The Shadows of Trinity

Destruction

Sirens were blaring throughout the Los Alamos laboratory. Multiple physicists were rushing through the lab trying to gather things up.

In one room J. Robert Oppenheimer was frantically putting certain papers in a jet black briefcase which was placed on a steel counter. Suddenly he heard rapid footsteps echoing throughout the hallway and approaching the room he is in.

A young man with short and messy jet black hair, azure blue eyes and freckles on his cheeks entered the room. His gray tie wasn't straight, white shirt was wrinkly clearly forgotten to be ironed, gray suit jacket was unbuttoned, he was wearing black pants instead of the ones matching his suit and his cinnamon brown shoes were polished to a point where you could almost see your reflection in them.

"Oppie?" the young man asked with his voice trembling slightly.

"What is it Dr. Goff?" Oppenheimer asked.

"There's a problem," Dr. Goff replied anxiously.

"What is the–"

Suddenly gunshots tore through the windows in the hallway sending tiny pieces of glass onto the linoleum floor. Screams and gunshots echoed throughout the hallway. Dr. Lloyd Goff hastily shut the white heavy door and locked it. Slightly muffling the sounds of terror outside the room.

Oppenheimer hurriedly wandered over to a wooden desk and started opening drawers. Rummaging through the drawers he picked up multiple documents and placed them on the desk. Feeling the roughness and slight coolness of the paper on his hands.

Lloyd felt his heart thumping hard in his chest. His breathing started becoming shallow and uneven. Gazing at Oppenheimer he noticed that his face was pallid, hands were trembling and his eyes were wide like an owls.

"Dr. Oppenheimer we need to get out of here!" he said his voice cracking slightly.

"We can't leave yet. I need to get the information out of here," he replied trying to remain calm.

"If we don't get out of here we will most likely be killed!" he said. "Do you want to die here Oppie!?"

"I don't want to die here Lloyd. But I won't allow what I created to kill more people in this world," he replied with a tinge of guilt.

Oppenheimer stopped rummaging through the drawers and closed them. Grabbing the small stack of documents he then wandered over to the briefcase he crammed the documents into it. Shutting the briefcase he paused and took a deep breath trying to settle his rapid heart beat. Placing his hand in one of his black suit jacket pockets he wrapped it around a small light cardboard box. Pulling it out of his pocket and opening it up he grabbed a cigarette.

Placing the cigarette in his mouth Oppenheimer turned to look at Lloyd who's eyes were starting to fill with tears. Putting the pack of cigarettes back into his suit pocket. Grabbing a small silver lighter out of his other pocket he then took the cap off. Flicking the switch on the lighter a couple of times it finally lit. Then he lit his cigarette. Closing his lighter and placing it in his pocket he grabbed the handle of the briefcase feeling weight of it and it was heavy much like his conscience. Walking back over to the desk he took the cigarette out of his mouth and put it in a small metal ashtray on the desk.

Cautiously walking over to the door. Oppenheimer went to place his hand on the metal door handle. But Llyod immediately seized his hand and firmly held it. Oppenheimer stared into Lloyds eyes and noticed the fear in them as if he just saw something truly horrifying. Tears slowly ran down Llyods speckled cheeks like dew rolling off the edges of leaves.

"I will not allow you to go out there Oppie..." he said with despair and dread in his voice. "I don't want you to die. After everything that has happened in the past ten years. You are the only person I can look up to."