The Project 05 - The Tesla Secret

work?" the general asked. Yuri had prepared himself with simple answers Kaminsky could understand.
    "It ionizes hydrogen atoms and strips them of their electrons."
    "Leaving sub-atomic particles?"
    Yuri nodded, pleased at Kaminsky's understanding.
    "Yes. Exactly. Stripping the electrons causes the creation of protons. The device accelerates the protons past a high voltage electrode and discharges them as a focused, high-energy particle beam. It travels at almost the speed of light in a straight line. The beam pulses continuously as long as power is applied. When it strikes the target it disrupts the atomic and molecular structure."
    "Why hasn't this been done before?"
    "We tried to develop such a weapon. The old Semipalatinsk-21 test site in Kazakhstan was used for the experiments. The Americans have been experimenting with particle beam weapons for years. The difficulty lies with the energy source and portability. We could not make the beam strong enough to prevent dispersion in the atmosphere, or make the weapon practical in size. Once I understood how Tesla's thinking worked, I was able to design a unit that overcomes some of these obstacles. Some remain."
    Kaminsky waited. Yuri continued.
    "The biggest problem is power. The beam requires more than 100 megawatts to reach targets in space. Tesla designed a revolutionary power source. It is almost complete, but we still lack a key element to boost it to sufficient levels. We are building ahead of ourselves. Until we have that element, we will not have the capability you desire."
    "What is missing?"
    "An amplifier, the key to reaching maximum power."
    "And this?" Kaminsky waved his hand at the odd-looking shape in the hanger. "What is the capability?"
    "With the test unit I anticipate a range of less than two kilometers before blooming."
    "Blooming?"
    "Blooming is when the beam disperses because of particles in the atmosphere. Dust, humidity, things like that. Once it blooms, it loses destructive force. Two kilometers is a great achievement, but as you can see, the device is not practical for battlefield conditions."
    "You don't know if it will work." There was a hint of warning in Kaminsky's voice.
    "General, you requested I notify you when the device was ready to demonstrate. I am confident it will work."
    Kaminsky smiled and patted Yuri on the shoulder. "So, let us see it work."
    "Begin, Sasha." Yuri spoke to his chief technician, hovering nearby.
    Sasha barked commands. Rows of lights on the boards changed from red to yellow to green. The ozone smell grew stronger.
    "We have to build up the charge," Yuri said. "Once we reach that point, power can be applied continuously."
    Kaminsky nodded. Electricity crackled and leapt from the tops of the copper rods like lightning and poured into the core. A blue haze formed around the Tesla device. It hummed, a deep, low vibration Kaminsky felt through the soles of his boots.
    "Ready," Sasha called.
    From their vantage point, Yuri and Kaminsky could see the target, a T-34 tank placed a kilometer away on the plain.
    "General," Yuri said, "just press that button under the window. The device has already been targeted."
    A large red button projected from a steel box mounted on the wall. The two men looked through the glass. Kaminsky pressed the button.
    A blinding beam of blue light ripped through the air. The tank vanished with a sound as if a god had clapped his hands together.
    Kaminsky stared open-mouthed at the spot where the tank had been, speechless. Even Yuri was surprised at the power he had unleashed.
    Kaminsky found his voice. "This was designed as a weapon?"
    "Yes. The American papers of the time called it a 'Death Ray'."
    "They were right," Kaminsky said. "Amazing. You have done well, Yuri."
    The physicist preened at the flattery.
    Kaminsky picked at his large nose. "We have a little less than three months. Will it be ready?"
    "Only if we can resolve the power amplification. Otherwise, no." He paused. "There is something that may help, but it's a long shot."
    "Go on."
    "There is a book, very old, in Portugal. The Spaniards found it during the conquest of the Yucatan. It's called the Mafra Codex. Tesla mentions it in his notes. I'm not sure why, but he thought it might help him refine the weapon. Get me the book."
    Kaminsky nodded. "It will be done. Once you have the power boost, will the weapon work?"
    "Given that condition, yes. We've had some difficulty with the aiming device. Since we can't test it with the real