Chapter 23

The rails inside the tunnel were entirely a Personalia operation, as the rails were fixed to the rock floor by nano-machines (nanos), making the join effectively a solid part of both the rails and the rock, not just at regular points – which was how normal railtrack was secured. As long as the rails were installed exactly parallel, and at exactly the correct distance apart, they would provide a perfect running surface for the trains. The joints in the rails were similarly made continuous solid steel by nanos. There would be no vibration from the track, ever. This was only possible within the rock tunnel; outside, the ground varied continuously as so a similar secure fixing was impossible to achieve.

The mechanoids designed as hopper carriers gripped the underside of the rail with pseudo-rubber wheels that transferred the power, sending the hopper along the rail at high speed. At either end, the mechanoids, once emptied or filled, were lifted off by another mechanoid and transferred to the other rail, so one rail was the IN rail, and the other was the OUT rail.

At the outside of the tunnel, the OUT rail swerved to one side, to where another machine accepted the debris. The hopper deposited its entire load onto a conveyor belt with ribs to prevent the debris from falling as it rose up. At the top of the conveyor, it dropped the debris into a crusher, which ground it finely before passing the particles under a sensor that determined whether a particle was rock only, or was a mineral or a crystalline stone, and opened a suitably-sized hole for the particle to drop into, at one of a dozen points in line ahead. This separation enabled deposits of each type of material to be collected. The vast majority was simple rock dust, and that was deposited into a very large roofed store, similar to a farm barn, to be collected regularly for use by the humans to make concrete building foundations, as well as concrete rail sleepers, or ties.

The other separated materials were only in miniscule amounts, so were deposited in metre-square boxes, replaced with empties as each one was filled.

While excavated material had halted during the changeover to the new technology, the restart produced a flood of material, and thus the new equipment was ready for this abundance.

The anticipated tripling of excavation speed proved to be an underestimate. The application of explosives made a major difference to the excavation. The only limit was the rate of drilling, but such narrow holes were swiftly made with diamond-tipped drill bits. The diamonds involved may have only been tiny, but set in a nano-manufactured matrix, they were effective.

After a day of operation of the new process, The Personalia reported to the Governor that excavation had speeded up to ten times the previous rate, and that this was going ahead from both directions. The expected completion of the tunnel had been reduced to a few weeks, instead of months, and the earlier installation of the rails meant that trains could run through the tunnel almost immediately after completion.

Of course, there was nowhere to go at present. The surveyors had produced surveys for the first few kilometres of line, so construction of the trackbed could proceed. The Personalia informed the Governor that they had identified at least one site where sand and gravel could be obtained, and did the Governor want amounts of these resources emplaced at suitable points for use by the trackbed builders?

John referred this information to the specialist committee, and left it to them to organise.

While he was checking all the newly arrived equipment at the research station, Hubert was informed that the first of his animals was within the research enclosure, still under sedation. He went out and discovered one of the sheep-style animals lying there.

He photographed it in close-up, then took the opportunity to examine it closely. The small horns were blunt-ended, so more for display than causing harm. He clipped off a sample of the wool-like fur on the body, then rushed to grab a sprayer and some disinfectant.

He sprayed the exposed surfaces of the animal, then did his best to turn it over on to its other side. He managed this, after some effort, and was glad it was not awake and able to resist him. Having done that, he thoroughly disinfected the other side, before it started to waken.

Knowing that it was a ruminant and a herd animal, from the data sent to him by The Personalia, he left it in the grassy area to recover, while he estimated how many would be required for a minimal breeding flock. He checked that it was female. The flock would require at least one male, so he rang The Personalia and asked for a male of the species next.

"Yes, we can select a male. Do you a particular requirement? We cannot tell how old the animal is, but its size may be a guide to its relative age."

"Yes, please. Try for a youngish male. There will be no competition for leadership of the flock, so it will automatically assume that position – unless leadership is a female prerogative within the species! Once I have that male successfully installed here, I would like another three females, to make it a small flock, and so make the situation more comfortable for these animals."

"Do you wish that as a priority, over obtaining other animals?" enquired The Personalia.

"Please do. That would make matters simpler for me. I want to get each species settled in before starting on the next one. It is more efficient, in the long run."

"We understand that proposition."

"Governor, can we get some clarification, please?" The speaker, one of the action committee, was insistent.

"What do you want clarified, Frank?"

"Who gets the rock dust for concrete making? The builders, for their foundations, or the railway sleeper manufacturers? Is there a priority setting?"

"I see. I had assumed no need for a priority, before now. What has changed?"

"Sir, previously the material arrived at a known rate, and with houses being the greatest need for the colony, the material went into making concrete for house foundations. Now, the material is much greater, but the builders say their need is still a priority, so that they can build even more houses for the expending population.

"But we also have a priority for producing sleepers – or as the Americans call them, cross-ties – for the rail track that the plans call for. We need some decisive input from you, to gain us what we need."

John thought for a moment. He decided to be harsh.

"Frank, you do realise, don't you, that as soon as the tunnel is complete, this supply of ruck dust will cease altogether?"

Frank was brought up short. "No, sir, I was not told that fact."

"The Personalia tell me they will complete the tunnel in a few weeks. Now, what will you do if you have temporary access to that material, then it ceases entirely?"

"I see what you mean, Governor. It is a short-term solution to a long-term problem."

"That is it in a nutshell, Frank. What exactly is cement, anyway?"

"Primarily it is a mix of silicon dioxide and calcium oxide, with a small proportion of aluminium oxide. What comes as part of the rock dust out of the tunnel is, we think, mostly calcium silicates and aluminium silicates and some other additives that may not be important, so that it needs heat treatment to convert it to oxides. We have not had the chance to examine enough samples to get a consistent result."

John pounced. "Well, why don't you put in an order to The Personalia, to supply you with the exact chemicals you require for your cement, for making the concrete you are aiming to produce? They might set up a quarry on the planet, but more likely they will mine asteroids for the material that best suits you. They get their nanos to be selective in what they pick up, so why not what you need? The Landerships often come down to the surface empty, unless they are transporting stuff from Earth, so this would give them a cargo for each landing.

"Another factor for you to consider is that, through a monopoly contract with The Personalia, you can negotiate a cheap price. When the builders find their source of supply drying up, you can offer to sell them some of your cement, and make a profit on the price you charge them. Even a few dollars profit per bag will give you a steady income, then when new firms want to build factories and roads with concrete, you will have the product to sell to them. Make your problem into a business opportunity, Frank."

Frank was staring at John with awe. "Goddam it, John. You should be a businessman. You know how to maximise the income from a business, don't you?"