Blue Gold (NUMA Files 2)

“It’s incredible.” The awe in her voice was real. “Where are we, at the bottom of the sea?”

The giantess smiled. “This is where you’ll do your work. Come, I’ll show you around.”

Francesca’s scientific mind quickly made order out of her chaotic first impression. Although the pipes went off at different angles, there was definitely a scientific organization to the madness. No matter which way the pipes went, they eventually led toward the center of the room.

“This controls the various conditions that affect the core material,” Brynhild said, pointing to the blinking lights on a control board. “This underwater facility stands on four legs. Two of the support legs double as intake pipes, and the other two as outflow. Since we are on a fresh body of water, we first infuse the liquid we pump in with salt and sea minerals from those containers. It is indistinguishable from actual seawater.”

They walked toward the center of the chamber. It was occupied by a massive cylindrical tank some twenty feet across and ten feet high.

“This must contain the anasazium,” Francesca said.

“That’s right. The water is circulated around the core, then returned to the lake through the other two supports.”

They walked back to the master control console.

“Well, how close are we to duplicating the Cabral process?”

Francesca examined the gauges. “Refrigeration, electrical current, heat monitoring, all good. You were close, very close.”

“We have subjected the anasazium to heat, cold, and electrical current, but with only limited success.”

“I’m not surprised. The sonic component is missing.”

“Of course. Sound vibrations.”

“You have the right idea, but the process won’t work unless the material is subjected to a certain level of sound waves in concert with the other forces. It’s like removing the cello from a string quartet.”

“Ingenious. How did you come up with that technique?”

“It was simply a matter of thinking in unconventional terms. As you know, there have been three main methods of desalting before this. In electrodialysis and reverse osmosis, electrified water passes through membranes that remove the salt. The third method is distillation, which evaporates the water the way the sun’s heat turns the ocean to vapor. All require tremendous expenditures of energy that made the cost of desalting prohibitive. My method changes molecular and atomic structure. In the process it creates energy and becomes self-sustaining. The combination of forces must be exactly right. The process won’t work if it is off by a hair.”

“Now that you’ve seen it, how long do you think it would take to modify this facility to your standards?”

She shrugged. “A week.”

“Three days,” Brynhild said flatly.

“Why the time limit?”

“The Gogstad board of directors is due to meet here. I am bringing people in from all parts of the world. I want to give them a demonstration of your process. Once they have seen it work they will go home and we can implement the greater plan.”

Francesca thought about it a moment and said, “I can have it working for you within twenty-four hours.”

“That’s quite a difference from a week.”

“I work faster with incentive. There is a price.”

“You’re in no positio

n to bargain.”

“I realize that. But I want you to let your prisoner go. She was drugged. She has no idea where she is or how she got here. She could never identify or cause you any trouble. You keep her prisoner to make sure I make this plant work. Once the process is working you have no need of her.”

“Agreed,” Brynhild said. “I will let her go as soon as you show me the first ounce of pure water.”

“What guarantees can you give me that you will stand by your word?”

“None. But you have no alternative.”