Still, his driving obsession took up most his his time. as he searched for a way to pacify the world. Aware universal frontal lobotomy was impractical, he decided the only sensible mode of disseminating peace would have to be some sort of gaseous compound. Thus, during his graduate studies, he spent much of his time in the university laboratory, mixing and experimenting on his brain child, a peace gas he dubbed PAX. Though he‟d smoked some pot during his college years it was only out of scientific curiosity. Predictably, reefers gave him a definite feeling of tranquility. Still, he realized he‟d have to intensify the potency to make it universally effective. He synthesized THC from sources more legal than marijuana and distilled a concentrate--
purifying it and eliminating any negative effects to leave only its positive pacifying properties. Experimenting with mice seemed effective, and in its gaseous form PAX
proved to be even more so. He gave himself small doses and found PAX most gratifying.
Meanwhile, as in his childhood, the news media continued to blast his sensibilities with violence. Horrified, he saw there was a practical side to all the killing. It was an excellent method of population control, but, Warren thought, there must be a better way. He began a series of additional experiments on a special ingredient he could add to his PAX gas. He theorized the combined compound could be released into the upper atmosphere, and riding on wind currents, be inhaled by all the peoples of the world. Yet he realized the birth control additive might prove to be more complex than PAX itself.
Another challenge. He welcomed it, but for the moment put it on the back burner of his extraordinary mind.
****
Knowing his quest for world peace would be expensive he decided to raise money for the project. While his studies and experiments took up much of his time, he arranged whatever spare time he had for fund raising. Since Warren somehow knew a government grant was unlikely, he decided he‟d go to the private sector for financial aid.
The charismatic young man was a forceful speaker and conned his way into speaking engagements before service organizations such as the Shriners, Eagles, Elks their women's auxiliaries, and women's clubs-- anywhere he could get an audience. He outlined his plan to create a sophisticated weapon against war and other violence, and told them he was making headway. He‟d driven rats crazy and then pacified them with his secret compound. Though many thought he was a crackpot, there were enough wealthy believers to donate vast sums to his fund. There were some pacifists who were more than generous when the young scientist promised he‟d travel to troubled areas in the third world and bring back proof positive just how deplorable conditions where.
Since he felt the news media hadn‟t really shown the most explicit cruelties, Warren needed to see mans-inhumanity-to-man for himself. He asked for and received special visas and permits from the government to go into war zones forbidden to most civilians.
During one summer vacation he used part of the PAX funds to go first to Sierra Leone, reputed to be the home of the most horrendous atrocities known to man. Under the control of one of the world‟s cruelest dictators, the news reported only vague indications of the monstrous tortures the Sierra Leone leader visited on his people.
When Warren arrived in the capitol, Youngstown, he wasted no time in getting into the rural areas, where he‟d heard much of the horror lurked. On an ancient bus loaded with locals, baggage and livestock he was rattled into the outback of Sierra Leone. As they bounced along, they heard a commotion ahead and the bus stopped. Armed natives came aboard and ordered everyone to disembark. Warren and one other passenger being the only whites, they were told to stay inside and not look out the windows.
Suddenly there were horrible screams that couldn‟t be ignored. Warren held his digital camera close to the window and watched, sickened and dismayed as the screaming black passengers, men, women and children were systematically butchered by machete wielding mad men. Arms, legs, hands, heads and torsos were hacked off, and covered with blood, littered the area outside. The driver was among those killed.
The perpetrators finished their grim slaughter and disappeared into the jungle leaving.
Warren and his companion, who had fainted, were left to fend for themselves.
Seeing the villains leave, Warren got out of the bus to inspect the carnage and forced himself to take more pictures. Finding no one alive, he got back in the bus and drove it to Youngstown. He unloaded his sick passenger at the hospital and returned the bus to the depot. When he reported what had happened to the police, he was rewarded with disinterested shrugs.
Still shaken by the sights he‟d seen, he returned to his hotel. He decided to sit down and gather himself together before he collected his key at the desk. He sat behind a potted plant in a small room off the lobby. Overcome with emotion from the horrors he‟d seen, he moaned softly to himself. Suddenly he heard three men enter the room and take seats at the small table. The large chair and plant hid him from the men, and he decided to remain hidden as they went about their business. Though he couldn‟t see them, he soon determined there was an American and two natives. The American spoke only English and one of the natives translated what he said into the local language. As he listened he discerned the gist of their business. 1t became clear the American was an arms dealer, and he was selling AK42 assault rifles to one of the RUF generals--an officer from the same contemptible organization who‟d just slaughtered the busload of innocent fellow passengers. Warren shrank down into the chair, afraid he‟d be discovered. Selling arms to such groups had been dubbed illegal by the UN and anyone involved in such dealings could be prosecuted. Finally the three men reached an agreement and he heard an ominous rattle of something hitting the table. Sierra Leone was a major diamond mining country, and Warren had read about weapons being bartered for blood diamonds. The RUF enemies used children to carry out gun battles and cut the hands off their enemies. They had a motto: "You don't hold your weapon against your brother." Brandishing machetes, RUF rebels amputated the hands, arms, and legs of thousands of Sierra Leonines. The RUF indicated the reason for this brutality was so amputees could no longer mine diamonds which might be used to support government troops.
Finally the three men shook hands and, much to Warren‟s relief, left the area.
He went quickly to the desk and ordered a taxi. Hurrying to his room, he gathered his few belongings, quickly paid his bill, and took the cab to the airport. Once there he took the first plane out of Youngstown, but didn‟t feel safe until he was winging his way toward Baghdad. The ancient capitol of Iraq could be the frying pan into the fire, but at least he‟d have the US Army to look out for him.