Angel Of Death Pt 02

Angel of Death Part 2

Chapter one : The payload

Scientists gazed at the monitors as robotic arms sliced open the nosecone of the rocket and delicately extracted the warhead. The warhead was a shiny metal sphere, five feet in diameter. It took a whole month to remove the warhead as it was found to be radioactive. The world's first nuclear bomb was now before their eyes.

They were 20 miles away and the operation was performed remotely. The rocket was secured in an underground bunker in case of an explosion.

"Incredible! Just think if they managed to use it!" said Frank.

"Its too small. I don't think it would have done much damage," said another.

"Still, its amazing they actually pulled it off! History could have been very different."

"The question is, what's the mid section?" added Dr. Rachel Smith. A nuclear scientist in her late thirties. Charming and strict, Frank found her attractive.

" Fuel?" responded another scientist.

"I don't think so. We know there must have been a stage which has fallen off, meaning this is the oldest multi stage rocket we know of. This stage was propelled by the solid fuel rockets we fished out of the sea. So my guess its the guidance system. But its soo large. Even for 80 years ago," she added.

"We can't find any seams or openings," said another tech.

"Yes, by the looks of it, its welded shut at the two ends. We'll have to cut through."

"We don't know if its another warhead. X rays won't penetrate it, there seems to be a lead lining inside. The safest option is to bore into it and send in an endoscope."

The steel tube was an inch thick, followed by a layer of lead and several layers of glass fiber, asbestos and ceramic. The team took care to take it slow. Room temperature was lowered to a few degrees below freezing. Finally they broke into an empty space.

There was a long "hiss" as air rushed inside the cavity. It had been sealed in a partial vacuum.

"No radiation. No pathogens or traces of chemicals detected," announced a tech.

"Sending in camera."

At first there was nothing. A dark grey interior full of wires, hoses and instruments... and then:

"Holy shit!"

Everyone rushed to the screens. There in the, cold dark metal cylinder, welded shut from the outside, the camera had focused on a black, gloved human hand. tightly grasping a joystick!

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Chapter two: Helga begins her journey.

Helga was sitting in her bed. Everything was silent. Her head was spinning as she thought about the day before. She was now in hell. Ready to become the Angel of Death.

She had entered through the doors of the Reichs most feared research laboratory. No test subject had ever left it alive. She now followed the lead scientist through the dark, damp corridors, distant echos of pain and suffering, animalistic groans, the smell of disinfectant, formaldehyde, caught her nostrils as they passed. As they turned a corner she gagged at the smell of decomposing flesh.

"Walk quickly my dear," he said.

They went down an elevator to a briefing room. Several Generals and scientists were present.

"Frauline von Heidleberg!" it was Grand Admiral Karl Braun. "The last hope of our Fatherland!" She saluted him, he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Ahem, gentlemen, we don't have much time," said doctor Gunter Becker, the head of the research center, a ruthless and impatient perfectionist, who had no qualms about performing brutal experiments on innocent captives. There was a free supply of all sorts for his picking. But this was different. Helga was precious. She had to go through the transformation with her consciousness intact. It had cost the lives of 173 people, men, women and children. With the exception of a very few volunteers, all test subjects were forced to undergo the hideous transformation.

"Yes, doctor. I'm ready," she said.

" My child, the Reich is forever in debt to you, whatever the outcome!" said another official. Champaign was brought in and they all drank to her health.

Coming back to the present, Helga looked at the clock on her wall. Her heart was racing. Her head was spinning. Will it hurt? Will it be a success? If she did get through this with her consciousness intact, would she go through with the plan?

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Chapter three : " Amerikabombe"

The commotion at the research facility was unlike anything Frank or anyone had experienced before. A human body, inside the rocket. The first human in space. And, he was welded shut in a seamless cylinder, without even the tiniest port hole to look out.

"They didn't have the technology to build strong enough hatches light enough, so welding the occupant shut must have been the only way."

More holes were drilled and the metal coffin was illuminated to better reveal its contents:

The "astronaut" sat crouched down similar to riding a motorcycle. The body was clad in thick, tight fitting black rubber, with reinforcing ribs. The suit shone like new without any creases. The astronaut wore a black helmet with a glass front. The face was obscured by a large instrument panel curving in front.

As the camera reached past the shoulders towards the narrow hips and bubble rear, one of the researchers exclaimed, "Its a woman!"

Indeed, it was. Further probing with the camera revealed beyond doubt, ample breasts pushing against the tight space suit. The team were only able to get a glimpse of a long slender nose and chin inside the helmet as the cameras couldn't get through.

After hours of probing the compartment, and confirming there was nothing potentially harmful, either chemical or biological, the decision was made to cut it open and release the female rocketeer from her prison of 80 years.

To be continued...