Mercenary Black Mamba

Chapter 640: Chapter 57 Episode 3 Socrates Project

In the coming pages, the terse tone stayed the same. Herman leaned back against his chair. Hathaway propped his chin on his hand while Ian maintained his upright posture. They differed in posture but shared the same facial expression: boredom.

8. Forecast of Planetary Climate Disasters Caused by the Use of Fossil Fuels

The CO2 content in the atmosphere is skyrocketing due to the use of fossil fuels and the destruction of forests. Even before the depletion of the fuels, there is a risk of a planet-wide climate catastrophe caused by climate change.

According to the simulation run by the committee, if the current fossil fuel usage continues, in 50 years, the carbon gas concentration in the atmosphere will reach 500 ppm. The atmospheric temperature would rise two degrees.

9. Alternative Energy

Geothermal, wind, tidal, and solar are supplementary sources of energy. They cannot serve as the main source of energy within the next 100 years.

10. Nuclear Fusion Reactors

The research outcomes at the University of Pennsylvania, Los Alamos, Princeton University, Culham, and other laboratories are disappointing.

Collaborative research in Europe is also lagging. However, judging from the current technology, common-use fusion reactors will be available within the next 100 years.

...

The Challenges of Nuclear Fusion

The superconductor is yet to be developed. During the past 70 years, the critical temperature rose by a mere 13K. The cooling takes way too long (five months).

Capacity and Mass

......

...

High Temperature/Pressure

More than 100,000,000 degrees Celsius. More than 2,000,000 hectopascals. More than 20,000,000 degrees.

Limits of Maintaining the High Temperature

...

12. Regarding Lithium Supply

Worldwide reserves are estimated at 20,000,000 tons. Eighty percent in salt lakes. 20 percent in mines. Main reserves in the salt lakes in Bolivia, China, Argentina, and Chile.

No minable lithium mines in the United States.

Future Lithium Demand

Aircraft lubricant, antidepressant, alloy for reactionary material in hydrogen bombs, optical communication material, rocket propellant, batteries. Demand for lithium is set to rise. Minable lithium mines are necessary.

...

A single note was attached as an appendix.

[Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Incident and Problems Thereof]

1. Date: March 28th, 1979

2. Location: Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, Middletown, Pennsylvania

3. Reactor Type: a pressurized water reactor

4. Incident Type: Core Meltdown

5. Cause: Water Supply System Malfunction

6. Incident Level: Five

7. Outcome: See Appendix

8. Aftermath: Rise of anti-nuclear sentiments, the construction of 70 nuclear power plants canceled.

...

“Davis, there must be a reason you gave us a report more appropriate for a presidential secretary’s office. Also, you mentioned Three Mile—you know we don’t like that name.”

Hathaway propped up his glasses with his finger and looked up. It meant he was not feeling good.

“You must know that the Three Mile incident was reported as Level Five, on-site radiation exposure, but it was, in fact, Level Six, an external leak of radiation. The Carter administration quarantined the radiated residents from the outside and canceled the construction of the nuclear power plant. Due to these idiotic measures, the notion has spread that nuclear power plants lead to disasters.”

“Davis, you always make us wait far too long. We get it. Open the lid.”

Herman cut him off. Davis smiled his fake smile.

“Apologies. I forgot that you are always busy.”

The screen halted mid-air and came down. The map of Africa was projected onto the cloth.

“Six months ago, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.5 took place north of Lake Kivu, part of the Great Rift Valley. The epicenter is at Goma, northwest of Lake Kivu.”

With Lake Kivu at the center, eastern Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda were zoomed in on the screen.

“These are the areas in which aftershocks were observed. Currently, along the lake’s shoreline on the high plateau in East Africa, aftershocks with magnitudes of 5-6 are intermittently happening.”

A red circle was drawn around Mambasa, 400 kilometers west of Lake Albert.

“This area is a tropical rainforest called the Great Forest of Ituri belonging to Zaire. Unfortunately, due to the aftershocks along the rift, a great landslide occurred in Mambasa.”

The screen was zoomed in on again. The ground was revealing its scarlet innards. A white line ran across the divided ground, and the words “6km” appeared next to the line.

“Pegasus, a Middle Earth Orbit satellite, captured this image. You will see the white line running across the upper part of the divided ground.”

“Is it a vein of quartz?”

“No. There is some quartz, but it is mainly a deposit of salt, whose thickness ranges from five to ten feet.”

“A 10-foot-thick salt deposit? This may be fascinating to geologists, but not to me. America has too much salt. Its citizens are getting cardiovascular diseases due to over-intake of sodium. Soil saline content in California is ruining the orange orchards.” Ian mused.

“High-grade salt usually comes from the salt lakes of Uyuni, Bolivia, or the Himalayas, the pink salt. Sometimes from Korea too, the bamboo salt.” Herman agreed.

“An executor would not be tasked with importing salt. You said Uyuni. Do you mean lithium?”

Hathaway propped up his glasses with his finger.

“As of now, yes.”

“As of now?” Herman asked. His face seemed kind, but his eyes were cold.

“Dirty old Jew!”

Davis tensed up. The man’s kind gaze was a charade. Herman, representing the American oil cartel, was a hardcore Zionist.

“Lithium is one of the most important resources, but I don’t believe the executor would call us oldies out here just for mere lithium. So, Davis, why did you call us?” Ian asked.

When Davis hesitated, his wristwatch vibrated. He took out an earpiece from the wristwatch and put it in his ear.

“Executor, there are no security breaches. We have acquired our target.”

Davis smirked imperceptibly. He now had leverage over Herman. He put the earpiece back and removed an aluminum case from his briefcase.

“This is the C-one report.”

The C-one had the highest security measures. It was to be discarded immediately after reading. Herman’s face hardened.

[Mambasa Report: Fusion Reactors of Geological Age]

1. Oklo Report: A Natural Nuclear Reactor

1-1 Discovery of a Natural Nuclear Reactor

Oklo Uranium Mine, Franceville, Haut-Ogooué province, Gabon, 1972.

In a natural state, neutrons are introduced with water as the conduit. Of the 12 mineral deposits, six emitted heat through nuclear fission of uranium chain reactions. That is equivalent to the energy produced by six million-watt nuclear power plants for a year.

The Oklo uranium mine’s stratum is made of sedimentary rock formed in the early Precambrian during the Proterozoic era.

1-2. France Pierrate Uranium Laboratory Oklo Report

If water-dissolved uranium keeps sedimenting and gets condensed, when the number of the second type of neutrons surpasses the first type, a chain reaction happens in a natural condition.

Natural uranium has steady rates of isotopes. 234 0.0055 percent, 235 0.72 percent, and 238 99.2745 percent.

The uranium ores mined from Oklo have only 0.44-0.592 percent of uranium 235. The Pierrate laboratory confirmed the existence of a natural nuclear reactor. This was named “the Oklo effect.”

1-3. The committee’s conclusion regarding the Oklo report

No glass forms were discovered in Oklo.

There is no evidence that substantiates the Oklo effect other than the lower rate of uranium 235.

This is a remnant of an ancient civilization or an alien civilization.

2. Ancient Nuclear Fusion Reactor in Mambasa, Zaire

2-1. The geological analysis of the Mambasa region

It was determined to be an early-Proterozoic-era sedimentary stratum similar to Oklo. It belongs to the Albert fault zone.

2-2. First Probe

Some areas of the vast salt deposit have extraordinary concentrations of lithium. (12 times that of Uyuni.)

Some lithium isotopes were artificially altered.

Suspected nuclear fusion reactions or artificial lithium refining.

Usually, Li-6 is used for nuclear reactions, but oddly, Li-7 was used.

3. Conclusion

It is highly suspected that a civilization capable of nuclear fusion was once located here.

4. Resolutions

4-1. Probing of the Albert Fault Zone in Mambasa and acquisition of the developmental rights

Utilizing a special operations squad to hide the area from public view.

Dispatching a probing team.

Using military engineers to build a preliminary road network. The construction will also drive external attention away from lithium mining.

Activation of Gamma One and Gamma Three.

5. Notes

Thirty kilometers around the target area are two gold mines and one diamond mine operated by armed guerrillas.

The region has three large armed rebel armies and a dozen small-scale armed groups.

To hide things in plain sight. Davis hid a lie in nine truths. For anyone to search for Ka, the area was too wide. And the areas to search were swarming with hundreds of thousands of rebels and harsh natural environments.

Zaire was a developing country with loose policies, but Freemasonry still couldn’t operate openly with its military and mining schemes. The jungle of Ituri was not a favorable environment at all. The armed rebels were also a threat. Only the United States of America had the power to overcome all those disadvantages and move along with its tasks.

“You are clever, Davis. The report was just an excuse to call us here so you could report about Mambasa. But being overly cautious could easily turn into neurosis.” Herman criticized Davis in a roundabout way.

“A satellite of the Soviet Union moves above Mambasa twice a day.”

“Hmm. If Pegasus has the footage, we can be sure who sent the intel satellites.”

“The KGB, MI5, France, Japan—it could have been anyone. They may not realize the value of the area, though.”

Davis trailed off. He needed to get these “patriotic” oldies all excited for him to get some goodies himself.

“An ancient nuclear fusion reactor? Even if that fails, it’s a win if we gain the massive lithium mine. We gain it and defend it! It’s a time attack.”

Hathaway discerned the point.

“Of course. We have already dispatched the first expedition team.”

“Good. But we need an explanation. Us oldies are not physicists like you. I can’t even memorize the periodic table.”

“If you are well versed in physics, I will lose my job. I will explain it briefly. The amount of Li-7 rapidly dropped because it collided with neutrons to produce tritium. This is a nuclear fusion reaction that has never been seen in nature. The reactive activity of Li-7 was raised, and there was also a stable supply of neutrons in the reactor. Thus, the plasma in the reactor was maintained stably. It is strange that they used Li-7 instead of Li-6, which is much easier to handle.”

With the current development of nuclear physics and technology, a common-use nuclear fusion reactor will not be feasible, not even at the end of the 21st century, let alone this century. There are countless Mount Everests that we must climb before we can see a common-use fusion reactor. No alloy can withstand 100,000,000 degrees Celsius, which is hotter than the sun. The main obstacle is the lack of a true superconductor. It shouldn’t lose any electricity and needs to be compact and usable at room temperature. If we cannot make it on our own, we may have to steal it.

We need a prophetic answer. The scientific society is planning to find the answer in the strata in Mambasa. The United States has wasted billions of dollars to leave some useless footprints on the moon. If America gains but a fragment of an ancient fusion reactor with the Mambasa Project, true Pax Americana will be realized. The next century truly will be ours.”

Davis concluded with a passionate speech that was out of character. Herman clapped.

“What a moving speech, Davis. You should be sent to the Senate instead of me. You must want unofficial, unlimited support, right?”

“Yes.”

“The activation of Gamma One and Gamma Three will rouse human rights issues. It’s a tricky request.”

Herman shook his head.

“Carter returned to his peanut farm. The president will not turn down the decision of the committee.”

Davis smiled confidently. The committee had total control when it came to the Socrates Project. That’s why he is pandering to these men right now.

“We got ourselves good!”

Hathaway looked back at Ian. He needed the clearance of Peneta Ian as Energy Advisor to the White House. To dispatch a squad of special ops agents and activate Gamma One and Gamma Three, they needed the president’s approval. Especially when Gamma Three was activated, the project manager was bestowed with permission for extrajudicial killings. The scientists and workers on the expedition were not military personnel but civilians. Reagan must act carefully.