<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/a/aa/Susanfranklin.png/250px-Susanfranklin.png)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Susan Franklin<br/><strong>Faction:</strong>Collegium (4)<br/><strong>Date:</strong>May 13th, 1876<br/><strong>Time of Day:</strong>Morning<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Collegium<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Reid Lawson<br/>When he said the pleasure was all his, and called her ‘ma’am,’ she swooped back, clasping his hand with both of hers and giving his another excited pump, her fingers flitting briefly over calloused fingers that made her smile wide.  “Oh no, it’s really<em>all</em>mine, Mr. Lawson.  Dr. Franklin.  Dr. Susan Franklin.  It’s so lovely to meet you.”  Her smile brightened when he thanked her for the compliment, and then she was flitting off at a rapid gait towards the entry to the Collegium’s wonders.  “Oh, it’s no bother at all!” she assured.  “I think Dr. Hardinger will be taking morning tea and something to eat - you know, Dr. Perriwinkle has been tinkering with his omelette-o-matic all night last night, and we’ve all agreed to give it another test run - he promised he’s re-calibrated the delivery system, so we shouldn’t have any more unfortunate incidents with flying chicken ovum.”  She grinned broadly.  “But Dr. Perriwinkle had<em>quite</em>the egg on his face last time.”  She gave a giggle that became a snort as her shoulders shook, and then flushed and looked away as the lift rose through the Collegium’s mechanical innards.<br/><br/>“Oh, I don’t think we’ve made a mistake,” she said, a touch solicitously.  “It’s just with all the troubles lately, we’re looking to have a … few level-headed sorts around that won’t always have their noses in a book or their heads down in an experiment.”  She smiled and reached over to squeeze his bicep - reassuringly, of course.  “We know you’re not a scientist - but we’re happy to offer all manner of instruction in any science that intrigues you.  The position is sort of a … a field assistant.  There’s stringent regulations on what sort of devices can be tested here on the mesa.  We’ve already rebuilt twice, and Hardinger doesn’t care to do it a third time.  And with troubles with Indians and chinamen and bandits and god knows what else - someone looking over our shoulder when we’re out in the field…”  She paused, and wrinkled her nose.  “I should really let Oswald explain.”<br/><br/>The lift came to a stop, after flashing past metal corridors, doorways, large metal arches and the occasional hissing, steaming pipe.  Susan lifted the wire-wrought gate of the lift, the gate chattering as it slid upwards, and then stepped out into the office at the top floor.  It was covered with chalk boards on every wall, filled with complex equations, and piles of rolled parchments made a battlefield of careful crossing.  Small machines clicked and whirred, and as Dr. Franklin threaded her way through the stacks of rolled paper, a metal kettle began to his and whine near her.  She hefted it off the pipe it sat up, a small gout of steam going up from the pipe, and then she rounded a bookshelf with the kettle in hand.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/6/6f/Oswald.png/250px-Oswald.png)</div>“Dr. Hardinger, may I present Reid Lawson.  Mr. Lawson, Dr. Oswald Hardinger.”<br/><br/>Hardinger was half-dressed for the day - a top hat and coat had been draped over a large chair pulled up to a expansive desk, and an enormous schematic was unrolled upon the desk.  The airship on the schematic looked identical to the<em>Trailblazer</em>that had departed a few days ago, and Dr. Hardinger blinked and smiled, coming around the desk.  He and Dr. Franklin exchanged quick pecks on the cheek.  “Thank you, Susan.”  He glanced down, and took the steaming kettle.  “Oh, thank you.”  He set it carefully upon the edge of the desk, and opened a desk drawer to retrieve mugs and a wooden tea set.<br/><br/>“Mr. Lawson,” he smiled.  “Have a seat - “  He blinked, to see his chairs had apparently been covered by rolled parchements as well, and moved around the desk to lift a stack of them and deposit them atop the bookshelf, where half a dozen rolled and bounced off onto the ground.<br/><br/>“Have a seat,” he said again with a smile.  “Tea?”