Breaking Enigma || The Imitation Game

◈ TWENTY-TWO- Faith in Christianna ◈

It was soon the spring of the year 1940. Time had passed incredibly quickly and I couldn't believe that the war had been raging for almost five months now. Although the period of time seemed short, it was quite frightening. Allany Turing had managed to get the funds she so desperately needed and wanted for her code-breaking machine. However, this only occurred after some heavy persuasion with Commander Denniston and another letter to Winston Churchill.

Denniston, apparently, was absolutely furious when he discovered that he had failed to burn the highly-talked-about plans for this particular machine. He questioned Allany about the whole idea, even-though she did attempt to explain a couple of months ago and I remember that well. Only after figures and statistics, examples of what would happen as result of having a machine, and explanations were given, did Denniston finally give in and joined Churchill in funding the one-hundred thousand pounds that was required. Although, he did take his time.

A week later was when every piece in the game was set to play. Men in trucks came to unload boxes full of mechanical equipment, such as wires and circuits. This was the beginning of something revolutionary; we just didn't know it yet.

Allany and I were inside newly-built Hut 11 and there was a massive surprise awaitng anybody who stepped foot into the room. And quite literally massive, at that.

A giant, half-built machine was to the far end of the Hut: Allany's code-breaking machine. It was the size of a large dining room table, but taller than it was wide. It was composed of spinning gears and a seemingly endless long stream of red wires. It was like the machine had its intestines pulled out, as gross as that sounds.

Technicians in beige coats were entering and exiting the Hut with boxes of parts for the spectacular sight. Some men were soldering bits of wire to the circuits and a few others made loud clatters with some of the cogs.

"Careful!" Allany fussed, standing close to her large-scale project. She seemed to be in the way of one of the technicians, but she didn't acknowledge it. "Damn it, will you. It's not a toy."

I was leaning over one of the desks, which was oddly comfortable, and where I was reading a book on natural phenomenons. I looked up to see Hugh Alexander stepping inside the Hut, an intrigued expression upon his face and, typically, a cigarette in-between his thumb and index finger.

"Funny," he smiled. "Looks like one. And a bloody great hundred-thousand pound one, too."

"I do hope you're not here to mock me," Allany said tiredly. "Because I've had enough of that."

"No, I'm here to marvel at this magnificent creation you have going on here," he replied smoothly.

"And what's your verdict?" She gazed at him expectantly and I watched as Hugh's eyes scanned each part of the machine and the yet-to-be-placed parts that were on the sidelines.

"It's most certainly unusual," he replied. "Bit of an odd-looking thing, isn't it?"

"It has been designed with the upmost precision, it will work with no faults and with total capability," Allany stated.

"That's not been proven. How can you be so sure?"

"Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith," she replied with a quote, saying nothing else after that and wanting to turn her attention away from Hugh.