[center][h1][b]Thursday 11th May 2094 European Union Space Agency[/b][/h1] [h2][color=00aeef]Alexander Knight[/color][/h2][/center] [color=fff200]8:00am[/color] [b]Soundtrack: [url=https://youtu.be/ghxzLw2wRis?feature=shared] Now We Are Free - Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerard [/url][/b] [hr] Alexander had spent the week trying to be a present and reassuring force at team headquarters. He had made himself available to talk to any of the staff that needed reassurance. He had made a point to eat all his meals in the staff dining room. Most of the staff, while shocked, had taken the exposure of the CEO as a good thing. While there was uncertainty in the air, most of the staff were shocked that the CEO had been able to get away with so much for so long. Alexander’s presence inside Valkyrie seemed to have a stabilizing and reassuring impact on the majority of the regular staff. The senior leadership and those in supervisory positions were the ones expressing the most anxiety and concerns over the future. Alexander was surprised to get a very encrypted and personal reply back from Lipusz. It pained him to admit that he needed the help. The corruption he had found at the heart of the team went all the way to the top. He suspected there were still a few more players hiding in the shadows on the board of directors. He didn’t know who to trust. He refused to take the fall for assholes who were putting everyone who worked for the team at risk with their selfish and greedy behavior and choices. Alexander made the heart breaking choice to send Arianna away. He didn’t want her to get caught up in the chaos that was descending on Valkyrie at the moment. All the team’s assets and contracts had been frozen pending the investigation. They had been given enough leeway to continue business as usual. Arianna had fully integrated with her augmentations now. Shinochi would monitor her progress but she no longer needed daily care. Alexander argued that it was time for her to return and finish her degree. Arianna had argued that she wanted to be there for him. He had won the argument that he would feel better knowing that she was out of harm’s way. He didn’t want her to be dependent on her mother. He paid for her to move back into the dorm and for her tuition. Arianna had left for Los Angeles when he left for training in French Guiana. The media storm was being handled by Katherine and her team. The team’s response to the overwhelming number of interview requests had been no comment that due to the ongoing investigation and legal case against the former CEO the corporation was legally unable to comment on the proceedings at this time. This response, while appropriate and required by law, frustrated the media who had taken to using experts in the fields of corporate law to speculate on Valkyrie’s response to the situation and what had led to it. The response from the public was just as volatile and chaotic. There were those who gave sympathetic overwhelming support to the staff at Valkyrie, others who were quick to vilify all of Valkyrie’s leadership with the same brush, as if Brendel’s actions had tainted all of the Team’s leadership. Then there were those who didn’t really care what the CEO had done. They just wanted to know the racing team’s status. Katherine had confirmed for the media that the team would be at the Luna race. Alexander was with the small group from Valkyrie that would be going with the team to the moon. Normally the racing team traveled with a large group of almost 100 people. There would be a significantly smaller group traveling to the moon. Alexander was going as the leadership and engineering portion of the team. Helga Stumpf was coming as the mechanical lead with Juan Ramirez, Maximilian Gruber, and Igna Podnieks. Dr Montgomery was coming as the team doctor with team paramedic Konrad Bodawski to support him. There were 15 security guards coming that would double as support staff. None of Katherine’s team could be spared to come with the team but the media presence was expected to be lighter on the moon since it was still a location that required permission and was considered a restricted air space. The two team pilots brought the total number of team members going to the moon to 24 people. Dorian had been more upset over recent events with Valkyrie than Paul. He had been with the team longer and was concerned on how these events would impact his upcoming retirement. Dorian was more concerned about how the negative media attention could impact his own career and endorsement deals. Dorian had expressed his dismay over the ongoing investigation and reinforced his ignorance of the CEO’s actions. Dorian was worried that his career would be painted with a tainted brush. That is not what he wanted as his racing legacy. Dorian was angry, frustrated, and worried about the situation. Paul had been disgusted to find out that corruption had been so rampant in the leadership of the team. Paul was grateful that it had been exposed and that justice was being pursued. For Paul, it reinforced that he could trust Knight. The agreement between Knight and his mother Alicia was known to four people, Leopold Koch, Alexander Knight, Alicia Mulder, and himself. When asked about his feelings on it, Paul simply answered that for him it was reassuring to know that not even the team leadership was above the law. He then went on to say that he had been advised that he couldn’t discuss an ongoing law enforcement investigation and couldn’t comment further. The entire group had been sent to the European Union Space Agency for training on how to live and travel in space. They had several days of simulated training at headquarters and then a full day of training at the European Union Space Agency before boarding the team’s space plane for travel to the moon. They were taught how to get into and out of their spacesuits. They were drilled on it till they could do it relatively quickly. They were put in a simulator to learn how to use the space suits thrusters to navigate in zero gravity. They were taught how to use the special zero gravity toilets which made them all laugh at the ridiculous situation they found themselves in. They were reminded that fluids didn’t fall in no gravity they floated! The point that the world didn’t answer to the laws of gravity was driven home throughout the training. By the end, everyone understood how to eat and drink in gravity, use the toilet, airlock safety, how to navigate and maneuver in no gravity, and what all the various alarms were on the ship. They all learned the dangers of traveling and living in space and what they were expected to do in an emergency. Team Valkyrie was blessed to have the European Union Space Agency as part of their team make up. That meant that the team’s plane had been designed for use in space as well. The plane was designed to act as the team’s home away from home while on the moon. There would be limited onsite housing but the team members who chose to could sleep on the plane. The plane had space tight seals and airlocks allowing it to be converted for space flight. An external fuel tank would provide the extra fuel necessary for the long distance to the moon and back. The special plane used a biofuel and had solar panels with back up batteries to provide the electrical power needed on the plane. A small water recycling and filtration system helps extend the usage of the water used on board. The plane had been stocked with pre-made grab and go meals by the team chef in vacuum packaging designed with zero gravity and reheating in mind. There were two large refrigeration units accessible from the cabins on both decks just past the luggage storage area. Bottled drinks, water, and snacks were stocked in the on board pantries. The plane’s crew had already undergone training and were certified for space flight but they had to undergo refreshment training as well. With four pilots and four stewardesses brought their total team complement to 28 people. It had been a very long day at the space agency. Everyone would be staying in visitors quarters for the evening. Their plane was due to launch early the next morning from the European Union Spaceport. There were now regular flights back and forth to the moon. The people who worked in space still had to rotate back to Earth for some time in gravity. Artificial gravity slowed bone degradation but still didn’t prevent it. Researchers were still trying to figure out how to get around the bone degradation that happened when people spent too long in zero gravity. It would take them just over 24 hours to reach the moon. They would get almost a full week on the moon for the team to acclimate and practice. That night Alexander had called and chatted with Arianna to see how she was settling back in at UCLA. He also called and checked in with Mabel before the team left the next morning. Mabel was left fielding things while he was gone. He knew she was capable but he was glad she would have Leopold’s support while he was gone. They would have communications with Earth but he wouldn't have much free time while they were on the moon. Alexander was almost grateful for the timing of the Luna Race and the fact he needed to be a member of the team to go. He had left things in as good of a condition as he could. Katherine had been doing an excellent job of handling all media inquiries. Any legal inquiries were being handled by the overworked legal team. [hr] Alexander was grateful that he could tune out all the problems he left behind on Earth and focus on the problems here with him on the moon. The trip to the moon had gone exactly as planned with no issues. The team had quickly fallen into a routine. Paul and Dorian would take the ships out and based on what issues they had they worked to fix the issues. They both needed the time to adjust to the changes that had to be made for the ship to work well in the Lunar environment. There had been unexpected issues like dust clogging valves in the engine. Regolith damaging the coating on the outside of the ship. They managed to eke out a little more efficiency in the energy systems. It had been great for Alexander’s peace of mind to focus on engineering issues instead of personnel matters for a while. Alexander had avoided the public areas and kept himself firmly ensconced in the team’s area. He didn’t feel like answering any questions for reporters. He was quite content to focus on the Luna race. [hr] [center][h2] [color=fff200]Social Media[/color][/h2][/center] [hr] [color=fff200]Team Valkyrie AGR Sport has been training diligently for the Luna race. We hope you will support pilots, Dorian Hornfleur and Paul Mulder, as they race on the moon. Be sure to tune in on Sunday for all the race excitement! [/color] [Pictures of the Valkyrie ships racing along during practice on the moon.] [color=fff200]OfficeDrone#12:[/color]I hope they are ready. The CEO business has been such a distraction. [color=fff200]SuperfanAGR54:[/color] I hope they do well at the Lunar race. [color=fff200]DantheMan:[/color]I guess we will see if they can put this behind them and do well. [color=fff200]BatDave:[/color] We will have to wait and see. [color=fff200]Superfan2075:[/color]Hoping for the best. [color=fff200]DadBod89:[/color]That is a fairly big distraction. I hope they really are ready. [color=fff200]Hater101:[/color]They are gonna botch it. The timing of the CEO was to distract from how poorly they are going to do on the moon. [color=fff200]Papabear34:[/color]I will wait and see how they do under adversity. The mark of a true champion will be the ability to put all this distraction aside and still race well. [color=fff200]Nana2050:[/color] I am rooting for Team Valkyrie! [color=fff200]GeorgeFly:[/color] For their sakes I hope Paul and Dorian do well. [color=fff200]ValkyrieFan56:[/color]I support Team Valkyrie! [color=fff200]Weedhead81:[/color] I will smoke a bowl in your honor. [color=fff200]SexyM@m@5:[/color] I am cheering for you Dorian! [color=fff200]Paulmulder4eva:[/color] I am cheering for Paul! [color=fff200]Britball12:[/color] I am want results. [color=fff200]!YouSlow!:[/color]Race results will be telling. [color=fff200]xImFasterthanUx:[/color]I agree the race results will be very telling of Valkyrie’s readiness and ability to rise above the shit show that has been their leadership. [color=fff200]AGInthusiast:[/color]Watching to see what happens. [color=fff200]micheal650004:[/color] I wouldn’t miss this race for anything now. [color=fff200]Bertha:[/color]Valkyrie is going to crash and burn under the pressure. [hr] [hider= Team Valkyrie Characters] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zrLx5XUgYiVm6KjTpFTWZtJvXc0MX77enkLzINHujKw/edit?gid=0#gid=0 [/hider]