Gases -- A Short Story

Chapter 1

1913

The man was sitting at a desk, reading and rereading. A white coat was slung carelessly across one of his shoulders, a hand absent-mindedly jerking the stiff linen into place whenever it began to slide. His other hand rested against his cheek, supporting it as he stared at the sheet of paper before him. The words seemed to float around him, entrapping him in a querulous whirlwind, mixing with the organized chaos of the laboratory just beyond his open office door.

A sudden knock on the laboratory door shocked the room into startled immobility. Assistants froze; test tubes suspended mid-air, stir rods were stilled, and eyes were riveted to the door. Only the hiss of boiling matter broke the perplexed silence. Drawing himself out of his stupor, the man gestured to the door, separating science and reality with forced nonchalance.

"Karl!"

The young assistant jerked into motion and walked with a wavering step to open the door. The other assistants took Karl's action as a signal and, as one, returned to their work. The laboratory was filled once more with the chiming of glassware, the shuffling of footsteps and the scratching of pens.

Two men in uniform stood, crowding the door frame. Karl murmured a greeting and promptly disappeared into the maze of workbenches and floating white coats. The two officers walked with measured steps to where the man  stood waiting to greet them, coat now hanging on the chair where he had been sitting.

"Gentlemen." The man welcomed the officers into his office, before shutting the door from his curious assistants' eyes and ears. "Please sit."  

The officers sat stiffly on the just-too-soft chairs provided. The man smiled, "Would you like something to eat or drink?" Receiving a reply in the negative, the man sat in his accustomed seat and waited for the officers to speak.

One of the officers swept his cap off with a fluid motion, revealing his serious face. He stretched out his hand. "My name is Captain Hahne and this is Officer Woolfe. We were sent to personally extend the invitation proposed in our letter." Handshakes were solemnly exchanged. "I hope you have received our proposition."

"Yes." The man sat back in his chair, contemplating the military personnel before him. "I am somewhat uncertain as to the role you are proposing."

"Well, Director," Captain Hahne drew himself closer to the desk separating him from the man, "What are you uncertain about?"

"The Kaiser is honestly willing to sponsor my research so that my process can be mass-produced by IGF?" The man's eyes flickered over to the letter on his desk.

Captain Hahne smiled briefly -- the expression was not at home on his face and the result looked unnatural, tight, and uncomfortable.

"IGF is interested in your work and it has state-of-the-art facilities where you can work if you so desire. It has no issue creating mass quantities of ammonia, seeing as it is the largest chemical manufacturer in Germany (if not Europe), as you well know. Besides, the Kaiser believes that your research could help Germany; help make Her stronger in the future. He is offering you quite a good position endorsed by the military to promote your research. If you accept, you do your country a great service." His tone held the slight wheedling and arrogant quality of a proficient automobile salesman.

The man straightened himself from his slouching position, bristling. "My country is everything to me, Captain. I would sooner turn my back on God than Germany. There is no need to push me so blatantly for a prompt decision -- it was made the moment that letter came into my hands." The man stood and pointedly looked at the military personnel. He carried the conviction of authority and the two officers bowed beneath his gaze. They rose and bid their host farewell before marching through the laboratory once more.

Every head watched the officer's progress; the technicians' curiosity grew palpable as they wondered why the Director's meeting with the retreating gentlemen was so short. The more human assistants could already feel the itch of gossip on their lips; even the more robotic ones had barely stifled interest sparkling in their eyes.

The heavy slam of the laboratory door shutting sent the assistants' eyes swinging back to see their chief's reactions. Meeting his disapproving glare, head after head dropped and decorum descended upon the laboratory.

The man watched his subjects from the office of his door. When the excitement of the military gentlemen had finally been replaced with single-minded focus on the experiments before them, the man shut the door of his office from the flurry of activity.

With a contented sigh, the man sat back down in his chair and stared at the blank wall opposite. His mind whirled with possibilities of the future; more funds would come into his lab now and he could refine the ammonia-making process as well as work on a few pet projects. These pet investigations would have to be just as extraordinary and revolutionary as his process which was already changing the world. "And they will be." He reassured himself.

He smiled and thought to himself, "I have done the impossible; I have saved the world from hunger. Everyone will know their savior. "

He spoke with a low voice, relishing the feel of every syllable on his tongue, that reverberated around the small office. "I am mighty."