Struggle in Soviet Russia

On the Volga River, Yersov, temporary station of the Red October Armory.

At the entrance of a ruined house with the "Rocket Research Institute" sign, two middle-aged men in gray overalls and oil-stained sleeves are squatting in a corner where the sun can reach, with gravel on the side. What was outlined on the wall, while arguing in a low voice.

This dilapidated house was supposed to be a farmhouse, and it was very dilapidated. It could be said that the roof leaked rain and the walls were ventilated. However, it is now the location of the "Rocket Research Institute".

Of course, this sign, which only uses a wooden board book, was obviously put up by the two themselves. It is not so much that it represents a department, it is more of a self-deprecating two.

Yes, two middle-aged people, one is Grushko and the other is Korolev. In terms of position, the latter is the deputy director of the Alliance Rocket Research Institute, and the former is the former director Kleimenov. Assistant.

Although both of them are criminals and have been tried, the Alliance did not remove them from their positions. Therefore, in fact, they are still the heads of the "Rocket Research Institute", even if there is no one in this department now. And their current job is to provide technical support for the manufacture of rockets.

The original "Rocket Research Institute" was established with the full support of Tukhachevsky, and even the budget was applied for by him. Therefore, after Tukhachevsky was shot, the entire "Rocket "Institute" has also been affected.

The former director Kleimenov was shot, and Langmark, one of the two deputy directors, was also shot. The deputy director was the designer of the Katyusha rocket launcher. Grushko was tortured to extract a confession and could not resist, dragging Korolev and a large number of people from the institute into the water.

As a result, the two were sentenced to ten years of hard labor in the Kolyma Mine on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Fortunately, while they were still in Novocherkassk prison, waiting for transfer, Comrade Beria came to power. , Which gave them a chance to escape.

When a second lieutenant in the uniform of the NKVD appeared not far away, the brothers and sisters were still arguing over a fluid pressurization issue.

"You two!" The second lieutenant stopped ten meters away and shouted at the two.

The two were taken aback, and stood up from the ground instinctively, looking at the ensign a little bewildered.

"Who is Sergey? Pavlovich? Korolev?" the second lieutenant asked loudly.

"I am," Korolev's lips trembled, and he raised his hand in fright.

"Are you Valentin Petrovich Grushko?" the second lieutenant looked at Grushko again and asked.

Grushko's face was pale, he couldn't even speak, but he kept nodding his head.

"You two come with me!" The second lieutenant stared at them for a while, then suddenly turned around, and said as he walked towards the path.

The two looked at each other, and finally they supported each other and followed tremblingly.

Following the ensign and passing through most of the factory area, when they came to a sandy clearing, they saw a jeep parked there, and beside the jeep, there were two wearing military uniforms but one The young man in the blue hat stood there.

Seeing the second lieutenant bringing two people over, a young man with the rank of major came over, he took a portfolio in his hand, pulled out two documents from it, and looked at the two people carefully against the photo on it. Obviously confirming their identities.

"Hello, Comrade Korolev," a moment later, with a smile on the major's face, he stepped forward and shook hands with two people who were at a loss. "Hello, Comrade Grushko."

“I’m Boris Vladylenovich Borisov of the Internal Intelligence Service of the People’s Commissar of National Security,” the major took out a certificate from his jacket pocket and handed it to the two of them. “You can Call me Boris."

After looking at the two for a while, Boris smiled and said: "My current task is to send the two safely to Moscow, where a new job is waiting for you. Now, the plane is on the river. Waiting at the airport on the other side. You have ten minutes to pack your personal belongings. After ten minutes, we will leave."

The two looked at each other and were about to say something, but the ensign on the side said first: "Comrade Major Boris, you can't take them away, the corresponding procedures..."

"We don't need any formalities, Comrade Lieutenant," Boris interrupted the other party and said with a serious expression. "If you have any doubts about the priority of our work, you can report it to your superiors."

After speaking, he turned his gaze to the two Korolev.

"Comrade Boris, we have nothing to clean up." Now that there is a chance to leave here, neither Korolev nor Grushko can miss it. Because they were worried about the long nights and dreams, they even didn't even want their own belongings. Anyway, they were all ragged clothes, and there was nothing worthy of nostalgia.

"Then we will set off now," Boris smiled, turned and walked back to the jeep, opening the door for the two of them.

Seeing the jeep galloping away, it quickly disappeared from sight, and the ensign, who had always stood still, looked helpless.

……………………………

It was late at night, in the residence by the Moscow boulevard.

The phone on the bedside table in the bedroom rang without warning.

Victor leaned on the head of the bed, reached out and pressed Safina's small head, which was shaking under her hip, before turning around and taking the phone receiver.

"Victor Viktorovich," he said his name into the receiver of the telephone.

"Comrade committee, this is Boris," Boris said on the phone, "We have arrived at the Bowman Technical School, and the two you were looking for are also there."

"Very good," Victor smiled. "Settle them up for a while, and I'll be over right away."

"Yes! Comrade committee," Boris replied.

Putting down the phone, Victor touched his lips, as if thinking about something.

"Why, you still have to go out so late?" Safina leaned over, snuggled next to him, and asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, there is a very important job," Victor nodded and said casually. Then, he turned over and pressed directly on Safina's body and smiled, "However, there is still some time now."

Twenty minutes later, the well-dressed Victor appeared outside the front door of the building, and a black car had been waiting there quietly.

The Bauman Technical School mentioned by Boris is actually the Bauman Higher Technical School, which is a science and engineering technical college that the Soviet Union has included as a key construction during the "First Five-Year" and "Second Five-Year Plan" period. At the same time, the aerodynamic system of this school is very powerful.

When Victor rushed to Lab 1 of the Aerodynamics Department of Bauman Technical School, Sophia was already waiting at the door. Following Victor's instructions, she brought the materials that she had just obtained from the Germans.

The so-called "Laboratory No. 1" was actually rebuilt from a warehouse. At this time, the entire laboratory was brightly lit, and around the entire laboratory, more than 20 guards from the National Security People’s Committee looked around vigilantly. . Beginning today, this laboratory has been requisitioned for a period of time, to be precise, to guide the establishment of a new rocket experimental base belonging to the People’s Committee of National Security.

When Victor walked into the laboratory, he saw two middle-aged men lying on a table and discussing something in a low voice. They were discussing very intently, and stopped to take some notes from time to time.

What's interesting is that one of the two is still wearing a bathrobe, and the hair on the other is still upright, with some foam on it. It seems that they should have run out after taking a shower.

"There is no doubt that the regenerative cooling technology and the introduction of this turbo pump can effectively ensure the fierce and stable combustion in the combustion chamber of the engine," Korolev said, lying on the table halfway, sketching on the paper with a pen. .

"The role of the injector is also critical," Grushko continued. "You see, the fuel filling structure on the upper part of the engine they designed is composed of 18 pre-fillers..."

Seeing the concentration of their discussion, Victor gave up the idea of ​​walking directly. He retreated to the door, took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and lit one.

Sophia brought him a chair and whispered, "Who are these two guys? Hearing from Boris, he brought them back from the Red October factory. The people in the NKVD over there are very dissatisfied with this. , Kobrov’s secretary also called specifically to inquire."

Victor smiled and said, "These are two very important people. You only need to know this. As for Kobrov, ignore him. If he has more dissatisfaction, you can come directly. Find me."

After speaking, he was silent for a while, and couldn't help saying: "These two people can support a research, and the things they study can send us to space, or even to the moon."

"Space?" Sophia blinked, and subconsciously looked up at the sky, "Moon?"

In her mind, there is no way to capture such a concept. Are these two people designing a kind of wings?

"Of course, it will take a long time to do it," Victor said. "However, in the short term, their results allow us to throw hundreds of kilograms, or even tons of explosives, into hundreds of kilometers. Go somewhere outside."

"Hundreds of kilometers?" Sophia said in surprise. "From here to Minsk?"

"Yes, from here to Minsk," Victor smiled.

"Isn't it necessary to build a launcher several times larger than a train gun?" Sophia muttered. She was also imagining how big such a cannon would be. It is possible that the barrel must be several hundred meters long. ?

Victor didn't give her much explanation, it didn't make sense.