The Plant - A Steampunk Story Chapter 8

“We should, theoretically, be able to recover most of the metal,” the expert explained, without any emotional involvement. “The plant will, of course, have to be destroyed in the process.”

“That's great news!” another person from the audience exclaimed. “So, what portions of the equipment you think might not be salvageable?”

“I'm afraid I wasn't very clear in explaining the situation. It will be possible to recover most of the metals, separately, of course. All the alloys will have to be recomposed. Some of the material will be lost in the melting process, it's unavoidable,” the expert continued, with a calm that put chills through the bones of the audience.

“You mean like, this much iron, this much tin, this much vanadium? In separate little piles?” a voice of despair resonated from the back.

“Precisely!” the expert pointed out cheerfully, happy to have explained himself clearly, and oblivious to the audience's indignation.

“What are we going to do with all the equipment decomposed neatly into piles of separate metals? We need the working equipment, exactly the way we have it!” a reasonable voice protested. “Had it,” he corrected himself. “Whatever!” he gave up.

“The equipment will have to be rebuilt, of course,” the expert pointed out the obvious.

“So, what you're telling me is that this stupid plant has formed one solid block with the pipe distribution system?” the burly guy in the front exploded.

“It's not a solid block, it did however interact with it at molecular level,” the expert corrected him.

“What difference does it make! Do you mean to tell us we can't rip out the stupid plant without destroying all of our machinery? You can't be serious!” his partner of conversation grew more and more irate.