[The Blue Sphere] V - Omega Formula

[Merovingian 656]

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Or maybe not…
 

​Read next part here.

 

Previously on TBS

Part I - The Notebooks
Part II - CM Vs. TO

Part III - Cardinal

Part IV – Ruckus in Berlin : The second letter disclosed the Blue Notebook’s hidden place in the library of the Berlin’s University of Physics: the Humboldt University, where Kurt graduated. This is good news as the team is luckily spending the second week of their holiday at Leonie’s place in Berlin. Once at the library and about to retrieve the notebook, they learned that it had been visited during the night and is now closed due to an ongoing police investigation. They started to fear that someone had gotten the document before them. However, they found out that this was not the right library. Full of hope, they headed to the other library, but a mysterious girl was following them. Eventually the follower fled when Cardinal tried to catch up with her. The group sneaked in the old university library using a diversion and, in the end, Viktor retrieved the Notebook. Strangely, a page was missing. 

 

V – Omega formula

 

 
Berlin, Germany
Meanwhile, the trio exits the library, Leonie plays the inconsolable victim’s role, convincingly crying and mourning about her lost belongings. However, when she notices them out of the building, she stops acting and declares with an innocent and perky tone, “Never mind, that handbag was soooo last season, I’ll just buy a new one.” And with no further ado, she leaves the disbelieved guard with a cheerful goodbye, “It’s shopping time, Tschüss”.

The Cimarron team quickly reunites at the defined rendezvous point and resumes with the Berlin tour as planned. The teenagers could not be happier right now, spending fun time together as friends and making good progress in this quest. However, leaving the impression that the visit of the first library was their main goal is key to their enterprise, therefore they carry on with the other planned visits of the day and act as nothing happened, which is easier said than done. They hope that they kept the quick detour to the second library, and the successful retrieval of Kurt’s Notebook, unnoticed to their followers. They also plan to keep deceiving them by visiting it again once it reopens.
 
In the late afternoon, as soon as they are all safely back to Leonie’s place, Vik reads through his father’s notebook as he could not wait any longer. Among the hand-scripted writings, which are mostly in German, and seldom in Russian, he finds the Blue Sphere schematics alongside the coveted Omega formula, but as far as his physics knowledge goes it could all be a Chinese poem. The missing page adds more frustration: What information was on the missing page? Is it an important piece of the puzzle? They need the counsel of a trusted expert in the field to confirm the discovery and its real potential.
 
Regarding the two photographs found with the notebook, they both display his then-young parents with various people at two different locations. On the first photo, three happy people are pictured enjoying themselves in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere of what looks like a German restaurant. Within the trio, Vik easily identifies his mother and father, but the third character with a long dark and scruffy beard is unknown to him. A faded descriptive note left on the back of the photo provides more information: Gaststätte Feuer der Tapferkeit, September 1977 – me, Anna Molotova & Professor Felix Rigge.
 
“You have Kurt's eyes! I like him a lot!” says Cardinal mischievously before asking, “but who is the older man standing by your parents?”
 
“Professor Rigge according to the description,” replies Vik, “I will ask my mother about him and whether we can trust him. Perhaps, we could ask him about my father’s work?”
 
The second picture takes place in a laboratory filled with electronic equipment and other paraphernalia, and before it stands a group of six solemn persons wearing long and white lab coats. Again, he recognises the Wolfenstein couple, but not the other scientists. On the verso of the photo is written: Project ISIDA, February 1980 – me, Olga Ping, Ivan Vasilyevich, Yuri Rabinovich, Lukas Destrodov & sweetheart Anna.
 

 

“These are valuable names and potential experts from whom we can ask for help. The old man seems to be a German physicist from the Berlin University, so we should try to contact him first,” Vik proposes, “the second photo is from the Institute in Russia, we could meet one of them when we are in Moscow.”
 
Since the lawyer’s visit, Vik has not shared anything with his mother about his father’s message nor the notebook quest, therefore he has to be cautious not to arouse suspicion when he requests Anna to find the whereabouts of Professor Rigge. He does not want to take the risk to have his mother worried nor wanted her to interfere with his quest, but she is the only one able to help via her University’s network. He successfully manages to persuade her, as she understands his desire to learn more about his father’s past. Anna quickly manages to get in touch with the retired physicist and agrees to a meeting in two days’ time in Cologne’s outskirts. This gives the Cimarron team time to prepare and to organise the journey by train, and to complete the visit of Berlin.
 
By the next day, the overall excitement of the group has lowered since the Notebook does not provide further information of interest. The activity remaining is the touring of Berlin, and in the late afternoon, they reach the best stop of the day: a dinner at the Berlin’s Fernsehturm. The German television tower was constructed between 1965-69 by the government of the German Democratic Republic. With its 368 metres high, the edifice is the tallest building in Germany, and the third tallest man-made building in the European Union. Leonie’s father has booked a table at the rotating restaurant nested at the top of the building which offers an exceptional view over the German city.
 
As the group enters the lift of the tower which will transport them to a prodigal and well-deserved meal, Cardinal discreetly reaches for Vik’s hand, who accepts hers eagerly. During the upward journey, the boy’s heart pounds faster and louder. The rest of the world doesn’t matter anymore, he would not care even if it was about to end because he was, himself, going to explode anyway. That unique moment lasted till they reached the restaurant level and the doors slide open, letting the warm bright light of the sundown drowning them in a sea of vermillion sunbeams. “Heilige Kuh, this is beautiful!” exclaims Leonie, running to the bay window to contemplate the magnificent view. Nik follows, already reaching for his camera to immortalize the scenery.
 
Despite the fact that Cardinal breaks the physical link with the boy to join the audience, Vik does not mind as they have now recognised their mutual feelings toward each other. No more awkwardness, quid pro quo or courting, just two teenagers freed from the social barriers dressed between them. Now freed, they could let their own feelings and doubts grow on each other and flourish into a full relationship. 
 
The Cimarron team has a good time at the dinner, and the new status between Cardinal and Vik had become obvious to all. They almost forget about the quest during that enjoyable evening.

 

 

Cologne, Germany
Professor Felix Rigge’s house is a typical German cosy house surrounded by a large garden, which was in a dry and scorched condition due to the unusually hot summer. The sixty-three years old man was surprised about this meeting request, and even more so when he welcomed the five vivacious teenagers on his doorstep. Nevertheless, the prospect to meet with the son of his former friend, both intrigued and delighted him at the same time.
 
“Professor, thank you for accepting us and sorry for intruding in such numbers,” starts Vik. “This is Leonie, Cardinal, Killian and Nik.”
 
“It is a pleasure to meet you all, strange… but revitalising,” he replies. “You see, meeting with young people always make me feel younger, hehe.” He leads them to his living room, and they all find some sort of seating place.
 
“Kurt and Anna Wolfenstein were two of your former Physics students from the Humboldt University. You knew them quite well, right? Please could you tell me more about Kurt, my father?” Vik requests, handing over the first photograph.
 
“Hum, these are quite deep-rooted memories you are looking after. Your parents were more than students to me,” he says with a cracking voice while a glowing light appears in his eyes. “This picture was taken some time when they were assisting me in the Physics department and about to work at the Energy Atomic Institute in Moscow. We were celebrating a new start in their life before their departure to the East,” he recalls and then pauses, reviving this particular event in his head. “It was both a sad and a joyful moment. We still kept in touch during the following years of the Cold War.”
 
Felix then narrates in numerous details how Anna was already close to graduation when Kurt joined the University in 1972, and how they both shared the ideal to build a better world. This was this common aspiration that lead them to stumble on each other in the University’s Political Debate Club and consequently to fall in love with each other. But in 1977, they decided to move to Russia as a couple and embrace further the Soviet Idealism. The scientist admitted that after the sudden disappearance of his father in 1986, communication with Anna slowly faded away.
 
After an hour of conversation, Vik is convinced that the man is worth trusting, so he introduces the second reason of the visit: the notebook with the Omega formula. “Professor, I have a request for you. Does this formula mean something to you?”
 
“How, … how did you get this notebook, your mother did not mention it during her call?” asks the perplexed old man.
 
“Sorry, I have to tell you about the events that happened in the last two weeks,” informs Vik, whom then recounts the story since the German lawyer’s call.
 
“Hum, … I see,” analyses the professor after hearing out Vik’s summary. “This is extraordinary, all is going according to his plan. I think it is my turn to give an account about my last encounter with your father in March 1986.” At this, his listeners silence themselves, not wishing to disturb him or miss any word of what they knew to be critical information.
 
“Kurt came to Berlin to attend the annual Physics Conference, which took place during that time,” the professor recalls. “The theme of the conference was about Plasma technology and its applications. While discussing his latest advancement in his plasma research, your father shared with me his latest finding: he finally completed the Omega formula. He required my help to confirm his equation. More importantly, he informed me that a small device filled with plasma, called the Blue Sphere, could operate as a nuclear rechargeable battery in accordance with the Omega formula. Manufactured with the right ceramic composition, metal alloy, and perfectly tuned according to the three key parameters, the device could absorb the surrounding radioactivity and electromagnetic fields. The most unbelievable part of your father's theory was that he believed the process to be very efficient, reversible, and could offer a stable storage of energy. In the right conditions, the stored energy could be used to power any machine and motor using electricity. This was an astonishing discovery with worldwide consequences, unfortunately still at the theoretical stage.”
 
He pauses, observing the audience, which is still trying to cope with this revelation.
 
“Do you think that the Blue Sphere actually works?” asks Vik, breaking the silence.
 
“Kurt never demonstrated his theory with a scaled experiment, so until we replicate and observe the phenomena, every single scientist would be cautious before answering positively to your question. However, as a dreamer, my idealistic heart is inclined to say yes, because he was a visionary genius and an outstanding physicist.” confides Felix.
 
“But your father was also worried about something,” he reveals with a sombre tone. “He confessed to me that he had lost his belief in the goodwill of the Soviet regime to make the world a better place. He was under constant surveillance and feared the day they will discover his dissident motives, and furthermore, he dreaded for the lives of his family if they knew that he was concealing a great discovery and planned to take it to the other side of the wall. Therefore, your parents had made their mind to flee to the West with it. This news was a real shock to me, but I respected his choice and eventually offered my help.”
 
“Kurt also apprised me of his plan to conceal the notebook for a while to make it impossible for them to put their hands on it, but he didn’t tell me about the whereabouts of the cache. Only now, upon seeing you with his precious notebook, I realise what his plan was. It was a good scheme,” he smirks.
 
“But there is something rather odd about this notebook, one page is missing,” Vik finally speaks of his greatest concern. “Look! Here…”
 
“You are right, it seems that someone intentionally removed the page containing the Goldilocks parameters details and value. Without them, the formula is worthless,” he declares with a puzzled look. “If it is your father’s deed, what did he intend to do?”
 
“Do you hold further instructions from your father that would shed some light?” asks Professor Rigge, fixing Vik in the eyes.
 
“No, unfortunately,” he replies, uncertain of the meaning of this, wondering if they missed something. “It makes no sense to give me half of the clues! We have been through so much trouble for nothing!” denounces Vik with disappointment.
 
“What are the Goldilocks parameters, by the way?” inquires Cardinal, speaking for the first time, stirring the conversation toward a positive direction.
 
“In short, the Goldilocks principle states that in a given sample, there may be entities belonging to extremes, but there will always be an entity belonging to the average,” the professor explains, “Or in other words, in a sample, there will always be a U-shaped distribution. When the effects of the principle are observed, it is known as the Goldilocks effect. The Goldilocks conditions are a set of conditions required to get the desired effect, and regarding the omega formulation, there are three of them, named by your father: ß, ψ and µ. If the conditions are not met, no phenomena will be observed, and it would take decades of experimentation before you find them by the trial and error approach. It is as efficient as shooting in the dark.”

 
Vik, still keen to know more about his father through his entourage, exchanges the notebook with the second picture and asks: “Do you know any of the people present on this photo?”
 
“I do not know any of them, sorry… Oh, wait, that man came to visit me after the Chernobyl incident,” he points his index to the second man from the right-hand side, “Yes, I didn’t like him, he asked a lot of questions about your father’s whereabouts, and his notebook.”
 
Vik checks the picture description and finds the name behind the designated face to be Professor Rabinovich.
 
“He must be spying for them,” declares Killian, “under his angelic face resides a demonic personality”. 
 
“Killian! Lock down your big mouth if it is to babble stuff like that! Geee, grow up.” explodes Leonie, leaving the sheepish boy with no chance to fight back.
 
“However, Killian has a point,” Vik ponders. “We still do not know who is friend and who is foe. Anyone who looks friendly could be working for the opposite side and vice-versa. Worse, we could also be playing the game for the opposite side without knowing.”
 
Vik tells himself that he could have ignored, or destroyed, the instructions from his father and nobody would have ever heard of the Omega formulation and his life would have been simpler. Ignorance is bliss, they say. Lost for good, problem solved – just enjoy your holiday…
 

 

Epilogue
Our friends have learnt a lot about the Blue Sphere and the Omega formula discovery, but they still miss the Goldilocks parameters: ß, ψ and µ.  Does Professor Felix Rigge have more revelation to share to the Cimarron team?  Who is this Professor Rabinovich, friend or foe?
Let’s find out in the next Part.

 

* * *

 

Extra: Confidential Dossier
The Humboldt University of Berlin is a multidisciplinary university located in the center of Berlin, Germany’s Capital. The institution was established by the king of Prussia, Frederick William III, on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humboldt, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, and opened in 1810. Since its closure in 1945, it was named Friedrich Wilhelm University and was reopened after the Second World War, and renamed to its present-day name.
The university is known wide and often referred as "the mother of all modern universities.", in that respect it is linked to major breakthroughs in physics by its professors such as Max Born, Albert Einstein, James Franck, Werner Heisenberg, Max Planck, Kurt Wolfenstein, Erwin Schrödinger…

 
Translation of foreign words

German
Tschüss: Bye
Gaststätte Feuer der Tapferkeit: Restaurant Fire of Valor
Heilige Kuh: Holly cow

 

Read Next part The Blue Sphere VI - FPS & Ping 

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Merovingian

[Flexoo 6,980]

Approved.

 

Edits:

- fixed few paragraphs that were in different font,

- minor rephrasing, and grammar fixing,

- added few commas.

 

---

 

Nice continuation of the series. The plot has a very good flow in each chapter.

 

Goldilocks effect... priceless  ;)

[Merovingian 656]

Approved.

 

Edits:

- fixed few paragraphs that were in different font,

- minor rephrasing, and grammar fixing,

- added few commas.

---

 

 Nice continuation of the series. The plot has a very good flow in each chapter.

Goldilocks effect... priceless  ;)

Thanks.

[TankiNoob2000 231]

Muy bueno;)

[Merovingian 656]

Coming Soon: TBS Part VI - FPS & Ping

 

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Merovingian

[Lose 881]

Oooo

Looking forwards to it! :D

Edited April 27, 2019 by Lose

[jelly_beans 35]

Nice, well done :)!!!

[Merovingian 656]

Nice, well done :)!!!

Thank you.