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Strategic Science, 1943 - Metal
Nov. 6th, 2011 12:05 pm"Mister Stark, do you know what vibranium is?" Colonel Chester Phillips sounded grumpy and impatient. He always sounded that way, which both amused and annoyed Howard Stark. Having such a boss reminded Howard why he'd never work for anyone else after the war was over. But for now, the war was far from over, and they Were All In It Together. Something innumerable posters he saw in London every day reminded him of. Thereby making sure he didn't fly back to the states.
"It's a rare metal, supposedly available in one country in Africa."
"Ever seen any?" Phillips was enjoying this. Phillips always did. He knew something Stark didn't, and that gave him power. Power Stark intended to get back somehow.
"Colonel, I don't think anyone outside of the royal palace of Wakanda has. Assuming it's real and not a legend told by Belgian soldiers looking for an excuse to conquer another patch of Africa."
"Oh, it's real, Mister Stark. And two days ago, the king of Wakanda made a gift of it. To the United States. A gift that was immediately passed from the State Department to the Secretary of War, and then the Chief of Staff, and then to the Strategic Science Reserve. And it arrived two hours ago." Stark tried not to blink. Or stare. Or gape. Or say anything that gave away how big a deal this could be.
""And you want me to see what I can do with it? Anything in mind?" He wanted to sound utterly bored. The way socialites do at every occasion. Howard was not much of a socialite. He hated being bored. And was ready for another new challenge.
"Run every test you can here. If you need to, take some - take a tiny bit - back to New York. Find out if it really does everything the stories say. And then find an application for it. But be warned...the king didn't give us much. Officially he's neutral and officially we never got anything from him. So whatever he's sitting on, it's not here." Phillips seemed just a tiny bit excited. As with the Super-Soldier Project, the promise of a huge leap ahead tantalized even as the likelihood of failure kept both the colonel and Stark from acting like anything special was going on. Stark could see that in Phillip's eyes.
"It's here, you said?"
"On the way to your lab. 43 pounds of pure vibranium. Officially disguised as 43 pounds of lead alloy, so no one but us knows it's even here. Do I make myself clear?" This time, there'd be no show for dignitaries, no promises made, no disappointments that would lead to Senator Truman raising questions about unnecessary expenditures. One failure was tolerable, barely. Two, and Phillip would be shipped to Greenland while Stark was drafted. And with that in mind, the vibranium didn't exist until it was useful.
"Perfectly, Colonel. Should I go check on my delivery?"
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Howard could have sworn that there was the hint of a smile on the colonel's face. The colonel, he knew, would deny it.
_______
Two hours later, Howard and the mound of vibranium had gotten acquainted. A few basic tests revealed the metal was not magnetic, had a high resistance to heat, and seemed oddly flexible. There would be no way to be sure this was the case until they smelted it and gave it a shape. Just what shape, Howard didn't know. With such a small supply, the application would have to be special. No bullets or blades from it, that he was sure about. And there was enough to armor all of one tank. Unless that tank was carrying MacArthur, there would be no point to such a thing.
He knew something would come to him. It usually did. But for now, Howard needed food. And coffee. He'd settle for whatever the commissary was serving, and hope that the shipment of real coffee had arrived, and that the SSR was eligible to receive it this time. He stepped out of his lab.
"It's a rare metal, supposedly available in one country in Africa."
"Ever seen any?" Phillips was enjoying this. Phillips always did. He knew something Stark didn't, and that gave him power. Power Stark intended to get back somehow.
"Colonel, I don't think anyone outside of the royal palace of Wakanda has. Assuming it's real and not a legend told by Belgian soldiers looking for an excuse to conquer another patch of Africa."
"Oh, it's real, Mister Stark. And two days ago, the king of Wakanda made a gift of it. To the United States. A gift that was immediately passed from the State Department to the Secretary of War, and then the Chief of Staff, and then to the Strategic Science Reserve. And it arrived two hours ago." Stark tried not to blink. Or stare. Or gape. Or say anything that gave away how big a deal this could be.
""And you want me to see what I can do with it? Anything in mind?" He wanted to sound utterly bored. The way socialites do at every occasion. Howard was not much of a socialite. He hated being bored. And was ready for another new challenge.
"Run every test you can here. If you need to, take some - take a tiny bit - back to New York. Find out if it really does everything the stories say. And then find an application for it. But be warned...the king didn't give us much. Officially he's neutral and officially we never got anything from him. So whatever he's sitting on, it's not here." Phillips seemed just a tiny bit excited. As with the Super-Soldier Project, the promise of a huge leap ahead tantalized even as the likelihood of failure kept both the colonel and Stark from acting like anything special was going on. Stark could see that in Phillip's eyes.
"It's here, you said?"
"On the way to your lab. 43 pounds of pure vibranium. Officially disguised as 43 pounds of lead alloy, so no one but us knows it's even here. Do I make myself clear?" This time, there'd be no show for dignitaries, no promises made, no disappointments that would lead to Senator Truman raising questions about unnecessary expenditures. One failure was tolerable, barely. Two, and Phillip would be shipped to Greenland while Stark was drafted. And with that in mind, the vibranium didn't exist until it was useful.
"Perfectly, Colonel. Should I go check on my delivery?"
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Howard could have sworn that there was the hint of a smile on the colonel's face. The colonel, he knew, would deny it.
_______
Two hours later, Howard and the mound of vibranium had gotten acquainted. A few basic tests revealed the metal was not magnetic, had a high resistance to heat, and seemed oddly flexible. There would be no way to be sure this was the case until they smelted it and gave it a shape. Just what shape, Howard didn't know. With such a small supply, the application would have to be special. No bullets or blades from it, that he was sure about. And there was enough to armor all of one tank. Unless that tank was carrying MacArthur, there would be no point to such a thing.
He knew something would come to him. It usually did. But for now, Howard needed food. And coffee. He'd settle for whatever the commissary was serving, and hope that the shipment of real coffee had arrived, and that the SSR was eligible to receive it this time. He stepped out of his lab.
