Крип / Kryp: Отряд_4.20

Chapter 20

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:01

Close people are the most annoying. A stranger can be unpleasant, harmful, dangerous - anything. However, it is only those who are near, at arm's length, and closer that truly infuriates. Inquisitor Schmettau had pondered this paradox on more than one occasion, having been forced to tolerate the Pale's company. Yes, Essen was useful, efficient, comfortable, after all. And yet...

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:04

Annoying! Especially since the inquisitor's back hurt again, so much so that mild anesthetics did not help, and strong drugs Schmettau postponed for the time being, intending to maintain a crystal clear view of the situation. Kalkroit habitually put on a mask of bored indifference and prepared to listen to another batch of 'nothing' from the executive, though not shining with imagination assistant. And then asked him caustically what vicious demon had possessed Essen to waste time and resources on a voyage from planet to ship (and with a view to his imminent return) without news worthy of attention. He must say, at first the faithful confidant went strictly in line with expectations, but then he twisted the report in an unexpected direction.

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:06

"So... and what is it?" The inquisitor asked. He already had a rough idea of what it was about, but now he was waiting for a detailed explanation.

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:06

"The expenses of the extensive and complex bureaucratic paperwork," Essen explained pompously. "The fact is that the manifestations of... uh... hostile manifestations are recorded by several departments at once. And they are reflected in the reports accordingly."

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:08

"Manifestations are manifesting," muttered Schmettau. - Of course, they are. And?.."

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:09

"I started checking all the planetary reporting forms."

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:13

"So-o-o-o," stretched out Schmettau. "Next."

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:14

Now the inquisitor was interested. Yes, Pale's imagination was very, very poor, but his inhuman stubbornness and head-on pressure often yielded results, as if no more effective than cunning analytical combinations.

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:15

"Law enforcement officers tend to keep their documents secret, to withhold information for reasons of investigative secrecy and inter-corporate rivalry. But I discovered that there is an agency that also reports regularly on matters of interest to us, and its reports are the most comprehensive and up-to-date."

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:15

"The power supply system," Schmettau thought aloud, looking at the thick folder Essen had delivered from Beacon. A poor, hastily made copy, printed on old hardware and recycled paper. But a lot and fast. Looks like Essen managed to pull quarterly, annual and special reports for a hundred years or so.

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:16

"Yes, sir. Since Beacon is a planet of strategic importance, its power supply is managed centralized and planned. All sources, transmission lines, and reserve capacities are inventoried, accounted for, and written into mobilization plans. If an insidious enemy were to strike..."

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:17

"...planetary defense will wipe their asses with these plans and begin heroically overcoming. As usual," Kalkroit continued for him. "Next."

Camrad_RIP 27.11.21 в 21:20

Even the inquisitor's back stopped hurting, the inquisitor had already understood in general terms, where the assistant was leading, and a predatory flame of excitement lit up in his soul.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 07:46

"Accordingly, any unscheduled outages, accidents, and other malfunctions are always investigated and summarized in regular reporting forms. However, since electricity is hardly relevant to departmental struggles and investigations by authorized agencies, the usual rules of secrecy apply to the document flow."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 07:47

"So minimal censorship?" The inquisitor straightened up, disregarding the prick of pain. Kalkroit was too curious.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 07:48

"That's right," Essen showed appropriate deference and admiration for his patron's intelligence.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 07:48

"And as a result?"

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 07:49

Essen unfolded the very first sheet in the monumental folder with a majestic look. It was of very thick paper, more like thin cardboard, and folded several times. Essen unfolded the very first sheet in the monumental folder with a majestic look. It was of very thick paper, more like thin cardboard, and folded several times.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 07:55

"Well, well," muttered Schmettau with an uncertain intonation, squinting myopically.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 08:00

From an outsider's point of view, the text was unreadable, representing something like a summary metric, some were printed by a portable typewriter-stamp, some were handwritten (although quite legible), the illustrating diagrams were also mostly drawn. However, Schmettau had worked with documents for many, many years, and was used to analyzing, 'covering' the text with his eyes, immediately picking out the key points.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 08:01

"So," said the Inquisitor softly. "So... Is this as of...?"

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 08:02

"Three o'clock in the morning, today's twenty-four hours. I went to you, sir, as soon as I received it. The report is traditionally made at the moment of minimum load on the planetary system. Although this is rather arbitrary, the power is mostly consumed by the factories, the spaceport, and the astropaths, and their rate fluctuates only slightly."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 08:03

"Interesting," summed up the inquisitor. "Very interesting. So we can safely add new data to our graph. And, from what I see, the attenuation of chaotic disturbances does not correlate with the energy problems of the Ice Port."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 08:04

"The lines are roughly the same..." the assistant pointed out. "Up to this point."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 08:15

"Yes, and then they diverge... Chaotic manifestation drops to insignificant values, but the problems of energy networks, on the contrary, multiply with clearly visible progression... And now suddenly there is a spurt in both directions. Very interesting! Do you know what it's like?"

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:20

"No," Essen said. In fact, he had a hunch, but that's not what was required of the assistant at the moment.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:21

"It was as if someone was stealing energy for something..." thoughtfully, with long pauses, the inquisitor pondered aloud. "Or they were performing some... action, the side effect of which was the problem of energy. After all, as my teacher used to say, in every socket there is a demon. And then, for some reason, we stopped seeing the process... perhaps it was well camouflaged, or perhaps it had entered a stage of concentration, like a fighter's before a decisive blow."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:22

"The drop of chaotic perversions?"

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:23

"Exactly. But it was not possible to disguise the theft of energy. Or, if the second version is true, it failed to isolate the side effects... Although we now miraculously saw some connection. Maybe the mysterious 'they' didn't notice it either, that's why they didn't hide it."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:25

" Perhaps the processes are not related," Essen suggested honestly. "You can always find some kind of correlation in a multitude of variables."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:26

"Yes," Kalkroit agreed. "We can. But it's a string. It's like a string from a bell that invites us to pull it."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:27

"We can pull it," Essen suggested. "Parallel investigations are neither encouraged nor forbidden. It's a question of the outcome."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:28

"Yes, we can," agreed Schmettau. "The question is, do we need it? More specifically, do we need it now?"

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:29

"Before, you didn't reject this kind of..." Essen hesitated, unable to find the right word.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:32

"My friend," Schmettau tapped his fingers on a large sheet of paper. "Before, we were investigating, and, accordingly, we were either hindered or assisted."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:32

---Both directions implied active assistance. In the first case, it was necessary to cooperate, in the second to help the opponents stumble. But now the situation is different, we stand apart from other people's operations, in which we are interested solely on general grounds, as the Emperor's faithful guards. As inquisitors, we must intervene and help. On the one hand. As inquisitors, on the other hand, we must weigh the consequences of such an intervention.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:34

---On the other hand. To publicize the fact that the energy map of the planet in dynamics gives an accurate reflection of all accounted manifestations of hostile forces? And no one even thought that it lies practically in the public domain, among the typical reports of the Beacon's utilities? That is, while Inquisition investigators and Arbitrators were scheming, hiding information, and vying for influence, the average energy clerk could know more than the elected guards of the Imperium put together. And with whom would he share this information? Were you the first person to get into this archive? And who, personally, was responsible for it?

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:35

Essen smoothed the hair on his carefully brushed wig. He nodded silently, admitting that he hadn't thought about the obvious things and questions. The Inquisitor, weary from his unusually long monologue, leaned back again, relieving his aching lower back, and finished his thought:

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:36

"That is why it is worthwhile to deal with the problem. But what to do and how to do it, so as to serve the common good and not to multiply the ranks of ill-wishers... That's the question. Eh..."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:38

Schmettau sighed sincerely and heavily.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:38

"Eh, if service to the Emperor and to humanity could be purged of the imperfections of human nature. Without intrigue, without struggle. A pure, distilled consequence, where only truth and just retribution matter..."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:39

Pale sighed, too, just in case, showing the solidarity of grief.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:42

"By the way, it occurred to me," Schmettau finished a moment of sadness about human imperfection and went back to work. "Surely there must be some kind of geological exploration here?"

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:43

"Yes, I think so," answered a slightly confused Essen, but immediately picked up the thread of thought. "Seismic sensors?"

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:44

"Yes. There probably aren't many, the Port is very old and stopped shaking a long time ago. But there must be. If the reports of the power engineers lie so freely here, maybe the geologists will share something interesting, too...?"

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:45

Schmettau's gaze suddenly trembled and faded into a haze. The Inquisitor bowed his head and brought his fingers to his ear in an unconscious motion that gave off a hidden speaker. For a quarter of a minute Calcroyd listened in silence, then just as silently flicked the lever on the cabin's control panel. The white curtain covering the porthole thinned lost color, then disappeared altogether. In the huge circle, the Beacon was visible. The planet occupied three-quarters of the view, shifting quietly in step with the ship's rotation. Night reigned below so that one could see the extent of the Ice Port's power. The yellowish-orange lights scattered in thin strings, forming a sparse web with occasional nodes of more or less large centers. The picture demonstrated that the Lighthouse was quite developed and civilized, but it did not stand up to any comparison with the Forges or the big beehives, where night and day sides were almost indistinguishable.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:48

"What's going on?" Essen looked at the master's slumped shoulders, appreciated the attentive tilt of his head, and realized that now the inquisitor had better ask a leading question.

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:48

Schmettau raised two fingers in a gesture of silence and said:

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:49

"Something incomprehensible is going on..."

Camrad_RIP 28.11.21 в 10:50