Crystal.

[youwonscience]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Cosima Niehaus
RECIPIENT: members of the Research Division
NOTES: Feel free to go either crystal or action here, or if you'd rather slide into Cosima's inbox, also fine.

OK everyone, here's the deal. I read a lot of reports as Tony's assistant and I've read a lot more in the last few weeks, and I've had time to make my own first pass. But if you're in Research, I want to check in with you. What are you working on, what's promising, what's stalled. You give me a private call by sending crystal or drop by the office, either's fine with me. I guess you could write a note, but I'll be honest, I'll probably just track you down to ask follow-up questions anyway, so you can save us both a step and take the meeting in the first place.

Next couple days, if you can. Or tell me you need more time, if you do. Thanks.

Comments

[heirring]

[Wysteria, still standing, does help herself directly to the cup of tea. She is halfway through a sip when Cosima asks these questions, and must swallow a heavy gulp so as to jump to answer.]

We require a boat. And the materials to scale the SPARROW, and a great deal of raw lyrium, to name just a few items on the requisition list. They will not come cheaply, though I imagine that at least the first one we may hope to— well, not to pay for, let us say. I am under the impression that there is some manner of enemy shipping in the Waking Sea at present, and I see no reason why we should not simply relieve them of a suitable vessel.

[No big deal, right?]

But Viktor and I took it upon ourselves to acquire a terrific quantity of silk when it first flooded the Kirkwall markets, and I believe that at least we have plenty of.

[grindset]

Yes, we have that in storage—properly treated, it can be used for the ship's envelope. Ideally, whatever secondhand vessel we acquire will have some sailcloth to spare as well.

[Which would mean an artfully orchestrated theft, of course, or otherwise relatively peaceable takeover, to prevent damage.]

In addition, we'll need plenty of the usual shipbuilding necessities, lumber and so on. For greater durability and arcane enhancement, I recommend incorporating uncommon alloys wherever possible—lyrium and silverite, for example, could provide crucial weight reduction in addition to strength. And we will of course need to hire one or more enchantment-capable artisans for this, [the box,] and other novel devices.

[In other words: prior to receipt of their shopping list, the Seneschal may want to sit down.]

[youwonscience]

We'll note piracy as an acquisition method when we make the memo. OK. Besides a lot of expensive materials, do you still have theoretical problems you're solving? Or are you at the point where you can't really do anything before you get to a prototype?

[heirring]

I believe, [Wysteria says, glancing between Viktor and Jayce in turn for confirmation.] That we have answered most of the questions which can be answered on paper.

[Here, she leans forward. Setting her cup aside, she unshuffles one roll of paper from the others and moves to open it. Mister Talis, please assist me with pinning those edges if you please, and so on.]

At this stage, I believe we might begin to prototype—perhaps not the airship directly, but a smaller and fleeter sort of craft to verify what we suspect is true is actually true. That should give us some time to acquire the materials required for the actual ship.

[This scroll which has been unfurled has its own design on it—something rather more rowboat sized than ship-sized, and cosiderably more suitable to the little prototype of the engine in the box beside them, though it shares certain qualities with the larger craft's designs.]

[grindset]

[Off a glance at one another, both Viktor and Jayce nod in the affirmative: indeed, they've made many calculations, folded in the knowledge from their respective worlds, filled scraps of paper, drafted plans both precisely and in feverish inspiration. They all agree: it's time to build.

While Jayce assists, Viktor's gesturing hand gently closes, draws in toward his body. His eyes seem to follow an invisible tennis match of interest between Cosima and Wysteria.]

[youwonscience]

Small prototype sounds solid. And probably even a partial success is going to get more leverage for securing the materials you need to try it at scale.

[She moves to take a better look at the design Wysteria laid out.]

Have you thought about safety protocols for the testing? Is there a way to test it unmanned?

[heirring]

[This warrants a blank look from Wysteria. Unmanned?????]

jumps back in to clarify:

[youwonscience]

You know, maybe like ... attach it to a rope and start the engine to see if it goes up without losing it, or ... maybe that's stupid, I just don't want anyone risking their life on the very first test, you know?

[Damn it, Jim, she's a biologist, not an engineer.]

[grindset]

[Tennis briefly becomes ping-pong before Viktor interjects:]

Ehh, naturally, this project will progress in phases. When it comes to testing manoeuvrability, rudder control and so on, remote operation would be less than practicable—Fred, here, unfortunately lacks a pilot's reflexes. But, what you've described is a sensible buoyancy test.

[heirring]

[Sounds like a dull buoyancy test, but all right.]

[pathlit]

[ In the midst of scribbling notes, attention likewise volleying between the two women, Jayce holds his attention on Wysteria for a moment longer. Testing the waters, he says, left hand curling over the anchor in his palm, ] What about barrier magic? For the pilot.

[ They'll need someone in a prototype sooner or later. ]

[grindset]

[It needn't be entirely dull—they can fashion a dummy passenger out of sandbags, and—

Viktor responds to Jayce's suggestion with a facial shrug, a tip of the head, a brief raising of eyebrows. Not a bad idea, it says. It also says he doesn't doubt his own work enough to think it necessary, but they're trying to present a united front, here.]

[youwonscience]

Progressive testing states with both mundane and magical safety protocols.

[Her tone sounds like she's agreeing with what they just said; obviously everyone wants this to be safe.]

We can coordinate with some mages on protective options. If nothing else, it'll save us all a lecture from Strange later. And hey, you always hope things like that are totally unnecessary. But better that than having someone laid up with a broken bone or worse. Maybe someone on griffon back spotting would do, for a single-person piloting test.

[heirring]

Assuming, of course, that the prototype turns out to be operational at all.

[Lest they start putting carts before horses here.]

[grindset]

Ehh... yes. Assuming it works.

[It's likely Wysteria has said this, he thinks, both to manage supervisor expectations and inject a little drama into the affair—not that their success needs to be made any more impressive. The work will speak for itself. Besides, it's a perfectly reasonable thing to say; experimental results shouldn't be taken for granted. So why should he be bothered that she said it? He shouldn't be. He isn't. It's fine—]

[pathlit]

[ To Cosima, he smiles calmly. ] Provost Niehaus, you've got two highly intelligent, skilled and resourceful individuals heading this project. You already know the plethora of feats and knowledge that Madame de Fonce, [ he nods in Wysteria's direction, ] has accomplished in all her years with this organization -- and that she and the former Provost pioneered these plans.

[ Then, nodding in Viktor's direction, his hands enter the conversation (as he is wont to speak with them), ] Viktor and I -- we're from the same world. A world with airships, so this endeavor isn't entirely foreign to us, and Viktor, he's-- he's brilliant. He stabilized and configured an incredible source of life-changing technology that had me stumped for years.

[ Glancing between the two of them, his smile widens a titch, then looks to Cosima again. ]

If the data didn't favor taking the risk to get this project off the ground, then we wouldn't be here.

[youwonscience]

[She smiles back, just a little; Jayce's protectiveness of Viktor's intelligence may or may not be necessary, but it's very charming.]

I'm not trying to rain on your parade. It's wildly cool, and I think it's going to be a game changer when it's fully ready. I'm just the one the other division heads are going to come to when it's organizational knowledge, and I want to make sure I understand it. My area's genetics, and weirdly a little bit lyrium at this point, but it's not that I don't respect what you're up to. My dad's an engineer, I know it's impressive even when you're not building airships.

So. If I'm pressing for safety stuff and asking questions, it's just because I may be in a room that you three aren't, sometimes, and if I'm going to keep the ball rolling on this, it'll help to say honestly that we've talked about precautions and next steps and expenses. That's all.