*****Genom's Megatokyo Tower-1:30PM, December 5, 2034*****

     "...and finally, there will be no recording or taping of any kind.
Do not keep notes of these procedings, do not make anything that may
allow someone else to build a phaser if it were to ever fall into their
hands. Do I make myself clear?" Madigan pounded her fist on the table for
effect. Slightly more than three dozen people were there from their
respective areas. The greatest minds in the scientific universe. 
     "Anything you want shall be brought in, simply ask our boomer maids.
Do not attempt to leave this room before five-thirty, as we have a total
of more than a dozen 34-C boomers guarding the surrounding area. 
     Priss sat in the ventilation shaft. Luckily, the room the scientists
had to deliberate in was large, and required a signifigant vent. She set
the camera into place. In a hushed voice she said "Alright, Nene and
Mackie are in. You got visual?" 
     "Yes." Linna said, Sylia was changing into her softsuit in the back
of the van. "Keep your voice low from now on so they don't get caught..." 

*****Genom's Megatokyo Tower-4:27PM, December 7, 2034*****

     Linna sat in the cramped air duct, lazily reading a book she had
brought with when she and Priss had switched places "How to Make a
Fortune with the Right Stocks." She was half-listening to the voices in
the room outside when she heard someone say. "I don't believe so, let's
ask..." he was obviously glancing down at his list to see who excelled in
what, "Mr. Smith." 
     Linna jumped. Mackie! "Sylia..." a small whisper of Mackie's voice
came from the transceiver. 
     Sylia's voice answered, calm and cool, as if she had seen this
coming at the beginning of the day. "Stand up and move over to the
diagram in the center of the room." 
     Mackie did as he was ordered, taking the pointer stick from the two
arguing people as he did so. As they both sat down, he whispered "What do
I-" 
     "Point to the large circular object just below the compensator."
Sylia cut him off. Mackie had been paying attention enough to know where
it was. 
     "Tell them they should move it right below the lateral vent." Mackie
did as he was told, pointing as he explained. 
     "That should give them enough room to move the pattern buffers from
the fore to the aft area. Which should give them just enough room to put
the back up buffer in the original's place." 
     Mackie repeated what Sylia said. Someone objected, saying that it
was fine to simply have one buffer, and his job was to make sure the
crystals didn't overheat. 
     "You're the one who has to put the failsafes in, that's your job."
Sylia edged. 
     "YOUR job is to make this machine works. MY job is to make sure
someone doesn't die when you fuck up your job." Mackie said, an angry
tone in his voice. He should be an actor... 
     "To hell with the crystals." Sylia said with a smile. 
     "To hell with the crystals. You can get another dilythium crystal if
it cracks, but what will we tell your family when you die testing this
thing?" Mackie raised his voice to almost a shout with the last few
words. 
     Some people clapped, others laughed. Someone said, "Okay, let's move
on...Mr. Kennedy. What are your thoughts on the intermix formula?" 
     "Good job guys." Linna said as Mackie sat back down.

*****Genom's Megatokyo Tower-1:07PM, December 8, 2034*****

     "Picking up where we left off yesterday...Ms. Yuri, once we have the
material scanned, how do you plan we store it within the allowed space
for the pattern buffer?" An uneasy chairman scientist said as Madigan had
concluded her speech as usual today. Madigan was leaving the room, but he
still couldn't help but hate being appointed chairperson, this phaser
idea seemed so wrong. But he had a wife and family to think about. 
     Nene slid further down into her seat. She hadn't had a good nights
sleep yesterday, now this was the least she needed. Genom already had
people programming and producing the parts they had decided certainly on,
why couldn't she just have gotten through this whole thing without being
called on? 
     Sylia sipped her tea. She usually had one as soon as she got up in
the morning, but this mission was delaying her teatime. "You're planning
on using Genom's new isolinear chips." she leaned back, and suddenly
realized what she had done. "No, wait-" 
     Too late. Nene had already said it. Madigan froze in the doorway.
She turned and stared directly at Nene with eyes like an eagle. 
     "Isolinear chips? How did you know about those? Those have been a
well-kept company secret since the first plans were drawn up a month
ago." Madigan's eyes narrowed. "Come with me. The rest of you...talk
amongst yourselves." 
     "Great move, Ms. Scientist." Nene whispered sarcastically as she got
up to follow Madigan out.