Novel (The Mysterious Bomb)
The novel “The Mysterious Bomb” is from the “Future File” series of novels.
- How did the world’s greatest scientists meet at the Science and Peace Conference?
- What is the secret of the message confirming the presence of a bomb threatening the conference with destruction?
- Will Nour succeed in uncovering the mysterious bomb in just sixty hours?
Read all the exciting and fascinating details…and join Nour and his team in solving the mystery.
1_ Incomplete message…
The sky was illuminated with that beautiful gradual light at sunrise, and the sea with its calm waves created a wonderful painting, the disk of the sun melting into its dazzling background… Behind a glass window on the fortieth floor of the international hotel, Captain (Nour) stood contemplating this picturesque scene, which gave him ecstasy. He had just woken up and put on his clothes in preparation to go out, but the sight of the magnificent sunrise magically attracted him, and he said to himself in amazement:
– What beauty this nature gives us!! Science, despite its miracles, has always failed to give us this delicious feeling that the beauty of nature unleashes in our souls.
His contemplations were interrupted by a continuous sound echoing insistently in his room. Captain Nour turned to the source of the sound and furrowed his eyebrows. The sound was coming from the small ring that Nour had placed next to his bed, and this sound always meant that Nour’s leave had ended.
This ring contains an accurate television transmitter that connects it directly to the Supreme Commander.
Nour went to the ring and pressed the small ruby lobe that adorned it, and here a life-sized 3D image of the Supreme Commander was formed in the room. Nour gave the military salute with respect, as he knew that his 3D image – he in turn – was represented at this moment in the room. The Supreme Commander smiled and returned Nour’s greeting, saying:
Hello, Captain, I am happy to find you awake at this moment in the early morning. I also regret depriving you of your leave, but I always feel that you are the man we need in the mysterious issues that our administration faces.
– It was fortunate that you were spending your vacation in Alexandria, the bride of the Mediterranean.
Nour maintained his firm military stance, but he knew that this introduction meant that the Supreme Commander intended to assign him a new mission that would absorb his short vacation. The commander continued:
– I have noticed, of course, that the hotel in which you are staying is currently receiving a number of the greatest scientists from the entire world, to attend the (Science and Peace) Conference, which is held annually… This conference includes the most prominent scientists in all scientific and technological fields, to discuss how to cooperate jointly, to spread Peace in various parts of the world, and stopping the scientific espionage war, which today has replaced traditional war.
The Supreme Leader was silent for a while, and Nour was distracted by his thoughts. He was not one of those who believed in the possibility of bringing peace to the world. He knew that human selfishness always trumps reason and logic. Despite his instinctive hatred for war and destruction, he believes that it is a necessary evil. It will not end until the end of the world itself… Captain Nour’s thoughts were interrupted when the Supreme Commander continued to say:
– This conference is being held for the first time in Egypt, and it has been prepared with great precision, and the last of the scholars invited to the conference arrived the day before yesterday.
The Supreme Commander was silent for a moment, then said:
– Of course, you are wondering about the reason for which I summoned you. Do you remember your colleague, Captain (Fouad Abdel Khaleq)?
Nour nodded his head affirmatively and said:
– Of course, sir. We were close colleagues while studying at the Police College, but after graduating from there, he went to foreign intelligence, while I joined scientific intelligence.
The Commander-in-Chief nodded slightly and said:
He was sent about a month ago on a top-secret mission, in one of the foreign countries that always compete with us in the scientific field, and he was one of the most competent foreign intelligence men.
Nour interrupted him unconsciously and in a worried tone:
– What do you mean by the word (was), sir?
The Supreme Commander’s voice was filled with sorrow as he said:
– I regret to tell you that your colleague, Captain Fouad, was killed the day before yesterday.
Nour felt a strong grip squeezing his heart, and he made an extraordinary effort to prevent the tears from flowing from his eyes and tried to speak, but a lump in his throat and severe tension in the muscles of his face prevented him from uttering a word, and the Supreme Commander continued in a sad voice:
– He died a martyr. He obtained dangerous information that he tried to inform us of, but he was killed before completing his message. This information was related to the (Science and Peace) conference.
Nour’s senses were alerted despite his tragedy, and he listened to the Supreme Commander say:
– His message said, “…an aggressive attempt to blow up the international hotel and eliminate all scientists during the opening session of the (Science and Peace) Conference. Four scientists were sent to the conference. The bomb is impossible to detect. Three scientists are irresponsible, and the fourth is… .. “.
Here the message was interrupted before he informed us of the name of the scientist who would try to blow up the hotel. We learned that Captain Fouad was killed at this same moment.
All of Nour’s muscles were tense, as was his wont whenever he heard a word synonymous with destruction and brutality. He hated this aggressive spirit, which pushes some people to abandon their humanity for the sake of some material gain. The Supreme Leader returned and said:
Perhaps you did not notice that the hotel was searched very carefully throughout last night, and all the walls, doors and windows were examined. Indeed, the entire building was examined with cosmic rays, and not the slightest trace of the bomb could be found. It is necessary for you to know that this work must be done. This is done in extreme secrecy, otherwise it will cause a huge wave of panic among scientists and hotel patrons.
– I have decided to assign you this task, given your stay in the same hotel.
A period of silence passed, before the Supreme Commander continued:
– What remains for you to know is that finding the bomb must be done before the opening session of the conference, which will be held the evening after tomorrow, and this means that you have about sixty hours, otherwise we will have to evacuate the hotel, which will of course affect the psychological state of the scientists, and will also make us appear incapable of providing security. Conference .
Nour asked him carefully:
Why not move the conference to another hotel?
The Supreme Commander pursed his lips and said:
This will raise a number of unwanted questions.
Nour nodded his head as he said:
– I understand, sir. I promise to keep the matter secret, and try to find the alleged bomb.
Nour gave the military salute, while the three-dimensional image of the Supreme Commander waved, dimmed, and then disappeared… Here, Nour extended his hands and picked up the small ring, deposited it on his left ring finger, then approached the window, pulled down its curtains, and began to contemplate the sea… It was The scene had changed, as the universe was filled with light.
Nour gritted his teeth as he remembered his martyred colleague, and that familiar tension ran through his facial muscles. He said to himself:
– So there is a bomb.. The same old story, but we will find it for you, my dear (Fouad)… We will avenge you from these killers.. I promise you that.
Then he went to the television and called the hotel management, then said, “I want a private external line. I will make several urgent calls.”
★★★
2_ Team meeting..
At twelve o’clock in the morning of the same day, the team members were gathered in Nour’s room, and he said to them:
– How pleased I was with your spontaneous response to my call, comrades. I need you this time for a very secret and urgent mission.
Salwa said while smiling:
– Rather, we were happy to have you called us, Commander. You know how much fun we have working with you.
Nour smiled and said:
– Perhaps you will not enjoy working this time, if you know that you are sitting on top of a bomb.
Astonishment exploded in the eyes of the three, so Nour sat down and began to explain the matter to them. As soon as he finished, Mahmoud said:
– Is it not possible, Commander, that this is all just a hoax? I mean there should be no such bomb at all.
Nour answered without hesitation:
– This possibility is not possible. If you knew the late Captain (Fuad) as I knew him, you would know that he would not die for the sake of a weak possibility. Moreover, he would not send a dangerous message like this if he was not completely sure of it. No, this possibility is not possible at all.
Here Ramzi said:
– I think the matter is easy this time, Commander. We have only four men in front of us, and they are the four scholars sent from this hostile country. If we had carefully studied their psychology, we would have been able to simply determine which of them could kill these people with a bomb, without batting an eyelash.
Salwa said with disgust:
– I believe that whoever does this must have a heart of steel in order to commit this heinous crime.
Nour’s facial muscles tensed as he said:
– The world is full of hard-hearted people, my dear, and what is painful is that they commit their dirty deeds out of complete conviction that they are performing a service to their countries.
Salwa replied with bitter sarcasm:
– What a service!! Eliminating the greatest scientists in the world…what do they want? Prevent scientific progress?
Nour said, pointing with his finger:
– Ban it in other countries only, my dear.. Remember that the smallest delegation of scientists is the one sent by that country, and the four scientists will inevitably start a quarrel, and withdraw from the conference before the opening session, after making sure that their bomb will fulfill its mission.
Ramzi smiled and said:
– I think this is what we should do, if we do not succeed in detecting the bomb before it explodes.
Mahmoud laughed, and Salwa smiled, while Nour furrowed his eyebrows and did not comment, and quickly said:
-I think we should think about how to find this bomb instead of wasting time on foreplay.
Mahmoud and Ramzy felt embarrassed, and Salwa smiled as she looked at Nour. She knew that he did not care about compliments when his mind was working to solve a mysterious puzzle, so she said, alleviating the burden of embarrassment:
– You previously said, Commander, that the hotel was searched carefully and secretly by all possible means. As I said, the building was examined with cosmic rays. What do you suggest, then, after all this?
Nour replied:
– The belongings of the four scholars have not yet been examined, nor have any steps been taken regarding examining their clothes and tools.
Mahmoud said with interest:
– You are right, Commander. Since the invention of printed circuits on silicon chips, in the year one thousand nine hundred and eighty-three, there has been a wonderful development in this field, and it has become possible in this era to make a highly destructive bomb the size of a small ring, or a piece of a simple atomic clock. .
Nour said:
– This is correct ; Therefore, we are supposed to examine these small tools worn by the four scholars, without raising their suspicions.
Ramzi asked him:
-How can we do that?
Salwa replied:
– Using old methods… by searching their rooms.
Nour laughed and said:
– I think we will not resort to these means, before we completely fail to find more civilized means.
Then his face became serious, and he said:
– I want us to re-examine the hotel, using our own means, guys.
Mahmoud said:
– We can re-examine the hotel with cosmic rays, while the guests are eating lunch.
Nour nodded, thinking, then raised his head and said:
– Well, I think we’d better do it ourselves.
Then he turned to Salwa and said:
– You, my dear, must know the four scientists and devise some way to examine the tools they carry.
Then he smiled at (Ramzi) and said:
– As for you, our psychiatrist, you have hard work ahead of you.
Nour looked at his watch and said:
– I will land with (Ramzi). You only have one hour to inspect the entire hotel
★★★
3_ Dining hall..
Captain Nour and Dr. Ramzy began to discuss each other in the spacious hotel lobby, and Nour said, pointing with a hidden glance at four men sitting at the end of the lobby:
– These are our target, Ramzi.
Ramzi took a closer look at the four men. The eldest of them was a powerful scholar, with a large body, a huge moustache, narrow eyes, and a bright, bald head. As for the one sitting to his right, he was a young man in his prime, slender, with stern features, silent, but with a good face, clean-shaven. Beard and mustache, he looks at everyone without speaking to them.
Next to him sat a middle-aged young man, remarkably short, speaking with interest and seriousness to his colleagues while running his hand through his short beard. The latter was an elderly man in his fifties, of medium height, obese, and his eyes shone from behind thick glasses.
Nour whispered in Ramzi’s ear:
– Look at them carefully, my dear. This huge man with a mustache is called Igal. He is a scientist specializing in agricultural sciences. He is preparing research on the possibility of exploiting genetics to produce plants that are ten times their current size.
As for the skinny, handsome man, his name is Ishaq. He is a young scientist who has risen to prominence in the last four years, through research on shortening distances in spaceflight, by penetrating what is called “quantum.” This research has catapulted him into the ranks of great scientists. .
– As for the short man, his name is (Shamir). They say that he is a genius in the science of portable radio waves, and he has researched the possibility of accelerating waves, such that they only require a quarter of the current time, without affecting their quality or properties. If this research were used, it would take science a huge leap.
– As for the last elderly person, he is (Alon), who is the greatest scientist of this era in the field of programmed prosthetic limbs, such that they receive operating orders directly from the brain.
– These are the delegation sent from the country that planted the bomb. Come on, my dear (Ramzi), examine them carefully, and give me your report.
Ramzi’s eyes narrowed as he examined the four men carefully, then Nour patted him on the shoulder and said:
– I will leave you alone to look for someone I need. I will wait for you inside the automated restaurant.
(Ramzi) nodded his head in agreement, while (Nour) quietly withdrew, and headed directly to the holographic video game hall, and began looking around in search of someone, when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder, and a voice coming from behind him, saying:
– Have you listened to my advice, young man, and joined the group of scholars, or are you here on a special mission?
Nour turned to the source of the voice and smiled as he shook hands with the man standing in front of him, saying:
Hello, Dr. Abdullah. We have not met since the death ray case. I was looking for you.
Dr. Abdullah raised his eyebrows in astonishment and said:
– Looking for me? Who told you I was here?
Nour grabbed Dr. Abdullah’s arm and led him to a nearby seat, saying in a whisper:
– The Supreme Commander himself told me this one hour ago.
Dr. Abdullah smiled maliciously and whispered in Nour’s ear:
– So you are on an official mission, Captain.. Well, what do you need?
Nour gave a fake cough and said:
– I want your help in getting to know four scholars here.
Dr. Abdullah laughed loudly, then whispered again in Nour’s ear:
– Have you finally decided to listen to my advice; And join the group of scholars, policeman?
Nour smiled despite himself and said:
– Perhaps I have decided to include you in the police group, sir.
Dr. Abdullah laughed loudly, attracting the attention of those present. Nour felt embarrassed, so he quickly listed to Dr. Abdullah the names of the four scientists whom he would like to get to know. The doctor’s face frowned, and he turned back and leaned back on his seat, propping his chin. To his right palm, he looked at (light) for a while, then said:
– I have never felt comfortable with this country. Let my arm be cut off if your desire is not related to a dirty job that this country is trying to do.
Nour ignored answering Dr. Abdullah’s questions and asked him:
– Can I rely on you for this request, sir?
Dr. Abdullah shook his head affirmatively and said calmly:
– naturally .
Then he leaned forward to whisper in Nour’s ear:
– I will not ask you why, Captain.
Nour smiled and stood up to walk next to the doctor, who headed towards the lobby. He said to Nour while pointing to Ramzi:
– Here is your friend, the psychiatrist. It is undoubtedly an official mission?
Ramzi shook hands with Dr. Abdullah warmly, and Nour leaned to his ear and whispered:
– Where are the four scholars, Ramzi?
Ramzi answered in the same whispering voice:
– They headed to the dining room. I was going to follow them when I met you.
Nour placed his hand on Ramzi’s shoulder and said as he moved:
– Okay, let’s follow them together.
The three headed to the dining room, where they sat at the table next to the table of the four scholars, and Dr. Abdullah asked:
– I’m going to eat a hearty meal. What do you like to eat, Nour? And you, Ramzi?
As soon as each of them told him his request, he began to press a few buttons next to his hand.. Quietly, the dial on the table slid off, and a new dial rose to them, on top of which were all the dishes that the doctor had ordered, hot and elegant.
Ramzi said with a caressing smile on his lips:
My mother would feel sad if she knew that I was eating food cooked by robots.
Dr. Abdullah said while eating his food without appetite:
The development of robotics technology has helped reduce the number of workers in most fields to approximately one tenth.
Nour commented in a sarcastic tone:
At the same time, it helped raise the unemployment rate tenfold.
Dr. Abdullah laughed as usual, which caught the attention of everyone in the dining room. As soon as he stopped laughing, Nour and Ramzi were surprised by a loud voice saying:
– So you are interested in programmed prosthetic limbs, young man… Well, I will introduce you to a genius in this field.
Nour suppressed his smile. Dr. Abdullah was simply preparing his improvised plan. He turned to where the four scientists were sitting, pointed to Dr. Alon, and said in a loud voice:
– This is Dr. Alon, the greatest scientist in this field.
Dr. Alon woke up from his astonishment, smiled at Dr. Abdullah, and said:
– I see that there are those who are interested in my specialty.
Dr. Abdullah said while pointing to Nour and Ramzi:
– Rather, they are two, Dr. (Ramzi) and Dr. (Nour).
(Ramzi) felt a desire to laugh when he heard Dr. (Abdullah) calling (Nour) Doctor, but he suppressed this desire, and struggled to smile reverently when Dr. (Alon) invited them to share the dining table.
Ramzi and Nour moved to the table of the four scholars, while Dr. Abdullah pointed to a beautiful young woman from the hotel guests, and said cheerfully:
– I won’t share with you, I’m interested in something else.
Everyone laughed happily, and Dr. Abdullah left them. Dr. Alon began introducing his three colleagues to Nour and Ramzi, and Dr. Igal greeted them with obvious joy. Dr. Ishaq nodded coldly, and Dr. smiled. Shamir, stroking his short beard… Dr. Alon began the conversation by saying:
– What specialties do you work in, Dr. Ramzi?
Ramzi smiled and said:
– In the field of psychiatry.
Dr. Shamir shouted:
– Wonderful, we will always need you.. There are so many psychological illnesses among scientists!!
Everyone laughed except Dr. Ishaq, who said in a dry tone:
The percentage of mental illnesses among scientists is 82.67%, according to the last census, for the year 2004, and introversion, split personality, and paranoia occupy the forefront of these illnesses.
Ramzi opened his mouth in astonishment. Dr. Ishaq was speaking like a psychiatrist, and Dr. Alon laughed and said while patting Dr. Ishaq on the back:
Leave this review of information for another time, my dear Ishaq.
Then he turned to Nour and asked him:
And you, Dr. Nour, what is your specialty?
Nour answered without hesitation:
– Forensic medicine, sir.
Ramzi smiled as he looked at Nour. He knew that Nour had chosen this specialty because of his studies in the police college, which would give him the opportunity to discuss it if necessary. He turned to Dr. Igal, who leaned his seat back. And he says:
– I don’t think we will need your specialty, Dr. Nour. I hope so.
Dr. Alon smiled and asked Nour and Ramzi:
– What attracts you to programmed prosthetics then?
Ramzi answered him with feigned interest:
– I want to study the psychological impact that prosthetic limbs have on the person who uses one of them.
Dr. Alon turned to Nour and asked him:
And you, Dr. Nour, what attracts you to her?
Nour said, feigning interest:
Her theory will undoubtedly benefit me in the research I conduct, which you will all learn about at the conference.
Dr. Ishaq interrupted him with a dry tone and a cold look:
– The name of Dr. Nour is not on the list of scientists invited to this conference.
Nour was silent in astonishment, and everyone looked at him, except for Ramzi, who said while pointing to Salwa and Mahmoud, who stood looking into the dining room looking for Nour and Ramzi:
– The guys have arrived, I think we should leave.
When the two stood ready to leave, Dr. (Alon) and Dr. (Igal) greeted them suspiciously, but Dr. (Ishaq) nodded with the same coldness, and Dr. (Shamir) furrowed his eyebrows in distress.
Nour said in a whisper when he went next to Ramzi to where Mahmoud and Salwa were standing:
– This interview led to the opposite result. We sowed doubt in their souls.
Ramzi said, clenching his teeth in anger:
– This so-called (Isaac) is extremely cunning, may God’s curse be upon him!!
Mahmoud and Salwa greeted them, then took them to an empty corner, where Mahmoud said:
– The test is negative, there is not the slightest trace of the bomb in the entire building.
Nour furrowed his eyebrows in astonishment and said:
– Then… it is necessary to examine the possessions and tools of the four scholars.
Before someone pinned Nour’s hair, Dr. Abdullah’s hand patted him on the shoulder. He turned to him and found him pointing to a young girl carrying a small bag, standing next to the reception computer.
She was wearing black pants and a white shirt, and was working with her delicate fingertips on the buttons next to the computer.
Dr. Abdullah said:
-Do you know this beauty, Captain?
Nour shook his head wearily in denial, and the doctor said:
– She is (Mushira Mahfouz), a brilliant journalist at the Video News newspaper.
Nour glanced at her quickly, turned away, then suddenly stopped, and his eyes widened in astonishment when her voice reached his ear as she said, addressing the computer:
– I want to meet an inmate named (Nour El-Din Mahmoud)… Captain (Nour El-Din Mahmoud).
★★★
4_ Press blunder…
Everyone turned to look at the young journalist in astonishment. Her request to meet Captain (Nour) was unacceptable in these particular circumstances. (Nour) signaled to them to be silent, then headed towards the young journalist who prepared to move after obtaining (Nour’s) room number, and she turned around. She was surprised when his voice came from behind her and said:
– I am Al-Taqib (Nour), at your service, miss.
The girl’s astonishment quickly disappeared, and she smiled maliciously and said:
– Do you used to hang out next to the reception computer, Captain? Or are you watching him intentionally?
Nour studied it silently, then said:
-Is there a service I can perform?
The malicious look did not disappear from the girl’s eyes as she said:
– Yes, can you tell me why you are here?
The astonishment that filled Nour’s depths did not reach his facial features when he said calmly:
This question amazes me, Miss. Isn’t it normal for policemen to spend their vacations in Alexandria?
She laughed (pointing) in clear sarcasm, and said:
– Yes, especially if the date of their vacation coincides with the (Science and Peace) conference.
Nour looked at her and said, maintaining his calm:
– What matters to the policemen at the (Science and Peace) conference?
She smiled (pointing) mischievously, and said:
– This is what I will try to find out, policeman.
Nour ignored her last remark and asked her:
Why did you ask to meet me, Miss Moushira?
The girl replied in the same sarcastic tone:
– Just curious, Captain… I just wanted to get to know the only policeman staying at the international hotel, during the (Science and Peace) conference.
Nour said:
And now?
She replied (pointing) as she prepared to leave:
– Now I am confident that there is important news regarding the conference. See you, policeman.
The young journalist left, waving her hand at Nour sarcastically. As soon as she crossed the hotel door, Nour sighed in relief, turned to his companions, and said:
– All we needed was the press’s intervention in the matter. Come on, guys, let’s go up to my room. We must develop an action plan.
Moments later, everyone was in Nour’s room, and he said, addressing Ramzi:
– Were you able to extract anything from our meeting with the four scholars, my dear (Ramzi)?
Ramzi shook his head and said:
– Without psychological reports, things become extremely difficult, especially since the meeting did not take enough time to obtain information about their psychological natures, but I can say:
Dr. Yigal is characterized by simplicity, at least on the surface, but Dr. Ishaq is mysterious and you cannot fathom him easily. Dr. Shamir is impulsive and quick to doubt, and Dr. Alon is stoic and secretive.
Nour asked him carefully:
-Which one of them could be an agent responsible for destroying the place?
Ramzi hesitated a little and said:
– In fact, any of them can be like that. The secret agent can pretend to be simple, as is the case with (Igal), or be mysterious (like Yitzhak), or calm (like Alon), but I think he cannot be impulsive (like Shamir). ).
Nour held his chin in his hand and said, thinking:
– So, we can rule out (Shamir), at least.
Qal (Ramzi):
– I don’t think so. His looks carried suspicion and suspicion as he bid us farewell. What would make a man doubt two young men unless he had something to make him cautious?
Nour furrowed his eyebrows and said:
So, this meeting was negative?!
Then he turned to Salwa and asked her:
– Did you set up the monitoring device I asked of you, Salwa?
Salwa nodded her head in the affirmative and said:
– Yes, Commander. You will wear this small watch, and it will guide you to any radioactive source, or strange signal in any of the tools worn by the four scientists.
Nour said as he looked at the small watch that Salwa had presented to him:
– We hope that this device of yours will succeed, Salwa.
Salwa smiled as she said:
-If he fails, I will be very disappointed.
Mahmoud said with interest:
-What about this journalist? She has a fair amount of curiosity.
Nour answered him with a smile while wearing the watch:
– You should direct this to the psychiatrist, as he is more capable of answering it than I am.
Ramzi said seriously:
– It is easy to get rid of this inquisitive young woman.
Everyone turned to him, and Salwa asked him:
– how ?
He answered confidently:
– By directing her eyes in another direction… She is looking for a journalistic blunder, so let us give it to her.
Nour asked him with great interest:
– What do you mean or (symbolic)?
Ramzi leaned back in his seat and said:
– We fabricate a special police mission with something imaginary, let it be a threat to kidnap a scientist, for example, and we make her learn about this matter in what appears to be a coincidence, and here…
Nour interrupted him with a tone of admiration:
– And here you are trying to search for the world that is vulnerable to kidnapping.. Amazing, (Ramzi)… you are a genius.
Salwa smiled mischievously and said:
May I suggest the name of the scientist who was supposedly kidnapped?
Nour laughed and said:
– I knew him from your malicious laugh.. You undoubtedly mean Dr. (Abdullah).
★★★
5_ The plan failed..
The hotel lobby was crowded with guests and scholars this evening, and Nour began making his way with difficulty in search of Dr. Abdullah. As soon as he found him, he began to engage in conversation, his eyes searching intently for the young journalist until he caught sight of her. He pretended not to notice her and headed off. Likewise with Dr. (Abdullah)..
As soon as he was next to her, the doctor was surprised by saying:
– I previously told you that you are at risk of being kidnapped, Dr. Abdullah, and my mission here is to protect you.
Dr. Abdullah stared at Nour’s face in astonishment, then smiled and leaned towards him whispering:
– What is this, Captain? New plan?
Nour smiled and said, deliberately making his voice reach the journalist:
– I know that I annoy you with these restrictions that I impose on your movements, but these are the orders.
Then he left, leaving Dr. Abdullah in his astonishment, and from afar he smiled when he saw the young journalist trying to create a space to talk to Dr. Abdullah. Ramzi’s simple plan had succeeded, so let him search for the four scientists.
It was not long before he found them, approached them, and said cheerfully:
– Hello, I didn’t think that scientists had fun like the common people.
The four turned to him, Shamir furrowed his eyebrows, Igal smiled coldly, and Yitzhak’s face remained impassive, and Dr. Alon said in an unfriendly tone:
– It is not surprising that scientists have fun, for they are human beings like everyone else.
Nour threw his arms around, trying to maintain the cheerful tone in his voice, as he said:
– But their fun is different, it is scientific fun.
Ishaq said, as he walked away from the place:
-I think I need some rest.
Nour followed him with his gaze as he walked away with regular steps out of the lobby, then he turned to Dr. Alon and said:
– I think you don’t like my presence, but I want to talk to you about the topic of programmed prosthetics.
Alan smiled mockingly as he said:
– Do you think this would benefit a policeman like you?
Astonishment jumped onto Nour’s face when he heard this phrase, and he was speechless when he heard Shamir say:
– I searched for the name of Dr. (Nour) on the inmates’ computer, but I only found the name of Captain (Nour).
Nour quickly regained his composure and said:
– This is what I wanted to talk to you about. I am assigned to guard you.
The three looked at him in disbelief, and Igal said:
Why didn’t you tell us that from the beginning? Is your friend Ramzi also a policeman?
Nour answered in an honest tone:
– No, my friend is not a policeman. He is an old friend, and he actually practices psychiatry. As for the reason I did not tell you, it is due to my desire to relieve you of the feeling that you are being watched.
Then he turned to where the entrance to the hall was, and said:
Is this the reason for Dr. Ishaq’s anger?
Alon pursed his lips and said:
Don’t you think that’s reason enough?
Nour smiled and said, pretending to be cheerful:
– Yes, I apologize for that, and tomorrow I will invite you to my room to have some iced drinks.. I hope you will accept my invitation.
Everyone exchanged looks in disbelief, then Alon said:
-And what prevents? Okay, we will come to your room at eight o’clock tomorrow evening.
Nour said:
– And Dr. Ishaq too?
Alan replied with a smile:
– And Dr. Ishaq too.
Nour greeted them and left them, returning to his room. On his way there, he noticed Dr. Abdullah sitting next to Moushira, the journalist. They were engaged in a long conversation, so he could not help but smile. When Nour went up to his room, he found: Mahmoud, Ramzi, and Salwa were waiting for him, and Ramzi asked him with interest:
-Did the plan succeed?
Nour said as he took the watch off his wrist and handed it to Salwa:
The plan to deport the journalist succeeded, and she is now sitting with Dr. Abdullah, trying to obtain any information about his kidnapping.
Then he sat down and continued:
As for the other plan, it was not successful.
Everyone asked him with interest:
– What do you mean ?
He replied as he relaxed in his seat:
– They knew that I was a policeman, and I had no choice but to be honest with them, but I told them that I was here to guard them.
Ramzi asked him:
-Do you think they will be convinced of that?
Nour replied while stretching:
– No, of course, but I invited them here tomorrow at eight in the evening.
Then he looked at the clock hanging in front of him and said:
– That is, about twenty hours from now.
He turned to Mahmoud and said:
– I have a task for you, colleague. You must complete it before these twenty hours pass.
Ramzi looked at him questioningly and said:
– Have you noticed this huge mirror, to the right of the small corridor extending from the entrance of the room to the place where we are sitting? I want you to turn it into a Roentgen ray detection screen.
Mahmoud asked him carefully:
-Do you think someone has the bomb inside?
Ramzi said as he looked at Nour in amazement:
– I do not believe, Commander, that a man can carry a bomb inside him and remain calm. Moreover, it is psychologically unreasonable for a man to agree to sacrifice his life by this means, even if it is for the sake of his country.
Nour said while smiling:
– Have you forgotten the kamikaze men in World War II?
Ramzi answered him in a voice filled with astonishment:
– This was because they were convinced at the time that the Emperor was God on earth, but in our current era.
Nour interrupted him, saying:
– Anyway, I did not mean that.. Rather, I meant to know what was in their pockets without them realizing.
Salwa asked him:
Did my device fail to detect this?
Nour said:
– Your device needs to get close to the object to determine its appearance, and this requires a number of suspicious movements that are not desirable in these particular circumstances.
Salwa said sharply:
– I can modify it so that it receives signals from an unlimited distance.
Nour smiled and said to her in a cheerful tone:
– There is no need to be angry, my dear Salwa. I need your effort to implement your previous plan.
Salwa furrowed her eyebrows and asked him:
– What do you mean, Commander?
Nour answered her while pressing the words:
Tonight, you will search the four scholars’ belongings and tools in their rooms.
★★★
6_ A successful step. .
Salwa quietly crept into Dr. Yigal’s room, carefully closed the door behind her, then glanced quickly at the bed.
Igal was lying asleep, his snoring clearly evident. It was very dark, but the device she wore over her eyes enabled her to see in complete darkness, using the infrared rays it emitted.
She began examining Igal’s belongings and scattered tools with her sensitive device, and felt upset that she had been assigned this task that required a bold man…but Nour was right in assigning it, as the four scholars knew Nour and Ramzi well, and Mahmoud was busy with the task. Preparing the x-ray machine that Nour requested from him; Therefore, she is the only one free, but this work makes her anxious. What would happen if someone woke up?
Nour advised her to take advantage of complete darkness… It is true that with this device she can see, but what if someone turned on the light in the room?
She quickly put the tools back in their place, after making sure they were free of anything suspicious. Then she headed to the room’s door while listening to Igal’s regular snoring. Salwa stood outside the room, panting with excitement.
If all this anxiety had afflicted her since the first room, then she must have become anxious before she left the last room. She quietly headed to Dr. Alon’s room, listened a little from the outside, then opened the door to the room, and quietly crept inside…
Alon was deep in sleep, and Salwa began examining the belongings and tools, then left the room with the same calmness, and said to herself in front of the door:
– What a night!! Who would imagine that a genius engineer like me would spend the night like a thief, sneaking into hotel rooms?
Then I went to (Ishaq’s) room, and when I sneaked inside and closed the door, (Ishaq) was lying on his bed, calm, as usual when he was awake, and (Salwa) carefully examined the tools and belongings, then returned them after making sure they were free of suspicious devices, and headed off. She walked quietly to the door of the room, when she heard Isaac’s calm voice behind her saying:
– What are you doing here ?
Salwa turned around in horror. Ishaq was standing in front of the bed like a soldier on guard, with his gaze directed towards her. The infrared device helped her see his rigid features. She did not waste a moment, but rather jumped gracefully to the door of the room and opened it with a quick movement, then she rushed out and closed it behind her. She ran to the farthest corner of the corridor containing the rooms, and stood panting and watching the door of (Ishaq’s) room, her body trembling.
Short moments passed that felt like an eternity to Salwa, but Ishaq did not try to go out into the corridor to find out who had broken into his room.
After a period of hesitation, Salwa went to the last room, Dr. Shamir’s room. She listened for a while, then opened the door of the room, crept inside, and remained standing for a while looking at the body sleeping on the bed until she was sure that he was asleep, then she headed to where ( Shamir took out his belongings and tools, and began examining them carefully with her device, and suddenly light filled the room..
Salwa turned in horror to the bed. Shamir was staring at her in astonishment, then jumped towards her. Salwa jumped to her left gracefully. Shamir stumbled and fell to the ground. She rushed towards the door of the room and opened it, before closing it behind her. She was surprised. A shot from a laser pistol hit the door directly above her head, so Salwa quickly ran down the corridor, away from the angry sound of Shamir as he opened the door to his room.
Before she leaned into the empty side corridor to the glass staircase, another shot from the laser pistol hit the wall behind her. The comrades were surprised to find (Salwa) storming into the room in panic, then closing the door, and throwing her body on the bed while panting, blood pouring from her face, so it appeared yellowish and pale. ..
Everyone rushed to her, and Nour said:
– (Salwa), my dear (Salwa), what happened?
Salwa burst into tears, and everyone began to calm her down, until she calmed down and sat down to dry her tears. After she had calmed down completely, Ramzi asked her:
– What happened, Salwa?
Salwa told them what happened to her in Ishaq’s room and Shamir’s room, and after Nour’s contract ended, he helped him and looked down thinking, then said:
– What drives a scientist like Shamir to carry a laser weapon in his room? Then what drives him to use it so simply?
Then he turned to (Ramzi) and asked him:
Do you think this is normal behavior for a scientist like Shamir?
Ramzi shook his head in amazement and said:
Scientists are human beings, Commander, and it is not unlikely for any of them to perform any normal human behavior.
Nour said with a frown on his forehead:
– So, this is normal human behavior!!
Qal (Ramzi):
– I mean that any action that humans can take applies to scientists as well.
Salwa interrupted them by saying:
– If he had known what I revealed in his room, he would not have backed down before he was sure I was dead.
Everyone turned to her in question, and she said, adjusting her disheveled hair:
– I think today’s step was successful, except that it prevented me from sleeping until four in the morning.
Nour asked her carefully:
– What did you find in Shamir’s room, Salwa?
Salwa smiled and said while looking at Nour:
– Have you seen how your style arouses the curiosity of others? Here I am trying it for the first time with you.
Nour laughed and said:
But I always do that after the mystery has been revealed and not before. Now what did I find in Shamir’s room?
Salwa said seriously:
– I first found in Dr. Alon’s room a small device that sends regular signals in the form of a small ring.
Then she turned to Nour and said:
As for Shamir, I found that his watch, which he wears constantly, is nothing but an ultra-short wave transmitter. Didn’t I tell you guys? This step was very successful.
★★★
7_ Heart attack…
When Nour went down to the hotel lobby at ten in the morning, he found the four scholars sitting in their usual corner whispering. He approached them and they stopped talking, and Shamir turned to him and said angrily:
– Can you tell us, policeman, why are you assigned to protect us?
Nour replied while pretending not to understand:
– What do you mean, sir?
Shamir’s tone became intense as he said:
– Don’t we have the right to know the type of danger that threatens us?
Alon motioned for him to be silent, then directed his conversation to Nour in a calm tone:
Did you know that an attempt was made yesterday to rob Dr. Shamir?
Nour pretended to be surprised, and sat on a seat next to Alon while saying:
-Attempted theft? Here at the international hotel? impossible !!
Shamir shouted sharply:
– What is this impossible? I told you that an attempt was made to rob me yesterday.
Nour cupped his hands and asked quietly:
– Well, do you recognize the thief?
Shamir said, turning away angrily:
It was a girl, but I didn’t see her features well.
Nour prevented himself from smiling. He knew that the infrared device that Salwa was wearing was what prevented Shamir from recognizing her features, but he continued, saying:
– What exactly did the criminal try, I mean, did the criminal try to steal?
Shamir was silent and exchanged glances with Alon, then leaned back in his seat and said:
– I do not know .
Nour smiled and leaned forward as he said:
– I promise that this will not happen again, sir, and I will take the necessary measures to arrest the thief.
(Shamir) turned his head in distress, and waved his hand without uttering a word.. (Nour) turned to (Igal) and asked him:
-Is there anything else you complain about, Dr. Yigal?
Igal shook his head in denial without speaking, so Nour turned his head to where Ishaq was sitting and asked him the same question. But Ishaq’s face remained solid as he said with his usual coldness:
– No, I have nothing to complain about.
Before anyone could speak, everyone heard Ramzi’s voice saying:
– Good morning, how are you today?
Shamir shook his head, Yigal smiled faintly, Yitzhak remained frozen, and Alon shook his head coldly.
(Ramzi) pulled out a seat and sat next to (Ishaq), and everyone was engaged in a conversation about the conference, except for (Shamir), who remained with his eyebrows frowned, and (Ishaq), who began to wander around their faces without uttering a single word, or his rigid features shaking during the conversation. Nour noticed the young journalist, Musheera, as she was entering the hotel lobby, so he stood up and asked permission to leave, and as soon as he moved, he found her heading directly towards him.
Nour tried to put a smile on his lips when the journalist pointed at him, but she quickly said with her malicious smile:
– What exactly are you trying to do with me, policeman?
Nour stared at her in astonishment and asked her:
what do you mean ?
– (Moshira) furrowed her eyebrows, and said while clenching her teeth in anger:
Yesterday, you tried to make me think that you were here to protect Dr. Abdullah from kidnapping. It is true that you did not tell me this directly, but you cleverly tried to draw my attention to that.
Nour raised his eyebrows in surprise and said:
– But this is a secret, miss.. How?
She interrupted him angrily:
– Don’t try to continue deceiving me, policeman… It is not possible for a man threatened with kidnapping to continue talking all evening about hope and happiness… Nor can you convince me that a policeman like you, charged with protecting a man from kidnapping, heads to his room at eleven in the evening, leaving the man in Hotel lobby full of guests..
– Can you tell me where Dr. Abdullah is now?
Nour said, trying to hide his confusion:
– In his room on the twentieth floor. She raised (pointing) her finger at him, and said angrily:
– Wrong, he has been sitting with me on the beach since seven in the morning, and I left him with the excuse that I was sending some newspaper news or video news, and he is still there waiting for me to return..
– Did you see, policeman? You don’t even know where the man you were assigned to protect is.. Do you want me to believe this story?
Nour could not help smiling and admiring the intelligence of the young journalist, so he said while looking directly into her eyes:
Listen, miss. You are Egyptian before you were a journalist, aren’t you?
She shook her head and said:
-Yes, but….
Nour interrupted her, continuing:
– If something gives you the opportunity to make a rare journalistic blunder, but at the same time it harms the security of the state…what would you do?
She bowed down for a moment, then raised her head and said:
– You mean if publishing this news harms the security of the state? Well, I am Egyptian first and foremost.
Then she was silent for a while before continuing her speech, saying:
– I apologize, Captain, I will not interfere in your work again.
The admiration was evident in Nour’s eyes as he said to her:
– I knew that.. You are the greatest journalist I have ever met.
Mushaira’s face turned red with embarrassment, and she gave a quick greeting to Nour, and left the lobby with quick steps, with Nour following her with admiration. As soon as she crossed out of the lobby, Nour returned to where Ramzi was sitting with the four scholars. He found only Igal and Ishaq, who was playing chess with Ramzi…
So (Nour) took a look at the chessboard, and (Ramzi) was tense, trying to find a way out for his king, which had been put in an awkward position by (Ishaq’s) pawns. As for the latter, he was moving his pieces with the same coldness that characterizes him. So (Nour) turned to (Igal). ) And he asked him:
– Where did Dr. Shamir and Dr. Alon go?
Yigal shrugged his shoulders and said:
– I don’t know. They often disappear like this, without us knowing where they went.
Nour furrowed his eyebrows, then asked permission to leave, and began roaming around the hotel, trying to find them. It was two o’clock in the afternoon when Nour completely despaired of finding the two scientists, so he headed to his room, and Salwa was lying on a wide chair. She placed her legs on another chair and fell into a deep sleep, while Mahmoud was busy installing the device that Nour had requested.
As soon as Mahmoud saw him, he said:
Do you still insist on installing this device, Commander?
Nour nodded his head in the affirmative, so Mahmoud continued:
– I thought that the night tour that Salwa took was enough, so that we could dispense with this device.
Nour said as he threw his body onto the soft bed:
– On the contrary, this particular attempt confirmed to me the necessity of making this device, and you must hurry, as the scientists will come at eight in the evening.
Mahmoud said confidently:
– I’m almost done, but I don’t know what you think you’ll find using this device?
Nour smiled and did not comment, then he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. He saw himself walking on a long, endless road, with fog surrounding him on all sides. He felt tremendous hardship as he walked with difficulty, then a man with strange features appeared and asked him about his destination. So he tried to speak, but no sound came out of his throat, so he pointed to the end of the road
and was surprised because he found the road ending at the international hotel, and he saw a three-dimensional sign announcing the opening of the “Science and Peace” conference. He turned to the man and found that he had turned into a skeleton, and he was pointing at him to approach. He tried to run away, but his legs were unable to move, and it was as if he was carrying tons on each foot.
His chest tightened, and he turned back to the skeleton, and found it had turned into a huge bomb, and before he opened his mouth, he felt a hand closing on his right forearm, and a voice screaming in his ear:
– It’s seven.. It’s seven.
Suddenly, he woke up terrified. Everyone was staring at him anxiously, and he heard Ramzi’s voice saying:
– What happened, Commander? You must have had a terrifying nightmare.
Nour wiped his face with his palm, sat up straight on the bed, yawned, and then said:
– Yes, but it is a nightmare inspired by the anxious moments we live in.
Salwa said, looking at him tenderly:
– You were tossing and turning in bed worryingly, and Ramzi tried to wake you up, especially since it was seven o’clock, and we had to get ready before the scholars arrived.
At this point, Salwa jumped in fear and said:
Tell us this nightmare.
Nour smiled and said as he headed to the bathroom:
– I don’t remember most of it. I will tell it to you later.
As soon as Nour washed his face, he turned to the huge bathroom mirror, removed the curtain that hid it, and contemplated the beautiful work that Mahmoud had done. The woman had turned into a huge sheet of green radiant glass, and behind it the small corridor was clearly visible.
Mahmoud had transformed the entire corridor into an X-ray room. Nour came out of the bathroom and congratulated Mahmoud on his genius in transforming the room into this field… Mahmoud said:
The most difficult thing was transporting the used materials to the room, but fortunately the automated service does not possess human curiosity.
Nour smiled and said while looking at his atomic watch:
– You must prepare your device for work, and (Salwa) will accompany you, and (Ramzi) and I will remain here to receive the four scholars..
-I want clear x-rays of their bodies.
Ramzi said, smiling:
– In this case, I find that I have to go with them. It is true that (Mahmoud) is the only radiology expert here, but this type of radiological work requires a doctor.
Noor nodded his head affirmatively and said:
– This is true, so I will remain here alone to receive the four scholars.
When the clock struck eight o’clock, someone was knocking on the door, so Nour pressed a small button next to his seat, which opened the door, and said hello to the visitors:
– Hello gentlemen, I am pleased to welcome you to my room.
Behind the green glass panel, the three companions were watching the scholars enter, and (Ramzi) said, pointing to one of them:
It is difficult to know the people behind this board, as all that shows are their inner skeletons. Then he pointed to one of them and said:
– But it is easy to know that this short skeleton belongs to Dr. (Shamir)… As for this huge skeleton, it belongs to Dr. (Igal), and it seems clear from the bones of this skeleton that they are of an elderly person like Dr. (Alon)… and thus these skeletal bones belong to Dr. (Ishaq).
Then he shouted in astonishment:
– Oh my God, what’s happening?
Dr. Ishaq’s body was swaying, and his right hand extended to grip his left upper arm forcefully, then he fell to the ground like a piece of stone.
He pushed (Ramzi) outside while shouting:
– It’s a clear heart attack. Isaac had a heart attack.
At this very moment, the other scientists and Nour were surprised by the heart attack that befell Ishaq. Then they were astonished by Ramzi rushing out of the bathroom and heading directly to Ishaq, who was lying on the ground.
(Ramzi) placed his ear on (Isaac’s) heart, then raised his face, filled with panic, as he shouted:
– His heart stopped, he died.
★★★
8_ bright spot. .
Everyone present was astonished when (Ramzi) uttered his last phrase, and everyone remained in their place, except for (Nour), who crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows, and (Ramzi), who carried (Ishaq’s) thin body and rushed him to the bed, and laid him on his back. Then he began to press his palms on the lower middle of Ishaq’s rib cage with successive, strong pressures, then he pressed his ear to the heart, and was silent for a few moments.
During these moments, Salwa almost rushed out of the bathroom, had Mahmoud not grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear:
– Don’t let an emergency reaction spoil our entire plan.
So she sat still, even if she felt sad for the young scholar… Nour was silent, contemplating Ramzi, who raised his head, his cheeks sparkling with joy, as he shouted:
– The heart is beating again. Heart massage has succeeded in getting it back to work.
Nour furrowed his eyebrows, approached the motionless body, placed his hand on the heart for a little while, then raised it, held it with his other hand, and said quietly:
– You’re right, it’s back to work again.
And here Dr. Alon shouted:
– Oh, my God ! . You are a hero, Dr. Ramzi.
Yigal chanted:
– Our country is indebted to you for saving one of its scientists.
Dr. Ishaq opened his eyes again when Shamir said:
– It’s unfortunate that he had a heart attack here.
Isaac calmly straightened up and sat on the edge of the bed, then said while looking at everyone with the same impassive look:
-I think I had a heart attack again.
Then he stood up and said while moving quietly towards the room door:
-I think I should leave.
No one tried to prevent him from leaving, and Nour began to follow him as he crossed the corridor with a quick step, then he turned to the three scholars and said:
I hope this incident does not disturb the peace of your visit.
The three looked at him in distress, then Shamir asked him:
– What was Dr. Ramzi doing here?
Nour shrugged his shoulders indifferently and said:
– They were invited just like you… and I think this was fortunate.
Alan replied with a smile:
– Of course, if you hadn’t invited him, well, we wouldn’t have thought about that. Let’s enjoy the evening.
It was ten o’clock in the evening when Nour bid farewell to his guests, and turned to Ramzy and said:
– This incident helped you join the party.
Then he went to the bathroom door and said:
– Come on, my dear Salwa, come on, Mahmoud… It has been decided to release you.
Salwa came out with her eyebrows furrowed and said angrily:
– It must have been our good behavior, as we spent all this time in complete silence in the bathroom.
Everyone laughed, and she continued with the same anger:
– Tell me, for God’s sake, what did you expect to happen if one of the guests asked to go to the bathroom to wash his hands?
Everyone burst out laughing again, and she waved her hand in anger, and said as she headed to the room door:
– I will go down to the lobby to get some fresh air, and whoever wants to follow me.
Mahmoud turned to Nour, who nodded his head in agreement, so he quickly followed Salwa.
Ramzi sighed and said:
Bad luck accompanies us in this mission, Commander.
Nour answered, looking away:
– Maybe not .
Then he turned to him and asked him carefully:
-Did you get x-rays?
Ramzi answered as he headed to the bathroom:
– Yes, and it is the type that appears automatically without the need for development. I will bring it to you immediately.
(Ramzi) returned from the bathroom carrying the micro-ray strips, and began examining them carefully, and (Nour) asked him:
– Do you find anything strange in these x-rays, Ramzi?
Ramzi answered after a moment of hesitation:
– To some extent… It is true that I am not an expert in x-ray images, but I can at least distinguish what is normal from what is normal, and I can be certain that what appears in the x-ray image is completely unnatural.
Nour quickly approached him and asked him with great interest:
-What looks abnormal to you on the x-rays?
Ramzi pointed with his index finger to a bright spot, which seemed clearer than the rest of the x-ray parts, and said:
– This bright spot…it is brighter than it could be, and then its illumination has changed in this second picture…look.
Nour looked at the picture carefully, then muttered:
-This is what I needed.
Qal (Ramzi):
It is unfortunate that the x-ray pictures were taken while the scientists were fully dressed, which is why all their tools appeared clearly, even the buttons of their jackets.
Nour looked at the picture again, then said:
– Can you know the owner of this structure?
Ramzi answered confidently:
– naturally .
As soon as Nour knew the name of the owner of the structure, he sighed in relief, headed towards the video machine, and pressed several buttons. Soon the face of Dr. Abdullah appeared on its screen, who said cheerfully:
– Hello, Captain. You did not give me the opportunity to thank you for this kidnapping plan.
Nour ignored the statement and said in a serious tone:
– Doctor (Abdullah)… I need an accurate device, which can only be manufactured in the scientific research center affiliated with the administration.
★★★
9_ Farewell party. .
The lobby of the International Hotel was buzzing with activity, in preparation for the opening of the Science and Peace Conference this evening. It was nine in the morning when Dr. Abdullah passed the hotel’s huge door and headed to the dining room where Nour was waiting for him. Nour greeted him. Welcome, and sit next to him.
Dr. Abdullah dried his sweat as he said to Nour:
– What a mission you assigned me, policeman!! Who would believe that I traveled to Cairo, and spent the entire night in the company of three of the most qualified men in the scientific research laboratory, to make this precise device that you requested, Nour?
Nour smiled as he said:
– Necessity has provisions, sir.
Then his face became serious as he asked:
– Does the device match the specifications you requested, sir?
Dr. Abdullah said as he took out a small pin from his pocket:
– Exactly.. Look at this little pin. Its appearance is very innocent, but its delicate round head contains a microscopic device that emits X-rays, enough to examine a huge elephant.
Then he took out a small silver cube and said with a smile:
It is funny that the device that controls the release of these rays is much larger than the device that releases them.
He handed Nour the device and said:
– When you touch with your finger this scarlet circle on one side of the cube, the rays emanate from the head of the pin, and when you touch this blue circle on the opposite side, the rays stop immediately.
Nour turned the silver cube in his hand, and Dr. Abdullah looked at it for a while, then asked him:
– Don’t you want to tell me the reason for which you ordered this device?
When Nour raised his head, the apology was clear in his eyes, so much so that Dr. Abdullah pounded his fist on the table and said in distress:
– Well… well… you won’t tell me. I know that. I wasted hours of the night for you, and you refuse to tell me.
Then his features returned to being cheerful, as he said:
But I have nothing but admiration for you, young man. I will not insist on knowing what is on your mind. I trust you.. May God grant you success. I will go and sleep for a while.
Then he left the table and the entire room, and Nour remained caressing the silver cube for a while, then put it in his pocket and headed towards his room.
Salwa was sitting on the bed drinking a cup of warm tea. Ramzi was in the bathroom shaving, while Mahmoud was relaxing on a comfortable chair.
Nour looked at them and said:
No one can imagine that these lazy people are trying to prevent a bomb explosion, in a huge hotel containing the greatest scientists in the world.
Salwa took the cup away from her lips and said:
– Wouldn’t it have been better to keep the four scientists away from the hotel instead of all this?
Nour shook his head in denial and said:
– This would have seemed arbitrary, especially since it is impossible to announce the bomb order… and such a procedure being done without justification would be enough for Egypt to lose all international public opinion.
Salwa muttered while sipping her tea:
– I do not understand any of these political terms, and I do not like politics at all.
Nour smiled as he went to the television set and pressed some buttons, and soon an unfamiliar face appeared on the screen saying:
– Video News newspaper.
Nour said with interest:
– Can I talk to (Mushira Mahfouz)?
The man on the screen said:
– Not available at the moment.. Is there a message?
Nour hesitated for a moment, then said:
– Yes, tell her that… Nour is waiting for her at the international hotel at three in the evening, for the utmost importance.
If Nour had turned to look at Salwa, he would have found that at this moment her eyebrows were furrowed in distress, and she was looking at him from the corner of her eye. As soon as he turned off the television, she pretended not to care, as she asked him:
Why at three in particular?
Nour smiled without answering Salwa’s question, and headed to the room’s door while saying:
– I will wait for you in the lobby, and you must hurry.
Nour went down to the lobby and looked for the four scholars until he found them in the dining room. As soon as they saw him, Shamir exhaled in distress and said:
– Here he is, the spirited policeman, working to protect us again.
Nour smiled as he pulled out a seat and sat next to them, and said while patting Ishaq’s back:
– I hope you are in good health this morning, my dear.
Ishaq answered him with his cold style and rigid look:
– In good condition.
Nour turned to Dr. Alon and said:
– I think you will deliver a speech at the opening session, sir.
Dr. Alon answered sadly:
– I will have to apologize for that. Unfortunately, our country’s embassy invited us to a dinner party, and it is our duty to attend this party.
Nour smiled…how smart!! Instead of starting a quarrel as he expected, no one would blame them, of course, for attending a dinner party held by their embassy to honor them, even if it was at the opening session of the conference.
Nour leaned forward and said:
– So, allow me to invite you to a small party at three in the evening, in the hotel guest room.
Everyone exchanged looks, and Nour said, smiling:
Let us say that it is a small farewell party. I will leave the hotel immediately after the opening session.
(Shamir) smiled a malicious smile that could not be missed by (Noor’s) eye, (Ishaq) remained rigid as usual, and (Igal) smiled.. (Alon) said, smiling friendly:
– We are happy to accept your invitation, policeman, as long as it is a farewell party.
Nour left them after he received a promise from them to attend the party at three in the evening. In the outer hall, he met his three companions. He took them to a far corner and told them about the party. Salwa raised her eyebrows in astonishment and said:
– Farewell party ? ..Who’s farewell? ..Should we leave the search for the bomb for a party, Commander?
Nour smiled and Ramzi said:
– Let my arm be cut off if this party is not for the purpose of uncovering the mystery of the disappearing bomb.
Mahmoud and Salwa asked in one voice:
-Is this true, Commander?
Nour nodded his head affirmatively, and everyone was silent. Each of them wanted to ask Nour about the solution to the puzzle, but they refrained because they knew that he would not reveal it except at the party, but Ramzi leaned over and asked him:
– The solution to the puzzle has something to do with that bright spot in the x-ray image…isn’t it?
Nour replied with a smile:
– Yes, it is a strange solution, so much so that I did not believe it for a long time.
Then he turned to Salwa and said:
While I get the hotel management’s approval to hold a small party, you, my dear, have to prepare the place.
Salwa pretended to look at her nails and said:
– The journalist will attend, of course, right?
Nour answered her with a smile:
– Yes, you will be here at three o’clock sharp.
Nour was wrong about this. Before the clock had reached two-thirty, Moushira, the journalist, was looking for him in the hotel lobby. She quickly found him and approached him smiling.
As soon as he greeted her, her face became red, and she asked him:
– I knew you were waiting for me.. Anything new?
Nour smiled as he saw her shy looks and said:
– Yes, I invited you to a small farewell party.
She said (pointing) with a gentle smile:
– Just ?
Nour answered her while holding her hand and leading her to the private guest room:
– And to give you the opportunity to get the news of the season.
When (Nour) entered with (Mushira), (Salwa) was preparing the place for the party, and she stopped when she saw the young journalist, and began to contemplate her silently.. (Nour) turned to her, and said, pointing to (Mushira):
– (Mushira Mahfouz), a brilliant journalist at the Video News newspaper, will participate in the farewell party with us.
Then he pointed to Salwa and said proudly:
– Our colleague (Salwa), a genius engineer in the art of communications and tracking.
They each nodded to each other with clear coldness… Nour almost burst out laughing at this scene, had it not been for the arrival of the four scholars accompanied by (Ramzi) and (Mahmoud).
It was only a matter of moments before everyone was exchanging expressions of friendliness and courtesy. Salwa turned to where Nour was standing next to the young journalist, and stared at them in distress. Nour was putting one hand in his pocket, and he was leaning with his other hand on a small table on which it was parked. The young journalist, looking at him with interest.
Salwa felt jealousy gnawing at her, and she tried to look away from them when a shout reached her ears. She turned to the source of the shout, to find Ishaq staggering strangely, with his right hand clasped around his left upper arm.
Everyone was amazed, and (Ramzi) quickly picked him up in his arms, and (Salwa) turned to (Nour) while (Ramzi) was lying (Ishaq) on the ground, and vigorously massaged his chest. (Salwa) was astonished, and (Nour) was standing calm, He crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled.
After a few moments of astonishment, I was surprised by him saying in a calm voice, directing his speech to (Ramzi):
– There is no point. Your method will not work this time, my dear (Ramzi)… The matter is over.
(Ramzi) turned to him in astonishment, and the other three scholars began staring at (Nour), and they were astonished. Even (Mahmoud) and (Mushira) were staring at his face, and they were overcome with astonishment, as his features expressed victory, not anxiety. .
He calmly patted Mushaira on the shoulder and said to her:
– Hurry and inform your newspaper. Here is the news of the season.
Moshira moved automatically towards the television set, then stopped and turned around, staring at Nour’s face in astonishment, and said in an astonished voice:
– But you invited me here to tell me this news? …Did you know in advance that he would die?
Nour calmly raised his head, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and said in a tone of indifference:
– Yes.. I knew that.
★★★
10_ Finding the bomb…
Blood rushed to Shamir’s face, and he jumped towards Nour, shouting in anger:
– You criminal, you murderer, you knew. You killed him.
Nour grabbed Shamir’s arm with a force that pained him, and said in a firm tone:
-You can never prove it.
Shamir tore his arm from Nour’s strong grip and collapsed on a nearby seat. Ramzi stared at Nour in the face and said in astonishment:
-Do you mean you killed him, Commander?
Nour replied with a calm smile:
– The word murder cannot be used for what happened, my dear.
Salwa felt the ground shifting beneath her feet. Nour could not be a killer. He hates killing and destruction. It is impossible. Alon’s voice woke her up, saying in anger:
– Our embassy will not stand still, policeman. We will…
Nour interrupted him with a wave of his hand, and in a firm voice:
– Your embassy will do nothing, world… Be confident of that.
Alon lowered his head and remained silent, while Nour said:
– Perhaps you do not know that the International Hotel was at risk of being destroyed, by a bomb hidden somewhere, during the opening session of the (Science and Peace) Conference.
Astonishment appeared clearly on the faces of the three scholars, but none of them said a word, and Mushirah muttered in astonishment:
– Bomb? , here ? However, only five hours remain until the opening session.
Nour smiled at her and said:
– Rest assured, nothing will happen.
Mahmoud shouted in astonishment:
– What do you mean, Commander?
Nour smiled and said:
– I mean the bomb will not explode; Because in short… she died.
Everyone looked in astonishment, and Nour said as he sat in a nearby seat:
– The matter is strange, and it even requires your full attention. Since the beginning of our attempts to find the bomb, we have been searching for the place where it might be hidden, until that was the night when (Salwa) searched the rooms of the four scientists.
Shamir looked at Salwa and said in a low voice:
– So.. it was you.
Nour continued, indifferent to Shamir’s remark:
I was not attracted by what Salwa found, as much as I was attracted by Ishaq’s behavior. The ring that emits regular signals is normal for a scientist who specializes in programmed prosthetic limbs. It is the simple regulator that does not attract attention in an artificial hand.
As for the watch that Shamir wears, it falls within the scope of his specialty, as he conducts experiments on ultrashort waves.
But what is interesting is how Ishaq knew the nature of the thief. He asked Salwa what she was doing in his room despite the total darkness.
– Since it is not natural for a person to assume that his thief is a female, his addressing her in the feminine form means that he sees her… So how can he do that when he is not wearing an infrared device?
Nour was silent for a while to swallow his saliva and continued:
– This was the first point that caught my attention. Then he did not report the theft the next day, as Shamir did. Here I began to review the events that had taken place since the beginning of the research, and I initially remembered a phrase that Salwa had said, which was that Thinking about destroying the hotel, and killing all these scientists and guests, he must have a heart of steel..
– Then I remembered that (Ishaq) suddenly appeared as a scientist only four years ago… And a conversation about (Kamikaze) came back to my mind, and (Ramzi) failed to analyze the psychology of (Ishaq) despite his experience in this field… Then I remembered the information he had given ( Ishaq) on the psychological illnesses of scholars..
At the same time, I remembered the theory of distraction that Ramzi told me.
Salwa exhaled in distress and said:
– Will you tell us the solution to the puzzle, Commander, or put before us a set of puzzles?
Nour smiled and said:
But this is the solution, my dear Salwa. Do you remember the note that Ramzi sent on the night you made your tour?
– That observation about normal human behavior?
Salwa said:
– Yes, I remember it well…but what does it have to do with it?
Nour said while smiling:
– Well, let me bring the matter closer to you. I remembered a conversation that led me to the solution, despite its strangeness. I remembered the conversation that took place between Dr. Abdullah and Ramzi about robotic people who cook.
Salwa looked at him in astonishment, then looked at Ishaq, who was lying on the ground, and said:
– Do you mean .. ?
Nour crossed his arms and said while looking at everyone:
– Yes, I mean this.. We understood the categorical statement in the letter of the martyr (Fouad Khattab)… He ended it by saying: “There are three irresponsible scholars and the fourth is….” Then the message ended.
– Everyone thought that he intended to complete it in the name of the responsible scientist, but I am sure that he would have completed it by saying that the fourth world is the bomb.
Astonishment exploded on everyone’s faces, and they looked back at the body of Isaac lying on the ground. Then Shamir said in astonishment:
– Did he carry the bomb inside him?
Nour smiled and said:
In a way…but I meant that Dr. (Ishaq) is nothing but a bomb…a robot…an automated person made with the latest technology produced by the human anatomy…using circuits printed on transparent silicon chips…
It has a skeleton made of ivory, lined from the inside with lead, to block the rays from its parts and circles.
– As for his skin, it is made of artificial skin that is used in cosmetic surgeries… Even the heart is made and programmed, such that it gives regular beats that are completely similar to human heartbeats, similar to the degree that it deceives a skilled doctor..
– I am confident that if we made a diagram of the brain, we would obtain the same diagram that the human brain gives. Everything is made with great genius, but nothing is so perfect that it would be impossible to provide it with natural human expressions.
It is not possible to program him to taste humor and laugh, or to be affected by an emotional scene, etc. Therefore, Ishaq always had rigid features and cold tones, even though his eyes rival the human eye in terms of their ability to see in infrared rays.
I mean, you are superior to them in this field, but this superiority is what drew my attention to this strange fact.
Then (Mahmoud) once said that robots are characterized by their lack of curiosity, and this is what made (Ishaq) neglect the robbery attempt that took place in his room. I initially wanted to examine his body with x-rays, expecting not to find a skeleton, but rather a set of joints. But they were smarter than I expected, except for one small point.
Here Ramzi interrupted him, saying:
But what is the meaning of the heart attack he suffered in your room?
Nour pointed to him and said:
This was another point of their genius. It is not normal for an ordinary person to feel the X-rays penetrating his body, but because (Isaac) is a robot, his devices sensed them.
– They were anticipating this possibility, so they programmed him so that in times of danger he would behave in a way that suggested he was having a heart attack, and all his systems would stop working. And if you had tried to revive him while he was in front of the x-ray field, he would never have woken up, but you carried him to bed away from the x-ray field..
The devices were also prepared to be charged by the massage movements performed on the heart in the event of a crisis, so they would return to work.
Ramzi interrupted him, saying with admiration:
So, when you told me that he had returned to work, you meant him as a robot, not his heart.
Nour smiled and replied:
– Yes, my dear. If you had left him, he would have returned to work alone. Do you remember that bright spot in the x-ray? There had to be a backup source of energy inside the robot, to bring it back to work in the event that it was not rescued, and this source was composed of radiant energy that appeared clearly in the x-ray images..
– Do you remember how its size changed when its mechanical heart stopped moving?
Ramzi nodded affirmatively, while Nour continued:
– I felt that this solution, despite its strangeness, explains all the events, his complete immobility, his vision in the dark, his genius in all fields.
Here Alon shouted:
– But I have known this young man for four years.
Nour said:
– This is another point of genius. This matter has been prepared for four years. He appeared as a new scientist, and a powerful theory was attributed to him that catapulted him into the ranks of major scientists. Thus, he cannot be doubted at the conference. The important thing is that (Isaac It was nothing but an automatic kamikaze, a highly destructive bomb.
It is true that making it may have cost a lot of effort and money, but destroying it here at the conference is worth more than that, as it achieves two goals for your country. The first is ensuring scientific excellence for many years to come, given the elimination of the world’s greatest scientists in all fields, especially your country’s scientists. At the same moment, they will be at their embassy having dinner.
The second is to embarrass Egypt in the international sphere, and these are two goals that your country has been seeking for years.
The three scholars lowered their heads in shame, and Alon said in a disturbed voice:
– We never imagined… I swear to you
★★★
11_ Conclusion. .
Salwa asked with interest:
I don’t know yet. How were you able to guess this strange fact, Commander?
Nour smiled as he said:
It required some imagination and boldness, my dear Salwa.
Salwa said, looking at him with admiration:
– And they do not lack you, Commander.
Ramzi asked him:
-But you haven’t told us yet, how did you turn off his devices in the private guest room? .
Nour laughed and said:
– When I met them in the dining room on the morning of the opening day, I stuck a small pin that emits powerful Releasing rays…
As soon as Isaac’s body felt it, he did what he had been programmed to do. His devices stopped, and he pretended to have a heart attack. When the x-rays were left on all the time, it was normal for his devices to remain off, and the x-rays were not stopped until after he was transferred to the research laboratories of the General Administration. Scientific Intelligence, where the bomb containing his body was defused, and is now being carefully studied.
Mahmoud laughed as he said:
Whenever I remembered the sad statement he delivered at the beginning of the conference eulogizing him, I felt a strong desire to laugh. Nour smiled and said:
– How do they know that they are mourning a robot?
– Remember that this matter is surrounded by extreme secrecy. The enemy state requested an investigation into the death of its most prominent scientist here in Egypt, but officials simply offered to assign a forensic expert to perform an autopsy and determine the cause of death.
Salwa asked him carefully:
-What did they do about this offer?
Nour said sarcastically:
– They rejected it, of course, citing that it conflicts with their faith, as they always say.
Salwa pretended to be indifferent as she asked him:
-And your beautiful journalist friend…won’t you announce the news?
Nour laughed as he looked at Salwa and said:
– No, she is a loyal patriot, and she swore to keep the secret.
Salwa said in clear distress:
– You seem to like her personality very much.
Nour said seriously:
– naturally ..
Then he leaned over Salwa’s ear and said in a whisper:
– But not as much as I like you, my dear.
Salwa’s eyes sparkled with joy, and she turned to Nour and said:
– Do you mean what you say, Nour?
Nour smiled gently as he said:
– I mean it completely, my dear Salwa.
Salwa jumped in joy and shouted happily:
-I feel an overwhelming desire to fly.
Ramzi shook his finger in front of her face, warning:
– Be careful. No bird flies and rises, except as it flew, it falls.
Salwa looked at him sharply, and everyone burst out laughing.
It was done, thank God
★★★
