"Robert A. Metzger - Quad-World" - читать интересную книгу автора (Metzger Robert)

I laughed quietly to myself, Behnke was obviously talking to someone from plant facilities. It was the one
department at Malibu that seemed to have the unique ability to not only spend all their allocated funds
before a job was completed, but on many occasions the money would evaporate to nothing before they
had so much as laid a single length of pipe, or even opened up a tool box.

тАЬIt has to be completed before first shift tomorrow morning,тАЭ said Behnke. He walked quickly into the
conference room and slammed the door behind him before anyone could tell him why that request was
impossible to meet. Jogging around the end of the table, he jumped into a chair next to Cooper. His knit
tie flew up and disappeared over his shoulder. тАЬThat entire department is brain-dead,тАЭ he said as he
smiled. Behnke possessed a dazzling set of white teeth. The tips of his over-large canines seemed to
twinkle. I think his teeth maintained their high luster because of the large number of asses that he
continually chewed on.

The door banged open.

I glanced up at the clock. It was eight-forty.

Behnke shut up.

Techs and the rest of the staff engineers walked in.

I gave Behnke a smile that he returned. Cooper, Behnke, and myself were a team. Between us we could
say anything, and most often did. But it never went beyond us. The environment at Dummar was far too
political for loose lips.

тАЬI want to be out of here by nine,тАЭ I said as people slowly found their seats. In actuality, I would have
liked to have never been here at all. Nothing was ever really accomplished in a meeting. The real
decisions were made while scurrying down a hallway or while standing captive with a section head in
front of a urinal. But management was of the mindset that progress and output had a direct correlation
with the number of meetings held. Actually, I tended to agree with that. But where they saw a positive
correlation I saw a negative one. But mine was not to reason why, mine was but to work and die.

Several had not yet seated themselves, but I wasn't about to waste any more time. Pulling a pen from my
top pocket, I pointed at the first line on my overhead transparency.

тАЬI want to prioritize the circuit lots that are about to hit the nitride deposition tube, so we can open a time
slot to take it down for cleaning. It's flaking so badly now that it's going to start affecting chip yields.тАЭ

I looked up, getting ready for the barrage I knew was about to come. Everyone was going to demand
that their project deserved Number One Priority.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

The room had suddenly taken on a sick green tint, and something buzzed in my ears. I didn't seem to be
breathing.

I tried to speak, but my lips wouldn't move.