Sabotage in the Secret City

by Diane Fanning

  ‘And just what are your demands, Eleanor?’ I asked.

  ‘We want all the residents at the hutments to be installed in housing with windows and proper heating before winter. We want all married colored couples to be able to live together with their families just as the rest of us do. And, yes, we know some white folks are living in tacky little trailer homes but, at least, their families are together and they are protected from the elements. We want the colored employees to be treated as equals not as livestock. We are in the south but we are not of the south and it’s about time we started acting like it.’

  ‘I agree with you, Eleanor, but what makes you think I could make a difference?’

  ‘You’d be surprised, Libby. To have a professional woman in our midst will make it far more difficult for the powers that be to push us aside as a bunch of silly hens. You can encourage your male peers to support our efforts, you can speak for us in settings where a mere wife would not be allowed entry. You could make a difference not just for us but for all the oppressed out there living in those primitive conditions. I am not flattering you when I say that we think you are the key to our success.’

  ‘I might be a scientist, Eleanor, but I’m still just a woman to many.’

  ‘You are much more than that to the rest of us. You are a role model to all our daughters. You are an example to all our sons. And your reputation as someone who stands up for the right things has spread inside this fence like wildfire. As a matter of fact, when I told my husband dinner would be a bit late this evening because I would be talking to you, he was impressed. Told me that Charlie Morton said if he was ever in a fight, he’d want you on his side. Then my husband insisted that I treat you with respect because you’ve earned it.’

  I could not have stared harder at her if she sprouted a foot in the middle of her face. ‘I’m surprised enough that Charlie said that about me,’ I admitted, ‘but I don’t think I even know your husband.’

  ‘You two have never met but he has heard a lot about you. And I think, Miss Libby Clark, that the only person here that doesn’t think you are unstoppable is you. You place far too little value on your importance.’

  ‘Then this is not your standard gung-ho recruiting speech?’ I said, hoping that she’d laugh and admit I’d caught her. But she didn’t.

  ‘No, Miss Clark, not hardly. You are the only person whom I think is capable of making all the difference in the world to our cause. With you by our side, we can get the laborers out of those hutment hovels and reunite families.’

  ‘I am flattered and I would like to help but my work – the time it takes is always so unpredictable.’

  ‘We don’t expect you to do the time-consuming work and we don’t expect you to be the public face, but we would like to have you on board as our secret weapon. No one, however, would have any hesitation to deploy you when needed.’

  Her analogy made me squirm but it also made me rethink the plan I’d formulated on the way home. Perhaps I could still make a difference here – not on the world stage but on my little corner of the planet.

  ‘Well, I’ve taken enough of your time, Libby. I do not expect you to make a snap decision but just let me know—’

  I surprised both of us by interjecting, ‘You can count on me, Eleanor. Anything I can do outside of work hours, just let me know.’

  Eleanor threw her arms around me, thanking me again and again. ‘One little thing, I know you said, “outside of work hours,” but would you consider getting signatures for our petition inside the lab?’

  ‘I’ll see how it goes with the group of scientists I meet with every week. If I have any success there, I’ll take it to the lab as well.’

  ‘Bless you, dear. I’d better rush off now. My husband might not be as pleased about this meeting if I don’t get home and get dinner on the table before bedtime. Talk to you, soon.’

  I closed the door, still a bit stunned that I’d made that commitment with impulsive fervor. I had to admit, though, I was pleased with myself. I was certainly going to stir things up at the next Walking Molecules meeting – just not in the way I originally thought.

  FIFTY

  I walked to work still trying to absorb yesterday’s zigs and zags. Too much change for one day. I also worried about the significance of Eleanor’s intuitive revelations regarding the imminent use of our work product. I knew it might just be the result of long-term exposure to the secrecy of this project that built a wall between spouses.

  I entered the lab prepared for the worst. The room went silent. Goosebumps raised on my arms as if I were chilled. From a distance, I spotted clutter at my lab station and my apprehension grew. I want to turn and run as I drifted back to the comfort of my decision to resign last evening.

  I walked softer with every step forward, expecting an unbidden emotional explosion that I knew I must suppress. I choked back tears as I recognized the source of my discomfort. A tin of coffee, a chocolate candy bar, jar of jam, a box of cookies and two books – one I’d already read but that was irrelevant. I swallowed hard before turning around. ‘Thank you, one and all. I hope you understand how deeply I am touched by this gesture and how desperately I needed it.’

  Gregg stepped toward me with an empty potato sack. ‘We thought you’d need something to carry it home in.’

  I nodded my thanks because I didn’t dare speak for fear of losing control. The lump in my throat caused pressure that threatened to push the tears out of my eyes. I swallowed hard as Gregg helped me load everything up and stick the bag under my station.

  Gregg shouted, ‘Okay, everybody, we have work to do.’ He smiled, gave my forearm a squeeze and walked back to his work area.

  An hour later, Charlie informed me he was heading to a meeting at the administrative building before he left the lab. For another hour, we worked in near silence except for the clink of lab glassware, the whir of equipment and the shuffling of feet.

  Charlie’s quiet clearing of his throat was loud enough to break the spell. We all looked up at his furrowed face. ‘All personal leaves and pre-arranged early departures are canceled. Sundays off are terminated. We will work seven days a week, ten to twelve hours a day, until further notice.’ Charlie ran his gaze around the room where stunned faces greeted his without comment until a cacophony of protest erupted.

  ‘Why, Charlie?’

  ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘We’ll run out of product from Alpha lab within the week.’

  Charlie raised his arms and silence descended again. ‘Alpha has the same instructions. Engineers have been asked to seek methods to speed up the output from the Calutron. If I knew why, I would tell you.’

  ‘Does it mean they’re about to deploy the gadget?’ Stephen asked.

  ‘Not to my knowledge,’ Charlie said. ‘However, I do acknowledge the logic of your deduction.’

  ‘And even if you knew, you probably couldn’t tell us,’ Stephen added.

  Charlie sighed and seemed to shrink as if deflated. ‘You’re probably right, Stephen, but I honestly do not know what it means. I did ask but got no answer. Does it mean they are ready to deploy in a surprise maneuver? Or does it indicate that they want to have everything operational before they deliver a threat with force behind it? Or just maybe, the design is flawed and they need enough material to test alternative designs. I simply don’t know.

  ‘The length of our days will depend on the industriousness of our output. I will have to track incoming from Alpha and if we’re exceeding that, we can stop in as few as ten hours – otherwise, we keep on going. Get busy. We have no time to dawdle.’ He sighed again, before crossing the room to his office.

  Throughout the day, Charlie emerged from his paperwork, checked on Alpha’s input and helped anyone who was lagging or encountering a problem on our lab floor. He seemed in a state of constant motion. Even when I stopped in his office to present a purchase order, he was standing behind his desk, moving back and forth between the piles of documents needing his attention.r />
  Eleven hours into our day, Charlie walked to the center of the room and announced, ‘Wrap up what you’re doing, it’s time to call it quits. We’re running ahead of Alpha – they’ll need to work an hour longer but all of you can call it a day. In the morning, try to get in a little early and we can get a head start on tomorrow.’

  I finished up the procedure I had started and moved on to help others still hard at work finishing their tasks. Charlie was busily engaged assisting at different stations. Soon, they’d all straggled out and we were the last two in the lab.

  ‘Got a minute, Charlie,’ I asked.

  ‘Sure. Come into my office – I need to get off of my feet.’

  Charlie sat behind his desk and pulled a bottle of bourbon and two glasses out of the bottom drawer. He waved the bottle at me but I shook my head. He poured a small dribble into a glass and upended it down his throat. ‘Okay, what’s up?’

  ‘Someone shared information with me last night that I didn’t take very seriously until you made your announcement today.’ I continued to relay what I had learned from Eleanor.

  As I spoke, Charlie leaned forward on his desk. ‘Who told you this?’

  ‘The wife of a scientist.’

  ‘Which one?’

  ‘Charlie, you know I can’t betray that confidence. I’m telling you because it seems to fit with what happened here today.’

  ‘What conclusion have you reached?’ Charlie asked.

  ‘That they’ve got one gadget ready to deploy and they want enough material to build a back-up. Have you heard any rumors about testing?’

  ‘Not one,’ Charlie said. ‘But somewhere, someone has to have been doing testing. I’ve heard a lot of talk about the fear of a blood bath if we invaded Japan. Many expect more deaths there than we’ve experienced throughout the rest of the war. If that’s an official assessment, then they have to use whatever else we have to end this conflict before we reach that point.’

  ‘What are we unleashing, Charlie?’

  ‘I don’t really know, Libby, all I can say is God help us all.’

  FIFTY-ONE

  I stood outside near the exit for the Alpha lab waiting for Teddy to emerge. By my calculations, they had about a half hour or less of their workday remaining. I jumped at the first clap of thunder. Looking over at the ridge, I saw a bright bolt streak through the sky and braced myself for the next rumble. It arrived along with the first big, wet drops of rain.

  I raced for the laboratory entrance, grateful that my badge displayed my clearance for entry. I stepped into the mud room vestibule and leaned against the wall opposite the sink.

  One by one, chemists started to file out. They glanced at me without comment but their curiosity put inquisitive scowls on their faces. Those expressions were soon replaced by dismay when they opened the exterior door and saw the deluge sluicing from the sky.

  Teddy walked in and shot me a quick double take. ‘Libby, what are you doing here?’

  ‘Waiting for you. I was outside but then the skies opened up.’ At that moment, a monstrous boom of thunder confirmed my observation.

  Teddy cracked the door open. ‘Whoa! You’re not kidding.’

  ‘Are you ready to make a run for it?’ I asked.

  ‘No sense in delaying the inevitable,’ he said with a sigh.

  ‘You can come to my place if you want or you can veer off at the dorm.’

  ‘Your place, it is.’

  We grabbed hands, shoved open the door and took off. Streams rolled down the roads forming deep puddles in every pothole and rut. The sky churned with angry clouds, flashes of light and thunder that shook us down to the soles of our shoes. We moved as fast as we dared, slowing when one of us slipped a bit on the wet surface. Even though it was a treacherous journey, we were laughing by the time we arrived at the steps to my flat-top.

  We shook off the best we could and went into the kitchen where the linoleum floor was impervious to water damage. We slipped off our shoes and bent over the sink. I squeezed water out of my hair and Teddy brushed the water off of his shorter cut with his hand.

  I threw the tea towel at him and said, ‘Wipe off your face. I’ll get more for both of us.’ I returned carrying the stack of every bath towel I owned and set them on the kitchen counter.

  ‘Libby, go get out of your wet clothes. I’ll stay in here and drip.’

  I didn’t argue but I did have another plan. I grabbed my robe in the bedroom and went back to the kitchen. ‘Here, you can take off your clothes and put this on. As soon as I make some coffee, I’ll turn on the oven and lay your pants and shirt on the stovetop. I don’t think they’ll get completely dry but at least they won’t be dripping when you put them back on.’

  ‘This looks a little small …’ he said, holding up my robe.

  ‘Wear it anyway. It will cover enough,’ I said as I left to change my clothes. Once I was in dry clothes, I hung my wet things in the bathroom before I returned. Teddy looked trussed. His shoulders stretched the seams. The waist line crossed the middle of his chest and the tie was barely long enough. The hem barely tickled his kneecaps.

  He scowled and said, ‘Don’t you laugh.’

  I threw a hand over my mouth and squeezed my lips tight but it wasn’t enough. I burst loose a huge guffaw at the ridiculous sight.

  ‘I told you …’ he complained.

  ‘I tried. Honest. I tried,’ I said and collapsed into his arms.

  He held me while we laughed and gasped for air.

  I stepped back. ‘Coffee?’

  ‘Please. And wipe that smirk off your face.’

  I fixed a cup for each of us, turned on the oven, arranged his clothing on top and we retired into the living room. When Teddy sat down, he draped a towel over his midsection.

  My lips rebelled at the restraint as another titter bubbled up.

  ‘Don’t you start,’ he said with a barely suppressed chuckle.

  We collapsed on opposite ends of the sofa and sighed in unison. ‘Actually, I didn’t ask you here to laugh at you. I had something to discuss,’ I said.

  ‘Good. That makes my ego feel a bit soothed. What is it?’

  ‘How would you feel about staying right here after the war?’

  ‘Here? In Oak Ridge?’

  ‘Yes. I have something to do here that I think is important.’

  ‘Another job?’

  ‘No. Not a job. A volunteer opportunity that I think really matters. Would you be okay continuing to work here for a while after the war?’

  ‘Will there be any work here for us?’

  ‘I doubt they’ll need all of us – but some won’t want to stay. Surely, they wouldn’t erect these buildings and facilities and then abandon it to ruin. Someone will need to find a way to pound the swords into plowshares for peacetime applications.’

  ‘Probably. But why do you think the war is about to end. Everything I hear is that the invasion of Japan will be a difficult, costly and lengthy operation.’

  ‘I don’t think we’ll need to invade,’ I said.

  ‘Why not? What did they tell you in Beta that they didn’t say in Alpha?’

  ‘It was nothing that was said there – Charlie told me that both labs were given identical messages about the work to deliver to their chemists and nothing about the reason.’

  ‘Then what makes you so certain?’

  ‘I’m sure you know of the research that’s been going on since before the war at the University of Chicago, but did you know there are at least two other facilities connected to ours that were created out of nothing at the start of the war?’

  ‘I’ve heard some rumors but how do you know that? Do you have connections there?’

  ‘No. But I’ve met someone who does.’

  ‘Who?’ Teddy asked.

  ‘The wife of a scientist here.’

  ‘And her contacts are other wives?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How would they know more than we do?’

  ‘Men have always
undervalued women’s sense of intuition – no surprise that the military has done the same. You can keep information secret but you can’t hide the energy behind it. Women at all three facilities have picked up on an increased level, a rising sense of urgency – they’ve smelled the change in the air. They are all convinced that something big is about to happen.’

  ‘Given that I accept that premise, what do you think is about to happen?’ Teddy said, setting down his coffee cup and leaning forward with intensity lining his face.

  ‘I think the gadget will soon be deployed.’

  ‘Exactly what is the gadget? Do you know?’

  ‘I don’t know. But I expect that it is a bomb – the most powerful the world has ever seen. I believe it will split atoms and release horror into the earth’s atmosphere.’

  ‘If you’re right, what will be the after-effects?’

  ‘I don’t know. I doubt that anyone knows.’

  Teddy slumped back into the sofa. ‘And we will bear responsibility for it.’

  ‘Some of it, yes.’ My fears and anxieties danced a jitterbug in my chest. I leaned back and breathed deeply to try stilling the rapid tattoo of my heart.

  ‘My God …’ Teddy whispered.

  We sat there stunned by the possibilities that lay ahead – voicing them made it feel more real. Our hands, seemingly of their own volition, moved together and squeezed tight. We listened to the pounding of the rain on the roof, each lost in our own thoughts.

  Teddy broke the silence. ‘This volunteer opportunity? Does it have something to do with the scientist’s wife you met?’

  ‘Yes. A group of wives have recruited me to join in their effort to transform the hutments.’

  ‘The hutments?’

  I explained to him what we knew about the lives the colored workers were required to live. ‘Even after the war, we are going to need them as laborers, as cafeteria workers, as maids – they are a vital part of our society. It’s about time we treated them like humans instead of livestock.’