I didn’t get to bed at the hotel until late that night, for I was fascinated with the notes I had copied. I now believed the Professor had kept the shrimp tank and battleship model as inspiration for his megalomania scheme. I reviewed the observations from the Professor’s commentary about his obsession with the shrimp and his mad designs. He had written: “These pistol shrimp are even more fascinating than when they first piqued my curiosity when I stumbled upon them during my long recuperation in that smelly Greek fishing village among those uncouth fisherman. What turn of fate that my utter boredom caused me to investigate tales of the raucous snapping crustaceans. Alpheidae is a family of caridean snapping shrimp characterized by having asymmetrical claws, the larger of which is capable of creating the loud snapping sound. They use their larger claw to create a jet of water. These shrimp are rightly called pistol shrimp for they accurately use this natural phenomenon to kill their prey and protect their territory. It is as if an entire ocean floor is a shoot out at the proverbial OK Corral! My investigations have shown the pistol shrimp snaps can kill a small fish. Not understanding the mechanism at first, further study has revealed that the specialized claw creates a cavitation wave that generates noise in excess of 200 decibels, and can break glass up to 1.8 meters away. The enlarged claw is a flattened cylindrical shape, but with a hammer like protrusion on the inside of the top claw that slams into a pocket in the lower claw. This formation of the claw causes an extremely fast stream of water to be squirted toward where the claw is pointed, like a pistol. I first thought the loud snapping sound was from the claws crashing together, but by close examination, I found that the squirting of the jet of water in fact produced the cavitation bubble. It is the collapse of this bubble that creates this deadly phenomenon. I was fascinated by my observation of the bubble created in the wake of this strong spray of water from the claw. I found that when the bubble implodes a very small region momentarily inducing extreme pressures and temperatures of at least five thousand kelvins, comparable to the temperature of the outer layer of the Sun. It became a fixation to my mind that I could recreate this event. I had to find out more, so I have eventually turned to experts in the field. I started correspondence with those I thought could give me some clearer understanding. They brought me along to the point that they could not further answer my inquiries and suggested I contact Lord Raleigh. I have done so and his enlightenment has greatly aided me in the start of my mechanical reproduction of the claw. I learned from him that cavitation is a term used to describe the behavior of voids or bubbles in a liquid. Cavitation is the process where a void or bubble in a liquid rapidly collapses, producing a shock wave. Such cavitation often occurs in pumps, propellers. Cavitation is an undesirable occurrence; in devices such as propellers and pumps, cavitation causes a great deal of noise, damage to components, vibrations, and a loss of efficiency. When the cavitation bubbles collapse, they force liquid energy to very small volumes. Thereby, they create spots of high temperature and emit shock waves which are the source of noise. It can even erode metals such as steel. I have no intention of maintaining the exact structure of the shrimp’s claw; I am merely reproducing a larger, more powerful mechanical devise so that I can recreate the underlying principles with a much stronger effect. I am convinced I can create a new, unheard of weapon. I was eventually able to get to the ear of those high enough in the German government, that I was able to secure an audience with the Kaiser Himself. I use every wily and exaggerated argument at my command to get the Kaiser to fund my research. I promised him a weapon that would ensure Germany the world prominence it deserved. He has given me free reign and ample funds to deliver him his dream. I will make my weapon. I will astound the saps I turn my weapon upon.” I had read and copied more, but they were similar in theme. The equations dealt with extreme pressures generated by hydraulics, extreme temperatures physics, and stream dynamics. I honestly could not comprehend the answers they might give. The mechanisms that had been drawn showed a progression from an exact duplication of the shape of the shrimp claw to a design that did not rely on mechanical hydraulic pumps, but explosive driven pistons. They also showed various experiments and results of attempting to not just use the acoustical wave to create damage, but injecting pellets to create underwater projectiles. His latest notes indicate his frustration at the dampening effect of water on these projectiles. He alluded to the possibility of using the extreme temperature produced in the bubble, but had not come upon a satisfactory line of inquiry.