Blood Lily Company - Afghanistan - Year 2

III

The next day, Erk was back to normal and discovered the punishment that Lin had planned for him, not for the sunburn, but for having exhausted himself wanting to be forgiven at all costs. So, he's digging.

When Sean and Katja came to bring us the small generator, they took Lin aside and cooped themselves up with her for a talk. And when she reported the results of the discussion to all the officers, I was floored.

The star-shaped scar on the Viking's right shoulder is a fucking good luck charm, let me tell you. This selfless act of helping an assaulted man has certainly cost the giant dearly, but from what Kris told me, it has also yielded a lot. First of all to the brothers, with the money managed by Matteo Rizzi, but also to us.

The very nice new helmets we wore during this famous patrol were sold to us at a quarter price because Rizzi knows ATS number two. Yes, and very well even, it's his goddaughter and niece. When I tell you that's enough to sit down a little abruptly...

Then it would appear that the Roses & Rifles have a sponsor, and that it would be... yes, you're right, ATS. That would be one of the reasons why the chopper that saved our asses was hanging around. And so Simo is in regular contact with ATS's number two, Rizzi's niece.

And finally, what was the source of that limitless astonishment, was that, as we needed a generator, we were volunteered as guinea pigs, or beta-testers, of a very small atomic battery, not quite experimental, because the technology is well proven. ATS wants to test its small size. The battery is the size of a large rocket launcher. What ATS wants to test is its production capacity on such a small-scale.

Sean came back alone – well, not really, there was the helicopter pilot – with paper and 3D blue prints. In the mess hall, we all sat around the holographic table and Sean loaded the blueprints into the machine.

We saw a classic 3D diagram appear, very messy, until Sean twiddled this and that and the crossing lines became clearer.

Under the courtyard, a 5-meters deep well opened, halfway, on a room of 2 by 3 meters, containing, on one side, a small pit of a little more than 1 meter deep.

- That's all well and good, said Erk, but if you want me to dig, you'll have to tell me where, Lin.

- This is an opportunity to discuss it all together, said Sean. Since the battery must be installed in the small pit full of water to be cooled, it needs a source of water and a discharge of hot water afterwards.

- Is the drainage water contaminated? asked Curly.

- No, just very, very hot, about 80°C, sometimes more, Sean replied.

- So we could have hot water without having to run the boilers, continued the sergeant.

- In theory, yes. And in practice ... too, actually, said the Irishman, pensive.

- Then, Curly said, very sure of himself, the best place is near the showers. We put the mess and the showers there because it's close to the artesian well. There's a bypass for the infirmary, but there's only cold water out there. We could take the opportunity to pull a hot pipe over there...

- And you think I'm going to dig all of it? The giant said, half serious.

- You'll dig the big hole, Erik, Lin said in an unavoidable tone. The others will help you with the diversion and the masonry.

- Yeah, so I'll be the backhoe, right?

- You're pretty effective, aren't you?

- Mmh. I'm willing to make a lot of sacrifices for a nice hot shower, so...

- Hedonist, said Kris.

- Absolutely. And sybarite, too. Well, do we have plans of the well here?

Thus started the planning of the construction of a mini-nuclear power plant.