The adventures of Prinz Eugen and the young engineer Volume 1.

No. 4 Chapter 3

Returning to their table the two sat down at their seats. "That was impressive. I couldn't tell if you got red from embarrassment or because you had to put up with my engineer. Either way you proved your point indeed." Came the teasing remark from Prinz Eugen with a hint of acknowledgement towards her sister's ability. "What is that supposed to mean?" Asked the young engineer. "Come on. You don't think I would have danced with you because it was my choice to dance with you, you idiot. Except for you. there was no one around with whom I could have proved my point." Snapped Hipper at the young engineer. The young engineer backed off and decided against pushing the buttons of the two cruisers. The Konteradmiral nudged the young engineer in the side to get the attention of the latter. "Don't worry. You know how these two are. It reminds me of your two siblings. They could not stop comparing themselves to each other as well. Always trying to one up each other." The Konteradmiral chuckled. "Anyways, I have to say I was surprised as well that you actually went through with this. Not to mention that you can still dance classical dances." He continued. "Have you been practicing for someone?" The Konteradmiral asked and teased the young engineer. The young engineer frowned. "It seems that it is not enough that I have to put up with Prinz Eugen. Now you are mocking me as well?" Asked the young engineer in a slightly frustrated tone. "You of all people should know that I always try to not forget what I learned. Aslo, remembering memorized step patterns is not that hard." He commented as well. "I see I hurt your pride. Sorry for that." His godfather apologised. "It is alright." Accepted the young engineer the Konteradmirals' apology.

During the night the table at which the youngn engineer sat got less and less populated. The destroyers headed off to go to bed or chat with their sister ships. The Konteradmiral had met up with other higher ranking officers around the Grandadmiral. Graf Spee was at the table where her sisters sat and the young engineer was left alone. Admiral Hipper and Prinz Eugen both had left for the bar where the two were most likely enjoying themselves to such a level that it would have killed every normal human with alcohol poisoning. "Excuse us. Would it bother you if we sat down at this table?" Asked a man dressed in Ironblood navy uniform, the young engineer. "Not at all. Please go ahead." Offered the young engineer. The other officer smiled and he and about half a dozen others sat down at the table. Looking at their shoulder boards the young engineer saw that all of them were officers of the naval staff. Most equivalent or lower in rank than he was. Next to their winged staff badge they all also all had an armband on their cuffs. On this their department was written. "Forschungsabteilung" it read. (Research and Development department) The young engineer now got interested in the group. These were the people who tried to learn and understand Siren technology and the science behind Shipgirls and their equipment. The young engineer listened in on their conversations and within short order they started to talk about their work. Mostly about the way they used normal equipment components and wisdomcube energy to produce the special materials needed to build equipment. But soon they started to comment about the Wisdomcubes themselves. "I still don't get how a bunch of engineers managed to retrofit a Shipgirl that did not have the capability to do so. Not to mention retrofitting a rigging that was by all means nothing more than a dead scrapheap." Said one of them. "You know how it is. Blind chickens find the biggest pieces of corn. They probably did not even think about what they were doing but only messed around with that stuff trying to rescue that ship." Interjected another. "So you mean it was just dumb luck? But from what the reports have said they did not just try to repair that ship but went about it with intent." Said a third one. "Sure they claimed that afterwards." Countered the second. "And now we are supposed to figure out a way to enhance ships ourselves like they did." Said the first dismayed. "It is not like this is a well explored or understood science. And now thanks to a bunch of greasemonkeys we have been discredited in our reputation." Said the second resentful.

The young engineer did not like how they spoke about his friends and him and decided to politely interject and put some of their misconceptions right. "I am sorry, but I could not overhear your conversation. May I offer an alternative point of view." He interjected politely. The research officers now all paid him attention. "Now I am curious what a civilian can tell us about the most up to date research into the newest of technology?" Said one of them. "Please amuse us." He continued. The young engineer smiled upon hearing this more or less contemptuous comment upon his qualification. "I am somewhat up to date on the research development. I do read every essay and publication as soon as it is available for the naval staff. I am not part of the research and development staff but I do have first hand experience with Shipgirls and their riggings. As an engineer it might not be as thorough as the research you can conduct, since our objective is to maintain it and keep it running instead of being able to research how it was made and why it was made. Nonetheless we have practical knowledge of its function and behavior. It is not academically researched knowledge but the knowledge of practical experience combined with the knowledge you have gathered." He explained his point. "So you are a half learned unprofessional." Interjected the second of the staff officers. Not acknowledging that insult, the young engineer continued. "I may not have studied that field but I am not a dilettante." He explained. "Working with the rigging it still has the same base function as it had before as a ship. The mechanism works the same way, they are just powered by a different energy than before. By changing or increasing that energy system one is able to to increase the potential of a given system. All one has to be careful of is to not give too much power to a system. Every material and system can only handle that much power and force afterall." He explained his point of view. The researchers took up his argument and seemed to think about it for a moment. "Well, basic understanding of mechanical engineering. This is your basis for understanding the power of this new technology? Just because their basic function is the same? it can't be the basis of developing new ideas on the innovation of new technology." Countered another and and two of the research officers chuckled over the counter that seemingly discredited the argument of the young engineer. "To think a small engineer that maintains some aa guns for a destroyer or so can't possibly know anything about matters like these." Joked another. "To your information, I am not a basic mechanic. But my rank should not matter but the validity of my argument. For example the basis of this theory has proved itself valid. The result of this approach you already know and talked about in a condescending manner." He countered. "But please, just prove that you are in your position incompetent if you can not accept alternative points of view and solutions." With that he had discredited their argument against his points and criticised their condescending behavior. The researchers looked at him with a bit of confusion. "You mean to tell us that you are one of those guys that refitted that destroyer? Stop joking around. These guys were lead engineers with years of experience, who fooled around and got lucky." Said the third of the staff officers. Before the young engineer could answer, their conversation got interrupted by a seventh person sitting down at the table. "Fritz? You are here?" Asked the young engineer surprised upon seeing who had sat down at the table. "Hello there. Nice to see you again. You have chosen an interesting group for company here. These guys love to argue about different ways of research."ritz Mahler greeted the Young engineer with an amused smile. "I am trying and somewhat forcing them to accept practical research next to theoretical research they have been conducting so far. They are still not convinced. Judging by the mood at this table I hope they did not bother you too much." He joked. The young engineer smiled upon seeing his former colleague and friend. "It is good to see you again. It has been almost a year since we saw each other. Are you now permanently in the research and development department?" He asked his friend. "Yes, that is how it is now. It is really interesting work. You would not believe the stuff I get to lay my hands on." Fritz smiled.

The two men continued their conversations and catched up on what they had been doing since the young engineer had left for the Royal Islands. "Seems like a lot happened. It is also good to hear that Wiedling found a good replacement for me." Concluded Fritz. "The new guy is alright. He has no prior knowledge of naval engineering before the change but under Wiedlings tutelage he will quickly pick up the practical knowledge up to not end up like these guys." The young engineer agreed while making a suggestive move with his chin towards the others sitting at the table. The group of researchers had by now contented themselves to talking between each other and giving condescending glares to the young engineer. "Don't you worry. With a bit of practical knowledge under his belt he will be as good as you and Wiedling in no time." Agreed Fritz Mahler. "Apropos practical knowledge." He continued. "I have had the idea based on our previous work. Based on the theory that with the right mindset one can alter the energy supply of a rigging by using a Wisdomcube energy as a healing and repairing charge we can change a ship. I have come to the theory that it should be possible to figure out a way to even change the source of energy in any given system with the energy of the Wisdomcubes." Explained Fritz his line of thought. "I don't quite get what you mean." Commented the young engineer. "Let me make an example. We use Wisdomcube energy to produce components for equipment manufacturing. So we build armour plates, guns and all that and with the right amount of these components made from materials and wisdomcube energy we can turn them into rigging equipment and rigging parts. That means we can at least turn things related to ships into things for Shipgirls and their rigging. It does not seem to work for other non naval applications, at least not in the experiments the department has conducted so far. My theory is that if anything ship related can be turned into equipment for Shipgirls, would it not be possible to create Shipgirls in the same method?" Fritz elaborated in detail. The young engineer was astonished. "You mean to say that you have a thesis on how Shipgirls are created?" The young engineer's friend nodded. "I think I do. I have no idea if it is even possible but my guess would be that it would work in a similar way as our retrofit. One would need the right amount of energy from the Wisdomcubes and the materials to make a Shipgirl. The question is, if these things are created would they actually be alive. I mean who knows how ships get a personality. I mean the ones we have here were all built and had a history and perceived personality given to them by their crew. I have no idea how well that translates to the actual personality of the Shipgirls. I mean some seem to have the personalities that their crews thought they had. Others less so." Said Fritz while scratching his chin. "It is certainly an interesting idea." Agreed the young engineer. "Do you have any plans to test it?" He asked his friend. "Not yet. I wouldn't know where to find all the materials and how to do it." The young engineer's friend chuckled. "The doing part is seemingly not that hard. Also, what about the hulks of the ships the Marine has laid up? Shouldn't they be fine? There are a couple of partially fitted out ships in every harbor." Asked the young engineer. Fritz looked at him. "That could be a good idea for tests. But I would need to find a way to protect the tester. I mean a relatively low power release of the wisdomcube energy burned and almost blinded you." Continued Fritz Mahler, the proposal of the young engineer. "I will inform you about progress on that topic. But I would say we should stop talking about work and finally get us a good beer." Offered Fritz with a smile and the two went to the bar to get something to drink.

Arriving at the bar counter the two sat down on two of the bar stools. Fritz ordered two Becks' for them. "Seems like your cruiser and her sister are having a good time." Chuckled Fritz while pointing with his thumb down the counter. Following his indication the young engineer saw the two cruisers chatting. Hipper looked somewhat flustered, perhaps because of the constant teasing of Prinz Eugen or because of her alcohol consumption. The young engineer could not tell. But what he could tell was that the two seemed to get along while emptying yet another glass of beer and whisky respectively. "That is a rare sight to see." He agreed. "Seems like they are getting along without picking fights with each other." He continued. Receiving their beers the two engineers toasted each other. "Hey, don't forget to look me in the eyes. Otherwise you'll have 7 years of bad bedtime fun." Said Fritz while holding his glass up. The young engineer chuckled, nudged Fritz's glass with his and looked him in the eyes. "Prost!" Both said before drinking a gulp of their beer. "You really still believe in that old saying?" Asked the young engineer rhetorically. "You never know." Answered Fritz with a slight grin. "I also would not want to disappoint my better half." He added cheekily and both had to laugh about that additional comment.
The two continued to have a good time and talked about a wide range of things while time passed by.