Uninspired Factory Required Development Thread Pt01

[Captain Larraq]

Tendrils of steam rose in looping spirals above a half drained and slowly cooling mug of coffee as Rygel Larraq stared blankly at the displays in front of him. Leaning heavily on his left arm, head resting upon the knuckles of a closed fist, Larraq tried to ignore the rhythmic rocking of the bridge his chair was within. Every few moments, a dull thud reverberated through the deck plating beneath his feet and ass as one of the Harvester's massive legs lowered itself to the ground once more. The walker swayed again and Larraq found himself struggling to keep his eyes open as the ponderous vehicle slowly closed the distance with the newest plot of land purchased by Hyperion Mining, a subsidiary of Mandal Hypernautics. Soothed by the rhythmic motion and the warm mug grasped within his right hand, Larraq's eyes closed.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq woke with a start and a searing pain in his right leg. "Frell." Larraq said quietly as he sat himself upright, Larraq wiped a bit of drool from the left corner of his mouth and began patting the remains of his coffee from his pant leg. A growing awareness in the back of his mind alerted Larraq to the status of the Harvester. The lack of a rhythmic rocking and occasional thud meant that the thing had stopped moving. They were on site. The low hum coming from somewhere below and behind him told him that the vessel was preparing to begin mining operations, but had not yet activated the mining lasers. A quick glance at his watch told him that they had likely arrived on-site nearly fifteen minutes ago. "Do we have a firing solution?" Larraq asked, accidentally using combat terminology as his mind struggled to catch up with reality.

 

[Captain Larraq]

"We're on-site, but still calculating the optimal drilling angle." Answered the Foreman of the vessel, obviously choosing to overlook the slip-ups of the billionaire that employed him and his crew. "Good." Larraq said as he tried and failed to stifle a massive yawn. "How long until we begin the initial drilling?" He asked. "Sensors have already triangulated the Beskar vein." The Foreman replied. "Computers have been working on the drilling angle for a good five minutes now... So we should be able to get things rolling in just a few minutes."

Almost as if on cue, or scripted by some divine author, a chime came from the console in front of the Foreman as he finished his sentence. The gruff Mando'ad with salt and pepper hair and a rather impressive beard typed at the console for a moment before a final tap and the sound of grinding gears predicted his next words. "Solution's ready. Lining up laser drill now."

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq listened as pistons, gears, and electric motors vibrated beneath his feet. The deck shifted slightly as the Harvester adjusted its self, positioning to better balance against the kickback of the massive laser system near the prow of the thing. The machine settled as a loud hum slowly raised in pitch. The capacitors that powered the laser drill were building a charge from the main reactor. "Charging capacitors." The Foreman said rhetorically, likely assuming that his employer had no idea how his own creations functioned. "Beginning operation." He said a split second before he pressed a button and the loud hum was replaced by a dull roar. The laser drill had been activated.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Ignoring the Foreman for the moment, Larraq activated the display screen on his own console and began reviewing the Harvester's status. Swiping the screen, Larraq switched from system to system. A few commands were typed in and the frequency of one of the mining lasers was adjusted. The display now showed a 0.04% increase in mining capacity. The levels were still below what they should have been though. A quick check of the Harvester's power systems showed that somewhere between the reactor and the mining laser, the system was experiencing a 0.007% drop in power transfer beyond factory standards. Larraq flipped through the various breakers and relay systems of the Harvester before he was able to identify the offending wire. A quick command re-routed the power away from the offending stretch of cable and onto one of the reserve lines. Larraq typed in a work order for the line of cable to be replaced before flipping back to the main screen. 0.08% increase in mining capacity.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Steam and bits of molten earth and metal billowed out of the bore hole as the relentless beam of heat and energy assaulted the dirt and rock deep below. Rapidly cooling orange liquid rose up along the sides of the circular hole and flowed out onto the surrounding land. Birds took to the air and small creatures took to foot as they fled the area. Trees and other large plants where knocked to the ground as wave after wave of heat and pressure forced them from the foothold their roots had been affording them. Here and there, small brush fires started only to be quickly put out by the small flock of flying droids that circled around the harvester with cryoban dispensers. Larraq shifted his screen from the display outside to that of the Foreman's station.

4% distance to target depth.

A holographic display of the ground beneath the Harvester showed the rock and ore between them and their target. It was a very, very deep vein of Beskar. To reach it, they would have to actually drill through the crust of Mandalore and break well into the Mantle. Not the deepest mine in history, but at 80 kilometers, it was sure to be impressive.

 

[Captain Larraq]

As smoke and ash continued to billow up and around the Harvester, Larraq absently let his gaze flicker back and forth between the haze outside and the slowly increasing percentile on his datapad. The Foreman and the crew of the Harvester busied themselves with the dozens of tasks required to maintain a long duration burn. Power output was fluctuated, capacitors drained and filled again, pistons and gears were monitored and lubricated, and various engines were checked and triple checked to maintain peak operating efficiency. It was no different than aboard a naval vessel, and for the moment, there was nothing for Larraq to do. With a deep breath, he returned the datapad to the breast pocket of his jacket, stood, and turned to exit the bridge. "Carry on." Larraq said absently to the Foreman as he walked from the room.

 

[Captain Larraq]

From the opposing side of his jacket, Larraq retrieved a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from another breast pocket. His beskar and leather boots thudded against the metal flooring as his hands worked through the familiar task of placing the contents of the packet between his lips and holding a flame to the opposite end. All around him, men and droids busied themselves with interfaces or worked directly with analog hardware. Pipes rattled and everything vibrated in tune with the pulses of the enormous lasers on the belly of the massive machine. Larraq inhaled smoke and ash from the cigarette between his lips, holding the toxic mix within his lungs for a few moments before finally releasing it to be sucked into the Harvester's air filtration system. His hands returned the pack and the lighter to his pocket and his feet made their own path through the twisting corridors of the mining platform as Larraq let his mind wander.

 

[Captain Larraq]

<Mandalore was running out of Beskar.> Larraq thought to himself. It was a faux truth that had been spoken more than once throughout the Galaxy. True, the prized ore was becoming harder and harder to find in recent years, but to say that the Mandalorians would one day run out of their peoples heritage was to draw the ire of a very, very irritable person who was more than likely to be clad in the stuff.

<No. There will always be more Beskar.> Larraq thought to himself as his feet navigated their own way through the frigate-sized mining facility. His left hand worked at the cigarette as he absently put it to his lips or let it hang by his side between inhalations. His other hand tapped absently at the pistol hanging from his hip. <Manda'yaim provides for her children. The question is... How deep are we willing to drill for it?> He mused to himself as he stole another drag from the cigarette between his lips. In front of him, a large door with caution labels caught the attention of his eyes, followed slowly by the awareness of his forebrain. Landing Pad 01... In that moment, his conscious mind caught up with what his subconscious mind had been doing. With a sigh, he opened the door.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Bright sunlight bore down on Larraq between spirals of steam and smoke. Superheated air gusted past him as it spun and spiraled with the much colder air that permeated the rest of this area. The smell of burnt soil and ozone overpowered the scent of the cigarette smoke and filled his lungs with an entirely different mix of toxins. Of all his senses, it was sound that assaulted his awareness the strongest. A deafening roar assaulted him, the hundreds of meters distance between himself and the mining laser did nothing to dampen the sound of the thing. Clasping the half done cigarette between his lips, Larraq's hands fumbled at the many pockets of his armored suit until at last they procured a pair of earbuds, which were promptly wedged deep within his ears. It was muffled now, and competing against a high pitched ringing, but he could still hear the roar of the laser. He would have sworn he could almost feel it pulsing and vibrating his flesh, as if the sound was transferred to him through his jaw just as much as the clogged ear canals.

"Frell, that thing is loud." Larraq mumbled to himself

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq walked to the small railing on the far side of the landing pad, flicking the remains of his cigarette over the edge before lighting up a fresh one. He leaned against the railing, looking to the ground below as he puffed away at the cigarette between his lips. Heat waves billowed up from below as molten earth and metal flowed out from under the Harvester and down the small hill the machine had climbed to reach its current position. Localized shields kept the molten material from damaging the legs of the harvester, but that did nothing to protect the plants and trees that surrounded it. Larraq watched the small flock of droids as they followed alongside the orange, glowing liquid and periodically sprayed CryoBan upon the edges of the flow and upon anything that caught fire. To Larraq, it looks like blood. Manda'yaim was bleeding for her children as her children bled for her. It would have been poetic, had Larraq not been the cause of the wound. For a brief moment, he felt as if he was holding a power drill to his mother.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Unfortunately, the Mando'ade needed Beskar as much as they needed Mando'yaim. Larraq tried to remind himself as he puffed away at a fresh cigarette. Economically, Militarily, Spiritually, and even for simple Moral. The Mando'ade needed Beskar. As the physical and spiritual embodiment of their people, Beskar was what turned brave, strong willed men and women into the fiercest warriors in the galaxy. Not to mention keeping them alive when their bravado would have otherwise taken them to their graves.

Pulling his datapad from its place at his breast, Larraq tapped the screen once and received an update.

48% to target depth.

The damage he was doing to the home of the Mando'ade could be repaired in time. Larraq told himself. And he would personally see to it that the Beskar was put to a use worthy of Mando'yaim's sacrifice. But for now... it was time to head back inside and finish stage one establishing this mine.

 

[Captain Larraq]

His feet pulled him from the railing, his fingertips lingering against its cold, hard surface until they were dragged away by his retreating body. Thudding boot-steps brought him back across the landing pad as his hands absently returned the datapad to its pocket. One hand worked the hatch controls as the other pulled away the cigarette from Larraq's lips. A flick of his fingers shook the ash from its tip before he entered the Harvester's interior, sealed the door behind him, and returned the cigarette to its place between his lips as he strolled the several hundred meters it would take to get him back to the bridge.

Here and there busy droids and workers stepped aside to allow him an uninterrupted transit back to the bridge. Some wore full armor. Some wore Durasteel while others wore Beskar'gam. Some wore simple plates over their cloths and others hid the telltale bulk of a flak vest under their work uniforms.

Each of them was Mando'ade.

Each of them were the reason he was cutting so deeply into Mando'yaim.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq checked his datapad once again as he entered the bridge of the massive Harvester.

78% to target depth.

"What's slowed us down?" Larraq asked the Foreman as he retook his seat and began triple-checking the Harvester's systems.

"The crust here is of a higher density than we were anticipating." The Foreman reported. "Analysis of the overflow is showing a lot of rare metals mixed in with the indigenous rock layers. We're even finding nuggets of Beskar mixed in with the flow of molten material."

"That's unexpected." Larraq said with an arched eyebrow, flipping his datapad on its side as he pulled up a video display of the molten river that currently flowed under the Harvester. A rapid scrolling along the side of the display reported what the Foreman was saying, apparently having ordered a number of sensors re-purposed to analyze the material as it flowed from the bore hole. <Smart move.> Larraq commented to himself. Perhaps the man was worth his pay-rate after all. "Nice catch." Larraq said to the man. "Once the flow has cooled, I'll have additional teams flown in to get what they can out of it."

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq sipped his way through two cups of coffee as he watched the drill depth slowly climb to the 100% mark, listening absently to the orders being given by the Foreman. Even slower, the depth climbed to 101 and 102 percent, the mining laser continuing to pour its energy into the bore hole until at last the flow of molten material slowed to a near crawl. Shield projectors and tractor beams protected the hole from the molten material that had been forced from it as the laser finally silenced itself. Molten material continued to flow under the Harvester and down-gradient until it formed a large pool where a small lake had once been. Slowly it cooled as droids set to work expediting the process. Steam continued to billow out of the massive hole, the edges of which still glowed with molten slag. Large reserves of Cryoban were pumped into the hole, but steam and heat continued to billow up from deep below.

"How long until it's safe to send droids down there?" Larraq asked the Foreman.

"At this rate... Three days. Roughly." Replied the Foreman.

"In that case... I leave the remainder of operations in your capable hands." Larraq said as he brought himself to his feet, straitened his jacket, and made his way from the bridge. Not long after, a shuttle arrived to take him back to Mandal Hypernautics HQ.