Yuma Robotics HQ, Central Dome, New Astarte, Planet Yuma, Coronado
evening of 3 Aug. 824 A.S.
"Someday indeed..." he murmured, thinking at the future of Yuma. "Well, yes. Yuma Robotics owns three more labs similar to this one. One of them is actually the one in which our medical project is being researched. Of course, there are quite a few others as well, but they belong to other institutions." he added, while slowly gesturing around the whole room.
Erik then took a moment to check on a screen, mentioning "Speaking of which, my team seems to have progressed a bit today." He smiled and continued walking around with his guests, until Ben posed his question. Erik came closer, then he took the ball-like object from the technician and knelt down besides Ben. "This is an automated seeding sphere." - he pointed to some small holes all over the ball and continued - "You see, these small pores here can drop plant seeds on a field, while the sphere rolls all over."
Erik smiled and extended his hand towards Ben, so the boy could take the sphere and take a closer look for himself.
Ben stood close to Erik as he explained what the ball was. To Ben, it was like a session of "show and tell."
"So it's a farming tool," inquired Ben as he studied it. It certainly looked like something that could be played with but, it wasn't. Still, there was a kool factor about it.
"I'm guessing that it makes it easier for farmers," he stated. He was looking at it even closer, turning it around and just......examining.
As this all took place, Doreen stood back a bit. She was observing the interaction between Benjen and Erik as she rubbed her chin with a relaxed look. She couldn't remember a time where her son got so close to a virtual stranger. True, Erik wasn't a stranger so to speak but neither really knew the other. It was technology bringing them together. She stood quiet as she watched....satisfied. Her mother's instinct to go to him wasn't kicking in. She knew he was safe and occupied.
As she watched, a barely noticeable smile of approval formed as the finger scratching her chin went to scratching her throat and an open hand resting on her upper chest.
"Mr. Corvin," asked Ben as he handed him the ball and then pointed at one of the hologram tables. The young tech and scientists became curious of his surroundings and Doreen stood and watched Erik lead.
Yuma Robotics HQ, Central Dome, New Astarte, Planet Yuma, Coronado
evening of 3 Aug. 824 A.S.
"You're right, Ben! We're hoping it will make it a lot easier for our farmers on the food production islands." Erik replied.
He was happy explaining these things to anyone - especially since he was a professor at the University - but seeing a child with interest in this kind of technology was even more satisfying. Peter always was a fan of his father's work, but he was still too young to comprehend the details. Ben offered Erik a pleasant opportunity.
As the boy asked about the nearby hologram, Erik attempted to joke a bit, saying "That's something for some of our naughty soldiers."
Still, as he ended his chuckle, he continued with on a slightly more serious tone "I'm sure your mother might be able to explain it better, but the idea is this is a prosthetic arm. It's meant to help people who get badly hurt. We've been using quite a few models so far, but we're always trying to perfect them."
As time passed by, the group continued their tour slowly. After the first, they visited one more laboratory, larger than the first, which was filled with dozens of drones. Big and small, these flying contraptions would execute various motions all around the lab, while a few technicians would keep an eye on them and records the results. Throughout the entire trip, Erik continued to explain - in simple terms - the functions of various devices. He also noted that a large part of the Crayterian Research Squadron's work is based on drones used for a large variety of surveys. From time to time, Peter would also try to boast with knowledge about some of the things found in the labs. Obviously, his father could only giggle and let him do his numbers.
Doreen took an interest in the prosthetic as they were no stranger to her. She had dealt with them during her internship aboard Med Force One then her time at Canaria Medical and finally a small amount at Tinker's Haven. She didn't want to interrupt too much on Erik's teaching. He was, after all, doing a stellar job. In a way, prosthetics were a bad memory for many a doctor in the field. Most of them were the result of war and it's effects. As neat as they were, as many different functions just one, say, arm could be equipped with, they were still a reminder of the constant fighting in Sirius. Perhaps the Zoner in her was coming out.
Upon entry of the drone filled lab, she smiled as she watched a couple of them fly over her head. It was new to her seeing such contraptions doing a variety of functions, totally at random, wherever and whenever.
On a couple of occasions, she had dodge a drone. The activity put a smile on her face and then one of curiosity as she would study one that would momentarily hover for a function.
"Mommy," Ben said to her, just as enthused as she was, "look at them. They are so kool!" He then ran over to where Peter and Erik were and she enjoyed just the site of them being entertained. She snickered when even Erik seem to take a step back to let Peter play the part of scientist. As she observed, she realized how much more she had to learn.
Yuma Robotics HQ, Central Dome, New Astarte, Planet Yuma, Coronado
late evening, 3 Aug. 824 A.S.
Some drone-dodging later, as it was getting late, Erik finally took his guests to the elevator once more. After it began ascending, however, he started speaking. "Well, kids..." - he applied the appellative to everyone, including Doreen, as he glanced at all of them with a smile - "I hope you enjoyed the tour." He paused, looked at his son and continued "Peter, I had some of your toys brought over from home to my office. You think you and Ben can have some fun on your own while?"
As he shifted his eyes to Doreen, he added "As I mentioned before, it would be best if we left them at the top of the tower for the rest of the evening. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe." he chuckled momentarily and finished with "There are no drones in my office."
Peter added a comment of his own, full of excitement after hearing about his toys, "Oh, that's gonna be fun." He then turned to Ben and said "Wait 'til you see my chess set."
The elevator stopped, its speakers beeping the floor number, and Erik kept the door open for the children to go into the office. From the doorway, it could be seen through the far windows that night had already set on this side of Yuma, but the room was well-lit.
Like any other mother, Doreen took a quick walk around the room. Yes, it was perfectly safe and considering how well Benjen and Peter were getting along, she was more than fine with the arrangement. The more she watched them, the more comfortable she felt leaving them be.
[color=#FF0000"Wait 'til you see my chess set."][/color] She thought to herself, "I don't think he knows how to play chess." Nonetheless, she looked at it. She knew what the pieces were but knew nothing else of the game herself.
She turned to Erik for a moment and smiled, "I'll handle this before we continue on."
She then took a knee on the floor. Holding her arms out, she waved her fingers to motion both boys to her. "Now listen. Have fun and have a good time. We'll be back shortly." She then smiled to them and looked at them both, "Don't make me have to be a doctor for real when we get back, OK?"
"Mom," asked Benjen, "where are you going?"
"With Mr. Corvin," she answered, "He still has things to show me that are work related."
"Yes, Mommy," he answered, "I'll be good."
She winked at him and kissed him, "I know you will." She then proceeded to hug them both simultaneously before she stood back up.
Before she could turn back to Erik, the boys were off.
She turned to Erik, "Well, Professor, shall we continue?"
Yuma Robotics HQ, Central Dome, New Astarte, Planet Yuma, Coronado
late evening, 3 Aug. 824 A.S.
When Doreen hugged the boys, Peter felt somehow numbed for a moment, then, out of a reflex he didn't quite agree with, he pushed himself away a bit, just as Doreen was letting both of them go. His mother or not, Doreen made Peter feel - even if just for a brief moment - a kind of love he long forgot about. Perhaps she didn't realise it, but a mother's touch is present at all times and usually felt by any child, hers or otherwise. Still, before anyone would notice anything, Peter was already deeply involved in showing his toys to Ben.
Erik could only watch the scene from the elevator door. For a short moment, Erik was truly at peace... simply knowing that somehow his son was at peace. As Doreen came in, he replied "Indeed we shall, Doctor." and the elevator started moving downwards.
Before they reached the destination floor, though, Erik looked straight into Doreen's eyes and explained with a sigh of relief "Thank you for that." - he smiled - "I can't remember the last time Peter felt an embrace like that..."
[color=#FF0000"I can't remember the last time Peter felt an embrace like that..."][/color]
She was standing with her hands behind her back. She just gave a soft smile, one that only a mother could give.
"No thanks needed," she said kindly, "he's great kid."
[color=#FF0000Beep - the elevator stopped on the 14th floor.][/color]
They stepped out and stood in a hallway of sorts. Her hands were still behind her as they began walking to their next stop.
Peter was on her mind. For the moment, she was silent about it. Ben had told her that his mother was gone and the thought stuck with her. Things were going well and she didn't want to ask about her, not right now. It just didn't seem.....appropriate.
"So where to next?" she asked, looking back to him.
Yuma Robotics HQ, Central Dome, New Astarte, Planet Yuma, Coronado
midnight, 3-4 Aug. 824 A.S.
"No thanks needed," she said kindly, "he's great kid." "Yes, he is. They both are..." - he replied with a sigh of content.
After they started walking into the hallway, it was a short moment of silence. Erik didn't respond to Doreen's question right away, but instead he just walked up to a door titled "YR Lab 10" and held the door open for Doreen. "Here we are, the nano-tech laboratory."
This laboratory was relatively small, compared to those which the group visited earlier. It had a couple of working benches and plenty of displays, as well as one holographic stand. The hologram was as large as a human fist and it displayed something akin (but not exactly) to a human cell. Moreover, one of the tables had what looked like a human body on it - although a closer look would show that it wasn't a real corpse. A small automated drone was flying from top to bottom - back and forth - above the said body, while it appeared to be scanning it.
Once they were both inside, Erik noted with a half-way confused look "Huh, the team isn't here..." - but as he glanced over one of the screens he continued, snickering, "Oh ... it seems it's later than i thought. Everyone must've gone home already."
She gave a smirk as she entered the lab. This was the kind of place she liked. To her it was quaint, just right for a research lab.
"I like it," she commented, "too big and things get spread out too much."
She went to where the false corpse was. "Looks real enough," she said of it before shifting her attention to the drone. She took a guess as to it's use.
"Let's see," she said in thought, "a coroner drone which detects a cause of death and/or it takes tissue samples?"
She then went over to the microscopes and studied the slides still in them. Without a file, she didn't know what she was looking at. She then sat up from the microscope, taking a break in the seat with a sigh.
She gave a chuckle, "Well, they can't stay here all night but they should at least put their slides away. Live tissue will decompose even on a slide if left out too long."
She then stood back up and with the wave of her right forefinger, she spoke of nanotech.
"I've had some exposure to nanotech but not a lot. It was very brief exposure. Nanites as I remember them." She turned toward Erik with a perplexed expression, "John was doing something with them but he was so secretive about them even to me." She shook her head, "Knowing him, he was trying to find a cure for something but um..." She motioned around the room, "Nanites?"