Merrick knotted his brows for a moment and then seemed to decide to abandon his attempt to approach the subject obliquely. “Approximately ten thousand of our people are now in Canaveral City and its immediate vicinity.” Merrick looked straight at Bernard. “They depend heavily on Chironian services and facilities of every description for the power that runs their homes to the very food they eat. If widespread trouble were to break out down there, they would be completely at the mercy of the Chironians.” He raised a hand to stifle any objection before Bernard could speak. “Clearly we cannot tolerate such a state of affairs. It has been decided therefore that, purely as a precautionary measure to protect our own people if the need should arise, we must be able to guarantee the continuity of essential services if circumstances should
demand. Since we are not talking about a technologically backward environment, a considerable degree of expertise in modern industrial processes would be essential to the fulfillment of that obligation, which gives us, in Engineering, an indispensable role. I trust you see my point.”
Bernard’s eyes narrowed a fraction. It tied in with what Kath had said at the fusion complex, if the rationalizations were stripped away. So what was Merrick doing- increasing the intended overseeing force because the Directorate bad decided to go ahead with the plan, using Padawski as an excuse? “I’m not sure that I do,” he replied. “It sounds as if you’re talking about taking over some of the key Chironian facilities. Wouldn’t that only make any trouble worse?’
“I made no mention of taking over anything. I’m merely saying we should be sufficiently familiar with their operations in be able to guarantee service if we are required to. Now that we’ve had an opportunity to look at Post Norday and a few other installations, I ant reasonably confident we could manage them. I didn’t want to take up too much of everybody’s time before, but since the
whole thing now seems feasible I’d like you to have a look at what’s at Norday. You should take Hoskins with you. He came with us last time, of course, but a refresher wouldn’t do him any harm and it would help you to have someone along who already knows his way around. That was really what I wanted to talk to you about.” Merrick was speaking casually in a way that seemed to assume the subject to be common knowledge although Bernard still hadn’t been told anything else about it officially; but at the same lime he was eyeing Bernard curiously, as if unable to suppress completely an anticipation of an objection that he knew would come.
Bernard decided to play along to see what happened. “I’m sorry-how do you mean, last time? I must be missing something.”
Merrick’s eyebrows shot up in an expression of surprise
that was just a little too hasty. “The last time we went to see the complex at Port Norday.” Bernard stared blankly at him. Merrick seemed pained. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know. I went there with Walters and Hoskins a while ago. Didn’t Walters tell you about it’?”
“Nobody told me anything.”
Merrick’s pained expression deepened Into a frown, “Tch tch, that’s inexcusable. How unfortunate. Let me see now-I can’t remember exactly when it was but you were on duty. That was why I couldn’t include you at the time.” That was an outright lie; Bernard had been there on his day off, with Jay. “But anyway, we can soon put that straight. You’ll find the place fascinating. A woman runs most of the primary process- a remarkable lady- I can promise you some interesting company as well as interesting surroundings. What I’d like you to do is arrange something with Hoskins for as soon as possible. I’m afraid I’ll be tied up for the next couple of days.”
Obviously something unusual was going on. Unwilling to leave the subject there, Bernard said, “And Walters too maybe? Perhaps he could use a refresher too,”
Merrick drew a long breath, and his expression became grave. “Mmm Walters. That brings me to the other thing I have to tell you,” he said in a heavy voice. “Officer Walters is no longer with us. He and his family disappeared from Cordova Village two days ago and have not been ‘heard of since. He failed to report for duty yesterday. We must assume that he has absconded. He shook his head sadly. “Disappointing, Fallows, most disappointing. I credited him with more character.”