You do not have full access of this dialogue by insufficient clearances level, full clearance [E3]
[Location: ****ª Research Facility – Private Lounge]The private lounge is filled with the low murmur of high-level scientific discussion. Most of the personnel here are D-rank clearance managers, exchanging research notes in small clusters. The overhead lighting is functional yet warm, designed to prevent eye strain. The scent of coffee, faintly metallic from the sterile air systems, mixes with the aroma of synthetic leather chairs and polished composite surfaces. Conversations rise and fall—some hushed, some heated.
Triton steps in, his soldier's instincts making him scan the room before focusing on his target. As expected, Vega is seated in the far corner—her presence deliberate, positioned to observe without being easily observed. A porcelain cup of tea rests beside her tablet, her fingers absently skimming across classified reports. As usual, her two bodyguards are near, blending in with the other personnel but unmistakable to those who knew what to look for.
He smirks, saying nothing about them, and makes his way over.
Triton:"Vega. Always in the best spot—minimum exposure, maximum control. Military-grade risk assessment, or just paranoia?"
Vega: (glancing up, her Russian accent subtle but distinct)"Triton. You are mistaking efficiency for paranoia. I simply prefer to work where interruptions are… minimized." (She gestures lightly at the engineers arguing at a nearby table.) "Unlike them, I do not have the luxury of wasting time."
At a nearby table, two researchers are debating in sharp, clipped voices.
"If the field distortions are truly aligning with the Kerr metric, then we need to adjust for frame-dragging—"
"That is assuming the system even operates in a rotating spacetime context. You are overcommitting to Penrose's singularity theorem—"
Vega exhales softly, unimpressed by the dispute, and refocuses on Triton.
Vega: (gesturing at the seat across from her)"Sit, if you must. But I suspect you did not come to discuss theoretical physics."
Triton: (grinning as he sits)"Sharp as ever. Alright—Project Héphaïstos. Word from Base Gamma is that they've refined their •••••••• •••••• ••••••••. Full ••••••••• •••• in •••••• environments, including •••••••• •••••• zones. If true, that's a major •••• forward."
Vega: (stirring her tea, unreadable expression)"If true, da."
Triton: (leaning forward slightly, voice lowering)"Come on, you have higher clearance than I do. You've seen more than what's in my briefings. Any insights?"
Vega: (taking a slow sip of her tea before replying evenly)"You know how this works, Triton. Information is compartmentalized for a reason. If your clearance does not permit it, then my lips are sealed."
Triton: (exhaling through his nose, leaning back in mild frustration)*"Right. Security. Classification. The grand bureaucratic machine of ****ª."
Vega: (amused but firm)"Structure. Safeguards. Protection from reckless curiosity."
A burst of laughter erupts from another table. A group of propulsion engineers are engaged in a heated discussion. One of them slams a hand on the table.
"If we can stabilize the Bose-Einstein condensate at higher energy states, we could maintain coherence at a macroscopic scale! But no, we have to wait for clearance—"
A senior officer at the same table clears his throat sharply. The conversation quickly dies down.
Triton chuckles, shaking his head as he glances at Vega.
Triton:"See? Even the 'good little scientists' get tired of all the red tape."
Vega: (raising an eyebrow, unimpressed)"And yet, without these restrictions, you would already have ten different collapse events in Project Point 0."
Triton: (mock offense)"Only nine. Maybe eight."
Vega simply sips her tea, unamused.
Triton:"Fine. If you won't talk about Héphaïstos, let's discuss something we can talk about—our projects. Lumière Quantique and Prometheus have been working well together. Your photonic computing models have drastically improved our AI decision loops. Reaction times have dropped by 40%. That's… not small."
Vega: (nods slightly, pleased but measured)"Expected. Quantum entanglement eliminates processing bottlenecks. But tell me—have you addressed the coherence drift?"
Triton: (grimacing slightly)"That's still a problem. Under controlled conditions, the system performs flawlessly. But the moment we introduce real-world environmental instability—electromagnetic interference, high-gravity shifts, kinetic shockwaves—the system starts second-guessing itself. It over-analyzes, stuck in recursive decision loops instead of acting. It's as if… it becomes too aware of uncertainty."
Vega: (tapping a finger on the table thoughtfully)"Mmm. It is the Von Neumann Measurement problem, da? Too much observation collapses probability states prematurely, leading to unstable results. You need a way to delay decoherence in key decision points."
Triton: (nodding, intrigued)"Exactly. We've been experimenting with weak measurement protocols, but the delay is unpredictable."
Vega: (leaning forward slightly)"Then you should consider using a hybrid approach. Partial quantum non-demolition measurements—similar to how we stabilize entangled photon states in Lumière Quantique.
A layered approach: let the AI make preliminary assessments without collapsing the wavefunction entirely, then reinforce only when necessary."
Triton: (his grin widening as he processes the idea)*"Hah. Now that is interesting. If we apply that to real-time threat assessment models, we could—" (he pauses, recalibrating his thoughts) "I'm going to need to run simulations. Would your team be open to a formal data exchange?"
Vega: (tilting her head slightly, considering)"Perhaps. Submit a request, and I will review it. If it benefits Lumière Quantique, I see no reason to refuse."
Triton: (mocking a thoughtful look)"Generous of you. Almost makes you seem… altruistic."
Vega: (smirking faintly)"Triton, I do nothing without reason. Your success reflects on my technology. If you fail, it is inefficient. I do not tolerate inefficiency."
Triton: (laughing as he leans back)"Fair enough."
A soft chime sounds through the room, a reminder for personnel to return to their assigned sectors soon. The background hum of discussion shifts, people wrapping up their debates, securing their tablets, making final notes.
Triton stretches as he stands, pushing his chair back. Vega remains seated, finishing the last sip of her tea before setting the cup down with precise care. Her bodyguards remain still, their gazes flicking briefly toward Triton before returning to passive observation.
Triton: (grinning as he steps away)"Always enlightening, Vega."
Vega: (not looking up, adjusting her tablet)"The feeling is not mutual. Do try not to break anything before our next discussion."
Triton chuckles, giving a casual salute before heading toward the exit. Vega finally looks up, watching him for just a moment before refocusing on her work. Around them, the quiet symphony of classified science continues, as if their conversation had merely been another ripple in the vast machinery of ****ª.