“Now that war is only two days from our colony, I expect we shall not be going home tonight, nor anyone else on the Eicken Project.” Vonn sighed as he ran a prog to vaporize the rain from our dripping brellas. I waved my purple one to my alt storage in my pocket. Theirs were black. Citsa was looking at it, and opened her mouth—
Derees paled. “You think we shall make use of the Sleeping Quarters, then?”
“We must all work very hard. My friend, we must trade for more materials—”
Ossy laughed. “Good, I can help—”
“Show me your recent trades.” Vonn turned from Derees to Ossy. Scratched the blond hair at his neck. I pushed my red hair behind my shoulder.
The shorter man waved, and items appeared in holos. Not many, for the hours he spends daily trading in Vonn’s Office. Few were useful for our work. Held my breath. Vonn frowned at it.
“Look at Adia’s irradiation chamber. How blue the seams are!” Derees ran a prog for analysis, brown eyes wide. Oh, I struggled to calm myself! “The backup unit is worse!” His thick hand waved for another analysis prog. Will they anger with me?
Vonn looked at the result. Frowned. “Ossy Koch, you told me you traded for a new unit for Adia. This is not new.” I took a breath.
“I will dispute the trade! The description said it was new—“
“And these other items are of low quality. Koch, you will not trade in my department again. When Director Pragate knows of this, you shall have trouble.”
A wave, and Ossy’s trader record came up. And, Citsa’s. She is his student? Vonn glared at both of them.
“Ossy’s trading helps the department! You cannot—”
“Miss Wilnes, I see that both of you trade in Areon’s Tradenet, and not the Hub Net. Did you both fail to learn in school that the Hub Net is the proper place to get items? Perhaps you have trouble with speaking telepathic Qvarn, do you?” His finger indicated Citsa’s failing grade in it. Qvarn is required in the Hub Net. I struggled with its detail in descriptions, a language made mostly of adjectives. It supplements Elshar, which is mostly verbs. However, descriptions cause an item to trade well.
“And, I see a large transfer of Adia’s trade bal here! This is dishonest. She uses the Hub Net, and I approved all of her trades, for her work. She contributes most of her salary for our work. You will return her trade.”
He raised his arms. “She agreed for me to use it—”
“I am sure she did not agree for you to use it on Areon’s Tradenet! Return her trade or you will never work here for any department.”
He waved, and all of my trade came to my account. I struggled to control my breathing! Tears jumped into my eyes. Stared at my feet. Breathe.
“You will regret this, Links—”
“Is that a threat? You do realize we are recorded, ja?”
His face reddened. Never saw him speechless! Not in two years—
“If anything happens when Adia runs her experiments, your balance shall pay for it. Today, friends, we must work as if our lives, and those around us, depend on it.
“Sent this analysis of our department’s accomplishments to Director Pragate before the meeting this morning. See this graph.” He waved up.
A display by the mixing chamber showed many green lines. Green for substances that will be useful to other members of our team. Three of them had my purple tracking dot. None of them had Ossy’s silver or Citsa’s gold. Vonn’s blue and Derees’ orange split half of the green, and Tanda’s brown showed on ten.
Admired how Derees’ chemical array multiplied the number of results in his experiment! He helped me write an array for my projects and I tested far more substances in a short time. Waved for his five simulants to move cylinders to our respective stations.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Now, I have enough substances to test in an array!” Tanda gestured to start her preparations. The pretty lace on her deep blue dress waved under her long lab coat. “Derees, thank you!”
“Just happy my idea is working! Joleon in Conventional Fuels says they are producing more. Most of their ideas take years to see results. Adia, he sends you his love.”
I smiled, big. Left my father’s department because I wanted freedom to try innovative ideas. His team’s discoveries enable ours. They refine the substances we use for our experiments, and indeed, for Areon’s shipbuilding facility.
If I can only discover a new fuel, Papa will see that my research is valid. Everyone discovers new catalysts. Or do they? Not from Ossy’s or Citsa’s experiments.
“Do you care to explain, Koch and Miss Wilnes, why you do not work? Director Pragate is probably visiting each department personally, at this moment. All of us Lead Scientists will have to explain each inefficiency.
“Koch, you and Citsa will change the way you work, today. Derees will assign mixing to you.”
Ossy frowned. “But my work—”
“Your reports are filled with your glowing accomplishments and tell of your holos in the journals. Yet, I found no evidence that you or Miss Wilnes contributed anything to this department. In four years, both of you should have something to show for all the materials we wasted.”
Vonn glared at Ossy and Citsa. “This telepathic interface might enable us to achieve our goals faster, before the War moves any closer. I am leaving to speak with Director Pragate concerning this. Excuse me.” His tone was firm. And his stride, quick as he walked into his office. Our Lead Scientist was usually cordial.
Took another deep breath. Work waits. I moved from the center of our counters, between Tanda, left, and the one Ossy and Citsa shared, right. Mine was on the other side near the Sleeping Quarters, also to my left. We must be low on alt storage, for the neat rows of 150 cots to be visible. Once our department was large. Now we are six. If we are to discover a new fuel, our department has the burden. All shipbuilding depends on fuel, does it?
Calculations I ran through the server last night finally completed. Rushed to wave out my compounds.
Ran maintenance progs on my irradiation apparatus. Had the simulants measure out container after container of chemicals according to my predictions of amounts needed. At work, I busied myself to escape my emotions. The antiquated condition of our equipment frustrated me. Shortages. Breakdowns.
Derees came to me. “Adia, I see you are planning an enormous set! Wish you luck.” He smiled, and his large brown eyes studied my neat rows of cylinders.
Then, he moved to Ossy’s station. “I need the mixing chamber now. These sets of chemicals form an array, which my simulants prepared before we went to the meeting.” Five simulants followed his point, each carrying ten cylinders!
Ossy frowned. “But, my project—“
“I was going to use the mixing chamber!” Citsa raised her shrill voice. Almost dropped the two cylinders in my hands!
“Which ingredients did you prepare for this task?” Derees studied the empty counter. “None? I shall place my array in the chamber. You may mix while I do, with your simulants.” My colleague gave a telling glance left, where five sat idle. "Our department will not need your project, Koch. Here are compounds that I need, and both of you can help fill my next array. As of now, your projects are ended.“A wave, and their displays went blank. Filled with new calculations.
Motioned down for my simulant’s floor cleaner so they did not see my smile. Disinfectant smell filled our area. Regularly, I saw my coworker run maintenance progs that those two overlooked. Perhaps he and Vonn notice signs of wear on that mixing chamber, wear that should not appear on a new item of equipment.
They both lied to me. Papa will no longer allow Ossy to visit my twin sister. Work will help me calm myself.
While I waited for another simulant to measure the last 12 catalysts, ample time to run checker progs on the irradiation chamber. Progs to check for any malfunction or mistakes. Cylinders of worrisome isotopes, I will combine manually.
Citsa pulled her slim black dress over the knee. Discovered a wrinkle in her short, white lab coat and waved hygiene to smooth it.
Only ran mine once a day. At home, clothing formers dressed me in my purple dress. She called me oldfashioned for wearing midcalf length, and a long lab coat.
Tanda’s was anklelength, but marrieds can wear them long. Is it not embarrassing that Citsa’s dress shows her knees? My father would be horrified if I set my clothing progs so! Few women do.
But, Tanda already worked to fill her array with many prepared cylinders. Always, she gives me copies of her reports to our journals so I do not spend trade to read them. So do Vonn and Derees. Now I know why research from the other two never appeared in my searches. Often, I checked on the Hub as I looked for the newest fuel discoveries.
Our unit’s idea turned from plentiful compounds in untreated form to substances modified to be premier catalysts. Eicken’s experts dismissed most of the promising technologies.
My return to the original ANW path made me an outsider. A volatile compound in abundant supply. Too erratic to be used as is. Hoped to stabilize it for a new fuel. The danger of my experiments increased as I drew close to a solution. Prepared five unstable materials for irradiation.