A Life Stolen by David Lee Corley

Author:David Lee Corley [Corley, David Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

The Hydra

Norsk Research Facility

The Norsk Hydro plant, nestled deep in the Rjukan mountain valley, was originally constructed in the early twentieth century to produce chemicals and explosives that required enormous amounts of electrical energy. Its remote location allowed the large complex to be powered by multiple hydroelectric dams built along the river gorges feeding into the rugged Telemark region.

When German forces occupied Norway during the war, they expanded production at the hardened Norsk factory to supply the Third Reich's arms programs. However, built-in capacity exceeded munitions output alone. So, the commandant overseeing daily plant operations arranged for hundreds of tons of commercial nitrate fertilizers to also be manufactured using the abundant electricity.

This excess agricultural production was then shipped to reinforce Nazi supply lines. The sprawling Norsk workings churned day and night, its turbines fed endless waterpower to generate both destruction and growth for the German war machine simultaneously from occupied Norway's icy peaks and plunging ravines.

As she continued her nightly clandestine searches of the facility, Elsa had to keep up with her daily routine. There was no time off. It was a constant grind. She was tired and drank large amounts of coffee to keep her mind crisp. On an ongoing basis, refined heavy water output needed to be audited to ensure stability and viability. Fortunately, the audit didn’t require much thought. Simple tests, noting the results for future review should a problem develop. It was the walk to the vault in high heels that wore her out. She longed for a foot soak in Epson salts.

The checkpoints grew increasingly fortified the deeper Elsa descended into the remote mountain facility. As the canned air grew chilled and thin, so did her stomach knot tighten. There were more guards than usual on patrol and at the checkpoints. Had something happened? Was there a security breach she didn’t know about?

Elsa's heels clicked steadily across the cavernous heavy water production chamber. Passing giant collection tanks and piping, she flashed her security badge to enter the heavily guarded vault chamber where ampules of processed deuterium were secured. Even with headscarf and lab coat, the sense of profound forces being leashed here still left her breathless.

As the guard wheeled the steel-reinforced door open, Elsa grasped its frame shocked as endless empty racks gaped back at her, where tens of thousands glowing ampules should lie cradled according to her inventory scrolls. Less than a dozen tubes now glinted coolly under the lights.

Voice strained thin before the terrifying void, Elsa called to a technician inspecting gauge tolerances nearby, “Where are the ampules?”

Pausing reluctantly in his adjustments, the technician's eyes dropped sheepishly. "I meant no presumption, Doctor. But Director Knutsen received orders this morning for emergency transport of all refined product to Berlin's research laboratories." He swallowed anxiously. "Surely one so highly ranked as yourself would be... informed of shifting priorities?"

Casting her icy glare to hide her dismay, Elsa continued the deception. "But of course. I must have missed the relocation notice on my daily logistics report. I need an exact count of the ampules removed and their serial numbers to update my inventory.

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