Leviathan(13)
“It's got to be spliced,” he said.
Chesterton didn't even reply.
Connor gazed back up at the wall. “You see that wire, Chesterton?'
Disagreeable. “No.”
Carefully, Connor pointed. “You see how the far strands of copper are blasted deep into the wire while the strands on this side are melted?”
Chesterton didn't look up. “No, sir. And I don't care to. I've already told you. I'm not an engineer and it's not my job.”
“Well, look closer.”
As if profoundly irritated with the dilemma of the conversation, Chesterton glanced at the wire. “All right, Connor, I can see it. Now can you do your job?”
Connor smiled. “Yeah, I can do it. But answer a question for me. Do you know how something like that could happen?”
Chesterton's teeth gleamed in a grimace. “No, Connor. I don't.”
“Then I'll tell you,” Connor said, smile fading. “It doesn't.”
Chesterton was impatient, but he didn't raise his voice. His naturally assertive nature of expressing authority had apparently been overcome by a compelling passion for quiet. “What do you mean, 'it doesn't happen'? It happened. I'm looking at it.”
“No, Chesterton, it doesn't happen. Not by itself.”
Chesterton's angry gaze went distant again.
Stepping closer, Connor's aspect was suddenly conspiratorial. “What have your people been doing down here, Chesterton? What happened on the other side of this fire door?”
“Nothing,” Chesterton said, shaking his head. “And your people haven't been put in danger, Connor. It was a simple accident and you need to fix it.”
With somberness, Connor nodded. “I'm sure it was, Chesterton. But let me tell you something. If—”
“Save it.”
A shake of his head, and Connor continued. “Look, Chesterton, I don't know if anybody got killed in here when that wire broke, but that wire is not your problem. Whatever is on the far side of that wall is your problem. That's what caused this accident.”
“And how can you know that?”
“There's a small hole melted in the steel wall,” Connor replied, a nod. “It's been sealed by the fire door. But it's there. It looks like it was done with an arc weld burning at maybe nine or ten thousand degrees. The flame punched a hole in the steel and then it hit the electrical line. The insulation was blown away from the far side, grounding out the wire, and then the circuit left the line and went through the wall. That's what knocked out the steel paneling. It depends on how much power the line was pulling at the time, but it probably looked like a bolt of lightning going through this room.”
Chesterton was angry. “Why are you telling me this, Connor? You think we don't know all this?”
“Because I can replace the wire, Chesterton,” Connor said, anger hardening his tone. “But I'm telling you this up front. Your military boys don't need to try any welding down here. This is a sensitive environment and sensitive equipment, and somebody can easily get killed. I don't care what kind of secrets you've got in that cavern; you need to let my people handle the construction work.”
Chesterton's jaw locked.
“Just fix it, Connor,” he said somberly. “And try to fix it so it can't happen again.”
* * *
Chapter 5
Spenser Wayne Adler, imperial and commanding in his private office near the Observation Room, turned to Frank with an indulgent aspect, smiling benignly—an aged and wise grandfather patiently enduring the foolishness of his young and unwise grandson.
“I hope you understand my reasons for overruling you at the meeting, Dr. Frank,” he began, as if the incident were thoroughly settled and merited only the vaguest defense.
Frank shrugged. Said nothing. He still felt as if he was in a state of shock, and he had no compulsion to tell Adler anything at all although he knew where the conversation was going.
“I appreciate your concerns,” Adler continued. “Truly, I do. I am not an unsympathetic man. But you must have more faith in our ability to control the beast. The incident today was an aberration.” Adler's confidence was completely unforced. “I'm certain that it won't happen again. Especially with a few additional safety measures.”
“Well, I'm not certain that it won't happen again, Mr. Adler. I don't think you even realize what we're dealing with here. I don't think anybody does, really. Except me.”
Adler appeared unsurprised, even pleased.
“Indeed,” he smiled, “and that is the reason I summoned you, Doctor. There is no need to remind you that I have only been with this project for three months, while you have worked on it for years. I was assigned to the island only when the creature began this remarkably successful stage of development and until then Dr. Hoffman was, ah, directing the operation. And I have not altered the line of command.” He waved vaguely. “I have simply added another level of supervision. Surely such a fantastic scientific achievement as this merits as much supervisory personnel as possible, don't you agree?”