Robert Asprin - Phule 05 - No Phule Like An Old Phule by Robert Asprin & Peter J. Heck

Robert Asprin - Phule 05 - No Phule Like An Old Phule by Robert Asprin & Peter J. Heck

Author:Robert Asprin & Peter J. Heck [Asprin, Robert & Heck, Peter J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-02-15T00:43:24.518000+00:00


10

Journal #703

Taking the visiting AEIOU inspectors on a tour of the Legion base was an operation that required a great deal of delicacy. My employer took every effort to ensure that the visitors were shown everything that might show the company in the greenest possible light, and as little as possible that might reflect discredit upon its environmental practices. After letting Lieutenant Rembrandt steer the inspectors through the less sensitive areas of the compound, the captain himself joined them to show off the more highly technological departments. This was where, in his opinion, his influx of his own funds had had the greatest effect in improving the company's performance. He didn't necessarily reckon on the inspectors' believing otherwise.

"And this is our comm center, " said Phule, showing the AEIOU inspection team through the doorway. "All official communications, and most unofficial ones, come through here. . . ”

"How much energy does it use?" asked Inspector Slurry, eyeing the large panel of readouts above Mother's console.

"Less than you'd think, " said Phule. "In a military field base, we have to be prepared to operate in emergency conditions. One of the first things an attacker is going to try to hit is the power supply. So in a pinch, we have to be able to run our entire system on the power we can produce ourselves. That puts the premium on efficiency. ”

"Efficiency is a relative term, " said Inspector Gardner. "It tends to vary depending on what the person using the word is trying to sell you. Just how much power do these systems use in a normal day's activities?”

Phule paused just a second before answering. "Our exact power requirements are classified, but I think it's safe enough to tell you that we can run the entire base indefinitely on solar energy, which of course there's plenty of out here in the desert. And there are backup systems in case we get a run of bad weather, natural or otherwise. Again, you'II have to pardon me for not giving details. ”

"Well, solar is acceptably green, for the most part, " said Chief Inspector Snieff. "I do want to find out about these backup systems, though. I'll have you know that I have made a study of most of the ways one can generate and store power, and the majority of them are very suspect, environmentally. I would hate to think . . . " Whatever Snieff would have hated to think, her revelation was interrupted by a loud exclamation from Barky, the Environmental Dog, who had wandered through the comm center, sniffing the equipment and eyeing the personnel, and had finally found his way to the door of the officers' lounge. There he had halted, staring inside the door and growling, which no one had quite noticed until he let loose with a series of loud barks.

"What in space. . . ?" said Phule. He strode over to the door and looked inside to see what had caused the dog's reaction. There, to his surprise, stood Tusk-anini, on top of a chair, his head scraping the ceiling.



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