Undercity Development Section

The Bastion of Hope and the Threshold

GLOSSARY:

Chemcycles: I based the idea of chemcycles in Rickshaws/Tuk tuks - tried to give a more zauny name to them

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Jayce was skeptical at first when Viktor first came with the partnership proposal.

He had just arrived at the HexTech Research Lab the following day and he was surprised to meet his partner conversing with Professor Heimerdinger. His astonishment rested not on the fact Viktor was earlier than him, despite having left him working later than he did on the previous night, nor on the obvious all-nighter his colleague pulled plastered on the depth of his eyebags and the disheveledness of his looks. Those have been common occurrences ever since he partnered up with the leaner scientist on the pursuit of HexTech.

What amazed him was the enthusiasm with which Viktor talked to the dean.

 Jayce believed he and Viktor were enough - he considered them to be equals when it came to intellectual prowess, and the addition of someone else to their duo seemed counterproductive at first. They already had a well established relationship and a strongly developed work- dynamic, integrating someone to the mix would invariably mean slowing their pace down, and didn't seem worth the ordeal.

But Professor Heimerdinger was more than happy to make this merger happen. Outnumbered, Jayce had no choice but to agree to the task.

To his surprise, the integration of [Y/n] wasn't as rocky as he presumed.

The first thing he noticed was that she was terribly blunt, in a good way. The way she'd speak her mind without beating around the bush made communication - and therefore, work - flow much smoother. At the same time, she'd take criticism just as well and would back down whenever she was in the wrong.

She was rough, unrefined... but genuine.

 Soon, the HexTech Lab had an entire wall dedicated to the UDS, filled with parchment papers with information regarding the Undercity. "I'm more of a visual person, I prefer to have all the information in front of me all the time." [Y/n] would justify. Of course, it didn't explain why the desk she was given was always a complete mess, greatly contrasting with Jayce's and Viktor's tidy workspaces.

She was passionate about her work, but also very patient - she would spend hours lecturing the men on her field of study, making sure they understood every bit. Likewise, she started studying HexTech fervorously, to the point of trying to make some small experiments herself (with the men's help, of course). "We have to be in sync for this partnership to work." She explained.

Her trips to the Lanes for data gathering became a routine for the trio. Jayce and Viktor soon learned that her method of research needed a lot of social interaction - people would spot her and greet her everywhere she went, some called her by her name, others simply called her 'the Architect' or 'the Scholar'. She'd stop by and talk to the undercitizens, journal and pen in hand, asking about their lives, if something had changed in their routines, if they were in need of anything - much like a doctor gathering info for a diagnosis. She'd also stop by and sketch a few things out in her journal. "These were a bit different than last time I visited, I need visual input to update my Undercity Model." She explained.

Despite his initial disbelief, Jayce started enjoying her company much more as time passed - it was refreshing having a third person around the lab. The energy she brought in made everyday a little bit brighter.

There was only one thing that bothered Jayce - how Viktor seemed to be completely smitten with [y/n] and definitely didn't have a clue of what to do with himself.