Log:Science Is Fun! With Dr Fogg, Scene 1

Science Is Fun! With Dr Fogg 2008/10/23 	 Jade Mystique Fist Teflon Sable Michelle Dr Samuel Fogg 1

Scene: Past Times

Donald comes into the coffee, just ahead of his geek friend Andrew, a bushy haired teen with glasses. They huddle together by the door, speaking quietly between one another. Andrew asks, "So this is it?"

Donald replies. "Yeah... this is the place I was telling you about. It's like Hero Central..." He tries not to be too loud, but in his excitement, his voice carries a little bit. "Some of them kind of hot too!"

Jade pauses from her reading, because of the necessity of changing wool colour at this point, and finishes her milkshakes while she's at it.

Xing-Liu is seated at Jade's table, watching her knit with interest in much the same manner Donald and entourage are about the location's hero attraction.

Mystique steps out of a cab outside the coffee shop. She turns to mist, seeps in through the ventilator grill at the foot of the door, and reforms inside. A curt nod is given to faces she knows by sight while walking up to the counter. "Coffee, black as a witch's heart, strong as the cup will stand, and bitter as the tears of a jilted bride."

Michelle idly drinks the coffee and relaxes a bit as she finds a spot to sit at. The skunk lady looks a bit tired today

Regan reaches the counter and turns to regard Mystique as she places her order, blinking. "Do you practice these at home?" She reaches the counter and turns to Jade's table. "would anyone like anything while I'm ordering?"

The server nods, and starts making some coffee fresh. Regretting that she threw away the remains of that last overbrewed pot, which might well fit the bill.

Jade says, "Who's-anyone-do-you-mean-me-too? oh-wait it's-almost-time!"

Mystique looks over towards Regan briefly. "No. I have no need to practice them. They emerge perfectly well formed when the need rises."

Donald and Andrew stand close to the door and watching with wonder as Mystique flows in past them. "Woah," Donald says.

Jade says. "Like-Athena-from-the-head-of-Zeus?" She starts packing her things into her backpack.

Regan's brows lift slightly. "You have somewhere to be Jade?"

Xing-Liu lifts a hand to wave to Jade, favoring Regan with a greeting smile.

Jade says, "Oh-no-not-really but-I-thought-I'd-go-and-watching-Dr-Fogg's-test-drive I'm-told-his-experiments-can-be-amusing-to-watch."

Andrew smiles to Donald, impressed. "I'll grab seats. Get me a drink ok?"

Mystique turns to look back towards Jade, "Dr Fogg?" She struck my the name. o o(Fogg - Mist. Probably just a coincidence but...)

Mystique turns to look back towards Jade, "Dr Fogg?" She was struck by the name. o o(Fogg - Mist. Probably just a coincidence but...)

Jade nods. "Dr-Fogg he's-in-the-physics-department-but-from-what-I-hear=probably-only-because-he-has-tenure apparently-every-so-often-he-come-with-some-new-intention-which-doesn't-work usually-in-some-amusing-or-spectacular-way."

Mystique says, "He is presenting an experiment today? What is the nature of the experiment?"

Donald heads up to the counter and places an order for himself and his buddy. While he waits, he kind of listens in the conversation taking place. o O ( Dr. Fogg...? )

Jade says, "He's-supposed-to-be-test-piloting-a-new-vehicle it's-supposed-to-have-a-gravitic-drive-so-it'll-be-very-impressive-*if*-it-works he's-supposed-to-be-launching-it-in-a-few-minutes-from-the-island even-he's-not-silly-enough-to-try-it-out-over-land I-though-I'd-go-to-the-shore-and-watch."

Michelle drinks her coffee quietly and munches on a donut as she listens to the others talking about stuff. The skunk lady not too concerned at the moment "Hrm... a new vehicle, sounds interesting"

Regan's lips purse. "Sounds very interesting."

Jade nods. "It-should-be-that's-beyond-current-technology well-beyond-tech-anyone's-gone-public-with-anyway-I-suspect-some-metas-of-using-gravitics...."

Mystique pays for her coffee and drinks the bitter brew in one gulp without any change of expression. "I think I shall watch this experiment. If nothing else it might afford a little amusement."

Donald thinks aloud to himself., "Oh, so that's what Mr. Markle was talking about today in class..."

Xing-Liu has a hard time following very much of the conversation. The notion that it is spectacle-based is as far as she has gotten.

Jade nods to Mystique, "Let's-go-and-try-to-find-a-good-vantage point."

Donald thinks. o O ( It's extra credit if I go... might help me make up for that test I bombed last week... )

Regan's shoulders lift slightly. "It does sound like fun, I could have a small part in history."

Mystique says, "Do you have any esoteric means of travel, a gravitronic vehicle perhaps, Jade? Or should I call for a cab?"

Jade says, "Afraid-not-I-usually-take-the-MagLev-or-just-run!""

Michelle shrugs a bit and ponders "I'll go, might as well. I mean I got nothing better to do" the skunk lady admits as she seems to notice everyone ready to go watch it.

Mystique phones for a cab pickup from the coffee shop.

Jade says, "I-just-hope-something-happens if-it-doesn't-work-at-all-it-could-be-a-bit-of-a-letdown."

Mystique smiles cynically, "It has been my experience that wizard's experiments rarely fail to provide vast entertainment for those watching... from a safe distance."

Jade asks, "What's-your-experience-of-scientists?"

Scene: Sandy Bottoms Island

The site of the test run is the cityward side of the island, on the beach just north of the rocky part, roughly facing the port.

As people arrive, Dr Fogg is busy talking to a few reporters, with great enthusiasm but perhaps less fluency. A couple of police officers are making sure the moderate crowd (mostly of university students, it seems) don't get too close to the vehicle.

Andrew, who came with Donald on the Maglev, has pull out his digicam, hoping to get good footage of the demonstration.

Xing-Liu perches up high, using a rooftop to view by habit.

Michelle is happy to get a spot in the back to watch. The skunk lady tries to find some place a bit high ground so she can see over people's heads when she's sitting.

Mystique sends a tendril of mist creeping across the ground to have a closer look at Dr Fogg and his vehicle, and listen to his conversation with the reporters.

Jade is annoyed that she can't get a good view, short as she is. She's clearly considering trying to join Xing-Liu.

Mystique observes Jade irritation. Mystique emits a stream of foul reeking mist from her hands in a line along Jade's viewpoint to clear people away from in front of Jade.

Dr Fogg stops talking to the reporters and walks down the beach to the vehicle, with a wave to the crowd (which cheers) - it's seems the good doctor likes his strange minor celebrity. The saucer's top flips open in a way again reminiscent of the Jetsons. There are chuckles from the crowd.

The crowd does seem to be excited by the idea of flying cars, which (one surmises from how they are talking) Dr Fogg must have mentioned as a possible use before you got here.

Dr Fogg climbs into the vehicle and gives another wave to the crowd, before closing the bubble.

Jade watches expectantly - now she can see.

Dr Fogg can just be seen through the bubble. Seemingly fiddling with controls. For a quite a while, nothing at all seems to happen. People are beginning to get fidgety.

Donald chuckles to Andrew. "'Fail'."

Then a quiet hum can be heard from the vehicle, barely, over the gentle lapping of the waves.

And then, abruptly, the saucer lurches about 20 feet into the air, with what must be near-instantaneous acceleration and deceleration.

Mystique observes to Jade, "It would be best if this experiment was a conspicuous failure. There are sufficient injuries from this age's obsession with fast ground transport. What your people would do with flying cars is a horrifying thought."

Michelle is sorta relaxing as she watches and looks around for any signs of trouble. The skunk lady of course ready to bail if anything goes wrong.

The crowd watches in stunned silence, then breaks into applause.

Jade says, "I'm sure I'd be ok with one. But then, I have good reflexes!"

Xing-Liu is entertained, taking note of the motion and having some idea of how hard it is to move the way it did.

For 30 seconds or so it hovers exactly in place in midair, then lurches again - this time directly in Donald's direction.

Mystique Mystique, being her cynical self, is hardly surprised as things start to go wrong. She's ready though, and quickly sends a sheet of mist to form a barrier over Donald's location.

Jade shouts, "LOOKOUT" to the people over there before any had time to react.

Xing-Liu begins moving the moment she sees the car start to move. And she moves to divert the car rather than try to get everyone out of harm's way.

Mystique is caught by surprise at the sheer speed with which the flying vehicle moves. Her mist deflects the plunging vehicle a little but she's too slow to halt it entirely.

Xing-Liu pushes off the side of the ice cream hut, shifting it slightly with the amount of force she sends to fly at the car and divert it safely into the beach with a firm grasp and a perfectly-timed turn of her body midair. Once it's down, she peers inside to ensure the pilot is okay.

Andrew films Xing-Liu's mid-air ballet despite being nearly crushed by the flying car.

Dr Fogg seems to be wildly tugging at controls. The crowd meanwhile applauds Fist's feat.

Mystique remarks calmly to Jade, "Now that, I'll grant, is exceedingly fast." as she witnesses Xing-Liu's tackling of the flying car.

Jade says, "Faster-than-me-maybe-and-a-lot-more-impressive."

Unsure, Xing-Liu waves in Jade's and Mystique's direction with similar franticness to Dr. Fogg's.

Dr Fogg stops tugging frantically at controls and instead pushes frantically against the plastic bubble. While he does so the vehicle lurches into the air again.

Mystique changes the form of her misty shield, creating a bubble around Xing-Liu and the vehicle so even if it escapes from Xing-Liu's grasp it cannot go far from its current location.

Donald looks at his friend, Andrew. "You and that camera... you almost get killed!" he says, angrily. He takes a step towards the downed vehicle, but he freezes, seeing that it's flight is not over yet.

Once it starts moving again, Xing-Liu tries to enact an extraction by punching. Specifically the point where the plastic dome comes down at the main body. Her aim is to either knock the latch loose or render it openable.

The latch gives just a little bit, release the bubble. Dr Fogg can be heard saying, "Oh dear oh dear this isn't going right at all."

At which point the saucer powerdives downwards.

Hitting Mystique's barrier does a lot to slow the lurching saucer. Though it causes lurching in Fist and Dr Fogg. It's also not good for the saucer's paint job. And possibly not for some of the equipment under the paint job: there are some rather pretty sparks.

Jade says, "Uh-oh."

Jade says, "It-looks-to-me-like-the-direction-controls-of-the-gravitic-generator-have-been-damaged."

Michelle takes a moment to shake her head and sighs "Well its not coming down by itself..." she admits and takes a moment to look through various dimensions as she pushes this one to join temporarily with one where earth has more gravity to it and merges the two dimensions temporarily making everything and everyone feel a bit heavier... Hopefully bringing the errant craft to the ground.

Xing-Liu manages to hold on, and works to grab Fogg from the contraption that is certain to doom everyone if left unchecked. Fortunately other heroes appear to be checking it.

Mystique shrugs, "Wizards and their experiments. What did I tell you." She seems relatively unconcerned about the outcome.

Donald runs off, hoping to find someplace to don his mask, if not change into his costume completely.

"No wait!" says Fogg. "Maybe I can still get it working if I -" Fist doesn't really understand any of the words he uses after that.

Xing-Liu hesitates, ready to extract at a split second's notice.

Mystique says, "Jade, will it fly away in one direction if released or jink about at random?"

Dr Fogg continues to fiddle with the controls, which spark in an umpromising way as he continues to say "oh dear".

Jade says, "Fly-about-at-random-if-we're-lucky. If-we're-unlucky...."

Mystique says, "Ifd we're unlucky..?"

An odd beam shoots out of the now-falling craft and strikes a student. He promptly sinks waist-deep into the sand.

Jade says, "We're-unlucky."

Mystique says, "Ah, that kind of unlucky."

Mystique casts a mage shield. Begins to form acid vapours around the part of the craft which looks to her untrained eye to hold the engine.

Xing-Liu holds back on her Plan B, still hesitating on Plan A and growing impatient. She enacts Plan A to prevent manned crash scenario from happening, taking Fogg in her arms and removing him from the dangerous thing.

Teflon appears from the vicinity of the ice cream huts. He takes a moment to assess the situation and figure out what he's missed.

Making it look easy, Xing-Liu extracts, lifts off, turns mid-air, and lands gracefully, placing the upset Doctor gently on his feet.

Another wild beam strikes another student - she's sent flying into the air and somewhat inland.

Dr Fogg shouts, "No, stop, you'll break it! I'm sure I can work the bugs out with just a bit more time....."

Jade starts running in, figuring she might be able to do something if she can get to the machinery.

Xing-Liu tries to calm the agitated Fogg, letting those who have some idea of how to halt the crazy contraption do their best.

Dr Fogg tries to get free from Fist's hold to get over to the saucer. Meanwhile, some of the crowd are beginning to get the idea that fleeing might be a good thing. Others quite clearly intend to stay and watch.

Jade, meanwhile, by approaching the craft to shut it down, gets hit squarely by the next beam and goes flying into the air. She shouts as she goes, "You-were-aiming-at-the-right-spot-Mystique-try-again!"

Michelle uhhhs and ponders for a moment "Maybe we should just smash it until it stops flying?" the skunk lady admits

Mystique hopes that Michelle and Xing-Liu can deal with the car. She's going to attend to Jade. The kid is smart. Be a shame to see those brains spattered all ovr the ground. Sending a stream of mist out she tries to catch and gently land Jade.

Xing-Liu notes that she may be needed again to halt the car, taking note of the odd habit of the beams aiming at people rather than at nothing. She moves to intercept the car now, to give it a constant diverting to stall until someone figures out the best way to prevent damage and stop it.

Mystique catches Jade in a billowing misty cloud and brings her safety and gently to the ground. "Trying taking a parachute with you next time." She comments to Jade dryly.

Jade says, "Thanks-for-the-help but-looks-like-no-one's-shut it-off-yet!"

This time, actually, the beam hits no one. Maybe because the crowd is thinning.

Dr Fogg attempts to climb back into the saucer.

Xing-Liu works to turn the flying car around so the beams shoot out seaward.

Bracing herself, Xing-Liu manages to divert the car to be pointed in the opposite direction, thus minimizing the chances of flying people.

Mystique returns to the process of eating a way through to the engine with acid vapours once Jade is down safely.

Mystique observes with satisfaction the appearance of several small holes in the casing, showing her acid is eating into the vehicle.

The random beams seems to stop. Dr Fogg is saying "oh no!" now.

The reaction from the crowd is mixed. "Aww, that wasn't as pretty as last time." "Yeah, but at least old Fogg got it off the ground! Not bad going!" "I wonder what it feels like to be thrown into the air like that?"

Jade grins. "They-have-a-point Fogg-probably-has-a-good-amusement-park-ride-there!"

Xing-Liu looks apologetically at Fogg, not wanting the damaged vehicle to be the result.

Mystique says, "Well it went better than the last wizard's experiment I attended."

Jade says, "Was-it-that-bad? I-notice-you-aren't-a-newt."

Mystique turns to look right at Jade, "The entire country sank beneath the Ocean. That was in a land you call Atlantis."

Jade says, "Ah. RIght. Pretty bad."

Fogg seens quite distraught. "Oh no it's all ruined! I'll have to build this all again..."

Mystique looks over at Dr. Fogg after his comment. "Huh, yes, just like a wizard. Scientist - Wizard. No difference between them."

Jade says, "You-may-be-right...."

Xing-Liu extracts herself from the sand, letting a sigh and moving to assist the student who was more unfortunately stuck.

Some of his friends were already working on that and with Fist's help he's soon free - Fist gets thanks as well as congratulations for deflecting the saucer.

Mystique shrugs again, "Jade, Xing-Liu, coffees? I'll even pay for them."

Jade says, "Thanks-but-better-make-mine-a-milkshake I'm-told-caffeine-and-I-don't-mix."