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Nick, in a full environment suit like any sensible person would wear in untamed wilderness, is overseeing a small swarm of robots harvesting various useful plantlife from the uninhabited parts of a sparsely settled planet, when something suddenly comes tearing through the undergrowth towards him and it's not showing up on scanners-
He raises his hand-phaser, notices it has a mirror for a face and hesitates a little too long. And then he is in a clearing, cut off from his ship and 'bots, with all available sources of data telling him he just went through a jump.
What.
The lights cost three copper each, installing the wires will cost about two copper per light. The generator costs eight silver, but several people who are neighbors can share it.
This prices out a lot of people. He gets one immediate order from someone who runs a theater, though.
So he makes plans with the theater-owner, hires some extra help for the next day he's free, and spends it installing lights all over his theater wherever directed and explaining how to work the generator and use the switches he installs. The generator is designed to be easy. Light the fire under it, give it a good shove, and off it goes.
While he starts working on radios, he investigates buying an empty lot and building a large plant from which he can distribute power to homes without having to sell them all a generator. Are there any inconvenient laws or bureaucracy that threaten to interfere with this project?
While he starts working on radios, he investigates buying an empty lot and building a large plant from which he can distribute power to homes without having to sell them all a generator. Are there any inconvenient laws or bureaucracy that threaten to interfere with this project?
The city has walls around it and is a little cramped, so an actually empty lot is hard to find, but if he's willing to settle for "unoccupied" he can get one within his means in an undesirable part of town.
Adventures in being a utility company, what fun. It should be profitable at least. He starts assembling a large generator and substation in the run-down property. Before that's done, though, he has radios ready for the paladins.
He has a wagon of gear including a generator to hauled their compound and tries to find Kaja.
He has a wagon of gear including a generator to hauled their compound and tries to find Kaja.
"Could you please have her or the Bright Sister informed that the communication devices I promised them are ready?"
"I was not sure I would be allowed entry. Thank you."
He goes in and asks an initiate where the temple is and whether it would be rude to enter, as he wants to speak to Kaja.
He goes in and asks an initiate where the temple is and whether it would be rude to enter, as he wants to speak to Kaja.
The initiate says he probably shouldn't go in the temple if he's not even planning on becoming a paladin.
Wait, or bother the Bright Sister?
He elects to wait outside the temple, even if it's a while before Kaja is finished. Best to be polite to those with the attention of gods, and magic.
He elects to wait outside the temple, even if it's a while before Kaja is finished. Best to be polite to those with the attention of gods, and magic.
winterlight
Kaja comes out with some other paladins in about half an hour. "Hello, Nicholas. What brings you here?"
"Your communication devices are ready. You can call me Nick, by the way. To make them work best I will need to place equipment somewhere high up in the compound, and the generator that will power your batteries requires a fire so it should ideally be shielded from the rain but in a place that is in no danger of catching fire. I can also install candle-less lights, if the Bright Sister wishes."
winterlight
"The lights would be most useful in the kitchen, probably, and perhaps an empty stall for the generator, the stable being made of stone and needing to be kept warm anyway? Unless it would disturb the griffins and winged horses. The tallest point of the compound is the temple spire but I don't think you should put things on it; perhaps the top of the novices' dormitory."
"The generator makes some noise, but I am not familiar enough with animals to guess if they will be disturbed by it. The novices' dormitories would be sufficiently high. I'd like to explain the radios to you and the Bright Sister before installing these things."
winterlight
"How much noise? And we can go wait for her to have a moment if you need to speak to her anyway."
"I can wait, yes. Not too much more noise than a crackling fire. My large-scale generators in town will be quite loud, though."
winterlight
To the Bright Sister's office they go. "That might or might not bother our companions but it's probably difficult to move, isn't it?"
winterlight
"I checked; someone did break a staff recently but the sword was fine and it's already been attached to a new staff. You could still fix it for next time someone needs one, though."
"I don't plan to be here too often, alas, and I only have the one joiner. I'm working on improving the city. Once I'm selling everyone electric light I can move on to clean water, medicine perhaps. I still want to leave eventually but hopefully I can leave behind enough education to spread useful things around the world."