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Outsourcing.

Zack

Inactive Member
ON> Ayenee Class Star base.

"You first, I insist." Chris said to his fellow representative, gesturing to the back of the Jilanth.

The other man started forward. "As you wish," he said curtly, picking up a small, black briefcase from the open luggage locker as he passed and stepped onto the shuttle's extended ramp, blinking in the brighter lighting of the station's interior

Chris took up his own briefcase and straightened his dark business suit. Seeing his comrade wincing he put on sunglasses before stepping out.

Abdyel gently reached out and shook Clark’s body, "Clark, time to wake up, the NovaCorp people are here." She knew she should have woken him earlier to shower and get dressed like she had but he just looked so cute. Running a bit low on time she decided cleaning up the opened packages in the room would have to wait for later.

"Where to now?" Chris asked his partner.

"Shit, already!?" Clark said angrily, shooting out of bed and landing on his feet. "Son of a bitch! How long do we have?"

"We have a few minutes until we need to be up there." She said, "You have time for a quick shower…"

A few minutes later the engineer and his assistant were fully dressed and in their office, ready to receive their guests. The table in the center of the room had received a few well padded chairs that Abby had brought up, The papers that were strewn about earlier had been neatly collected and filed away in a small box in front of the chair she thought Clark would take. She had dressed in a business skirt that came down to just above her knees smoothly and complimented her V cut business suit quite well. Both were very white, the same color as her wings.

"I suppose you'll want to make the dramatic entrance?" Chris asked his partner.

"No Chris, dramatics are not what I do. My job is to represent the Nova Corporation, and I intend to do that - no messing around, although," he sneered, "You may provide comic relief."

"Will do. You going to open the door anyway?" Chris asked happily.

Clark Thompson was dressed a dark green pair of creased pants with a tan shirt and tie the same color as his shirt. He sat down in a chair at one end of the conference room table, waiting for the visitors.

Joseph palm-printed the large door in front of the pair of reps and it slid open with a quiet hum as he stepped inside with a business-like demeanor and stood, looking around the room for a moment before striding forward to the other end of the table.

Chris adjusted his sun glasses and strode in. "Good mourning. I presume we're in the right place?"

"Yes you are," Abdyel said, standing near the doorway and motioning for them to sit down at the table opposite of Clark, "Before we begin, is there anything I can get you before we start? drinks perhaps?" She asked, trying to be the good hostess for the time being before the business started.

"Thank you for the offer miss, but I for one am not thirsty. Had a good drink before we left the shuttle." Chris responded, sliding into a seat.

Joseph adjusted his tie and sat down, placing his case on the table before him. "No thank you," he said, glancing at her with small shake of the head.

Running a hand through his short, fluffy military haircut, Clark thumbed through the pages of an electronic report on initial parts acquisitions for other parts of the prototype battleship. Things were going well thus far, and work on the frame would likely start this week if their good luck came up.

Abdyel nodded and returned to the other side of the table, sitting down in a chair beside Clark. Her posture remained the same, back up and slightly arched, her bottom slightly forward of the back of the chair and her back not resting against the chair itself. "As you've been informed your both here to discuss the purchase of computer components for starships from NovaCorp." She started, getting the basics out of the way so Clark could handle the details.

"Yes, what do you need? Joseph here mainly deals with the technicals, I do prices and the down to earth stuff. Ironic I know." Chris smiled.

"We need a military-type computer system for a larger ship," Clark told him. "The best you are capable of producing."

Joseph opened his briefcase with a soft click. He briefly scanned several data pads then brought out one, closed the case again and placed the pad delicately on top. "I think we may have what you're looking for. A military grade computer... is something we are capable of producing quite simply, with whatever features, up to a reasonable level, you wish to include. Our recent cooperation with the Star Army has left us better off technologically, so larger ships, as with the Destiny, should not be a problem."

"Our AI's are certainly notable." Chris said happily. "And we've designed military grade computers for such vessels as the Kante." Chris added in helpfully.

"The computer needs to be able to look after a crew of thousands as well as co-ordinate its actions precisely. Particularly wormhole formation and other high-mathematics operations. The system's AI system will need to be subordinate to its captain and not talk back. It also needs to be able to track and monitor a large number of external objects and keep up to the second data on velocity, size, mass, and all important attributes." Abby said, holding a small data pad in her lap and occasionally looking down to check on her notes.

"The personality could be easily customized, ideally," Clark added.

"That's all good, apart from the not talking back. We have AI's that can do all of those things, but personality is important to Ephesus, who is our main designer. We can easily manage all of the rest. The personality is what we need to discuss I think." Chris said, leaning back in his seat.

"Large crews are covered, as is extremely precise math - we use it in our own systems for the same purposes, although not on a scale, I assume, as what you're thinking of. Easily remedied." Joseph glanced at Chris before continuing, "Yes. Personalities are more difficult, I believe, but can be easily modified once a base has been built to edit from. You are looking for, ideally, an AI that will do as it's told quickly and efficiently?"

"If your AI is not absolutely obedient, we're going to find someone else to make our computers," Clark warned the NovaCorp stooge.

Joseph frowned. "An AI system is only as insubordinate as it is designed to be... unless you let it design itself, which we do not."

"Obedient of course, that we can do. Who wants a AI that doesn't take orders? But ... I'm sure it's all possible." Chris continued.

Tapping his fingers on his electronic tablet, Thompson called up a diagram. "I'm sorry we can't give you the actual specifics of our project," he said, "How much space," he asked, "would a system like this actually take up inside a ship? Also, what about power requirements?" He wanted to put the thing near the bridge and have it be as protected and reliable as possible.

"The more power you are able to supply, the more powerful the computer will be...but we believe," said Joseph, tapping on his own data pad, "That a minimum input of... say, 250 megawatts per second should be a minimum operational energy input. Ideally, somewhere in the low gigawatts... one to three. Space requirements... about 2.5 meters cubed, including the computers' own armoring, in a roughly spherical shape."

Chris sat back in his seat, letting Joseph answer, Joseph always liked pretending to be in charge. He liked this place, he must come to Nepleslia more often.

Abby nodded, "That seems adequate for our needs, what operating system and connection types does your computer system use? If you don't know now we need to know as soon as possible so we can design the rest of the ship to interface properly. Also, what inbuilt sensor packages can you build into the computer system itself?" She asked.

"The operating system is of our own design," Joseph said, "and is built for a mix between ease of use and complexity. The connection types that can be used are up to you - we can install what best fits your needs. Sensors simply need to be configured to the computer's systems, which will run them to varying degrees of efficiency at first, but will work at full capacity within hours of being installed."

"Can the computer be configured to run off a mind/machine interface?" Abby asked, "And what sensors if any will be built into the computer? The computer also needs to have multiple redundancy systems as well as the ability to maintain itself." She said.

Clark nodded in support of Abdyel. "Also, how soon can we get the system delivered to this station?"

Chris stayed silent, warned by a hundred little things from Josephs stature that he shouldn't interfere or in fact say anything. Dull, but it made his life earlier. He'd probably end up talking about logistics though, that was his department so to speak.

"Ah," muttered Joseph, tapping at his pad again. "mind machine interface... I assume you mean a bio-neural interface, IE a direct link from wet ware to hardware? Sensors are not usually built into our computers, but we can, of course, change this to fit your needs. Depending on what you need, the system can be adapted up to a point, or redesigned totally to fit your requirements. A reasonably powerful, that is a hyperspace/subspace/real space sensor package capable of detecting small objects, that is fighter-craft or mecha, at up to... say... five light-years away? Larger objects at up to fifteen. All our computers have self-restoration capabilities using specially designed nanites that keep the systems at peak condition."

"If we have to customize everything why not just build the computer system ourselves?" Abby asked, getting slightly annoyed at the NovaCorp representatives lack of commitment toward features.

"We are simply allowing you to say what you want." Chris responded, "Few people would be that open. And variable."

"We've talked about specifications and we'd like to know just what you are planning to provide us with and at what cost," She said.

Well... what you've told us you require is," said Joseph, reading off his pad, "A military grade computer with small size, powerful equipment - sensors, self-repairing, self-sufficient and able to cut in with its own systems, sensors etcetera, if the rest of the craft is damaged. And you want it soon." He paused, waiting for Chris to continue.

"We can get it to you as soon as you like on board a simply shuttle like the one we came upon, unless you want higher security. Is it just one that you want?" Chris thought that this would be the time to shine.

Abby looked over to Clark for a choice on this.

Thompson nodded. "For now. It'll fit in a shuttle?" he asked incredulously. "And what do you mean as soon as we like?"

"Within reason. When do you want it for? The amount of time it would take depends on several variables."

"In two weeks?" Clark asked. The construction was going to be rushed as fast as possible.

Abby leaned over towards Clark, her breasts just barely brushing up against his arm as she whispered, "You should ask for the specifications for the computer as soon as possible so we can start designing the ship's interface to it."

"We can easily make two weeks. We can fabricate it, and the fine tuning and so forth can be done in that time easily. Actually we'll probably tell Ephesus he has an hour so he won't get creative." Chris knew how to deal with Ephesus. Usually. He also read Abby's lips, but didn't think anything of it.

Joseph nudged Chris gently. ~Ephesus is not in on this. We're using base AI's, and moding them, remember?~

"We don't want you to Rush," Clark said, "When can we get the stats?"

How was I meant to know this? We use Ephesus for all the best AI's Chris sent back.

Oh, they're Epehsus-programmed, but made to be modifiable by our own technicians. Easy.

Wow, you must have gotten him on a good day to get him to agree to allowing other people to modify his designs. Chris didn't show that he was talking telepathically, smiling and looking around again.

"Well?" Clark prompted for answer to his questions.

Chris looked discontent, he took out his own pad and began to look up some details of NovaCorp AI production. He would of course let Joseph field this question.

"The exact statistics should be ready as soon as our technicians get a look at your requirements ... That is, when we return to the YSS Horizon." Said Joseph

"...cost?" Abby reminded them.

"Ah. Back to Chris I believe." said Joseph, turning to his partner.

Chris began working it out in his head, he hated predicting prices actually. Stupid prices. He began adding it up, subtracting variables, adding travel fees and work done, "As a rough estimate, around 101,253 ks. Possibly a little higher or lower depending on the variables." Chris said calmly.

"That's it?" Clark whispered in Abby's ear. He seemed surprised.

Abby leaned over and forward, resting her head on the palm of her hand and her arm on the table, her hand in front of her face, "Well, this isn't a top of the line system, seems like they are going to be putting together off the shelf hardware to make it," she whispered.

Clark didn't reply, but was irritated by this information. "Well, thank you for coming," he told the NovaCorp representatives.

Abby stood up, trying to be polite as possible in helping them to the door.

"Thank you, we'll get the AI's specs to you as soon as possible." He bowed slightly and walked out the door.

Joseph nodded to the man as he stood, placed his data-pad back in his case and followed his partner, giving a quick nod to Abdyel as well on his way out.

~Qu'est allé bien bien~ Chris communicated telepathically

Abby waited for them both to leave the room before turning to Clark, "Well, what do you think?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. We'll see what they give us. I don't think we can find better for now. Did we ever get the cost?"

Abby checked her notes, "They said it would be in the 100,000 KS range per unit."

~aiens~ Joseph sent back, ~etiamsi melius fasti ... Hah~

~Ik neem aan. Denk dat wij een te lage prijs gaven? Het zou goede relaties krijgen.~

END
 
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