(no subject)

[thefirststark]

Factory Building #3 doesn't stand out much from the dozens of manufacturing sites in southern California.  The two things that distinguish it most?  That it was build after the war ended, when so many other factories were being shut down.  And that it's in Whittier, more than a little off the beaten path.  It had been a bit of pork brought home by Congressman Voorhis, something that Howard was glad to take advantage of.  And the fact that Voorhis was gone and replaced by a newcomer named Richard Nixon wasn't important.  Everyone in the district wanted the jobs, after all.


The location wasn't perfect.  The nearest full scale airfield was a good drive, meaning that planes would have to be towed on substandard roads for testing.  And those same roads didn't make the drive there an easy one.  But Howard was still pleased with the factory, with the labor pool, with the cost of the construction, and the government contracts that went with it.  Specifically, the B-35.  The next generation in long range bomber. 

The staff was all abuzz today.  Howard's visits to the factory were rare.  He generally trusted his managers, and usually had somewhere else to be.  That he was making an inspection left everyone eager.  Or nervous.  Was there something wrong?  Was there someone even more important coming?  Or was he just being a boss and pulling the sort of surprise inspection that other bosses love?  All anyone knew was that he arrived through the private garage and went to his office unseen.

They didn't know that he had left the office and gone into another dimension for a while.  Or that he was bringing back a guest.

Comments

[thefirststark]

"Well, I suppose I don't. Or rather, it's surprising you are willing to say them.

"Though in this case...you are aware how connected I am to Washington, right?" He gives her a smile to show he's not trying to be too provocative.

[electro_kinetic]

"What can they do about me not liking them, take away my birthday?" she asks. Though it is a very real possibility--figuratively, but unhappily speaking--in her world, Noriko has long lived by the idea that she will not kowtow to anyone. Including politicians.

"I know how connected you are to your Washington, and maybe it's better than the one we deal with," Nori shrugs. "And I like you, which is why I'm not concerning myself overly with the practical loopholes of things that are, at the moment, theoretical." Which basically boils down to: if it can't be done here, remember Washington has no say in the bar.

[thefirststark]

"We'll discuss away from here." But the look on his face says that the wheels are turning. The trick, he might admit later, is striking a balance between what he can do, what should do, and what he has to do. "And Washington isn't that bad. On the whole. Most days." Pause. "Sometimes."

[electro_kinetic]

"Keep going and we'll land on a word we actually agree on," she says.

[thefirststark]

He laughs, quietly. "There are at least three good restaurants there. And I know a few homes were the bourbon is always ready."

[electro_kinetic]

"A date already?" she asks, smiling. "And here I dressed for a field trip."

[thefirststark]

"My planes are fast, but we can't get from here to Washington THAT easily." He wonders if she really wants to go on a date with him. The age difference is maybe more than he wants to deal with. Though that she is Japanese and has blue hair seems not to bother him anymore.

[electro_kinetic]

That gets a chuckle out of her, because he probably doesn't know she can run that fast, and as she lifts a shoulder and drops it again, Nori opts to explain.

"The sad part is, I can. It'd take me...five hours and change," she says, though this time she does trouble to keep her voice low enough that not everyone can hear her. "The good part is I don't want to, because I like your company better, but it could be done. That said, how fast are your planes?"

[thefirststark]

"Wait. How can you do that? You can fly?" He shouldn't be surprised that it's possible. But boy, is he!

"Er, my fastest plane can cross the country in about seven hours, though I usually need to stop to refuel. In the right conditions, we can manage five hours, but not in a particularly comfortable plane."

[electro_kinetic]

"No, not fly. Run," she says, laughing. "I can run really, really fast."

[thefirststark]

"You can run...cross country...and you never mentioned it?" That's pretty interesting, isn't it?

[electro_kinetic]

"It's not something I do really often," she says. "Made it from New York to just outside Denver in a little bit less than three hours, and then I passed out for ten."

[thefirststark]

"You convert electric energy into muscle power, and then need to recharge?" Makes as much sense as anything else.

[electro_kinetic]

"Something like that, yeah. It's like a sugar high; you get extra power, but the crash is a bitch," she chuckles. "I'll show you sometime when I'm not in six-inch heels, unless you don't mind me showing off now."

[thefirststark]

"Inside a factory isn't the best idea. We could drive out to the desert later if you like.

"With a stop at an army surplus store for better shoes." There must be one nearby.

[electro_kinetic]

"I can stop," Noriko laughs. "We'll see how things go, and play it by ear, huh?"

She just isn't going to bring up that she's perfectly capable of running while barefoot.

[thefirststark]

"That suits me. Now, shall I continue the tour?" Always seems like the two of them get lost in conversation.

[electro_kinetic]

"By all means, lead on," she says with a smile.

[thefirststark]

They never get too close to a fuselage. Too many people working on too many things. But he manages to swing away the way around, showing where the engines will be, explaining the size of the fuel tanks, even noting that there are plans to include cots for longer flights so that some of the crews can sleep.

[electro_kinetic]

"You best have a great autopilot function for that," she murmurs, paying attention to the details as she follows Howard around the work area.

"I've slept on a military plane all of once. I hope yours are more comfortable."

[thefirststark]

"The plan is for two crews, essentially. I'm working on autopilot capacity, but it won't be that reliable.

"And I hope we can get at least minimal comfort. If nothing else, no one should have to sleep in the cockpit." On the rare occasions he had a copilot, he resorted to that. Ow.

[electro_kinetic]

She looks over at Howard and chuckles at that. "I'm thinking there's a story behind that desire."

[thefirststark]

"Nothing all that surprising. After the war, when we folded up SSR ops in London, I was asked to bring home some brass. No big deal, but Phillips insisted that if I had passengers, I needed a copilot.

"So we took turns flying. And I dozed off for the first time at the stick. When I woke up, I was completely out of sorts. Would have been better off just having coffee."

[electro_kinetic]

"So you were European theatre only, huh?" she asks, pivoting on one heel as she looks up at the unfinished fuselage above them.

It's an amusing thought, that he'd fall asleep doing something or--wonder of wonders--need assistance. It makes the man seem shockingly human, and for her that's quite a feat given what she's researched of him or managed to glean from sources in her own world. "So out of curiosity, if you flew why weren't you a pilot in the war?"

[thefirststark]

"On December 8, 1941, I picked up a phone and offered my services and those of my company to the War Department. Within six weeks, I was sent to work for the SSR. I wasn't looking to avoid the battlefield - and I did fly into some dangerous situations more than once - but my knowledge as a scientist was needed more than one more pilot." Which isn't to say that he doesn't feel just a little guilty about not being on the frontlines.