The next morning started out at a much more sedate pace now that the students had kept themselves to one medium latte each. That was enough to get them going for the day but not enough to make them overly hyper.
So, they got right into the reconstruction of the Mecha that they had stopped at the end of the day yesterday and then compiled all the notes that they had made about the process.
There were a lot of items on the list, and they were put forward as a group so that they could all brainstorm ideas together and come up with changes that would work for everyone.
"I think that if we make all this a separate subassembly, which we can pull out by removing these side armour plates, it will make it much easier to get to the access panel for the temperature control module." One of the students pointed out.
"That's right, but those modules connect, and you can't troubleshoot the climate control with it removed. The climate control needs the power module here to operate. We could move it here, but then we will run into problems with thermal control since that area gets really hot." One of the others countered.
That was how their entire day went, making small changes, then realizing that half their changes caused new problems, so they had to start over. It was a huge mess but perfectly normal for a design team.
The team was exhausted at dinner that night, and Nico couldn't help teasing them.
"You really thought that designing was easy and smooth, didn't you? Don't worry. We will eventually get to the fun parts and research new technologies. But first, we need a chassis to put them in." She reminded them.
"We know that in theory. But in practice, it's a lot of work." One of the girls sighed.
"How about I show you the perfect way to unwind at the end of the day?" Max suggested.
"There is a standardized procedure?" They asked hopefully.
"Not at all. It is a personal secret of the experienced designers and Pilots. Nico, would you like to get the auditorium set up? I will get the snacks and meet you there in five minutes with the rest of the team." Max replied with a wink for Nico.
Letting her pick the movie was always fun because you never knew what you were going to get, and Max knew that the students wouldn't complain no matter what she picked since they hadn't seen any of the human classics yet.
"Alright, everyone, head out ahead, and I will be behind you with the traditional snacks for an evening of relaxation. Trust me. The surprise is worth it." Max instructed, sending all the researchers down the hall to the auditorium after a few minutes.
When they entered, Nico had the mood lighting set, all of the sofas set out facing the movie screen, and the movie of the night all set for viewing.
"Welcome to the inaugural viewing of the human film classic [Scarred Face]. A mafia movie that has stood the test of time in the centuries since its first filming." Nico welcomed them.
"And I have the snacks. We have popcorn, milk duds, chocolate mints and Kepa Cola. Grab one of each, and feel free to trade if there is one you don't like. It's a tradition during movie viewings." Max added.
The researchers cheered as they collected their drinks and snacks, then settled into the couches, which had large cupholders in the armrests for exactly this reason.
The movie started, and the lights faded, leaving the room with only the three-dimensional projection of the movie for light.
There was a round of happy squealing as the researchers discovered the joys of human snacks for the first time and some confusion as to how the buttery, salty popcorn went with the sweet chocolate treats and the acidic tang of the soda.
Within seconds all of the day's stress was gone, and their minds had forgotten all about work, focusing only on the snacks and the movie, which they thought was a hilarious parody of what a crime lord should be like.
When it finished, they were in a great mood and quoting lines from the movie to each other as they headed for their rooms.
Max headed for the bridge to see how things were going outside the lab and ran into the crew that had just come off duty on his way.
"Did you teach the Innu something strange? They just passed by, and someone asked me to say hello to their friend, but I didn't see anyone there but the Innu." The Giant asked.
"We just finished watching a human movie, a classic mafia movie. They were likely quoting the movie to you, but it wouldn't make any sense if you hadn't seen it. They were stressed out at the end of the day, so we put on a movie to help them relax." Max explained.
"Oh, well then, I hope their friend is alright." The Giant agreed, still not quite getting that it was a line unrelated to actually having a physical friend present.
The bridge crew jumped to attention when Max entered, and the communications officer passed him a list of messages that they had received since the last time he was there.
There hadn't been an attack since the new Mecha arrived, and things were pretty quiet in the system, but there had been a number of missing cargo ships reported further out and more attacks on the neighbouring nations, which had destroyed planets.
It was a bit like they were an island of calm in a sea of chaos at the moment, with the attacks continuing as usual everywhere else, including some others in the Koleska Empire, but nothing near them.
"Well, there's no need to stress out about it. They will attack when they attack, and the Mecha Battalion will be ready to meet them." Max shrugged.
"There are no other major issues to report, but we do have one report from Absolution. They have scheduled a festival to match one of the Alliance's major holidays and are expecting extreme tourist volume for the next week. They say they have it under control, but responses to messages from the council could be delayed while they are ensuring that the festivities are running smoothly."
"Excellent news, thank you."
As long as everything was running smoothly at home, he didn't have much to worry about, and he could work here without concern.
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