Prometheus barks and Havoc chuffs.
All righty then. I watch the Bit smile at the men. “Brothers no talk anyway.”
I laugh with Copper and board the chopper while the Brothers figure out what to ask, or what to say or what to do. They follow us in so they got the what to do.
Copper explains about the compression step that Alder added so the cement is eighty percent stronger, uses thirty percent less cement product and its lighter. I don’t get what she said about no cracking because the Brothers found their voices but it’s good.
“How does he come up with these things?” We can reinforce with that, I hope.
She smiles. “I kind of help with that. I’m an engineer like Stella but I published and always kept track of the innovative and military breakthroughs. I’m a dual citizen that lived in Germany longer than the US. Reading the studies and patented information was always in English. It pissed my step mom off.” She’s a rebel that fell into the right place.
“So, you read about cement?”
“In Germany, we went to China for an Innovative Builders Conference. I got to talking to the engineers and a company we bought minerals from took me on a tour of the new roads, showed the rail lines they had running, and even plans of the river they have been widening with locks and new villages to serve the ships headed to the Caspian Sea. I loved the conferences but wasn’t able to do much with my father always shutting down my hobbies. If it was aerial he didn’t care but everything else he called a hobby and waste of resources.”
“I’m glad you’re here and able to jump around to things that interest you.”
“Alder and Stella are just like me. When I saw his lighted walkways, I sent the research for the compression cement and B-CORE. That’s the ultra-lightweight steel panels. I used it for the drones in Germany. That waffle block helped me while coding for the lightweight Kevlar suits. The silkworm pattern only added a few lines once I put the B-CORE code in.” She’s really into building unusual things we use every day.
I’m wearing Kevlar. “Vapor’s mom invented Kevlar.” I add the only thing I can since I'm not an engineer anywhere close to these flipping mega geeks.
Her whole face lights up. “Stella told me. I met her at the ol’ lady meet. She sent me her mom’s books but I’ve been too busy. I’m up to the gas shortage but didn’t have the time to dive into Kevlar.”
“Thats how, isn’t it? The gas shortage sent companies into invention models.”
“Yeah, but I want all the experiments failed and successes. She was R&D.”
“If we find the facilities, we can reinforce with the stronger cement.”
I hope it’s a pick me up for an obvious geek scientist. She perks up and smiles like it’s a gift.
I nod and look at Hud. Mostly because I don’t understand why the old failures put the sad on her face. Brolin is talking to her in French so I smile at Hud because it’s a conversation that’s not about cement or failing lab results.
“Why Elan?” He asks.
I look around noting the Flight Crew. “BSC needs power grids that can collect, hold and disperse large quantities within a small area. I read about an area close to Elan that the government rents out.”
He’s surprised but only one eye shows that surprise. “The horse land?”
I saw his bio and know he speaks easy and moderate languages, then mandarin. I use that one. “It wouldn’t be above,” I tell him.
He chuckles and gives me a nod.
§*§*§
Elan Rising
Hud
Dinner turns out to be what one of Copper’s conferences must have looked like. Every geek shows with Badass Officers and Bits on virtual all over the place. It’s complete chaos around food.
The card on the K9 didn’t log any radiation readings so we know we’re all safe but I think that’s why this right here right now is chaos. I don’t get why no radiation is a reason for a party. They have had parties all along without radiation and no one has said a word about no radiation like they don’t know. I’m not asking. It’s one of those land mines I think I don’t need to set off.
I stop scanning and smile at the only two Alpha-Bits that traveled tonight. LP and Asa are with the little Bits from Flight Guard. Alder is straight forward and says exactly what he means. He strikes me as older and competent most of the time but I see how young his social interactions can be and think he’s child-like but he’s more. As with most things about him, there’s always more. He’s a mentor, adult figure, trusted elder to the smaller Bits too. They hang on his every word. The little President amazes me.
“He amazes everyone, Brother.”
I turn. “Pres. I’m glad you showed. They don’t know why they’re here.”
