Day 66
Sunday August 5th, 2018: 6:45 PM
The day started with me coming out of my dream where I was in the Flame portion of the Aelemental Maelstrom, learning the style to focus the fire through my firearms and ranged weapons more. By the end of this training, I will have more of the flames around me in combat, but that makes sense. I am NOT pursuing the path of Donald Gill, I won’t surrender myself to the Flames, but I don’t even know that he had that idea when it happened. Things are happening that are causing problems, and they seem to be in a mystical way. I put this down to figuring things out when sleeping, and decided to spend some time looking into it later in the day.
Since it was still the weekend, I decided that I would get the Mini-Avengers working the Dorm Rooms, and work my way up from there. I meditated on my arcane reserves before starting down with the Dedicated Wrights. Before I fully went to the second floor, I looked in on the personal alchemical lab on the seventh floor. It was working away distilling life force energy into what was needed for the rooting compound for the splinter from the World Tree. It would take a while, but it would be worth it. I decided to add a drop of that special blood that was recovered from the HYDRA drones, and one of the Frost Giant, to the available materials. I don’t know if it is some strange fascination, but they both seem to have a sort of power to them.
I left the mixture to concentrate and percolate, while the tiny troop followed me down to the dormitory level of the School. I checked each room to make sure that it was COMPLETELY empty beforehand, and noted that my two “students” were not in the rooms. I resolved to check later, but it wasn’t a concern at the moment. I got each of the Dedicated Wrights working on their assigned room and after an hour, left them to work on their own, and ordered them to head to the mess hall after. I walked down to the mess hall to get the Field Provision Box, so that I can spend some time with Donald Gill, and the two were discussing theory and the things that Cal has learned.
I smiled and told them that class would officially start tomorrow, but that they should be cautious about patrolling together, unless Cal is doing it incognito. Sera said that she was not going to patrol any time soon, and I nodded, saying that it was better to get a full handle on her abilities before doing so. I added that they could always just go find something entertaining to do, with their Sunday. Cal and Sera said that they would think about it, and I took the Field Provision Box down to Donald’s cell. When I got there, he was laying in bed, re-reading the booklet that I had given him.
I opened up the “door” with the Chisel, and let him know that I was bringing breakfast and had some time to talk if he desired. He got up and sat at the table and I pulled out what he asked for from the box. I pulled out something for myself, and while we ate, we had a brief discussion on the concept of elemental planes, what could have happened to him. I apologized that I did not know a way to undo it, but added that it did make him substantially tougher, so at least it wasn’t all downsides. Donald nodded and asked if I knew of anyone like this where I was from.
I sighed and said that I had known a LOT of different types of people, some FAR more removed from humanity than others, and that while I didn’t personally know someone who was infused with elemental energy, it was far and away less destructive to one's soul than infusion with profane or undead energy, which I HAD encountered. I told him some stories about some of the people I had dealt with while I was in the S.C.R.U.M. unit in Magnimar, and when I was done, Donald seemed to be a bit flabbergasted. He mentioned that he would not have believed it, if he had not seen what I can do. I shrugged and told him that the universe is a vast place, and who knows what else is out there.
Just before I was ready to leave, he asked me if there was any way for him to get new clothing, as this stuff was technically what he had worn for years inside the ice-block, and since he was in this arid chamber, it was getting pretty uncomfortable. I asked him if he felt that he could control the energy coursing through him right now, or if he thought that it would be better for him to spend some more time in the room. I offered to figure out some clothing options for him, but asked if he trusted himself outside the room, or if it would be better if I just brought them to him. For now, I offered, I can launder them while still on his body, and even mend them magically, so even though it will be the same clothing, it will at least “feel new”. Donald Gill thanked me and I started the process.
When I was done, I asked him if he would like any other literature to read on. He said that it was fairly boring down here, so I used the two book-trick to cast Amanuensis and Page-Bound Epiphany to give him another ten pages on Elemental Plane theory, to help him with his studies on what he has evolved into. I told him that the spare pages and the graphite pencil are for him to write his own notes, and that they are only his to reference, not for me to study or read. Donald thanked me and I told him that I would be back for lunch, and hopefully have some good news for him on the clothing front.
After I locked up and walked away, I had a thought, and I recast Amanuensis and Page-Bound Epiphany, to study up on temperature resistance fibers, and came across Aerogel. I repeated the spellcasting process just to find out that you can make Aerogel from potatoes! I ran some quick numbers, and figured out what I needed. I went to the mess hall to find Cal and Sera still there. I must have looked incredibly flustered when I told them that I had a special task for them, and that they would need to take my E-Bike for it.
Cal looked at me oddly, and I told him that I needed potatoes. A lot of them. Over three hundred pounds of them. And potato peelers, as many as he can get, at least thirty. I gave him five hundred dollars from my remaining cash, and told him that he can keep the change. Cal jumped up and said that he would do it. I told him that the saddle bags would each hold one hundred and twenty pounds of material, and that the rest would have to be on the racks of the backs of the e-bikes and the saddle bags of his e-bike.
Cal looked at me with “my serious” look and asked me what we were going to be doing. I apologized and told them both that we were going to be doing high end alchemical science, but after my task, they didn’t need to stay, if they didn’t want to. I told them that the potatoes would be needed on the seventh floor, when they get back. The two of them immediately rushed off, and I got to work. I ran up to the third of the rooms on the seventh floor, and started.
I used the chisel and hammer to make two, hogs-head tanks. The first one I pulled water directly from the pipe from the Hy.P.E.R. pump powered line. Once it was full, I closed it off. Then I cast Tears to Wine on it. I took a drink of the ensuing mead, and said that this was going to be an interesting endeavor, out loud. Possibly a bit louder than I should have.
I then used the Chisel and one each of my remaining Sonus Chord, Gelid Heart, and Blight Stones for different purposes. The Sonus Chord and Gelid heart went into the second hogshead, creating microfilament weave mesh, just millimeters from the bottom, and a mesh agitator of the same materials, with some of each left over. I put a granite trough from the first hogs-head to the second, and then another trough from the second hogs head to a large cauldron that I made. I made a second, smaller cauldron off to the side of, and above the first, and I lined the interior of that cauldron with a thin layer of Blight Stone and made a set of high efficiency mashers from granite and Blight Stone. The next item was a rough from that second cauldron to the first.
From that first cauldron, I included a stone valve at the bottom, going to a set of nozzles that I used the rest of the Gelid Heart for. This would make the material in this large cauldron extremely thin, almost thread diameter. I added a few extras to this cauldron. I used the remaining Sonus Chord stone to make a permanently vibrating mixer, and a dump portion to add in some powdered material. I crushed up a mixture of amber and jade to put in it initially, with a little bit of powdered silver. I decided that I would change this after the first run, but I needed the first run to be soft and smooth.
I added a set of several spindles a few feet away, with some VERY thin granite spools to put on them. I then added a loom on the other side of this room, and a table with which to cut and shape the material. I let the mead transition to the overproofing tank to start the process while I waited for my apprentices to get back. I used Animate Tools to start the mixer mixing, the masher mashing, and the agitator in the overproofing hogshead, operating. I wasn’t about to start the process for the loom or the creation yet, but it would come soon.
It was another half an hour before Cal and Sera got back with the potatoes. I explained the process to them as I started casting Animate Tools on the peelers, and we started moving peeled potatoes into the mashing and slurring tank. They asked me how I had come up with this idea, and I told them about how Donald needed clothing, and how this possibility for Aerogel popped up in my Page-Bound Epiphany search. I showed them how once the first hundred pounds of potatoes had been rendered into a slurry, I opened up the valve and let the material flow into the trough to the main cauldron. I then added in the mixed material dust, and the overproofed mead ethanol.
This material was being thoroughly mixed by the Animated Sonus Chord mixer, and while that was happening, I told them about how once this material is tested, we might find other uses for it. Sera asked me if this was a common thing. I told her that it wasn’t every day, but when I am pressed with a problem, especially on a down day, then I love challenges. I asked them if they would want to partake in a taste of the remaining mead flavored water slurry. I told them that there should be minimal alcohol in it, but that it should still have the temporary enhancement of boosting intelligence and wisdom based tasks. They both agreed and I could see light flashing in their eyes as more realizations dawned on them.
After a half hour, the mixture had a pearlescent glow like moonlight, and I opened the valve to the nozzles. Multiple threads came out, and the three of us each set up two spools winding. I used Animate Tools on each spool to have them wind on their own, and I told the two that this will probably take an hour to wind. I thanked them for their assistance and asked if they had any questions while the Tears to Wine was still active. From both Cal and Sera, there was a series of intelligent questions, including some far ranging ones on what I thought might happen in the near future for the school.
I told them that once I got my first batch of student teachers trained, I would train more students and turn this into a true school for the arcane arts. Sera asked if I would train everyone, and I told her that it takes a certain level of intellect to learn magic as I did, but that I might try to set up a school for Amber, when she gets back, to allow those with more force of personality to learn from her. I cautioned them both that I would likely avoid anything that truly called on extraplanar beings, as they tended to make things more sticky when it came to preventing other realms from learning about this world. We talked a bit more about what Sera could expect from her lessons, and I explained how we would work to master her innate abilities before adding any new ones.
About that time, the first batch was done, and we replaced the spools. We added the remaining potatoes to the slurry cauldron, changed out the powder to include equal parts jade, black galaxy granite, obsidian, and a one third of the previous parts measure of powdered sapphire. We mixed all of these components when it was time, and set the six strands when the slurry looked more like a black light glowing void. I summoned up a pair of Unseen Crafters to weave the material and then cut it into clothing for Donald Gill. By my calculations, he would have four full changes of clothing, and a few extra under layers. This would take hours.
I thanked them for their help, and hoped that they had a fair amount left from buying the potatoes to go do something fun. By this time, the Dedicated Wrights were done enhancing the dorm rooms. Each previous ten foot by ten foot room was now an anchored extradimensional thirty foot by thirty foot room the same as my mobile Campaigner’s Tent, with four ten by ten granite walled bedrooms, a twenty foot by twenty foot common area/lounge, and two five foot by ten foot bathrooms. All eight dorm rooms can handle eight students, two to a bedroom. Not ultimate luxury, and we could start with just four to a dorm at the start.
I brought the Dedicated Wrights down to the mess hall with me and enchanted the counter, with a massive effect similar to my personal Field Provision Box. The counter would summon up whatever the user desired, when they placed their plate inside a blacked Granite box and said the word, nourishment. It would conform to their thoughts about how it should taste, and a new plate can be filled every six seconds. It would do the same with liquid, and can be alcoholic, caffeinated, or both. It did not take long at all, with all eight of us. Just over two hours, and it was now a fully functional magical mess hall. Then I went over to the side of the room, and made six more of those granite hogshead barrels. I set up the same frost-distillation method that I had designed for the mead ethanol, and used another each of the Sonus Chord and Gelid Hearts.
This time, I set it up so that the over-proofed mixture would be able to be removed and bottled. I used the remaining Gelid Heart material to line four freezers. These would be the storage areas for four products. Overproofed and remixed mead and wine, in four levels of proof, the initial ten percent, a fifteen percent, a fifty percent, and finally the ninety five percent alcohol content for the drinks. Also, there was honey-mead shaved ice and two different wine shaved ices. It took me three more castings of Tears to Wine, but now the Mess Hall was stocked with a LOT of mead, wine, and flavored shaved ice, just waiting for visitors. And it should keep for a long time in the freezers.
It was after noon by this time, and I brought the Field Provision Box to Donald to talk for a while and let him know that I had a lead on his clothing, and that I hoped I would have something done before the end of the day. Donald thanked me and asked me what I had done. I pulled out the book that I had recorded the information on clothing able to withstand temperatures, and then the follow up on Aerogel specifically. I asked him if he would be willing to try on the garments when they are done, with no demand that he wear them or even keep them. He told me that he would, and that he is amused in thinking that he can finally wear something that won’t get wrecked by him, and that it comes from potatoes.
After another hour of talking, I left him with the books and went on to check on the progress. They had a full set of simple clothing, under layers of the pearlescent white material, and a jumpsuit of the void black. I gathered them up and wondered if this process was useful for people other than Donald. Maybe if it is good against fire too, it might be helpful for firefighters, like the visors. I decided that I would check with Jonathan on Monday to see if he has any ideas. I mean, I have to show them the mess hall anyway. I took the clothing down to Donald, and told him that I would give him some privacy to change.
After a minute, I heard him say that he couldn’t believe it. I asked him if he wanted to explain, and he said it feels like airy peach skin. It weighs nothing, but is keeping the cold against him and not leaking. I asked him if he had put on the outer layer yet. He told me he was doing so now. I waited further and then he spoke out and told me that the material was quietly chiming when he moved.
I told him that that was because of the Sapphire-dust incorporated in the mixture. He paused for a moment before asking exactly what it was made of. I told him that it would be better to show him, and I asked him if he wanted to walk around the tower to see where he will be teaching. I added that it is just him, me, Rex, and some cats in the building right now, so it is safe. Donald asked if he would be stuck down here when he wasn’t teaching.
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I told him that his classroom would be built with a bedroom similar to this, so that he had the opportunity to have an easily accessible area. Donald said that he would like that, and I cautiously let him out of his arid environment. It took a few minutes for him to adapt to the level of humidity in the air, but then he seemed to be fine. I walked with him and showed him the mess hall on the first floor, and how the other rooms were building up. I showed him a dormitory room, and he expressed that it couldn’t fit in the size room that was there. I snickered and said that it was almost like it was magic, huh?
Eventually, we made our way up to where I hoped he would be teaching the Physics and Engineering classes, based on his experience in both fields. He looked at the small ten foot by ten foot room, and asked if it was going to be getting the same treatment as the dormitory rooms. I told him similar but designed differently. Then I took him up to the room where his suit had been made. He looked at everything, from the two barrels for mead, to the potato slurry cauldron, to the mixing cauldron, to the mixing cauldron and the nozzle, then to the loom that was still working with the Unseen Craftsmen to make more sets of clothing for him.
We left the room and he asked me, to give it to him straight, why was I willing to give him this chance, was I just looking to harness his cold powers to make more of this material? I told him that I had only designed and invented this process to help him, and that if I wanted to make more of it, faster, I could easily do so with less effort than trying to force him to use his powers. No, I told him, I wasn’t specifically asking him to use his powers at all. No, I wanted him to teach, to use his mind to help others understand high end physics and engineering, so that I can build on it and teach them the harder aspects. I wasn’t asking him to unlearn what he knew, or offer fealty, but that I was offering him a way to use his knowledge for good, and maybe, eventually, consider using his powers to help others, but that was never a requirement.
Donald thanked me for not treating him as a person and not as a battery. I told him that he was not just a source of power. He was a brilliant scientist, and had been for a long time before he got powers or changed. Him having power now does not remove the knowledge and skill that he had before. Donald nodded and I escorted him back to the hot cell.
Back in the cell, I asked him if he would prefer to be locked in, or have the cell door unlocked. He told me that tonight, be preferred if it is locked, and that tomorrow we can start with more trust. I told him that this was very wise of him, and that I might be introducing him to a liaison so that his needs can be met, or at the very least communicated, as quickly as possible. Donald nodded and said that he was going to start working on what he might teach if he takes the role. I thanked him and he started over to the table. I told him that I would be back to get him dinner, and that he can do whatever he desires then, because we would try him in the mess hall.
We walked down to the cell, and I told him that we could work on lowering the level of environmental mitigation for his future room. Donald nodded and said that he’d be willing to try to work towards that. I closed the door to the cell and returned it to the solid wall status. When I was done, I decided to head out and to go on a ride about the city to see how things were doing. When I got to the garage, I noticed that my E-Bike, and Cal’s, were both gone, and figured that the two students had gone to do something fun.
I decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood instead. I resolved that I was also going to throw an enchantment up on the garage, or find some other way of making it so that we can have a short term invisibility to allow for secretive exits. I sighed and started walking around. Thankfully, no one was trying to hold up Bob’s again. I walked towards MacArthur Center, to see if there are any items that I can get there to enchant for Amber.
That was when I encountered some chaos, and not the good kind either. It was a madhouse. A massive crowd of people were looting different stores. I stretched out my arms out at my sides, parallel to the ground, and dropped the illusions covering my gear, while casting Mirror Image and getting eight additional images around me, instantly visibly becoming Verdigris. I yelled out that this was an exercise in criminality, and that there was only one chance to get out of this without criminal charges, and that is to drop everything and leave, now.
Almost four-fifths of the looters split immediately. They all dropped their stuff and ran out the emergency exits. That left a solid one fifth of the looters. Some looked like they were buoyed by the others who were pulling out firearms. Others had the false bravado of having those firearms. One of them yelled that they wouldn’t be going out like some punk bitch, and pulled the trigger.
One of the Mirror Images exploded into glittering crystals that dissolved into nothingness. Maybe that increased the other’s morale, because the other remaining seven pulled their pistols. Unfortunately, I was a bit faster. I dropped from the pose to my Stance of Piercing Ray, activated my Searing Break, and shot out three rounds, dropping the three of them with their guns up the highest.
I called out that now, they can drop their guns, and lay down on the ground, and be detained, or they can get shot too. Of the remaining twelve, four dropped their guns and ran, three dropped their guns and hit the ground, and five stayed strong, shooting at me. I didn’t even both dodging too much, allowing them to hit the Mirror Images, so that their bullets get stopped by the effect. This left me with only three Mirror Images, and five gun wielders. I liked my odds, and joyfully told them as much.
I fired off another three rounds, dropping two more and wounding a third. I repeated my demand, only this time I told them that they can lay down their arms, lay down on the floor, and get knocked out, or it would be MUCH worse for them. The leader who had yelled that he wasn’t going out, on the ground with a smoldering wound in his thigh, left two standing. One of them dropped their gun, which had jammed, and ran at me with a knife. The other frantically reloaded.
Points for bravery, I told the one charging me, as I fired a single shot, reflecting off of the one who was reloaded and into the leader on the ground with the gun still in his hand. Both were dropped. I dropped my remaining Mirror Images as I let the charger get close enough to stab my Boron Carbide armor. His knife broke. He looked up at me defiantly, and I dropped into Body of Night, and backhanded him with my cesti, knocking him to the ground, and out, at the same time.
I drug him by hand over to where the rest were. A frightened teen, a grizzled looking middle aged man with the air of a professional, and a crying man in his twenties, who had baby gear in the bag he dropped. I looked at all three and told them that they were going to gather everyone up, and put them right here, pointing to the center of the hallway. I pulled the grizzled looking one aside and told him to pick up all of the guns and empty the pockets of the ones who did not surrender. He nodded and went to work.
I cast a Wall of Stone to get the materials, and then a Stoneshape to turn it into eleven pillories and modified stocks. I put each individual that was unconscious in the pillory and used some of the remaining stone for each, for stools. Uncomfortable, but not dangerous to them. When the three that were helped were done, I pointed them to the easier, less stressful pillories. I wrote up exactly what each person had stolen, on separate sheets of paper, and stuck them to the front of the pillory that the person was in. In a stone box at each person’s feet, was the firearm or other weapons that they had, any contraband, and the items that they took. I told the three that their assistance would be remembered, and that they would be recommended for a minimal sentence.
While I waited for the cops to arrive, I went and purchased a few blank books, never know when you will need more. I steadfastly refused being given the items for free. By the time I was back, the police were just arriving. As I had been walking up, I had heard the grizzled one whispering to the nervous one that running won’t do shit. The police looked at me and asked me if I had done this.
I told them that I had, and that the three over here were the ones who immediately dropped to the ground and surrendered, and then helped detain the rest. The sergeant shook their head and asked how they were going to get them out. I pulled the stone pins off of the leader, and flipped up the pillory, before picking him up and setting him down gently. I offered up that I could remove the stone after, or the MacArthur Center can keep them as guest attractions, after the stone hasps are broken off anyway.
I left the police officers with the task of removing everyone from their bindings, after breaking off the hasps and ensuring that all edges were rounded and smoothed. I felt it was safe enough for everyone to be around. I told the police that I had to leave, and that I knew that these rapscallions would be dealt with as is appropriate. The police nodded and I left to head back to the Chrysalis. I knew that I would probably catch flak for this from Agent Smith, but no one died, and even those whom I shot, would be perfectly better in twenty-four hours.
When I was back at the Chrysalis, I walked through the garage, and saw that the E-Bikes were back. I thought about this, and if this school was going to have a full complement of sixty-four students, we would likely need to expand this charging garage. I decided to add this to the schedule of things to get accomplished. I wouldn’t be done with upgrading the Chrysalis for a long time, it looks like. I walked through the hallway and into the tower proper.
I moved towards the mess hall and saw that the two students, Cal and Sera, were both back and waiting in the room. I used Augury to see if this was a good idea, and got “Weal”, so I told the two that I would be getting Donald to help integrate him into the flow of the school, before it starts. Cal nodded and asked if I thought it was safe. I told him that I thought it was, and went down to get our hopefully future physics and engineering teacher. By the time I got down there, our resident cryokineticist was sitting at his table, writing out a lot of notes.
I announced that I would be opening up the door, and did so, which Donald responded to by rising slowly. I pulled a pair of blank books out of my extradimensional pocket, and handed them to him, telling him that I wanted him to not be lacking the ability to document his thoughts or plans for classes. We walked together, with him asking me what I had gotten up to since lunch. I told him that I had gone out to get the blank books for him and myself, and ended up stopping a flash mob of looters. He looked at me and asked if I did this kind of thing every day.
I smiled and said that I was just trying to ensure that the city wasn’t getting swamped with the effects of the world falling to the chaos of the Decimation. He asked me what that was, and that was when I asked him what day he remembered it being. Before falling into the water. Donald thinks about it and says that it was September 26th, 2014. I looked at him and paused before I told him that today is August 5th, 2018, and that he was under the ice for almost four years.
Donald looked at me and said that he didn’t have any memory of the intervening four years. I told him that he was likely in a manner of Cryo-Stasis while his body healed and he took in the energy of Cold. Donald asked me what I thought that it meant for him. I told him that it was likely that problems that he had been dealing with before “entering the ice” had been dealt with already. I offered up that we can search for any hanging threads about who he might have to look into, but for tonight, we can just take refuge in the fact that all four of us eating in the Mess Hall, have lost something, and both of us, him and I, are both displaced from where we were.
I continued by telling him that I wasn’t even originally from this world, that I had been brought here by the Decimation, so I had lost everyone that I knew, too. We entered the mess hall, and I showed him how to get the food and mead from the different options, and all four of us sat down at a table to eat. Before starting to eat, I politely requested that we refrain from talking about our struggles in the past, and just talk about what we might be looking forward to for the future. After a moment, Cal spoke up and said that he hoped to learn more about thermal physics from someone who was seen as very knowledgeable. Donald stiffened for a moment but then thanked him for his kind words.
We ate for a minute, and I asked everyone what they had picked to eat. Cal spoke up first, telling me that it was school house pizza, that he always loved them growing up. I nodded and asked Sera what she was having. Sera finished her mouth full and said that she had gotten a salad. I asked her if that was what she really wanted. She looked at me and said it was expected.
I told her that every meal from that box has the exact same nutritional content as any other. She could have brownies and ice cream every meal if she wanted, and never have any ill effects. She looked at me oddly, and I told her that the actual material that comes out of the nutritional counter is a vitamin and nutrient enriched gruel, that is temporarily changed to be anything that you desire. After an hour, it returns to being gruel in appearance, texture, and taste. So, I added, no reason not to get whatever you have ever tried before. She sheepishly said that she would keep that in mind.
I offered up that I was having a meal from my home-world, a fire-pelt steak with roasted stone tubers, and a Whiplilly and Blood-Berry vinaigrette dressed salad. I offered them a chance to try each, but cautioned them that since it was going off of my memory of the taste, so it was only what I could remember or know of it. Cal and Sera both cautiously tried it, and Donald did as well after some encouragement. Donald said that he had tasted something similar to this meat before, almost like veal but sweeter. I told them that it was a great cat that harassed travelers along the trade routes in my home country.
Sera looked at me and asked if she had just eaten an animal that had killed people. I told her that no, she had just eaten gruel that tastes like an animal that might have attacked people, but was harvested by someone with respect and a guarantee that the animal didn’t suffer. She seemed conflicted by this, and Donald mentioned that cougars were even hunted here, in the Rockies. I thanked him for his knowledge, and apologized that it wasn’t more obvious. Sera said that at least it wasn’t an animal that died for her meal.
We finished off our meals with a bit more discussion back and forth. Finally, I got the feeling from Donald that he was reaching his limit of social interaction and power control, so I excused myself and asked if Donald could help me. We both left the two students in the tavern inspired mess hall. Donald asked me as we left why the mess hall was designed like that, and I told him that it was just a taste of home for me. I offered up that I was glad that he could spend this much time out of the room, and he said that the excess moisture in the air was what was doing him in, not the temperature.
I thought about it, and told him that it was a unique concern, and that maybe I can figure out something in the near future, but for now, I hoped that he could learn to become immune to it. Donald said that he would work on it, as we walked back to his cell. I told him that he can choose to eat in his room, or in the mess hall, and that I can un-meld the wall, so he can just walk about as he needs to first thing in the morning. He thanked me and went back to his room, to three more sets of clothes.
I melded the door closed again with the Chisel, and then headed up to the potato alchemy lab. There was a LOT more material left over than I had expected. Somewhere in the neighborhood of another another twenty more sets of clothing based on where the Unseen Crafters would be done in the morning. I decided that Donald would get a total of ten sets, one would be repurposed for the Cinnebar armor underlayer, and the remaining fourteen would be split for important purposes. A spare, mock, copy of both my own and the Cinnebar armors, a set of official Academy Uniforms for S.P.E.A.R. for Cal and Sera, and ten sets for Agent Smith to have tested to see if this is a useful technology for either S.H.I.E.L.D./S.P.E.A.R. or just simply the firefighters.
I headed back to the secret alchemical lab where I had placed the rooting compound I was trying to develop. I saw that the mixture had started to freeze up from the Jotun blood that I had placed in there. I panicked and ran to the Campaigner’s Tent on the next floor to get Rex. Rex was relaxing with the kittens next to him and he popped up as soon as he felt my exasperation. I told him, in Draconic, that I needed his help in the lab.
Rex popped up immediately and followed after me. We got down there, and I showed him the secret that I was working on. He took a look at it, and said that he’d spend the night slowly coaxing it back to warmth and proper temperature with his flame breath. I thanked him and said that I can be here with him. He shook his head, and said that he can breathe fire roughly every thirty seconds without strain, and that he would minimize the amount of force he uses.
Rex continued by saying that I needed to get some rest, because tomorrow was likely to be busy, and he could tell that this was going to take a long time. I told him that I would get him a nice fish tomorrow, and Rex smiled after using his first flame breath constantly, and saying that he likes fish. I sighed and walked back up to the tent. Just as I sat down, the energy draining from me, I got my nightly Sending from Amber, telling me, “I have BIG news. May is training me on assignments out of the country. I will keep you informed on where we go. Love you!. I smiled and Sent back, “I’m so proud of you! I know you will do well. We have another helper here now, and might just have a fourth. Love you!”
I relaxed into my cot, Bright-Eyes and the kittens curling up around me. I resolved that I was going to get whatever I needed done to make sure that this place was ready for everything, as quickly as possible. If I have to put pressure on S.H.I.E.L.D. with any one of the discoveries that I make, I will do so. I won’t have the world fail because I didn’t do enough. I decided to head to sleep with plans dancing in my mind.
Dorm Rooms: The dorm rooms are treated as stationary Campaigner’s Tents for the purposes of Enchantment. That just means that each one becomes a 30’x30’ total interior, with the three walled off 10’x10’ back rooms. THe only thing that changes about it, is the price.
The Granite nutritional cube is basically a re-skinned use item Dream Feast spell, where you get the food you desire. It also has a Tears to wine (CL 1), and a Caffeination (CL 1) spell that applies when appropriate. Not exactly expensive.
