After the welcoming ceremony was beginning to wind down, Max and Nico made their excuses to head out and left the new crew to get acquainted with the Koleska on their own. Max had done enough to get them started, and now the rest of it was on them.
If they were needed, the two Reavers would still intervene, but with a hundred Super Heavy Mecha in the area, all designed specifically to fight the Arisen Army, there was no reason that they should be called on for anything less than a catastrophe.
So, they made their way back to the Destroyer and began to pack up their gear into the Shuttle in preparation for their move to the Cutter full of researchers which had been sent to them.
Max looked up the details as they worked, and these were all new researchers who had recently come from the Innu worlds on the references of the other researchers who were employed aboard Absolution. That was a good enough reference for him, and it meant that they weren't greatly affecting the main research and development team of the Terminus Trading Company.
If their new products were affected by the transfer, it could be an issue for everyone, as the World Ship had started importing all sorts of Alliance goodies for sale in the shops, and the wages of the staff were paid in Alliance Credits.
Not that the Company was broke. The income just from the Terraforming Arrays that they had made this year was enough to support the ship for decades, but Max knew that the bookkeeping team would begin to panic and the Alliance would become concerned if the quality of their new developments fell off.
Sergeant Khalil came in while they were packing and looked around at the nearly empty room with a sad expression.
"I guess that means it's the end of my easy duty as a test pilot, doesn't it?" He sighed.
"Not quite yet. We will be working on the Cutter, but we will be bringing test units here when the new Line Mecha is closer to completion. We can't have our team do all the testing since it's mostly the two of us and a bunch of Innu." Nico explained.
Khalil laughed. "Yeah, that wouldn't really make for much of a real-world test. We don't have any on this ship, but we had one at my last posting, working with the engineers to overhaul the Warp Drives. Their skills with technology are incredible, and they would make excellent Pilots if they were inclined toward war."
They probably would, but that would break so many Alliance laws and treaties that it wasn't even funny. A single combat engagement would bury Max in paperwork for the rest of his natural life, trying to explain why the Innu had been in a human combat zone.
It didn't take long for the three of them to get everything packed up and ready to go. Santa Maria was ready to launch before the rest of the team got back from the party, so Max saved them all a long and proper farewell. They weren't really going anywhere, just to another ship that was being used as a laboratory, so they just said their farewells to Sergeant Khalil and called for clearance to depart the hangar.
[You are clear to depart Santa Maria. Good luck with your future endeavours.] The traffic controller replied, allowing Nico to move out of the Destroyer as soon as the message was sent.
They were greeted at the Cutter by a whole crew of very excited young Innu girls, and Max smiled at Nico.
"You're going to love these ones. They're College students, doing work experience between earning their master's degrees and writing their doctoral thesis. They'll be down for anything new, even more so than the average Innu.
If you've got new systems that you want to test, they're all in for it.
You'll have to talk to them to find out what their thesis is on, but I know without asking that they're all going to be new technology related, some attempt to find a groundbreaking theory or practical application that will revolutionize an industry." Max told her.
"Oh? That's incredible news. We have so many new things to try that I am certain we can keep them all busy for the rest of their deployment. How long is the work experience?" Nico asked.
"From what I can tell, the phase extends from the point when they get their final degree until they finish their thesis, even if it takes a decade or more. Some will go into seclusion to finish the theory work, but you know how an Innu does in isolation. It's not really in their nature." Max shrugged.
Once the ship was settled onto the latches, which would lock it in place without relying on the magnetic locks, Max and Nico headed out to meet their new crew.
"Greetings, Commander and Lead Researcher." The Innu greeted them at once.
In their minds, Lead Researcher was on par with a Commander, so it outranked Subcommander, and therefore it took precedence when you were addressing someone by their rank.
"Good evening, everyone, and thank you for the warm welcome. As I'm sure you know, we're working on a new Personal Mecha for the Lead Researcher, but we also have a number of new systems to work on, and many of them will be entirely new designs, using new theories in an attempt to make it a superior unit to anything that currently exists." Max greeted them.
It took the better part of ten minutes for the applause to end and the enthusiastic hugs to be finished, but they did eventually make it to the floor and off the loading ramp of Santa Maria.
"We can unload tomorrow during regular lab hours. For tonight, prepare a short presentation of what you hope to design or learn for your research project, and you can present them to Lead Researcher Nico in the morning. Just five pages, so you will have to do a fine job summarizing the basis of your ideas.
Simplicity and clarity are valuable parts of the design process, so this presentation is the first assignment we will give you. Now, I will see you all in the morning, so get some rest and be ready to go in the morning."
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