Pryce Institute-Cambridge

[Pryce]

"The Shipwrights"

[color=#33CC00]The Pryce Institute, Cambridge Annex
Main Conference Room
City of Chesterton, Planet Cambridge.

Professor Cook entered the conference room, only a shade smaller than it's counterpart on Los Angeles, though equally well furnished. Overall, the design was quite simple. The room made full use of the Institutes recent obsession for the colour red. The deep crimson hue covered the walls, the doors, while in the center of the room stood a vast rectangular table, with a gleaming, almost black finish. It was made of some species of walnut, a dark and beautiful wood that had cost tens of thousands of credits to have produced. It was one of the last major "extra" purchases the Institute had made before it had been forced to cut back spending on such frivolities. It was still a nice table.


Seated at one end of the table was thin man in a suit, and beside him a even thinner man in a set of clean blue coveralls. They rose as Doctor Cook approached. The first man extended his hand, and shook Cooks'.

"Professor Cook, thank you for having us here. May I introduce Mr. Bristol, the Lead Foreman assigned to the construction project."

"Hello , Professor." The man said, shaking hands with Cook.

Cook rounded the edge of the table, taking a seat next to Rene Altura, the only other person in the room.
The man in the suit sat back down. "Professor Altura has been telling us of some of the changes you were requesting. I must confess, I am quite surprised that you would ask for such changes so late in construction. Several sections of the main hull shall have to be reconfigured. May I ask what prompted these changes?" The mans' face was a polite mask, but Cook sensed a deep irritation behind it.


Cook activated a control on the small panel that rested on the table in front of him. A holographic image of the ship being constructed was projected over the length of the table. "Quite simply, Mr Townes, we've had to consider making the vessel more versatile. That's why we're taking out some of the cargo space, and adding in more labs, here, and here." Cook clicked a key, and the image above them changed slightly, reflecting the new parameters.

Bristol spoke; "But the powerplant? What you're asking for will add weeks, perhaps months to the launch date. We'll have to rebuild the entire aft section, which is already in place."

Townes added, pointing at the image; "About this section next to the hangar bay, here, all this extra material and shielding, with these additional bulkheads. It's set up like the deck of a prison ship. This is a major deviation from the original plan. It's a large waste of space."


"It's not a waste of space, if you had the faintest idea how we plan to use it."

Altura slumped in the chair. Her demeanor was the same odd stillness she'd kept since her return. "It's our project, and we're footing the bill to have you complete the work as we require. So comply."

She eyed the shipbuilder with a cold glare, and Cook suppressed a shudder.

Townes glanced away, uncomfortable with the constant gaze. Finding himself, with returned the look and said; "Of course. But this shall certainly require more funds to complete. Twenty percent, perhaps more. We'll contact you once we've finalized that figure."

The two men rose, and left the conference room.

Cook spoke; "Rene..we are getting close to bankrupting the Institute. Can't we compromise on some of these refinements?"

She stood up, somewhat uncomfortably, and said; "I don't have a lot of time Matthew. Once the ship is complete, Wesley and I are heading back out. Deeper than before. It has to be ready."

She left, leaving Cook alone at the table.

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