557/Project Thorax

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Project Thorax
Date of Scene: 07 September 2014
Location: Earth-115
Synopsis: Carapace Armour research hit a snag. Maybe someone outside the organization can help.
Thanks to: Rebecca Kismarin for being awesome
Cast of Characters: Kotone Yamakawa, 62, 256, 343


Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Location: Unknown airfield. Approximately 20km NorthEast of Geneva.

    Time: 01:40, Monday 08 September, AU22.

    "Titan's Redoubt, this is Geneva air control, proceed to landing area 29. Ground crew will meet you there. Welcome to Earth." announces the ATC tower as the huge vessel comes in to land. True to word, a large flatbed convoy is on site to load the scrap and salvage brought along, accompanied by an unmarked black range rover. A man in a green jersey, wearing a headset over shaven hair is there to meet the Lieutenant. "Welcome Lieutenant. I'm Central Officer Bradford, I'm here to escort you to our HQ, we're sorry you had to come here only to travel in less style, but we don't have any facilities for such a large craft, and we'd prefer to keep the location as secret as possible." He turns and gestures towards the range rover. "It's armoured and we have a Raven wing on C.A.S. just in case. It'll take about half an hour to get to the entrance."

    Location: CERN Research facility, Geneva.

    Time: 02:10 Monday 08 September AU22.

    The convoy approach the CERN facility, but intead of going straight in, turn off to the side. Just as it looks like they're about to go offroad, the road ramps downwards as a large hatch raises from the ground. Doctor Vahlen and Doctor Shen to the Research Labs. Doctor Vahlen and Doctor Shen. To the Research Labs. can be heard, neutral female voice over the tight-band local radio. Commander Leroy Motorpool. Commander Leroy to Motorpool.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is waiting in the motorpool, why she'd been doing some mechanic work for them there eariler and had just finished cleaning up. It seems they go0t some VIPs coming and that much gets her attention so she's moving to help greet whomever this new arrival is.

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     The Titan's Redoubt is not a small craft, but it's good it has a home on the airfield, even if it means a drive. Rebecca is in her dress uniform, the same uniform most people tend to see her in. Crisp lines, pants, jacket, rank insignias, sidearm and all. She gives Bradford a curt but respectful salute before following him to the truck. "I can understand the precautions. As you know, my home base is not only at risk for open assault, but the corporations are free to engage in open warfare against each other in the Typhoeus System. I only hope the truckload of salvage is enough payment for the sortie the other night," she states. She doesn't even seem surprised when the hatch opens and the vehicle descends. "...just like home..." she states with a smirk.

Yulia Koslova (256) has posed:
    Best behavior. Right. Yulia should be able to manage that.
    She just happened to be here when they found out about their impending visitor, and so she "just happens" to be in the hangar when said visitor and her escort arrive. She'll join the others wherever the line is forming, expression polite but not quite hiding her curiosity.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Elise is standing in her own dress uniform, looking decidedly uncomfortable in it. As the car pulls up and comes to a stop, the convoy continuing on to the huge central access lift to take the salvage to storage, she clips a salute. Bradford steps out of the car, then moves around to open the door for Rebecca to exit. "Welcome to XCOM HQ, Lieutenant Kismarin." notes Elise, before offering a small ghost of a smile. "You've come at an odd time, but we'll do what we can to accomodate you. I was just about to head to the Research Labs, Doctor Vahlen and Doctor Shen are trying to come up with a way to overcome a, stumbling block, in one of our major projects."

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     "Commander," Rebecca nods, returning the faint smile to Elise. "I hope I'm not coming in at a bad time. If I knew today was bad I would have saved the visit and the delivery for later." She's all business, military and clean-pressed to an extreme. "If I may, what are you trying to solve? Some of my research team might be of assistance, though I admit my knowledge only extends to repairing my HERCs." She folds her hands, clasping them behind her back, nodding to Yulia and Kotone.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa might seem a bit off to Rebecca, the woman is asian likely japanese from the look of her, but something's off nothing horribl just something uncanny valley about her slightly maybe it's the eyes. She seems chipper as she moves to greet the new arrival.

"Hello and welcome, I'm Kotone Yamakawa."

Yulia Koslova (256) has posed:
    Yulia has some of that military air about her as well, or at least her salute is well practiced. "Hello, Ma'am," she greets. The parade rest is much less practiced, so her hands fall her sides rather than behind her. There's not much for her to say after that, so she doesn't. No reason to further interrupt a conversation, right?

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Elise nods to Kotone. Then gestures to Yulia. "This is Yulia Koslova. She's on loan from Neo-Zeon as part of our Aero-Space program. She's assisted in bringing down several UFO marks, and assists in maintaining our Satellite network world wide." She turns, and offers a smile to the Gundam pilot. "I'll explain as we walk. Follow me." she says, turning on her heel to head further into the base.

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     "Rebecca Kismarin, Lieutenant and head of the UniTech Corporation expeditionary and occupational force enterprise in the Typhoeus System," the woman says crisply, practiced. She nods curtly but respectfully to Yulia and Kotone, then falls into step with the group as Elise starts to lead the way. "I can tell you've assembled some good help from across the Multiverse." The woman does eye Kotone's appearance but makes no mention of it.

Yulia Koslova (256) has posed:
    A smile, a nod, and a "Pleased to meet you." Formalities are out of the way, and off they all head. Yulia falls in with the others, behind Elise and Rebecca and probably next to Kotone, her boots clickity-clacking against the concrete floor with each step.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Elise nods. "We've had to. Adapt, survive, thrive." she remarks, heading towards a lift down to the base proper. "We'll swing by the Engineering bay before heading to R&D. We'll show you where all of the magic happens here. We have the best minds across all scientific and engineering fields working for us to help understand and /fight/ the alien threat... but even they are only human." the Commander pauses, as she steps into the lift, waiting for the others to enter. Bradford has vanished in the interim, probably taken another route back to Mission Control. "Project Thorax. The codename we've given to a new breed of infantry-scale protection. Shen's taken to calling it Carapace armour. It's meant to use Alien hull alloys in vital areas, reinforcing low-mobility zones like the head, torso and non-join areas of the arms and legs... but we're having problems getting the ceramic crystal structure to behave."

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     "UniTech does not often look to outside help, but I can see that XCOM is also only a fraction of the size of UniTech's greater whole. That said, my expedition is certainly in a similar, relatable scale. And your assistance thus far has been encouraging as a test bed for further relations with other Multiversal organizations," Rebecca says as she follows along. She looks to the others following, not wanting to monopolize the conversation, but she returns her focus to Elise. "Hardened infantry armor. Things we haven't seen or used in centuries..." she's unable to disguise a bit of wonderment, the hardware enthusiast she is. "...ceramic... crystal... structure?"

     She purses her lips, "...how far have you gotten with it?"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa gets the klook and doesn't think much of it as she falls in with everyone else heading for the lab with everyone else.

"If it can work it's likely going to outdo anything short of an armsuit from myworld and that's dam impressive infantry armour if I must admit."

Yulia Koslova (256) has posed:
    "Strength in diversity," the mobile suit pilot quips. Other than that, though, Yulia does her best 'ears open, mouth shut' routine. While she has of course been reading the briefs as they've been handed to her, her own duties here and at home have kept her out of where they're heading now.
    Curious? Oh definitely. But her burning questions will wait till after they get there, not before.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Elise chuckles. "I don't understand it myself, I leave those things to the trained professionals." The elevator opens, and Elise leads the way out. A short corridor leads to a vast, wide-open space, dominated by machinery of all types. Something Rebecca might be familiar with. There's aircraft engines, MEC suits, SHIVs and various other pieces of gear laying around in various stages of completion or repair, some shreds of a Raven's starboard wing module can be seen, bearing nasty burns from plasma weaponry. "Welcome to Engineering... We'll make a proper tour later, but this is where the Research staff's ideas get made real."

    She pulls a swipe card from a pocket, and beeps herself into the Research Lab. An air-lock kind of deal that degauses the four people before they're allowed inside. Doctors Vahlen and Shen are hunched over a terminal, arguing over the data set out on screen.

"I think we need a more structured approach.. perhaps is we---"

"We've tried that, the matrix destabilizes every single time we run the charge through it. You found the amp frequency, but we can't /use/ it."

"All I am saying is--- Oh, Commander!"

    The pair look up as Elise's group enter the Labs.

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     "Strength in unity," Rebecca says in a tone that sounds almost corrective as she parrots her corporation's motto. Then she marvels at the field of salvage. "...looks like the HERC bay after a bad weekend..." she states, her tone less icy and more casual before she catches herself. And the argument. "This sounds familiar."

Yulia Koslova (256) has posed:
    Yulia's clickity-clacking stops once they transition from concrete and linoleum to anti-static tile. Then, as they're being degaused, it occurs to her... "Um. Should I leave my boots here? Magnetic taps."
    Whenever that question is answered, and if need be leaving her footwear behind, she continues following the others. Right into Scientists Having A Heated Discussion. Which isn't all that surprising, really. The only reason she's tilting her head is to try and get a better look at whatever's on that monitor that they're arguing in front of.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa looks about at the salvage.

"It's pretty crowded here ya."

She seems to be curious about how she might be able to help. She looks to Yulia humming tht might be a pretty good idea as tey enter however it seems the doc's at wortk and Kotone seems chipper.

"Doc and no I'm not on the table today, sorry."

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Elise nods to the two doctors. "Bring it up on the big screen, lets see what the problem is." she suggests. "Also, this is Lieutenant Kismarin." shen gestures to the woman, then the man in turn. "Lieutenant, this is Doctor Vahlen, head of our Research and Development team." the Good Doctor bows her head while clutching her Datapad close. "A pleasure, Lieutenant."

"And Doctor Shen, head of Engineering." Elise concludes. The older, asian-looking man smiles, and offers a hand, after wiping it on his trousers. "A pleasure Lieutenant. Always good to see new faces around the base."

    Vahlen taps on her Datapad, and the large screen lights up, showing a series of numbers, a simulation of a seemingly metal plate, and test amperages. "So far, we have determined that the alien alloys respond to heat as well as electricity. Heat, shapes the surface of a UFO for better aerodynamics, which serves to explain some of their more esoteric maneuvers... electricity seems to act along with the Power Source to provide directional change through reshaping the entire fuselage, like it were one large aileron... what we cannot seem to figure out is /how/ they accomplish this."

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     Rebecca nods, taking the hand when it's offered, shaking quickly but firmly. "Hell of a setup in here," she states openly. "Finest minds in XCOM and then some, yes?" she regards the two doctors as well as Yulia and Kotone. She purses her lips, then gestures to the monitor. "Do you... have a view of what this metal does when you pump that amplitude frequency into it that you mentioned when we came in? Or are you still sorting out connections and projection... or does it explode when you do that...?" she inquires, folding one arm at her chest, resting her elbow in the palm and resting her head on that arm as if in thought.

Yulia Koslova (256) has posed:
    Yulia continues their tour in her NZAF standard-issue insulated gray socks, then. It's hardly an indignity, as far as she's concerned.
    he young woman's gaze shifts from the smaller screen to the larger one as Dr. Vahlen brings up the data for all to see. The numbers don't mean much to her, and so instead she focuses on the metal plate sim. "Huh...so that's how they're able to pull off those insane moves? I don't suppose you've worked out how it's not affected by the heat from atmospheric friction?" She catches herself there. "Oh, wait, you just said you don't know how. Sorry."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is listening at this point and she is curious about the metal but it's a bit beyond he she's very good at applying wha'ts known however she peers at it herself thinking for a moment, seriously what are they not seeing here?

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Vahlen shrugs helplessly. "We aren't sure. We have managed to make the material react... violently, to certain amperages of power... but we need to find a way to make it flex on command... so far, all the material has done is either violently constrict around the test dummies, or dissolve into nothing."

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     Rebecca just nods, "Can you show me footage?" she asks. Then she fishes what looks like a compact smart-phone out of her pocket, but it soon expands to be the size of a tablet. She starts poking at the display, sorting through images and information, occasionally pausing to type something in. "I think... I think I have something... something that can help. Something you now have..." she mumbles, losing some of that corporate professionalism to let her grease monkey shine through.

Yulia Koslova (256) has posed:
    "Dissolving is better than exploding, I guess..." Yulia murmurs. Then, she tilts her head again, this time bringing a hand up to her ear as someone begins chattering through her earpiece. This followed by wrinkling her nose. "Sorry again, but someone back at home needs me to weigh in on something. If you'll excuse me..." And with that, she turns back to head back to the hallway where she can take the call in relative private.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Doctor Vahlen and Doctor Shen share a look, then they nod before Vahlen opens the test log footage. The big screen shows a recording. A crudely fashioned 'shiv-plate' hung around a torso dummy. It has wires connected up to it, which suddenly jerk as a large current passes through them. The reaction from the plate is violent and rapid, it folds in half, crushing the dummy to splinters, before ratcheting back into place once the power is cut.

    Second test footage. Similar set-up, but this time when the charge enters the plate, it melts, instantly, leaving behind a non-descript goop on the test chamber floor.

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     Rebecca watches, rapt. Then she shakes her head, looking down at her screen. "Nano-engineered crystalline lattice. Of course, ours is a terrestrial metal." She looks around at those gathered, "Where's the load of salvage I brought in?" Her gaze shifts from the doctors to Elise. "Bring a leg up here, whichever one looks like it can still walk." She's using her indoor 'commanding' voice.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is listening at this point and humms "Could we weaponize that Doctor Vahlen and turn it upon the aliens?"

She trails off for a moment and takes a look at it.

"So micromachine tech hummm?"

Kotone will go help bring the part in sounds like they might need some Mektroopers really.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Elise pulls out her datapad, and sends a request to Storage. "Rome and Piledriver are helping unload it. I'll get them to being a juicy one up." she offers, looking at Rebecca with a smile.

    Vahlen, meanwhile, shakes her head. "The sheer power involved cannot be generated outside of the lab, for now. If we could find a way to subtly manipulate the material, override its programmed features..." Shen clears his throat gently. "... Short answer is, no, we can't weaponize this effect, the Power Source inside a UFO generates far too much power for us to overcome with anything short of a dedicated generator, and the ones powerful enough won't fit in a Raven's fuselage."

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     Rebecca nods, "HERC reactors aren't small. Fusion, fission... there's talk of ion, too. But prepare one of those... secure test beds." She looks back to Elise. "See if they can't drag what's left of the Shadow's control components down here, too. I can at least slave it to my console here and see if I can put the results in a format your databanks can interpret."

     THen she glances at Kotone, "...sounds like some kind of slag cannon..." she says quietly.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Vahlen perks, then makes a small note on her datapad before calling over a few of her assistants to get things set up, moving terminals and getting linkages ready.

    Rome and Piledriver clomp their way in, shouldering a leg from the Shadow, the one that didn't take a Landslide to the kn--^H^H^H^. Following them, a few folks with various bits of wiring, a dented terminal plate and what's left of the computer components of the Shadow's cockpit.

    Shen walks over to Rebecca. "This should be interesting."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa seems to not be needed and her idea does not seem tobr valid but hey she's thinking right? She pauses for a moment as she looks to Shen and then back to Rebecca and oddly feels a bit on the lower end of the tech scale for once.

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     Rebecca watches everything get set up, then takes a breath. She unbuttons her jacket and folds it neatly over the nearest clean desk. Underneath? A simple BDU tank top in dark grey. "Let's call this off the clock now that the transaction is finished," she says curtly, taking her tablet and looking the mangled terminal over. "...just enough..." she looks over at Shen. "I'll need power. Connections here... here.. and here..." she points at frayed wires and a half-melted port on the console as she works to connect her tablet to what she can.

     "This is what I do in my off time..." she explains, then gestures to the legs. "HERC leg flexors use a crystalline lattice. Give it a charge, it expands. Cut it, contracts. That leg is a light one, twenty tons of HERC, and it can make the damn thing move fast. Not a fan of them, the Shadow is a great scout but it's made of wet cardboard..." she mumbles, losing herslef in her element. "If I can slave the control elements to what's left of the hardware and make the damn thing twitch, it might give you some kind of lead on how to get your alien metal to behave."

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Shen nods, and gets a couple of the lab techs to help shave off the wires, fixing new connectors to them to link it to the base power supply. All told, it takes about fifteen minutes to have the leg and control console connected and powered up.

    Vahlen listens enraptured, then starts taking notes, as she sidles over to look at what Rebecca is doing with her own datapad.

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     What's on the datapad might interest Vahlen some, it looks like a simulated remote access console for controlling bioderm impulses directly, to force them to engage orders they might not agree with. That program is connected to another remote access program that makes the HERC think it has a living pilot. "It's janky," she says quietly, "...remote operation protocols are hardly optimal, but sometimes you need to access systems to force shutdowns or self-destruct mechanisms." The way she puts that makes her seem cold and detached, like she's had to exercise it before.

     "Okay... watch." If everything is set up properly, and the leg is secured enough, it'll bend at the knee and ankle joints, simulating a movement motion that's at least twice as graceful as QWOP. "Strong electric current is all this needs," she says quietly, "...what your alien metal needs, you seem to know. But if you want to tear those legs apart and do tests on the flexors... well, I didn't bring this truckload of scrap for you guys to make paperweights out of it, that's for sure." She hands the datapad over to Vahlen or Shen, whomever is nearest, to let them poke at the 'on/off' switch and make the leg dance.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is quite intent ot watch here given her field of skill so she's paying rapt attention and she's also hitting the net to check up on a number of the terms and subjects that are being gone over at this point. She tilts her head.

"I can get to work on that this is some pretty primo stuff makes the multiped tanks back home look like RC toys from the looks of it."

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Vahlen takes the pad, and runs the program a few times, making the leg twitch and quiver. "Facinating..." Shen, meanwhile, watches the woman with a knowing smirk. "I'll get some of my boys to disassemble one of the systems. We'll run some concurrent tests, see if we can't get some useful data." he offers his hand to the Lieutenant again. "Thank you, Lieutenant, this might just let us finish this project. You may have given us the means to save many more lives."

    Elise then makes her presence known again. "I think we can leave the good Doctors to it. Lets go and I'll show you the rest of our operation. Full Disclosure to a new ally, not always the best policy, but one I think should be observed here." she then nods to Shen and Vahlen, before turning to lead the group back out of the labs.

Rebecca Kismarin (343) has posed:
     "I'll need my datapad back," Rebecca says to Vahlen. "Sensitive information on it, I'm sure you understand. But now that you see how it works, you should be able to run your own tests on putting power through the flexors." She looks at the half-slagged computer. "...and if you dig anything interesting about ISI out of the console, feel free to pass it along. Cybrid-loving technophiles..." she says with no small amount of venom in her voice as she gathers up her jacket and starts to slip it back on.

     She gives a nod to Kotone as well, "There's another nine legs on that truck. And more. Have to be a few more that'll still dance for you. Have at it. If this gets your people further on track, all the better. A few slagged HERCs is a small price to pay for saving human lives and your folks helped vape them in the first place. Tell your assault girl there's a head for her trophy wall in that pile, too. The Cybrid she popped. Took the core out, it won't try to eat her," she allows a smirk to Elise.

     "Show me whatever you're comfortable with. Your operation is a lot more sensitive than mine."