Date: 2029-03-26

Location: Red Mist, Texas

Author: Kevin Anderson

Journal Entry #1

Today was my first day on the job, and I could hardly contain my excitement as I arrived at the site of the most extraordinary nuclear power plant ever built. The Red Mist Nuclear Power Facility, as it was officially known, had already made waves across the world. The energy it generated was on an unprecedented scale, dwarfing all previous power plants and forever altering the landscape of the energy market.

The entire region surrounding the plant was experiencing a seismic shift in energy dynamics. Power retailers in the area were offering electricity at either ridiculously low prices or, in some cases, even for free. The very concept of scarcity was being challenged, as this colossal energy behemoth in Red Mist had begun to flood the grid with surplus power.

As I stepped onto the grounds of the facility, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer magnitude of the engineering feat before me. Towering structures that hummed with power and advanced machinery that boggled the mind surrounded me. It was a testament to human ingenuity and technological prowess.

My credentials as a safety inspector had granted me access to the heart of this marvel, the core of the new-generation nuclear reactor. I had undergone rigorous training for this moment, knowing that the safety and stability of such a powerful facility were paramount.

Like most jobs, the first day involved a lot of paperwork but there was even more bureaucracy than usual because of the secretive nature of the facility. They wouldn’t even let me write this journal unless they knew the security measures were up-to-date. I had to bring my laptop in with me so that they could verify that the disk was encrypted and the security rules were good enough… but I suspect they installed something when they took the laptop into their workshop. This is annoying and invasive but this is what I signed up for when I accepted this job. But this is a great gig. After a year here I will be one of the few safety inspectors that have hands-on experience with this new generation of reactors which means I’ll have a nice career of stable, well-paying jobs, which is a lot to ask for in this economic environment.

I did manage to have a meeting with one of the higher-level engineers though. Her name is Alexandra Marshall. She was exceedingly nice to me, saying “Welcome to our club!” and asked me to sit down at the conference table. I didn’t know what to expect but after all of the background checks, invasive interviews of my friends and family, and signing several NDAs this woman had me raise my right hand and swear to never reveal any details of the operation of this facility to ANYONE. I thought she was kidding at first but she stared into my eyes with such intensity that my hand raised by itself, like it had a will of its own.

This team has a passion for their work so it makes sense that they want to protect it. But the look on her face…

End of Journal Entry #1.

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