The Foundry; Part 6

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Hegemonic Automaton"]

Nel sat within her office, her hands splayed out on the desk, her head tilted back and her eyes closed. It had been eighteen hours since she had taken control of Vanir Technologies, eighteen hours of work, calls, and meetings. Things were going well enough, but she was starting to see just how much work this all was. She had taken it for granted, had thought it was easier. Alric Kuhn had made it look like childs play, though she supposed that he had a leg up in this sort of situation, a preconceived notion of exactly what he needed and when he needed it.

"Madam Nel."

A voice caused her to jump into the air, her eyes opening almost immediately. "Yes Nira?"

She said her assistance name without even thinking, realizing that she had probably been half asleep just then. There were still a few more calls to make, important calls. She regretted not making them earlier when she was more alert. Her head shook from side to side as she tried to push away the feeling of sleepiness and exhaustion.

"Hegemonic Automaton is on line one."

Nel nodded. "Thank you Nira."

"Hello? Yes this is Madam Nel, the CEO of Vanir Technologies." That usually got her through the secretaries at least. "I Would like to speak with someone regarding a contract with Hegemonic Automaton."

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

There were precisely three seconds of silence as the droid working the communications center verified the source of this call. There were a lot of calls to sift through, usually from small planetary companies that wanted to cut a deal. Anything that had Kuhn's name on it at any point, however, was immune to the usual vetting process. "Please hold." There was a click, followed by about twenty seconds of soothing electronic music as the call was transfered to the appropriate personnel. Hegemonic Automaton did its best to invoke the images of industry and advanced technology in everything it did. This included it's in-call music. There was a second click as the line was picked up again.

"Madam Nel. Congratulations on your promotion." Gerion was not intimately familiar with the new CEO's background. He had only skimmed the holonet articles regarding her appointment and hadn't thought very much of it. Mr. Kuhn was a respectable, if engimatic, businessman. Whoever he chose was bound to be right for the job. "This is Gerion Ardik. How can I help you today?"

The last time one of Alric's companies had contacted him, an entire droid army had been commissioned. Contracts like that usually made his heart (if people were to assume he had one) sing. Somehow he doubted that was what this call would be about, but perhaps it would be just as profitable.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

"Thank you Mr. Ardik." Nel said with a smile, straightening slightly in front of the man.

Unsurprisingly, Nel actually had a file on Gerion Ardik. It was not one filled with secret information or secrets of the mans dirty past, but instead was a collection of notations made by Alric Kuhn about the deals that he and Mr. Ardik had worked together upon. It was a rather comprehensive list as well as several smaller notes on the mans personality and general drives. The most important note was a simple single line phrase that stated Mr. Ardik responded best to the upfront and direct approach.

"I'm glad you took my call." That was certainly true. "I have a proposition regarding Vanir Technologies new Shipyard project and your corporation."

She continued on. "The Drive Yards will require automation processes in certain sectors and Vanir is interested in contracting Hegemonic Automaton to supply these."

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

The more Hegemonic Automaton got involved in automating structures and starships, the happier he became. Droids and supercomputers were all well and good, but the true feats of engineering came from projects like these. But this would be sections of an entire shipyard- drive yards, even, that would no doubt rival the size of the more historic ones. Not only would this be good for corporate prestige, he could practically smell the payout for an arrangement like this already.

"It would be my honor to provide such a service." There was a rustling of flimsiplast as the Umbaran moved to procure a sheet and a stylus to take down the necessary notes. "Where will you be constructing these drive yards? And how soon do you anticipate they will be ready for my personnel to make the necessary additions?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

"Construction will begin in three months time." She stated mater of fact.

Ordinarily companies would expect delays, but not with Vanir Technologies. There were things that needed to be done first, and they would get done. The Seedships were being reconfigured, the droids were being transported, and of course the raiders and pirates in the area were being cleared away. The three months that Nel had allotted for preparation were already going swimmingly, and she was more than confident that she would be on schedule.

"The Yards will be in the outer rim, near former Moross Territory." Otherwise known as the middle of nowhere. "However, I wish this automation protocol to be...special."

Most systems still required human input at one point or another, Nel had other ideas, at least for a small portion of the Driveyards themselves. "I would like to completely and entirely automate the process of constructing a Star Destroyer."

A feat that currently was unheard of. Currently the input of sentients was still prevalent, and even necessary at all driveyards across the galaxy.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

That was a fairly remote location, but as long as he was paid it didn't especially matter. The construction of the drive yards themselves would bring plenty of traffic to the system, not to mention afterwards when they reached peak operation. There was always something inspiring about taking a deserted backwater world and turning it into a landmark. Gerion's stylus skidded abruptly across the flimsiplast at the mention of automating the construction of an entire star destroyer. There was silence for a heartbeat, followed by a short cough.

"This is... Technically possible. Although the logistics..." He trailed off for a moment. It was the same principle as automating the production of some of his larger droids. Droids like the Mehrunes Series or the TA2 were manufactured one at a time at stations as opposed to conveyor belts. Robotic limbs and servos brought each piece into place, welded it, then shipped it off for diagnostics once it was completely built. It was the same principle, but much more time consuming. "Well, it is possible. It will require inordinate amounts of troubleshooting once complete, not to mention getting blueprints drawn up for it. I'll need some idea of the amount of space we'll be working with to get started. A project of this scope could take some time to complete and much longer to perfect."

Well, there was prestige to be had. Time spent was negligible.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

"You'll have any amount of space you'll need." Nel said simply, the size of the Shipyards was enormous after all. "I want this automation process to work on ship up to one thousand meters, light-star destroyers. Though if it is easier we'll start with smaller vessels. I would like your company to be involved in the initial design phase of that section of the yards, just one construction bay to start."

One fully automated construction bay, in theory it would work fast enough to produce ships at an almost laughable rate, pumping out cruisers and frigates at triple what would normally be possible.

Or that was her dream anyway.

"Three months is when construction begins on the driveyards, though I don't expect everything to be ready by then. It will be a beginning. From there, things will move more slowly as the initial super structure must be carefully put together. During this time I believe integration of your components would be most effective." Perhaps a bit rushed, but possible if their resources came together.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Good. That kind of freedom would serve him well, although the space requirements would be a bit on the ridiculous side if he wanted it at the capacity for a thousand meters. This was already proving to be quite the endeavor. Hopefully someone in the relevant departments could cobble up something in the allotted time period. Incidentally, there was a high chance their vacations would need to be postponed. Time with family was priceless, but for their services Gerion would do his best to come up with an approximation.

"I will tell them one thousand meters, maximum. Depending on their assessments, it may have to be lowered. We'll just have to see. I'll keep you appraised." Another rustling as Gerion tore off one flimsiplast sheet to use a fresh one. "Are there any other companies involving themselves in this project?"

Gerion had his moments of pride, but he would never be so vain as to assume he had been the only one approached to become involved.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

Nel offered him a nod.

"Less will be fine." That wasn't an issue, Vanir Technologies produced dozens of ships that were under the size of a Star Destroyer, and even creating those on a massive scale would be more than worthwhile. It was something that Vanir was keeping secret of course, the automation project at the very least.

"Not this particular project, no." That would remain between them. "However, the Foundry already has several large companies who will utilize it's eventual space, including members of the Trade Federation."

She smiled at that, knowing that it would mean at least a little something.

For Nel, it meant that The Foundry was actually taking off, that it was becoming something knew and grand. Of course she couldn't tell the future, but she had a good feeling in her stomach that this would indeed go well, that they would be able to create something great, and that the influence Vanir had would grow.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Oh. Well, that was a bit of a twist. Already Gerion could feel his chest swell with pride... Or was that just his meal repeating on him? Probably the latter. The older he got, the harder it was to distinguish between a sincere feeling and some indigestion. It was good that Vanir already had interested parties signing up for utilizing this foundry. Too many times had companies rushed some gargantuan project out to the public without bothering to see if anyone was actually interested or not. There was no foresight. They just assumed that their paltry little display would have everyone flocking towards them, only for it to fall flat. The returns would be pathetic.

It was also nice to hear that many Trade Federation members had been brought into this project. Gerion would have to make an inquiry as to who later. Perhaps Vanir wasn't terribly far off from membership as well? Their presence would certainly be helpful to the cause.

"Interesting. As always, we'll do our best to ensure an optimal final product." It was always important to Gerion that individual contracts such as this didn't end with a disappointed customer. Otherwise he'd be out of business. "We will, unfortunately, require at least one schematic. I don't believe we'll be able to construct the proper equipment without knowing the details of what is to be constructed. I'll begin sending out the pertinent non-disclosure agreements as soon as this call is concluded."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

Nel nodded.

That was perfectly acceptable. Schematics of the Foundry were of course a closely guarded secret, especially since they had been designed and perfected by Nel herself. Everything about them had to be perfectly suited for their eventual purpose, the sectioning of different corporate entities. The Foundry was designed as a massive shipyard station, but one that could be split into pieces depending on who and what corporate entities leased what space. Of course there was a limited area, but it was built in such a way that each section could be sealed off from the next, thus ensuring complete and total surprise.

"If you don't mind Mr. Ardik, I will hand deliver the schematics." She still held them as rather precious. "The data is sensitive, and having designed them myself I am rather protective."

Once those non-disclosure agreements were signed she would be directly on her way, from there more details could be ironed out.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Gerion didn't know many CEOs who wanted to hand deliver schematics these days. But it was Madame Nel's prerogative to do so, and he would hardly protest. "As you wish. Our primary research facility, in addition to our headquarters, is on Lianna. I believe it would be prudent to meet there. If you're able approximate when you'll arrive, I can begin making the necessary arrangements to receive you now."

It was rather abnormal for her to come herself. Now Gerion felt obliged to make sure her stay on the planet, however long it happened to be, would be an enjoyable one. He could not abide rumors circulating around him that he was a terrible host. He had treated the Queen of Kuat to dinner on Hypori, he could roll out the fanfare to meet a more consistent business partner... One that would probably return his calls as well, but that was a different and less relevant story.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

Nel smiled. This project was her brain child, one that she held close to her heart. The schematics were as important to her as...well a baby would have been to an ordinary mother. That might have seemed strange to most people, but when your species valued technological innovation and scientific research above everything else the small inclination that Nel felt really was rather natural.

"Lianna?" She had never been to the world, though of course she had heard of it before. Her hand reached out to tap at the holoscreen to her side, reading off her calendar rather quickly and noting she had several meetings in nearby star-systems. "I can be there tomorrow, around noon local time."

That would work out well.

Her meetings could be adjusted slightly to make way for her trip and if she took one of Vanir's faster vessels then she would be able to make it to Lianna without a problem, she would just have to ensure to take some of her Saeva Guards with her to ensure that a repeat of what happened with the Maladi schematics didn't occur.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Nel"]

Gerion wrote down the madame's approximation, then moved to check his own calendar. It was fortunate his frown wasn't visible. Apparently he had an appointment with the widow of one of his workers. At the current rate of things, Gerion guessed he would be dealing with the aftermath of the First Order's temper tantrum on Eriadu for at least a year. This was what happened when he felt responsible for something going wrong. Unfortunately, if he was going to pay reparations to keep a class-action law suite from falling into his lap, money was going to have to be made. Which meant meeting with Vanir Technologies took priority. He booted the meeting to next week. She'd get an automated e-mail as notification.

The widow would find it in her heart to forgive him. If not in her heart, then the cheque she'd receive in the mail.

"I'll be prepared to receive you in-person as soon as you land. One of our executive landing pads will be set aside- no need to deal with the local spaceport's bureaucracy." Somehow Gerion doubted Nel would be smuggling illicit narcotics or disruptor weapons onto the planet. Skirting the usual hassle of customs would be permissible. Gerion paused a moment, wondering if this was about to be wrapped up, and then continued."Was there anything else?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

"No." Nel said with that same warm smile. "That will be all Mr. Ardik."

She would have to leave immediately, begin work on the project and transfer over the files to a datadrive that she could then hand off to Gerion Ardik. It wouldn't take long, though the plans for the Foundry would have to be heavily encrypted. One could have called her paranoid, for all her care, but to Nel it was simply a must. She knew that this project was sensitive, and she knew that eventually the more unpleasant elements of the galaxy would begin to become interested. She would have to take the greatest care.

"I look forward to meeting you in person." She inclined her head, then shut off the holo-call.

There was much to do still, much she had to take care of before she could leave.

 

[Caulder Dune]

LIANNA CITY
HEGEMON TOWERS

[member="Nel"]

Lianna City was a bit chilly this time of year on the planet. Gerion could only hope Nel was aware of that in advance. When her ship's loading ramp descended and she made her way down, she would find a warmly dressed Gerion Ardik waiting for her. He was accompanied by a short line of security droids, TA1s, as well as some other executives from Hegemonic Automaton. This included their head droid designer, Hannibal Oryen, who managed to look disheveled even despite being dressed up in a labcoat.

Gerion met the Liran with an outstretched hand and a possibly sincere smile. "Madam Nel. Welcome to Lianna City."

Hegemon Towers, the colossal headquarters of Hegemonic Automaton, loomed behind him like a pair of obelisks. Many fledgling Tionese companies rented out office space in the towers, but it was more prominently known for hosting Hegemonic Automaton's seat as well as their primary research facilities.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

Nel stepped off the ship followed by two bulky figures in armor, both carried heavy disruptor rifles and both looked like they were ready for war. They were Nel's escort, mostly due to security concerns. The last time that a CEO had personally transferred Data it had been Alric Kuhn moving the plans for the Maladi class strike frigate. During that movement he had been assaulted by a horde of pirates, luckily for Mr. Kuhn he had managed to escape the trap, albeit barely.

This time, Nel had thought precautions were necessary.

"Thank you, Mr. Ardik." Nel said with a small incline of her head. "It's nice to be here."

Truth be told Lianna wasn't really any different than Byblos or half a dozen other Corporate worlds, but at least it was something. She waved off her guards with a swipe of her hand, signalling for them to go back to the ship. Nel very much doubted that Master Ardik would have her assassinated. "Shall we proceed inside?"

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Nel"]

"Of course. Right this way, please."

Behind them wasn't the main entrance to the towers, but the back entrance. Security was much more lax here, as the landing pads were usually only for official use. People who had been cleared by security dozens of times and, owing to their position in the company, would lack any motive to launch a terrorist attack on it. Of course, Hegemonic Automaton preferred to err on the side of caution. Instead of invasive pat downs and metal detectors, a slew of innocuous sensors were present. These analyzed the walking patterns of those passing through and scanning for Human Replica Droids. No one who was cleared to use the private landing pads had a motive to assault this company. Someone replacing them with a clone or HRD, however...

It was paranoia, plain and simple.

The sensors themselves looked like little more than advanced EAS pedestals. But the one they passed through was deactivated. If Madame Nel sent a replica droid in her stead or simply was a replica droid, Gerion wanted absolutely no knowledge of it. The party circumvented the main lobby entirely, using a series of posh hallways that were, again, reserved for the use of high-level executives. Gerion chatted idly along the way, pointing out various locations they passed. These included test labs, programming centers, and workshops for prototyping. It was all terribly interesting and eventually they reached their intended location: three layers of blast door, magnetically sealed, with two ray shields active on top of it. A pair of autoturrets loomed above them.

Again, with the paranoia.

Hannibal Oryen slid an access card over the scanner. A minute passed, then the shields deactivated and one by one the blast doors rumbled open. The room itself was dimly lit and deathly frigid. Several rows of towering computer servers lined the center. A few attendant Z1s and Z5s walked and hovered, respectively, up and down the aisles. "All of our schematics are kept on an isolated server in this room. The proper access cards are held only by a few personnel, one of which is Mr. Oryen." Hannibal gave a toothy grin and waggled his eyebrows at the Liran. If Gerion noticed this, he didn't comment. "We've had one attempted break in, but they didn't get terribly far. Yours will be secure here for as long as necessary."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Gerion Ardik"]

Nel was impressed to say the least.

The security measures were high, higher than even in Vanir Technologies tower. Granted, the tower was not where most schematics were kept, but it was still quite the impressive feat. She found herself wearing a smile on her face the entire time, looking and watching all around her as they passed through the security measures and wandered through the building. Everything seemed to be entirely geared towards the protection of data and what was contained within. She found a small bit of admiration for Mr. Ardik in that, more so then she had held before.

The man was certainly as clever as Mr. Kuhns file had made him out to be.

Nel appreciated that cleverness, the fine logical way of thinking. For her species Logic was the trump card that overcame everything else. It was the most important thing within Liran society. Scientific study and research were driven by logic, thus, logic was a pillar within Liran Society. Due to this many thought of her people as cold, calculating, even robotic, but to them it was simply how they functioned.

"Lovely." Nel commented, smiling slightly.

From the small briefcase in her off hand Nel pulled the datadrive containing all the schematics and plans for The Foundry. With a lax hand she offered it to Mr. Ardik.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Nel"]

Gerion accepted the datadrive gingerly, handing it off to a Z1 that happened to be passing. The administrative droid scanned the device for a moment before trundling off towards one of the mainframes, vanishing behind the rows of computers to catalog it according to Hegemonic Automaton policy. There was little chance of it being stolen. Even if someone were to break into this room successfully, the droids would shut everything down prior to their arrival and had wiped their own memory units. Protocols here were thorough. Protection and fortification of existing assets ranked very highly in Hegemonic Automaton's list of priorities. One would almost think they were a not unlike a government in that regard. Fortunately for everyone, profit was still the primary motive at Hegemonic Automaton, same as any other company.

And if profit was going to be kept steady, it meant they couldn't afford schematics getting leaked, products being stolen, or facilities burned. This was all just in their best interests.

"It'll only take a moment to add to the system. Once we know who will be assigned to the project, we'll see about getting it into the hands of the relevant personnel." As it stood, the gears were still turning. There were many experts Hegemonic Automaton consulted with on a regular basis but were not on their payroll. Contractors, advisers, so forth. It would take time to get them all together and set up. "Was there anything else you were interested in seeing, while you're here?"