Lampreys in the Sector 3 aquifer: water rationing begins

Two nights ago the survey raft went into the Coldharbour gallery to find out why the Sector 3 pumps had started drawing up chalk. We found out. At 03:10 a LAMPREY rose out of the water about fifteen metres from the raft, turned its ring of cutters towards our lamp, and went back down. It was the length of a tram.

What a Lamprey is doing down there

The Lamprey is a boring machine. It tunnels. It has no guns and does not need any. The aquifer under Sector 3 gives drinking water to roughly sixty thousand people across eight sectors, through hand pumps the Continuance cannot switch off. That makes it the most important thing we own, and the Continuance knows it.

We counted fresh bore holes, 1.2 metres across, in three walls. Our best guess is two units, possibly three. They are not poisoning the water, yet. They are mapping it. When the map is finished they will either drain the aquifer into the old Fleet sewer or seal it in concrete, and we will drink what the Bureau gives us, when the Bureau decides we have earned it.

Water is the only thing the Continuance has never managed to put a form in front of. It would very much like to.

Rationing from 27 September

• Four litres per head per day; children and the sick bay are exempt. Pumps open 06:00 to 08:00 and 17:00 to 19:00, and wardens will keep tally in chalk.
• Boil everything. The bore spoil is putting chalk and metal filings into the supply. Anyone with experience of shaped charges underwater, report to Coldharbour.

We have a plan for the Lampreys and it involves a great deal of noise in a small space. I cannot say more on an open channel. For now, drink less, wash less, and think very kindly of the raft crew, who went back down last night to do it again.