Lt. Cmdr Robin Hopper: Cutting The Mustard (Part 1)
Robin Hopper
((OOC – Thanks everyone for keeping the scene moving ahead in my unexpected absence. Had a rough flu that kicked my butt for the past week or so and was too sick to even read, let alone write. I’m more-or-less caught up now and ready to dive back in. Part 1 will mostly be ‘backsimming’ and getting caught up; Part 2 will come tomorrow most likely and get me back in the current action / moving things forward!))
((Uwezo Warp Development Facility))
Startled by the man’s sudden appearance, Robin nearly dropped her tricorder, but managed to slip it hastily and clumsily into her pocket instead as she spun to face the scientist standing on the stairs beside her. He was a tall man, though perhaps not so notably tall among the Uwezo, with broad shoulders, bright intelligent amber eyes, and a face that, despite his barklike skin and mossy hair, was… undeniably handsome.
oO Woah! Uhh, keep it cool, Hopper. Oo
Hopper: Oh, hiya! Bright skies to you. ::Tripping over her words:: I’m Robba. No, uh, Hawza. Rob’Ynne Hawza… Senior Minister with the Ministry of Internal Security ::Collecting herself:: Sorry, you just surprised me. I was, ahem, just looking at the research project. It’s very impressive.
oO Yes. Very cool. Way to go. Oo
Robin’s eyes slipped sheepishly to her nearest colleague’s hoping to gauge whether or not she’d been as obvious as she thought she had. Even from several meters away, Lael’s face confirmed what Robin feared. She tried to play it off by gesturing at the ship, roughly the same direction as Rosek-Skyfire.
Greeta: :Standing to attention:: Research project? Well then allow me to introduce myself. I am Vaarig Greeta the Program Lead. Bright skies to you.
Well, at least he hadn’t tried to call security on her. She took his “bright skies back atcha” to be confirmation that, while she might have come across as socially-inept, she at least hadn’t come across as a threat of some kind, and did her best to keep the conversation rolling in a more natural direction.
Hopper: Program Lead? As in, you are the leader of this development program? Well, of course you are. As a Senior Minister with the Ministry of Internal Security, that is something I would be – am – very familiar with. It’s just, well, the portrait you have on your identification file, uhh, doesn’t do you justice.
oO It’s not my fault my Starfleet training never included undercover subterfuge in the face of a hot alien. Oo
She waved the others over, hoping they would help salvage this opportunity to make a good impression on one of the – if not the – program’s top people. If they managed to win him over, they might be able to leverage that connection to get an even closer look at things.
The man smiled (thank goodness!) and brushed some dust off his shoulder as he eyed the newcomers.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::smiles:: It’s a pleasure to meet you. ::glances around:: While this sort of thing isn’t my area of expertise, I must admit I’m curious about how your device works. ::lays a gentle hand on Robin’s shoulder:: The Senior Minister was just expressing the same. What you’ve been able to accomplish for our people is most impressive.
Saavei: This is an impressive feat of engineering. All of us are feeling the excitement of the moment all the more keenly for being so close to it. As technological aide to the Senior Minister, I have long awaited this moment. You should be proud of this accomplishment.
Robin nodded in agreement with the impressively-congruent ad-libs of her colleagues and tried to judge from Greeta’s reaction just how comfortable he was with their apparent praise. He seemed surprised, but not taken aback. oO Good, Oo she thought, her lips daring a slight smile.
Greeta: Oh well thank you. I aim to meet the projected deadlines.
Hopper: That is good to hear… And I guess that leads me to why we’re here. ::Gesturing to the others:: Given the recent news about opposition to the project, the Prime Minister has decided additional precautions should be considered.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::pauses:: We hope it’s not an inconvenience, but we want to ensure your research is secure. We’ve been sent to study the location and recommend additional measures if needed. We wouldn’t want your work to be disrupted by dissenters.
Greeta: ::Slowly nodding:: Of course I am not surprised you have been sent to examine the location.
So far, their earlier reconnaissance and planning was proving invaluable in ingratiating their presence. For a moment, Robin had been concerned that Greeta might, like First Scientist Bitalo evidently did, think their presence was unnecessary or troublesome. Fortunately, that didn’t appear to be the case.
Saavei: Bright Skies, Program Lead. This project is an important one. Have you encountered any unforeseen complications as the launch date draws near?
That question seemed to dampen Vaarig’s spirits, bringing a frown to his face.
Greeta: Nothing that you wouldn’t have read from the reports. It’s all pretty standard right now. As with any project there are issues and errors that need to be refined and fixed before we can progress further. But the changes you anticipate may have to be made. Is there a risk of us having to shut down to process them before we can continue?
She could only imagine how frustrating the current situation must be for someone in Greet’s position. Here he was, trying to bring his people to the stars, to enlighten them to the world beyond their own planet, through the application of cutting edge technology – and then there were uneducated naysayers chanting doom and gloom in the streets and even threatening to take violent action to stop it. She felt for him.
That being said, it wasn’t their place to push things one way or the other. Asking questions and applauding the work was one thing. Giving actual advice either way would begin to stretch the the Prime Directive’s guidelines in uncomfortable directions. Robin kept it neutral.
Hopper: It’s too early to say. For now, we’re simply here to gather information about the project’s progress and the current security measures that are in place.
Rosek-Skyfire: Do you think that such extreme measures are needed at this stage? Certainly the Ministry would have ordered it before now if they thought it necessary.
Hopper: Most likely not, no. Unless the Program Lead has something specific to report, once we’ve conducted our initial sweeps, we’ll take our findings back and analyze it, out of the researchers’ way.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::inclines her head:: As you wish, Senior Minister.
Robin looked to Vaarig, waiting to see if he did, in fact, have anything of particular concern to raise with them. While they wouldn’t be able to make security recommendations based on that, it would at least be useful information for their own data collection – however, he seemed to accept their explanations without argument or further deliberation.
Niev took the opportunity to fill the metaphorical vacuum with their own introduction.
Galanis: Bright skies to you, Program Lead. I am Na’ev, the Senior Minister’s Security Analyst. I assure you this won’t interfere with the growth. We’re only here to inspect your path to the light and keep it out of the dark.
It was filled with colorful language – local slang? – that made the Centauran scientist sound ‘hip’. Did that mean Robin didn’t sound hip? Or was Galanis overdoing it? Who knew. Either way, one of them was going to come across as slightly out of touch and weird… which, considering none of them were from this planet, honestly wasn’t that bad of an outcome. It could certainly be worse.
Hopper: ::To Greeta:: We’d appreciate if you could spare a bit of your valuable time, just to help us understand the nature of the work you’re doing and the current status of the project, but we’ll do our best to be unobtrusive to the rest of your team. ::To the others:: Were there any specifics areas you wanted to examine?
Galanis: I have a list of the grafts and roots we’d like to inspect, but if there are any other nodes you think might be at risk it can only bring more light to the situation. The Senior Minister and her aides may also have suggestions?
Saavei: I would like to inspect the work area on the ship itself. It would put my mind at ease to see everything is in order.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: An enlightened suggestion, Sa’vay. I concur.
Robin tilted her head, signalling that that was all they were asking for the time being. She didn’t want to overwhelm the warp development program’s leader – but she also knew that taking an hour or two of his time would be far more efficient than wandering around trying to surreptitiously take passive scans. The quicker they could collect the relevant information, the sooner they could leave (and thus have less time to accidentally contaminate the culture!)
Greeta: I see. Well if you follow me I can take you towards our labs.
Hopper smiled, and gestured for him to lead on, happily following him up the stairs and along one of the catwalks towards some of the outer doors they had noticed when they entered.
Galanis: I do have some questions of my own. Have there been any fouled seeds lately, or other signs of suspicious activity? I believe we should look into those while we’re here.
There was a change in Vaarig’s body language that Robin noticed, though he kept walking… Was he nervous about the inspection, miffed at the suggestion that there might be unreported issues, or simply frustrated by the public perception of the project being anything less than entirely positive? She decided to be reassuring.
Hopper: Just being thorough, of course.
Greeta: Do you believe I have missed something? I have nothing to report on that front.
Galanis: ::nodding as they speak:: Still, it’s our duty to make sure there’s no rot taking root.
Saavei: Indeed. We are here to observe, and you have done exceptionally well with this project. We are all looking forward to your success and wish to see it a complete one.
It was really a balancing act – trying to come across as concerned enough to justify their sudden appearance here but not so concerned as to arouse suspicion or panic. The ‘praise’ angle seemed to work to soften some of their probing questions, but Robin worried they might wind up laying it on a little too thick and seeming insincere.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::inclines her head:: We do not question your diligence. ::smiles sadly:: Alas, it is procedure to ensure we have been thorough in our duties. It is a necessary part of oversight.
There it was. The balancing act at work. oO Thank you, Lael. Oo
Hopper: That’s right. But we all have the same goal; The successful completion of your project.
Vaarig seemed to understand and agree, nodding as he led them towards their destination. Thankfully, he didn’t seem in a hurry to rush them out of there either.
Greeta: Well we try to keep everything locked down as I am sure you can see.
Robin turned as they walked, looking out over the main project workspace below. In some ways, it resembled the images of Zefram Cochrane’s workshop in Montana, if a bit less slapdash and more grandiose (after all, the Uwezo weren’t just coming off the tail end of a major world conflict and socioeconomic crisis!)
The ship taking form at the center of the launch platform appeared long and slender, obeying the laws of aerodynamics sufficiently to achieve an orbital flight path – no doubt that is when the warp engine nacelles, still under construction, would extend and activate for their first test flight. There were, of course, some necessary similarities to The Phoenix (thanks to the consistent universal laws of physics), however there were also some stark differences.
There was a certain organic elegance to the design of the craft that spoke to time and attention being spent on the details, the… optics… of its creation. While Cochrane hadn’t probably given much concern to how his work would be received by the general public, these scientists and the government who employed them knew that the public was watching with scrutiny and that a successful launch was only part of what would be needed to ensure the Uwezo people remained ‘on-board’ with the project.
Saavei: ::softly, her stride slowing slightly:: Analyst Na'ev, a brief word?
Galanis: Of course.
Robin spared only a quick glance towards Saavei and Niev, trying to keep up a casual and unconcerned appearance. Instead, she increased her pace a little, trying to match Vaarig’s long strides to keep his attention on her.
Greeta: If I may, not may people choose to come out in person. Is there a reason you decided to?
Rosek-Skyfire: ::pauses and smiles sheepishly:: I must admit, though I was given a directive, I was eager to see your work for myself. I find it quite inspirational.
There was no lie in what Lael said – and that was the best kind of deception. Robin answered similarly.
Hopper: We had the opportunity to observe and make recommendations from a distance, but that just didn’t quite – oO what’s the Uwezo equivalent of “cut the mustard”? Oo - bloom brightly for us. And I don’t believe Lae'selle is alone in her opinion either. Many of our people were eager to see your progress firsthand.
((Meanwhile, aside…))
Saavei: ::quietly, to Galanis:: I have detected traces of ammonium nitrate.
Galanis: ::hushed, toward Saavei:: Ammonium nitrate? Not far-fetched for these people to use fertilizer… but quite out of place in a warp research project. Where?
Saavei: ::still quiet:: I do not know where precisely. Close. Within twenty meters of our current position.
Greeta: I see, personal interest then.
Rosek-Skyfire: I can’t speak for the Senior Minister or the Ministry, but for myself, yes. ::smiles::
Saavei and Niev caught up to them again, just as they wound their way up a flight of steps onto a second level. It didn’t seem like the most efficient path, but Robin appreciated that Vaarig was likely trying to take them on the ‘scenic route’, given their stated intentions and interests.
Hopper: Oh, I find it interesting. Of course, professionally-speaking, monitoring the response from the public has also been interesting. I’m just looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Saavei: Senior Minister, Assistant Lae'selle? A thought occurs to us, if you have a brief moment.
((OOC – I believe the intention of the parentheticals in the previous line of dialogue was an OOC question, but I think there’s no need to anticipate one or the other being available when Saavei can reasonably just ask them both, so I’ve removed them. Apologies if that was intended as spoken dialogue.))
Greeta: Is something wrong?
More tension. Vaarig was definitely worked up – Robin could see it in the way he tensed his big strong shoulders every time ‘problems’ were raised, or even implied. oO Stop noticing that his shoulders are big and strong, dammit. Oo
Galanis: Not at all. Simply some preliminary observations we would like to discuss.
Saavei: We are both excited about the work being done here. Rest assured, Program Lead, your diligence has been noted.
Hopper chewed her lip, weighing the options. There was no way she could ask them to spill the beans then and there. Whatever was going on, despite their attempts to play it off as no big deal, she could tell that Saavei and Niev were in fact concerned about something. Something they didn’t want to say in front of their host… and they likely wouldn’t have brought it up immediately if it wasn't urgently important.
Hopper: No offense intended, Vaarig, but anything my colleagues need to discuss with me must be confidential. That “unobtrustiveness” I spoke of is a branch growing leaves on both sides… Is there a lab not in use that we might confer in briefly? Maybe one not dedicated to such sensitive research?
The Program Lead unexpectedly stopped in his tracks, turning to face them. Robin, surprised, stopped abruptly as well, her eyebrows shooting upwards. Had that been an inappropriate ask? An overstep? Or was he really just that on edge?
Greeta: Well what do you expect of a research facility? I couldn’t comment on projects I don’t know about but this isn’t going to be the only project here.
His ‘outburst’ was noted, though Robin didn’t comment on it. Instead, she filed it away in her mind for later. Maybe this was just Vaarig’s manner. Maybe there was something he wasn’t sharing with them. Time (and additional research) would likely tell. For now, she just tried to absorb his reaction and not let it get in the way of the conversation that obviously needed to happen out of his earshot.
Galanis: We’re only concerned about the path to the light, as we all are, Project Lead Greeta. We mean no offense.
Saavei: Indeed. As I stated before, you have done exceptionally well. Please forgive any perceptions I may have caused to the contrary.
Hopper: I understand that there is a considerable amount of pressure on you, Vaarig. If our visit and our questions are too much for you right now, then we can always return to our own investigations. We are just hoping to be expedient.
Again, that was true enough, and he seemed to respond well to the sincerity… perhaps realizing that his snappy answer hadn’t been necessary after all.
Greeta: I apologise. I am not used to in person visits. I write reports more often than this.
Robin wondered what his previous experience with government bureaucracy had been like. How antagonistic it had been to make him so on-edge.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: Of course, Program Lead, and we certainly didn’t mean to alarm you with our visit or to distract you from your work. If we have brought darkness to the path, please accept our humblest apologies.
Galanis: There’s no need for apologies. But we would very much appreciate the chance to explore these branches.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: We simply wish to learn more about your work. If you would be so kind as to indulge us.
Saavei: Please, continue on.
Having done her research thoroughly, Robin knew that the Uwezo weren’t generally a standoffish or unemotional people. In fact, she suspected that was part of what made the Hovans (who seemed far more… well, both of those things) nervous about them entering the space game. The Uwezo were feelers, and Robin could relate to that.
Taking an informed gamble, she engaged in what she felt was an appropriately reassuring gesture, resting a hand gently on Greeta’s arm, hoping to calm things down once again and get them moving along.
Hopper: Only if it’s no great inconvenience, of course. This is your facility, Project Lead, and we defer to your expertise and schedule.
Greeta: Response
TBC (in Part 2)...
((OOC – No need to wait for my Part 2, coming tomorrow probably as I need to sleep now; If you’re ready to sim, go ahead and I’ll catch up shortly!))
