He asked the team members, in turn, about their research. “Khalil, I know you do much of your research at that atom smasher on the border between France and Switzerland, called CERN. Isn’t it the same kind of facility as here at Fermilab; why do you need to go there?”
“It is the same design of atom smasher as here; as a matter of fact, we designed that system. However, it’s much more powerful than this one and is therefore capable of finding those missing pieces of matter we’ve not been able to find here at Fermilab.”
“Couldn’t you have upgraded this system to a higher power?”
“We considered it but realized we needed more room. So in 1983 the United States began to develop a very powerful atom smasher, at a new site, that was to replace this one. The Superconducting Super Collider would have been the world’s most powerful system, capable of finding most all of the pieces of matter that theory suggested existed. Unfortunately, the money ran out and the project was canceled in 1993.”
“It used superconductors?”
“The magnets were designed with superconducting windings in order to achieve the highest powers. What we learned in designing the SSC magnets we eventually applied to the upgrade of the system at CERN.”
“Oh yes, now I remember. When the new superconducting magnets at CERN were first tested, one of them exploded seriously damaging a section of the accelerator tunnel.”
“Yes, that set us back more than a year. The one problem with superconducting magnets is that if they are driven past a critical maximum they can self-destruct in a violent explosion. We’ve since designed computer programs to monitor and control each of these magnets.”
“So no more explosions?”
“No, not since that first one that delayed our research.”
“What kind of research do you do at CERN?”
“My work is on the Swiss side, at a detector called ATLAS. I analyze new exotic particles that are generated by the merger of two high energy beams of particles.”
“Can you still use the accelerator here at Fermilab?”
“I still conduct some studies here, but most of my research is now done at the new CERN, ATLAS detector, where we recently discovered that particle everyone’s calling the ‘God particle’. Peter told me about your characterization of Wilson Hall as a cathedral. Well, following suit with this somewhat irreverent image, I claim Building 40, at the site of my work at CERN, as my ‘place of worship’ since it has a domed ceiling like a mosque. Here is where particle physicists are hoping and praying to make our last few discoveries before we have to look for natural phenomenon to answer questions about the ultimate building blocks of nature.”
Oliver smiled at the good humored jab at his religious metaphor of their scientific dedication. He then turned to David Benjamin and said, “David, you’re an astrophysicist. How is your research related to that of Khalil’s?”
“What Khalil and the other ‘high energy physicists’ have discovered in building more and more powerful atom smashers, is that mankind lacks both the money and the technology to go any further than they have at CERN. They’ll never be able to smash atoms or pieces of atoms together with enough energy to reveal the most fundamental pieces of matter, or the nature of the forces holding them together.”
“Then what can astronomy offer?”
“We know from years of astronomical observations that the universe is continually expanding and cooling. If it indeed started some thirteen billion years ago in a big bang, then, in its first seconds of existence, pieces of atoms were smashing together at energies greater than anything man can ever generate in the lab.”
“So astronomy can see these missing pieces of matter?”
“No. Unfortunately, the universe was so hot in its early history light was unable to penetrate it. The oldest light we can see with our telescopes was generated hundreds of thousands of years after the light produced by these exotic particles and forces.”
“Then what new insight can astrophysics provide concerning the nature of matter?”
“With our latest telescopes we are now looking for gravitational ripples, in this oldest light we can see, that were produced when these exotic particles were first formed.”
“I understand your telescope is located at the South Pole. Why place a telescope in such a hostile environment?”
“The South Pole is the best place to study deep space. I know this sounds silly, but the South Pole is truly dark. Now, not to be outdone by Khalil, my temple of research at the South Pole has the most ominous name of the three. It is called ‘The Dark Sector Laboratory’: ‘Dark’, because during the southern winter this region is darker than any other part of the earth, and therefore offers the cleanest window on the universe.”
“What have you seen at this dark temple?”
“We’ve recently found subtle evidence of the very first forms of matter, created at the earliest moments of the universe. This new data has begun to draw in a third discipline at Fermilab, that of mathematics and computer modeling.” said David, as he gestured toward Elizabeth.
Smiling, she then continued the tutorial. “Here at your Fermilab ‘cathedral’, we theorists have been able to group fundamental particles together in families based on shared properties. These families in turn show such well-defined patterns that we have been able to identify undiscovered family members that properly fill in the blank positions in the patterns. Using their predicted properties, experimentalists have then been able to find many of these missing family members.
“Merging these patterns of fundamental particles together, using pure mathematics, has led to a unified theory of the forces holding together these fundamental particles to form the various forms of matter. Now, to venture deeper into questions like how these fundamental particles and forces came to be, this mathematical approach has begun to take center stage and now seeks experimental data at CERN and the Dark Sector Lab, to verify its final predictions.”
“What kinds of pattern are seen in the data?”
“The tables of properties of each family of particles actually appear as symmetrical patterns, some hexagonal, some triangular. That is why we had little trouble predicting the properties of the missing members. We believe we can now predict the particles and forces that lay at the very foundation of the universe.
As Peter indicated in his series presented on Public Television, scientists are on the verge of finding the elusive ‘Theory of Everything’. The recent discovery at CERN of a particle called the Higgs Boson has made a great stride forward in man’s search. This discovery is so significant this new particle immediately became known as the ‘God particle’ in the media accounts of its prediction, discovery, and future significance.”
Oliver had been trying, with only limited success, to follow the accounts of these three disciplines given to him by Peter’s three team members. In part, he was distracted by their humanity as well as their intellect. These three had been present when Peter collapsed and were present in the ambulance that rushed him to the hospital. They also were there the previous evening to comfort Alice prior to Oliver’s arrival. Watching their interactions and sensing their concerns for Peter, his daughter, and even for Oliver himself, he was gaining a strong sense they were not only an intellectual unit, but also a family unit held together by a mutual respect and love for one another. Although they were each of different faiths and cultural backgrounds, they shared a healthy optimism that their work would help mankind, not harm it. In addition, they displayed a strong willingness to give of their time and efforts to help Alice deal with her personal loss.
Oliver had known these three for some years but had never been in a discussion with them together. As he witnessed their interactions, he thought of his calling to the ministry. What eventually came to mind was a verse from the letter of Paul to the church at Corinth, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Oliver expressed some limited understanding of Peter’s tea
m’s search for “The Theory of Everything”, but mostly he was bewildered. He raised his eyebrows, scratched his head and sighed deeply. “I’ve a lot to learn about this and will probably pester you with naïve questions for the next few weeks.”
Oliver was not quite convinced Peter’s death and the apparent loss of data, so important to the work of his team, were unrelated, but he gave no hint of this while he concluded his questioning. He decided not to reveal Peter’s last haunting words to his team at this time for fear of further upsetting them. Perhaps it was his work at Homeland Security, where every new case held some hidden plot or subterfuge, which fueled his suspicions that these words of Peter’s were a clue to his death.
Oliver seemed caught between his early call to the ministry, based in part on his faith in the goodness of mankind, and his subsequent work of religious terrorism, based on man’s evil nature. Thinking back to his discussion of symmetry breaking when he and Peter were juniors at Princeton, he visualized a holy book standing on edge, ready to fall one way or the other. His thoughts teetered between believing that mankind was by nature good, or that mankind was easily tempted to commit acts of evil. He was not sure just what to believe about Peter’s cause of death, but he was determined to find out.
He thanked the three for their thoughtful help as well for their care and concern for him and for Alice. He turned to Elizabeth and said, “Elizabeth, I’ll be back in touch when you’ve finished retrieving Peter’s laptop files.”
Oliver made his way out of their office and rode the elevator to the lobby. He waited as two young men in suits and ties received their security badges. He then turned in his badge at the desk near the entrance and walked from Wilson Hall to his car in the nearby parking area. Driving away along Road A he again noted the cathedral-like form of Fermilab’s central administration building in his rear-view mirror.
His return drive along I-88 seemed shorter than the trip out, mostly because his mind was filled with the details of Peter’s work and the profound loss his death now represented. As he approached Chicago near the end of the one hour drive, Oliver became aware his cell phone was vibrating. He had silenced it while he was with Peter’s team and had forgotten to activate the ringer. He pulled off the interstate and into a fast food restaurant parking lot, noting that it was a call from I&A through a scrambler.
When he answered, Bob Clark said, “Oliver, I want to fill you in on some things regarding the recent tragic events at Fermilab. I know you’re greatly disturbed by Peter Newbury’s death and have been looking into what might be behind it. Please know I would do the same if I were in your position, but you must realize, this death happened at a national facility and therefore is under careful investigation by a team of federal agents. They have become aware of your discussions with Peter’s team and share your suspicions concerning the nature of Peter’s death. As a result, they have taken over the supervision of the autopsy in a manner that is invisible to all but the head coroner. Our involvement, and any findings, are considered highly classified until it is determined that he died of natural causes.
“Oliver, I hate to have to ask you to back off, but you’re personally connected to this case and, as is the standard practice, must now distance yourself and leave the investigation of Dr. Newbury’s death to the FBI. I’m assigning Max to work with you on the ISIS network issue and have filled her in on your trip to Waxahachie, tasking her to be your research person here at I&A. I think it’s time for you to make the trip to Texas.”
Oliver was stunned by the directness of Director Clark’s rebuke and felt a sense of panic at having to pull away from all those who, like he, himself, were hurting so much as a result of Peter’s death, especially Alice. He also realized that he was an analyst, not a field agent. If this were a major conspiracy, or even just a murder investigation involving one suspect, it would become a federal case. Trained FBI agents would have to be assigned and were much less likely to make mistakes.
“I understand,” Oliver finally responded after a long pause, “but please realize that I care deeply for Alice and Peter’s other personal friends at Fermilab. I must do what I can here in Chicago, but I’ll make no more inquiries.”
“I’m sorry, Oliver, I know how grieved you are; but you have to understand the investigation will be done thoroughly and with great care.”
“I know you’re right. I have an assignment to carry out for you, and I’ll be on a flight to DFW tonight.”
Oliver re-entered the interstate and continued his drive to the south side of the city. He felt the heavy weight of the past two days’ events, along with his overwhelming sense of helplessness. He knew he must approach the next few days rationally and not let his emotions get the best of him. Clark had the authority to prevent him from interacting with any of Peter’s family: Alice, or members of the team.
As he drove by the University of Chicago campus, Oliver’s anxious thoughts were momentarily interrupted as he noticed that summer classes were in session. The traffic of students afoot on and off of campus heralded the continuing flow of the lifeblood of the university. Oliver had dedicated his life to higher education; and the sight of students going to and from their morning classes always gave him a warm and comfortable feeling.
To Oliver, higher education was an international institution that brought all of mankind together, seeking a better understanding of each other and the world shared by all. Within these ivy-covered walls there was no strife, only a collective struggle to learn. These students are all idealistic and lack the cynicism and prejudice that eventually drives societies apart. As he watched them, Oliver thought to himself, Alice is still optimistic and free of the cynicism of adulthood, even though she’s now lost both of her parents. I’m now her only parent and must not let myself be cut off from her by Clark.
Oliver parked in front of his apartment and walked across the front lawn. As he approached his front door, he noticed it was slightly ajar, the door frame damaged by forced entry. In the bushes next to the front steps was the pry-bar that had been used for the break-in. He felt a rush of fear, thinking a robber may be hiding inside. He also felt an inner anger that someone might be destroying his library, or his student records, or stealing his computer. Pushing the door open, he moved cautiously in to his living room expecting to find books and records strewn about, but the room was undisturbed. He next walked carefully to his study and peered in. It also appeared to be undisturbed.
Puzzled, he turned around to look into the other rooms of his apartment. From behind him in the study he heard a slight scraping sound, and started to turn. The man was dressed in black and wore a black ski mask. Oliver had only a glimpse of him before he was struck in the head by a heavy object. He fell to the floor dazed but conscious. Oliver was vaguely aware of the figure then running away from him and out the front door. By the time he had recovered enough to get to his knees and struggle to his feet, the man was gone. Oliver staggered to the front door, but saw no one on the street. His attacker had escaped.
He reached for the phone and began to dial 911, but hesitated when he thought of Bob Clarks warning. Could this have been an attack on me personally rather than a burglary? He canceled his call and looked at the broken pieces of plaster where he had fallen at the door to his study. They were the remains of a copy of an ancient stone fertility goddess. If he had been hit with the real stone statue, the blow would have been lethal.
Rather than call the local authorities, he dialed Clark’s number at Homeland Security. “Bob, I’m at my apartment. I was just attacked by an intruder. He got away after beaning me with a plaster figurine. I’ve not called the local police in case this is more than a random robbery.”
“Are you all right? How badly injured are you?”
“I was dazed, but not knocked unconscious. I have a painful lump on the back of my head, but otherwise I’m ok.”
“Stay put, and don’t call anyone else. I’ll send an agent and a medic to your apartment.”
“Do you n
eed the address?”
“No, I have it and will pass it on to the agents. They should be there shortly.”
Oliver signed off and entered his study. He hoped to find anything that might indicate his attacker was in his apartment to rob rather than kill. His computer was still turned off as he had left it that morning, but the desk drawer containing his letters of correspondence was slightly open. For the next ten minutes he continued to examine the bookshelves and file cabinets without touching them, but making mental notes on anything, other than the open desk drawer, that looked out of place.
He was interrupted by a knock at his open front door. “Dr. Saxon, may we come in?” The two FBI agents were standing at the door holding their identification badges for his examination.
“I didn’t expect you so soon. Please come in. I’ve touched nothing since the attack, but have tried to identify anything that appears to have been disturbed.”
The first agent approached Oliver and led him to a chair in the kitchenette. “I’m Albert Peterson, a certified medic. Please sit while I examine your injury. Agent Baker will interview you and then examine your apartment.” Peterson first examined the pupils of Oliver’s eyes and then looked closely at the lump on the back of his head. “Looks like you suffered a mild concussion. Have you felt any nausea or experienced double vision?”
“Only some confusion right after he hit me.”
“How do you know it was a man?”
“I smelled his after-shave. I’m not sure which brand, but I could later identify it by smell if you need that information.”
“You may have some headaches, but otherwise you will be fine to continue your normal activities. Try using an ice pack for the rest of the afternoon.”
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