DriftSci & CDL (meta)

## Implementation

Do you think they have early versions of the CDL running from the start of the PPDC? Think Chuck and Mako are among the first test subjects? Think of the glee in the Drift Science offices when two of their first 'products' wind up as two of the heroes who close the Breach. Would also further stimulate their interest in Ranger babies like the Darling-Joneses and other staff babies with high potential like the Voslings.

In ANSK, we have onsite daycare from the getgo. Have you any inkling as to why the Turtles!PPDC turned out evil when the ANSK!PPDC didn't?

\*facepalm\* Yes, we do have onsite daycare in ANSK, so all we need to change is put it under control of Drift Science once the department gets up to full strength.

I imagine that plans for it were arranged in 2015, and then implemented in 2016 when Lightcap could properly take over.

## CDL Questions

Questions about the Child Development Lab:

### What all is it?

- What all is in it? (Daycare, playgroup, director's office, primary school?

Yes to all of those contents. The primary school would also contain all of the usual trimmings beyond the classrooms (gym, lunchroom, auditorium, playground, etc.) There would also be offices for the teachers, a teachers' lounge, administrative offices, conference rooms, standard stuff like that.

### In the Shatterdome

- The Shatterdome-y parts are down a different hall from Underhill's office than the daycare?

The CDL is closer to the Admin section of the Shatterdome and very close to the Drift Science labs (for obvious reasons). It's separated from the rest of the 'Dome with a coded lock (to prevent fluffles from getting into potentially dangerous areas, of course). Underhill's office would be fairly close to the daycare/playgroup areas, since that's her area of command. The primary school has a separate director.

### Classes

How many classes has the school, you reckon?

Number of classes would depend on how many employees the Shatterdome has and if non-employees are allowed to send their children. I would assume it would be about the same number as for a town/neighborhood of similar size. Maybe more, smaller classes since they're so well-funded.

### CDL = What?

I feel 'child development lab' also applies to the primary school.

Makes sense that the title would apply to the entire fluffle department and that there would be an overall head to supervise the directors of the various areas.

## Public Opinion

(Re "New Places") "[Miss Carter] has a very funny look on her face."

Why does she have a funny look on her face? Is she unsettled by Logan? Is this not what she expected/is this ooc for him? Is she surprised at the picking up of two small wiggly things with ease?

She's heard the same rumors about the Jones brothers being erratic and violent as everyone else at the 'Dome, so she's twitchy around them no matter what they're doing. Now, she's got the non-parental one making a show of strength (these are two of the oldest kids at the daycare) and offering to remove two of the children in her care--one of whom is still sorta crying--from her sight.

### Letter

A letter went home with the kids explaining that Jackson and Logan were allowed fulfill their volunteer requirement in daycare for 'kindness therapy' (or whatever it's called- little kids get to hold babies once a quarter or something and they're a fraction as unruly as other kids). The Joneses wouldn't be allowed to if they hadn't taken their meds or had shown any unstable behaviour.

Would Charlie have gotten the letter, too?

Charlie would've gotten the letter that night when Book and Baby came home and torn it into little tiny pieces.

## Office

Should we make it very sterile/utilitarian or should it be colourful and typical daycare like?

I feel like the office (and the hallway to it) is utilitarian and the parts intended for the kids are more typically 'daycare' with all the colors and excitement.

We don't want the office to be drab; the PPDC likes its workers efficient and they're at the height of brain science with unlimited funds so they would paint spaces with stimulating palettes. Maybe have someone from DriftSci dropping off a tablet, but that's just one, quickly-forgettable thing. \*continues to ponder\*

### Underhill

To make the office visit creepy, maaaaaybe the pictures in Underhill's office hadn't changed between Pietr's first visit and "Called In" to Underhill's office (but that would involve finding out more about Underhill and I daren't let another OC into my heart).

Very good point about the decorations. No, I don't want to flesh out another OC who could possibly be sympathetic (or just plain horrific), either.

## Fiona

(Re "Called In") Do we still want to throw in a line about a person in dove grey in the director's anteroom?

Yeah, we probably should put that line in. It's probably Fiona checking if there are any new registrations. XD (It strikes me 'Fiona' is a better name since there's possibly already a 'Florence' running about.)

\*adds to draft\* In fact, I was picturing Fiona picking up copies of the new registrationees' files XD

Not sure I like this as a piece of writing, but ... “Fiona talks about Izzy"

Hivemind strikes again, I was thinking of the actual testing on the ride to school!

GO SUPER HIVEMIND POWER FRIENDS!

AWESOME AWKWARD FISTBUMP HIGHFIVE!

### Book

The scene started in a sort of interview room; Book chattered away happily on anything, everything, and nothing at all (as 3 year olds are wont to do), and would eventually lead to tension between Book and Charlie 'cause Charlie gets the odd detail about Empress Eighteen (an otherwise nondescript tractor trailer toy) wrong but the DriftSci people never do nor do they ever get tired and are there /just for Book (doesn't have to share with Baby or Derek or Andrea) and now I'm kinda waiting for them to set off Book's incredible temper.

Ooo. That will be fun to see.

I got nutin', so if you do, go for it!

### Baby

"Baby" remained focused on the experimenter's face, interrupted only when presented with stimulus, and even then, for mere moments. Subject does not react to bribes (toys, candy, etc) or insults ("people who don't talk are dumb"), and appears to have some concept of self defense; subject kept arms and legs tucked close to body unless taking the opportunity to nibble at a cookie. When it was taken away, subject's facial features displayed slight changes towards anger.

Subject is obviously intelligent, but this experimenter cannot make a more accurate judgement.

The whole Baby interview is making me laugh for some reason.

One toddler vs multiple adults and the toddler wins :D What's not to laugh at?

#### "Intake"

The best and brightest of Sydney Drift Science, thwarted by a kid barely (or not quite) a year old.

(I see at least 3 more; Fiona returning with cookies, a Muslim scientist ("a grey person with cloth hair") who paints their nails with highlighters, and a third scientist who's very mean.)

(That should be fun. Baby will undoubtedly thwart them, as well. XD)

(The 3rd scientist gets a flicker of surprise when the door slams, and then a sort of 'you are insane' eyebrow twitch but that's the closest they come. Baby's rather smug on the ride home XD

Perfect. I love the eyebrow twitch.)

## Names

But 'Baby' is not officially Baby's name? Could Fiona still call Baby whatever it says on Baby's birth certificate? 'Mx Darling-Jones'? Just curious.

I get the feeling the lab folk are supposed to call the kids by their preferred name. Basically go along with whatever they want, so if someone decides to be "Captain Awesome" for a week, the lab folk will speak to them as "Captain Awesome" (which gets on some of the parents' nerves 'cause the kids get to liking the lab folk more than them).

Also makes sense. The CDL seems to be very good at setting the kids against their parents. I'm also picturing the end of shift debriefs where all the staff are updating the notes on their rectangles of what every
kid wants to be called. And then some little cabal…

They have one of those fancy screen-tables that scheming military people tend to have in TV shows.

## CDL Goals

(Re "Intake") Love that there's no attempt at simplifying the language even though she's talking to a proto-toddler here; also, 'charges' sounds wonderfully objectifying in this context.

That part came together oh so easily. I bet all those long words are part of the test, too.

The big words almost certainly are.

## Worrying Parents

This PPDC is evil; I don't know if that applies to the daycare-specific higher ups; in any event, there's no need to worry parents (of lowly mechanics) unnecessarily (and if they did with Rangers/Ranger spouses, they will find worried Rangers/Ranger spouses so hard to deal with it's not worth the manipulation/continuing the psychological warfare on that front (though if they interpret doing so as a crack in their [resolve], they keep it up anyway))