"Ray! Over here!" Hugo shouted over to the shaggy-haired professor. As Hugo looked up at him, Ray's stern disposition seemed to disappear for a moment as the rising sun behind him softened his features. But once he went down from the surface of the crater and walked towards the crouching Hugo, all hopes for friendliness were dashed as he stared critically down at what Hugo held in his hands.
"What is it?" he asked, in that deep, raspy voice only men who've had enough experience with the real world could summon. Hugo continued brushing dirt off the specimen as he responded that he wasn't sure. He turned it over and over with his fingers, intrigued at the survival of such a small orb-like object. The bomb should have vaporized everything within that crater.
As Ray reached to take it from him, Hugo swiftly aided its escape. "Oh no, Ray, this one's mine," he said. Then like children they grappled for it until finally Hugo, whose build was indeed bigger than Ray's, extended his arm and shoved Ray's face away with his palm. Ray's meager attempts to even reach Hugo's torso were futile.
After cleaning the orb-ish thing on his shirt, Hugo tossed it in the air and tucked it deep into the pocket of his trousers. Ray regained his composure by lighting his pipe tobacco and puffing away without a care. They packed up their equipment and went back to the mansion.
The mansion was built by their great grandfather and it was as sturdy as all the men in their family, without hinting at any means of compensation, for if you met any of them, you would know instantly that the respect they demanded was the respect they deserved. Hugo took the thing out of his pocket and placed it in a glass jar that was almost full with other bits and bobbles. He smiled at his accomplishment. Then he looked over at Ray's collection and shook his head with a small laugh. Being the older brother meant that Ray still had an edge over Hugo.
"The more junk we collect, the more this place is just gonna end up a dump." Ray remarked. Their desire to create the perfect bomb was always met with something that seemed to survive. But in order to save the people of the world from the demise of their own doings, they had to make it such that no residue was left.
"Well, once we get it right, the dumps will all just disappear," Hugo said. "Shall we continue?" he asked, turning to Ray's smoky figure. Ray emerged and dumped the burnt tobacco in a rusty metal vase. Without replying, he sought his books and put his goggles on. The side of Hugo's lips twitched as he, too, put on his goggles and reassembled his equipment.
(photo via Ludevine.com)
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