Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #153: Norwest Quest (2/11/00)
Arat is finally getting to the edges of the huge pile that had graced his desk the week before.
Arat picks up a piece of paper, looks puzzled, starts to pass it over to Nick, then frowns and reads it more carefully.
Nick looks up from the report he is reading.
Nick: Is something wrong?
Arat: Is this yours?
Arat hands the paper to Nick.
Arat knows it certainly isn't his.
Arat knows that it has Nick's name on it.
Arat just doesn't understand what Nick would be doing writing to the Department of Works.
Nick takes the paper and looks at it, then looks somewhat ~ abashed ~
Nick: Oh. That wasn't supposed to be on your desk.
Nick can't resist the temptation to scan the reply, for which he has been anxiously waiting.
Arat looks even more curious at Nick's words.
Nick: ~~ intent interest, mixed with dawning hope ~~
Arat, when he is curious, looks something like "scandalized disbelief".
Arat wants to ask what it's all about, but it is probably none of his business.
Arat has no idea just how much his business it actually is, of course.
Nick folds the letter and puts it in his shirt pocket, then notes that Arat has unaccountably failed to go on to the next piece of paper in the stack.
Nick: I heard a rumor the other day, and was trying to find out if it was true.
Arat: I see.
Arat thinks it does not sound very important.
Arat has been rather busy lately, not that he ever had much time for rumors in the first place.
Nick: Do you know anything about the Snake Reservoir area?
Arat frowns.
Nick is alert for any knee-jerk negative reactions to the area; it would never do to send Arat someplace he hates worse than Capitol.
Arat: I have some general knowledge of the area.
Arat: I have not been there in some time.
Nick: The map doesn't seem to show any large towns.
Arat: It is mountainous territory.
Arat: Much of the surrounding area has been wilderness since Ancient times.
Nick thinks that this is a definite plus to the idea; wilderness for him (construction site aside) and no nearby Controller to look over Arat's shoulder.
Nick: That long?
Arat: Perhaps longer.
Nick is also not unaware that the project is about as close to Snake's demonstrated preferences as she is likely to get while working for the Tecton.
Nick: Are there people living there?
Arat: The area is not particularly heavily populated, although there are several larger cities in Norwest nearer the ocean.
Nick: How does the Tecton manage the area, if the people are so widely dispersed?
Arat: Not very well. [drily]
Arat: Although there are Householdings in that area, which helps somewhat.
Arat: Fior is to the North of it.
Nick: Riyyh told me a little about them. I gather Naros has had contact with them for quite a while.
Nick is a bit ambivalent on the subject of Fior and Naros both.
Arat's eyes narrow involuntarily at the mention of Naros.
Arat has his own connection with Fior, of course.
Arat: Yes, when Fior became a Householding it had a Sosectu who was born ambrov Naros.
Nick: And now Naros's next Sectuib was born ambrov Fior.
Arat nods.
Nick decides that perhaps Naros isn't the most tactful subject of conversation he could have chosen.
Nick: Tell me, how much contact is there between the people living around the Reservoir and their counterparts across the Border?
Arat: The majority of the reservoir itself is technically in Gen Territory. The westernmost tip, and the dam, lie in a relatively low population area of Sime Territory. Neither area has enough of a population that interactions are common.
Arat: The reservoir itself is part of a water trade route of some importance.
Nick: Trade route?
Nick: What are they trading?
Arat: Ocean products from Norwest, and agricultural and manufactured goods from Lake City and farther East.
Arat: The goods are brought by sea as far as the dam, and then portaged to the reservoir for the remainder of their trip. They go overland to Lake City.
Arat: It is not as efficient as rail, but requires less of an investment by the traders.
Arat of course was careful never to become entangled in any ventures which required heavy use of railroads.
Arat was not interested in being strong armed by people who felt wealth made them important.
Nick: Yes, railroads are expensive to build and maintain.
Nick: At least, compared with water.
Nick: And the water itself is the main supply for much of Norwest Territory, isn't it?
Arat: It is used for irrigation in Norwest and in Gen Territory.
Arat: And, yes, some of the cities use it as well.
Nick: Has there ever been a problem in deciding who gets to use how much of the water?
Arat: Yes, it has been a problem. That is always the case, when fresh water is concerned.
Nick: How do they reach a consensus, with two Territories involved?
Arat: Through treaty.
Nick: That sounds pretty laborious.
Arat: But necessary.
Nick: I suppose. Still, it's a slow way to do business.
Nick: What happens when a decision has to be made very quickly?
Arat: Regarding water usage?
Arat tries to think of an example.
Arat: Usually there are not sudden changes.
Arat: Usually the treaty is renegotiated between Territories on a five-year basis, with very little change, while the usage within each Territory is decided yearly.
Nick: Who decides? Particularly when changes have to be made? Do they call in the diplomats, or is there a group of people who have standing responsibility for settling problems?
Arat: If a given locality were to require more water, its representatives would lobby for changes from the water board.
Arat: The board is made up of environmental and governmental people from both sides of the border.
Arat: However, the majority of the decisions are made based upon statistics.
Arat: The lobbying is not supposed to have a large impact, but to satisfy the populace that an attempt is being made.
Nick: Does the water board have the authority to make changes in the system, or do they just administer the rules that the diplomatic types have decided on?
Arat: Their function is mainly the interpretation of the treaty.
Arat: It is not necessarily obvious what should be done in each situation, at least from an objective point of view.
Nick: I suppose not.
Nick suspects that non-objective points of view complicate things a great deal more.
Nick: So the system depends on there being time enough for people to work things out.
Arat: It usually does not matter. What is used in days or weeks is minor compared to a year of usage.
Arat: People are more concerned about their long term water rights.
Nick: I suppose they'd know whether there was a water shortage for the year before planting?
Arat: I assume that would depend upon the circumstances of the shortage, whether it happened in the winter or the summer.
Arat is starting to wonder why Nick thinks he is an expert on water law.
Nick: What happens when there's too much water?
Arat: It is released over the dam.
Arat: It flows into the bay, and then the ocean.
Nick: Who's responsible for maintaining the dam itself? The Water Board?
Arat: No, the dam lies in Sime Territory and is operated and maintained by the national government.
Arat: What is this about?
Nick frowns, realizing how difficult it might be to get government approval to get Arat back to Norwest Territory.
Nick realizes that Arat is going to be upset if he doesn't get an answer of some sort, after so many questions.
Nick: I'd heard that there was going to be a new dam put in.
Nick: I was wondering about the logistics of such a project.
Arat: A considerable problem, of course.
Arat: The original dam was placed there by the Ancients, and only modified in recent times, never heavily.
Arat: The plan to replace it is being carried out jointly by both governments.
Arat is not aware of the change in timeline, and still thinks it will be happening in two or three years.
Nick: So it's to be a truly interTerritorial project, then?
Nick: With workers from both sides of the border?
Arat: The workers will be primarily from Sime Territory, with engineering and logistics provided by professionals from Gen Territory.
Arat: Selyn, as I understand it, is to be imported into the area.
Nick: That sounds like a nightmare.
Arat thinks that most construction sites are nightmares, regardless of size, but he may be biased.
Nick: I'd been assuming that there would be enough Gens around to provide at least a good proportion of the selyn required.
Arat: Because it is a government job, there will be more Gens than usual on the construction site, but it still won't be balanced.
Arat: Masonry is heavy work.
Arat has watched it done on several occasions, so he knows.
Nick: I suppose there would be extra selyn required for augmentation, as well.
Arat nods.
Arat: And healing.
Arat: Typically illness and injury are rampant in such situations.
Nick: How is the Tecton planning to handle the demand?
Arat: Surplus selyn will be transported in from other areas.
Arat: This is typically done by high order channels.
Nick: So they'll want a few high Firsts assigned to the project?
Arat: With a fairly short rotation of staff, this can be done without too much risk of shortage.
Arat: Yes, the carriers would be Firsts, and would work out the month there before going on.
Nick: But they wouldn't be a permanent staff?
Arat: In extreme cases, one might be sent in only to unload the selyn and depart again, but travel times make this method very wasteful of a channel's time.
Arat: It is more efficient if the carriers also do some of the work.
Arat: There would be a good number of permanent staff in addition, though.
Nick: Seconds and Thirds?
Arat: And some Firsts, no doubt.
Arat: A project of such size would require as many channels as a small city.
Nick: Yes, a city in the wilderness, miles from anywhere.
Nick: With the lake trade, it might actually be as convenient to resupply from Gen Territory.
Arat: There would, of course, be a city of sorts, as there would have to be housing for the workers, as well as food stores and such.
Arat: Yes, except that the population in the adjoining Gen Territory is so low.
Arat: Perhaps in Lake City.
Nick nods.
Arat: People in Gen Territory are less willing to donate, however, and it is likely the project will be planned without taking selyn from Lake City into account as guaranteed.
Nick wonders if Snake would be interested in taking on the task of collecting sufficient selyn from the available Gens--wherever they might be.
Nick is also wondering if he's being terribly selfish, trying to kidnap Arat out of his comfortable slot as a District Controller of a prestigious District.
Nick: Arat, do you like being the 53rd District's Controller?
Arat shoots Nick an astonished look.
Arat connects the question to the previous topic and succeeds in looking both astonished and outraged at once.
Nick is perfectly serious.
Arat wonders if Neptude or worse put Nick up to the question.
Arat then wonders if the question, and the previous topic, were engineered to make Arat feel grateful for the desk he's chained to.
Arat: I accept it as my duty.
Arat: It is not my preferred post.
Nick: You'd prefer New Othwol?
Arat nods.
Nick: Even if that meant you were only a city Controller?
Arat: Yes.
Arat does not like to hear it put that way, but it's true.
Nick happily puts his conscience to rest on the issue.
Nick: You wouldn't have to worry so much about being second-guessed by a Controller who lived in another city, I expect.
Arat looks at Nick oddly.
Nick: That whole business with Pylor--if Neptude had simply accepted your evaluation that he was incompatible as a Donor for you, you wouldn't have had to let him hurt you like that.
Nick's working-class experience has taught him the value of the boss's absence.
Arat: It is true there would have been more flexibility, yes. [reluctantly]
Arat has not been reassured on his suspicion about the origins of these questions.
Nick: How did Neptude get to be the Controller for a Farris channel, anyway? Two, counting Snake? He doesn't seem to have the faintest idea what your requirements are.
Arat: He was removed from this position to allow them to remove me from the New Othwol City Controllership.
Arat: It was not felt I was ready to handle a Controllership at the Regional level, nor was it felt that it would be politically appropriate.
Nick: They wanted you out of New Othwol that badly?
Arat: Yes, they did.
Nick: Why? Deah seems to think you were doing a fine job running the city.
Arat wonders how that came up in conversation.
Arat also wonders why Deah didn't tell Nick why.
Arat: It was a political move. The semi- and dis- junct factions my presence was intended to placate had lost power.
Arat doesn't say, "died out".
Arat: They were concerned that I was becoming too involved in the local government.
Arat: In addition, I was considered over-qualified for the position.
Nick: Over-qualified?
Arat says nothing.
Nick: Are all Farris channels in the Tecton so highly placed, then?
Arat: Many of them are.
Arat: At least intermittently, all of them are.
Arat says "them" rather than "us", an interesting habit.
Nick considers the implications for Farris-trained Donors and frowns.
Arat: It is necessary at the highest levels to employ high level channels for the task.
Arat: However, it is not desirable to be a Controller.
Arat: Whatever it may seem from afar.
Nick has had a close-up view of a Controller's life for some months now, and wonders that Arat is still even moderately sane.
Nick is aware that not all others share his prejudice against office work, hence the line of inquiry.
Nick: I can see why not.
Nick nods towards the neat--if excessively tall--stack of papers in Arat's "out" box.
Arat's main complaint about Controller work is the entran.
Arat had avoided extended periods of entran-battling at New Othwol by trading off the Controllership with Deah Tigue over one- and two-month stints.
Nick: Deah said that you two shared the Controllership, back in New Othwol. How did that work?
Arat: We had an informal arrangement.
Arat would not like to elaborate further without knowing why Nick is asking all these questions.
Arat in fact is becoming downright paranoid.
Nick considers.
Nick: I think she misses it, and you.
Arat looks somewhat disbelieving.
Arat: She does?
Arat had always been under the impression that Deah was not getting as much out of that arrangement as Arat was, a situation which made him feel rather insecure.
Nick: Well, she's not the type to complain, but there were several times when she got almost nostalgic about you.
Nick isn't sure if it was Arat himself, or simply having someone on whom to dump half the work.
Arat looks mystified... but not unhappy to hear it.