In the end it took me almost thirty hours to build the Destrier. It helped, of course, to have gathered the parts I wanted in advance. Once I had each subcomponent together and applied the Handwavium, I would read exerpts of science fiction novels to it. Hardcore, military science fiction regarding fighter-equivalents kicking arse. The music kept playing. I'd set it to play for forty-eight hours if need be, without repeating itself once. Only once the part was done would I move on to the next one. Building something that I had envisaged to this degree was not something that I wanted to divide my attention upon.
The last piece of hands-on-work was to lower the bodyshell over the framework and connect it to the lower part of the shell that I had assembled. With the two parts welded together, I took an aerosol can from one shelf and put a mask across my face. I did not want to inhale this stuff.
Then I fast forwarded through the play list until the sequence I'd included for this step of the work and started spraying the outside with the thin layer of liquid Handwavium that would hold the whole thing together (if all went well).
The somewhat intelligent sentiences behind my previous work were perfectly fine for what I asked of them (even though the Jaime was more of a 'moody teenager' than I was entirely happy with at time. But for this, I needed something - no, not something, someONE smarter to be behind the metal. I needed a full AI package to partner me when I was piloting the Destrier. I'd gone so far as to ask the Professor for some advice on how to go about the matter, although the actual parts he'd donated were a safe distance away.
By a 'safe distance', I mean, in small cargo container towed a hundred metres behind the Saint Bernard's tailplane. I trust the Professor enough to know when not to trust him.
But I digress, which I did not have the luxury of at the time. Once the handwavium was on, I stood (at this point, sitting down would have tempted sweet slumbers and bad mojo to my crafting) at the front of Alpha Bay, actually on the ramp of the front clamshell door, jamming to the music playing on my guitar. I did not despoil the moment of it's majesty by inflicting my singing voice upon it it, but I fiddled a little with the rhythm or bass lines (the guitar, lest I have failed to mention, is double-necked, six string on both but bass on the lower) depending on how I felt about them, watching the long, broad face of the Destrier's hood as the handwavium and the paint took a burgundy hue. On the roof, somewhat to my annoyance, the square shape of the Confederate Battle Flag appeared behind the sun roof that I had cut, although I suppose that I should only be grateful that the rest of the heraldry associated with the Dodge Charger's most famous incarnation did not appear (although the Confederate Naval Jack wouldn't really have fit behind the sun roof).D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
The last piece of hands-on-work was to lower the bodyshell over the framework and connect it to the lower part of the shell that I had assembled. With the two parts welded together, I took an aerosol can from one shelf and put a mask across my face. I did not want to inhale this stuff.
Then I fast forwarded through the play list until the sequence I'd included for this step of the work and started spraying the outside with the thin layer of liquid Handwavium that would hold the whole thing together (if all went well).
The somewhat intelligent sentiences behind my previous work were perfectly fine for what I asked of them (even though the Jaime was more of a 'moody teenager' than I was entirely happy with at time. But for this, I needed something - no, not something, someONE smarter to be behind the metal. I needed a full AI package to partner me when I was piloting the Destrier. I'd gone so far as to ask the Professor for some advice on how to go about the matter, although the actual parts he'd donated were a safe distance away.
By a 'safe distance', I mean, in small cargo container towed a hundred metres behind the Saint Bernard's tailplane. I trust the Professor enough to know when not to trust him.
But I digress, which I did not have the luxury of at the time. Once the handwavium was on, I stood (at this point, sitting down would have tempted sweet slumbers and bad mojo to my crafting) at the front of Alpha Bay, actually on the ramp of the front clamshell door, jamming to the music playing on my guitar. I did not despoil the moment of it's majesty by inflicting my singing voice upon it it, but I fiddled a little with the rhythm or bass lines (the guitar, lest I have failed to mention, is double-necked, six string on both but bass on the lower) depending on how I felt about them, watching the long, broad face of the Destrier's hood as the handwavium and the paint took a burgundy hue. On the roof, somewhat to my annoyance, the square shape of the Confederate Battle Flag appeared behind the sun roof that I had cut, although I suppose that I should only be grateful that the rest of the heraldry associated with the Dodge Charger's most famous incarnation did not appear (although the Confederate Naval Jack wouldn't really have fit behind the sun roof).D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.