"Monitor," he called, "what's the story?"
"They got it, boss," monitor answered. "The pile is dead. You've got some hot material in the water but it's dissipating fast. All other pumps in good order."
Hall broke into a big smile. He walked back to where Troy and Alec were struggling out of their pressure suits.
In the distance, the director's copter was lifting from the ground and heading towards the riverbank. A few minutes later, while a new pump was being lowered into the bore hole, the copter took off en route to Spokane. The two junior engineers were aboard. When it landed at Region Six heliport, Alec jumped from the ramp and ran to the nearest building. He found a vidiphone and called home.
Carol's worried face appeared and then lighted when she saw her husband.
"Honey," Alec said, "You can go ahead and bathe the kid now."
He came out of the building to find Troy waiting. They grinned at each other. At that moment, Supervisor Morley Wilson came hurrying by.
"All right you two," he snarled, "so you've solved one little problem. Remember, you've got just nine days left to give me an answer on those new production units." He hurried away.
Troy gazed at Wilson's departing back.
"That's what I like about working for DivAg," he murmured. "Nothing ever changes."