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"We are not allowed telephone communications with our friends and fa letters, which are heavily censored"

"Five years is a long time to be away from your loved ones Why didn't you obstruct the research by slons and sabotage?"

Hilda shook her head solemnly "Because they threatened a horrible death to anyone who hampered the research"

"And the lives of our families back home as well," added Claus "We had no choice but to put forth a dedicated effort We also had a true desire to continue our life's work, to create a clean and efficient energy source for the people of the world"

"One man who had no family was ht and forced hi froht fixture in his room W

e all kneas murdered"

"You believe he was murdered on orders from Odyssey officials?"

"Executed," Lowenhardt corrected hi "Look for yourself, Mr Pitt Would that fixture, which is little ht of a man?"

"I see your point," Pitt acknowledged

"We do e're told to do," said Hilda quietly, "whatever it takes to prevent harrandchildren The others are in the same boat"

"Have you and your fellow scientists y?" asked Pitt

Hilda and Claus turned and faced each other with quizzical expressions Then Claus said, "Hasn't the world learned of our success?"

"Success?"

"Along with our fellow scientists, we have developed an energy-generating source that coen out of the atmosphere to create substantial amounts of electricity at a very low cost per unit, with pure water as its only waste product"

"I thought practical and efficient fuel cells were decades away," said Giordino