Oakmont–Verona–Plum Development Site, Pennsylvania
May 20, 2440, 1:37 PM
“Well, there it goes.”
Water entered the trial channel.
At first it spread across the shallow irregularities of the new surface. Then it gathered into a more definite flow, crossed the short drop, and began filling the basin.
D’vann K’var crouched beside the overflow.
S’rethi Y’ulen stood several paces farther back, watching the entire route.
T’ira followed the measurements on her tablet.
“Consistent flow through the first section.”
“Good,” D’vann answered.
The water rose inside the basin.
It reached the overflow lip, crossed it, and continued downhill through the lower channel.
Vdek Rval moved along the installation, examining the places where the water slowed and the points where it pressed against the finished surface.
“The bend needs more depth,” he said.
D’vann nodded.
“Agreed.”
T’ira marked the location.
“And here,” S’rethi added, indicating the approach to the basin. “The flow is spreading behind the edge.”
Vdek examined the area.
“I can correct that without changing the outlet.”
“Do so,” S’rethi answered. “Keep the rest of it where it is.”
They continued observing the pond.
The level stabilized at the intended overflow.
The water remained contained.
D’vann stood.
“Well.”
S’rethi glanced toward him.
“Well?”
“It works.”
“It works well enough to tell us what needs correcting.”
“That’s what experiments are for.”
T’ira smiled.
“Father, you’ve been calling it a pond since before we built it.”
“And now look. There’s water in it.”
“Two corrections,” S’rethi reminded him.
“A pond with two corrections.”
Vdek shook his head, smiling.
“Would you like me to do them now?”
“Yes,” S’rethi answered.
D’vann nodded.
“And after that we send His Lordship a picture.”
“He’ll ask where the fish are,” T’ira said.
“Then we’ll tell him the fish are waiting for the engineers.”
S’rethi looked amused.
“I suspect we’ll be telling him that for some time.”
2:18 PM
Frank Bakkal arrived with Kate Red Hawk and two construction workers.
He stopped at the edge of the trial.
“That’s considerably less dramatic than the natural waterfall.”
“It’s also considerably easier to change,” D’vann replied.
Frank looked toward the exposed rock.
“Fair point.”
Kate examined the basin.
“Vdek did this with a backpack sprayer?”
“Yes,” T’ira answered.
“Interesting.”
“It tells us what the material will do at a manageable scale,” S’rethi said. “Larger watercourses will require different equipment and more substantial forms.”
“Wire mesh?” Kate asked.
“For some of the channels and retaining ponds, yes.”
Frank looked toward the landscape model.
“You’ll want that work done while the construction grade is still accessible.”
“Precisely,” S’rethi answered.
Kate made a note.
“Then we need those areas identified before the adjacent work closes off access.”
“I’ll send you the updated locations,” T’ira said.
Frank walked along the channel.
“So eventually somebody puts soil around this?”
“Eventually,” D’vann said.
“Grass?”
“Yes.”
“Trees?”
“Where they won’t interfere with the watercourse.”
“Benches?”
D’vann looked toward S’rethi.
“She has opinions about benches.”
Kate laughed.
“Everyone has opinions about benches until somebody asks who maintains the ground beneath them.”
S’rethi examined the upper drop.
“With this water chemistry, we also need access to remove carbonate deposits.”
Frank nodded.
“Don’t make the maintenance crew tear up landscaping every time it needs cleaning.”
“Exactly.”
He turned to Kate.
“Put that in our notes.”
“Already in the engineering notes.”
“I want it in ours.”
“I’ll transfer it.”
Frank smiled.
“See? That’s why I keep her around.”
“Because otherwise your crews would build benches across the maintenance access,” Kate answered.
“Among other reasons.”
D’vann looked toward the main construction site.
“The forms are moving?”
“On schedule,” Frank answered.
“And the utility crews?”
“Working their assigned sections.”
Kate checked her tablet.
“We’ve also got the installation notes from Leta incorporated into the next sequence. Connections before interior fittings.”
“Good,” D’vann said.
Frank looked at the pond again.
“You know, once this has grass around it, people won’t believe it looked like a hole in a pile of rubble.”
“Perhaps they’ll have photographs,” T’ira said.
“They’ll probably complain about the mosquitoes instead.”
D’vann sighed.
“Already?”
Frank grinned.
“Getting you ready for residents.”
2:56 PM
Vdek completed the two corrections.
He deepened the channel through the bend and adjusted the approach so water would not spread behind the basin.
T’ira recorded the work while S’rethi inspected the outlet.
“This should give us a cleaner flow,” Vdek said.
“Let’s test it again,” she answered.
D’vann glanced toward the construction lights farther up the slope.
The foundation crews had moved into another approved section.
Beyond the machinery, the planned roads and park spaces were still lines on the model and markers in the rubble.
He looked back at the little channel.
There was something satisfying about making a permanent-looking feature from a place that had been broken ground that morning.
S’rethi noticed his expression.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That generally means something.”
“I was thinking how different it’ll look when people live here.”
“Provided we give them somewhere pleasant to live.”
He looked at the pond.
“That’s the idea.”
“And someone to maintain it.”
“Yes, dear.”
Vdek returned to the water inlet.
“Ready?”
S’rethi nodded.
“Go ahead.”
The water entered the corrected channel.
This time it gathered more cleanly at the bend.
The basin filled.
The overflow carried the excess water downhill without spreading behind the installation.
T’ira watched the readings.
“Better.”
Vdek nodded.
“Much.”
D’vann crouched to inspect the outlet.
“Very good.”
S’rethi remained cautious.
“We still need continued observation.”
“Of course.”
“And the larger park ponds need their own design.”
“Of course.”
“And we haven’t selected fish.”
D’vann stood.
“I wasn’t going to ask.”
T’ira laughed.
“Not for at least another ten minutes.”
3:17 PM
The successful trial immediately began producing questions.
Could the same method be used beside a natural waterfall?
Could they produce longer channels between the park blocks?
Would the soil from the reclamation unit be suitable for the adjoining planting areas?
Could an overflow be incorporated into a stormwater route?
S’rethi answered the questions she could and refused to commit to the ones requiring further observations.
D’vann updated the landscape model.
The trial demonstrated that Wonder Foam could be applied to form a small controlled watercourse over broken limestone.
It did not establish that every newly emerged spring would remain active, nor that a pond could be stocked with fish without further environmental checks.
But it was enough to justify more detailed designs.
Vdek examined the larger planned channels.
“These will need wire-mesh forms and more spraying capacity.”
“Agreed,” D’vann answered.
“And the survey lines need to be established before the grades around them are finished.”
Kate, who had returned to review the requirements, nodded.
“Give me the list of locations and equipment. I’ll coordinate it with Frank’s work schedule.”
“You’ll have it,” T’ira said.
Kate looked toward the little pond.
“Not bad for an experiment.”
D’vann smiled.
“I was thinking we might keep it.”
S’rethi looked at him.
“As a permanent pond?”
“If it holds.”
She examined the site.
There was enough room to landscape around it without interfering with the foundation or access routes.
The channel would remain useful as a test installation even after the larger park features were built.
“Yes,” she said. “If the observations continue to support it.”
D’vann looked pleased.
Kate smiled.
“And now I suppose somebody wants benches.”
“Two,” D’vann answered.
S’rethi shook her head.
“First the drainage.”
He looked at Kate.
“She’s not unreasonable. Just very difficult to outmaneuver.”
Kate laughed.
“That’s how you know she’s good at her job.”
Outside the trial area, the first sitio continued taking shape.
The pond held its level while the crews carried on with the larger construction work.
