Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Seattle Makers, the largest makerspace in Seattle, is humming with energy and activity today. There's a class on industrial sewing going on, and various tool stations and workstations are actively in use. Over here, a woman is turning purple heart wood on a lathe to craft artisanal pens, while nearby somebody else is staining the wood for what looks like a handmade birdhouse and feeder, which has strategically mounted holes for installing a camera. Another patron across the space is 3D printing themselves a custom new iPhone case.
Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : Despite having better equipment and facilities at her lab not far away, Lola is here today busily soldering Aetherium circuits to a board for the project on her work table nearby. Said project appears to be coming together, though it's clearly in the prototype construction phase. 3D printed pieces lie on the counter next to a partially constructed chassis that is awaiting the board that she is working on. A couple of other makers have gathered to see what the odd woman is working on. She converses readily with them as she works, though both her movements and her verbal delivery are oddly stilted, almost mechanical. The noise of the room makes it harder to notice, but her voice also has an oddly resonant quality, like it's the product of a vocaloid rather than human vocal cords.
Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : She's cheerful, in her odd and faintly unnatural way, and she's tracking how well or how poorly her various conversational partners follow what she's doing with the device, how insightful their questions are, and other criteria. Though she hasn't said so outright, she's here today sniffing out the local talent for potential recruitment.
Elizabeth Harper : Elizabeth entered the makerspace quietly, pausing momentarily at the threshold to let her sharp green eyes sweep over the bustling grounds. Orion, her steadfast German Shepherd, stayed pressed against her thigh, ears pricked and eyes alert. He wore a meticulously maintained service harness in coyote brown, clearly labeled with his name tape and prominent 'Service Dog' identifiers. Attached to the harness were carefully placed patches and badges, including a 'tactically' subdued American flag with an accompanying Marine Corps emblem, and service patches marking a few of his owner's past deployments. Orion's disciplined posture mirrored Elizabeth's own as she took stock of the room, his quiet attentiveness offering reassurance against the subtle undercurrent of nerves always triggered by new environments. She dipped her fingertips lightly into the fur at Orion's neck, offering a brief, affectionate scritch before stepping forward. Her crisp black jacket was open, revealing a pale blue shirt with sleeves neatly cuffed above capable, practical hands. Her movements were precise and measured; each step deliberate, a subtle reflection of her past training and experiences. Passing various workstations, Elizabeth offered polite nods and quiet smiles of encouragement to those who met her gaze, a supportive air surfacing naturally as she observed each maker's enthusiasm or struggle. Orion's attention sharpened as they moved through the space, his ears swiveling toward a small gathering centered around the oddly resonant voice nearby. That was a detail easily missed by his keeper, especially on account of the lively atmosphere of the makerspace. Elizabeth followed Orion's gaze, though, her curiosity clearly piqued as she observed the unusual young woman at the center of the gathering. With Orion padding silently at her side, she approached unobtrusively, then paused to listen to the idle chatter surrounding the mysterious woman's project.
Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Excellent observation!" Lola said to the man who had just asked her a question. She smiled in her precise and mechanical way. "Yes, this is a different solder alloy than you are used to seeing. It's currently not on the market, but I formulate it myself. It is lead-free, and a few other minor changes that render it less toxic, and better suited to my design specifications." She attaches another chip to the board. There's a flicker of unseen Primal Energy in the air, due to a combination of the Aetherium-alloy solder she is working with, her Enlightened procedure, and the frankly enormous amount of Quintessence currently bound up in her own robotic Pattern.
Elizabeth Harper : Elizabeth observed quietly, her interest deepening as she listened to Lola's precise explanation regarding the unusual solder alloy. The young woman's mechanical movements and distinctly resonant voice intrigued Elizabeth further, stirring professional curiosity as well as a subtle sense of caution — something reinforced by Orion's quiet intensity at her side. She reached down briefly, gently stroking the German Shepherd's fur to reassure him, noting the subtle tension still present beneath his disciplined posture.
Elizabeth Harper : "Your custom solder sounds impressive," Elizabeth remarked while maintaining the diplomatic warmth of her smile. "Formulating your own alloys must not be a small feat. Have you encountered significant improvements in durability or conductivity in your applications?"
Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Oh yes!" the gynoid said brightly, turning her attention Elizabeth's way. Her brilliant blue eyes rapidly focused and refocused, irises dilating and retracting subtly as her ocular cameras captured data for analysis. "There wouldn't be much point in using them otherwise. I have developed variants for wiring and circuitry - note the board here," she added, showing off the piece that she was working on. While comprehensible as a circuit board, both its layout and materials are atypical. "This allows me to employ near-field effects to wirelessly recharge this unit at greater distances and with greater efficiency - for example, I should be able to wirelessly recharge the unit that I am building now from across the room while it is in active operation. This unit should be able, so long as it is within roughly twelve feet of its broadcast charging station, to operate more or less continuously without halting to recharge much longer than would a human owner." When she gets going, she definitely picks up the pace of her delivery; while synthetic, she is still quite excitable on the subject of her technology. "Though I have not yet undertaken it at scale, the tolerances of my materials and techniques should be sufficient to build prostheses that can convert body heat into electrical power, and never require a separate power supply from the host body, and without the risks of toxicity associated with many current materials."
Elizabeth Harper : Elizabeth listened curiously as Lola began to open up about her work, her expression registering as sincerely impressed by the details provided. She examined the unusual circuit board thoughtfully, quickly noting the unconventional layout and materials that distinguished the woman's work from otherwise 'typical' engineering norms.
Elizabeth Harper : "That's quite impressive," Elizabeth responded, her tone reflecting what very much did seem to be genuine respect for Lola's technical ingenuity. "The wireless charging capability alone offers significant operational advantages, especially in high-demand environments. Your idea about prosthetics is particularly intriguing, too. That one's a bit near and dear to me, as it were. Eliminating the need for external power sources and the associated risks would represent an important leap forward in assistive technology."
Elizabeth Harper : She paused thoughtfully, then added another query, "Have you conducted extensive testing yet, or are you in the conceptual prototype phase at this point?"
Dr. Lola Armitage Forsyth, Mk. II : "Some of option 'A' and some of option 'B'," Lola replied with a smile. The materials themselves are quite thoroughly researched, though some of the applications are still under investigation. "Robotics with a prosthetic application are near and dear to my heart as well." She pivoted and leaned against her table, regarding the other woman thoughtfully and searchingly. "The body heat-powered prosthetics concept is still on the drawing board, but the numbers and simulations are encouraging, and I believe that the material tolerances are already there."