[color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Valkyrie AGR Headquarters[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [color=gold][center] Wednesday March 29, 2024[/center][/color] [b]Soundtrack: [url=https://youtu.be/4fqPcnuVPR8?si=qgue1kgex67tNeSQ] I Won’t Let You Go - Rascal Flatts[/url] [/b] [hr] Alexander had done his best to deal with the fallout of his decision to bring his daughter back to Germany with him. He had spent all day Monday putting out fires at headquarters and arranging everything she needed. He had once again offered to hire doctors for her care outside of the team if they could recommend someone they would trust. Dr. Montgomery and Dr. Ainsworth both had shut him down. The team had explained that by helping Arianna they would be learning things about the new augmentation technology that she had been installed with. They argued that it would help the medical team better understand how to help pilots improve their performance with the tech. They argued that Arianna presented them with a chance to learn more about a breakthrough in cybernetic technology that could revolutionize the industry. Alexander had met with the medical team and the team from Shinichi Bionics to work out the details that Monday. It turned out that Arianna’s misfortune might just benefit the team in the end. The cybernetic augmentations that had been provided to Arianna were cutting edge and very different from anything they had seen before. The company who had developed the augmentation technology, Shinichi Bionics, was based out of Japan. Arianna is the first human test subject with this new technology. She met their stringent criteria to be the test subject. She was young and healthy. She was paralyzed from the neck down due to an accident resulting in a severed spinal cord. Luck and timing also played a part as well. Accidents such as hers were rare but still happened. It was easier for them to find test subjects that had been born with a defect or disease that caused their paralysis. Part of their criteria was access to all the data regarding her progress and synchronization with the technology and a nondisclosure agreement. A team from Shinichi Bionics had been working with the staff from the UCLA Medical Center in regards to helping Arianna adjust to the technology. Their team had not been happy with the conditions they had been working in with Arianna in Los Angeles. Shinichi Bionics is a small privately held company from Japan. Dealing with the politics of academia while trying to protect their intellectual rights was difficult. They had also struggled with privacy laws even though Arianna had signed all the relevant waivers. They were often the last to find out if there was an issue. Shinichi Bionics had put everything they had into developing the new technology. If it failed or didn’t do well they would be in trouble financially. Shinichi had been pleased with the change in venue for Arianna’s recovery because Valkyrie AGR’s Team had state of the art equipment and a staff that understood what they were trying to do and the data they would need to prove their concepts. Shinichi Bionics had agreed after Arianna and Valkyrie AGR Staff had signed a contract detailing how the data and treatment would be confidential and shared between them with the understanding that in the future, if Valkyrie was interested in the technology, they would buy it from Shinichi. Valkyrie AGR’s staff would benefit from the training on helping Arianna adjust to the new biologically grown cybernetics that would replace her damaged nervous system. If the technology was proven, in time, it might be made available in the European Union as a more eco friendly and natural cybernetic augmentation. Alexander had arranged for a small team from Shinichi to stay on campus to monitor and help with Arianna’s care. He offered to pay for them to stay off site but after learning of Shinichi’s offer to train the staff and share data, Leopold had been on board with utilizing team resources. He accepted it for the opportunity it was. They decided not to say anything more in the media about it because they didn’t want to lose the opportunity should Shinichi decide to shut them out. Shinichi would be working under Dr. Montgomery’s supervision. They would be training Dr. Ainsworth the team’s Cognitive Neural Specialist, Dr. Ishikawa their augmentation technician, and the team physical therapist, Sasha Volkova. Their activities would be scheduled around the team’s existing activities to keep their pilots in top shape and assist with their healthcare and training. The team from Shinichi Bionics had been excited after they visited the team’s facilities and met those they would be working with. They felt more included and had more control over the data they needed. They were pleased with the arrangements. The only other team members that would be supporting their efforts was the team nutritionist Dr. Thorkelson and Jacques who would be making the meals designed to support the organic components of her recovery. Alexander had been humbled by the support he had received from the medical team and Mabel. There were still rumors floating around headquarters about misuse of team resources. Many of the staff were not privy to the confidentiality agreement and contract between Shinichi Bionics and Valkyrie AGR Sport. They simply saw Arianna receiving medical treatment and physical therapy from the team’s doctors and staff. They saw her getting specially prepared meals from Jaques. They saw her using the staff gym and training areas to do her physical therapy. All of the staff had seen the video statement that Alexander had put out with Arianna. Most of those who worked at headquarters, pitied Arianna. They felt sorry for her and were pleasant to her and supportive while quietly turning away from their colleagues who were not happy about her presence among them. Mabel had stepped in and spent her evenings with Arianna. She provided the maternal support and love that Arianna felt had been taken from her. Alexander had already noticed that Arianna was improving daily. Her balance was better. Her strength was returning. She still had a way to go before her fine motor skills recovered fully. Alexander did arrange for Arianna to begin seeing a therapist to help her with the trauma she had experienced. She had been resistant to the idea at first. She had only agreed to go if he started seeing a therapist too. He had caved to her blackmail and agreed. The therapist either came to headquarters or met her via phone. Alexander had chosen to only meet his therapist via phone. He didn’t have much time to squeeze in therapy sessions. Arianna was seeing her almost every day at the moment. Alexander’s therapist wanted to see him twice a week but he had put his foot down and was only doing a one hour session a week. They were pushing for more but he had not really put much effort or energy into therapy yet. He had only agreed to it as a way to get Arianna to see one. Alexander suspected Mabel was behind her blackmail but to get him to see a therapist. Mabel had certainly supported the idea when he grumbled to her about it. [hr] Alexander felt comfortable that he had Arianna settled and she was making progress. He turned his attention to focusing on his job. The contracts with Enigma Lux Fashion House had been signed. They would be shooting the photos and commercials for the campaign after the race in Tokyo. The luxury watch company, Orion, had decided to tag team with Enigma Lux, they would be shooting photos and commercials for that endorsement as well. Orion had Enigma Lux design an exclusive watch design that they would produce for them. The endorsement deal came through and because of the cross over with Enigma Lux the endorsement deal was worth more. The fashion house had come to them at Valkyrie Headquarters to take measurements and for final fittings. All three of them had received two new suits tailored and designed just for them and a new tuxedo. Both pilots had a new ship suit for Tokyo designed by Enigma Lux that would be debuting at the race. Alexander knew the amount of money he would need to build new ship designs meant hiring more engineers. His engineering team was busy keeping the current ships ready for each race. They tweaked settings for every race and repaired any damage and performed maintenance. It was enough to keep them all busy. They would need additional help to be able to bring a new ship design to a fully functioning prototype. Alexander needed to raise more money. He needed more endorsements and sponsors. He also needed to start headhunting. He needed the right engineers. He and Felix had to get together soon on what specialties he wanted. He was willing to try and get anyone Felix wanted to work with. He needed to make sure he had enough money to get them. Alexander got to work and began researching engineers that might be right for the kind of changes to the engines the team wanted to see. He needed someone who understood jet engines and wind turbines. Alexander began to read all he could on the latest research about both. He poured over articles, thesis, and magazine articles. He reached out to his father for recommendations on who might know the latest technologies in those fields and who might be able to give him some recommendations. He looked up at the clock. He needed to finish packing for Tokyo. The team was needed in Tokyo tomorrow. He, Dorian, Paul, and Katherine were needed in Tokyo for the endorsement shoots. He got up and stretched. His back popped as he twisted and stretched from side to side. He would get to have dinner with his daughter before he had to finish packing. They left for Tokyo bright and early tomorrow morning. The engineers and mechanics would get a day for practice and to make any adjustments before qualifying. Paul and Dorian were slated to attend the BioCHO event. Alexander had been invited to attend with the pilots but he didn’t feel up to it. He wanted them to enjoy the party without feeling like he was checking up on them. Arianna had wanted to go with him but she could not travel easily yet. [hr] [color=gold][center][h2][i][b]Social Media[/b][/i][/h2][/center][/color] [color=fff200][center] [b]Official Valkyrie AGR Sport Team @TeamValkyrieAGR [/b] [b]Team Valkyrie AGR Sport will be debuting new racing suits and helmets in Tokyo courtesy of our newest sponsor the Enigma Lux Fashion House! Be sure to tune in to see what they look like. New fan gear designed by Enigma Lux will be coming soon![/b] [/center][/color] [color=fff200][center] Paul Mulder @ValkyriePaul I look damn good in it too! [/center][/color] [center] [color=39b54a]Dorian Hornfleur @ValkyrieDorian I look even better in mine![/color] [/center] [color=fff200]OfficeDrone#12:[/color] Fittings were kept hush hush. [color=fff200]SuperfanAGR54:[/color] Interesting choice for sponsor. [color=fff200]DantheMan:[/color] Don’t really care what their racing suit looks like. [color=fff200]Superfan2075:[/color] Hmm it will be interesting to see what the new fan gear looks like. [color=fff200]DadBod89:[/color] I agree with DantheMan. I don’t really care what their suits like look. [color=fff200]Hater101:[/color] They are hyping new suits? How about talking about how they are going to compete with Silver Apex and Southern Cross instead? [color=fff200]Papabear34:[/color] This is not really relevant to me. I don’t buy arbitrary fan stuff. [color=fff200]Nana2050:[/color] I don’t know. Fan gear created by a fashion house sounds interesting. Maybe we will see more than the obligatory t-shirts. [color=fff200]GeorgeFly:[/color] Who cares about suits? [color=fff200]ValkyrieFan56:[/color] Oh I can’t wait to see what they look like! New fan gear designed by a fashion house. I hope they have a nice selection. [color=fff200]Weedhead81:[/color] You people need to chill and get skezzed. [color=fff200]SexyM@m@5:[/color] Oh that means new pictures! [color=fff200]Paulmulder4eva:[/color] Yes! I can’t wait to see Paul’s new suit. [color=fff200]Britball12:[/color] Only the women care about clothes. [color=fff200]BatDave:[/color] I am Batman! [color=fff200]!YouSlow!:[/color] AG racing has reached a new low when fans are excited about the suits the pilots wear. [color=fff200]xImFasterthanUx:[/color] Unless the suit contributes to their ability to win. I don’t care. [color=fff200]AGInthusiast:[/color] Not only women care about clothes. I look forward to seeing their new suits as well. [color=fff200]micheal650004:[/color] Some of us bat for the other team but love a nice fit body. [color=fff200]llamalover4life:[/color] Interested to check out the new fan gear. [color=fff200]ieatAGR:[/color] I don’t care what they look like, but an explanation of how their suits help in a race would be nice. [color=fff200]Weedhead81:[/color] @AriannaKnight You can come get skezzed with me. Still waiting on your call. [hr] [hider= Team Valkyrie Characters] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zrLx5XUgYiVm6KjTpFTWZtJvXc0MX77enkLzINHujKw/edit?gid=0#gid=0 [/hider]