"In order to counteract the poisoning, we took out some control rods to increase the reactor's power and stabilize it at 200 megawatts."
"How many?"
"What?"
"How many control rods did you take out?" Besonova asked.
"I don't remember. Toptunov was the one who did it." Akimov gulped. He looked very nervous and his breathing was rapid, as if he was drowning.
Besonova had no choice but to find a pack of cigarettes and light one for him. Akimov took a drag and began to cough incessantly, his hand trembling as he held the cigarette between his fingers. But after half a minute, he took two more puffs and calmed down a little.
"28. There were 28 control rods left in the reactor. That was the safety manual's bottom line. During the fuel combustion process, the nuclear core needs at least 28 to 30 control rods to maintain the insertion state. We followed the safety manual, so there should have been 28 control rods left in the nuclear core at that time."
"Okay, then let's talk about the explosion."
"Uh, okay." Akimov nodded. His eyes looked a little dull, but he forced himself to recall the situation again. "At 1: 23 am, Toptunov was the first to notice the increase in the reactor's power. He told me that there was an energy surge, which meant that the nuclear fission reaction in the reactor had become very intense. So, according to the safety regulations, I pressed the level 5 emergency power reduction button, and all the control rods that had been pulled out were re-inserted into the core.
"Can you briefly explain the principle of the control rods to Dr. Evrem?"
"Of course, the control rods are used to terminate the fission reaction. They are made of boron, which can completely absorb fixed neutrons. We can adjust the reactor's power by adjusting the number of control rods in the reactor. I pressed the emergency power reduction button to insert all 211 control rods back into the nuclear core, which rapidly reduces the reactor's power. "Akimov looked a little nervous.
He paused and looked up at Besonova. "Why do you ask this? The reactor wasn't damaged. It was only the water tank that exploded. We did everything we could to continue supplying water to the reactor. For this, my companions and I suffered a lot of radiation. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to take credit for myself. This is what we should do. I just thought, I just … I, I …"
"Calm down, Comrade Akimov,"
It won't be long before you and your colleagues can go back to work again, so you don't have to be nervous. Take two puffs of your cigarette and exhale slowly. Yes, that's right … That's it. Alright, you can go now. Our conversation is over. Thank you for your cooperation, Comrade Akimov. "
"Thank you, thank you." Akimov looked relieved. He got up from the stool and dragged his battered body out of the locker room.
After that, the player spent about 15 minutes chatting with the operator that night, Toptunov. He was very young, only 26 years old. He seemed to be completely terrified, and he almost cried throughout the conversation.
What he described was basically the same as what Akimov said. Toptunov repeatedly swore that all operations followed the safety manual. When it came to the part related to Dyatlov, it was obvious that Toptunov was a little afraid of the deputy chief engineer.
When Zhang Heng and the other three left the hospital, it was already around 10: 30 in the morning. They drove the Volga that they borrowed from DW's office and met up with the other four, sharing the results of their trip to the hospital with them.
Mouse's eyes widened. "Are they blind? How can they say that the water tank exploded at this time? They are all experts in nuclear power plants. How can they be so shameless? "
"When people face unsolvable difficulties and unbearable responsibilities, they will deceive themselves. Just like many hit-and-run drivers, they know that the consequences of doing so are very serious, but they still take chances and gamble on that one in a million possibility. These people at Chernobyl are the same," Zhang Heng said lightly. During the conversation, he could clearly sense the different degrees of entanglement in the hearts of the three, especially the youngest Toptunov.
Especially the youngest among them, Toptunov, this young man was constantly suffering. Although they all kept saying that it was the water tank that exploded and the reactor was safe, because this was the only answer that could make them feel better and not fear the price they would have to pay in the future, somewhere deep in their hearts … a faint voice from science and reason kept reminding them of the real truth, the cruel reality that they refused to believe.
The doctor added, "Also, don't forget that our current understanding of the danger of nuclear accidents comes from the Chernobyl incident. Before this, no one could have imagined that such a serious accident would happen at a nuclear power plant. Most of these people didn't believe that the nuclear core would explode, even though the graphite blocks have fallen everywhere."
"This is definitely a disaster. We just passed by the school gate and saw a group of children carrying backpacks to school. They were even buying food by the roadside."
The repairman handed Zhang Heng and the others a bag of biscuits and a bottle of mineral water for breakfast. They no longer dared to eat out, nor did they dare to eat any fresh ingredients. Only the puffed food isolated by the packaging could bring them a little sense of security. Although the taste was not that great, they would not be picky at a time like this.
Zhang Heng and the doctor endured the discomfort in their stomachs and finished the biscuits. The coconut, however, only took a few bites before putting it down. She, on the other hand, finished the bottle of water. Because she had vomited too much earlier, she was now a little dehydrated, and she urgently needed some water.
Kratos, on the other hand, did not care about the lives of the 50,000 residents in the town or whether they would be exposed to radiation. She frowned, "So, you asked the three people at the hospital, and there was no notification that the mission had been completed. Next, we have to look for the people at the end of the list. Who are they again?"
"Chief engineer Fumin and factory director Burhanov," the doctor said. "According to deputy chief engineer Dyatlov, when he left, Fumin and Burhanov had already arrived at the nuclear power plant's first administrative building."
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