Do you need something?

Do you need something?

Listen, my good man, can I get some vodka around here?

Vodka?

Yes.

I'll try to get you some if you promise not to cause a ruckus.

Don't worry about that. I need it purely for medicinal purposes.

Here you go, what you asked for.

Thanks, you're a life-saver!

You said you needed vodka for medicinal purposes. But isn't alcohol bad for you?

It sure is. But radiation is worse.

Radiation?

Yes, my good man. Radiation is something I have to deal with.

No need to get so tense. I'm a scientist. A nuclear physicist.

Like that famous scientist, whats-her-name?

Ha! I guess she's not that famous if you forgot her name.

But you must have meant Inga Birkenfeld?

Yes, exactly.

But of course, since we have no other famous female scientists!

So does vodka help against radiation?

Didn't you know?

I do now.

What are you working on?

I can't tell you. It's a Chemprom trade secret.

I see.

But every radio in the country is abuzz about it.

So it's a nuclear weapon?

I didn't say that.

I never could get my head around how there can be so much energy in a tiny atom!

Do you want me to give you a crash course in nuclear physics?

I don't think I have the time.

Too bad, I love telling people about it.

Yes, I remember something of the sort.

Well then, here's the shortest possible summary:

The detonator's explosion compresses the nuclear material to a critical density and starts a chain fragmentation reaction.

The resulting mass will be slightly lower than the original.

The "lost" mass is what turns into energy, multiplied by the square of the speed of light. Hence such enormous values.

What was that about a detonator?

A nuclear bomb won't explode from a spark, my good man. You need a more serious fuse — an ordinary bomb, to put it simply.

Got it, thanks.

I don't really remember.

Well then, I'm afraid you won't get "the gist".

Couldn't you just give me the gist?

Ha! You sound like my boss!

He could have gotten a first-class ticket for me, too. Cheapskate.

Okay, did you study the mass–energy equivalence principle in school?

It was nice talking to you.

So you make bombs and fuses like these at work, then?

Well, I don't personally MAKE them.

Rather, I develop their design, make them easy to use.

So that even people who are completely ignorant of science, like my boss or some general, can activate or deactivate them.

But even I can't avoid exposure to radiation completely.

That's why we can't do without vodka.

Are you saying that even someone like me could handle a modern nuclear bomb?

Of course! Provided you have the key to its "fuse".

Every click to the left increases the timer by half an hour.

When the timer is set, simply press the red button and the countdown will start.

And to reset the timer and deactivate it you just need to turn the key to the right. Then the bomb will not explode even if you smash the button with a hammer.

Sounds simple

That's what we strive for.

It was nice talking to you.

To the Leader!

To the Leader!

Happy Triumphant Anniversary!

Happy Triumphant Anniversary!

To science!

Happy Triumphant Anniversary!

Yes?