Mystery in the Rafters

Mr. Burns was losing his patience.

He is responsible for maintaining maximum efficiency in operations at the largest computer chip manufacturing facility on earth and he was determined to find the root cause of this small, but persistent, cost overrun. Mr. Burns is also my boss.
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Why did he assign this task to me? Maybe it's because I have been less productive lately; since the death of my sister. I have been taking longer cigarette breaks, I will admit that much.

Maybe he notices that sometimes I forget what I am doing...

I need to figure this issue out and make our team look good - buy myself some time so I can get my head straight.

So, management wants to know why C-Wing is using more power than expected. How am I supposed to know? I walk through the lonely basement halls past obsolete equipment, spare parts, and dusty accountant's file boxes until I reach the electrical control room. Every modern high tech gadget is deployed here.

"Okay, bro", I sigh, "start with the basics". I open the panel. Wait, hello! This feed is new...

I follow the obvious bread crumbs up into the false ceiling...then up into the mechanical space...and wait, what is that sound? I remove an insulation panel and see a man snoring blissfully in a hammock. The errant wire leads to a switchboard which, in turn, powers his computer, television, coffee pot, and microwave. I see he has clothes hanging to dry and various food items stored on make-shift shelves.

I lower down the ladder, quietly, and notify the security detail. Once sure they are en route, I climb up and awaken the parasite.

He snorts alert and I ask, do you live here? Yes! he replies, flashing a broad grin.

By now Mr. Burns has arrived. He looks up at me on the ladder, flanked by half-eaten bags of chips and miscellaneous pairs of boxers and socks hung to dry.

"Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. I knew you were the perfect man for the job."