Chapter #24Meet with Cow Tech by: Drakin   "What can you tell me about Cow Tech before we meet with them tomorrow?"
Nick was still puzzled by her lack of information on such things, but played along. "Well as you might know Cow Tech is one of the leading technical colleges on the outskirts of Zootopia. Just between the Rainforest District and Savanah Central. Some of the best and brightest engineering and science students in Zootopia got their degrees there. Including most of the researchers now working at Sheer Inc. and Wolfsrun.
"Recently a small group of students have made a breakthrough they think could let them dominate the remaining untapped market of the food industry. With Wolfsrun taking over the synthetic meat and Sheer Inc. more or less assisting in the production of all fruit, vegetables, and grain, the students are about to break into the dairy industry."
"Dairy?" Judy asked, "Isn't it ok as is?"
"Not for the growing population and expanding waistlines," Nick thumped his own large middle for emphasis as they walked, "A lot of markets and restaurants have had to cut back on anything requiring milk, butter, cream or anything of the sort simply because there isn't enough to go around. And as such prices have grown insane as I know you've noticed."
"I have?" Judy asked. To which Nick raised an eyebrow.
"Last week you complained for nearly ten minutes straight about a glass of milk at the diner you visit costing almost seven dollars."
"Oh right," Judy blushed, "I guess I forgot."
Nick didn't seem entirely convinced. "Well these students think they've found a way to drastically expand the dairy reserves for the whole country without having to octuple the workforce involved. It's still some months from being fully developed but both Sheer Inc. and Wolf's run want to buy them out now. The students are a bit more savvy knowing they they could make out of this though and so turned them down.
"But last week there was a break in at the labs. Fortunately they didn't appear to get anything as the labs were recently cleaned and the notes taken home by the students. But there's likely to be another attempt. That's why Bogo wants us there for security."
"To do what? Guard the for the next few months?"
"Hopefully not," Nick bit his lower lip as he pondered that, "But according to the report the students have filed for a prototype patent which should arrive in the next week or so. That'll hold their spot for the next few months provided they can produce a viable result. Even if another company steals the data and reproduces it, as long as the students can make their method work before it expires they'll have the legal copyright to go into business."
"So not only do we have to prevent the data from being stolen for the next week, but we might also have to prevent corporate sabotage until they can prove it works."
Nick winced. "... I hadn't thought of that."
"Nick, if this is a budding business that could turn multi-billion dollar industry to compete with the other two giants they're going to pull out all the stops to get control."
Nick stopped and rubbed his head. "Well, knowing that, I could use a drink. How about it?"
"Nick," Judy protested as he eyed a bar just down the street, "Drinking the night before duty is a bad idea."
"Come on, just one. To calm the nerves."
Judy it her lip.
==========
The next day saw her swallowing a dose of painkillers and a large glass of water before climbing into the police cruiser with Nick. She shot him a glare but said nothing. From his own look he regretted the night before too.
One drink had turned into two. Then three. Judy thankfully had sense to stop when she felt the beginnings of lightheadedness and hastily ordered a couple glasses of water. Nick meanwhile had made the mistake of a fourth and a fifth. He too realized he was drunk but was one drink too far gone by that point and though Judy forced him to drink water before they'd left he'd staggered and apologized the whole way to his apartment. Judy downed another glass of water there and then one more when she got back to her place, and she still woke up with an annoyance of a headache. Not a pounder, but enough it made focusing an effort.
Fortunately she made no mistakes on the drive to Cow Tech. but dearly wished for some good sunglasses as they parked and exited the car at the edge of campus.
The walk was brief fortunately, as the university was fairly large with several buildings for lab experiments, lecture halls, libraries and more. The visitors center was easy to find and check into with the help of a friendly Ibex receptionist who helpfully showed them to the meeting room.
Both Judy and Nick were surprised when no sooner had they entered than they were shaking hand was a middle-aged rotund looking lioness in a formal brown business suit. "Welcome welcome!" she beamed, "Offices Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, so good to meet both of you. I'm Dean Sarabi Adisa."
"A lioness?" Judy asked before she could stop herself and winced at her own slow wits and minor hangover, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean..."
"It's quite alright Miss Hopps," the dean smiled, "Truth be told I had not anticipated such a position myself, but we have worked hard here at Cow Tech to be all inclusive to everyone willing to advance the fields of science and business."
"Well that's what we're here to help," Nick smiled, "So are these the students?"
For the second time Judy cringed internally as she had yet to notice the other animals sitting in the room waiting for them to finish with the greetings.
"Of course let me introduce you." She brought them over first to a large Panda male who was already standing. "This is Chen Po. He's the youngest of the team but is years above his class in the field of chemical engineering."
"It is an honor to meet both of you," the panda bowed first before shaking the hands with a warm smile.
"And this is Minerva Marshal. Also majoring in Chemical engineering with a minor in business."
The grey furred wolfess smiled and shook hands as well. Judy noticed she had an interesting blue dye to her head fur. "A real pleasure to meat the heroes of the city."
"And the leader of the team Terry Longhorn."
"Longhorn?" Judy repeated as the large brow furred bull stood up to greet them.
"Yes I believe you know my uncle down at the station," the bovine chuckled as he shook hands over a domed belly nearly as big as the pandas and as big as Judy's whole body, "I'm afraid I'm not much of a scientist. I'm majoring in business. It was Chen and Minerva who made the real breakthrough."
Both chuckled like good friends as Terry continued. "We have a fourth who should be here. Shenzi, our mechanical technician. But she's a bit of a slacker and probably slept in. Hopefully she'll meet us at the lab. We'd like to show you a minor presentation of what we've been working on. Nothing too elaborate."
"Sounds great," Nick barely stifled a yawn. "Any chance we could grab some coffee on the way?"
A short time later...   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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