To The Stars

“Lighting that match showed even more. I’m sorry. I’m not a cruel man. But I’m thinking of you and the others here. What would you do if he burned down your jobs? You’re management, Radcliffe, and that’s the way you must think. It may be hard, and look wrong from the outside, but it is the only thing to do. You agree, don’t you?”

There was a slight hesitation, but the answer came.

“Of course. You’re right. I’m sorry I bothered you. I’ll get him out of here now. We can’t have his kind around.”

“That’s the way to do it.”

A soft buzz and a flashing red light from the control unit drew Jan’s attention; Radcliffe hesitated in the doorway. The computer had found something wrong and wanted Jan to know about it, displaying the information.

VALVE UNIT 928-R-9 IS NOW INOPERATIVE IN PERMANENT OPEN CONDITION. IT HAS BEEN ISOLATED FOR REPLACEMENT.

“928-R. Sounds familiar.” Jan tapped the information into his personal computer and nodded. “I thought so. That thing was supposed to have been replaced last week. Was the job completed?”

“I’ll have to check the records.” Radcliffe was pale.

“Don’t bother. We both know it wasn’t done. So get out of here and get a valve and we will do the job now.”

Jan himself detached the motor drive unit, using a power wrench on the recalcitrant lugnuts. They were heavy with rust. Typical. It had apparently been too much effort to put some oil on them before they had been tightened. He stood aside and watched closely while the sweating proles struggled to get the old valve off, splashing through the runnels of liquid that ran from the pipe end. When the new unit had been fitted and tightened into place under his attentive eye — no second-rate job this time — he bolted on the motor drive. The work was done efficiently without any extra chatter and the workmen picked up their tools and left as soon as it was finished. Jan went back to control to open the blocked section and get the plant functioning again. Once more he had the condition report scroll by, then had a hard copy made. When it had emerged from the printer he dropped into a chair to go through it carefully, ticking off the items that seemed to need the most urgent attention. He was a tall, almost gangling man, in his late twenties. Women thought him good looking — a number had told him so but he did not think it particularly important. They were nice but they had their place. Which was immediately after microcircuit engineering. Whenever he read he frowned so that an almost permanent crease was stamped between his eyes. He frowned even more now as he went through the list a second time — then burst into a wide grin.

“Done — just about done!”

What should have been a simple job here at the Walsoken Plant had stretched on and on. It had been autumn when he had arrived to make the control installation, along with Buchanan, an hydraulics engineer. But Buchanan had had the bad luck — good luck really — to be laid low by an attack of appendicitis and had been spirited away by ambulance copter never to return. Nor had his replacement ever arrived. Jan had found himself supervising the mechanical installation in addition to his own electronics and autumn had stretched into winter with no end in sight.

It was in sight now. All of the major installations and repairs had been done; the plant was up and running. And he was going to get out. For a few weeks at least — and the manager would just have to fend for himself.

“Radcliffe, get in here. I have some interesting news for you.”

The words cracked from every loudspeaker in the building, rolled and echoed. Within seconds there was the sound of running footsteps and the panting manager came hurrying into the room.

“Yes… your honor?”

“I’m leaving. Today. Don’t gape, man, I thought you would be pleased at the prospect. This antique vodka works is on line and should keep on running if you take care of all the maintenance on this list. I’ve hooked the computer through the network to fuel concert where the operation will be monitored. Any problems will bring someone here fast. But I don’t expect any problems, do I, Radcliffe?”

“No, sir, of course not. Do our best, thank you, sir.”

“I hope so. And may your best be a little bit better than it has been in the past. I’ll be back as soon as I am able, to check operation and to see your list of completion. Now — unless there is anything else — I am going to get out of this place.”

“No. Nothing, sir.

“Good. See that it stays that way.