All About Reactors

Comprehension

               The small party of three made their way through the town on their way to the cylinder shaped cement building near the shore. The star was high in the blue sky above them. It was a pale yellow star, somewhat older, not unlike Earth’s star, but almost 10% smaller, and 10% fainter, by comparison.

               “That appears to be our destination,” Samuels pointed out nodding in the direction of the building. They continued walking towards the reactor complex. The stark difference between the original town construction materials and the modern, alien reactor was impossible to ignore. The natural stone foundations and wooden timbers displayed the craftsmanship of the people. The reactor and its surrounding complex of poured concrete left no doubt in Archer’s mind what they were headed for.

               “Remember,” Archer said to his crew, “we’re a family from a southern continent relocating here because of work. Don’t draw suspicion to yourself with too much technical information or talk of space travel.”

               “Aye, sir,” Laskin responded.

               “Communicators should be kept for private situational contact, keep them hidden.”

               “Aye, sir.”

               “And don’t call me ‘sir’”.

               “Aye, sir. I mean…”

               “Jon. You can call me Jon.” Archer touched crewman Laskin on the shoulder, and nodded at Ensign Samuels.

               They entered the first door they came to. Inside they stood a moment while their eyes adjusted to the lighting. Grey walls and floor reminded him of a primitive prison without the cells. They looked around for a hint of life. An Akaali woman approached them from a hallway on the right.

               “Good day to you,” she greeted. Her hands were clasped behind her back. She wore a long dress in a drab green with very little shape or fashion from what Archer could guess.

               “Good day. We, uh, came looking for employment. We were told you are looking for workers.”

               “What is your specialty?”

               How to answer this question? He couldn’t very well tell them the truth.

               “My, uh, son here is a medical specialist, and my…daughter collects stones and minerals. We don’t have any prior experience at an energy factory.”

               “And you?” the woman asked.

               “Oh, I’ve tinkered at different things, pumps, drills, making tools, a little iron work.”a little iron work.”

               The woman moved behind a counter; they followed her across the room.

               “And this makes you qualified to work here, at the reactor?”

               “I know that seems odd but we are all quick studies. I’ve been reading about the new uses for the electricity. Lights without oil or fire. We don’t have that at home.”

               She looked at a computer screen behind the counter. Archer tried to get a look at it without appearing too curious. A computer would have been an unthinkable invention ten years ago. Not only did it need electricity, it needed manufacture, programming, and user training.

               “I’ve, uh, never seen one of those before,” he told her. “How about you, ‘kids’?” Samuels and Laskin shook their heads slowly, getting a small taste of Archer’s penchant for theater.

               “Well, you’ll see plenty of them around here,” she commented while accessing something from the database. “It’s called a data storage processor. Ah, yes, I think we may be able to place you all in jobs here.”

               “That’s good news. Will we be using data storage processors?”

               “Let me see your travel papers and we’ll get you started right away.” She didn’t answer his question. “I’m Marandola, the associate administrator here at Reactor Two.” She took their papers and entered some information into the computer.

               “Why don’t you follow me?” She handed each of them a piece of paper with writing that none of them could read without a scanner. That would have to wait until they were in private circumstances.

               “Thanks,” Archer said on behalf of his little team.

               Laskin was the first to be assigned on the journey. Not far from the antechamber a room full of people, beds, more people, assorted machinery, medical tools and monitors greeted the team.

               “Laskin, you will be working here, with our medical staff. This facility is for reactor personnel only. It’s not for the common folks.”

               “Why is that?” Archer asked.

               “The reactor personnel are valued members of our community. They’re entitled to special benefits.”

               “Do they have more accidents or injuries than us on the outside?”

               Marandola hesitated just enough for Archer to discern the pause.

               “Not necessarily, but, we tend to have a somewhat more hazardous work environment than most. You shouldn’t be alarmed.” A woman came up to greet them. “Laskin, this is Brooer. You will report to her.”

               “Laskin, is it? It’s nice to meet a medic.  We can always use another pair of hands here. Why don’t you tell me your experience with burns? I’ll need to know what level you’re qualified for,” she said, walking away.  Laskin looked at Archer, and he nodded almost imperceptibly to go on.

               “Laurel, I will take you to Geology after we assign your father to the tertiary systems department.”

               Behind Marandola’s back, Ensign Samuels grinned at Admiral Archer. He was not as amused but kept the issue to himself. She was much too young to pass for a wife, but not so young that he ought to be her father. Indeed, no one had children in their 20s since the turn of the century. Who had the time? And accidental pregnancy was more than uncommon – it was almost unheard of.

               The two of them walked past room after room, the Akaali woman all but sprinting down the corridors. They came to a final door marked Control Office.

               “This is a critical area of operations,” Marandola told them. “The cool water from the sea is pumped into the condenser and keeps the machinery from getting too hot. It also becomes steam because of the heat from the reactor. That turns the mill to make the electricity. Then the steam is passed to the cooler tower. That’s all that is coming out of the stack – water vapor. Am I going too fast?”

               “No, I understand it fine. How about you, Laurel?”

               “It’s pretty straight forward.”

               “Good. So then most of it also goes back to the sea, the water.”

               “If I understand,” Laural began, “Monazite is mined for Thorium, but Thorium isn’t…what is the term,” she stalled, “radioactive?”

               “You have been educated about the process, I see. But Thorium is indeed radioactive.”

               “Somewhat, “Laural continued. “But-“

               “I think I understand enough. Who will I report to?” Archer interrupted. His ensign’s intelligence was showing. Samuels promptly stopped talking.