Lt JG Imril - Peeling The Onion
Chris Taylor
(( Hazardous Materials Lab, Deck 11, USS Artemis-A ))
The small team was just beginning to gather some useful data when it became even smaller. Tho’Bi had been called away, depriving this improvised R&D project of critical computing experience which would be sorely missed.
Bancroft: ::watching Tho’Bi depart:: Guess it’s just you and me now.
Imril looked to Roy to see what he had to make of Imril’s analysis.
Bancroft: ::with a sheepish grin:: Seeing as I’m the one who, er… authored the anomaly in the firmware, you might want to handle that part yourself. Best not to let me poke at it twice. ::brighter:: I’m mostly harmless with a plasma torch. I’ll start peeling back the outer framework so we can get a look inside.
He reached for the tool before Imril could talk him out of it. All the engineer could do was make fresh scans with every piece of equipment that was removed. Watch for any changes in the firmware or any other part of the various computational matrixes. See how the devices’ mechanical brain responded to the sequential loss of parts.
Imril: Scanning. A lot.
They worked for a while without speaking, each task unfolding with quiet care. Roy’s hands found rhythm in disassembly – unfastening protective panels, clearing the way. Imril ran compared scans along emerging pathways, cataloging differences in energy conduction, computational misfires, hardware responsiveness. A series of before-and-afters to cross-compare in search of the critical points of failure.
But the problem of damage to the insulation was endemic throughout the device, complicating that search. And changes to the software couldn’t be properly tested without first re-insulating and re-inforcing the hardware. And that was assuming the hardware itself wouldn’t need to be swapped out, in whole or part.
Bancroft: ::after a while, conversational:: I really do appreciate you being here, Imril. I know I joke around a lot – silly names, breezy attitude – but this project matters to me. A lot. I honestly think it could help people. Maybe not revolutionize medicine overnight, but… move the needle? For sure.
Imril nodded in understanding.
Imril: I get it. It’s not too different from why I developed the mini-figs.
The creation and refinement of the little targeted integrity field generators was something which at times had taken up a sizable share of Imril’s half of the pair’s shared living room back when they were room-mates. On the days when they took their work home with them (which was more than half of the days).
Imril: They started out as a means to simplify tricky salvage operations. But the more I worked on them, the more I expanded their applications, the more I saw they could be useful in making all sorts of engineering work a little bit safer. Keep people from ending up needing medical care at all. And if even one person is helped, then it’s all been worth the effort.
Bancroft: ::nodding:: That means a lot, buddy. Truly.
Roy deftly removed another of the prototype's outer hull plates.
Bancroft: You know, I’ve known you all this time, we’ve been together through thick and thin, and I’ve never once asked. What does Imril mean? Are you named for something or someone?
Imril: Sort of. Imrils are a species of bird on Bactrica, sort of like an Earth roadrunner. It’s like naming a human kid Jay or Robin.
Imril didn’t volunteer the fact that it was generally only Bactican thirds who were named after this particular bird. Or the reason why; the cultural association with their flashy mating dances. It would only lead to talk of how and where they grew up, and talking about that always felt like they were starting up a competition for Most Traumatic Backstory.
They would answer any direct questions on the latter topic, though. There was no point trying to evade things that could be pulled out of their personnel file. And even less point in being dishonest about themself.
Imril: Is there any particular meaning to the name Roy?
Bancroft: Response
Imril: I suppose we’ll have to ask Tho’Bi about his name later.
Bancroft: Response
Imril pointed back to the WHIMPER, in however many pieces it had been separated into. Roy had mentioned authoring the firmware.
Imril: If you still have older versions of the firmware programming stored somewhere, including your patch notes, I’d like to run analysis of the revisions over time. I’m particularly curious to know how any changes to the coding paired up with changes to the hardware.
Bancroft: Response
Imril: This rebuild’s already looking to be more than a one-day activity/ But then, I don’t suppose it took just one day to make. How many manhours do you already have logged into making this?
It was a question asked of curiosity alone. No accusations of mis-spent time implied. Invention, as they way, was ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration.
Bancroft: Response
Tags/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Imril
Engineering Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240110I12