Restoring Efficency

Professor Neige Quinn arrived shortly after his introductory letter, but few had the opportunity to see him about the city.  His tasks had left him little time to socialize or interact with his new neighbors.  His duty had been to restore the efficiency level the facility enjoyed under Professor Falcon. Following a clockwork that required little sleep or maintenance had been a daunting task, but Quinn accepted the challenge.

The transition had been undeniably rough. The atmosphere, the static in the air, the eccentric clockworks were troubling enough.  The most difficult hurdle was one out of his control, the hope that people still held thatDr. Falcon would be rebuilt.  Their desire for her return made it difficult for the Professor to adapt into his new position.  He returned their reluctance with calm understanding.  It would take time for people to get used to this change.

Unit VI, a rusted construction dating from the glorious days of the Empire, had taken over in Dr. Falcon’s absence.  Initially it had moped in a melancholy through the facility searching for the fallen clockwork.  When a visitor mistakenly informed Unit VI about the ‘ghost sightings’, the clockwork frantically searched every hallway for signs of the apparition. 

Professor Quinn had been forced to conclude the clockwork needed to be decommissioned or refurbished. While awaiting a replacement the unit had been reduced to his basic functions and when those were exhausted asked to wait in the Chess room for another sighting of ‘Doctor Falcon.’  

With Unit VI indisposed the Professor wished he could have relied more on Dr. Westbridge’s assistance.  The Doctor had advised Unit VI through correspondence, but the facilitator of Aquila III had less free time to assist anyone. Dean Thorne had sent a group of scholars and students to evaluate the ‘environmental and security’ risks posed by their new guests, the spiders.

The team were now trying to force changes in his staff and practices which they had no authority to enforce.  Quinn was glad that he had avoided that particular headache, but Babbage had its own share of troubles.  

There were several entities and persons under the employ of the station that the Professor considered a waste of money and resources.  The worst offender on this list were the men tasked with closing ‘random portals’ should they ever pop up.  The Professor reluctantly had to remind himself this was not the opportune time to make changes.  

Despite all these troubles, and more appearing every day, the station was finally running just under the efficiency it had displayed under Dr. Falcon.  For a human trying to fill four clockwork horse-shoes, Professor Quinn considered that rather impressive.