The neutrons from the Petard spread unevenly. They did not light the plutonium as efficiently as the explosives would have, so the resulting blast was quite mild. It was barely five times larger than the fireball that destroyed Hiroshima.
Dash stared at her display screens as tears trickled down her cheeks. She took a deep breath. “Jam. Turn away. You must not watch.” She choked. “This is not meant to be seen.”
Jam had been gazing, unseeing, out the hole in the side of the CIC. She shook herself and turned as Dash had instructed.
Dash reached out with both hands. She clutched Chance’s hand on one side and Jam’s hand on the other. “Stay with me.”
A light of incomprehensible brilliance flashed, reflected in painful glory from the wall they steadfastly watched.
Dash’s eyes no longer held
