First Steps (Founding of the Federation) Read Online Free PDF

and we want to recycle
some of it into other things once their primary job is done. The fuel
tanks?" He waved his hand to them. "Great for storage."
He waved to the rockets. "Rockets? We can make a lobber or
hopper, or reuse them in the SSTO," he said and then smiled.
    "Or
strap it on the back of a rover for a race car," someone in the
back chuckled.
    "You
saw that old movie? Plymouth?" Mario asked and then chuckled.
"So did I. That was cool," he smiled. "Think about it
folks. The wheels have to be big to support the hab, but once they
are off, we can use them on a construction vehicle..." he said
suggestively. The babble suddenly started again. He smiled. "I
want everyone to think about that. Get me a recycling idea in your
spare time. You all know my e-mail address." He waved. "I
have to go."
    ...*...*...*...*...
    "Eight
wheels? Are you people totally nuts?" Mario slapped the papers
down then angrily flicked them onto the floor. Every time he thought
he had a handle on something someone somewhere had to muck it up.
He'd just gotten done with the MAV landing group and now this. One
look at their render was all he'd needed. They had recycled the rover
design from the Constellation program.
    "What
moron came up with that idea? Do any of you geniuses know the whole
Kiss concept? There is a reason we have a saying about Murphy folks,
and every engineer should know it by heart." He glared at the
assembled team. Several looked down at their shoes.
    "But,
we designed it for the moon," someone in the back replied.
    "Now
here this! We are not going to the moon!" Mario slapped
the table. "And whatever possessed you to design the most
complex piece of shit I have ever seen? There are so many points of
failure it isn't funny! Each wheel has its own motor, its own tire,
brake system, suspension, and axle... bearings GAH!" He threw
his hands up in the air.
    He
pointed to the back. “You get that guy from that Spike show on
the horn. I want him in on this. The guy from Extreme four by four.
He knows how to design a rig. Get him here and get him to show you
how it is done. KISS people KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID! Four tires and a
spare! Keep it simple!" Mario stomped out before he really
started throwing a tantrum.
    Wanda
met him down the hall. "Feel better?" she asked. He
growled. "Hey." She grabbed him by the waist. He stopped
and wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Easy big guy, just breathe." He let out a long suffering
sigh as people passed. He closed his eyes. "That bad huh?"
she finally asked. Mario had been going all out, alone time together
had evaporated. Hell, sleeping time had evaporated. He was catching
naps on a couch. It was thesis and test time all over again.
    He
shook his head. "You have no idea. It is like herding cats.
Designing things with the most whiz bang gadgets that cost a mint and
break down all the time," he sighed.
    "Yeah,
that sounds bad," she said quietly. He squeezed her again then
relaxed his hug. She smiled up at him. "Dinner tonight?"
    He
nodded. "I don't know when I will be done, I have to deal with
this mess, and then throw another tantrum in the lander design team's
face."
    She
smiled. "Well, I'll keep dinner warm." She gave him a
lurking smile she knew would perk him up. It did.
    He
returned the smile, and then kissed her. "Go on, get back to
work. Go play with your rocks," he said gruffly. He patted her
backside as she walked off.
    "That's
sexual harassment you know," she teased over her shoulder.
    "Promises
promises," he returned with his own grin.
    She
grinned. "Later dear."
    ...*...*...*...*...
    "Mario
is going to blow a blood vessel at this rate! Heard his rant
yesterday?" Nick asked Luigi on the plane.
    "Yeah,
I had to talk to him a little about it. I see his reasoning though;
it is like working with kids," Luigi sighed.
    Nick
blinked at him. To hear a twenty year old talk about people twice his
age like that... it was an eye opening experience. "Hey now, we
got it to