PILOT'S LOG 1.02 ✈ VIDEO; console

[merb]

[ Stork is using the Hotel's console for this broadcast, moving back a little from the screen so that the table in front of him is visible as well. On it are two blue crystals of a similar shade, each about the size of a golf ball. For anyone to whom he's talked about the crystals of his homeworld before, these will definitely match that description. It seems that he's gotten hold of some in Keeliai, and didn't waste any time in working with them. ]

There's a good reason we use crystals as the main power source in Atmos. These ones here are called "Floaters"-- I'm sure you can guess what they're going to do.

[ He produces a third crystal into view, this one a silvery pale colour and a little larger than the others, shaped like an elongated rhombus. He doesn't name this one, but as he holds it over the two Floaters, they begin to vibrate on the table. After a moment, they rise into the air, levitating. Stork touches one of the Floaters with one end of the silver crystal, and the other Floater with the opposite end, and the two begin to rotate one another on a horizontal plane. They spin faster, but keep to the same orbit.

All seems to be going well, except the blue Floaters keep increasing in speed. The orbit develops a bit of a wobble, and the merb's pleased expression melts into one that is clearly uh-oh. A second later, one of the Floaters goes supersonic and zooms out of the rotation, narrowly missing Stork by inches -- who yelps a "Yleeep!" and ducks off screen -- and embedding itself in the opposite wall of the lobby -- Sorry, Anton. The other Floater simply falls to the table and bounces away, and a moment later, long ears followed by a sheepish green face, peer up from the table's edge.

Ahem. Still working on getting the harmonization calibrator up to spec. I should have all the bugs worked out soon.

--

[OOC: Open to action at the Midnight Hotel's lobby too! ]

Comments

[confirmationbias]

How did you get a hold of those?

[Obviously this person was familiar with the crystals. Did he have them on him when he came to Keeliai?]

[merb]

[ sounding proud: ] Found them! Kind of a seedy place, though, I wouldn't recommend it.

[confirmationbias]

Interesting.

[There wasn't really anything like that where Sonja came from, but if it was just floating around maybe she could start trying to find magical artifacts from other worlds]

[merb]

And useful. A pair of these are enough to power a small inversion engine, and they're not even top grade.

[confirmationbias]

But what are you going to do with them here? Are you gonna try to make a space ship?

[Anywhere else that would have been a ridiculous concept, but Sonja was quickly learning to suspend her disbelief]

[merb]

[ baffled: ] What would you need a spaceship for? It's hard enough getting proper propulsion up in the stratosphere.

video

[looksfine]

[None of those crystals better be yellow.]

[Just saying.]

Are these items that were brought to the city on your person?

[He spoke as if he knew them well enough.]

Re: video

[merb]

[ He might have one or two that are yellow, the crate is still in his room... ]

No, I only had a Cinder crystal on me at the time. These are ones I found last week, at a shop in the Fire Sector. A whole crate!

[ It's actually a pretty small crate. More of a box, really. But he might as well have found the Holy Grail. ]

video

[looksfine]

[gdi. Who's bright idea was it to make yellow a Green Lantern's greatest weakness?]

You were able to find precisely the same materials as those originated from your universe?

Interesting. May I ask what shop?

Re: video

[merb]

[ powers that be. ]

Everyone told me they'd never heard of anything like crystal power when I got here, so the probability's good.

I couldn't read the sign, I saw them in the window.

[ A moment later, a location ping. Stork's picked up the nuances of the console system pretty fast. ]

video

[looksfine]

[Incredibly useful; not only did this give her a precise location, but pings on the console were easy enough to record in her own navigational system. Combined with the layout of the city she had memorized long ago, and she knew exactly where she would need to go.]

Then...it is a coincidence.

They were not aware that these gemstones in their possession were capable of being utilized as an alternate power source.

Re: video

[merb]

[ Green team unite! Stork is smirking, just a little. ]

And I might have neglected to mention that they were.

action;

[peacefullywreathed]

[As it happens, the first Floater zips practically past Solomon's nose while he's trying to find his way toward the kitchen door. He flinches back and the shadows pull up in a protective shield around him before he overhears Stork's sheepish explanation and makes the shadows drop to a pool around his feet.

[He takes a deep breath, and then another, to swallow the first curse, the second snap, and the third growl.]

It might be prudent to be experimenting with those somewhere there isn't a lot of traffic.

[Alright, it's still pretty snappish. He doesn't even know what almost hit him, except it felt a lot like an overlarge bullet.]

Re: action;

[merb]

[ Almost reflexively, Stork covers the microphone on the console. ]

Don't say those kinds of things, there could be kids listening to this transmission!

[ It completely doesn't matter that he had no idea what was actually said, but the tone was clear. ]

[peacefullywreathed]

[Really. Really. Solomon throws a disbelieving look somewhere about a foot off to Stork's side.]

You nearly shot me and that's your priority?

[His hand is still on the wall; he slides it along to try and find where the object hit. As it turns out, about two inches above his fingers. And it's chunky, whatever it is; it could've broken his whole hand. It's also buried pretty deeply in there, and unbroken. Chills run down Solomon's back, but he manages to keep the reaction off his face.]

You realise that firing lethal weapons is illegal here?

[merb]

I didn't nearly shoot anyone, it was a simple harmonization miscalcula--

[ But he's looking at Solomon because he does recognize him, but not quite in this state. The protest drops off in favour of muted surprise. ]

What happened to you?

[peacefullywreathed]

Magical item blew up in my face.

[Tersely. If he explains at a minimum and moves on quickly people won't linger on the 'blind' thing, right? Right?

[He puts his hand over the crystal and threads some shadows into the cracks, and they work it out of the wall with a little thunk. One arching blue-tinged tendril holds it triumphantly aloft; Solomon flicks his fingers and the shadow wriggles across the floor to hold it obligingly out in Stork's general direction.]

Whatever it was, it was moving fast. It could've killed someone if it had hit. You should be doing that in a lab.

[video]

[bigdamnhiro]

Oh no, bad words! [Accompanied by a mock gasp of distress.] Think of the children.

Re: [video]

[merb]

[ Jabbing an accusatory finger at the video screen, while speaking at Solomon. ]

See!

[video]

[bigdamnhiro]

Dude, you ever been to a bot fight? Nobody watches their languge in a back alley. This is weak shit.

[NOW HE'S JUST DOING IT ON PURPOSE TO MESS WITH HIM -]

[video]

[theideaguy]

[There's the end of a laugh as Sokka watches the demonstration.]

Well I hope you don't get all the bugs worked out. I mean, sure, the buzzard wasps and giant rhinoceros beetles are one things. But you'll still need one bug left in to make it work: the fly.

[Yes, yes, he did just say that.]

Re: [video]

[merb]

[ A pause, like Stork is actually considering the relative danger of those potential insects, before he gives a grin. ]

You don't think I could wing it?

[video] ONE TWO THREE FOUR I DECLARE A PUN WAR

[theideaguy]

[Sokka just grins deviously.]

Hard to say. But if one of those things hits someone, it's going to sting!

[merb]

Then they should bee more careful.

[theideaguy]

Or you can just take it like a man...tis the only way to do it.