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31_days2014-05-06 04:59 pm
bane-6.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2014-05-06 04:59 pm
[May 6] [Pacific Rim] We Have the Technology
Title: We Have the Technology
Day/Theme: 6. lagom (not too much or too little, but just right)
Series: Pacific Rim
Character/Pairing: Hermann/Newt
Rating: Hanson being stubborn, Hermann being persuasive
It took four more arguments to finally wear Hanson down.
"And how do you plan to pilot these things?" Hanson stabbed a finger at the papers again. "Remote control? They are barely big enough to fit pilots inside."
"There are other possibilities," Hermann said. "If they can be configured for one pilot they can be worn like a-" He resisted rolling his eyes. This had been Newt's terminology. "Battle suit."
"And you really think that will work." It wasn't a question, but Hermann raised an eyebrow at him.
"I can show you what we have so far," he said.
"Get it in here," Hanson grumbled. Hermann hurried to collect Newt and their research. It wasn’t going to be much of a presentation. They weren't prepared and Hanson was already annoyed with them. Newt come along this time, to run the projector and as moral support. And to put his two cents in.
“What, like he’s really going to say no?” he whispered on the way. “We’re his best chance and everyone knows it.”
Hermann hoped so. When they got back to the Marshall’s office, Hanson was looking over the schematics that he had left, which was a little more encouraging. He started talking as soon as they got through the door.
“Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in the years since the first Breach closed,” Hermann said.
“You’re welcome by the way!” Newt said. He turned on the holoprojector and Hermann started pointing at things.
“The information gained from Dr. Geiszler’s experiments alone has opened up new worlds of possibilities,” he said. Newt didn’t even try not to grin. “With the technology we’ve been working on, it may be possible to Drift from a distance now. A pilot wouldn’t even have to be in the jaeger. They could be safe and sound here. If their jaeger is destroyed they would only have to disengage, reconfigure to a new one, and go on fighting.”
“Plug and play,” added Newt. “No need to go down with the ship, no need to be exposed to radiation.”
“If you had had all this before-“Hanson’s voice was flat and borderline accusatory.
“Against the Category 5s, there would still be no guarantee,” Hermann said. “It might’ve saved them, but it might not’ve been able to stop the kaiju either.
“What can you guarantee now?” Hanson asked. “You said something about only one pilot.”
“We ran the numbers,” Hermann began.
“He ran the numbers,” Newt chimed in.
“And it is possible.” Hermann raised his voice and glared. “But nowhere near as safe as we would like. “ Hanson made an unimpressed sound, so Hermann kept going. “However, if we are short one pilot for whatever reason…” He gestured awkwardly at Hanson, who went from unimpressed to a full glower. “We may have a theoretical option.”
“Theoretical.” Hanson turned a pen in his hands like he wanted to stab something with it.
“AIs,” said Newt, cutting in again. “Artificial intelligence as a buffer. It could synch with the pilot and share the load.”
“Explain.”
“In the early days of the jaeger program, it was suggested as a way to spare the pilots, but it couldn’t be approved.” Hermann shrugged. “There was too much fear that something as powerful as a jaeger could never be allowed to leave human control; that without humans as their ‘heart’ so to speak, they would just be a different kind of monster.”
“But!” Newt was pointing at different things in the projection as if anyone else but him and Hermann would ever understand it. “An AI paired with a human pilot? We ran a simulation and the numbers look promising.”
“What kind of AI?” Hanson asked. “How, how would they be programmed?” There was something so pained and grudgingly hopeful in his voice that Hermann took a step away before he answered.
“We can’t give you Chuck back,” he said. Even Newt was shocked by how blunt that was. “It won’t have a personality or memories of its own. It would adapt to your mind, fill in the blanks, as it were, to make a better fit.”
“Better,” Hanson repeated, going cold again.
“Not too little, not too much,” Newt said. “Just enough to put the pilot in control and share the load.”
“And you honestly think this can work?” Hanson asked. That had been the question that got them here.
“We’ll need your approval to go ahead,” Hermann said. “At the very least it will give us options we didn’t have last time.”
Hanson was quiet for a moment. He looked at the projected formulas and diagrams that he didn’t understand and turned it over in his head a few times.
“Beckett and Mori will be here with the new Danger in another month,” he said. “Have it ready to try by then and we’ll see what we can do.”
Day/Theme: 6. lagom (not too much or too little, but just right)
Series: Pacific Rim
Character/Pairing: Hermann/Newt
Rating: Hanson being stubborn, Hermann being persuasive
It took four more arguments to finally wear Hanson down.
"And how do you plan to pilot these things?" Hanson stabbed a finger at the papers again. "Remote control? They are barely big enough to fit pilots inside."
"There are other possibilities," Hermann said. "If they can be configured for one pilot they can be worn like a-" He resisted rolling his eyes. This had been Newt's terminology. "Battle suit."
"And you really think that will work." It wasn't a question, but Hermann raised an eyebrow at him.
"I can show you what we have so far," he said.
"Get it in here," Hanson grumbled. Hermann hurried to collect Newt and their research. It wasn’t going to be much of a presentation. They weren't prepared and Hanson was already annoyed with them. Newt come along this time, to run the projector and as moral support. And to put his two cents in.
“What, like he’s really going to say no?” he whispered on the way. “We’re his best chance and everyone knows it.”
Hermann hoped so. When they got back to the Marshall’s office, Hanson was looking over the schematics that he had left, which was a little more encouraging. He started talking as soon as they got through the door.
“Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in the years since the first Breach closed,” Hermann said.
“You’re welcome by the way!” Newt said. He turned on the holoprojector and Hermann started pointing at things.
“The information gained from Dr. Geiszler’s experiments alone has opened up new worlds of possibilities,” he said. Newt didn’t even try not to grin. “With the technology we’ve been working on, it may be possible to Drift from a distance now. A pilot wouldn’t even have to be in the jaeger. They could be safe and sound here. If their jaeger is destroyed they would only have to disengage, reconfigure to a new one, and go on fighting.”
“Plug and play,” added Newt. “No need to go down with the ship, no need to be exposed to radiation.”
“If you had had all this before-“Hanson’s voice was flat and borderline accusatory.
“Against the Category 5s, there would still be no guarantee,” Hermann said. “It might’ve saved them, but it might not’ve been able to stop the kaiju either.
“What can you guarantee now?” Hanson asked. “You said something about only one pilot.”
“We ran the numbers,” Hermann began.
“He ran the numbers,” Newt chimed in.
“And it is possible.” Hermann raised his voice and glared. “But nowhere near as safe as we would like. “ Hanson made an unimpressed sound, so Hermann kept going. “However, if we are short one pilot for whatever reason…” He gestured awkwardly at Hanson, who went from unimpressed to a full glower. “We may have a theoretical option.”
“Theoretical.” Hanson turned a pen in his hands like he wanted to stab something with it.
“AIs,” said Newt, cutting in again. “Artificial intelligence as a buffer. It could synch with the pilot and share the load.”
“Explain.”
“In the early days of the jaeger program, it was suggested as a way to spare the pilots, but it couldn’t be approved.” Hermann shrugged. “There was too much fear that something as powerful as a jaeger could never be allowed to leave human control; that without humans as their ‘heart’ so to speak, they would just be a different kind of monster.”
“But!” Newt was pointing at different things in the projection as if anyone else but him and Hermann would ever understand it. “An AI paired with a human pilot? We ran a simulation and the numbers look promising.”
“What kind of AI?” Hanson asked. “How, how would they be programmed?” There was something so pained and grudgingly hopeful in his voice that Hermann took a step away before he answered.
“We can’t give you Chuck back,” he said. Even Newt was shocked by how blunt that was. “It won’t have a personality or memories of its own. It would adapt to your mind, fill in the blanks, as it were, to make a better fit.”
“Better,” Hanson repeated, going cold again.
“Not too little, not too much,” Newt said. “Just enough to put the pilot in control and share the load.”
“And you honestly think this can work?” Hanson asked. That had been the question that got them here.
“We’ll need your approval to go ahead,” Hermann said. “At the very least it will give us options we didn’t have last time.”
Hanson was quiet for a moment. He looked at the projected formulas and diagrams that he didn’t understand and turned it over in his head a few times.
“Beckett and Mori will be here with the new Danger in another month,” he said. “Have it ready to try by then and we’ll see what we can do.”