The construction of the new Mass Driver round prototype started from the internal core, which would require them to create a miniature and rapid acceleration stabilized version of the Portal Generator, modified for the chaotic energy field that would destabilize the energy beings.
The first part was easy. They had a lot of experience making things fit inside the Mass Driver rounds that would function correctly when the rounds were fired. The problem was getting the miniaturized version of the Portal Generator to work at all. It had been designed to a very specific standard, and the physics of it did not lend itself well to miniaturization.
The energy needed a certain amount of control to stabilize the frequencies, which was impossible with the size of the emitter they needed to use, while the shell of the round would initially block the projection of the energy.
But the shell of the round would only be breached when the nuclear explosion began, and the portal emitter needed to have done its work before that started. While firing the two weapons separately was possible, it defeated the point of what they were trying to do here.
The next idea was to put the emitter on the tip of the round, outside the more durable hub, with the energy pulse timed before the arrival of the round.
It could be destroyed on impact after it had done its job, but that would require them to get the miniature array working, which they didn't accomplish before the end of their work day.
"Well, it has promise, but it needs more time to study and develop. Tomorrow, we will move on to the next proposed solution and see what we can make of it. Remember, once all the proposals are out, we will work together to try to combine the best aspects of everything that we have learned into a final weapon." Max instructed his team at the end of the day.
When they got back to their suite that night, Mary was waiting for them with dinner ready and a whole photo shoot set up inside their living room.
"Good evening, Mary. What are we up to tonight?" Max asked, prompting her to think about what her goal for the day was in case she didn't want to answer.
"We have missed you two on our family photos, so I brought the studio here, and we will digitally insert you into your proper spots in the shot so that I can have a fully updated family photo on the mantle. It might be a few months out of sync, but it should be fine." She explained.
The way she had it set up, the family photo must be a high-resolution 3D hologram or a VR computer sim designed for perfect replication. So, in that case, getting the lighting just exactly right was paramount to blending the two data sets properly without the telltale editing that someone as picky as Mary Tarith would notice in the data.
When Max looked around, he realized that the table was set for six and not three, but only Mary was there so far.
"I invited Ranarth, Uncle Lu and my husband over for dinner. They are expected in fifteen minutes, and the tracking device says that Father Tarith will be on time today." Mary explained.
"You put a tracking device on your husband?" Max laughed.
"If I didn't, I would have to chase him down every time. Now that he knows it's there, he's become much better at showing up on time."
Nico laughed as she came into the room, carefully adjusting her morphable facial features to look extra innocent for her mother. If Mary had caught on that this wasn't Nico's usual look, she hadn't said anything about it yet and just pulled her daughter into a hug.
"It's so good to get to spend time together again. You travel too much, like your father. But now that we have a few days, we should do something fun as a group. You know, like a family vacation." Mary suggested.
"Oh, we could go see the deep ocean cities on Absolution. They have submarine tours and whale watching. The whales aren't huge, but they are whales." Nico suggested.
"Or, we could visit the beach resorts and catch a tan under actual sunlight down on Rae 5. No, wait, it's peak snowboarding season at the mountain resort, isn't it?" Nico's father suggested as he walked into the suite with Ranarth and Uncle Lu close behind him.
"Some of us aren't big on the whole 'physical sports as a leisure activity' concept as others. But before we get too into this, please take a seat. Dinner is ready." Mary replied.
"Interesting, most of this is not from the Replicator systems. It lacks the energy signature that they produce. Did you grow this yourself?" Ranarth asked as he admired the salad in front of him.
"Indeed I did. I used the Terraforming machine to make me a garden at my house on the surface, just enough to make a dish or two for special occasions." Mary agreed.
The old Darkling nodded happily at the news as he ate. Going to extreme lengths, as he viewed growing your own food to be, was considered the height of courtesy when greeting guests. This was the only dish from the garden, but Mary had made the rest herself using replicated ingredients.
The excitement increased as the meal finished and the dessert course approached, leaving Ranarth in confusion about the change of mood.
"Mary Tarith traditionally bakes a special dessert dish for important occasions. It is quite good, and the rest of the human leadership all eagerly await a chance to get another slice of it." Max explained quietly as Mary went to the kitchen to get the cake.
She carefully set the slices out on the table, and Ranarth's eyes opened wide in shock. "I know this dish. This is a Stevia and Chocolate Cake. Even my species, who don't often indulge in sweets, is known to find these irresistible if they are well made."
Unfortunately, that was an ingredient that Max already knew, and Ranarth didn't know the secrets to its baking.
