Житие Мое / Life of Mine: Глава 4

Chapter 4

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 12:59

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Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 12:59

As it turned out, it took me a week to get out of the factory and back to the office. I hoped to ask Johan a few questions, but the white mage's desk was empty.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 13:00

"He took a leave of absence," Polak tried not to look at me, "to improve his health. In the meantime, I'd have to get our affairs in order..."

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 13:40

This white mage was beginning to inspire my respect - he decided to ask for help himself! Let's face it: these guys don't always have the guts to recognize their problems. That's a good reason to do my best.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 13:41

"Can I take the test records?"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 13:42

Polak poked his finger into a cabinet full of files. I wonder if their records are as messy as their blueprints.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 13:43

The thick-bound journals contained a chronicle of the deeds of the Biokin. Two years ago, it all began very cheerfully: a team of three mages and four alchemists assembled to put together a whole heap of charts and patterns that governed the existence of improved bacteria. A standard fermenting vat and four of the most promising strains were taken as the basis. At the test-tube level, the process worked amazingly, but as soon as they moved on to full-scale tests, the breakdowns came one after another. To be specific: the period of uninterrupted operation of the generator was one month. The first to desert were the alchemists, who quickly realized that there would be no freebies, followed by the mages, one of whom was Johan's apprentice. For the past six months, Biokin had been working with a reduced staff, working out what seemed to be the final nuances of the design. And here was the result...

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 13:47

It was time to quit. But I had squandered the money Ron had given me in advance, and there was nothing to pay it back. If this thing can't work, I should at least explain why.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:05

In three weeks, I had time to work out the problem in my mind and to consider it from all angles, guided not mainly by the charts proposed by the bacteria developers but by the actions of people who managed to manage the fermenting vats. The latter was greatly aided by the beginning of the vacations - now I could sit in the factory at all hours of the day. I felt that the machines were astonishingly dumb. In this sense, it took several minutes or even a quarter of an hour from the start of the manipulation to the response.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:08

Judging by the records of the tests (and I had no desire to arrange something like that again), introducing the improved culture into the fermentation vat was tantamount to trying to start the tractor engine on nitroglycerin. Dibs on that! Can you imagine what would happen if something exploded in the shit factory? The fact that Biokin managed to keep the machine stable for a month was a masterpiece of alchemical thought, akin to balancing on a jet stream. In order to substantiate my feelings, I went through all of Johan's articles and lecture notes on control theory, and the conclusion was disappointing: it was simply impossible to use Biokin products in the sludge factories, at least without significantly changing the design of the vat.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:11

This was the idea I expressed at another coffee meeting, which now took place regularly (Johan, fat and rosy, come back to work).

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:15

"What do you think a perfect vat should look like?" Polak smiled encouragingly.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:16

"Like a long, small in diameter tube."

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:16

Carl snorted:

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:17

"It will cool down too fast!"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:17

"It can be insulated from the outside," I snapped.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:18

"Use a warming culture!" Johan suddenly supported me.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:18

"And the cleaning?" Carl wouldn't let up.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:19

"You could combine several tubes into a stack and clean one at a time." In Polak's eyes, there were already swirling strings of numbers and diagrams of designs. "Smaller volume, easier to handle!"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:21

"And use diverse cultures," Johan argued.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:22

The team perked up, and work began to boil over. The first result was that Carl kicked me out of my favorite drawing board. Can't you drag yours over to the window? I began to fret, but I realized that he would do all the hard work for me in a wave of enthusiasm, so I quietly backed off and went back to the leisurely sorting of the drafts.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:23

Polak got the customer to pay for a model (a simple, single-tube model), a feat worthy of note in the annals. After two years of steep failures, getting the customer to shell out money for another unit... Polak had a phenomenal gift for persuasion, though Ron also contributed to his success. It was hoped that the new gas generator would be tested by the end of the summer.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:24

But here's the question: should I quit my job before they try to run this thing, or should I wait for the results? No, I was sure the machine would work, but I didn't want to have to explain myself to the factory foreman.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:25

And just when the blueprints were delivered to the shop, and it was clear there would be no problems with the new gas generator before testing began, Ron called me over to the Three Students' Bar to celebrate. I didn't mind, and I hoped that the drinks on the table would be stronger than the coffee-the whole creative mess was even more exhausting than the encounter with the otherworldly.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:27

"Dance!" Quarter announced.

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:27

"What about the teeth punch?"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:30

He even took offense:

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:30

"Why are you getting so angry?"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:31

I could have told him why, but I didn't want to start all over again. Ron couldn't stand it after all:

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:31

"Our patent was bought..."

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:32

"Mm..."

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:32

"...for twenty-five thousand!"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:32

"!!!"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:33

"And a crown from each unit it will be installed on. Do you have any idea how many diesels they make a year?!"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:33

"But our thing won't be on everyone: black magic is expensive."

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:34

Quarter squinted his eyes:

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:35

"Man, have you shown this amulet to anyone?"

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:36

"Well... Rakshat, for example."

Camrad_RIP 27.04.23 в 14:36

"Did he tell you that your circuit is a transmaster?

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:23

"No,"

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:23

"So I tell you! It doesn't use the Source, which means any mage can set it up. Black magic is only needed to create a reverse matrix, and then any white oaf can bake these amulets. That's it!"

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:25

I was dumbfounded. That must have been how a cat feels when he's had a bowl of sour cream poured on him.

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:26

"Aren't we a cheapskate?"

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:27

"Are you kidding? We only sold the principle; we don't have to develop matrices and set up production."

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:27

Since I already knew what it cost to implement the idea in the material, I realized that we were almost golden for free.

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:28

"And when the money?"

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:28

Quarter solemnly handed me a check, a large multi-colored paper with gold embossing and a metallic cast. Money. A lot of money. Practically without strain. How I love it!

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:29

"What are you going to spend it on?" Ron wondered.

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:30

I just brushed it off. For now, I just wanted to watch it, carry it around, and show it to everyone.

Camrad_RIP 28.04.23 в 17:30