Record of events April 15, 1945 Los Alamos Laboratory

Miscellaneous projects

Subject Dorothy [Redacted]:

I had been working at the lab since January at this point. Of course I couldn’t tell anyone exactly where I worked just that I’d found a job in a government office. Say that much and nobody cares for the details. Leave it at that they always told me, no one will question it, just some boring desk job.

It was just like any other day really, handling papers for Dr. [Redacted], I assume you don’t need those details since you probably know and like they keep on drilling, paper trail. But like I was saying, it was slightly slow when the Dr. walked in and pulled me into an office.

We exchanged some pleasantries as we usually did. What was odd is that it didn’t stop there like it usually did. The Dr.,  usually short, asked how I was doing, if I was doing okay financially. I told him I was doing okay but of course money was a difficulty. You try being a young woman trying to make a living for herself after the war, it isn’t easy but I’ve been scraping by. That’s when the $10,000 question came up.

No really, he said the lab had $10,000 waiting for me. I was taken aback, that was some big money, I knew something was going on. Of course he followed up with the conditions. He presented a contract and non-disclosure agreement. The lab needed a volunteer for a very specific experiment. It was top secret and given that I was so careful they thought I’d be the best person to ask first. I would receive $10000 for participating and a further $5000 if I showed up to speak to you today. At the time I didn’t understand why so much money just to come back and talk. I’d have my finances in check for a while with that much money. As he began to explain the experiment, I asked him to stop for a moment. I signed the paperwork in a heartbeat.

That’s when he explained the nature of the experiment.

[Seeing that everything to this point was up to code we asked her to please proceed to the day of].

Alright well the morning of I was brought to the back. I’d only ever been as far as the door in order to receive some documents. I’d never guess all that was back there. Anyway, yes I know only my own story.

I was given a hospital gown and was sent to a private locker room to change into it and leave my clothes I’d arrived in. I changed only now realizing how cold this part of the lab was, the hospital gown only providing slight shelter from the cold. Yes it’s important you’ll understand why in a while. The attendant walked me through the halls and led me to a room.

The room was rather small and only the doctor, one of the MDs, a photographer, and Rita [Redacted], one of the only woman scientists,  were in the room. It was windowless as many of the rooms here are and only the light from the center of the room was on. There was a table in the center of the room, it looked like an operating table but some things were different. It had a separation a little over halfway up from the side I was closest to. Towering above the edges were rails that went upward. I guess they really went close with those measurements they took a few days before. On the corners of the table were straps. I knew they were necessary but they did make me anxious. And most jarringly to me it appeared as if it were two separate tables with 8 legs and casters.

However my eyes were drawn to an apparatus in the corner of the room. It looked like some sort of barber chair with similar posts but on the headrest.

[We stopped her]

 Okay I’m sorry, yes only my experience.

The Dr. true to his normal nature was more clinical on this occasion. The MD who I’d seen before but had been told to ignore began to take vital signs while the Dr. ran through the details of the experiment again. I’d heard it before but knowing that it was now just minutes away caused me to slightly panic. Yes he assured me they were 96.79% sure it was safe but they weren’t the ones who were the original subject. This was science fiction, stuff for a magic show not work a government lab should be doing. But the money was just too much to turn down and even if given the details I probably would have signed for the money. Well….. And I guess to serve my country but money is way nicer.

As soon as the MD finished taking vitals the awkward part began as I began to take off the hospital gown I was provided. I lay down on the table and lined my waist up to those 4 posts in the middle, my navel just slightly above the gap in the table, it was almost a perfect fit. As the two doctors worked to strap my wrists and ankles to the corners of the table, I noticed that despite the lights that should be warming me it was still alarmingly cold. You'd think it might be nerves but this room was exceptionally cold. I just think it’s really important that you know that. Because 3 days later I can’t get that part out of my head. Anyhow.

Once I was strapped in they took some sort of frame things. These two rectangles with these upside-down U-shaped cut outs and locked them into the rail. It was a snug fit just as they described when taking those measurements. The edges were tight but not digging into my hips and for that I was grateful. I looked at the way it locked me down and that’s when I looked up and saw it.

Chained to the ceiling was a metal plate slightly larger than the rectangular restraints. The photographer began taking pictures at this point I could hear her snapping pictures and say something about how this will make for some odd documentation.

Just then the Dr. pressed a button to the side. I watched as the plate lowered until it hung just above the sterile looking frame. He straightened it horizontally across my body and lined it up with the frame.

I was just hoping it would be done soon, why I agreed to be cut in half like I was in some cheap magic show I’ll never know. That thought was interrupted by the sound of the photographer as Rita moved over to the panel. She said something about how I should relax because if this went well she’d have it worse or something. I can’t remember because as she said it she pressed a button that caused the plate to drop jarringly into the frame.

I was shocked. The loud clang as it fell and split my abdomen was shocking, I didn’t even have time to worry about pain. Because after being startled I was filled with the strangest sensation.

I suddenly felt overjoyed. Like I was in the happiest moment ever. It flooded over me so suddenly. And then……and them…….. The warmth.

It was so good after sitting in that cold lab. It was the greatest relief you could imagine. I wanted to live in that moment as long as I could.

I was snapped back to reality of course as the Dr. asked, “Dorothy are you okay? How do you feel?” The MD was already checking my pulse, the photographer snapped a few more pictures.

I couldn’t answer as I was shocked by what was happening. I nodded my head down to see the heavy plate sitting right at my hips. “Fine,” I finally mustered. The doctor had said he just needed a calm word out of me at this point. That talking to you would more than make up for silence.

With that the Dr. was ready to proceed. “Rita, go ahead and hit the next switch,” he said.

She did and the sudden clack of the chain being pulled taught was heard overhead. At this moment the both Doctors were at work unlocking the wheels at the base of the table. I suddenly felt  my legs shift as the last clicked under her right hand.

Almost at the same time I felt myself swing in two different directions. The ceiling spun above my head until I came to a stop.

When I turned my head I saw my own legs sitting there. I flapped my feet and watched them move from the other side of the room. At this point there was another check on vitals.

Dr. said,” Well that was a resounding success.” He turned the hip side of my legs and I saw what I expected to be a gorey mess. Instead there was skin. My skin. Out of nowhere. This had to be magic, no way could this be science.

That was when Rita chimed in,” Alright well….”

[We reminded her that we are only here for her experience, the other subject is being interviewed separately]

Okay, okay fine just me, got it.

After Rita’s adventure they came back to me doing a few more checks. The MD passed the end of his pen at the bottom of my foot to check for feeling and the laughter was a clear sign of affirmation. They jotted down a few things and just like that they moved the ends of the table together. I felt no difference as they untied the straps and lifted the frame. They passed me my gown and as I put it over me I ran my hands over my hips to find it was like nothing had happened. I sat up and was ushered back to the lockers to change.

I stepped out to find Dr. [Redacted] with his hand out reached. He shook my hand which was jarring and handed me an envelope. “Thank you Dorothy. You’ve done us a huge favor.”

Yes the check was from Atomic Star entertainment. Nobody would have a clue.

No, I won’t tell anyone.

Now if I could ask a question. Is there any chance I could do that again?

[We thanked her for her time and compensated her. [Redacted] will stay in contact about using her for demonstrations of alloy pt20 since she seems pretty excited.]