Уильям Берроуз - Nova Express

So he buys a lot of tubes and globes and they are flickering in the basement this battery of tubes metal vapor and quicksilver and pulsing blue spheres and a smell of ozone and a little high-fi blue note fixed you right to metal this junk note tinkling through your crystals and a heavy blue silence fell klunk -and all the words turned to cold liquid metal and ran off you man just fixed there in a cool blue mist of vaporized bank notes-We found out later that the metal junkies were all radioactive and subject to explode if two of them came into contact At this point in our researches we intersected The Nova Police-…"

Chinese Laundry

When young Sutherland asked me to procure him a commission with the nova police, I jokingly answered: "Bring in Winkhorst, technician and chemist for The Lazarus Pharmaceutical Company, and we will discuss the matter."

"Is this Winkhorst a nova criminal?"

"No just a technical sergeant wanted for interrogation."

I was thinking of course that he knew nothing of the methods by which such people are brought in for interrogation — It is a precision operation-First we send out a series of agents-(usually in the guise of journalists)-to contact Winkhorst and expose him to a battery of stimulus units-The contact agents talk and record the response on all levels to the word units while a photographer takes pictures-This material is passed along to The Art Department-Writers write "Winkhorst," painters paint "Winkhorst," a method actor becomes "Winkhorst," and then "Winkhorst" will answer our questions-The processing of Winkhorst was already under way-

Some days later there was a knock at my door- Young Sutherland was standing there and next to him a man with coat collar turned up so only the eyes were visible spitting indignant protest I noticed that the overcoat sleeves were empty.

"I have him in a strait jacket," said Sutherland propelling the man into my room-"This is Winkhorst."

I saw that the collar was turned up to conceal a gag — "But-You misunderstood me- Not on this level-I mean really-"

"You said bring in Winkhorst didn't you?"

I was thinking fast: "All right-Take off the gag and the strait jacket."

"But he'll scream the fuzz in-"

"No he won't."

As he removed the strait jacket I was reminded of an old dream picture-This process is known as retroactive dreaming-Performed with precision and authority becomes accomplished fact If Winkhorst did start screaming no one would hear him-Far side of the world's mirror moving into my past-Wall of glass you know-Winkhorst made no attempt to scream-Iron cool he sat down-I asked Sutherland to leave us promising to put his application through channels-

"I have come to ask settlement for a laundry bill." Winkhorst said.

"What laundry do you represent?"

"The Chinese laundry."

"The bill will be paid through channels-As you know nothing is more complicated and time consuming than processing requisition orders for so-called 'personal expenses’-And you know also that it is strictly forbidden to offer currency in settlement."

"I was empowered to ask a settlement-Beyond that I know nothing-And now may I ask why I have been summoned?"

"Let's not say summoned-Let us just say invited- It's more humane that way you see-Actually we are taking an opinion poll in regard to someone with whom I believe you have a long and close association, namely Mr. Winkhorst of The Lazarus Pharmaceutical Company — We are interviewing friends, relatives, coworkers to predict his chances for reelection as captain of the chemical executive softball team You must of course realize the importance of this matter in view of the company motto `Always play soft ball' is it not? — Now just to give the interview life let us pretend that you are yourself Winkhorst and I will put the questions directly ketch? — Very well Mr. Winkhorst, let's not waste time-We know that you are the chemist responsible for synthesizing the new hallucinogen drugs many of which have not yet been released even for experimental purposes-We know also that you have effected certain molecular alterations in the known hallucinogens that are being freely distributed in many quarters-Precisely how are these alterations effected? — Please do not be deterred from making a complete statement by my obvious lack of technical knowledge — That is not my job-Your answers will be recorded and turned over to the Technical Department for processing."

"The process is known as stress deformation-It is done or was done with a cyclotron-For example the mescaline molecule is exposed to cyclotron stress so that the energy field is deformed and some molecules are activated on fissionable level-Mescaline so processed will be liable to produce, in the human subject- (known as `canine preparations')-uh unpleasant and dangerous symptoms and in particular the heat syndrome ' which is a reflection of nuclear fission-Subjects complain they are on fire, confined in a suffocating furnace, white hot bees swarming in the body-The hot bees are of course the deformed mescaline molecules — I am putting it simply of course-"

"There are other procedures?"

"Of course but always it is a question of deformation or association on a molecular level-Another procedure consists in exposing the mescaline molecule to certain virus cultures-The virus as you know is a very small particle and can be precisely associated on molecular chains-This association gives an additional tune-in with anybody who has suffered from a virus infection such as hepatitis for example-Much easier to produce the heat syndrome in such a preparation."

"Can this process be reversed? That is can you decontaminate a compound once the deformation has been effected?"

"Not so easy-It would be simpler to recall our stock from the distributors and replace it."

"And now I would like to ask you if there could be benign associations-Could you for example associate mescaline with apomorphine on a molecular level?"

"First we would have to synthesize the apomorphine formulae-As you know it is forbidden to do this."

"And for very good reason is it not, Winkhorst?"

Yes-Apomorphine combats parasite invasion by stimulating the regulatory centers to normalize metabolism — A powerful variation of this drug could deactivate all verbal units and blanket the earth in silence, disconnecting the entire heat syndrome."

"You could do this, Mr. Winkhorst?"

"It would not be easy-certain technical details and so little time-" He held up his thumb and forefinger a quarter inch apart.

"Difficult but not impossible, Mr. Winkhorst?"

"Of course not-If I receive the order-This is unlikely in view of certain facts known to both of us."

"You refer to the scheduled nova date?"

"Of course."

"You are convinced that this is inevitable, Mr. Winkhorst?"

"I have seen the formulae-I do not believe in miracles."

"Of what do these formulae consist, Mr. Winkhorst?"

"It is a question of disposal-What is known as Uranium and this applies to all such raw material is actually a form of excrement-The disposal problem of radioactive waste in any time universe is ultimately insoluble."

"But if we disintegrate verbal units, that is vaporize the containers, then the explosion could not take place in effect would never have existed-"

"Perhaps-I am a chemist not a prophet-It is considered axiomatic that the nova formulae can not be broken, that the process is irreversible once set in motion — All energy and appropriations is now being channeled into escape plans-If you are interested I am empowered to make an offer of evacuation-on a time level of course."

"And in return?"

"You will simply send back a report that there is no evidence of nova activity on planet earth."