human
Fermium 256,
gpt
What?
human
Fermium 256, Willows repeated.
gpt
That's what the stuff is going to start building towards. Spontaneous fission. Half-life of three hours. He took a deep breath.
human
The reactor won't be able to contain it. We haven't got that kind of bleed-off control.
gpt
No, de Hooch agreed.
human
I suggest we stop it.
gpt
The freezer control isn't functioning, Willows said.
human
I guess that's what they went in there to correct.
gpt
I doubt it, de Hooch said carefully.
human
They wouldn't have needed suits for that. They must have had something else bothering them. I'd be willing to bet they went in to pull a sample and something went wrong.
gpt
Why? What makes you think so?
human
If there'd been trouble, they'd have called for someone to stay here at the console. Both of them wouldn't have gone in if there was any trouble.
gpt
Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right. He looked visibly relieved.
human
What do you suppose went wrong?
gpt
Look at your meters. Four of 'em aren't registering.
human
I hadn't noticed. I thought they were just registering low. You're right, though. Yeah. You're right. The surface bleed-off. Hydrogen loss. Blew a valve, is all. Yeah. He grinned a little.
gpt
Must've been quite a volcano for a second or two.
human
Yeah. Must've. Give me a hand with these clamps.
gpt
D'you think Ferguson and Metty are O.K., Guz?