Here and there, now and then

Now

Midnight, almost. Everywhere's dark and boiling hot. In front of train station people sleep on blankets, play cards to somehow wait it out. My train's in 20 minutes, fast train to one of the cities. In theory it's fast, in practice trip still takes 8 hours. Pricewise, cheaper than sleeptrain, only 300rmb for second class while in sleeping one 440 for first. I don't know prices for second, I wasn't even able to look at the tickets, they disappeared so fast.



I'm passing three or three and a half security checks. First, before I'm even allowed to enter station, I need to show that I've got a ticket. That way they limit number of people inside, so only people really traveling occupy precious space. If you really want to enter, like to say bye to family etc., you can buy station entry ticket, for 5rmb. Those tickets are not being sold during huge migrations, like Chinese New Year. During that time, no way, no ticket no entry, and if you try, first line of defence calls muscled "negotiators".

After first line awaits line number two. Anything bigger than a purse has to be dropped on a conveyor, where it'll be scanned with super sensitive X-rays or another amazing inventions. State of our bag is being checked by lady from security, who's trying her best not to fall asleep and not to slam her head on keyboard. Her friend, who is not yet qualified to check private belongings of other people, dully reminds the ones that are too lazy to drop a bag.

Just after check there are people with metal detectors, or as I call it line two and a half. Half because I'm not sure what's the rule here to be picked for more detailed check. Being a bit late, I walk with a look of utmost importance. My eyes meet eyes of the lady, whos glare is saying something along lines of "should I check him or not". Before I realise, I'm after the line, and looking around I see that no one is being stopped. There must be some very sophisticated methodology involved, adopting latest psychological research.

Or simply, nobody cares.

At the end there's something simple, I need to show my train ticket. Even tho it's early, there's queue already. It goes quite fast, couple of minutes and I'm inside. In the train I'm greeted with ever-present smell of instant noodles and screams of childrens. It's open cabin, so everything mixes in a nice way, letting everyone to know each other a litte bit better. Behind me someone is crushing some game on phone, someone in front is watching a movie. Headphones are for suckers, everything on a tiny spekares of ipads, apads, tpads.

The train starts. Eight hours in seat, with average 250km/h speed. Almost like airplane, just with better views. We'll see what I'll think in the morning.

Ps. One o'clock. Behind me some kid is singing together with ipad song. boobooboo. wawawa. doodoo de doo. Repat in a loop for 15 minutes.

Future

Day next, next day. Time for lunch and my main point of interest in Harbin - robot restaurant. Harbin has university which is famous for its robotics faculty, so as an advert they helped/sponsored? to make a place, where robots are chefs and waitress. In theory all work is done by machines, in practice people still supervise and help. Robots cannot put plate on table, only drive to us and speak something like "here's your food, please take it, and now I need to run". Behind the glass you can see robochefs, smiling to us with LEDed faces.

Cyborgs looks a bit shady, the place feels a little forgotten, some machines reassembles fallen warriors - bended plates, hanging cables, sometimes stuck on their way. Maybe after work they are practicing illegal fights? Yeep, I think that's exactly what's happening. Anyway, food is surprisingly good. I expected crap, and I got something I loved.

Checking place, you can laugh, but it is one of the first of a kind. When I was there, most of tables were occupied, maybe like two were available. People come for fun, say thank you etc to robots, laugh. China tries, and that's what counts. Interesting times.

Past

Morning. Google tells me I will spend two and a half hour on bus, so 5h total. Sometimes you ought to.

1935. After prison break from Fort Zhongma, Japanese decides to move secret Unit 731 to Pingfang, near Harbin. Offical name of whole division is "Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department", while in Unit there are more descriptive subnames.

"Division of providin human material"

"Logs" ("How many logs fell today?")

"God's mission for every doc is to stop and cure sickens, but our mission here is entire opposite of this rule" - Shiro Ishii, chef of Unit

1932. Japanese army opens division for "cleaning water", whose main purpose is to conduct biological and chemical research. To have real data, experiments were conducted on human subjects , in natural environment, without anaesthesia.

Vivisection, subjects men, women, childs, infants. Limbs amputation. Transplate limbs from one side of body to another. Removal of stomach and reattachment of esophagus to intenses. Injection of syphilis, gonorrhoea, cholera. Deprivation of food and water until death. High pressure chamber until death. Effects of grenades, flamethrowers, bombs. Effects of deathly doses of x-rays.

1945. Russian army enters China, Japanese evacuates. Camp is being abandoned, prisoners executed, evidences destroyed. Shiro Ishii orders his people to take thier secrets to grave. Estimations are saying that between 3k to 12k people died in camp alone.

After surrender, general MacArthur becomes main coordinator for Japan. In secret agreement, in return for transferring data from experiments,  all scientists, including Shiro Ishii, are granted immunity and avoid court for war crimes. Pact also states that research data will be transferred only to US and no other war ally. As a result of the agreement, the only proofs of what was happening in the unit are rare relations of people who worked there and broke the seal of silence.

In 2002 during conference held in Changde it's estimated that because of Japanese experimental biological attacks 580 000 people have died.

Shiro Ishii dies in 1959, never goes to court.

Place is small, one building open for visitors, contains mostly picture and descriptions. Model of people hanged on crosses, while planes drop bombs and docs take notes from behind cover looks silly. That is, until we use imagination.

One of unclassifed by americans reports. 300 pages of text, describing effect of anthrax on subject. Subject- male, 28 years old, very detailed description of changes in particular organs, including color drawings. In one of room, items from camp. Scissors, knives, bone saw. Two metal hangers for organs being removed during vivisection.

After exit, when I check the map, I see I missed one of the parts. Some resourceful developer squeezed, on a fiftysomething wide area, couple of house blocks, so if you want to get to north part of camp, you need to cross a living area. Seriously, China? In such place?

I need something lighter, tomorrow animal murdering other animals for fun of watching people - after small fee.