Chapter 36 - Forvik Island

Over the coming weeks drilling and blasting commenced using the stopes at Forvik Island. When done the inside surface was cable bolted and jetcreted. Then Roger could get to work on it. In all there were 10 levels with the thorium reactors going in the second to lowest level. In the event of a reactor malfunction the connecting tunnels could be blasted and sealed off quickly. What the lowest level was for he could not find out. Food and waste recycling was done at the top level. That way, in the event of power failure, gravity could do some work in the filtration of water, enabling a time buffer of a few days for power repairs. Controlled environment, or vertical, farming was also used with the red and blue LED lights being powered by the reactors.

Roger did suggest a system of mirrors for the plants in case of power failure. But he knew that look he got when he first suggested it: there's a reason why that's a bad idea but we're not going to tell you why. Oh well, best to drop it. This was a highly lucrative break through contract and he wasn't going to rock the boat. One thing that bowled Roger over was the amount of technology in this place. Not that he was an expert but he could tell a lot from a little. There was a host of sensors connecting from the surface with conduits being drilled through the rock. Why not just have solar powered sensors talking with wifi? Once again he was met with silence. Maybe NASA or the ESA were externalising risk through the private sector and this was some kind of dark side of the moon base prototype? Fuck no that can't be right, the dark side of the moon gets just as much sunlight as the rest of it, he remembered Imogen saying so when doing her school project. It was beyond his wage bracket to solve the mystery.

The lengths that they had gone to maintain secrecy were staggering. Deliveries were by autonomous submarines. There were reversible camouflaged jackets for those going to the surface. The outside was grey if you were walking on the rocks and the inside was green if you were to walk on the fields. Insulating foam was used on the outer walls to prevent heat loss. Not needed when you've got a couple of reactors for energy, but it would reduce a heat signature. The cooling system was, of course, automatic. However instead of heat being vented to the surface, which would have been the easy thing to do, it was vented deep underwater via a heat exchanger. With all the waste recycling there would be no tell tale signs of algae blooms or other pollution. On completion Forvik Island looked like any other boring piece of rock lost in the North Atlantic.

Toward the end of the job the decor also caught Rogers attention. Everything had a look of functional quality about it, it seemed no expense was spared. But there was no differentiation of rank. Sure the beds were comfortable, but they all looked the same, as with the other furniture. Had someone designed living quarters for more or less equal colleagues and suddenly had more numbers than anticipated, but couldn't afford to waste time with incorporating rank in the design? Throughout this project the emphasis had been on functional quality, but there was no time lost either. There was no 'the boss's wife doesn't like it' meetings or changes of plan to a more luxuriant layout or other crap like that.

Roger and his team were closing off on the job, making sure that water flowed from the taps, the lights switched on, doors closed etc. "Hey Tim, whens the party". Tim was the liaison officer, his point of contact for the company. While he didn't come across as very experienced for the role he was efficient at his job and amiable enough to get along with. Tim shrugged his shoulders. "No oversight, company policy, at least for this job. Ms Zhi sends her congratulations on a job well done. As part of your contract we will now fly you back to Australia. However", and he pulled a credit card from his pocket, "you have the option of holidaying in the UK for two weeks, all expenses paid for the next two weeks so you can be quickly on hand if we need you. Your boat to the main land leaves in three hours."

Something within Roger felt very used. Like his work was welcome but he was not. Imogens words came back to him. "I can't say anything about this job, but just remember, they have different ways of doing things. Don't be offended by it." Roger kept a lid on it and brushed it off. "Glad to be of help when a tight schedule's needed. My wife, Darlene, is missing me, but thanks for the offer. It's appreciated." He could sense the relief on Tim's face, which was at least something. They said their goodbyes.