“You are scaring me, Mikey, please…” Marcela said.
“The so called super symmetrical particles exist, which are actually in a universe, parallel to ours and have the respective mirror analogues in our world.”
“But how so? Is there any connection between them?” Michael asked.
“The objects of super symmetry are absolutely identical with those with us, but are reciprocal, turned backwards, with an opposite sign.”
“Like reflections in a mirror, is that it?” Marcela was addressing rather Hans than Michael.
“Exactly. Imagine you are looking at yourself in the mirror in the hall of your home” the Professor replied. “Your wedding ring on your right hand is on the left hand of the image before you. His left ear is with the earring that is on your right one.”
“You have an earring on the right ear only if you are gay, dude, and I’m not sure you are exactly married” Michael laughed.
“The objects in the parallel symmetrical world are called s-objects and we define them as ‘partners’ of the respective objects in our Universe. Thus, for example, the partner of electron is selectron, the one of the quark is squark. For us today these are only hypothetical particles, since they have not been discovered or proved yet. The exception is the x-boson, which is the analogue of the known to us fermion.”
“Wasn’t the x-boson the so called ‘divine particle’, about which those scientists from CERN bragged they have managed to discover?” Alan asked, dimly remembering an article on the matter.
“Yes, Alan.”
“Tell them, Michael, tell them when these ‘symmetrical’ particles appear.”
“For their creation and proving… or rather for passing beyond that border a large amount of energy is needed. Like in the first minutes of the Big Bang.”
“Which we obviously have in the submarine with its temporal engine and artificial creation of singularity. Is it possible, Michael, that in such conditions super symmetrical objects might appear?” the Major asked.
“In theory, yes, this is one of the possibilities… a tunnel in time.”
“People, I can understand the theoretic postulates about elementary particles, but here we have before us macro creatures, don’t we?” Marcela asked.
“Yes, but what are we built of, our bodies? Of elementary particles, atoms, molecules.”
In this case is it theoretically possible, since little symmetrical particles exist, that people, mirror-like to us exist as well? You remember the message 1986/9861, like one, reflected in a mirror, backwards.”
“Yes, why not? Physics allows this possibility at least theoretically.”
“These are exactly the doubles, ladies and gentlemen, they are our mirror Self.” Hans got up from his chair, took out his pipe with an elegant gesture and bowed slightly. He resembled an actor, who goes all sweaty back on the stage for an encore after having done the perfect part in the performance of his life.
“There is, however, one more message.” Hans pressed two keys on the keyboard and figures appeared on the screen:
66920392 310920920923 153231 052153349
660 492660054054 923660054054 66920392
YOU TOOK ME AND I WILL KILL YOU
“What does it mean?” Alan addressed Hans.
“Better ask the Major.”
This time the glances were directed at Norman and after hesitating for a couple of seconds whether to answer sincerely, he said:
“We removed the Cube from the ship and put it here, in the Base. At this moment it is only a few yards away from you, behind this wall, in the next room.”
“My God, Norman, what have you done?!” Marcela exclaimed. “People, you know that this is a mission of the government. I, as commander, follow orders. Which, by the way, you should also do.” Norman did not quite sound as if he believed what he said. “This Cube belongs to mankind” Alan said firmly. “And to all nations round the world” Marcela added.
“Sergey is dead and there is not a trace of Ivanov.”
“And where is the body, Lieutenant? What did you do with it?”
“We took it immediately to the room for biological research, the Romanian lady is there with it. I put a guard in front of the door, Sir.” The Lieutenant saluted briskly.
“Very well, Lieutenant, observe the controls and if there is news, immediately report to me on the radio. I’m going to see what’s this whack that harasses us and I swear, once I get to know what it is, I’ll fix it my way instantly!
Ivanov charged his gun and started slowly forward.
He had just the warehouse to finish with and he would be ready.
The helicopter would wait for him after eleven hours at the agreed spot, eight miles from here, direction east-northeast. It would take him to a Russian nuclear submarine by the shores of north Egypt, and from there – home.
But the most important thing now was to finish destroying the base and take the Cube with him. He knew it was heavy, he had tried to overturn it as soon as it was discovered on the submarine, but he had no doubt that he would be able to carry it for eight miles. He was worried only about the weather – in this storm the problem would be not so much walking through the sand, as some difficulties that might arise about his orientation in the right direction.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Marcela appeared in front of him. She held one arm behind her back and in the other hand she had a plastic explosive with her finger on the detonator.
“What the hell are you doing here?”, the Colonel hissed quietly and raised his gun at her. She dashed towards him without answering, as if wishing to embrace him, but what she did was push him with inhuman force, sending the giant on the ground. Her red eyes twinkled in the pale moon light, then her hands pinned his own on the sand, while her sparkling white teeth dug in his neck.
Her hands were clutching his head as a vise and the warmth of the blood, gushing like a fountain, covered all his right side. He knew he would lose consciousness any moment now, and like his training dictated, he considered the options for some outcome from this situation.
If he did not overthrow her away from him, he was lost, he knew it very well. He succeeded in tucking one hand between her legs and with the other he squeezed her neck. Her flesh was hard as steel, nothing human felt this way.
The bulky man moved with great effort the body of the woman several inches and could hardly lift her a bit, she was as heavy as iron. Her limbs resisted chaotically, but he managed to move her at some distance and looked at her face.
Her eyes were sparkling scarlet-red, with the beautiful and unnatural shining of an artificial blood red diamond. The paleness of her skin was in even greater contrast with her bright pupils.
Despite the great loss of blood, Ivanov succeeded to overturn her with trembling arms but with a skillful grip and to press her with his powerful body. He acted on instinct and bit her neck. Instead of blood he felt the acidic taste of something like cider vinegar between his teeth and removed his head from her body. He saw the death convulsions of her chest slowing down, then gradually stopping.
He looked around for help, then submitted to unconsciousness, falling over the lifeless body.
“What’s this motherfucker?” Norman looked at her inquiringly. “I’ll show you now, Major.” Marcela had finished the autopsy, took off her gloves and sat in front of the computer to show him the results.