SC.2023.19. Dam of Undana-Ré

Smaller than most monuments to greatness or important deeds, the dam of Undana-Ré is important to me for other reasons. I was there, I raised the alarm when I discovered the Schimpola and the Shupla and the small Suipol fishes, barely larger than minnows, and the few Mandarin Otters not in Goguryeo or Kagomei. Realizing what must be done, I rallied those engineers I knew, and we built this metal structure, we had to get it right the first time, we would get no second chances. But we did, and now it stands, cooling the lava and evacuating some of the heat and smoke and ash directly into a thermal vent in the sea nearby.

— Florin Hoban's journals, found the day after his death, on the beach next to the Dam of Undana-Ré, 814AK.

"He's claiming credit for our work again!"

"That's a little harsh."

"He makes it sound like nothing would have happened if he hadn't said anything..."

"Would you have spent three sleepless nights moulding that metal if he hadn't told you what was going to be barbecue if you didn't?"

"Hmm, ok, point there."

"There IS a difference between saying: 'I did all this work', and 'all this work wouldn't have happened without my bit of information and motivation', you know..."

"Err, yeah, ok. He was just touting his own horn, you're saying?"

"In a sense. He is saying... This would have been destroyed, I rang the alarm. When the alarm is raised, it takes nothing away from the firemen who come..."

Type

Dam

Parent Location

SC.2023.11. Undana-Ré atoll

Characters in Location

• SC.2023.17. Florin Haban