"To counteract the poisoning, we gradually withdrew some Control Rods, raising the reactor's power and stabilizing it at 200 megawatts."
"How many?"
"What?"
"Exactly how many Control Rods did you withdraw?" Bessonova pressed.
"I can't remember clearly. Toptunov carried out the specific operations," Akimov said, swallowing. He looked extremely nervous, breathing rapidly as though he were drowning.
Bessonova had no choice but to find a pack of cigarettes. She took one out and lit it for him. Akimov took a drag, then began coughing uncontrollably, the hand holding the cigarette trembling the whole time. Yet less than half a minute later, he took two deep drags, and only then did he calm down a little.
"Twenty-eight. There were twenty-eight Control Rods left in the reactor at the end. That was the lower limit stipulated in the safety manual. During fuel combustion, the core needed at least twenty-eight to thirty Control Rods to remain inserted. We followed the safety manual, so there should have been twenty-eight Control Rods left in the core at that time."
"Good. Now, let's talk about the explosion."
"Uh, all right." Akimov nodded. His eyes looked somewhat vacant, but he forced himself to recall what had happened. "At 1:23, Toptunov was the first to notice the reactor's power rising. He told me there had been a power surge, which meant the nuclear fission reaction inside the reactor had become extremely intense. So, in accordance with safety regulations, I pressed the Level 5 emergency power reduction button, causing all the Control Rods that had previously been withdrawn to re-enter the core."
"Could you briefly explain how Control Rods work for Doctor Yevrem?"
"Of course. Control Rods are used to halt fission reactions. They are made of boron, which can completely absorb Neutrons. By adjusting the number of Control