SWNOVELS Chapter The Facility
It was in the first year of the fourth assignment for Donna Silver, supervisor of the Biocontainment Mission. She was frustrated because the new atmospheric heaters were not working. Wanjiku Kimani, the Biosystems Engineer had been explaining to her that the thermal reaction units in the atmospheric compressors were under powered and needed to be charged.
“Donna, as I have told you many times,” Wanjiku began with her rich Kenyan accent, “we need to increase the electrical amperage by at least 75 % to obtain the heating capabilities needed to heat the entire area of the structure around the crater.”
The Biocontainment facility was a large structure forty stories high, an eighth of a mile long, and about three hundred yards deep. The Structure made an arc on the Southwest rim of the Martian crater with the famous Frozen Lake, which was Latitude 24.65°, Longitude 207.10°, on the Martian globe. The first project was completed in just about two Earth years and almost a full Martian year.
The second assignment at this facility was to build the Biocontainment field this was a dome shaped structure that covered the entire rim of the crater. This project had taken more than three Earth years or one and a half Martian years
The third project was to pressurize the Biocontainment field so that the workers could work unencumbered by pressure suits inside the containment field. The third project was completed and was completed in just less than an Earth year just two months before Donna Silver was appointed as head of the project. The overall plan was into its sixth Earth year and was ready to begin with the final phase.
Donna had taken the data Wanjiku had given her to Frank Sutton, the Electrical Engineer.
“Okay Frank, Jiku has determined that we need this much more amperage to raise the temperature of the Biocontainment Field,” Donna told him while pointing to the diagram on the schematic.
Frank scratched his head and took the sheet from Donna. He studied the sheet for a moment then laid the sheet on the console in front of him.
Frank took a deep breath through his nose. “This is possible with about fifty more solar towers added to the array,” he said while pointing out of the large windows of the lab that were looking out over what looked like a forest of oversized black sunflowers, which was the power grid of the complex. There were towers of about a hundred feet tall, five feet diameter at the base, leaving two feet in diameter at the top with rectangular panels in a circle with edges going out eight feet from the center. Each panel was connected to a pivotal arm attached to their bottom side of the panel designed to follow the Sun in the course of the day. It was possible and it was used occasionally to tell the time of the day by their position. The towers at this time were already extending close to the horizon.
Frank directed Donna back to his computer keyboard and demonstrated a further point. “Now, once we have that done we’re going to need type three heating elements” he said pointing to a schematic on his console screen, then he printed the data.
Donna took the sheet from him and brought it to Robert and Dana Wilson. The Wilson’s were a married couple who were in charge of the installation of the heating units that will heat the area under the dome to roughly seventy-three degrees Fahrenheit. The uniform temperature of the area was a variation of a negative one-hundred-thirty degrees Fahrenheit in the daylight hours and negative one-hundred-eighty degrees Fahrenheit during hours of darkness.
The Wilson’s were having a rather heated discussion as where to position some of the heating units. “Robert, haven’t you even visualized the angle that the units would need to be placed for maximum thermal efficiency output?” Dana said, in an elevated tone.
“Of course I have, Dana,” Robert began, trying to keep his voice at a lower level, “but you must have seen how rocky the ground is in this area.” He showed her the photograph of the designated area.
“Certainly I have and all we need to do is use heavy equipment to move the rocks and resurface the area,” she said continuing her tone.
Donna cleared her throat. “Now if I could just get a word in edgewise I’d like to talk over some of these energy and material plans with you.”
Dana looked over to her and smiled. “Oh, Donna I didn’t see you there. What do you want to discuss with us?”
Showing Robert and Dana the schematic and the material needs, Donna explained, “Once you two have decided where these heating units need to go these are the heating elements that need to be installed.” She pointed to the schematic Frank had given her.
Dana studied the schematic for a moment and looked back at Donna. “Of course type three will have the best output for the least energy consumption.”
Robert glanced at the page and said. “Of course they’re a relatively simple installation and should only take about four maybe six weeks to install. Dana and I used these to help heat the ice caves on Luna at the lunar poles about eight years ago.”
Dana gave the affirmative nod. “Yes, we could get them installed with a reasonable size work crew in about that time. Give us a few days to put a work plan together and we’ll get back to you.”
Donna gave them a look of confidence. “Okay, let’s get on it”, Donna told them as she turned to look around the laboratory to see the other twenty-six crew members hard at work at their stations.
Donna strolled out to the crescent shaped corridor and walked down to her office. Her office was a small six by six area. The area appeared larger due to its odd shape curved on either side, conforming to arc shape of the building. Her desk was next to a window where she could look out to the mountains in the distance. She took a few minutes to look out over the rocky landscape. She imagined what the view would be like with the added solar towers. “I’ll need to instruct their installation as to not obstruct the view any more than it already is,” she muttered to herself. The towers added to the monotonous landscape but the installation of more would make the landscape cluttered.
Donna sat at her desk and typed into her keyboard the new proposal for materials. The proposal will be dispatched to the orbiting space station. The space station was fashioned and remodeled after the space-liner Shackelton. The Shackelton was once used to transport Mars colonists from Earth to one of the three colonies on Mars. The three colonies were named Cydonia, Inca City, and Chryse. The Shackelton was decommissioned, and was refitted as the orbiting station, and was renamed the Robert A. Heinlein. The Frozen Lake Project was far different than the colonies. The colonies were a major achievement of course but ’The Frozen Lake Project’ was an ambitious attempt to create Earth-like conditions on Mars. Thus far the project had gone surprisingly well with crew rotations and having a different crew or crews for each stage of the project. The largest population of workers was during the construction of the dome. Some six-hundred-fifty craftsmen and technicians were employed during its peak. Although her workforce was a mere two-hundred-fifty and this was the most Donna had overseen in her career.
Donna sat thoughtfully for a moment then said, “Monitor Com.” And the voice activated communication unit in her desk engaged and a rectangular communication screen flipped up from the top of her desk. “Please enter your communications access codes and begin your audio communication.” An electronic automated voice prompt directed.
“This will be on an encrypted frequency in communications with the Space Station Facility, Robert A. Heinlein,” Donna began the communication protocol. “This will be a direct and classified communication between Donna Silver and Julia Ganswind Davis.”
“I am setting the priority encryption frequency for communication and recording. Now you may begin,” said the electronic voice.
Donna waited while the communication device sent the automated codes to the receiver on the Robert A. Heinlein. Shortly, the face of Julia Ganswind Davis appeared on the monitor. “Hello Julia, It’s been a long time hasn’t it?”
And on the Robert A. Heinlein Julia was at her desk looking at Donna’s face on the monitor. “Yes, it has been a while, Donna”, Julia said in her rich German accent. “It’s too bad it has to be official business. What may we do for you today Donna?”
“We’re having a problem powering the heating units in the Biocontainment Field and need to replace the ones we have with new heating elements and erect more solar towers to power them.”
“That’s simple enough, Donna, just dispatch the materials requisition forms to me at your convenience and they will be shipped to you.”
In Donna’s office, Donna held up a lipstick case sized data memory unit. She plugged the devise into a receptacle and told the communication unit to dispatch the data. On the Com screen Julia watched the printout sheets appear on her printer.
Julia was seen taking the sheets from the printer tray then turning to the monitor said, “We will get this to you as quickly as possible Donna.”
“Thank you Julia,” Donna Silver said, “ending communication.” The Com monitor folded back into the desk. Donna engaged the intercom.
Throughout the facility the personnel heard this announcement: “This is Donna Silver, all requested materials are being dispatched. All personnel except those in maintenance are on standby recreational leave until the materials arrive and that is all.”