The Shaking

Chapter Thirty Nine

Dungeness Power Station. 07.53.

"I still don't think you ought to be doing this." Paul Glover attempted to dissuade Alan Carter again.

"Yes, I know; you're beginning to sound like my wife. Now would you give it a rest and help me on with this?" Carter replied.

"OK; turn around a bit more..."

Both men were in a small closeted space located near to the control room. This was where the never to be used except in case of the direst emergency hazmat clothing was stored, and as the garments were never expected to be called upon the fitting area was tiny; about three times the floor area of a phone box.

"That's it. Now help me with the pack." Glover picked up one of the life support units - about the same size as a piece of airline approved carry-on hand luggage - off a rack and after checking the attached label for the date of its last inspection, held it up for Carter to wriggle himself into.

Alan was dressing himself in a protective suit prior to entering the inner core of the reactor building and manually operating the failsafe lever which would release a cloud of tiny boron balls into Unit Two's cooling system. Carter could have called some workers back from their on-site evacuation points to do the job for him, but he was determined to personally see the task through despite his deputy's protests.

Carter shouldered the life support system, and Glover connected the hoses leading from it to the ports on Alan's garment. A self-contained combination of air supply and portable air conditioning unit modelled on a spacesuit backpack, it was designed to make life tolerable for people working in extremely hot conditions, such as those found in close proximity to an operating nuclear reactor. Switched on, the pack began humming and Carter felt the temperature inside the airtight coverall begin to cool.

"OK, helmet on and check for integrity." Paul read from the laminated checklist as he lowered the astronaut style helmet over Carter's head. "Radio check." Glover's voice sounded faint from outside the helmet's acrylic faceplate yet simultaneously intimate and grainy through the loudspeaker/microphone curled around Alan's right ear.

"I hear you fine." Carter's voice reflected back at him with surprising loudness from the inside of his claustrophobic fishbowl.

"Now select positive pressure, give us a twirl, and I'll check your seals." Alan did as he was asked; the suit puffed up and stiffened slightly, but at least the slightly higher atmospheric pressure within it should keep any radioactive contamination out in the unlikely event of the the tough material being holed. Glover checked the connection to the suit's gloves, boots, and helmet; as well as the access zip for the slight hiss of escaping air which would warn of a problem. He found no leaks.

"Seal integrity verified. How's your cuff reading?"

Carter checked the suit control and display unit worn over the left wrist like a large manacle. All the readings were well within the expected levels.

"All systems good."

Paul ran through the final few items before announcing "Checks completed; you're good to go!"

Right; let's not hang around!"

Glover picked up a canvas tool holdall and together the pair set off for the containment access airlock. Alan flipped up his faceplate so that he could talk to Paul on the way without using the radio.

"Once I'm through the airlock don't wait around; go back to the control room and keep me updated from there. While you're at it, you and the other techs in there should get your barrier suits on and have your masks to hand, just in case..."