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icle with five…foot…thick concrete walls。 The material had to be manipulated via stainless…steel robotic aims； controlled from outside the hot cell； at the panel of dials； gauges； and levers where an operator sat。 The hot cell was equipped with the most extreme contamination control systems； including an inert atmosphere； and even the surrounding areas were fed by negative…pressure ventilation units in order to confine the highly toxic particles of plutonium and 114m from migrating out of the primary confinement zone。
For some years now； scientists had been trying to create transuranic isotopes … that is； substances with higher atomic numbers than uranium … without much success。 Isotope 114m had been created by bombarding a brick of plutonium with a high…density field of neutrons in an argon atmosphere。 This had been attempted before； but Abramanov's brilliance had e in pulsing the neutrons at a frequency that overexcited the atoms of the plutonium； thus forcing a reaction。
A number of isotopes of element 114 had been observed forming； but they rapidly decayed because of their minuscule half…lives。
Only one isotope remained。 Abramanov named it 114m because it was the fourteenth isotope created from the event。 He estimated its half…life to be in the tens of thousands of years。 Other surprises lay in store for Abramanov and his team。 Because they found it possessed an inordinately high cross…section of thermal neutrons； 114m was an extremely potent fissile material。 And because its critical mass was lower than both plutonium and uranium； its potential value skyrocketed。 Abramanov calculated that what he had discovered just might be the most powerful and efficient nuclear energy source on the face of the earth。
The unique nuclear criticality displayed by 114m led Abramanov to continue his experiments on his own time； keeping his own counsel … and that of Douglas Serman in Virginia。 What he found both elated and terrified him； so much so that he dared not make his findings public … even to the rest of his research team。
When it came to the human race； Abramanov was no optimist。 He saw the potential danger should even one brick of 114m fall into the wrong hands。 The sins of greed； avarice； ambition； and temptation paraded across the stage of his mind like tawdry whores vulgarly displaying their elemental wares。 He could count from merely those around him the number who would be tempted to use 114m for personal ends。
It seemed to him then that he was in a hot box of his own making … trapped within a conundrum。 He found it unthinkable to give over to his masters the terrible secret of this transuranic isotope。 He would not even trust it to the minds of his colleagues in Arzamas…16； how could he deliver it into the hands of the Central mittee in the Kremlin？ Besides； at that point there was no telling who was in power； and who would remain there for any meaningful length of time。 There was no way to destroy the ingots of 114m he had already manufactured； and he could think of no place secure enough in his tremor…prone area of the country to bury them。
This was the trap he had so cleverly； if unwittingly； constructed for himself。 Then； one night； he awoke from a dream that showed him how 114m was to be his savior rather than his doom。 For months now he had been dreaming of getting out of the increasingly anarchic Soviet Union； but he lacked the nerve。 Now he had the impetus because fleeing his homeland with the deadly ingots was his only logical egress from the hot box。
Working at night； he constructed two boxes of DU so that the ingots of 114m were shielded by three niches of the heavy metal。 This was far from the ideal thickness； but Abramanov was driven by the constraints of time and portability。 As it was； each container weighed nine hundred pounds； but he knew he must still maintain the two…foot physical space between the ingots of radioactive isotope。 The consequences of bringing them in close proximity made him break out into a cold sweat。
The wild； dark sea was ing up from below； solid as a steel…clad door； and only now did he understand fully the extent of his folly。
He had enlisted the aid of a pilot friend of his； a colonel in the VVS； the Soviet Air Force； who； like Abramanov； had grown weary of and disillusioned with munism； and together they had plotted their getaway。 Then Abramanov contacted Douglas Sermans and told him he would shortly be on his way。
Fedorov was scheduled to take a MiG…29 UB two…seat jet trainer across the country from Moscow to the military airfield outside Vladivostok。 For Abramanov； who wanted to get to Virginia in the east of America； it was the long way around； but his options were limited； and he had had no choice。
Fedorov's main problem was how to avoid the Soviet and Vietnamese perimeter radar； Abramanov's had been how to deal with the size and weight of the depleted U…238 cases within which lay like the children of Behemoth the deadly ingots of 114m。
Fedorov had been in the Soviet Air Force for more than twenty years； and he knew every flying trick in the book。 At Vladivostok； he had logged in a refit flight on the Tupolev…10； an old long…distance military transport； had stayed within the radar fields； then； along the coast； had taken the aircraft to an altitude below effective radar range； putting out a spurious distress call that would lead Soviet search planes north while they headed steadily south。
The two four…by…five…by…eight…inch ingots had a total weight of just over three hundred pounds； and the DU cases themselves were each just under half a ton。 Abramanov and Fedorov had replaced the guts of a pair of the MiG…29's AA…10 Alamo laser…guided air…to…air missiles with the cases； using the automated gantry servos used to load bombs。
At the Vladivostok airfield； the military was already in such chaos that it was a relatively simple matter for the two of them to transfer the cargo to the Tupolev in utter secrecy。
Having felt firsthand the power of the MiG…29's twin Tumanskii jet engines； Abramanov had wished to continue their flight in that swift aircraft。 But this had proved impossible。 Besides the fact mat he had to log the MiG…29 in with the field mander； Fedorov had pointed out that if the Chinese or Vietnamese radar picked up the configuration of a warbird outside Soviet airspace； they would initiate an international disaster of incalculable proportions。
Now； in the fierce grip of the subtropical storm； Abramanov wished for the 4；700…kph thrust such a plane would give them。 At least they would have a chance to outrun the storm。 In the wallowing Tupolev； they were pletely at the sky's mercy。
Too late； he thought of the consequences should the two 114m cases e in contact with each other or … just as terrifying … if their DU shielding should be damaged in the ing crash。
〃I can't hold it！〃 Fedorov shouted； giving life to Abramanov's worst fears。 〃We're going down！〃
The colonel unstrapped； while Abramanov sat in his chair； paralyzed with dread。 He was not thinking of himself； but of the 114m。
〃Damn you； e on！〃 Fedorov grabbed Abramanov by the front of his flight suit； hauled him out of his seat。
The Tupolev was canted crazily； its