Singularity Soon

20. The exploding explosion

*01

Rajiv's bomb blew up the Multipliers' molecular processor during its only trial run. A mountain of black smoke billowed upwards while debris came crashing down and fires started in the ruins.

Two researchers in the building were killed immediately and one was critically injured. By some miracle, the visiting middle schoolers on a class trip had just left the hall containing the processor tank, and were standing some distance away looking at an empty construction site when it hit.

The blast spewed a mass of writhing organic shapes from the tank through the building onto the back parking lot. Half the damage was caused by this secondary reaction. One student managed to film a few seconds of what would be described as a "Pharaoh's Serpent" effect. This was one of several phenomena no one had predicted, that helped focus attention on the case. 

Three students were rescued from a partially collapsed restroom in an adjacent building with serious injuries.

Many youths knew the world was borderline retarded. Daily life was packed with real and needless complexity demanding surprising skill levels, and things only got stupider the higher you looked. (The highest human truth may well be that existence cannot be made meaningful at any level, but that would soon be a purely academic question.)

Today's attack triggered something like an immune response. There was a strong reaction from many authorities who couldn't see the big picture.

It actually began a few months ago, when the cops had pulled over Rajiv and his new pals outside this very facility. It had happened on the other side, so Rajiv hadn't recognized the buildings during his last moments (the StreetView tags had also been doctored to hide the name of the tenant).

The day after the stop, the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative had received a tip about suspect activities here. Homeland Security Investigations began to look at links with the Multipliers' Japan facility, which provided some of their chemicals. It turned out the molecular processor required heavy elements to stabilize its one-way calculations, specifically depleted uranium.

FEMA's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Office faxed its files to the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Counterterrorism Center's Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team requested a RadNet overflight of the area to take air samples. That flight had been much delayed since it required Army/EPA cooperation. Of course no abnormal radiation was detected.

By then a Secret Service agent and a deputy US Marshal had arrived in town on what was nominally a training investigation. Despite their junior rank, they had a solid background in I.T. threats, especially crypto and social manipulation. However, this was clearly something new.

The agents reminded the people they met of the lead characters from The X-Files, but there was nothing romantic between them as the female agent was a non-binary lesbian. They heard the explosion while writing reports in the Federal Building downtown. Within hours, they joined the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, and helped guide the investigation.

DoE's Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation activated its Nuclear Emergency Support Team, which advised local firefighters to spray the congealed mass with foam until they could take samples. Measured radiation levels were well within safe limits. There was another delay as they reviewed the Multipliers' paperwork, which was scrupulously in order. The substance looked sinister but was harmless as long as you didn't ingest it.

The focus was still on material evidence, not on far-out cyberthreats or existential annihilation.

The Multipliers' security chief had told the two federal agents about Rajiv the evening before the detonation. During that meeting he claimed Rajiv had worked for them as a compensated volunteer, but had been let go for stalking and harassing a female employee who feared for her life. He gave the agents the fake name and address Rajiv had given him.