Chapter XVII

Over the course of the next day Alex spent going through the database on the ship and the engineering manuals on the ship studying the mathematics of it all. Even with his minimal knowledge at present, at least having the information in front of him was valuable for his study.

Who else would have the mathematics of a more advanced civilization to study and improve their own knowledge of the subject on? Mathematics is the basis for all things technological, or at least that was the concept that he and many others held. It was also the basis for all things related to space travel.

Wanted to get from one stellar or cosmic body to another? well not only would you need to know the distances between the two objects, but the speed that both objects are traveling through the cosmos at. If its within the same solar system, then its a bit easier, but if its to another star system? well it would be a bit more intensive. You also need to know the gravitational effects of each object, and also the other celestial bodies around it, because they all play a part. and how do you figure this all out? Math of course.

People didn't just build a rocket and it just happened to get to the moon, or wherever. No, they needed to know exactly how heavy the thing was, the effects of the atmospheric forces on said rocket, the drag caused by those same forces, as well as the gravitational pull towards the center of the object, and how much force was needed to get the mass of the rocket to escape those forces. Math was the basis for all of this, so without a solid foundation in math, doing any of this would be impossible.

Frankly speaking, even now, it was impossible for Alex. But with his newfound abilities, what is impossible right now, wont be impossible in the near future. With this understanding Alex dove into the information and the various formulas and equations found in the ships database. He didn't just focus on the computer technology at this time, because his foundations just weren't strong enough to understand it well enough to do anything with it.

He spent several hours transcribing the information from the database and then several more hours studying it. By the end of the study session he had managed to gain one more level in the Theron language, and three levels in his mathematics knowledge. It felt like information was much more easy to figure out now that he had increased his intelligence stat, but he figured the greater boost to the mathematics happened to be because of a possible unseen boon from the mathematics class the other day.

Alex had to take a break at this point as it was getting late per the time indicated on his phone, The next day had classes in both computer science and engineering. These classes should help him in some of the basic things for the computer tech on the ship, at least he could hope.

But the more he studies the more he is starting to realize just why the quest generated required him to gain knowledge in all the different things it mentioned, because everything seemed tied to many of the same principals, the computers worked off of some type of quantum technology, the comm modules used an FTL form of communication, which allowed for instant communication between two points.

He stood up and stretched and made his way to the sleeping cabin aboard the ship. The next morning he woke up early and teleported back to the house then spend a few minutes to shift to his female form and get ready to head out of the house to the college. This time she arrived only an hour before the class started and made her way to the classroom for the computer engineering class.

She took out the textbook for the class and started working on some notes and reading the book. The class itself was informative and reading through the textbook, taking notes and listening to the lecture resulted in the largest gain to the knowledge skills. Going from simple beginner level knowledge to a basic level of understanding by the end of the lecture.

The computer science class was late in the afternoon, So it was the perfect time to read through the textbook for the class, and work on some notes for that. She made her way to the library, having a good seven hours before the class, she found a secluded table in a corner of the library. After getting settled at the table she puled out the notes from the engineering class, the comp-sci textbook and also pulled out some of the notes she had taken on the communications equipment from the ship and studied it along side everything else.

About an hour into her studies she became lost in them and did not notice the individual whom came up and sat down at the same table she was sitting until she heard a cough which startled her out of her thoughts, she looked up and at the person who had taken up the seat directly across from her. He appeared to be in his late thirties, clean shaven and well trimmed hair, and a bespectacled face. Overall, he was not that noteworthy of an individual in appearance.

"Sorry...um... Can I help you?" Asked Alex

The man shakes his head and glances down at the papers she was working on "No sorry, I saw you furiously scribbling notes and studying that I got curious about what it was that you were working so hard on." He rubbed the back of his head slightly embarrassed

Alex looked at him a bit suspiciously at that statement "I find that hard to believe, this table isn't visible from the entrance of the library..."

He laughs a bit "your right it's not, it's why I like this spot to read and study myself, its also the quietest spot here. So unless I'm in my office working or doing research I'll be here. Ah, allow me to introduce myself, I am Richard. Richard Nolan, a professor here for comp-sci"

"Ah... so your the professor for my next class," Alex stated "I am one of your new students Alexia Voss, a pleasure to meet you." she says as she discretely shuffled some of the papers on the table and hid the more abstruse ones from the database transcripts. "I was just doing some study and research on your class for today, and there was a lot of time between the start of your class and the completion of my last one, it seemed like the perfect time"

"Your quite the diligent student I see, but..." He looks quizzically at the various information strewn about the table "Might I ask what it is your working on? I recognize some of this as from the textbook, and some of this stuff is much more advanced than the introductory classes for comp-sci some of which I don't quite understand... Ah sorry, I couldn't help myself while I saw you working I kind of read through what you had on the table as it had piqued my curiosity."

Alex thought for a moment and decided to seize upon the opportunity, "of course. I had some ideas back before graduating High School that I didn't have the information or resources to work on. It was in the realm of quantum computers. I had some theories that I feel can work, but I just lacked knowledge of the material at hand to put it into action and trying to create a prototype."

"Quantum computers you say?" asks Richard "well I must say its interesting that your looking into it right now, but also not all that surprising, It is in its infancy at present, and only the largest of tech companies have even remotely come close to such computers. Some claim to have a quantum computer prototype, but its even less useful compared to modern super computers, both in its capabilities and requirements. Its like the computers of just a few decades ago." he laughs "Just think that the computers a mere fifty years ago would take up large portions of a building or room, and be far less capable than even our phones of today. So while a quantum computer today is not all that useful, who know what it will be like ten years from now"

Alex and Richard carry on a conversation over the topic and various other things, while also going over the current theories behind the concepts, and some of the history of comp-sci. This went on for a few hours when the both heard the bell tower and they glanced at their phones. "Well I suppose then that this conversation will have to be put on hold till after your class Professor" Alex stated and began clearing up the table quickly and heading off to the class.