1983

Biomedizinisches Centrum München, University of Munich

 

"Tonight about the Korean airline massacre, the attack by the Soviet Union against two hundred and sixty-nine innocent men, women and children aboard an unarmed Korean passenger plane," a solemn voice filled the quiet room. "This crime against humanity must never be forgotten, here or throughout the world. Our prayers tonight..." 

The man hastily lowered the TV volume upon hearing the click of the door opening. Smoothing down the creases in his white button-down shirt, he cleared his throat anxiously. "Professorin Dahn."

"Professor Von Braun, thanks for coming here on such short notice." The blonde-haired, bespectacled woman tilted her head towards the TV in the corner of the ceiling. "The American President?" 

"The entire world is going crazy over the recent plane crash," he said. "The Americans say the Soviets are murderers, the Soviets blame the Americans for using a passenger jet to spy on their land, everyone else is caught up in this blown-up mess of tragedy and lies."

She narrowed her eyes at the TV screen, then sighed and gestured for him to follow her out of the room. "Did you hear about the incident in the university hospital yesterday?" 

He hastened his footsteps to catch up with her. "You mean the caesium chloride contamination in Block C?" he whispered. "Didn't the higher-ups cover it up?"  

She nodded her head curtly. "They buried the victims in an undisclosed location this afternoon. But, one of the victims was transported to one of our labs instead." 

"To here?" The man started. "What for? So that we will all get poisoned by radiation?" 

"I hope not," she said wryly before adjusting her glasses uncomfortably. "They requested for an immediate autopsy on the body."

"Das ist doch alles Scheiße, Professorin! We don't do autopsies here. I won't do an autopsy," he argued. "Send the bloody corpse back to them, for God's sake!" 

She stopped in front of a door and swiped her card against the reader. "You wouldn't say that after knowing who made the request, Professor."

"W-who?" 

"The Präsident." She opened the door and gestured at a metal closet along the vestibule. "Wear the protective gear before you go in. I'll watch through the mirror." 

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With a conflicted expression, he slipped on a hazmat suit and entered the laboratory in silence. The body of a girl, probably not older than ten, was placed on a stainless steel cart in the centre of the room. A halogen lamp overhead bathed her swollen disfigured face in a harsh white glow. Hanging from the side of the cart was a plastic folder containing her patient records and death certificate. 

7/11/83

Patient isolated thirty(30) minutes after discovery of radiation leak

Developed serious respiratory and lymphatic complications within two(2) hours; internal bleeding, swelling from suspected septicaemia noted around limbs, eyes, and lungs 

...

Cause of death: Acute radiation sickness

"Scheiße," the man cursed under his breath. Glancing at the two-way mirror on the back wall, he drew in a sharp breath and asked loudly, "the cause of death has already been determined. Why bother with an autopsy?" 

Silence. 

Knitting his brows in a deep frown, he prepared a scalpel and cautiously inched towards the body. Was it not radiation poisoning that killed this girl? Did something even more sinister happen yesterday? What if—

His hand froze just as he was about to perform the incision on her chest. No, it couldn't be. Did he simply imagine it? 

The scalpel in his hand quivered again. 

Without hesitation, he dropped the scalpel and stormed out of the laboratory. "Professorin! PROFESSORIN!"

"I need you to stop—"

"Her heart is fucking beating," he growled in her calm face. "How the fuck is that possible?"

"You tell me," she snapped. "She hasn't responded to any stimuli since they discovered her heartbeat. Hell, her insides should have been fried by the bloody radiation ages ago." 

"Then, what the fuck is she? A goddamn zombie?!" 

The woman inhaled shakily and averted her eyes. "The Präsident believes...that she may be what we need to make a cure for radiation." 

 

 

 

 

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