Ramesh didn’t look up. He ran his thumb over the graphite smudges on the paper. "The computer gives you an answer. This sheet gives you the story."
He wrote the number. 1000A.
"The computer thinks the cable runs 300 meters in a straight line. But look." He pointed to the map. "The real cable has to cross the rail spur, go around the acid storage tank, and dip under the cooling pond. The actual length is 410 meters." cable size calculation sheet
He did the math on the margin. The required size jumped again. Ramesh didn’t look up
"But sir," Priya protested, "that’s 50% more expensive. The project manager will scream." go around the acid storage tank
He picked up his wooden slide rule—a tool Priya had only seen in museums—and began.