The Legendary Junkmaster

"This here is my baby!" Jack gestured to a suit of armour on a stand and various weapons next to it.

Jason frowned as he looked at the mix of materials that had been slapped together. The outfit had soft leather as its base that went from the neck down to the fingers and toes. Steel plating had been put over the chest area, shins and forearms. Putting it squarely in the medium armour bracket.

'A child could have put this together.' Jason's frown deepened as he looked over it.

"I don't think so…" Syssie said as she also studied it. "I think you're underestimating yourself. Frankly, I think it's a miracle he got so far."

'Hm?' Upon hearing Syssie's evaluation, Jason moved closer to get a better look. 'The stitching is certainly better than what I could have done before I got any skills. The materials aren't bad, but they're not perfect either. They're just difficult to work with, I guess if I didn't know how to treat them properly. Is it a prototype? Maybe he's testing me.'

"Don't worry if you can't understand it. Everyone's the same when they first come here. After a few years, you should be able to do something similar." Jack chuckled as he looked at Jason's confused expression.

"A few years?" Jason raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Why would it take a few years? Isn't this a prototype or something to test my knowledge? It's all pretty basic…."

Jack frowned when Jason wholeheartedly labelled his creation as basic. A few of the nearby researchers heard the statement and started to crane their necks to get a look at the situation. 

"Ok, then let's see if you really can understand it." Jack's tone became cold as he glared at Jason. "Tell me what you understand about this."

"Well, this leather is subpar. You'd be better with a more flexible leather that's been treated for a few days with natural oils from…."

Jason rambled on for a bit as he pointed to various sections and picked out their flaws. Then he would proceed to offer an alternative solution that would increase the overall value of the armour set.

"And finally, well, wait. Does it have a helmet?" Jason finally turned around and noticed that a considerable crowd had gathered to listen to his explanation.

Some looked lost as they thought about what he had said, while others seemed to be nodding in agreement with each other as they discussed various topics that he had covered. Jack was frozen on the spot with his mouth wide open as he stared at the monster in front of him.

"Um… No…" Jack finally managed, but before he could say anything else, Jason turned back around to face the armour.

"In that case, I would cut a hole here to attach a light source that can be used to illuminate dark environments. Then, those who wear this will be able to perform better in said environments." Jason nodded his head as he finished his explanation. "Should I go over the weapons now?"

Jack slowly nodded in agreement, but Jason failed to realise the awkward atmosphere surrounding him. His mind was entirely focused on passing this test that had been put before him. Jason then explained the faults in the weapon designs and how some weight could be shaved off. 

This was followed by an hour-long speech on possible ways to shrink the weapons' footprint when it was being carried around. Which would be extremely useful in the field!

"So, how did I do?" Jason asked as he finally turned around and fully noticed the embarrassed expressions on the faces of everyone who worked there. Including Captain Joiner! "What? Did I mess up?" 

Jason turned to look at the armour and weapons again and quickly reviewed his knowledge. He was utterly confident that he had offered the best solutions that he could come up with right now. 'Were they expecting more?'

"Mr Wright…" Captain Joiner cleared her throat with some difficulty. "Who did you study under back in your hometown, and for how long?"

"Oh, well, I only had my sixteenth birthday a few months ago, so I never studied with anyone…." Jason heaved a sigh of relief that they did not seem to be angry or disappointed with him.

However, when he said that, a couple of the researchers fainted right on the spot! What was all those years of research for anyway!

"Hm, Mr Wright. I'm not sure how to say this except thank you." Captain Joiner sighed when she realised that he had only been honest earlier when he first saw the workshop. The problem was not his attitude but that he expected everyone to be at his level or above. "I'm sure I'm speaking for everyone here when I say that you've indirectly helped numerous people with this presentation."

The surrounding crowd nodded in disbelief as they agreed with their Captain. Some were awed by Jason's knowledge while other looked on with envious expressions written across their face.

"I'm sorry… I don't understand…." Jason replied as he began to feel as if he was a wild animal in a zoo. "We all have Super Intelligence… Right? That's what you said…."

"Yes, that's naturally correct…." Captain Joiner coughed to hide her embarrassment. "However, there are different levels of Super Intelligence. I'm just now realising that you probably were not aware of that fact."

"Hm, then what how do I compare to everyone here?" Jason was now rather curious about this subject. 

At least this explained why some of the projects looked quite pathetic to him, but it also raised some questions about how many of them suffered from the same condition as he did. Jason glanced around at the crowd and noticed that many of them could no longer look him in the eyes.

"Well, that's a difficult thing to answer… Tell me… How many different disciplines do you actually understand and are confident in applying to your work?"