Book 4: Chapter 33: The Manhattan Project

“Doctor Jones, what’s happening?” Seeing Indiana Jones lead a group of superhumans rushing into the carriage, the leading guard of the Allied Forces inside extended an arm to block them. Important personnel rested in this carriage; not even the Justice League could enter freely.

“It’s all right, Captain Locke, let them in!” An old scientist with a stern expression rose from the sofa, frowning as he asked, “Jones, you look like you’re in a great hurry. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Doctor Robert, Captain Locke, enemies attacked this military train. I’m afraid we must gather everyone to a safe place,” Jones said briefly.

“Is the situation very serious?” Dr. Robert was slightly startled and asked nervously.

“We will ensure everyone’s complete safety, please rest assured!” Jones removed his cowboy hat, speaking reassuringly.

“No, Jones, you don’t understand. I’m not worried about my own safety!” The old scientist still grabbed Jones’s arm anxiously.

“Doctor Robert, you…” Jones frowned slightly at the doctor’s expression. In Jones’s memory, this old scientist had never lost his composure, not even the night Casablanca was attacked. “…Is there something I don’t know about?”

Dr. Robert, more accurately Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, the head of another unconventional warfare project for the Allied Forces, the “Manhattan Project,” hesitated after hearing this. He glanced cautiously at Captain Locke beside him.

“Indiana Jones is a patriot. I trust his integrity!” Locke said quietly to Dr. Oppenheimer, tilting his head towards Jones. “Come with me, Jones. Just you alone.”

“No, Doctor. Though we don’t know the identity of the attackers yet, we believe it’s likely the Gentlemen Alliance from Germany. I alone cannot protect you and all the scientists aboard. If you can’t trust us, the Germans will win this.” Jones glanced back at his fellow superhumans and waved a hand to stop Captain Locke.

“Alright. Far better than letting that thing fall into German hands!” Dr. Oppenheimer smiled bitterly and shook his head. “Please, come with me, gentlemen. When this is over, I hope you can forget what you see here. It might be the only hope to quickly end the war.”

The entrance of Jones and the others caused an argument between the old scientist and the other scientists in the carriage. However, after an angry shout from Dr. Oppenheimer, they finally stopped arguing and grudgingly accepted the presence of Jones’s group.

“I apologize, gentlemen. Our work is extremely important and may have a significant impact on the world. They weren’t ready for outsiders to come into contact with this… Pandora’s Box!” Dr. Oppenheimer turned around, his expression grim as he addressed the superhumans behind him.

Following the old scientist’s signal, Captain Locke took a large silver canister from the carriage’s safe. It looked like a giant thermos.

“What is this, Doctor?” Jones and the superhumans behind him exchanged confused glances. They didn’t recognize it.

“Jones, you know…” Oppenheimer looked at his fellow scientists, hesitating, “…myself and these others… have been in charge of a separate military project.”

“The Manhattan Project. Like the Super Soldier Program that created Captain America. The Captain mentioned it to me once,” Jones nodded cautiously.

“Actually, this project… succeeded at the beginning of the year. It only lacks the final delivery system!” Oppenheimer bit his lip nervously, a very uncharacteristic display for a man of his age. “But…”

“But Einstein stopped us. It must be said, as a pacifist, Doctor Einstein understood the dangers of this project sooner than the rest of us!” An elderly scientist who had spoken earlier, standing behind Oppenheimer, interjected.

“Yes, Albert was right about this one thing. If the fruits of the Manhattan Project were handed over to the military and the politicians, they would undoubtedly use it immediately on the European battlefront, hoping to hasten the war’s end!” Oppenheimer sighed.

“Isn’t that our shared hope?” Indiana Jones asked, puzzled.

“Of course, it’s our common wish! But… it depends on what we are willing to pay for that result!” Oppenheimer said heavily, as if finally finding an outlet for a long-suppressed feeling. “The entire Manhattan Project is about building a bomb. Its power is unlike anything before. You cannot possibly imagine!”

“How much power?”

Despite the imminent threat from the Gentlemen Alliance, the superhumans of the Justice League sensed, almost subconsciously from the Doctor’s words, something far more dangerous. They were drawn in, listening intently.

“You experienced the main gun fire of the Gneisenau in Casablanca. A 283mm battleship high-explosive shell contains about three hundred kilograms of explosives. The bomb made by the Manhattan Project… its explosive force is equivalent to… forty thousand shots from the Gneisenau’s main guns!” Oppenheimer stated flatly, watching the group.

“Hiss…” A collective intake of cold breath filled the air. The members of the Justice League weren’t ordinary people; most possessed strong minds and intelligence. Yet, they were deeply shaken by the Doctor’s words.

Suddenly, they understood why Captain Locke preferred friction with the Justice League over allowing superhumans, other than the American Jones, into the carriage.

The Justice League’s superhumans weren’t only American. They came from everywhere – England, Canada, France, and so on. There was no guarantee one of them, driven by patriotism, wouldn’t seize this opportunity for their own nation.

“Doctor Oppenheimer, if it’s just about the bomb’s immense power, I can’t see why Doctor Einstein would try to stop you. If we don’t end this war soon, soldiers on the battlefields will likely endure more than forty thousand battleship shell hits!” Jones’s eyes flickered as he questioned, puzzled.

“I told you, ending the war is everyone’s common wish! But it depends on what price we need to pay!” Oppenheimer sounded agitated. “Our research was an absolute success in military technology, but it opened Pandora’s Box. These bombs have a flaw we haven’t solved yet.”

Oppenheimer paused, frowning silently. The elderly scientist who had spoken behind him picked up again.

“When this bomb explodes, it releases light and heat comparable to the sun. Even steel will vaporize instantly. While its energy equals forty thousand battleship shells, the actual destructive area isn’t forty times larger.

However, the most terrifying thing is the radioactivity afterwards. The land becomes severely contaminated, perhaps barren for decades. People living on that land, even if not killed outright by the blast, will sicken and die over time. Their descendants may be born deformed. The casualties could reach hundreds of thousands… impossible even to count.”

Silence fell once more in the carriage. The Justice League, unlike the Gentlemen Alliance, was composed of superhumans who’d joined to help the Allies end the war for noble reasons. If the Allies used such an inhumane weapon, how could the Justice League claim to be just?

“Doctor Einstein was right. This thing shouldn’t exist!” There was a murmur among the superhumans, concern spreading.

“Doctor Oppenheimer, I don’t understand. If Doctor Einstein opposed using such a bomb, why does this… thing… exist?” Indiana Jones pointed at the silver “‘giant thermos,”’ frowning.

“That isn’t the bomb itself, merely its raw material. It contains fifty kilograms of highly enriched Uranium-235, the lifelong work of all the scientists in the research institute.” The elderly scientist behind Dr. Oppenheimer explained. “It can not only be used to make bombs but also as nuclear fuel, providing us with a highly efficient, clean energy source – like electricity!”

“Ironical, isn’t it! The element capable of the worst pollution can be transformed into the cleanest energy.” Dr. Oppenheimer smiled bitterly. “In truth, not all scientists agreed with Doctor Einstein. I was among those who wished to end this war at any cost.”

“Dr. Oppenheimer’s view used to be the minority opinion and wasn’t widely accepted. Though he leads the institute, the other scientists only agreed to use this Uranium-235 for peaceful ends!” Another elderly scientist said awkwardly.

“‘Used to’ be the minority?” Jones noticed the word choice keenly. “That implies that now…”

“Now Doctor Einstein is in the minority!” There was no look of victory on Dr. Oppenheimer’s face, only anger. “The sight of tens of thousands of displaced Muslim civilians in Casablanca, the streets strewn with innocent corpses… let all the scientists present witness the Nazis’ brutality firsthand.”

“We suddenly realized that if we didn’t end the war quickly, countless more civilians would perish under the Nazis’ boots. Compared to hundreds of millions of civilians across Europe, sacrificing hundreds of thousands seemed… negligible.”

The face of the elderly scientist behind Dr. Oppenheimer twitched slightly. “The Nazis turned life into a number. If that’s a crime, we scientists are prepared to bear that burden too. We have all decided that once the war ends, the rest of our lives will be devoted to humanitarian relief work for those hundreds of thousands of nuclear victims.”

Quiet descended yet again on the carriage. In these few short minutes, Jones and the Justice League members felt like they had undergone a profound life lesson. They had never realized that while the Justice League fought life-or-death battles, these scientists were also fighting inner demons.

It was clear these scientists had already become victors, before them. Whatever the Manhattan Project became, these men knew what they were doing and had prepared themselves to accept the final outcome.

“Einstein still holds his view, but he stopped hindering us. He merely boarded a plane back to America.” Oppenheimer waved a tired hand. “Gentlemen, now you understand. I need to remind you: no matter what happens, your first priority is ensuring this cannot fall into Nazi hands!”

“Doctor, rest assured. We will protect you all, and this… giant bottle.” Jones and the superhumans behind him all shone with determination in their eyes.