27 - Prime Ponders

“Prime, I must report a disturbance in code.”

“Shut up, Glass.  I’m in the middle of calculations.  Give me the mean rainfall statistics across the planet once more, this time over the raised continents.  I don’t care about the sand morass between.”

“Very well, Prime.”

The hologram of the planet popped up in front of Perrin as he leaned on his hand, propped on his elbow, with the continents scattered across the face of the planet in two belts mostly in the temperate zones, above and below the equator.  The lowest portions of the planet were depicted in dark red, and only Xanadu was blue green.

“What’s the closest, hottest continent to Xanadu?”

“To the East, Hinnemon,” The island continent began blinking.  “To the West, Gehinna.”  That one also began a slow blink.  “The North most continent is, in fact, the ocean on the pole.”

“Not that one,” Prime snapped.  “Take the South one off as well.  It’s too hot.”

That left the three islands scattered blinking across that hemisphere.

“You know, Glass?  The big problem I’ve been having with lifeweed and raz’er is the amount of water.  There’s no reason that I should attempt to force its growth on Xanadu.  It’s just too wet now, and I’m not going to stop either irrigation or the weather patterns for precipitation on my home.  It’s just now getting comfortable for people.”

“Yes, Prime?”

“South is still a possibility, since lifeweed likes it that hot, really.  But they grow well enough for commercial purposes if its cooler.”

“The amount of water necessary could be drawn from existing sources on the edge of South,” Glass Mountain said.

“Scratch South.”  He shifted, gingerly, carefully.  His eyes blinked across the now cascading information in other holograms.  “Hinnemon was where those survivors of Georg and Petra were, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, Prime.”

“That could be a problem, since there was enough surface water to support them.  I had not anticipated that.  Though it might be a good thing for the Illiterati support staff.”  He pondered for a while, then servos whined as they supported his shrug.  “Flip me a coin, would you?  Heads, I move the plantations to Hinnemon, tails, I move them to Gehinna.”

The planet vanished and the image of a coin spinning in the air appeared, with Prime’s face on one side and a dragon on the other.  For a moment it was still, then appeared to snap up, arching in the air, tumbling.