Russian Reactors are Reliable (IC)

[Supercape]

"So, Mr. Supercape, Russia would very much appreciate the help of the Lab in this most... unfortunate matter. We are the understandink that you are an expert in such matters, and that the Lab is also possessed of similar find scientists. We hope we can count on your discretions and much expertise".

The Russian ambassador signed off. Supercape scratched his chin and pondered the matter. Some Russian Nuclear facility in Siberia was having intermittent power failures. Minor leaks had occurred - nothing to serious, but still. And the Russians could find absolutely nothing wrong with the facility. The Russians had some of the best nuclear physicists in the world - heck, they could teach him a thing or two. So if they couldn't find something wrong, something was very very wrong.

He should go of course - it was part of the remit of the Lab. Precisely the remit, in fact. His expertise in the science behind this was no better than their top men, but he had uncanny senses that could be extremely useful. What he did need was someone who had more of an angle on the technical side of things. And who could speak Russian.

He opened up the Lab commlink. "Dragonfly, are you there?"

[Fox]

"Yes," came the reply, with that peculiar distortion that meant she'd been too lazy or too busy to physically activate the nearest commlink. Dragonfly was in her office, actually not building something (for once); instead she was on an island of a chair, surrounded by a sea of open books, textbooks, video screens, and pictures of faces and martial artists. The pictures coated practically every surface but her beloved whiteboard, which was instead covered in scribbled notation. "Why?"

[Supercape]

"Ah, there you are!" replied Supercape, again reminded of Dragonfly's peculiar style of social interaction. He did hope that wouldn't set any Russian off. This mission might call for a modicum of diplomacy now and again.

"I believe you speak Russian, don't you? It just so happens the Russians are having a spot of bother with one of their Nuclear Reactors and have approached the Lab for some help. All very odd. I would have thought you and I could sort it, eh? you are a bit of a whizz with all that engineering and nuclear physics is my speciality. What do you say?"

[Fox]

She blinked, pulling her attention away from a book that probably weighed as much as she did. "Russia in winter? Mmh. Yes, could help translate. Provide engineering. Have wanted to take a look at a real nuclear installation. Not something I've ever been allowed near. Obvious reasons...clearance, accountability."

She puffed some hair out of her face, reaching up to tuck it behind her visor. "Suppose you want to leave immediately. Reactors sound like something that can't wait. Will be there shortly."

[Supercape]

"Excellent! Meet me in my quarters, and pack something warm" replied Supercape before Dragonfly hung up.

He started to rummage around in the somewhat messy private rooms he had at the Lab. His costume would easily provide protection against the Siberian winter, but he packed a fur lined Russian hat that he promptly placed on his head. Well, it would help blend in, he decided. And it looked eccentric.

He hastily threw a few things in a small suitcase: a few books including Advanced Practical Fission Reactions and Russian for Idiots, as well as a laptop. Space in there for a few bottles of premium vodka on the return journey, he realised.

[Fox]

Pulling on her jacket, Dragonfly started out toward the door...and paused, frowning as she thought of the last time she'd gone somewhere with Supercape (and nearly suffocated), and the last time she'd had to sit around in the cold (and been exceedingly uncomfortable). wait - was only freezing until- She turned back around, pushing aside some of the books piled on her shelves to unearth what was normally decoration: a pair of arm bands, which had been decorating her office since Christmas. won't work - preserved, but candy technology ran down quickly - weren't made to last - bet I could improve on the design - mmh - limit and extend - shame I don't stock peppermint

A schematic unfolding in the back of her mind, she glanced around her office and started collecting odds and ends - a couple tools, scrap metal, parts (loose or salvaged from other projects), some cloth scraps. These and the bands themselves stored away in her dimensional pocket, she was finally out the door and headed to Supercape's office.

[Supercape]

"Ah, there you are!" said Supercape, his tidy battered black suitcase in hand. "Good good. All set for our little excursion? wrapped up warm? brought your scarf?"

He had considered bringing an umbrella, but it was snow they would be dealing with, not rain.

"I have worked out the time-space entanglement to get us there. Just say the word, and I will have us there in the blink of an eye!" he beamed.

[Fox]

Dragonfly shook her head, closing her jacket and stuffing her hands in the pockets. "No scarf. Long trip - don't want to leave it or get it damaged. Or irradiated. Have plans, however - just need a spare hour or two to build something. After we arrive. Imagine you'll be doing most of the talking, anyway. When it's in English. Should have some time to tinker."

She sighed, trying not to think too hard about 'time-space entanglement'. "Ready."

[Supercape]

"Spiffing!"

Supercape touched Dragonfly's arm, and concentrated. The time-space continuum wobbled around them, as two locations became entangled.

There was no noise, but there was a blurring and distortion before the surroundings suddenly changed and the temperature suddenly dropped. They were outside, in Siberia, in the middle of a cordoned off area. Concrete buildings loomed over them in every direction. Russian signs (illegible to Supercape) warning imposters that they would be shot, imprisoned, or in one case, eaten by the dogs, were placed everywhere.

"Welcome to Abakan Nuclear Reactor Facilities of Abakan!" said a gruff voice. "I am director Chalinsky, and I make big welcominks to you!"

Standing in front of them, flanked by dogs and armed guards, stood the tall, broad Director, with a wide, broad grin. Everyone was dressed heavily for the -30 temperature.

Snow fell lightly to the ground - at least it was not windy.

[Fox]

Immediately hunching into her jacket, Dragonfly muttered something about how she'd need to find a workshop sooner than expected. The signs, certainly, got a critical eye - a little crude for her tastes, but she had to admit they'd probably be effective, and it was the sort of place you'd want to keep most people away from. "" she replied with a nod, in pitch-perfect Russian. Or, at least, as perfect as she ever got when talking. "" she introduced in turn, gesturing with her head as she was completely unwilling to take her hands out of her pockets, "

[Supercape]

The Direktor seemed slightly taken aback at Dragonflies fluent Russian.

"

Supercape quickly interrupted "I'm afraid I cannot speak Russian, Mr. Chalinsky, much to my regret. Such a marvellously, er, expressive language. If you would be so good as to continue in English, were possible?"

"Ov course! Ov course!" laughed the good natured and ruddy cheeked Chalinksy "Much to cold in Siberian snow, eh? you come inside and we warm you up with vodka eh? then ve talk about nuclear reactors and the powering of nuclear vessels and the suchlike..."

Supercape followed the large Russian gratefully indoors, to the main control room, where there was indeed a bottle of vodka, some glasses, and a calender featuring the picture of a scantily clad Russian woman wearing a tiny amount of fur which would not keep out much cold, he concluded.

[Fox]

Dragonfly gave the calendar a rather appreciative eye, though she was thankful that if she kept her head straight - so to speak - her visor concealed exactly where her gaze was. Vodka wasn't really her style, but she did retrieve her gathered parts from her dimensional pocket, unfolding them out of thin air and spreading them across a claimed piece of table, starting her tinkering while formalities and informalities were had. "" she grumbled, switching languages mid-grouse to add, "Would have saved me some frostbite...."

[Supercape]

"" said Director Chalinksy appreciatively. Puring some vodka for the three of them, and promptly swigging a measure for himself, he went off to talk to another man.

"Well they seem friendly enough!" commented Supercape, gently swipping the vodka - which he had to admit was good quality. He was more of a wine and port man himself, and neat vodka was a little strong for his taste, although he had to admit it did keep out the cold.

He took a look at Dragonflys parts on the table. He was a theoretical physicist, not an engineer, so he can only guess what she had in mind. "Looks all rather complicated" he commentated "what did you have in mind?"

At that moment, Chalinsky returned with another man in tow, a thinner, shorter man, called Ivan, apparently the local gaffer or mechanic. Ivan looked like he had a scowl painted permenantly on his face but he was, apparently, an expert in keeping the place running and had a top rate workshop that Chalinsky assured Dragonfly she could use and Ivan's scowl assured her that he was intruding in his den.

[Fox]

Dragonfly was just on the edge of carefully declining the offer when she realized she had the wrong size of a couple of her parts - not really wanting to intrude in another person's workshop but not really wanting something she was to wear around her arms explode, she sighed and accepted use of the workshop as gracefully as she could manage, gathering her parts back up and following Ivan with (flat, but in Russian) apologies for the inconvenience and assurances that she had nothing but respect for a quality set of tools.

[Supercape]

"Righty ho then!" said Supercape to Dragonfly, "I'll just have a sniff around the reactor, see what I can find with Chalinksy whilst you do your grease monkey wizardry!"

With a swig of vodka that Chalinksy insisted he try (and it was rather good), Supercape went off to see the reactor, whilst Ivan took Dragonfly to the workshop.

"". He shuffled his feet. "

As he spoke, his words were slightly slurred and his breath smelt slightly of alcohol.

[Fox]

Dragonfly made a bit of a face at the smell of his breath, turning to spread her parts and what few tools she'd brought out on a workbench. "" she replied, casting her eye around for a proper soldering iron. ""

[Supercape]

GM

""

Ivan could not be any more clumsy, either verbally, or physically, if he tried, as he gave a grin and the fumes of vodka hit Dragonfly in her face. He reached out to brush her blonde hair...

[Fox]

Dragonfly made a choked sound, though even she couldn't tell if it was from anger or the fumes, and Ivan immediately had a gauntlet pointed toward his face, palm out as the engineer's head snapped up and around to face him, force field bending into view around her profile. Even the gauntlet itself seemed angry, humming as it charged, little lines and arcs of twisted space pulling together and folding apart around it and refracting the soft blue glow from the glasswork; it didn't hold a candle to the pure, cold unamusement of their bearer, though, or the barely-contained anger and revulsion in her voice. "

[Supercape]

Ivan gulped and became, if anything, more sweaty than before.

"Everything alrighty?" said Supercape, barging in with a cheerful grin and banter. "Steady on with the gauntlet, Dragonfly, have somebodies eye out with that!" he joked, poking around with some of the tools he barely recognised. "Anyway, I've had a look at the reactor, and would you believe it, the rate of neutron decay is totally off the scale. I mean, looking a the quark-antiquark collision spectrum, the chance of the collision spectrum spontaneously reaching that level is, oh, I don't know, well... astronomically low..."

He paused.

"I say, are you quite chipper, old girl?"

[Fox]

Dragonfly worked her jaw for a moment, but lowered her gauntlet and let it harmlessly release its charge. "Fine," she noted, giving Ivan one last look before turning back to the workbench. "Unsettling problem, for a reactor. Should be done here soon enough. Assume that if it was in danger of immediately meltdown you'd be less cheerful."

[Supercape]

"No danger of a meltdown, as far as I can see... but that's probably your area, not mine. Technically, its rather hard for a meltdown unless the coolant systems malfunction. No, I think the problem is more of the Reactor just... failing. The power is being leached off. There has been some minor local radiation leaking, but nothing to do with a meltdown. The systems could probably do with your expert eye, of course, but the chaps here seem pretty confident. I say, what are you building? looks awfully clever!" he said, nodding at the sprawl of electronics and gizmo's Dragonfly had arranged.

Ivan gave a "Hmph" a slumped away, muttering something about needing a drink.

[Fox]

"Mmh. Eyes," Dragonfly warned as she pulled down a welding mask over her visor and about two seconds before she unceremoniously fired up a welding torch. "Protection. Not very durable, do badly in hostile environmental conditions. Attempting to mitigate that. Extreme temperatures, radiation." She paused for a moment, turning her blank mask to give Supercape a slow glance. "....suffocation." She turned back to her work - which, disturbingly, she hadn't stopped while turned away. "Seemed wise. Based on North Pole candy technology. Improvising. Original was better protection against low temperatures; new version is less powerful but more varied. Had to adjust it anyway. No peppermint sheets available."

[Supercape]

"Ah yes" nodded Supercape with the pretence of understanding. "Peppermint. Yes, very handy against radiation, I'm sure. " he coughed politely. Anybody else, he would have laughed in their face, but he suspected Dragonfly could construct a teleportation beam from a biro, a lenth of copper cable, and a piece of blue cheese.

"How long will you need? I'm going to run a few diagnostics on the particle decay, see what I can pick up with my noddle" he pointed to his head.

[Fox]

She bit her lip, looking around the workshop and at the parts she'd brought. "....three hours? No, circuitry. Mmh. Four hours. Roughly," she replied, frowning. "Provided Ivan isn't watching over my shoulder. Work best unobserved. Too much brainpower lost to being self-conscious. Interested to hear results from your....'noddle', however. Will catch up if I finish before you return. Otherwise, please, come back with anything you find out."

[Supercape]

Three hours, fifty eight minutes, and twelve seconds later...

The air beside Dragonfly blurred, shifted, and, for an instant, gained four extra dimensions. Supercape appeared beside her, rather flustered. "Hows that gizmatron of yours coming along? should be finished by now eh? excellent excellent. Been a massive radiation leak in a nearby logging base. Fortunately its nearly midnight here, so the place was abandoned except for one night shift worker, who had been on a little too much vodka."

He looked rather crestfallen.

"I'm not sure he is going to make it, what with the radiation he received. We need to take a look. Some of the men here are already on the way, suited up. This costume protects me fine against what's left of the radiation - how about you?"