"Herr Xavier, I mean no offence, but you are essentially strapping a nuclear reactor cooling system onto a jet engine." said Kurt, as he looked at my design for the first engine we were going to build, the Black Star Hellfire core.
"I know, Herr Kurt. But the pressurized water cooling system is the most efficient way to cool the incoming compressed air through the stator vanes." I explained.
"And how do you propose to integrate heavy pressurized water tanks, radiators and pumps into something that is supposed to be able to fly? Even a larger airframe like a strategic bomber or transport is going to need multiple high-pressure and heavy components for even 2 engines. You'll throw its carrying capacity out the window." he challenged.
"By using these babies right here." I said showing him the design for a turbo-pump.
"These will use the high pressure steam generated from the heat absorbed from the compressed air, and from the engine itself to pump and pressurize the water to 100 bar. This way, we need to only store water at standard pressure, no need for heavy pressure tanks, and if we put the pumps close enough to the engine, no need for large and heavy sets of high-pressure pipes either." I explained.
Kurt examined the design for a few more moments.
"Very well, Herr Xavier. I still have concerns about the maintenance and reliability, but let's build this turbo-pump first, and see if it can be made as compact and powerful as we need." he chuckled and left my 'office'.
I leaned back in my chair, stretched and sighed petulantly. Kurt was the only one on my 'team' who engaged with me as an adult.
The rest of the team, were 'borrowed' from Father's employees, and they seemed to treat this more like a game instead of actual work. I had sent them the schematics, but they hadn't even glanced at them. They were more interested in playing with me during breaks — where I built toy planes to improve my dexterity. While I appreciated being played with by four hot babes in skirt-suits, I wanted them to actually work for me.
----
I watched stoically as Kurt welded a set of pipes to a scaled down prototype of my turbo-pump design. The rest of the team watched with a mixture of amusement, scepticism and curiosity. The twins Olga and Helga Mendeleev, Liesel Schmidt, and Monique DuPont. Their sleek skirt-suits in dark muted colours made an excellent counterpoint to the testing facility's industrial aesthetic. Olga was a master metallurgist, and Helga was an expert in composite materials. They were both statuesque, with long black hair, and piercing gray eyes, and spoke in exotic Russian accents. Liesel was a slightly shorter Bavarian woman with thick blonde hair and blue eyes, and was an expert in fluid dynamics, while Monique was another statuesque French woman with long black hair and piercing blue eyes, and specialized in high-temperature ceramics.
Kurt had taken it upon himself to fabricate the turbo-pump, and had politely but firmly declined the rest of the team's offers to help him. Mostly because they thought that it was his design and not mine, and he was determined to make them acknowledge my competence.
"Alright, Herr Xavier. Let's see if your design works" he said, as he turned on the boiler.
The boiler hissed, and steam started to flow through the pipes, spinning the turbine section of the pump, with its impeller sucking in water from a reservoir and forcing it into the steam boiler.
Liesel's amusement quickly morphed into concern as the pump started to suck even more water from the reservoir.
Within seconds the boiler was overloaded, and hot water was blasted out of the steam outlet in a massive torrent.
"You could have just put your ego aside and accepted my offer to check your calculations, Herr Kurt." she said loftily, brushing non-existent dust off her sleek black blazer.
"Herr Xavier sent you the schematics and the calculations, Fräulein Liesel. You could have checked them at any time." shot back Kurt, causing Liesel to flinch a bit.
"Fine, fine I'll play along with the child-genius act." said Liesel, as she sauntered over to her workstation, her 12 cm stiletto heels clicking sharply on the tiled floor.
Her condescending smirk quickly turned into a look of shock as she studied the schematic.
"Y-you actually designed this?!" she gasped. Olga, Helga and Monique crowded over her shoulders to see what she was looking at, their expressions morphing from curiosity into shock.
"Yes. That's why Father put you here. You weren't assigned to babysit me — you were assigned to work for me." I said coldly.
The four women turned to Kurt. "Kurt, this is pushing the charade a little too far. Come on, admit that you designed this." said Olga.
Kurt frowned and folded his muscular arms. "I did not design this. Herr Xavier did. I merely fabricated the model." he said coldly.
"Come on Kurt! You're an aeronautical engineer so you know a thing or two about turbines and impellers. Why are you playing along with the kid?" asked Helga.
"That's enough! Herr Xavier designed this pump! I fabricated it and assumed a reasonable estimate for its power output. I did not expect it to be this powerful. My expertise is in airframes and not turbo-engines." snapped Kurt, losing his patience with their scepticism.
"Perhaps I should design one from scratch in front of you." I said coldly, as I headed for my office with the rest of the team in tow.
Colour drained from Liesel's face as she watched me open the CAD software, and create another turbo-pump design, this time, one for a rocket engine that used a pre-charge of liquid methane and liquid oxygen to power the turbine.
By the time I had finished, her knees had given way, and she had sunk to the floor.
"Gott! I feel like I'm in a bad dream!" she moaned, her head in her hands.
The other three women knelt down beside her, and Olga placed a comforting arm around her shoulder.
"There, there, Liesel, we all underestimated him" said Olga.
"Well, at least we now get to do actual work instead of babysitting" chuckled Helga.
"And here I thought this would be a nice break where I could just play with a cute little boy." pouted Monique.
I sighed, and sat back in my chair. "Now that you all understand what I'm trying to do here. Go and build the full-scale pump. And double-check my calculations. I'm not immune to mistakes." I said coldly.
"Yes sir." said the team, Kurt confidently, and the rest of the team contritely.
"And Monique." I called her as she turned to leave.
"Yes, Monsieur Xavier?" she asked.
I gave her a small smirk. "We can still play during breaks." I said.
She blinked, before blushing a deep crimson. "Mon Dieu! This little prince is dangerous!" she muttered under her breath, before turning on her elegant brass stiletto heel and making a hasty exit.