"Tell us about what happened early this morning."
After laying the groundwork with a few questions, Bessonova gradually got to the heart of the matter.
Hearing this, Dyaltov instinctively glanced at the three players some distance away. He had already realized that those three were leading this Expert Group. Standing at the other end of the room, they seemed to be serving as a jury, occasionally leaning together to exchange opinions. Their voices were low, however, and with some distance between them, Dyaltov could not make out what they were saying.
So the Deputy Chief Engineer could only withdraw his gaze and cast his thoughts back several hours.
"In the early hours of the 26th, we were preparing to conduct a safety test," Dyaltov recalled. "I imagine you are all familiar with the test itself. Back in January, Director Bryukhanov submitted the testing procedure to the Hydroelectric Engineering Research Institute..."
Before he could continue, Bessonova rudely cut him off. "Comrade Dyaltov, you need only tell us everything in detail and with precision. There is no need for you to worry about what we already know and what we do not. Also, if possible, please explain the principles involved as well. Doctor Yevrem wishes to understand the course of this accident too."
"All right."
Although Bessonova's request struck Dyaltov as somewhat strange, and he could not understand why an acute radiation sickness specialist needed to hear an accident analysis, he still agreed. After organizing his thoughts again, he continued, "In short, we had a safety test to conduct. It had originally been scheduled for April 25th, before the reactor was shut down for maintenance. You know, reactors require regular maintenance, and we could take that opportunity to conduct a simple safety test.
"Chernobyl used a Graphite Moderated Boiling Water Reactor. Powered