Log:Tales From Past Times, Scene 1

Tales From Past Times 2021/08/17 Magda Samuel Ellbeth Connor Dialyd d Arthur 1

Past Time's Coffee Shop The smell of fresh coffee is the first thing that assails you. The next is the very old style. It seems the owner has gone for the Edwardian style from early last century. Lots of imitation wood panelling and prints of old English countryside. There are many partitions between the tables, affording some privacy and the sound seems hushed in the room, this has been achieved mainly through very good design, which muffles sounds. At the counter service is quite quick and cheery, conveying a welcoming and friendly attitude. The menu boasts the fact that for a little extra real coffee is served along with light hot and cold meals and snacks. All in all a pleasant place to pass a bit of time. --

Magda is at a back booth with an espresso cup, the remains of a sandwich, and several thick textbooks she appears to be leafing through. She glances up for a moment whenever the door opens.

Samuel steps into the coffee shop, dressed in a well cut business suit. He moves to the counter ordering a black coffee and a sandwich, his attention turns over the shop as he waits, noting Magda, he offers her a quick nod of greeting.

Magda casually returns a wave for the nod, turning the movement into a gesture at the other side of her booth in an invitation for him to join her.

Ellbeth staggers through the door, which then shuts behind her. She's carrying a small thin booklet in both hands. An oaken staff is held on the verge of slipping with a hunched shoulder and lowered chin. Reaching a table she drops the booklet onto the surface. It makes a heavy sounding 'thud'.

"Hi! Flat white with a shot of vanilla, please." Ellbeth calls over to the barista.

Leaving the booklet on the table Ellbeth goes to collect her ordered coffee. Passing by Samuel she asks humorously, "You wouldn't be a strong superhero in disguise would you? I could use some extra muscle right now." Turning to Magda, "How about you? Super muscles by any chance?"

"Oh no," Magda declines. "Only various forms of telekinesis. What is the issue?" she wonders, eyeing the book.

Ellbeth says, "Opening the front cover of the booklet. My telekinesis is just enough to carry it but it seems to need even greater strength to open."

Sam moved to join Magda at her invite. Passed by Ellbeth, he frowns with a shake of his head. "Not without my Suit." He listens to the echange with growing interest, his attention going to the book. "More stength to open than to carry? Interesting." He studies the book closely for a moment. "I mean solving the weight problem is probably simple." He tilts his head, glancing to Magda. "Anti-grav tech could work right? Shouldn't be hard." He considers the book some more, finally glancing to Ellbeth. "How much strength are we talking?"

Ellbeth says, "I can lift a medium sized truck. That's enough to carry the booklet. No idea how much is needed to open the front cover. But more than I can manage."

Ellbeth sits at the table and sips at her coffee. "I can tell you it's too heavy for me to 'port or gate with it. I've had to lug it here by hand. More of a workout than I''ve had for ages."

Connor steps into the coffee shop and looks around briefly before heading over toward the counter.

Magda and Ellbeth are seated at different tables. Magda has a pile of textbooks on her table. Ellbeth has one thin booklet on her table. Samuel is by the counter.

Magda mmms at Samuel, sliding out of her seat and gesturing for her books' pages to stop turning, and for them to stack themselves. "An item like that," she muses, "is probably not going to care about the gravity field it finds itself in. Why is it like this?" she asks Ellbeth, coming over to inspect the booklet.

Ellbeth grins, "That's a good question. If you can come up with an equally good answer I's like to hear it. It was found at a dig in Cheshire in Emgland. Just above the KT boundary. So... unless its a fake, about a hundred million years old."

Ellbeth waves, "Professor Duran! Hi. Care to join the circle of mystification here?"

Connor orders his coffee and pays for it. As he's making his way over toward the station to add some milk and sweetener, he says, "Mystification? About what exactly?"

Nodding slowly, Samuel frowns thoughtfully. "Ah, fascinating, I could probably build something to test the necessary force to open the booklet." His food arrives and he moves to join Magda. "Then that is reason for further study." He shrugs a lazy shoulder with a smirk. "There's a whole project in figuring out *how* it ignores gravity fields." He looks to Ellbeth. "Amazing. I really would like to take the opportunity to run some tests."

Ellbeth points to the booklet. "This, Professor." Her eyes twinkle as she suggests, "Take a look inside."

Connor walks over to take a look at the item in question, regarding it closely to look for any magic involved. Not that he'd want to give away his secret ID by showing off with magical ability, though.

It is a thin booklet, about A5 sized (5.8" wide by 8.3" tall). Plain covers of a shiny material. Clean except for a couple of dirt stains.

Connor goes ahead to open the booklet and take a look at it.

The booklet remains firmly closed. The front cover doesn't shift at all.

Ellbeth chuckles. "I couldn't open it even pushing my telekinesis, Professor."

Dialydd wanders in from the outside. Well, wanders in is perhaps too mild a term. He steps inside, slightly out of breath, and presses himself against a wall. A man with a fancy trid camera with a long distance lense passes by at a run. The superhumanly handsome alien youth glances as the man passes then shakes his head. He takes a moment to strighten his clothes as he slowly peruses the order board above the counter.

Connor tries just peeling up a corner of the booklet. How it responds might give clues as to what is going on.

The booklet does shift slightly if Connor pushes his strength. But it's too heavy for him to even lift a corner.

Magda asks mildly, "What in the world is it doing here?" The question of which 'here' she means, whether in the coffee shop or in Ellbeth's possession, is left open to interpretation.

Ellbeth says, "It's a private dig that I'm financing. So I get first look at anything found. This though. Nobody respectable, read in academica, would give it even a cursory look. They'd dismiss it as a hoax. They may be right but I'm quite fascinated by this."

Connor raises a brow, "Yes, but you got it here. This isn't part of the dig. How did you do so?"

Ellbeth laughs, "I carried it. It's too heavy to 'port or gate with. Trucked from the dig to my yacht. The carried by telekinesis assisted hand to here from the yacht club."

Connor looks confused, "But...you brought it on your boat? You must have some idea of the weight of the thing, then."

Ellbeth nods, "Oh I do. It weighs a fraction over six tonnes. About the same as a medium sized truck. But, and this is weird, it's harder to open than carry. That's why I came here. I figured if there was anywhere I was going to find someone able to open it, it would be in the coffee shop here."

Dialydd orders a pot of hot herbal tea, some honey almond croissants, and pot of honey. The youth then looks around for a place to sit.

Magda doesn't say anything else, but instead makes a gesture to bring a knife of whatever material the Past Times flatware is made of to her hand. "Well, let's see." Using the knife, she slides it under the cover and lifts. "Is that an estimate, or have you used a scale?"

Connor shakes his head, "You might need someone like...Titan to walk through the door, then."

The front cover actually moves a fraction as Magda attempts to slip the knife in between the cover and the rest of the booklet. Then the knife crumples into a twisted mess as Magda's TK strength exceeds its ability to deal with.

Connor raises a brow as he watches. "It's almost like the covers each have a separate gravitational pull on each other. But we're not getting sucked into it, so...hard to say what we're seeing. Magnetism?"

[To Magda] Ellbeth says, "Hey. I thing you nearly did it! Have you go anything more?"

Magda frowns at the knife, then shrugs, reforms it, and returns it to its place. "Get Artemis," she suggests, "and a laboratory."

Dialydd cannot help but notice what is going on at the table. He moves over in that direction with his food and drink, curioisty writ large on his face. He stays at a short distance, to be polite perhaps, but his height gives him a good view.

Connor moves aside a bit to let Dialydd take a look.

Ellbeth glances at Dialydd as he moves closer. Then glances again. Longer this time. She smiles warmly at him. "Hi..!"

Magda mmms. "Something of the sort," she says to Connor. Neodymium, albeit in a collapsed-shell state, akin to neutron star material. Its internal resistance -- call it stickiness -- would account for the differential. I could showbyou the math," she teases the mathemetician, "but without the physics ..."

Connor smirks, "I understand physics well enough. It's been a bit of a...sideline for me."

Ellbeth turns to Magda, "I'm a fantasy author, not science fiction. But I mostly followed that. What was a book covered in condensed matter duing in a hundred million year old geological strata?"

Dialydd murmurs in what sounds similar to a Scandanavian aceent, his voice rich, deep, and warm, "Left by an earlier, pre-humans civilizations? Fell out of an explorer's pocket? Left as a last message by some being?" His eyes are drawn to the booklet. "What a curious thing."

The alien youtn then seems to startle slightly. He bows slightly to Ellbeth, his free hand hald out to his side palm open towards her. "My aplogies, sera. I have been impolite. I am Dee-all-lith neeBres teeEemur. Please call, me Dee, I am told it is easier. And may I know you?"

"Standard physics breaks down in regards to condensed and exotic matter, but ..." Magda turns her hand palm-up and generates a holo of the math for Connor. "Covered? I would suggest made of it, not covered. As for the contents, well -- again, likely alien. Get Nohrbor."

Connor looks at what Magda generates for him to look over. He nods slowly to himself as he peruses it. "Alien would be my guess, too. I certainly haven't seen anything like this previously."

Ellbeth extends her hand to Dialydd, "Ellbeth. Ellbeth Wyrd. I'm delighted to meet you, Dee. Prehaps you might care to vist me on my yacht so we can get better acquainted? Let me flash you my number." She plucks her PDA out and offers to exchange numbers.

Magda mmms. "How confident are you on the dating?" she asks Ellbeth.

Sam is taking notes. He sips his coffee and eats his sandwich. "I suspect ancient civilization, most likely with a mystical origin, though I'd want to check how it responds to several different factors before giving any confident analysis." He seems to consider the book for a moment. "What's its temperature, is it increasing its mass or coverting the energy?"

Ellbeth says, "Totally confident on the age of the geological strata it was found at. But these days? If it wasn't so heavy even I could place it there without disturbing the surrending material. So dating the booklet? Not that confident. C14 dating only works with organics. Any ideas?"

Connor can't detect any magic...but doesn't say anything to correct Samuel. It would open up all kinds of questions that he doesn't want to answer.

Arthur strides in, in desperate need of coffee. The tips of his long scarf--which almost touch the ground--are a bit singed. The rest of him seems pristine. "Mobile order for--ah, there it is! Right on time," he smiles and reaches for a drink with his name on it on the mobile order rack next to the counter.

Magda glances towards the door, lifts a hand towards Arthur. "Professor Aevus," she greets him. She and thebothers are gathered around a booklet on a table at which Ellbeth sits.

Ellbeth looks over at the new arrival. "Another Professor? Hi. Come and join us. Maybe you can shed some more light on this enigma?"

Dialydd does exchange numbers with Ellbeth after releasing her hand. He then listens quietly as the others speak. When Professor Aevus strides in a bright smile illuminates the youth's face and he greets the man with a human style wave.

Arthur was just about to relax to a sip of coffee when he hears one of his monikers. "Ah, Dr. Gutzu, how nice to see you. I hope the summer's treating you well. Managed to plan a vacation before school starts?" His eyebrows perk at the mention of an enigma and walks over. "Oh, I do love a good mystery."

Ellbeth taps the booklet with her forefinger. "Found at a dig in England at about the one hundred million year depth. As to what else has ben discovered, Magda and Professor Duran are best suited to explain."

Connor smiles and nods to Arthur, "Good to see you again, Dr. Aevus."

Arthur's eyes light up in recognition of Dialydd. "What an unexpected surprise," he says, waving to his occasional young charge. He nods with a smile to Connor. "Dr. Duran. Did I miss a faculty meeting?" he chuckles, then looks back to the book while sipping. "Oh, well that's interesting," he comments, seeming to recognize something about it.

Connor raises his cup of coffee and takes a sip. "Not an official meeting of any sort, at least."

"Appears to be collapsed-shell neodymium," Magda says, and finally asides to Connor, "Not teaching next year."

Dialydd lets his elders discuss things without interrupting. He does set down his tea and croissants on a nearby table and doctor the tea...mostly by adding far more honey than can possibly be good for someone to the tea. As well as drizzling more on his already honeyed almond croissants.

Arthur nods at Magda's detail. "And at one hundred million year depth? I do recall something about a star-faring race that existed around that time. Heavy worlders. Long extinct now. They used collapsed metals. Strong stuff. Quite impressive." His head suddenly snaps to Magda in dismay. "Ohh noooo. Surely only a brief sabbatical?"

Ellbeth asks, "So can anyone open it? Someone got a number for Titan?"

Dialydd looks over as Arthur casually rattles off knowledge about a race that existed from before humanity or the Jerin had even evolved. HIs expression is one of fond exasperation.

"I was a visiting professor in the first place, Arthur," Magda states with some visible amusement. "And I only taught one class. But the Chancellor has granted me an extension of professorial perks to try to get me to teach again next year, so I imagine you will still see me around."

"What was their name?" Magda adds, in regards to the alien race. "And I still recommend the Godflora."

Magda asides to Connor, "It feels odd recommending the Godflora for anything but blatant mayhem."

Connor chuckles. "The Godflora are...good at what they do."

Arthur doesn't catch what Dialydd's expression is about, though he can be oblivious at times. "Well, I do hope that will be the case, Dr. Gutzu." He thinks on Ellbeth's question. "The movie star? I haven't even had the pleasure of running into him," he grins. Arthur's inner Kat would be too embarassed to ask for an autograph if they did run into him. But maybe as Arthur...she COULD get that autograph without blushing or fainting. "Name? Oh, the Vaerdgolians? Or was it...Vaerdgols. I read about them quite some time ago." As if he could pretend he knows these things from a book and not from a past unfortunate encounter.

Dialydd looks at the book of the Vaerdglos, the Vaerdglosians, for a long moment. If one happens to look at him during that time, one might note that eyes are now, while still beautiful, it is becasue all the starry heavens are contained therein.

He then blinks, his eyes returning to their normal brilliance, as a gentle smile crosses his lips. "It is a children's book, a reading primer. I can hear it. It speaks to the mind, cha, partially in any case, if one can listen. It wishes to teach the, cha, alphabet."

His tone is wistful when he speaks.

Magda hmmms, and keeps the name in mind. She turns, then, at Dialydd's words. "Partially psychic? Interesting." She lifts her gaze to look out the window, eyes unfocused for a moment. "Yes," she says, "the Godflora would be a good choice. In," she adds, perhaps somewhat pointedly to Ellbeth, "a controlled laboratory setting."

Connor chuckles at the idea of the Godflora in any kind of controlled setting. But he doesn't comment. Instead, he just sips his coffee.

Ellbeth tilts her head back to laugh loudly. "Is that what I've lugged here all the way from England? An alien children's primer? Well full marks for durability. But profound alien secrets it ain't. It still ought to be studied but it's not of much interest to me. Anyone like a heavy worlder reading primer?"

"Yes please," Magda answers instantly.

Connor raises a brow, surprised at Ellbeth's reactions. "You're unhappy because you might have the equivalent of an alien Rosetta Stone? It wants to teach an alien language, assuming that description was correct."

Magda adds, "Or you could donate it. Local to where you live, or perhaps to somewhere where you found it. England, so the Bodleian?" England is, after all, a moment away, and she has professoral privileges at Oxford too.

Ellbeth turns to Connor. "I'm not unhappy. It not related to what I'm working on, or any field I have an interest in. So let someone who will bw interested have it for study. I'm not a horder, hiding discoveries away bwcause at some time I 'might' get around to working on them, Professor."

Arthur looks very intrigued. "I'd be most interested in learning a new language. I don't know if I can lift such a thing, though. I'll need a strong companion to assist in turning the pages," he chuckles.

Dialydd goes back to listening quietly as he drinks he tea flavored honey and nibbles on his honey soaked croissants.

Connor chuckles. "You said it wasn't 'profound', though. I think...having an alien translation tool is just that: Profound. It mgiht not interest you directly, but I assure you...that is a VERY important find if the translation can be made."

Magda looks sideways at Connor, then nodding to Arthur before she says to Ellbeth, "Let me know what you decide." She steps away, then, to approach Dialydd. "Dialydd ni'Bres ti'Emer?" she says, though her pronunciation is a little rough. "I am Magda Gutzu, professor of this and that. Am I correct in deduciing that you are psychic?"

Ellbeth says, "My perceptions may have been distorted by having to lug it around by hand. Even so, there's no reason for me to hold onto it. Better for it to go to someone who will have the time and interest in studying it. For that reason I leave it in your collective hands."

Connor says, "Getting it out of here seems like it might be an issue."

Arthur looks impressed. "I'm surprised she managed to lift the thing this far."

Connor chuckles. "I'm....picturing it ending up as a permanent fixture here."

Magda reaches out with her telekinesis and moves the book off the (apparently /very/ sturdy) table after Ellbeth takes her leave. "Oh, not so much," she replies, brow narrowed. "It's a weight, but I can move it -- much more easily, certainly -- with my contact 'kinesis. What say you, professors? Donate in on her behalf to CBSU? They have an alien collection, surely ... ?"

Magda sighs, adding, "Language is probably the most profound thing of all sapient discoveries/inventions -- the one that opens the doors to almost all the others, or at least the sharing of them. This is one reason why I have a certain amount of scorn for amateurs."

Arthur looks rather disappointed as the book is lifted. "Oh. I thought it was something that would require only Titan to move. I think I've been oversold," he chuckles.

Magda mmmms, gesturing the thing close to her and, now that she is fairly certain that skin acids are liable to do /nothing/ to the thing, focuses for a moment before taking it into her hands. "Mmmm. Yes. A fair weight; it does take some effort. I think, however, that after a recalculation, I can probably open it."

Connor chuckles and says to Arthur, "It might take him to open it. That's all."

Dialydd looks over at Magda. "Yes, my Gifts could be considerd psychic to use the human word, sera Professor Gutzu." He's finished off the croissants with the magick of youthful appetite.

Arthur smiles at Connor. "Do you suppose he'd be interesting in furthering our knowledge of historical extraterrestrials?"

Connor nods. "I can...certainly try to assist. But I'm no psychic. And it sounds like a psychic is going to be very, very necessary."

Magda nods to Dialydd. "Human word. Interesting. Well, going by your ... reactions to Professor Aevus, I surmise as well that you know him, perhaps as a student? Would you be willing to assist in the study of this object?" She glances sideways at Arthur and Connor, and notes sotto voce to Dialydd, "I think they just want to meet a movie star. Also, though," she adds, "I should tell you that I would be taking the opportunity to attempt to ... mmm, perceive and identify the scientific methodology of your abilities. The wavelength, as it were, to start with."

Magda gives Arthur and Connor a /look/; they have an apparent-psychic right /here/, misters!!

Dialydd smiles gently at Magda. "I have been the subject of studies of that nature before, sera Professor Gutzu. what humans call metahumans are, cha, extraordinarily rare among my people. A double handful at most among us." The Adonis=like alien bows slightly to you. "I would be pleased to help. And yes, I am quite familiar with ser Professor Aevus. We have travelled together."

The alien youth holds up one six=fingered hand as he adds, "But, I must aid you around my business. Fortunately, at present, my accounts, cha, no, my orders are all filled. So, I am solvent for another month or more."

"I already stated my interest before you...I believe the term is 'Bogarted' the book?" Arthur grins. "Since you have claimed it for yourself, I suppose all we have left is to find a movie star and pretend to need his aid. And perhaps get an autograph," he chuckles.

Magda's lips crease upwards in amusement. "Well, if that's required, allow me to compensate you for your time and energy participating in both types of work, with the book and for being a subject of observation. Considering that a research paper will come out of this, monetary compensation is the least we can do for you." She eyes Arthur and Connor, then adds, "Though I'm not sure that we shouldn't get a linguist in on the act. Oh, well, I may have to do some reading over the weekend."

Connor nods. "I'm...a linguist. I speak and read...8 languages?" He pauses, and adds, by way of explanation. "I'm a little obsessive with research. I find I enjoy reading research in the original language, rather than a translation."

"I have done no such thing!!" Magda adds as she realizes Arthur's accused her of 'Bogarting' the primer. "I immediately offered to take it from her hands, and have /also/ suggested we donate it to CBSU. You, Herr Professor," she declaims in as haughty a German manner as she can manage with a smile still playing around her lips, "have simply yet to voice your opinion on such!!"

Magda nods to Connor. "I speak a number of languages," she agrees, "but I have not made a /study/ of languages and linguistics; that's what I meant when I said a linguist. A scientist of languages!!" She taps the dense metal of the 'book'. "This seems to have a built-in assistant of sorts, though, yes?"

Dialydd glances at the book. "It teaches. That is its purpose."

Magda nods. "Indeed. One wonders how /much/ it teaches. One might," she adds, long-trained in wariness, "want to also be cautious as to whether or not it might attempt to ... mmmm, brainwash, to use the English word."

Dialydd murmurs, "I suppose it might be a tool of indoctrination. Even if such is simply to impart cultural biases." He looks over at Arthur. "I suppose it depends on what sort of race they were."

Magda notices the direction of Dialydd's gaze, and looks at Professor Aevus as well. "Happen to have any knowledge of that, Professor?" Her eyes are ... neutral at worst, but also at best; it's clear she's recalculating what she knows of Professor Aevus.