| Putting Heads Together |
| Summary: | Captain Makinen gets together with Bannik and Radcliffe to discuss a Raider project |
| Date: | 18 Jan 2042 AE |
| Related Logs: | Raider related logs |
| Players: |
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| Deck |
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| (Took part in a TP room - just pretend it is the deck.) |
| Post-Holocaust Day: #326 |
Orange covers aren't exactly rare on a hangar deck. The largely-still unknown Chief Engineer makes his way across it, only stopping to ask a startled Petty Officer where to find a certain young lady. Mark dismisses him and heads down towards the less-bustling end of the hangar with his eyes peeled. As dirty and dingy as he is, the guy would probably look just like any other Snipe or Deckhand. "Looking for Petty Officer Radcliffe!" he calls out to a few men working on a Raptor.
Peering out from under a Raptor upon hearing her name called, Brina looks over and then up at the ChEng, grinning impishly while she does. "Hey…hee. You're upside-down. Ack. Give me a second." Scooting back under the bird, she secures what she was doing plus her tools, the latter then drug out from under it and put away somewhere safe. "There we go. Sorry about that, sir. Thanks for dropping by." Looking around, she motions towards an area which is fairly empty, inviting him to follow.
Mark stuffs his (clean) hands into pockets and waits until the woman is up and out from the Raptor. "Well then I'm going to assume you're Petty Officer Radcliffe then?" he muses while she motions. The man moves to follow her but waits until they are more or less away from other people before he says more. "So I hear you're the woman to talk to."
"Yup. I'm Radcliffe although you can call me Brina." Not that she expects an officer to call her by her first name but it is what she prefers to be called and besides. Despite it being a 'work-related meeting' she likes to keep things light when she can. "I guess you can call me that," Brina adds with a smile. "Not used to being referred to as such, though. Normally I'm just 'that dirty girl'. What can I do you for, sir?"
Bannik has arrived.
Mark, in her Very Dirty Coveralls and Brina have stepped down to a more quiet bay on the hangar deck, talking in the open but away from all the noise and most of the other people. It doesn't seem like they are talking long and are just exchanging pleasantries - even if the new Captain seems less inclined to get into debates about formalities. "Fair enough, Brina. While we're out here on the Deck, though, gotta maintain something approaching officerly respect or some shite." He rolls his eyes a little, smiling. "Anyhow. I got your memo about the Cylon Tech stuff. Chief Damon also mentioned it but I haven't gotten any details on it. I was on the Praetorian for the last few months and don't really know much of jack about what you all have or what is going on with it." He quirks his brow. "Just out of curiosity, what -is- the status of it?"
Tyr Bannik, the Cylon tech wunderkin, enters the bay where this little confab has gathered, tucking his cranial under his arm as he does. The quieter part of the deck means no active operations means less PPE is required. "Uh. Petty Officer. Captain. You guys wanted to see me about the Cylon technology everyone's been talking about?" He phrases it as a question, his eyes flicking from NCO to officer and then back again.
Radcliffe gives Mark a bright smile upon his reminder. "Of course." Clearing her throat, she almost says something else but then Bannik is greeting them, causing her to pause for a moment. "Tyr. Good to see you. This is Captain Makinen. We're going to be filling him on the details of what we've discovered so far." Finding a perch, this winding up being a low toolbox, she settles herself on it while leaving the men to fend for themselves if they're wanting to sit. "Where would you like to start?"
"Heya! You must be Specialist Bannik." Mark offers the young man his hand with a nod. "Yeah, I've been wanting to chat at you about that. Like I was telling Brina, I'm pretty much in the dark. Chief Damon thought I might be able to lend a hand or put fresh eyes on what you all have." The Captain looks between them and shrugs. "Well you two are the experts. Take me to school and start with what you think is most relevant. Hit what kind of dead ends you have come up on?"
Bannik takes the hand, shaking it firmly. "Nice to meet you, Captain. Yeah. I'm Bannik." He takes a carefully folded octagonal report from his breast pocket and hands it over to the Chief Engineer. "Here's the basic rundown," he explains. It's like he's given this briefing dozens of times before. "Doctor Adair in Medical is helping with the organic aspects of the Raider design. What we're looking for from Engineering right now is help with the Raptor design modifications — fuel efficiency and FTL capability."
Radcliffe listens intently, letting Bannik have the floor. He is so at ease with this, leaving Brina impressed. "Fuel efficiency shouldn't be a problem," she eventually say even though this really is not her field of expertise…the dealing with alien technology, that is. "The one thing I'm curious about is the FTL. I'm assuming they are working with the same basic theories we have been but if they've made any changes…big ones…or found any new discoveries, will we be able to make it work for us?" Looking from Captain to Specialist, then, she shrugs. "Has Doctor Adair gotten any results yet, Bannik?"
"Organic?" Mark glances to Bannik as he takes the report and looks down over it. The part about what is required from Engineering isn't missed but he's reading. At the end he has to read a few parts twice. "These things are partially organic? Living tissue?" He sounds incredulous when he looks back up. "That's some shit, right there." He takes a second to let that sink in as he listens and looks between them. "So you all are looking for some way to apply the technology to what? The Cerberus and the rest of the battlegroup? Raptors? Stick an FTL on a Viper or something?" A beated pause. "If you've got the raw data it shouldn't be too hard to figure out." He obviously hasn't seen it yet.
"Raptors, sir," explains Bannik. "Our examinations show that the Heavy Raider is close — well, at least closer — to our Raptor technology, in that it's less organic than the regular Raider. So we're hoping that an examination of Cylon technology will allow us to improve our fuel efficiency on our Raptors and improve their jump accuracy, allowing us to jump them farther." A pause. "The problem is I'm not an engines guy or a FTL guy, so I've been relying on other Departments for help. But the other departments are — I've been getting inconsistent help at best, sir. People keep dropping out of the project. Doctor Adair hasn't gotten anything yet, though. I'll need to follow up with him."
"Oh yeah, lots of organics although the Heavy Raiders seem to have less involved," Brina purses her lips once that's said. She's thinking before adding in afterthought, "Let's begin with the fuel stuff first. We should have enough of a lead on that to where we can begin to implement it while figuring out the other stuff. Sir," she addresses Mark directly again, "Do you happen to have anyone who can help with the FTL stuff?" Not an engineer herself, she has no clue who can do what, herself. "And don't worry, Bannik. I'll work around the clock if needed to help take up the slack."
Mark listens with nary a twitch of his face. This is work and he takes what the Sepcialist is saying seriously. At the end, he merely grunts. Those hands come out from his pockets, arms crossing over his chest. "Well it doesn't seem like it would be strictly engines or FTL. If you're looking to integrate upgrades to something like Raptors, you'd have to look at software probably as well. But you're not incorrect about having to look at the others. I've got some heavy experience in ship design. Do you know if we have the materiel to make these upgrades happen?" He looks back to the memo once more. "Well your problems of personnel end here, Specialist." Its stated firmly. "If I have to get a prybar and break kneecaps, we'll make this happen. I know a few people I can stick on this right away. Myself included." He then looks back to Radcliffe. "I've got some solid base in FTL. I was about to start my Masters in FTL Theory when things got real hot around the colonies. Planned my second PhD in it. I'm sure we've got few techs who are good, at the very minimum. Captain Belgoin on the Areion is their FTL pro, too. What specifically needs to be done?"
Bannik holds up his hands, palms up, as if to say he isn't quite sure what needs to be done. "Doctor Adair would need to talk to you about it, Captain. I only know the general outlines — I only have a high school degree and A-School, not all those fancy degrees." It's said with a vague note of resignation about it. "The basic idea is that if we can try to figure out how the Raider brain like — computes — it might help our own jump calculations."
Radcliffe flashes the Captain a thumbs-up, grinning when she does. "Sweet. So that is one less role we need to fill. Thanks for your willingness to step up…want to say that now." Shrugging, she pauses, considering Tyr's latest, his opinion on the Raider brain being what her brain works over now. "You're talking about something I can't even begin to take guesses on, there. I agree. Let's defer to Cameron on this subject and see if he can't help us get any more doctor or scientist types involved. I'll talk with him personally, see if I can't put spur's to the good doctor's ass."
The Captain snorts, chuckling. "Bullshit, Bannik. Fancy degrees just mean I have smarts certified by some other guy with certs. Just because I had the cash and time doesn't mean you ain't got the brainpower. Grabbing this like you have and making this much progress without consistent support tells me more about you than a bunch of incinerated garbage." He lifts the memo as he talks to the young man. He means it. A nod to Radcliffe, then. "No thanks necessary. This is damned important work. People piddly-assin around with it need to get smacked upside the head with a couple C-City phone books. You guys need someone to look over how something works, I can help there too. Obviously if they're organic the good Doc is going to be more of a help but I have some experience there, as well."
"Well, then," says Bannik. "That's where we are with things. If I can count on you guys to start taking up some of the more technical aspects, I appreciate it. I'll try to give a tech's perspective on this, the more practical stuff. Like how are we going to find the material to build and maintain these things, document our work, that sort of thing." He gives a faint, hopeful smile. "Hopefully we'll get some results this time."
"Hey now, sir. Nothing wrong with showing appreciation. Especially when it's due." Tsking the Captain afterwards, Radcliffe grins. "So now we're on the same page and it seems like we have a good idea of who and what we need to get on track so it's really just a matter of making it happen. Bannik, any results you get please send them on up to me and the Captain. And I'll do the same." Getting back up onto her feet, now, Brina offers each man her hand, first Bannik and then Mark.
"From what I understand Bannik, you've been eyeballs deep in this since it started. I might wear these shiny, neato pins but you're the pro as far as I'm concerned. I'll be deferring to you and the Chief for most of this since it is your baby. I'm just support. What I'm going to do is have Captain Belgoin meet with you and myself on what kind of FTL work needs to be done exactly. Just let me know when you have things ready and I'll set it up. In the meantime I'll brush up on Raptors. Ain't touched a Combat Bus in about twenty years." He grins and shakes Brina's hand. "Thanks much for all this. Glad we can get it rolling again."