Not Repaired Reworked to code
Chapter Fifteen The Gap
“Phil says he got our power restored.”
The farmer looked toward the robots working on the substation.
“Yeah? Which one is Phil?”
He nodded toward the machines.
“I was told this substation would be dead for a year. The Hacienda’s robots are rewiring the burned-out cables. With any luck, we’ll have power by nightfall.”
The Hacienda was bombarded with requests.
Chas stared at the screen.
“How many?”
“One hundred and seventeen requests since yesterday,” Link said.
“For power?”
“Not anymore.”
Chas looked at the list.
WATER.
REFRIGERATION.
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.
COMMUNICATIONS.
SEWAGE.
FUEL.
TRANSPORTATION.
“They think we can fix everything.”
The Oracle answered.
WE CANNOT.
“I know.”
A second line appeared.
BUT WE CAN FIX ENOUGH TO KEEP BUSY.
Chas looked at the screen.
“Send teams of three Iron Horsemen to investigate the requests. If they find something we might be able to repair, have them take pictures and send them to the Oracle.”
“And then?” Link asked.
“We make a list. Cheapest and easiest repairs first. Anything that helps the most people moves up the list.”
The Oracle answered.
A PRIORITY SYSTEM.
“Exactly.”
WHO DETERMINES PRIORITY?
Chas stared at the question.
“I suppose I do.”
NO.
Chas frowned.
“Then who?”
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.
“Oracle, why did you reject those twelve substations?”
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION.
“From what?”
TRANSFORMER OIL.
“Oil we can clean up.”
SOME CONTAINS POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS.
Chas stared at the screen.
“PCBs?”
YES.
“How bad?”
BAD ENOUGH THAT RESTORING ELECTRICITY IS NO LONGER THE FIRST PROBLEM.
“There’s another problem,” Link said.
“Of course there is.”
“We are running out of storage space.”
“For what?”
A list appeared.
TWO PALLETS OF CANNED TOMATOES.
FOUR GENERATORS.
THREE THOUSAND FEET OF COPPER PIPE.
SIXTEEN TIRES.
EIGHTY-SEVEN BAGS OF CEMENT.
TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY POUNDS OF PINTO BEANS.
ONE BOAT.
Chas stopped.
“A boat?”
“Payment for repairing a well.”
“We’re in Arizona.”
“I am aware of that.”
Chas laughed. “Open a store.”
“A store?”
“Anything we don’t need, sell it or trade it for something we do.”
The Oracle appeared.
THIS WILL CREATE A MARKET.
“That’s generally what stores do.”
The call from the power company came that afternoon.
Link put it on the main screen.
A tired-looking man appeared.
“Mr. Williams, I’m Robert Keller, chief engineer for Mountain Electric.”
“Call me Chas.”
“All right, Chas. We need to talk about your robots.”
“I figured you would.”
“They’re working on equipment that belongs to us.”
“They’re fixing equipment that belongs to you.”
Keller paused.
“That distinction is why I’m calling instead of sending lawyers.”
Chas laughed.
“Fair enough. What do you want?”
“I want control of anything connected to our grid. Nothing gets energized without our authorization. Nothing gets repaired without our engineers knowing what was done.”
“Reasonable.”
“And every repair has to meet our specifications and electrical code.”
“Also reasonable.”
Keller seemed surprised.
“You’re agreeing?”
“Robert, I don’t want your power company. I want the lights back on.”
Keller smiled for the first time.
“So do I.”
Chas leaned back.
“Here’s what I want. Your engineers give the Oracle your specifications, diagrams, and inspection requirements. We send you an assessment before we touch anything. You approve the work. Our robots make the repairs. Your people inspect them, and you decide when the power comes back on.”
Keller was silent for several seconds.
“How fast can your robots work?”
“Faster than you’re going to like.”
“Why wouldn’t I like that?”
“Because you’re going to run out of inspectors.”
Keller laughed.
“You’re probably right.”
“One more thing,” Chas said. “If a transformer is destroyed, we don’t touch it. If there’s an oil spill or PCB contamination, we stop and tell you.”
“Agreed.”
“And your people have final authority over the grid.”
Keller nodded.
“Agreed.”
Chas held out his hand toward the screen.
“I suppose this is where we shake hands.”
Keller raised his hand to the camera.
“I suppose it is.”
The Oracle interrupted.
AGREEMENT RECORDED.
Chas looked at the screen.
“Of course it is.”
Chas thought about it for a moment.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
Keller waited.
“The work crews remain under my control. You don’t pull them off one job because somebody decides another job is more important.”
Keller frowned. “We may have emergencies.”
“Then tell us. But we decide where our robots go and what jobs we take.”
“And how are you going to decide that?”
“The same way we’ve been doing it. What can be fixed, how much it will cost, and how many people it helps.”
Keller nodded slowly.
“No favors?”
“No favors. I don’t care who the mayor knows or who somebody contributed money to. Nobody jumps the line.”
The Oracle added:
AGREED.
Keller smiled.
“Does it always get the last word?”
“Pretty much.”
Chas noticed that one component was on the repair list even though the Oracle said it couldn’t be repaired.
“We can’t repair it?”
NO.
“Then why is it on the list?”
THE DAMAGED COMPONENT CANNOT BE REPAIRED.
“So?”
IT CAN BE REPLACED.
“Do we have one?”
NO.
Chas smiled. “Can we make one?”
YES.
TO SPECIFICATION.
“Then make two.”
About the Creator
Mark Stigers
One year after my birth sputnik was launched, making me a space child. I did a hitch in the Navy as a electronics tech. I worked for Hughes Aircraft Company for quite a while. I currently live in the Saguaro forest in Tucson Arizona
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