Portfolio: Caldera - [Comm-Links](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links) - Portfolio: Caldera Portfolio: Caldera ================== Undefined Undefined News Update [Previous](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/18013) [Next](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/18017) Content ------- English This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 8.10. “TAKE THE NEXT STEP” This slogan is the first thing many associate with Caldera, an armor manufacturer that strives to master environmental extremes. Initially considered a niche market, Caldera has exceeded even CEO Layth Brentano’s wildest expectations thanks to the now-famous slogan and ad that popularized the brand. The most iconic, featuring an explorer trekking through the snow with a raised arm braced against the bitter wind, could be found on a near-perpetual loop in spaceports around the UEE. In it, the protagonist’s Novikov armor accumulates frost and snow as they summit the rim of a massive caldera moments before sunset. The drone camera, buffeted by high winds, follows shakily and with each step reveals an incredible panoramic view of the crater. The now iconic slogan then fading into the top half of the ad. “I’ve always loved that ad. It embodies what I want people to feel when wearing Caldera; awe on a personal scale,” said Brentano. “Plus, that ad features the actual prototype suit and the person wearing it is the reason we’re around.” CONFIDENCE INTERVAL Layth Brentano often described himself as a “capable engineer, but a better go-getter.” Born in a bitterly cold region of Vann, Croshaw, Brentano spent much of his youth outside helping maintain his family’s mining outpost. In the harsh weather, the machines frequently needed repairs and Brentano dedicated long hours, bundled up against the cold, helping his uncle patch broken parts as best he could. All the while, he developed a passion for mechanics that would last his entire life. A scholarship brought Brentano to Reisse to attend the University of Rhetor. There, surrounded by fellow engineers, he soon realized that while he had very inventive ideas, executing them required a level of skill that only top students possessed. One engineer in particular would highlight this to Brentano. Tetsuya Lang was infamous around campus for his genius. Lang began working on ways to mitigate thermal expansion on metals during his first year and never stopped. Lang was presenting an update on his ongoing work to his third-year class when a comment from Brentano would inspire a solution to a problem that had stymied progress for months. The two quickly became inseparable, with Lang recognizing that Brentano excelled at non-linear thinking and had an eye for application. Brentano noted that heat resistant armor often accounted for thermal expansion by incorporating other materials between the pieces. If they could limit those other materials, they could build a safer and sturdier suit. Once Lang’s initial experiments showed promise, Brentano handled the arduous application process that would grant the pair a prestigious UEE student research grant and their own lab on campus. By graduation, their experiments were given an R&D grant and a provisional lab on Persei, where most of the cutting-edge work in the Empire was done. CHAIN REACTION The initial review of Brentano and Lang’s work in Persei highlighted several critical benchmarks that the pair missed. When they were reassigned to a small lab near the loud landing pads, Brentano knew their grant was on the line. Then, one day in the hall, Brentano struck up a conversation with Akili Harris from a nearby Department of the Interior lab. The former Navy pilot flew research missions collecting core samples from planets, moons, and asteroids. The two bonded over tales of toiling in harsh weather conditions, and it was quickly apparent that she had spent more time in extreme environments than anyone Brentano had ever met. He practically dragged her back to their lab. After examining their work, Harris showed off a strange geometric scar on her left leg, seared there years ago when a hydrothermal vent unexpectedly erupted and melted part of her armor. If their tech had been available, maybe she wouldn’t have been injured. Harris returned to Brentano and Lang’s lab the next day with her current armor kit and they began making upgrades. She became a frequent guest during Brentano and Lang’s frantic final months in Persei. With a new practical application for their research, they made fast progress. However, the timing was too late and the pair lost their grant. Fortunately, Harris had become invested in the project and offered to help facilitate their move to Mentor, even flying the most valuable equipment there herself. To thank her, Brentano offered to build Harris a suit to her specifications. She agreed and continued to share her insights into the design, insisting on several key features including ample storage and an ultra-comfortable inner lining. The prototype impressed Brentano so much he offered Harris a cut of every one sold. Harris retired from the Department of the Interior and worked with Lang to perfect the cold and warm weather suit prototypes while Brentano tried to find a buyer. Government officials called the suit first-class but couldn’t justify the high per-unit cost with their budget. Potential investors worried it was a specialist suit that few would need, so Brentano set out to prove why someone would want it. He asked Harris to take him to the most beautiful place she’d been. Footage from that adventure to the snowy caldera convinced several early investors to come onboard, and also inspired the company’s name. Brentano stressed over the suit’s first run as it sat on store shelves for almost a year before becoming the hottest buy of 2942. This sudden success hinged on solid reviews, strong word of mouth on the few suits sold, and a little luck. In late 2941, a government report revealed that the recently discovered Kabal system contained a planet with ancient Tevarin settlements. Missed by the initial scans but discovered by a survey team on foot, pictures of extraordinary Tevarin buildings covered in native plant life flooded the spectrum. Brentano saw an immediate increase in sales and capitalized. He recut footage from his trip with Harris into the famous ad and put it on as many landing zone vid screens as possible. With sales spiking and increased consumer interest in explorer suits, Caldera secured funding for a significant production run and never looked back. Ever since, Caldera has scaled operations swiftly but smartly, with an eye on maintaining quality standards. While it has strategically expanded its product line, its flagship product remains the Novikov and Pembroke environmental suits, which attracts a wide and loyal fan-base spanning professional explorers to weekend adventurers. Tetsuya Lang drives new product development and continues to tinker with older designs he believes could be improved. Akili Harris still consults for Caldera when not out on an adventure of her own. Meanwhile, Brentano keeps his eye on the big picture as CEO and keeps the company focused on maintaining its image as a manufacturer of dependable and durable high-tech environmental armor. He personally field-tests every new product and provides vital engineering and user feedback. He even explored the far reaches of his homeworld of Vann while wearing the Novikov suit. When asked about the experience for a local paper, Brentano replied that he was “glad I didn’t have one of these when I was a kid. I would’ve spent all my time running around in the snow instead of falling in love with engineering.” Dieses Portfolio erschien ursprünglich in Jump Point 8.10. "MACH DEN NÄCHSTEN SCHRITT" Dieser Slogan ist das erste, was viele mit Caldera assoziieren, einem Rüstungshersteller, der danach strebt, extreme Umweltbedingungen zu meistern. Ursprünglich als Nischenmarkt betrachtet, hat Caldera selbst die kühnsten Erwartungen von CEO Layth Brentano übertroffen - dank des inzwischen berühmten Slogans und der Werbung, die die Marke bekannt gemacht haben. Der ikonischste, der einen Forscher zeigt, der mit erhobenem Arm gegen den bitteren Wind durch den Schnee wandert, konnte in einer fast ständigen Schleife in den Raumfahrtzentren der UEE gefunden werden. Darin sammelt die Novikov-Rüstung des Protagonisten Frost und Schnee an, während sie kurz vor Sonnenuntergang den Rand einer massiven Caldera erklimmen. Die Drohnenkamera, die von starken Winden geschüttelt wird, folgt wackelig und gibt mit jedem Schritt einen unglaublichen Panoramablick auf den Krater frei. Der mittlerweile ikonische Slogan wird dann in der oberen Hälfte des Spots eingeblendet. "Ich habe diese Anzeige immer geliebt. Sie verkörpert das, was ich möchte, dass die Leute fühlen, wenn sie Caldera tragen: Ehrfurcht in einem persönlichen Ausmaß", sagte Brentano. "Außerdem zeigt diese Werbung den tatsächlichen Prototyp des Anzugs und die Person, die ihn trägt, ist der Grund, warum es uns gibt." VERTRAUENSBEREICH Layth Brentano beschrieb sich selbst oft als "fähiger Ingenieur, aber ein besserer Draufgänger." Geboren in einer bitterkalten Region von Vann, Croshaw, verbrachte Brentano einen Großteil seiner Jugend draußen und half bei der Instandhaltung des Bergbau-Außenpostens seiner Familie. Bei dem rauen Wetter mussten die Maschinen häufig repariert werden und Brentano verbrachte viele Stunden damit, gegen die Kälte gebündelt, seinem Onkel zu helfen, kaputte Teile so gut wie möglich zu flicken. Während dieser Zeit entwickelte er eine Leidenschaft für Mechanik, die sein ganzes Leben andauern sollte. Ein Stipendium brachte Brentano nach Reisse, um die Universität von Rhetor zu besuchen. Dort, umgeben von Ingenieurskollegen, merkte er bald, dass er zwar sehr erfinderische Ideen hatte, deren Ausführung aber ein Maß an Können erforderte, das nur Spitzenstudenten besaßen. Ein Ingenieur im Besonderen würde dies Brentano hervorheben. Tetsuya Lang war auf dem Campus für seine Genialität berüchtigt. Lang begann während seines ersten Jahres an Möglichkeiten zu arbeiten, die thermische Ausdehnung von Metallen abzuschwächen und hörte nie damit auf. Lang präsentierte seiner Klasse im dritten Jahr ein Update seiner laufenden Arbeit, als ein Kommentar von Brentano ihn zu einer Lösung für ein Problem inspirierte, das monatelang den Fortschritt behindert hatte. Die beiden wurden schnell unzertrennlich, wobei Lang erkannte, dass Brentano sich durch nicht-lineares Denken auszeichnete und ein Auge für die Anwendung hatte. Brentano stellte fest, dass hitzebeständige Panzerungen die thermische Ausdehnung oft dadurch ausgleichen, dass andere Materialien zwischen den Teilen eingearbeitet werden. Wenn sie diese anderen Materialien begrenzen könnten, könnten sie einen sichereren und robusteren Anzug bauen. Nachdem Langs erste Experimente vielversprechend waren, kümmerte sich Brentano um den mühsamen Bewerbungsprozess, der den beiden ein prestigeträchtiges UEE-Forschungsstipendium für Studenten und ein eigenes Labor auf dem Campus bescheren sollte. Nach ihrem Abschluss bekamen ihre Experimente ein Forschungsstipendium und ein provisorisches Labor auf Persei, wo die meiste Spitzenarbeit im Imperium geleistet wurde. KETTENREAKTION Die anfängliche Überprüfung von Brentanos und Langs Arbeit auf Persei hob einige kritische Punkte hervor, die die beiden übersehen hatten. Als sie in ein kleines Labor in der Nähe der lauten Landeplätze versetzt wurden, wusste Brentano, dass ihr Stipendium auf dem Spiel stand. Dann, eines Tages auf dem Flur, kam Brentano mit Akili Harris aus einem nahe gelegenen Labor des Innenministeriums ins Gespräch. Der ehemalige Navy-Pilot flog Forschungsmissionen und sammelte Kernproben von Planeten, Monden und Asteroiden. Die beiden verbanden sich durch Erzählungen über die Arbeit unter rauen Wetterbedingungen, und es war schnell klar, dass sie mehr Zeit in extremen Umgebungen verbracht hatte als jeder andere, den Brentano je getroffen hatte. Er schleppte sie praktisch zurück in ihr Labor. Nachdem sie ihre Arbeit begutachtet hatten, zeigte Harris eine seltsame geometrische Narbe auf ihrem linken Bein, die dort vor Jahren eingebrannt wurde, als ein hydrothermaler Schlot unerwartet ausbrach und einen Teil ihrer Rüstung schmolz. Wäre ihre Technologie verfügbar gewesen, wäre sie vielleicht nicht verletzt worden. Harris kehrte am nächsten Tag mit ihrer aktuellen Rüstung in das Labor von Brentano und Lang zurück, und sie begannen mit den Upgrades. Sie wurde ein häufiger Gast während Brentanos und Langs verzweifelten letzten Monaten auf Persei. Mit einer neuen praktischen Anwendung für ihre Forschung machten sie schnelle Fortschritte. Allerdings war das Timing zu spät und die beiden verloren ihr Stipendium. Glücklicherweise hatte Harris in das Projekt investiert und bot an, den Umzug nach Mentor zu erleichtern, indem sie sogar die wertvollsten Geräte selbst dorthin flog. Zum Dank bot Brentano Harris an, einen Anzug nach ihren Wünschen zu bauen. Sie stimmte zu und teilte weiterhin ihre Einsichten in das Design mit, wobei sie auf einigen wichtigen Merkmalen bestand, darunter reichlich Stauraum und ein ultra-bequemes Innenfutter. Der Prototyp beeindruckte Brentano so sehr, dass er Harris einen Anteil an jedem verkauften Exemplar anbot. Harris zog sich aus dem Innenministerium zurück und arbeitete mit Lang an der Perfektionierung der Prototypen des Kalt- und Warmwetteranzugs, während Brentano versuchte, einen Käufer zu finden. Regierungsbeamte nannten den Anzug erstklassig, konnten aber die hohen Stückkosten nicht mit ihrem Budget rechtfertigen. Potenzielle Investoren befürchteten, dass es sich um einen Spezialanzug handelte, den nur wenige brauchen würden, also machte sich Brentano auf den Weg, um zu beweisen, warum ihn jemand brauchen würde. Er bat Harris, ihn an den schönsten Ort zu bringen, an dem sie je gewesen war. Das Filmmaterial dieses Abenteuers in der verschneiten Caldera überzeugte einige frühe Investoren, an Bord zu kommen, und inspirierte auch den Namen des Unternehmens. Brentano stresste sich über die erste Auflage des Anzugs, der fast ein Jahr lang in den Verkaufsregalen lag, bevor er der heißeste Kauf des Jahres 2942 wurde. Dieser plötzliche Erfolg hing von soliden Kritiken, starker Mundpropaganda für die wenigen verkauften Anzüge und ein wenig Glück ab. Ende 2941 enthüllte ein Regierungsbericht, dass das kürzlich entdeckte Kabal-System einen Planeten mit uralten Tevarin-Siedlungen enthielt. Von den ersten Scans übersehen, aber von einem Erkundungsteam zu Fuß entdeckt, überschwemmten Bilder von außergewöhnlichen Tevarin-Gebäuden, die mit einheimischer Pflanzenwelt bedeckt waren, das Spektrum. Brentano sah einen sofortigen Anstieg der Verkaufszahlen und schlug daraus Kapital. Er schnitt das Filmmaterial von seiner Reise mit Harris zu dem berühmten Werbespot um und brachte es auf so viele Landezonen-Videobildschirme wie möglich. Mit den steigenden Verkaufszahlen und dem zunehmenden Interesse der Verbraucher an Entdeckeranzügen sicherte sich Caldera die Finanzierung für eine größere Produktionsserie und blickte nie zurück. Seitdem hat Caldera den Betrieb schnell, aber klug skaliert, mit einem Auge auf die Beibehaltung der Qualitätsstandards. Während das Unternehmen seine Produktlinie strategisch erweitert hat, bleibt das Flaggschiff die Novikov- und Pembroke-Umweltanzüge, die eine breite und treue Fangemeinde anziehen, die von professionellen Entdeckern bis hin zu Wochenendabenteurern reicht. Tetsuya Lang treibt die Entwicklung neuer Produkte voran und tüftelt weiterhin an älteren Designs, die seiner Meinung nach verbessert werden könnten. Akili Harris berät immer noch für Caldera, wenn sie nicht gerade auf einem eigenen Abenteuer unterwegs ist. In der Zwischenzeit behält Brentano als CEO das große Ganze im Auge und sorgt dafür, dass das Unternehmen sein Image als Hersteller von zuverlässigen und langlebigen High-Tech-Umweltschutzwesten aufrechterhält. Er testet jedes neue Produkt persönlich im Feld und liefert wichtiges Feedback von Ingenieuren und Anwendern. Er erkundete sogar die Weiten seiner Heimatwelt Vann, während er den Novikov-Anzug trug. Als er für eine lokale Zeitung über diese Erfahrung befragt wurde, antwortete Brentano, dass er "froh war, dass ich so etwas nicht hatte, als ich ein Kind war. Ich hätte meine ganze Zeit damit verbracht, im Schnee herumzulaufen, anstatt mich in die Technik zu verlieben." This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 8.10. “TAKE THE NEXT STEP” This slogan is the first thing many associate with Caldera, an armor manufacturer that strives to master environmental extremes. Initially considered a niche market, Caldera has exceeded even CEO Layth Brentano’s wildest expectations thanks to the now-famous slogan and ad that popularized the brand. The most iconic, featuring an explorer trekking through the snow with a raised arm braced against the bitter wind, could be found on a near-perpetual loop in spaceports around the UEE. In it, the protagonist’s Novikov armor accumulates frost and snow as they summit the rim of a massive caldera moments before sunset. The drone camera, buffeted by high winds, follows shakily and with each step reveals an incredible panoramic view of the crater. The now iconic slogan then fading into the top half of the ad. “I’ve always loved that ad. It embodies what I want people to feel when wearing Caldera; awe on a personal scale,” said Brentano. “Plus, that ad features the actual prototype suit and the person wearing it is the reason we’re around.” CONFIDENCE INTERVAL Layth Brentano often described himself as a “capable engineer, but a better go-getter.” Born in a bitterly cold region of Vann, Croshaw, Brentano spent much of his youth outside helping maintain his family’s mining outpost. In the harsh weather, the machines frequently needed repairs and Brentano dedicated long hours, bundled up against the cold, helping his uncle patch broken parts as best he could. All the while, he developed a passion for mechanics that would last his entire life. A scholarship brought Brentano to Reisse to attend the University of Rhetor. There, surrounded by fellow engineers, he soon realized that while he had very inventive ideas, executing them required a level of skill that only top students possessed. One engineer in particular would highlight this to Brentano. Tetsuya Lang was infamous around campus for his genius. Lang began working on ways to mitigate thermal expansion on metals during his first year and never stopped. Lang was presenting an update on his ongoing work to his third-year class when a comment from Brentano would inspire a solution to a problem that had stymied progress for months. The two quickly became inseparable, with Lang recognizing that Brentano excelled at non-linear thinking and had an eye for application. Brentano noted that heat resistant armor often accounted for thermal expansion by incorporating other materials between the pieces. If they could limit those other materials, they could build a safer and sturdier suit. Once Lang’s initial experiments showed promise, Brentano handled the arduous application process that would grant the pair a prestigious UEE student research grant and their own lab on campus. By graduation, their experiments were given an R&D grant and a provisional lab on Persei, where most of the cutting-edge work in the Empire was done. CHAIN REACTION The initial review of Brentano and Lang’s work in Persei highlighted several critical benchmarks that the pair missed. When they were reassigned to a small lab near the loud landing pads, Brentano knew their grant was on the line. Then, one day in the hall, Brentano struck up a conversation with Akili Harris from a nearby Department of the Interior lab. The former Navy pilot flew research missions collecting core samples from planets, moons, and asteroids. The two bonded over tales of toiling in harsh weather conditions, and it was quickly apparent that she had spent more time in extreme environments than anyone Brentano had ever met. He practically dragged her back to their lab. After examining their work, Harris showed off a strange geometric scar on her left leg, seared there years ago when a hydrothermal vent unexpectedly erupted and melted part of her armor. If their tech had been available, maybe she wouldn’t have been injured. Harris returned to Brentano and Lang’s lab the next day with her current armor kit and they began making upgrades. She became a frequent guest during Brentano and Lang’s frantic final months in Persei. With a new practical application for their research, they made fast progress. However, the timing was too late and the pair lost their grant. Fortunately, Harris had become invested in the project and offered to help facilitate their move to Mentor, even flying the most valuable equipment there herself. To thank her, Brentano offered to build Harris a suit to her specifications. She agreed and continued to share her insights into the design, insisting on several key features including ample storage and an ultra-comfortable inner lining. The prototype impressed Brentano so much he offered Harris a cut of every one sold. Harris retired from the Department of the Interior and worked with Lang to perfect the cold and warm weather suit prototypes while Brentano tried to find a buyer. Government officials called the suit first-class but couldn’t justify the high per-unit cost with their budget. Potential investors worried it was a specialist suit that few would need, so Brentano set out to prove why someone would want it. He asked Harris to take him to the most beautiful place she’d been. Footage from that adventure to the snowy caldera convinced several early investors to come onboard, and also inspired the company’s name. Brentano stressed over the suit’s first run as it sat on store shelves for almost a year before becoming the hottest buy of 2942. This sudden success hinged on solid reviews, strong word of mouth on the few suits sold, and a little luck. In late 2941, a government report revealed that the recently discovered Kabal system contained a planet with ancient Tevarin settlements. Missed by the initial scans but discovered by a survey team on foot, pictures of extraordinary Tevarin buildings covered in native plant life flooded the spectrum. Brentano saw an immediate increase in sales and capitalized. He recut footage from his trip with Harris into the famous ad and put it on as many landing zone vid screens as possible. With sales spiking and increased consumer interest in explorer suits, Caldera secured funding for a significant production run and never looked back. Ever since, Caldera has scaled operations swiftly but smartly, with an eye on maintaining quality standards. While it has strategically expanded its product line, its flagship product remains the Novikov and Pembroke environmental suits, which attracts a wide and loyal fan-base spanning professional explorers to weekend adventurers. Tetsuya Lang drives new product development and continues to tinker with older designs he believes could be improved. Akili Harris still consults for Caldera when not out on an adventure of her own. Meanwhile, Brentano keeps his eye on the big picture as CEO and keeps the company focused on maintaining its image as a manufacturer of dependable and durable high-tech environmental armor. He personally field-tests every new product and provides vital engineering and user feedback. He even explored the far reaches of his homeworld of Vann while wearing the Novikov suit. When asked about the experience for a local paper, Brentano replied that he was “glad I didn’t have one of these when I was a kid. I would’ve spent all my time running around in the snow instead of falling in love with engineering.” Links ----- No links available. Images ------ 3 image/jpeg [ ![](https://media.robertsspaceindustries.com/weozjmuuh3hwh/source.jpg) ](https://media.robertsspaceindustries.com/weozjmuuh3hwh/source.jpg) source.jpg [Details](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/images/26463) Last Modified 6 years ago Size 823.29 KB [Source](https://media.robertsspaceindustries.com/weozjmuuh3hwh/source.jpg) [Info](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/images/26463) image/jpeg [ ![](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/media/5xgn1t1n9q63jr/source/Novikov.jpg) ](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/media/5xgn1t1n9q63jr/source/Novikov.jpg) Novikov.jpg [Details](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/images/26845) Last Modified 5 years ago Size 1.18 MB [Source](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/media/5xgn1t1n9q63jr/source/Novikov.jpg) [Info](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/images/26845) image/jpeg [ ![](https://media.robertsspaceindustries.com/w3o9r4zgppm77/source.jpg) ](https://media.robertsspaceindustries.com/w3o9r4zgppm77/source.jpg) source.jpg [Details](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/images/27892) Last Modified 4 years ago Size 879.80 KB [Source](https://media.robertsspaceindustries.com/w3o9r4zgppm77/source.jpg) [Info](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/comm-links/images/27892) Metadata -------- CIG ID 18016 Channel Undefined Category Undefined Series News Update Comments 16 Published 5 years ago (2021-03-03T02:00:00+00:00) [RSI Article](https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/18016-Portfolio-Caldera) [API](https://api.star-citizen.wiki/api/comm-links/18016)