Mparntwe by Peter Wood

Author:Peter Wood [Wood, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-10-27T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Jarra watched Yirgella set the geothermal project in motion. The second NanoFactory built the special tunnelling machines which would cope with the increasing levels of heat and pressure: first a large one for the major coring and then five smaller ones for the vital shoring and construction work. At the same time he settled himself into a routine of study and application with his magnetic field work. Darri had done wonders in his liaison with the Mparntwe University and on three of his four Alkere days Jarra had a professor to help tutor in the different areas he needed to understand. Darri laughed about it because the university staff were so keen to be involved it was sometimes awkward to make a choice. Jarra understood right from the start that this project was far greater in scope even than the NanoFactory work and he had no doubt it would go on for a number of years. Darri’s background led him to agree with Yirgella that the ultimate goal of practical energy production might be unattainable, but the focus didn’t surprise him because Jarra had shown interest in energy work with his perpetual motion models and the solar panel he’d built.

Mirri was quite fascinated, too, because suddenly there were all sorts of magnets around the project room to play with and do his own experiments. He came out with Jarra most days because, with his own room, the beautiful big swimming pool which Yirgella really had built especially for him, the games and challenges Yirgella organised for him, and the explore at the end of the day, courtesy of the new super personal carrier, Alkere was an interesting place to be.

Jarra stopped for a break from studying energy storage methods.

‘What’s happening with the Vac Trains? Alira told me yesterday that there have been government officials and scientists from all across Australia visiting to try it out over the last few days.’

‘It’s a bit like Topsy. It’s grown.’

Jarra had no idea who Topsy was; Yirgella had started using obscure speech references recently, but he understood the sense.

‘They want more than our three basic proposals?’

‘Yes, Jarra, they want an Australia-wide network with tunnels right down the Eastern seaboard and from Melbourne across to Perth, connecting every major population centre. What do you think we should do?’

‘We can’t do all that. We’ve only just got enough energy for the Darwin tunnels. Can we tell them we’ll go ahead when we finish the Carnarvon and Normanton tunnels?’

‘In practical terms that’s what will happen, but Alira wants us to commit to the whole network immediately. She says it’s important for our relationships with the OverGovernment and the general population.’

‘Alira understands how stretched our resources are, doesn’t she?’ asked Jarra.

‘Most definitely.’

‘Then she must have good reasons. How long before the excavation part of the Darwin tunnels is finished?’

‘The twelve large machines working on the transport tunnels can finish in just over four months. The express passenger tunnels don’t have the same priority and the smaller machines will have to work for nearly eleven months.

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