He dropped the vial anyway. It shattered. The polonium would still ruin their ore stockpile. But the RDS-1 was already separate. Already ready.
Von Fersen stared at the bomb core. The war wasn’t being won by tanks or planes anymore. It was being won by patch notes —by which side understood the hidden rules first. Hearts of Iron IV v1.15.1
He saves the file. Closes the laptop. And never speaks of it again. He dropped the vial anyway
He reached the ventilation shaft. The vial was cold in his gloved hand. He uncapped it. Hearts of Iron IV v1.15.1
And Germany was about to lose the war. Desperation was the mother of invention.