Sunday afternoon. The McCleers discussed that morning's sermon in their suite at the governor's mansion as George waited for Sec. Ldr. Clyden to return two hours later after dropping them off at the large Governor's House, to pick up George and take him to meet Gov. Bright at one of the environment generator stations. The Enviro-Gens worked round the clock, spaced at various strategic locations around the planet, manufacturing and maintaining habitable, Earth-type zones.
Immediately after church, Xavier had left for a meeting with his information bureau (propaganda department), so Clyden took the McCleers back to the mansion, promising to fetch George for the tour of the climate factory at the scheduled time, about 2 o'clock. Xavier had said once again that he wanted George to see with his own eyes how the Earth's constant short-changing of the World of Hope kept life difficult for all people here, and how much the governor and his people had to struggle to keep their world functioning. Despite all their hardships, they managed, though, the governor boasted. The environment engines continued changing the nearby landscape for the inhabitants, although the Enviro-Gens were not nearly as efficient as they could be, with proper supplies from Earth, according to Xavier.
George checked his watch. "Sec. Ldr. Clyden's man must be almost outside by now. See you later, love."
"Okay, then, have a good time. George." She kissed him as he headed out the door. "Don't worry, hon, I won't be bored. I have X-9 here to keep me company. Right, X-9?"
"Yes, ma'm," the robot affirmed, not understanding the true nature of her remarks.
George promised, "When Xavier wants to show me the college, you can come with to Sparkle College. It'll make us feel nostalgic, for sure. But the Enviro-Gen's not any more exciting than being here waiting for me, I am sure."
"Take care. You know the rumors about loose Eaters in the wildlands."
By the time George got outside, Xavier's car was pulling up. Agent Samm drove. Samm stopped and George got in the car. While he drove George, Samm offered very little conversation, except to offer that this particular Enviro-Gen operated on the fringe of the city, but out past the farming acres, near the sea. George tried to find out what Agent Samm thought of Gov. Bright, how Samm enjoyed his job, anything that might give George more insight into his old "friend" Xavier, but Agent Samm was not much of a conversationalist.
The trip took little time, since any speed limits that might be on the highway did not apply to the governor or to the Security Agency. When they arrived, Xavier already stood there at the entrance to the Enviro-Gen waiting for him, with Sec. Ldr. Clyden by his side. Xavier politely welcomed George, but George noted that Xavier lacked the warmth which he always displayed around and toward Nina.
Seeing the Enviro-Gen, George thought it resembled a mini-nuclear energy plant in appearance, with a small-scale version of those massive plume-spewing smoke stacks. These stacks vented gases to enhance the harvests on the farms, and to increase the growth of oxygen-producing plants at the forest in the desert. A pair of robots guarded the entrance to the factory.
Xavier commented, "I hope you don't find as much fault here as you did at church, especially considering what we do here is very important work."
George replied, "Probably I won't, unless I have to sit through another sermon like the one delivered this morning."
Xavier didn't crack a smile. He stepped aside and motioned for George to go first. "After you, George."
George proceeded inward, with the governor and the security leader following, but Agent Samm stayed outside with the vehicle.
Inside, several technicians milled about various posts, reading gauges, recording data on clipboards, pressing buttons, pulling levers, etc. In the circular main chamber, banks of instruments crowded the walls, from the floor to the ceiling.
A supervisor greeted the visitors. "Good afternoon. It is always an honor to see you, Gov. Bright."
Xavier returned polite greetings and introduced George. "Earth sent Mr. McCleer, because the leaders want to know exactly what we are doing on our world with all the abundance they send us. If you will be so kind as to detail to Mr. McCleer what exactly is the task of the Enviro-Gen, and all it entails, it will be most enlightening for Mr. McCleer and Earth, I hope."
"Of course, sir." He turned to George and escorted him throughout the environment factory, into adjacent rooms, explaining and showing him robots doing routine work with hazardous chemicals behind safety glass. Meanwhile the governor kept several paces behind the supervisor and George. Clyden stuck by Xavier. These two talked in subdued tones.
"And the robots didn't even protest?
"
"No, Gov. Xavier, because Sheila is your charge, so to them it is almost as if it is you giving the order."
The governor shook his bewildered head. "And so they let her hunt them. I appreciate the robot's loyalty and obedience, but I cannot believe a thinking creature, even a robot, can be so stupid."
Clyden pressed the matter. "We- our world- is critically short on resources, and Sheila is wasting them! That Osmo Martin is a terrible influence. I know she is undisciplined enough on her own, but now, with him around, she is even worse. Send him back to Earth is what I think!"
"I only met him at the rocketport, but I do know of his reputation for trouble on Earth. Maybe I should get to know him better. He is, after all, a companion of my niece. I can find out just who is badly influencing whom."
Xavier looked over to see what George and the supervisor were doing. The technician was saying, "We need more so that we can increase the range of our habitable zones. If we can stretch out the friendlier environments more and more across the world, we can alleviate the awful crowding in Sparkle city. We have a few resorts outside the city, but they are based on a less pleasant climate, such as winter and skiing. But most citizens do not want to live like that year round. We have the forest, but in the forest it can get very hot and humid, like a tropical jungle on Earth. We hope one day to make our friendly climates larger and self-sustaining."
"So you think one day the Enviro-Gens will change the climate so much that the climate will reach a point where the Enviro-Gens are not even needed?"
"It is feasible. But, like always, our problem is: not enough of what we need!"
"Hmm. Let me see if I can be of any help. Can you show me your logbooks?" George asked.
"Of course. Right this way, Mr. McCleer-" Only too late did the man notice the glare from the governor. Oops, he almost volunteered confidential information without approval from the proper authorities. Bad mistake for his career. "Oh, that's right. I am afraid we are doing archival maintenance and updating, so, unfortunately, those records aren't available at the moment."
"Really? Too bad. When will they be available?" George inquired.
"Um, ah-"
Xavier interrupted them. "George, we know what we are doing with the supplies we have. The stuff that we don't have is the problem. We need more chemicals, more circuit parts, more everything. Is that so hard to understand?
"
"Oh, okay. I thought maybe you missed something that I could catch. After all, it is all fresh to me. Sometimes it helps to get an outsider to objectively view the problem."
Very annoyed, Xavier refused to offer any books for George to see. "Can't be done, George, and this is the reason why. Since we don't have the equipment, we are unable to do our archiving the proper procedural way. It may take a lot longer than normal. There's no telling when I can comply with your request."
"Oh, is that it, then, is it?"
"Yes, George, that's it."
"Okay. Well, you will let me know as soon as the books are available, right?"
"As soon as they are available," promised Xavier.
The supervisor next guided George over to witness how rusty some of the important canisters of gas were which fed into the engines, and how they needed replacing. Xavier fell behind again with his right hand man.
Out of earshot, Xavier whispered, "That McCleer is becoming a problem, as I knew he
would."
"Yes, sir," agreed Clyden. "Do you want me to do something about him?"
"Not yet. I think, though, in time we shall have to deal with him."
The Wise Man