ON> Virtual Meeting Room
"I have always wanted to meet you. I have seen the build quality in some of your designs and heard of some of your exploits. I always thought we would work well together if given the chance," Wazu started, displaying himself as a simple cube avatar inside of the featureless default-white VR meeting room, "But right now you wanted to talk about the Plumeria right?"
Yaichiro, meanwhile, had elected to appear as himself. He was wearing a white-paneled Type 35 Duty Uniform bearing rank. It seemed that he simply chose to appear wearing his normal uniform, rather than in any attempt to be imposing or lord rank. After all, the man he was speaking with was once a Taisho.
"That's right. While there aren't any programs in place to upgrade her, she's been in service for yen years. Her most recent refit was 8 years ago. She's served twice as long as other designs without a review, as a testament to her capability...but we can't just stop and say 'this is good enough'. The needs of the Army change, we're in a new war, and the ship has always been used in ways she was never designed for. At the very least, considerations and opinions should be heard to keep her up to date and running optimally, though some seem to think we need to make a larger successor." Yaichiro said, to clarify his purpose here.
"I'd like to hear what input those serving on ships of the class have. Personal experiences, opinions...those are one of the best resources available for analyzing a ship's effectiveness and needs."
In meat-space Wazu was reviewing the original questions Yai sent out as he responded, "... where ... to ... start..." He thought outloud, "I think that the root of the problem here is not having a clear understanding of what the Plumeria is for. The term 'pocket battleship' is from quite some time ago and does not really fit the ship... then again 'battleship' also seems to mean 'carrier' these days though that could just be more of an indication of posturing and....
... I suppose that is off topic?
The point I am trying to make is that the Plumeria has now taken over the role of the older Yui-class scouts. A small ship that can be sent out that can be expected to reasonably handle any encounter ranging from Diplomacy to science, repair work, space combat, ground combat, ect. I think that if we agree that it is a multi-role scout ship we could avoid making a larger replacement.
A larger repacement for the Plumeria would just be the Eikan. At which point you would be duplicating work."
Yaichiro listened intently, nodding in agreement at the end. "That's right. The original intended purpose of the Sakura was to be a high speed Gunship, using her high energy offensive armament and her speed to gain advantage. Less a battleship that could give and take a sustained pounding and more of an assault craft. The Plumeria was an effort to meet some of its more general purpose needs and later add armaments and compliment to support it longer in a fight...to make it serve even more of a battleship and general combat role."
"If the purpose of the Sakura is to be a high-speed gunship then we can remove much of the interior without issue. Vehicle storage, recreation areas, lounges... However I do not think that the ship is really a gunship either. I mean, by definition yes, but by usage there is clearly a need for all of those extra features.
If you are wanting a combat-oriented version of the ship then I would suggest going with the classic High-Low mix. A Plumeria type with full features, and a Plumeria type with nearly all of the crew-comforts removed. You could use the High-Type for your scouting and multi-purpose missions while the Low-type could sit at a starbase and practice manuvers for when a large-scale fleet action is imminent.
While things like vehicle storage is a boon to the scout ship, it is not really needed in a fleet engagement." Wazu said. "And if you accept that the Plumeria is already a pretty good size for a scout then we can talk about how to get the most out of your investment in the ship. Optimize its layout and make the most out of the new equipment you produce. After all if you change the turreted weapon platforms you can apply that change to all other ships which use that platform."
Again, Yaichiro's expression was one of thought, clearly considering Wazu's proposal and weighing it with what he'd already been considering.
"I'd actually realized that issue myself, but at that point you get into not only the purpose of the vessel, but also how the whole fleet functions. We already have the Hayai-class Gunboat, which is considered a cheap 'offensive' Gunboat and the Chiaki-class Destroyer, which is a 'defensive' destroyer. The Chiaki-class is less costly than the Plumeria, needs fewer crew and has a 60% parts commonality with the Plumeria-class. This 'Low Type' you propose sounds like it may be more practical as a Chiaki which has been refitted with the Plumeria's propulsion systems and main gun, and perhaps a few of her turrets. It's something I've been giving thought to as a side variant, but the success of the concept depends on how well we can miniaturize the Plumeria's ten year old technology."
"Do you need the Chiaki? Or the Hayai? Would they really be any better than a Low-Type Plumeria? You can not seperate ship design from fleet function since ships are ultimately there to add capability to a fleet. Then you have to worry about how well your design and logistics efforts are being spent. You could work on upgrading all three designs seperately, or you could work on adapting all the work you have already done. In the end one well built design will do more good for you than three designs that your attention has been split between.
Then there is the question of how to best use those design efforts. There are upgraded systems you can build to replace exsisting ones, which in turn can also be used to upgrade other ships. And there are also some internal optimizations that can be applied but that work doesn't translate to other ships." Wazu explained."The problem of where and how to start is compounded by the end users of the design not having a clear vision of what they want the ship for."
"Actually, there is a fairly clear vision for the Hayai and Chiaki." Yaichiro said, beginning to explain. "They were borne of the failed Yuuko Gunboat program which tried to do too much with too little. In the end, they decided on two extremely cost effective and simply designs that used parts from existing vessels. They dispensed with the frills and made the Hayai to be fast and hard-hitting. It patrols and seeks out threats to hit them hard with missiles and positron shells with hit and run tactics. The Chiaki is actually more for defending capital ships, assets, and planets, and can also double as essentially a big fighter for attacking enemy positions. Their roles are complementary, and their costs extremely low compared to other vessels. The Chiaki is cheaper to field than the Yui-7, and the Hayai is cheaper still."
"Is it any more faster or hard-hitting than the Plumeria? These all sound like capabilities that the Plumeria has, and certainly not anything that the Chiaki or Hayai hulls are especally well suited to. The Plumeria also seems to have the same set of cabailities and roles within the fleet. The Plumeria also has had more time devoted to its interiors and as a result has plenty of advantages that aren't easily transfered over to a new ship.
Plus I would think that your larger ships are more than capable of defending themselves. The Chiaki design always seemed a bit off to me, after all why design a small attack ship if you aren't planning on having it stay docked with the larger ships? You end up carrying all of the extra crew nicities that add mass to the design.
But I suppose that is drifting from the topic at hand: What is the Plumeria used for?"
"Everything, really. Especially long range travel and an all-purpose response to anything encountered out there. They've proven to need a lot of what they have in practice. Ships kept closer to home or assets that support them wouldn't necessarily need the extras. I'm having trouble grasping why you dislike upgrading the Chiaki design over downgrading some Plumeria though...the Chiaki has the same shields for its smaller mass already, and is essentially a Plumeria lacking the extras and using fewer crew as it is..." Wazu's argument just wasn't all that clear.
"That comes down to workload. Some upgrades are easy to move between ship designs. If you put together a new gun, that gun can easily be mounted on a wide range of equipment with minimal additional effort. Some upgrades, like optimizing internal layouts, does not transfer between ships.
There is certainly plenty to discuss, but finding the right starting point will let you upgrade more of the fleet faster than would just jumping into one system or optimization.
There are simple things, like moving the Plumeria's sensors to a fully-seperate pod, that could be done quickly and be easily moved across to other designs. Then there are more complex things like internal layout and shuttle placement... or even if the ship really needs a shuttle at all." Wazu replied.
"Well, part of the reason the Chiaki is attractive is that it shares so many parts with the Plumeria to begin with, making such adaptations practical. I was already considering a modular pod update to the Plumeria as well, letting an optional pod of various possible types be stuck on the Plumeria opposite the sensor pod too, but modular elements on warships tend to go unused in this Army. Also, we have to consider if the sensors are necessary or not for the role...what do you see the "Low Plumeria" doing?" Yaichiro asked,
"I would go with a subspace radar for long range finding, and a thermal targeting sensor. Or alternatively targeting sensors built into the weapons themselves rather than powerful search-sensors on the ship. Either way, podding both makes moving them to other ships easier... with the idea being you could retrofit other ships with the sensors, rather than going with a complex 'mix and match part' scheme for your ships. Those tend to go unused... since it takes too much time to go back to a warehouse where the other pods are.
Or if you want to talk about specifics we could move the conversation elsewhere. The anti-matter storage pods in the wings for example..."
"Yes, the wings. I was thinking of a sort of double-pylon design to better protect the systems inside and provide more structural re-enforcement, maybe even make a line of small engines in the rear of the pylon instead of one big target. I didn't have them fail on the Eucharis, but on the Sakura they gave me some trouble due to combat damage..." Yaichiro said, arms crossed.
"I did think an areospike design on the rear of the wings would be a bit more efficent." Wazu said, "But I think there is a larger opportunity there. Anti-matter storage takes up a lot of space, and weapon design has come a long ways since the late 20s. You could replace the anti-matter storage and launch system with a more convetional near-light-speed launcher and retain the same punch. A loader-system would also let you use specalized ammo so you have more options than just anti-matter bolts." Wazu said.
"I actually developed something a while back for the Tsubame Prototype Fighter which I intended for that role. It used an Aether Generator to make positrons and electrons in real time. It could fire positrons like normal, or it could be used with electrons in the atmosphere as a directed 'lightning gun'. It pretty much resolved the storage issue. I was also debating what sort of other ammunition to use as well. There could even be a little side to side movement added to the gun if it's between two pylons, but that adds complexity to a part of the ship that should have optimum integrity and minimum moving parts." Yaichiro responded. They seemed to be thinking the same thing...or at least in the right ball park.
"Well, I think there are a few options there. You could thicken the wings and have the gun inset, and have a pressuized room in the wing for operating the guns. Or you could pod the gun and secure it under the wing. The weapon could be serviced by crew in power armor. Although, I would think that the engineering teams would always be wearing power armor." Wazu stated, "As for ammunition: There are so many options there that it is hard to list. I am a fan of smoke and other obfuscation tools. Though launchable sensors or other specalized rounds can certainly be of use. The more special situations you come across the more options you will end up with. Even just semi-guided rounds would be an improvement over the positron shells."
"Hmm...that is something to consider, true..." Yaichiro had something in mind, but wasn't divulging it yet. "I'd like the gun to be better protected...rounds that can change direction, though, would be larger unless...hmm...maybe if we used the Graviton Beam Projector Array to steer 'dumb' rounds..."
"If you want a dedicated system for that then you could certainly pod it and place it near the cannons, but you may as well us the ship's CFS for that type of work." Wazu said. "The CFS is already doing similar work pushing incoming fire away from the ship. You could get a similar effect for outgoing rounds with some software."
"Eh...I'd rather not tax the CFS more than I have to for that. If one's in a situation where they're firing, they're in a situation where they may need every bit of shield strength they can get. The Graviton Beam Projector Array is already installed around the ship's hull. It's not like it can't be managed...not that the capability shouldn't be available as a failsafe. I just don't see that as the primary means." The two engineers didn't agree on everything, but it was rational and civil...and they seemed to agree on a number of things.
Perhaps Yaichiro should explore using the Link Device to redirect weapons fire...
"Something to think about. Another would be the use of shuttles. The Plumeria already can land in atmosphere to drop off heavy equipment or pick up personel. It can dock with other ships for transfer of personel, and power armored infantry does not need a shuttle.
The only reason I can think to take a shuttle would be for diplomatic reasons... sending over the small ship instead of docking along side. Even so I would think that both the number of shuttles and the shuttle size could be reduced. The shuttle could even be moved to the vehicle bay to free up space on the top side." Wazu explained, "Alternatively, the shuttle could be a detachable craft anchored to the outside. There is plenty of space on the rear, wings, sides, or top to carry craft."
"Hmm...that's the opposite of what others desire, though the integration of some shuttle bay and vehicle bay aspects are being recommended. I am wondering if the specific type of shuttle employed is needed or if a smaller one is better. I have also pondered a detachable shuttle opposite that sensor pod...but shuttles ideally should be protected...hmm...anything else?"
"We could be here for hours..." Wazu said with a slight laugh, "Besides, I would be remiss if I did not bring the shuttle thing up. In my mind, I feel it better to have ablative shuttles adding protection to the exterior of the craft than it is to have shuttles protected by the ablating exterior of the craft.
I think we covered shuttles, but the Shuttles could also easily be replaced with small fighters or other support craft. With a slight change to the shuttle bay and graviton beam protector locations you could turn the vehicle storage area into a fighter launch area.
Similarly, the cargo bay area directly behind vehicle storage could be mostly removed if you push storage into the hallways, reduce the size of the fabrication area, or both.
And that leads to the fabrication area. It should probably open to the exterior of the ship for construction or printing of large items. Though I have yet to see anyone complain about the size of the fabrication area so maybe it is already large enough?"
Some things Wazu wanted were the opposite of requests. Still, other observations held merit. He knew not all his ideas would be implemented, but it was good to talk like this to open up one's mind to new ideas. "So the rear part of the ship and the pylons need the most change. That much is a universal complaint. Maybe I should even change the rear hull of the ship. The hull design is woefully inefficient for using that space."
"It was almost an areodynamic design until the turrets and the wing-pods. Though I always figured that changing the rear shape would kill the ship's asthetics and as such would be a non starter. That aside, those rooms are just the easiest place to make changes. Far easier than moving the bridge, computers, and engineering areas around... Though I suppose if you want to talk about that swapping the bridge and the recreation area would make the most sense. The bridge does not need that dome area above it and the recreation area does not need to be in the center of the ship. Similarly the armor access could be moved around so that it opens directly into the power armor bay by staircase or zero G area. Similarly, the cargo area above the power armor bay could be removed and replaced with in-ceiling storage for the power armor bay." Wazu would pause for a moment to check his notes in the real world, the drawbacks of not using a digital mind, "I suppose I also do not see the need for both a cargo lift and a Zero G passage way. Though if you are looking to add in more space there are other options like Zero-G beds in the passage way in place of cabins."
"That last one won't fly. Especially for long range missions. It's functional, but that's one area where morale is important. Besides...you know that there are certain things that two or more consenting adults don't want to do in front of the whole ship...unless it's a Dare Lottery." Yaichiro reminded Wazu. Though Dare Lotteries might not be a thing on the Eucharis anymore...
"So essentially optimize the space as best possible...maybe centralize the bridge and other functions...it'll take some thought and miniaturization magic to manage without giving up anything, but we'll see what I can do and what other input comes in. Thank you for all of this input."
"I literally can not stop myself," Wazu replied, sounding all too serious, "Perhaps the zero G gravity beds are not popular, but ships used to do that kind of hot-racking. It would also be an easy way to sleep a second and third power armor team if you wanted to increase the infantry capacity and replace the vehicle bay with an additional set of power armor bays... but that is more of a niche idea.
The ship's reactor could use some attention. Similarly, there are plenty of slightly different aether reactor designs throughout Yamatai. A baseline reactor design with proper documentation and development behind it would be something that could easily be applied across your fleet." Wazu replied.
"I suppose we could have some Zero-G begs behind some panels in the passageway..." Yaichiro said, giving the matter some thought. "And yes, a standard reactor type would be something to benefit from. Each ship has its own needs and requires a reactor of a specific size, but ones of similar size and class might be able to use the same reactor...or multiple ones. Hanako-Shosho wanted a redundant Engineering area of sorts..."
"And that may come down to personal preference. I prefer small and numerous, and choose to live with the consiquences. Having 100 small reactors means it is basically impossible for the whole system to go down, but there will always be one or two that are having some kind of problem and the total mass for the system tends to go up a bit.
For the Eucharis, it would not be easy to place another reactor of that size in the ship without removing something from one of the other rooms. But I maintain that an updated, well designed, reactor compartment would be a very useful add.
Of course, this is all before we get to the exterior of the ship." Wazu said.
"Well, it's not like we can't use the Turbo Aether Plasma system as a backup generator system...but yes, I agree to a certain point. Numerous and small is good as long as the ship can carry the Engineers needed to maintain it all. There comes a point where the complexity and extra hands needed to maintain the system invite their own problems. A proper balance is needed given the ship's intended compliment. Some redundancy is essential though, definitely." Yaichiro agreed, but there were conditions to that agreement for it to be practical within reason...
"I think it would be easier to use the engines for power exclusively, and free up the internal space for something else. However I do not think that I could talk Yamatai out of internal ship reactors." He explained, "Though, as far as the exterior goes, the big things there are weapon layout, type, and areodynamics. The added fins do not seem necessary. You could get better results by increasing the size or... at least the surface area of the main wings. That would mean greater structual stability with the same amount of heat disipation. I know areodynamics is not a concern really, but still those extra wings bring with them a lot of drag.
The turrets themselves could also use some attention." Wazu had to check his notes again, pausing for a moment, "I would go into the benifits of the 'one big gun' design, but sidesteping that you do have turrets which could be used to fire specific rounds. Or you could be going to more classical beam-style weapons. That may also come down to personal preference. What I would have are retractable continuous beam weapons inset into the cargo lift with turrets that can extend up and down from the craft to provide full 360 coverage. However, I do not think your people would go for such a weapon, in which case I would advocate for fewer but stronger point defense guns for use against the heavier missiles and fighters. This would be suplimented with numerous very small interceptor missiles that would deal with high-volume weapon swarms.
Also, the torpedoes on the wings. You can mount a variety of systems there, and you could be pulling equipment straight off your line of fighter craft to use there. Although, it does seem weird to only carry two. Similarly it would be easy to include an enclosed weapon-release bay on the wings or underside of the ship."
"I had also pondered a torpedo module on the side of the ship across from the sensor module, but that's true...the Kaiyo also uses a couple missiles under the shop, so that's to be considered. I also did what you recommend on the Yui 7 refit, so that is a possibility..."
"Where to next? Repair tools? Or is that a bit outside of what you are trying to work on here?" Wazu asked, "Similarly, you could fit a small repair drone in the base of the cargo lift. Fabricating larger items is a lot easier outside the ship and a heavy equipment carrier would make field repairs easier.
The combined field system could use some attention. Some of the components are so old they were in use when I was in the Star Army of Yamatai. The SS pod has not seen an update in a while
And I would also do away with the escape pods. There is an SS pod on the ship already as well as numerous space suits and power armors.
We could also get into Materials Science if you have the time!"
Wazu was certainly a large source of ideas. The guy had a lot to get out. Yaichiro elected to patiently sit and listen. After all, Wazu was more of a veteran than he was, and it was interesting. "The Plumeria-class does tend to need to repair its own things on site. It tends to need a measure of self-sufficiency in such. Many are squadrons with an attached Ikoi, true, but some field repair capability has always been important for the ones out there on the fringes. Looking at the older components is certainly worthwhile, especially for the purposes of miniaturization, and I do have ideas for the CFS..."
Yaichiro gave a light smile. "The Bubble and Conformal modes of operation are interesting, but not always ideal, especially for ships shaped like the Plumeria-class. Clinging to the surface area of the ship so tightly in Conformal just makes for excess surface area. This added surface area, if struck by a large attack, would need a lot more energy to sustain CFS integrity.
Bubble, meanwhile, covers wasted space and causes danger of otherwise near misses still hitting the shield and depleting it needlessly. A third hybrid option that balances minimum surface area for the CFS and minimum volume within would be something I plan to pursue. It would approximate complex geometries with curvature, allowing for a more efficient balance while still having some areas that friendly Power Armors and Star Fighters could move along with their ship in. A side effect to this would be the notable reduction of drag in the atmosphere." Yaichiro said, explaining the idea.
"I don't intend to drop the escape pods, though. I'm not willing to sacrifice survivability...and the SS-Pod only needs to be hit once to kill everyone in the scenario you invite. At least Escape Pods would provide more chances of someone's survival, and more targets to divert attention away from the SS Pod if we invite the more morbid scenarioes."
"Using shields as part of an ultra-light design is something I have been trying to find a use for. Instead of a minimum volume configuration or a sphere, you could also setup a lifting-body shape for other basic areodynamics for geometry.
I think shields are a fairly mature technology though. The gains to be made there seem to be mostly in miniaturization, power consumption, and other small gains.
As for the SS pod, it really should have its own teleporter or CFS. There is also very little chance that any escape pods would make it if anyone is targeting them. Power armors and space suits provide similar if not better survivability for crew in nearly all situations."
"All valid points. I think a variable geometry shield with multiple profiles or even on-the-fly adjustments would certainly be more power efficient for any given task. We're already over halfway there with the CFS opening to allow weapons discharge. Sometimes those small gains are what make the difference in a fight, even if they buy a few seconds.
And I agree with your statements for the SS Pod needing upgraded with such mobility capacity. It is more important than the escape pods...but omitting the escape pods isn't just an efficiency question. It's also a question of morale. Many would take the omission of escape pods as a confession by the ship designers that the crew were expendable. They'd have to live with that as they served and have it in the back of their minds in every fight. Should they go into a fight willing to lay down their lives? They knew the answer to that when they put on the uniform. Should we do any less then our best as designers to ensure the survival of our crews if the worst happens? I don't think so. Those escape pods indicate our priorities, so if I can include them, I fully plan to."
"The pods indicate a need to hang on to outdated notions that the pods will be useful. Power armors already have superior survivability, and you would be able to fit a similar crew count worth of armors in the space that the pods take up. Similarly, if it is not safe to stay inside of the ship then it would not be suitable to leave the ship in a small pod with lesser amounts of shielding.
Materials science next? Supercritical dampening devices would be useful for reducing shock... then again that may just be my preference for anaolg solutions over the electronic inertial dampeners.
A self-repairing Zesu coating may be useful. Or perhaps just a more useful armor configuration than the solid plates?" Wazu asked.
"...I'll explore alternatives to escape pods, and as for the dampening devices, I think that is a matter of preference at this point. Both technologies are rather mature, but the electronic version can be better integrated with the other components and systems of the ship.
As for self-repairing Zesuaium...I don't want to turn my nose up at the idea, since I've seen solutions appear for the previously 'insurmountible', but I find that unlikely to happen any time soon given Zesuaium's fundamental nature. I'll keep my mind open though, since no one ever discovered anything by thinking something was impossible. I did experiment with sacrificial ablative panels over top of conventional armor, but I don't have enough combat data of the UOC's Asuka-class to determine if it was effective. How useful it would be though depends heavily on the find of firepower brought to bear. If it's something that can get through the CFS in the first place, I wonder how effective ablative or scale armor would be."
"I have started to use both in my designs. Mostly in place of armor plate... a similarly massive dampener is only a bit larger, and overall provides better protection against penetrating hits.
Similarly, the goal should be to make better use of the mass on a ship than putting it into armor. Rather than ablative plates you could easily put super-capacitors or other less-critical systems that could pull double-use as armor."
"Super-capacitors...you mean electric reactive armor?"
"No. Well, yes, but also no. That ablative armor plate will weigh a certain amount. You could provide the same amount or better of protection with an electric reactive armor scheme sure, but if you configure that armor panel as extra energy storage you could pump that energy into the ship when it is needed. For the price of an armor panel, you would end up with an armor panel and energy storage." In meat space, Wazu was smiling, "I also have two flavors of repairable Zesu. I am pretty happy I got there before KFY did... but I still think that more common materials are better for starships."
Yaichiro raised his eyebrow slightly. "Really. I must confess to a scientific curiosity there on how you managed that."
"Would you be surprised to know that most of the developments in Zesu now tends to be in Nepleslian back-rooms? There is this guy that does Zesu remanufacturing," Wazu said, sounding legitimately excited, "Black market type, bought one of the most advanced Anti-matter cutting tool on the market. The guy has been cutting Zesu parts into tiny jig-saw pieces and re-assembling it using ancient material joining techniques from back before they knew how to make screws." He would pause a bit, realizing that his story was begining to wander, "... Anyways: Zesu velcro. Small Zesu blocks with loops and hooks on them. When two pieces press against each other they have a high probability of interlocking. When you have thousands of the pieces they tend to interlock very easily. Additional armor can be applied by adding more pieces and after an event strong enough to break the material there are usually enough bits left over to reconnect."
"Fascinating...perhaps Molecure solution could also be used as a binding adhesive in conjunction with such things...and I am somewhat familiar with the method you stated. Some Yamataian traditional buildings use such processes. It does make many points of failure though. Perhaps slats would help with that issue. I'm not at all surprised that Nepleslia's researching it, though. I've got things I'd like to research that Yamatai seems to consider a technological dead end..."
"A similar technique, I did consider a variety of mechanical joining methods. The velcro bit option seems to be the most self-repairing option. Though a Zesu zipper, slats, blocks and options along those lines would make a solid structure that is repairable by hand." Wazu explained.
"Well, it'd be pretty sharp. There is something that can be done though. Zesuaium has a supplemental porous coating with millions of tiny connection points. That's how paint adheres."
"And extremely toxic!" Wazu added, "Though if you use a non-mechanical joining technique the Zesu is only going to be as strong as the coating. Ultimately other joining techniques will not be as effective."
"Also true...three-dimensional jigsaw and slat pieces may wind up being best after all, though the ships that use it would likely be restricted to being rather box-like. And anything that handles and places the Zesuaium either has to be Zesuaium itself, or at least Yamataium."
"A conventional Zesu plate could be textured to fit with the jigsaw peices, and so long as you are willing to cut and assemble the pieces small enough you can get a surface that is smooth enough for most uses... though storage of unused pieces is a bit of a challenge that only gets harder the smaller pieces you have. Worse yet, the smaller the piece the better the self-repairing aspects of the configuration."
"Yeah, and the time and labor-intensive nature of it...in the end we just default to using Durandium, Yama-Dura, or Yamataium except for things like blast shutters. I don't see the Army using that concept for mass production vessels...but it is certainly a thought-provoking exercise. Perhaps something will come of the idea that can eventually be mass produced." Yaichiro wasn't dismissive of the idea, but applying it on this specific application didn't seem prudent...
"Exterior options then?" Wazu asked, "Tracking back to those torpedo launchers. If you are going to redesign the wings then you have a decent opportunity to add some storage there. You could easily fit a cargo-container under each wing, or perhaps 4 to 8 total containers if you want to stack them side by side and also ontop of the wings. For that matter the entire vehicle area and cargo bay could be a detachable module if you are looking to build a more dropship oriented Plumeria."
Yaichiro wasn't sure about that idea. It certainly had a Nepleslian feel. Not that it was a bad thing in and of itself...they just seemed to have some fundamentally different ideas. "I am unsure of if the Army would use those or not. If I add too much, then the benefit of strengthening the weakest part of the ship would be removed. Including underwing connection points might be suitable as a multi-purpose option though. Question is if I should add a walkway for internal access to such a thing. If I do, I'd want a definite and immediate way to seal off that area if someone takes out a pylon."
"You have plenty of spare capacity for power armors, and a serious lack of space. I would make use of EVA to a much greater extent for ship repairs and operations." Wazu said, "Besides, if you listen to what everyone wants instead of focusing on some A-B validation methodology then you are just going to end up building a 20% larger gunship with 20% more of everything it already has. Build what your army is going to use, not what it thinks it needs."
"That's...in some ways what I'm seeing. I have noticed some unique claims though that I'm eying though. Paying more attention to those. I'm not 100% sure on some of the things you've said, but some certainly are worthwhile...anything else?" Yaichiro asked, curious.
"Just the good stuff. There are some things that... well... " Wazu paused for a bit, "... Some things I think it would be best not to have in the hands of the military."
"...Don't let Hanako-Shosho hear you say that. She doesn't necessarily see everything in an objective light. Any percieved lack of loyalty will be noted, if I still recall. She's not bad, by any means, but...she can be a bit quick to misinterpret at times." Yaichiro warned. Hanako wouldn't accept anything less than loyalty, as he recalled. Of course, he suspected Wazu not to have such loyalty, bouncing around assorted factions and governments over the years. Not that he could judge too harshly. Yamatai was not perfect.
"Not the expected response." Wazu said, pausing as he considered what to say next. It seemed somewhat impolite though, not to share the line of thought. "...Maybe I misjudged? I had expected you to be more sympathetic."
"...Let's just say that I've learned to be careful with what I say, especially over communications channels or in certain company. I won't pretend that Yamatai is flawless. I once sent an intercepted communication from an IWL vessel trying to work with the SMX to the Army. I certainly didn't want nor expect the direct result to be the genocide of the Freespacers. There are other things I've seen too, but they're still classified. But that doesn't mean the people of the Empire aren't worth protecting. I merely advise you to be careful what you say when people are listening. And don't talk about Former Emperor Uesu and the concealment of the Elysian Plague in front of Hanako-Shosho. She did not like that." Yaichiro responded to clarify. "I understand the need to conceal technology at certain times. Why do you think the Kirie and Keiko were hidden until I had actual prototypes ready?"
"I only know you by reputation and design. The specifics of the Kirie and Keiko are not known to me." Wazu's response was more of a non-statement than anything. He seemed to not quite know how to respond. "Maybe some other time then?"
"Ah. The Kirie and Keiko design process was concealed for about 3 years before they were unveiled. And...well, I have some ideas I haven't developed yet for ethical reasons. I just am hesitant to even imply that without cause." He wasn't unsympathetic, simply careful.
"...Oh, there is one more matter. I contacted the SSS about it. I'm worried about the Rixxikor, specificly their reproductive system and its airborne properties. There's a danger there...you're a scientist. Can you analyze output from Rixxikor populations as you encounter them as the opportunity arrises."
"I can send you what we have. We have gathered a lot of information on their biology though that stuff is a bit... it is not really a big deal. The Rixx carry their own ecosystem around with them. Between the bacteria, the acid, and the mold that grows on and around them they are natural teraformers. The Rixx kill of plants and animals. The mold they carry then grows into this cheese-like food that only their bodies seem to be able to process." Wazu replied.
"My concern is that their reproductive system dumps mist into the air regularly. Though they aren't impacted much by toxins or illness, it doesn't mean they can't eject it again through that sistem in a way that makes people or ecosystems suffer. Also, given the sheer speed and...girth of their reproductive capabilities, it's quite possible for a symbiotic microscopic organism to be carried by the Rixxikor and rely on them for dispersal. And even if not...
It would be possible for the enemy to engineer such a thing and release it into the Rixxikor populace in the Kikyo Sector once it his a certain critical mass. They're potentially a self-replicating aerosol weapon. Maybe my concerns are unfounded, but I'm worried about the possibility."
"Modern medicine makes this a poor vector for attack. Even my immune system can reasonably deal with the Rixxikor's infecious bacteria though yes, for natural organisms the Rixx tend to be very toxic to non-rixx-symbiotic life." Wazu explained.
"It doesn't have to be aimed directly at us to be effective. It can be the ecosystem. It can be our food supply. Even if we are resistant to such things, other populations and our source of food are not." Yaichiro clarified.
"So then what is the fix here? Remove the Rixx, remove the problem. On the time scale that bacteria are harmful on, close proximity to Rixx seems to be more harmful. And if you are worried about a k planticola style run away effect with the bacteria released from the Rixx, then the Rixx are not really the problem as such a weapon could be easily released elsewhere anyways.
There are already systems in place for dealing with invasive species on a small scale. The Rixx do not seem to pose a problem until they are numerous." Wazu replied.
"Hmm...I suppose I need to produce a specialized variant of Nodal Command 2719. If that could be distributed and produced on a wide scale, then we could at least contain the breeding populations on populated worlds. I didn't have an answer yet, as much as that I wanted to verify if the problem existed. There's an option I considered, but I don't know how...ethical it is." Yaichiro stated.
"If we can map the Rixxikor genome...we can alter it. Perhaps add in a genetic compulsion to find and eat other Rixx eggs, or even alter their race memory...but that's a second to last resort...before genocide."
"Altering is easy. Wide spread roll out of those changes to the entire population is difficult even with a population that is receptive. Consider that your modified Rixx would end up removing themselves from the population due to their compulsion." Wazu replied.
"Yeah, it might take several different types of 'compulsion'. It's something to keep on the back burner as an emergency measure, if it becomes a matter of survival. Not something I like at all though. Crude creatures though they may be." Yai wasn't comfortable with it, but at least it might allow them to become a viable race rather than a parasitic one that just consumed all...
"..." Wazu was quiet for quite a while.
It almost seemed like he had disconnected.
"... There would be the question of how you would deploy such a change on a large scale. I would imagine your compulsions would quickly be out-bred by the other lines of Rixxikor.
The moral question, is certainly difficult. More than that, widespread deployment of mind control technology.
... moreso than it already is at least...
would be undesireable."
"That's why it's a last resort, just short of genocide. It could be justified by making a strain that was less likely to burn itself off and actually be able to co-exist with an environment, but that's just it. A justification. It's one of those things I hope never has to be done, but it might be prudent to keep available as an option. One of those things you quietly research and keep out of the hands of the government at large until the time is right...because someone somewhere would inevitably jump the gun. It's not something that can be taken back or undone once started." Yaichiro stated with concern, after Wazu thought for a while.
"All other solutions should be exhausted first before it's considered, but at the same time...it's something that would have to be ready to go ASAP once the call was made."
"The worst they realize they can do right now is kill everyone. It would be best to keep it that way," Wazu replied.
"Right. I only mention it to you because you clearly know the value of keeping certain secrets. It's something I don't plan on discussing recklessly. Your record indicates that you've also got a measure of experience walking that ethical line out of necessity. You've got reason to know just what crosses it and when. Your input was needed." Yaichiro confessed, arms crossed as he pondered his options.
"My input is that you avoid this. If you develop this kind of weapon, then others will have to develop their versions. You should expect that once it is used, it will be used against you. A more sophisticated version of this kind of technology is in no ones best interests." Wazu warned.
Yaichiro paused for a moment and closed his eyes, thinking back. He thought back to the repurposed Stellar Link Siphon station, which had been turned into a star system control platform by the NMX. Pondering the matter, he opened his eyes again. "Perhaps you're right. Down that path lies modified Rixx soldiers and slaves, in all likelihood...still leaves us trying to solve the issue long term. Any attacks would have to take into account their biology rather than alter them as beings...perhaps make it unpleasant for them to be on certain planets like with a persistant head or stomach-ache or something...not sure how just yet. They're breathing in the Nodal System on certain worlds just like everyone else, so maybe that can be used..."
"That would certainly be more sustainable. Perhaps there is a less resource intensive way to discourage them from going to certain planets? Atmospheric chemistry, sounds, or memetic options." Wazu suggested. "Though, I suppose we have yet to come across a sound that they can hear that we can not. It will be something to look for in the future.
I was hoping to draw them elsewhere. Perhaps to a world that would be suitable for Rixxikor and guide them toward becoming a more socially responsible species." Wazu said.
"While possible, there's the issue of the race memory. They're born with their characteristics from the get-go, making that less likely to work..." Yaichiro said, with concern. "I could see perhaps trapping them on a world without any technology, perhaps hopefully letting the race memory fade over time as they become farmors and take the time and effort to build their own society. That could take decades or even centuries though." Yaichiro saw merit in the idea, but wasn't sure how to implement it.
"A caretaker AI running the show, and a planet designed as a host may work for this. However the resource and upkeep of building an entire planet with volumetric projectors hidden across the entire surface may be unrealistic with the resources currently avalible.
At its base elements, this is a large scale education program. With improvements in education and quality of life there is a marked reduction in birth rates, death, and other unpleasentness."
"Provided they have no access to the AI's hardware or software. I understand they have some measure of technological skill. Given time and isolation with an AI, they might just reprogram or warp the thing. Perhaps if the actual AI were a ship in orbit...what would the volumetric projectors be used for though?" Yaichiro asked. He seemed to prefer the idea of not leaving them much to mess around with on the surface.
"Projecting educational material, restricting egg distribution, and otherwise guiding their development. It should be easy enough to restrict their access to the technology. While the Rixx appear to have a lot of natural aptitudes they are easily distracted." Wazu replied.
Toshiro pondered, crossing his arms. "Perhaps, provided it was successfully defended from intervention. It would likely be a somewhat hard to work world through conventional means though, since the Army wouldn't give up just any world for them that they could use on their own."
"Planets are plentiful. Some amount of terraforming may be required. Though if we are considering a solution on this scale we should be prepared to accept the investment of resources required." Wazu said, "Concealment of the volumetrics and sufficent power should allow the force fields to keep the Rixxikor from damaging the equipment.
Though at this point we are talking about a planet-scale re-education camp."
"Yeah...there's no good solution to this one...well, I need to go. My time is up. I've got other work to do. Thank you for your time and your input. I really appreciate it." Yaichiro said, giving a respectful bow. The man was once a Taisho and was serving as his superior's advisor, after all. Strange command structures were previously a big part of Yai's life though.
"Certainly, some other time then." Wazu said, ending the transmission from his side.
Yaichiro also ended his and went to work, various ideas in his mind on the upgrade program...and on other matters.
