ARATECH REPULSOR COMPANY
74-Z Design Meeting - Rev 9.14

[[ start minutes ]]

HOKINS:
OK, do we have everyone?

JEERT:
Draet and Honhs are still at lunch. Arrow 6 went long this morning. I heard someone inverted mass and lift... crushed 14 maintenance droids and an ugnaught.

[[ laughter ]]

YINTO:
Wait, what meeting is this again?

HOKINS:
74-Z control design.

TROOV:
Poodoo! Blast! Poodoo!

[[ door open ]]

JEERT:
Cya, Troov. Ha!

[[ door close ]]

HOKINS:
We need to have these control designs in by end-of-day, people. No offence, Gzeet.

GZEET:
Yraaat, skree. Ot nat.

HOKINS:
Acceleration. Pitch. Deceleration. Shoot a laser... those are all in the Imperial requirements spec, so those are in. Finance says we can't retool the handle-grips again, so we're left with just the main console.

[[ door open ]]

JEERT:
I was thinking we should use one of the dynamic plasma displays like they have on the Nubians. They're soooo wizard.

DRAET:
You think at 1000 km an hour that a clone in a helmet can operate a touch screen? Bantha-brains!

HONHS:
Sorry we're late.

HOKINS:
Switches and dials only.

YINTO:
Who said this thing is going to go 1000 km an hour?

JEERT:
Propulsion.

YINTO:
Propulsion?

JEERT:
Yeah.

YINTO:
They're on spice...

DRAET:
Even at 500 km an hour, there's no way the driver can operate a dial.

GZEET:
Mwrak sliop ti opp op mot yiwgotioe?

DRAET:
They're not going to have passengers.

HOKINS:
Draet is right, we need to stick with switches. On and off, that's all the driver can handle.

YINTO:
When I was in the sonic-shower, I took the liberty of getting down my wish list for the controls. First...

JEERT:
Wait, to be clear... you were naked when you had these ideas?

YINTO:
Grow up! OK, here's my list: music, comlink, air, turbo boost, targeting, jam comlink, sonar, and eopie whistle.

DRAET:
That's eight switches. No way they can remember that many function positions.

YINTO:
They'll be labeled.

DRAET:
They can't read labels. They can't look down. Even if they can remember eight positions, the switches have to be triggered completely by feel. I'd say no more than three. Left, center, right.

HOKINS:
That makes sense. Three switches.

HONHS:
How about turbo boost, targeting and jam comlink?

JEERT:
I don't think this model has a turbo boost.

DRAET:
Why would you have jam comlink, but not have a comlink?

HOKINS:
Fine. Comlink, targeting, jam comlink.

JEERT:
How is comlink a switch?

YINTO:
Flip it on. Talk. Flip it off.

JEERT:
Talk to who? You can't specify a receiver with a switch.

YINTO:
You talk to everyone.

JEERT:
Everyone?

YINTO:
Why not?

GZEET:
Riok ywohir getre gomki te ka?

DRAET:
How is an enemy going to steal one? There are highly sophisticated instruments. You need significant training just to get it started.

HOKINS:
If we're saying that the bike is secure from enemy theft, why do we need a switch to jam the comlink?

YINTO:
Well... what if someone in your squad won't shut up, and they keep talking and distracting the other drivers? It might be good to be able to jam them. Like, for safety.

DRAET:
Are YOU going to be on the squad, Yinto?

YINTO:
Shut up.

HONHS:
It doesn't make any sense to have two comlink-related switches separated.

YINTO:
OK, jam comlink can be center switch.

DRAET:
Why even connect it to anything? No one's going to use it.

[[ door open ]]

ANAHHA:
Your wife is on the phone, Mr. Hokins.

HOKINS:
Can you take a message?

AHAHHA:
She sounds angry. Wants to know who Jinny is.

HOKINS:
Oh, blast! OK, it's decided: comlink, jam comlink, targeting.

JEERT:
There is no targeting system.

HOKINS:
Figure it out!

[[ door close ]]

YINTO:
Ha! Ha!

DRAET:
I swear to the maker, we have mouse droids smarter than you.

[[ end minutes ]]