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POV of French chemist
12-April-1921
''Be careful. There was a major battle between Americans and Germans in this area. Alarming amounts of artillery ammunition were fired, so work carefully'' said one of the officers directing the explosive clearance in the area.
''Step carefully. We do not want to find out what happens if we step on a shell full of arsenic or who knows if there is still some mustard gas left inside some shell forgotten by time'' my companion said while covering his mouth with his mask and putting on his gloves.
''It is incredible how much destruction the war left behind. It ended some time ago and look at this place. It was supposed to be a beautiful view, full of vineyards and farmland, and now it does not even look like the shadow of what it once was… there is nothing left'' I said while looking in astonishment at a terrain full of enormous holes everywhere, where only a few bushes and what seemed to be young trees barely emerged, although even those looked withered.
''That is how it is. Truthfully, the situation is terrible, but there is not much that can be done. There is too much explosive material in the red zones and work cannot be done everywhere at the same time. Besides, the Government of National Reconstruction has to focus much more on rebuilding industry in the great cities so work returns to the masses. They are afraid something similar to Russia could happen with some group of Bolsheviks and, somehow, we have to pay the enormous cost of importing food… because, you know, this'' my companion said, raising his hands and turning around while pointing at the field.
''Yes. We have to check whether this area is still suitable for agriculture because, if it is not, the owner of these lands will surely shoot himself. And that is without even counting the possibility that the water is contaminated'' I said while shaking my head and beginning to prepare the equipment to take the measurements.
We walked across the terrain and observed how a large number of French soldiers worked in the area. Many were digging while trying to locate unexploded ordnance and we saw one group unearthing an artillery shell that had remained buried in the middle of the field.
Meanwhile, other groups were dedicated to filling the enormous craters that covered the area with earth, trying to level the ground again so that one day it could be used for agriculture once more.
Finally, we reached one of the plantation wells and lowered the bucket to the bottom.
''There, pull. I think the bucket is full'' my companion said while taking out his instruments to examine the water.
I used the well mechanism and the bucket began to rise slowly until we could recover the water. We poured a sample into our equipment and began checking whether it contained heavy metals, mainly arsenic, because if the aquifer was contaminated with that, the property could practically be considered lost.
We spent several minutes carrying out different tests on the water.
''We are lucky. There is no arsenic. The iron level seems a little higher than normal, but apart from that the aquifer appears to be fairly safe'' my companion said while observing the results.
''Thank God. If they manage to clear the explosives, we may be able to turn this area into a safe place again and have it cultivated once more without too many problems'' I said while checking the alkalinity and acidity of the water.
''Yes, they only have to… God'' my companion said.
A powerful explosion suddenly shook the earth and both of us turned our heads. For several seconds, we watched pieces of soil fall from the sky like some strange rain.
''Shit… someone detonated an artillery shell'' I said while bringing my hands to my chest and watching as a crowd of soldiers ran toward the new crater that had formed from the enormous explosion that had just shaken the place.
''Shit… another one. That is how all of this is. We are surrounded by explosives inside our own country and Germany did not even pay a fraction of the war damages. All this shit is a true disgrace. Besides, it seems we will have to get used to hearing news about people constantly dying because of explosives that never detonated during the war and that they find when they try to return to their homes without Government authorization'' my companion said, quite annoyed, while vigorously shaking one of the water samples and finishing the last tests.
''And the war did not even truly touch German territory. They must not even have problems like this. They are surely very happy with everything that happened and probably even laughing when news like this reaches them'' I said, also annoyed, while finishing checking that, at least for the moment, the water appeared to be within normal parameters.
''How can this even be called victory? Millions died only to end up with a disputed territory decided by a plebiscite and a couple of minimal reparations for the war. The Government negotiated incredibly badly with the Germans'' my companion said while putting away his equipment and preparing to move.
We finished our work in the area and informed the military commander who was still directing the explosive clearance. It did not take us too long to move toward another of the work zones to continue doing exactly the same thing.
''How many more wells do we have to check today?'' I asked while writing down the last results we had obtained during our field tests.
''We have another fifteen left. Fortunately, there is work for us. The budget approved this year focuses quite heavily on recovering the farmland that has been lost, so we will have a great deal of work during the coming months. Tomorrow we have to check another thirty and it will be practically the same almost every day.''
''I cannot complain too much about that, considering they practically left us without work once the war ended'' I said while climbing into one of the vehicles that was supposed to take us to our next testing area.
For long hours of work, we had to repeat the same procedure again and again, checking whether there were heavy metals in the aquifers or whether there was some kind of chemical contamination. On several occasions, I had to be the one to give the bad news to the owners when we found contaminated aquifers and, in the most severe cases, with considerable concentrations of arsenic.
Those places, at most, could be considered yellow zones and, therefore, were not suitable for immediately recovering their agricultural capacity. There were not many means to solve that or, rather, there was not enough budget, because the cost of cleaning such quantities of water would be enormous and I was not even sure we still had technology capable of removing all the shit some of those sources contained.
''The zone we have to inspect tomorrow is one where, supposedly, the Germans used an enormous concentration of chemical weapons. So we will have to be extremely careful with the equipment and run like the devil if we hear an explosion. If there are still unexploded chemical shells left, we do not want to be anywhere nearby when someone sets one of them off'' my companion said while handing me a gas mask.
''Do we have to work with this on?'' I asked while looking at that crude mask that, apparently, would have to cover my face during a good part of the work.
''We have to. It is almost certain that there are still unexploded shells left and, if some of them contain chemical agents, we do not want to lose our sight or end up like those men who were left completely deformed during the war. So, whether you like it or not, you will have to get used to it'' my companion replied while shaking his head.
''Then why the hell are they sending us there? It is practically certain that the place is completely contaminated by all the chemicals they used during that battle. It should simply be declared a red zone. Nothing can be done with those lands anymore'' I said while sitting in a chair as we waited for them to bring us something to eat.
''Because the Government needs proof before telling the owners of those farms, many of which produced enormous quantities of food and wine for generations, that they will never be able to work their family lands again. You can imagine how incredibly unpopular it would be to simply arrive and tell them to abandon everything without giving them any serious explanation.''
My companion settled himself more comfortably in the chair before continuing.
''That is where we come in. Our work serves to prove that the soil is contaminated, that perhaps it is no longer fertile and that, even if something manages to grow there, it could accumulate such a concentration of heavy metals and other substances that whoever ends up eating it could become sick or die. That is why they need us to go even to places that seem clearly destined to become red zones. First, it has to be proven'' he replied while they brought him a bottle of wine, bread and cheese.
''Well… yes, you are right'' I said while opening the newspaper they had left on the table.
It did not take me even a few seconds to find another piece of bad news.
''Shit…''
''What happened?'' my companion asked while spreading a little butter over the bread before bringing it to his mouth.
''Three children dead. Three children, damn it… What a day. First the soldier who set off an artillery shell and now three poor children dead'' I said while striking the newspaper with one hand.
''Ah… but how did they die? Did they find some shell or something like that?'' my companion asked, letting the piece of bread fall from his mouth in surprise.
''Their parents had them working, collecting iron and copper from the ruins of one of the destroyed cities. From what it says here, they were tearing metal from the remains of a building when the whole structure ended up collapsing on top of them. How is it possible for parents to risk their own children like that over something so stupid?'' I said while clenching my teeth and continuing to look at the newspaper.
''Yes, it is stupid, but also think that you and I have university studies. Imagine the millions of displaced people there were and who now have no possibility of returning to their homes because they lived in a red zone. They are desperate. The only work available is in the factories or in the jobs the State offers with the repairs and the enormous effort of rebuilding everything the Germans left behind after their stroll through France. So people end up doing stupid things simply to survive… unfortunately'' my companion said while drinking a little wine after saying that.
''And what the fuck is supposed to happen? The price of food remains high and the Bloc National, although it controls practically everything, is always saying it will try to get Germany to pay what it owes for the damages. But so far, supposedly, the Germans have already paid all the war reparations using the Russian and Italian gold they obtained in their respective peace treaties and practically nothing has been done to calm the situation'' I said while eating with considerable anger.
''From what I have heard, they are simply going to squeeze the colonies even harder. Gold from Central Africa, grain from Algeria, rubber from Indochina and things like that. They will try to obtain food and raw materials from other places while turning France into an enormous industrial zone, because a good part of the countryside is made up of red or yellow zones where, right now, not much can be done'' my companion replied while wiping his mouth with a piece of cloth.
''Then what a disaster… This is a catastrophe. Germany has annexed Austria and now they are stronger than ever. What will stop all of this from happening again in the future?'' I asked, worried, while shaking my head.
''Nothing. We can only hope it does not happen again, although I doubt it. At most, we can be better prepared for the next war and make sure Germany pays this time for all the damage it has caused our people and for all our dead. So finish that already. We have to sleep because, as I told you, tomorrow will be a heavy day with everything we will have to expose ourselves to'' my companion said.
''Fine… fucking Germans'' I said while beginning to finish my food.
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