Praetonia
08-10-2005, 19:02
"Our latest design!" Barked Lead Designer George Flavius enthusiastically, bounding into the room. He cleared one of the large tables, pushing piles of crisp packets and beer cans and heaps of paper onto the floor. "It's novel - one of a kind," he continued, looking up at the other designers, who were milling around at the edge of the room, staring at the Lead Designer. He unrolled a scroll-like blue print, place a small pile of stuff at each corner to hold it down, and beckoned to the other designers to examine it.
"Come on, take a look!" They moved cautiously forwards and gathered around the table.
"What is it?" Piped one of them.
"Why, a submarine of course! Just look at the hull, oh - and look, the new torpedo tubes... and the deck guns," he continued, not even bothering to try to hide his obvious excitement.
"Is this to scale?" Demanded the Deputy Head of that design section, one Caecilius Varrus, frowning.
"Of course, of course," Flavius responded, brushing the question aside.
"Because if it is," continued Varrus loudly, "it's as long as a superdreadnaught and as useful as a chocolate kettle. Just look at it - those torpedo tubes most be 60" in bore.
Flavius rounded on him. "What the hell did you think it was? A little SSK? A patrolboat? Pull yourself together man! IPS has gotten over its dogmatic obsession with conventional designs and low-creativity development. It's got plenty of money, and it needs to spend it - and what better way to spend it than on something that no one else in the world has."
Varrus sighed. He had never seen eye to eye with his boss, but his unit had always been given proper things to work on in the past, so all Flavius could do was bemoan his "creativity-low" fate. The rest of the design team were looking over the design and nodding. Varrus was in a minority of one, so he would have to go along with it.
"What's more," continued Flavius, "we're going to be getting some help from Hogsweat's Lionheart Industries." He pressed the intercom to security, "You can send them in now."
A few minutes later, the small Hogsweatian delegation was led in. "Comrade Chief Designer, it's a pleasure to see you," Flavius said, extending his hand.
"Come on, take a look!" They moved cautiously forwards and gathered around the table.
"What is it?" Piped one of them.
"Why, a submarine of course! Just look at the hull, oh - and look, the new torpedo tubes... and the deck guns," he continued, not even bothering to try to hide his obvious excitement.
"Is this to scale?" Demanded the Deputy Head of that design section, one Caecilius Varrus, frowning.
"Of course, of course," Flavius responded, brushing the question aside.
"Because if it is," continued Varrus loudly, "it's as long as a superdreadnaught and as useful as a chocolate kettle. Just look at it - those torpedo tubes most be 60" in bore.
Flavius rounded on him. "What the hell did you think it was? A little SSK? A patrolboat? Pull yourself together man! IPS has gotten over its dogmatic obsession with conventional designs and low-creativity development. It's got plenty of money, and it needs to spend it - and what better way to spend it than on something that no one else in the world has."
Varrus sighed. He had never seen eye to eye with his boss, but his unit had always been given proper things to work on in the past, so all Flavius could do was bemoan his "creativity-low" fate. The rest of the design team were looking over the design and nodding. Varrus was in a minority of one, so he would have to go along with it.
"What's more," continued Flavius, "we're going to be getting some help from Hogsweat's Lionheart Industries." He pressed the intercom to security, "You can send them in now."
A few minutes later, the small Hogsweatian delegation was led in. "Comrade Chief Designer, it's a pleasure to see you," Flavius said, extending his hand.