The Destroyer of Worlds

American Prometheus

"I gather you've heard there are other parties interested in the work of the Radiation Lab." Pash told me as I adjusted my sitting position.

"A man attached to the Soviet Consul indicated, through intermediate people, to people on this project, that he was in a position to transmit information." I said, turning to look at Pash.

"Oh, why would anyone on the project want to do that?" Pash asked, looking at me, then at Johnson, then back at me. I shook my head.

"Frankly, I can see that there might be an argument for the Commander-in-Chief informing the Russians... they're our allies after all... but I don't like the idea of it going out the back door." I said as I furrowed my brows. "It might not hurt to be on the lookout for it." I finished as Pash raised his eyebrows, leaning closer to me.

I was on the train with Groves, telling him about my time with Pash. "And you said that to Pash?" Groves asked, eyebrows raised. "I was trying to put it in a context of Russia's not Germany." I replied. "Boris Pash is the son of a Russian Orthodox bishop. Born here, but in 1918, he went back to Russia to fight the Bolsheviks. This is a man who has killed Communists with his own hands." Groves explained the backstory of Colonel Pash.

"I'm not the judge of who should or should not have information. It's my business to stop it from going through illegally. Would you be a little more specific?" Pash crossed his hands. I looked down for a moment before answering him.

"There's a man whose name was mentioned to me a couple of times. Eltenton." I began, pointing at Johnson, since I mentioned him the day before. "Uh, I believe he's a chemist who works at Shell. He talked to a friend of his who's an acquaintance of someone on the project." I explained. He tilted his head, expecting more information.

Back on the train with Groves, he seemed angry with me. "And you thought Pash would be satisfied with that?" Groves asked me. He seemed angrier now. "I was attempting to give them Eltenton without opening a can of worms. I told them a cock-and-bull story." I said, looking out the window.

***

"Did you lie to General Groves too?" Robb asked me. I'm back up front, my coat off so I could be a little more comfortable, we've been in the room all day today. "No. I admitted to him that I'd lied to Pash." I said, waving my hand around.

Groves was now being interrogated, whilst I sat in the back seat. "Do you recall this conversation about the Chevalier incident?" Garrison asked Groves. "I've seen so many versions of it. Um... Wasn't confused before, but I'm certainly getting there now." Groves huffed. "And what was your conclusion?" Garrison questioned, looking back at his notes for a brief moment. "That he was under the influence of the typical American schoolboy attitude that there's something wicked about telling on a friend." Groves said.

***

"Well, now. Might we know through whom the contact was made?" Pash asked, his voice seeming calm. Too calm. "That would in... involve people who are not to be involved in this." I shook my head, looking back at Pash. "Is that someone a member of the project?" Pash questioned, keeping all of his focus on me. "A member of the faculty, yes, but not in the project, no." I said, moving my hat off my lap since it was quite uncomfortable at this point. "Ah. So Eltenton made his approach through a member of the faculty here at Berkeley?" Pash asked me. I shifted in my seat slightly, until I realized I wasn't saying anything. "As far as I know. As far as I know, yes." I said, nodding profusely. "But there-there may have been more than one person involved." I said, turning to glance at Pash for a moment before looking back at Johnson.

"Gentlemen, if I... if I seem uncooperative, I think you can understand that's because of my insistence in not getting innocent people into trouble." I glanced back at Pash for a brief moment, then keeping my mouth shut.