Engineering's Take

[rix_scaedu]

I wrote this to ankewehner's prompt.

“We turned down funding for additional positions from another department’s allocation with out discussion?”   Engineering’s Human Resources Manager was appalled.  “Why wasn’t I consulted?”

“It was funding to be spent on positions to support their priorities, not ours,” explained the Environmental Engineer who’d been the negotiator at the meeting with the Psychiatry sub-department of Health.  “I was also instructed,” his eyes flicked to the head of the table where the Head of Engineering sat, “that as a matter of policy we would not be supporting their initiative.  I had to end the meeting quickly because they were being reasonable.”

“They propose introducing a chaotic element into a logical closed system,” pronounced the Head.  “It cannot be tolerated.  It’s not sound practice.”

“I’d argue that humans are themselves a chaotic system,” countered the Environmental Engineer.  “Just look at what we go through to reproduce.”  Guffaws and titters ran around the room.  “Psychiatry is merely positing that the system requires a little added controlled chaos to move it further towards optimal functioning.”

“The matter, including our refusal of funding, is now before the arcology budgetary committee,” pointed out Engineering’s Finance Manager, “and that is a chaotic system.  Thing is, I’ve read the report and their figures stack up.  The trial is saving them money, even when they take plant and maintenance costs into account.  I’m not sure that caring for plants as a therapeutic tool for suitable patients isn’t cheating but their resource people have put together a solid argument for adopting their program.”

“Is it likely to get passed by the committee, then?”  That was from the sparse Engineer who ran Primary Food Production.”

“Likely,” confirmed the Finance Manager, “not confirmed but likely.”

“Just as long as they don’t expect us to release pollination species into the main areas,” returned Primary Food Production.  “We have enough problems teaching trainees how to behave around bees.”

“Actually,” the representative from Air Quality Management spoke up, “we have some CO² pooling locations where a flower bed might be a solution.  Spots where twenty-four hour lighting won’t bother people.  Stop people curling up to doze in the middle of the CO² pool.”  He looked like a man who might have found an answer.