Max and Ranarth followed the pair of small Tarith women out of the Cutter and onto the reception deck, where the researchers had already begun to gather in anticipation of possibly getting a chance to talk to the leaders of the legendary Tarith Trading Company.
Now, to the rest of the Reavers, they were an up and coming innovator known for their combat prowess and fearlessness, but to the researchers who were in the know, Max and especially Nico were legends for the number of innovations that they had put on the market.
Uncle Lu strode their way the moment that he exited the elevator with laughter in his eyes as he saw the very proud form of Mary Tarith standing next to her daughter.
"I hope that I didn't hurry your reunion too much. It is good to see the pair of you back in human territory. I am told that you have some ideas on how we can improve our equipment for the next time that the energy beings attack." Uncle Lu greeted them.
"Not at all. We've got time to finish catching up once we're all settled in. The research team from Absolution is on their way here as well, so you are about to be a very busy space station. I hope you have the room." Nico replied.
"Of course, we keep space for an extra five thousand researchers, just in case of an emergency development or a tech conference.
There is one of those coming up as well if we can get something new to show off before it starts." Lu suggested.
Nico laughed. "When has it ever been a problem to get something new to show off when we are around? We've already got more toys to show off that we haven't had a chance to send you the schematics for yet, and I'm sure we can come up with something that is properly display-worthy by the time that the show rolls around."
"Ranarth, these are the researchers of the Rae 5 Moon Base team. They are among the most accomplished of our scientists in the fields of Mecha and ship development, so they have been chosen to help us with this task. We can catch up with everyone once we get inside. I know they are all eager to get a chance to say hello, so we should arrange a greeting event once the rest of our researchers get here this afternoon." Max explained.
For a moment, Max thought that he saw a familiar face in the back of the crowd, but then she disappeared again, and it took Max a second to find Moonie's thoughts in the crowd. She was with a young researcher wearing a lab coat and thick glasses with an array of magnification and data analysis programs added to them.
They made a cute couple, but Max turned his attention away after a split second. There were many more interesting people in the crowd today. Scientists who had mastered all sorts of theories, and some who had just started but had grand ideas about what might be possible if they just had the knowledge to make it.
It was a very well-rounded group, and Max wasn't sure that his team would actually be needed if it weren't for the lack of Innu here. There were a few, but not nearly enough to take up all the tasks that the Innu were best suited to, like analyzing programming and changing parameters on the fly when there was an issue with the development of a design.
Their ability to rapidly interface with technology allowed them to solve issues as they came up, turning a failed design into something that should function the first time. Nico could do it as well, but most humans lacked the relevant skills to make it happen.
"I have a room prepared for the evening's festivities. Absolution should be here very soon, and we will all gather once they are in orbit. Unfortunately, the World Ship is a bit too large to dock with the station, so only the relevant staff will be coming to us."
That was no surprise to Max. They rarely allowed random civilians to be on the Moon Base at all, much less in the restricted areas for Mecha development.
The group got into the large cargo elevator, and Max looked around at the familiar setting.
"Isn't this an exact replica of your lab on Comor?" He asked.
"Only aesthetically. It felt more like home this way, but the layout of the base is completely different. This design is more effective since I could lay it out however I wanted and not have to try to make the most of the space that I had to work with inside of a habitation pod." Uncle Lu explained.
The elevator let them out into a large common area, designed again to mimic the lab on Comor, with the indoor city theme and a row of roadside vendors with apartments above them lining the main road.
"You're right. This does feel familiar. I should have made myself a new hoverboard before we came down." Nico joked.
Ranarth looked around the city and nodded his head at Nico.
"It is an amazing setup for flying. We have our own daredevils among the Collectors, the Stim Gangs. They would love this place with one of their attack boards. I will give you the design to make them later. They're marvellous for urban pacification and high-speed boarding actions."
Max heard a groan from behind him that he recognized as one of the members of their old testing team.
"I thought that the old man might be the sane one in the group, but he's just an enabler, isn't he? Encouraging her to try new things that might not be possible for us mere mortals when it comes our turn to test them." The man complained.
Ranarth smiled at him. "I assure you that the use of the boards is perfectly possible for a mortal human. We can even give you some padding for when you inevitably crash."
