Exhaust
Steve Husk
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Steve Husk
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Deeseus Tork didn't understand why the gods of his father's era found it necessary to inflict suffering on an entire species as punishment for something he didn't mean to do.
He watched the hazard suit clad technical specialists climb along the eleven story high scaffold tower, leaving themselves at the mercy of debilitating cold gusts, checking the connections to all six thousand displacement panels by hand. Deeseus questioned himself why he wasn’t up there with them. Who else could possibly feel the importance of this work? Every measurable particle of residual health contamination from the Baragronn power plant needed to disburse into an alternate reality. Just as he promised his newest technological masterpiece would do. Just as the crowd of company officials, politicians, and local citizens cramped behind the protective transparent barrier were expecting. Just as the stricken and the dying were praying for.
Deeseus slipped his long tail back inside his overcoat, and pressed his gray-tinged ear flaps tighter against his head to protect against the coldness. The misshapen and discolored plant before him, constructed from various recycled metal types, triumphantly proclaimed the beginning of the end to a century-long slave devotion to fossil fuels. It would take many years for construction and integration of this breakthrough energy source to finally outrun the old dependency, but the technical community already hailed Deeseus as the planet's savior architect.
The monetary accolades, however, were the only praise Deeseus sought. They were the driving cause behind his negligent gaps of time spent away from his wife and young daughter, and they were now serving as his recompense towards hopeful forgiveness.
A harsh gust caught Deeseus in the snout. The gods were reminding him of the day he realized the death sentence his supposed technological marvel issued upon both his home planet of Trorgar and his seven billion fellow inhabitants. His gift to his young family of a secure future was funded by their immanent execution.
The technical specialists dismounted the towers and rejoined their colleagues behind the transparency. One of them held his left forearm upwards, then unfolded his elbow so that his gloved fist was pointing towards Deeseus. They were finally ready.
Deeseus gave the same signal to a woman sitting behind a control panel.
She typed in a command, then barked out, "The displacement panels are on line."
Suited environmental specialists scurried around the panel towers with various sensor tools.
Deeseus studied the large display board that was elevated near the river shore. Indicators representing every known environmental pollution appeared. The first few showed zero. Except for the noise indicator. Probably from all the company higher-ups who wouldn't stop stressing out loud, he figured.
Deeseus held his breath, then glanced at the final indicator.
Zero.
Encouraging, but it was still too early for a victory yip.
Deeseus told himself to lose track of the elapsed time. He sipped in a lungful of air. It seemed especially crisp and less smoky today.
Only the noise indicator increased. All the zero values remained.
Including the last indicator.
A technical specialist removed her helmet and turned towards Deeseus. Her ear flaps were pointing straight up in excitement. "I believe you've got another success in your pocket."
Deeseus purred in relief. "It looks that way. Order the work crews to assemble and activate the remaining displacement panels. Same safety protocols as before."
"It will be my honor."
A black and gray furred company executive stepped out from behind the transparency. "Senators, Board members, fellow employees, citizens of the Baragronn region, distinguished guests," he barked, motioning to the display board, "I'm pleased to announce that you will soon have a power generator that produces absolutely no harmful emissions of any kind."
The crowd erupted in barks and howls.
"Please join me in celebration of this new achievement with a glass of the local rortal bean wine."
The crowd began intermingling.
A rusty red furred woman, dressed in a dark brown one-piece outfit with gold-outlined side buttons, exited a crowd of similarly dressed dignitaries and walked up to Deeseus.
"I wish to offer my congratulations, Professor Tork."
Deeseus lowered his ear flaps in a sign of respect. "I've not been referred to by that title in many years. I am honored."
"I am Global Senator Heeleth Brarg, representing your home nation of Kraggud. I believe you still hold your residency in the Grunnin community."
"Yes, I do, Senator. I'm a bit humiliated that I didn't recognize you immediately. I once prided myself in my political awareness."
Senator Brarg placed an arm across Deeseus' back and led him down a paved path that paralleled the river, away from the crowd. "It is your political awareness that I wish to learn from, Professor. In the two years that I have served Kraggud, what would you cite as an area in which you would like to see improvement from my office and from myself?"
"Well...nothing comes to mind. Although, whenever the Global Senate discusses space program legislation, I've noticed you have a tendency to infuriate your colleagues by never actually answering their questions."
Senator Brarg sounded a restrained bark of amusement. "Yes, I seem to be the tail stub of much political satire these days. 'The only Global Senator to answer a yes or no question five different ways,' a wordsmith once wrote."
"What drives them insane is your succinctness and decisiveness with every other topic."
"I believe militarizing the space program is a vastly more complex issue than merely asking the citizens of Trorgar to pay additional taxes for a strong space-capable defense against what evils might be elsewhere in the galaxy. I also believe there are far more important issues that require our attention. You, especially, are aware that our planet's dwindling fossil fuel supply, and the increased expenditures in locating new deposits, have driven up final product prices to market-damaging levels." The Senator stopped her walk, and turned to face the river.
Deeseus noticed that the shallow areas closest to the shore were already frozen over. Summer ended only twenty-five days ago.
"One of my constituents has operated an ice breaker boat on the Grender River for over fifty years. His work is vital to the fishing and shipping business in that entire region. Last winter, he could not afford the fuel to run his boat every day. Even local government subsidies did not keep his services consistent. The river remained frozen for much of the winter, which damaged nearly every water-based business. Many people there are still living in debt because of that. Some are destitute. The forecasts predict this year's winter to be even colder."
Deeseus flinched his gaze away from the ice.
"You are undoubtedly aware that those in the Global Senate who have already pledged their vote against expanding and militarizing our space program have done so because of their belief that what natural fuels we have left should be used for critical services on Trorgar, not for fanciful explorations away from Trorgar."
"It's been in the news frequently. It seems the initiatives are being voted down without you."
"Not if we approach this issue from a different direction." There was a growl to the Senator's voice, Deeseus noticed. She no doubt had something in mind all along. "There has always been talk in the Global Senate to fund your department, with the expectation that your new energy source can be adapted to serve in the commercial and private sectors. Except, we could never agree on what other programs to take the money from. But, now, your success today could ultimately lead to the cessation of money spent on the global environmental cleansing budget. With these factors in mind, I believe I can successfully propose a government-sponsored research grant that would lead to broader applications of your energy source and its accompanying displacement technology. The considerable leftover monies could be redistributed to our space exploration department, and perhaps even be used for the formation of a space military. The Space Agency will undoubtedly want your department to produce a space-worthy version of your energy source to increase the performance and range of their ships."
Deeseus' knees buckled. The thought of the global government picking up the tab for his family's financial future---and such government tabs were usually insanely lucrative---hinted towards a recompense even his mind never imagined.
"As someone who voted for me in the last election, Professor, are these the types of actions you would like to see me support?"
Deeseus gazed upon the nuclear fusion reactor his mind brought to life. So many people proclaimed it a monument to his invaluable contribution to all of Trorgar. He felt his eyes drawn towards the construction workers preparing to dig holes for the additional displacement panel stands. This time, four or five days from now, everyone else's monument would be surrounded by what mattered most: the symbols of the Trorgan species taking their appropriate places to serve him and his family. The euphoric sensation traversed his entire body. He realized the winds ceased. It even felt warmer. Deeseus slipped his tail out from within his overcoat. He didn't believe in the old era gods, anyway.
"Again, I am honored, Senator."