The Essence of Existence II (open to all)

[miokalia]

[[[OOC intro]]]

This is a continuation of the Essence of Existence thread, which is basically a pseudoscience, research, discovery, etc... thread started by Union of Tinis having to do with a team of multidisciplinary sciencefurs attempting to complete The System Equasion, a grand-unified model of life, the universe and everything (Like the number 42 is). But it also branches out into other things as well.

It is open to anyone.

The format is often in the adventures, dialogue and discussions of an international team of sciencefurs working together.
This is also a convenient and plausible forum through which nations can share their unique sciences (to whatever extent they choose).
It is a pseudoscience thread where the actual feasibility of the pseudoscience is variable somewhat.

Tinis can post some more details as to where the team is currently and where new delegations can meet them and join up.

[The Union of Tinis]

Kam leaned back again in his chair and closed his eyes. He was tired of the florescent lights in the office. So far all their trials and travels hadn't yielded the truth behind the System Equation. Just more and more questions. A bigger equation. An improved equation. The visits to the south? Curiosities that seemed to be screaming answers in a foreign language that no one in the universe spoke.

It was nearing eleven p.m. and Kam needed coffee. He got up from his chair and rubbed behind his ears while clenching his mug. Soon the new coffee machine was producing something capable of keeping him going for a couple more hours. While it worked he turned towards the window and the city beyond. The lights of Arx sparkled between the near by buildings. In one of the near by ones he could see an office party. Lots of streamers.

"You know Kam," spoke the voice of Lipner from behind. " When ever I bother to look out the window I see people happy with their success. But maybe I don't look out them enough during the day. Then all you can see is the sun burning into your retinas."

The cat took a seat and gave Kam a funny look.

"Shouldn't you be off with Ryuqi?" asked Kam.

"She wanted to do some maintenance tonight and wanted me out of harms way."

Kam nodded. His black and white tail swayed back and forth. "I recall her antsy about a package being late. Probably related yes?"

"Probably."

Lipner took a sip of his own coffee. "So skunk dude, you've been kind of moody since Sana ran off with Doron to Pargalo."

Kam nodded. "You could say that."

The cat grinned. "You could always track down your actor friend. I hear in the tabloids he's great in the sack."

"I don't exactly swing that way," Kam said with a funny chuckle. "Plus, Harvey's already asked and I turned him down."

"He does ask you hard hitting questions randomly."

Kam nodded. "Today he asked me if I ever thought about giving up figuring out the System Equation. I told him no. But that I was certainly discouraged. I feel that in the last four years we've done nothing but go backward in understanding this thing. Had some adventures sure, but I… I feel like that one philosopher who took pride in knowing he knew nothing. Except its not so much pride as annoyance."

Lipner shrugged. "Well we have more data. More information. But not the 'answer' as it were. Maybe you need some perspective."

Kam nodded. "Ok. Well, I guess… yes. Perspective...

"What is this problem we're working on? We're looking into the fundamental structure of the cosmos through the use and improvement of the System Equation. The System Equation was penned by Genius of Pargalo as an attempt to reconcile the emerging models of physics and other sciences. Her efforts lead to understanding of the relationships of systems to one another at a fundamental level. This knowledge helped her create the basic system equation. However, she did not stop there and improved it to form the advanced system equation. However there was some sort of fundamental flaw in it.

"We used a device provided by the Miokalians to extract the imprint of the system equation that was applied to a couple individuals and extracted a possibly improved system equation. Now we have two versions of the maths floating about but the new one seems more likely to be truth. So we've been touring around trying to fill in the new gaps in our understanding of it. Visiting devices and simulations here and in Miokalia to try to find novel ways at either using the system equation or getting answers to explain what some of the variables mean.

"And so far we have a few hints and answers, but still so much more to do. To think we had pretty much all of the basic version figured."

Lipner giggled. "That certainly sounds like a statement of what's happened. But not really of the problem."

"I.. guess you're correct."

Kam sat down across from Lipner. "How about this then. The System Equation is an answer to the question of How does the world work? But we don't know how to read that answer. Well, we know how to read parts of it. The version for children and those slow at learning. But we're in grade 13 now and need to learn to read at that level. We have data. Lots of it. But we need more."

"Ok," replied Lipner. "So how are we going to get it?"

Kam shrugged. "I guess we keep up with what we're doing. Having the grad students crunch numbers and do selective assumptions. And we globe trot finding unusual experiments to investigate with it."

The cat grinned at the skunk. "You know Kam. You used to claim this math was alive. I like the book analogy better."

Kam grinned. "Maybe what we're looking for is who wrote the book?"

"Hey hey, I'm no theist. And last I checked you weren't either."

[miokalia]

Ryuqi did her 'business' immersed in a special deep tub of water she had to order through a bureau back home. It was the first time she had done this type of maintainance anywhere away from home, and it was considerably more involved than she remembered.

The mechanical t-rex had her battery apparatus open and was gripping the dull greyish-purple brick of spent deochal with a pair of 3 foot tongs, pulling it out of it's retainer.
It was precision work with the added risk of containment. Since the spent deochal did have some hazards to others. Seeing as it was slightly radioactive. Thus the tub of water she had to immerse herself in while removing it.

Finally she got it out. Holding it out at arms-length with the tongs, it then occured to her that she was not sure what to do with it.

For some reason, she decided to call Lipner.
Unable to leave the immersion tub due to containment reasons, she realized that she would not be able to get to the phone.
She did have a cell phone with her, however, she was also under water, thus the cellphone would be of little use if she turned it on.
However, she thought that perhaps if she could continuuously pump air into the cellphone, she might be able to get it to operate under water.
Without much else in the way of options, as she held the brick of depleted Dioxycalcium Thorium-nitrate at the end of the tongs, while completely underwater, she inserted the cellphone into her mouth. She didn't have much compressed air, certainly not enough to force all the water out of the phone. But she did have something else, perhaps possibly better: Sulphur-hexaflouride. two small tanks of it. More than enough to inundate the phone, and with a dielectric strength much greater than that of air, this gas would be more effective at not conducting electricity than air.
So she began to force a torrent of bubbles out her mouth and tried to dial Lipner's number with her tongue.

By some miracle, the call went through.

-----------------------------


Lipner looked at his phone and answered it, but all he heard was what sounded like static.

"huh, must have been a bad connection", he said, hanging it up.


------------------------------

The bubbles of sulphur hexaflouride made it impossible to vocalize.
Ryuqi had to find another plan. Surely there was some other way to contain the material safely.

She sighed (underwater, with a Sulphur Hexaflouride breath)

She rationalized that the 5-second rule of exposure could scientifically, probably apply to radioisotopes outside of containment. And eventually decided that she needed to find a temporary vessel.

She poked her head out the surface of the water and looked around the garage. Then she saw it. A door off to the side, open slightly ajar. A room with a tell-tale tile floor.

She ducked back under and began plotting her moves to move the spent deochal to a safe, temporary, improvised, containment solution.



She made a mental note to inform Lipner to avoid the bathroom connected to the garage for a little while. Especially the toilet.

[The Union of Tinis]

After shrugging and putting his phone back in his pocket, Lipner left the skyscraper in the heavily developed city center and quickly got to the monorail stop around the corner. In short order the cat was on a magnetically levitated train quickly hopping between stops in the massive city of Arx. A quick change of lines and he was on the express to the east side of town and home.

He pecked at his cell phone. "Caller id? Do I have that." Fumbling with the phone he eventually summoned the call record. "Huh," he said noticing who it was from. He attempted to call back.

------

Elsewhere, Ryuqi was had just got up enough courage to attempt to climb out of the tub and take the spent fuel to the bathroom. The sudden ringing of the phone still in her mouth was a bit unsettling. But her destination was the tank of the toilet.

------

With no answer he hung up the phone and shrugged. Thoughts passed through his head about what he and the skunk, his boss and colleague, and himself had conversed about. "Bleh," he groaned as the train rode over a large canal. "We need some sort of breakthrough… we're going no where again. Just crunching numbers and hoping for results."

The late night trains were very quick. It wasn't more than twenty minutes before he was back in his home neighborhood. The townhouse wasn't far from the station either.

The cat walked up to his place. He produced his keychain, shrugged and instead of going to the front door pushed the button on the garage remote and strode in. His fatigue was getting to him and he figured he'd drop his eyes if he tried to unlock the front. He strode through the garage, pushed the button to close the garage door, and proceeded into the bathroom.

Moments after Lipner began to settle himself in on the toilet with a light purr the door slammed open violently, putting quite the dent in the wall in the process despite a door stopper. Lipner had gotten pretty good at reading what body language he could of from Ryuqi but almost anyone could tell that this was the stance of alarm.

"Get off the toilet!"

"Umm… why?"

"Just do it ok?"

Lipner decided he probably wasn't going to be using the facilities as he had intended. "I… that's not answering my question.

"Look behind you in the tank!"

Lipner turned his head and promptly fell off the seat as he noticed the ajar lid and the chemical blue color inside.

"What is that?" he asked as he struggled to pull his shorts back on.

"Deochal brick. Reacts to untreated water by giving off blue ink," said Ryuqi with thongs in hand reaching for the tank. Lipner's already aggressively agitated tail suddenly went poof. He scrambled up and stood in the door way.

"That's supposed to be radioactive!" he state the obvious. Right before Ryuqi handed him the three foot tongs with the brick in its grip. "Uhh…" he said before trying to hand it back.

"Stand out of the way silly," said Ryuqi.

Lipner stood to the side and tried to offer the thongs back. This time Ryuqi did take them before she rushed out of the bathroom. Lipner for some reason decided to follow her. He was now wishing he had opted to sleep in the break room.

[miokalia]

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS", Ryuqi declared in slight, but growing panic. Her rate of speaking got much faster:
"I put it in the toilet because I had to put it somewhere and if it's radioactive then the safest place to put it is in water.
I've never done this outside of the facilities at home before, I have no idea how to dispose of this thing. And I don't know what the blue ink is even for other than it gives it off for a reason. I just don't know what it means or if it's bad. I'M SORRY LIPNER.
I have about 12 hours of operation without the new battery before I run out of power and fall over and then I don't know what I'm going to do. LIPNER YOU HAVE TO HELP ME GET RID OF THIS THING I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I'M SORRY."

It was quite evident that Ryuqi was operating under inhibited mental faculties due to the panic. Lipner, who was also thoroughly poofed also wasn't sure what to do next, but knew that Ryuqi was probably stuck in some kind of loop.

"PUT THE BRICK BACK IN THE TOILET TANK", he finally said.

Ryuqi immediately did just that.

"The instructions. I don't know the instructions. It's different with the kit and the tub. I'm sorry", she said.

"Let's just calm down. I'm sure there is a phone number we can call for disposing of... hazardous radioisotope materials.", said Lipner as he began looking for a phone book.

[miokalia]

Elsewhere



A white-and-green feathered raptor pulls a 1986 Winnebago RV into a large warehouse, It is a very delicate operation, for testing purposes, the RV has to travel the exact same path to the warehouse every time. The path of the tires being marked in paint on the old parking lot pavement.
Mounted to the roof of the RV was a large, beige enclosure, measuring about 3/4ths the length of the vehicle. Around it were numerous other pieces of equipment involved in the production of super-cooled refrigerants, and etc...
Inside was a large dark blue box with a flocked texture surface, taking up most of the space inside the RV. Large conduits went down from the ceiling and into the box. Near the back was another metallic box with chamfered edges and large heavily insulated cables running between it and the larger dark blue box.
Aside from that, the RV contained the usual accoutrements of an RV. Bedding, cabinets, curtains and even a teddy bear on the microcouch which folds out to a bed.

She pulled it into position in the warehouse and got out.

A brown raptor then opened the back door of the RV and plugged a large cable into the back of the metallic chamferred box.

"Kwisatz Winnebago is in position and ready for charge.", the green raptor said into a small headset device, "Cable is locked".

About 2 floors up in the warehouse was a windowed control room. Project manager Olson (brown T-Rex) paced around. There was always so much anxiety before any experimental tests on the Geogadiy project. It was very possible for something to go incredibly wrong in a very surreal way. And it was not entirely known if the 2 feet of brass sponge and concrete which protected the observation room were 100% effective. Although it did certainly block out everything else, as all communication had to be routed through an acoustic tube to an intercom transceiver on the outside of the structure.

"Reactor 2 is online, commence charging?", reported someone else in the room.
"Yeah", said Olson, "Itah and Matt, hook up the control cords and get up here please."

"Control cable affixed", said the green raptor.
"Secondary affixed", said the brown raptor.
Then they ascended the stairs into the observation room.

"All the coronal haggrameters are new. The device reported an average lean of +2.041 R x 10. It will require normal compensation but this is going to result in reduced probabilistic resolution.", the green raptor, Itah said.

"As long as it works", Olson replied, "You heard her, use compensation algorithm code "Tex". What's the capacitor's status?"

"Capacitor is at 102 Kg, just under threshold.", replied the brown raptor, Matt. "We're going to need more power to push it over, it may have been sitting too long at insufficient power".

"We need a bit more current", Olson then picked up an acoustic communication tube and said to someone at the supply reactor, "We're going to need a little more current. Can you get us up to about 120 Megawatts please?"

"104 Kg", said Matt.

"Haggrameters are maintaining normal reading, interrupting supply voltage in anticipation for capacitor threshold interference.", said Itah.

"Thread the needle Itah", said Olson.

"Haggrameters offline", she replied.

Matt said,
"104.1 Kg, were almost there.

104.2.... 104.3.... 104.4... 104.4... 108. We got it."

Olson then picked up the acoustic communication tube and said, "Alright, thanks Ruth. We can go back down to 100 MW."

"Haggrameters are coming back up, I hope that threshold window wasn't too long for them.", said Itah.

"Or else, who wants to draw straws on replacing 1200 tiny coronal haggrameters while crawling over a box containing electron degenerate matter?", Olson said jokingly.

"Haggrameters are at 2.032 R x 10. We have to swap out the tape.", she said.

"Whew. Okay, this is okay. At least they're not fried.", said Olson. He then said into the acoustic communication tube, "Mark, we need you to adjust Rheostats on amplifier block E to match algorithm code "Tex" minus 0.09 R x 10. equivalent."

Mark, in a building nearby then began pulling the tiny cables which adjusted the rheostats in the amplifier inside the RV, 400 feet away.
Using closed-circuit video camera pointed at the circuit board as a guide.
It was extremely precise work, and could only be done mechanically, since having any kind of extra electronic adjustment system inside the amplifier housing would cause too much interference. Even very infintesimal interference would cause a problem.

"Ok, the amp is go", said Mark through the acoustic communication tube.

The amplifier was a critical component. The massive, analogue electronic device which drove the 8 microwave injection primers that would use extremely precise interference patterns to first form magnetic monopole particles, and then harinos of highly specific parameters. The process which is the first stage of the contained interaction that the experiment sought to create.

"Alright, begin the sequence. Let's get this done", said Olson.

Matt and Itah engaged two fairly large safety-covered switches, then Itah engaged the final third one which started the rapid sequence of events.

A low hum began and then in the space of less than a second, the light crack from the trigger cap in the device's supercapacitor firing off occured. Almost at the same moment that the RV disappeared. Followed just milliseconds after by the tremendous, percussive *KABOOM* of air rushing in to fill the space where the RV once was.

"Alright, that looks good so far. What's going on over at point B, Dosh?", said Olson into the acoustic communication tube.

"Well it looks like we have an up-side-down winnebago, which was not violently cut in half, that landed somewhat safely in the air cushion as intended. It looks like this phase of the experiment is sucessful at least.", said Dosh over the acoustic communication tube.

Celebratory high-threes were shared by all.

A crew in radiation-suits removed several cases from the inside of the upside-down winnebago. Additional experiment modules, many involving material exposure and data-gathering. Several were to be sent to Tinis.




-----------------------------------------------


Geogadiy test 6-491.

Experiment subject: 2.1 ton conventional vehicle #5, named "Kwisatz Winnebago II"

Process: Suizalthorp Fast Cycle on a modified "Tex" algorithm

Super Capacitor type: Mechanically Triggered, Beta-Degenerate Superfluid. Operating at 0.8 Kelvin.

Haggrameter array: 1200 Coronal Interferometric Haggrameters. CHC-340 model, Union Haorometric.

Harino Synthesis: Direct Low-Energy Carruthian method.

Type of MIPs: Attenuation Pairing Type, 8 Microwave Injection Primers in biplanar orientation.

Charging source: Reactor #2, 120 MW peak used, at Kikoh Facility on-site.

Length of material linearization: 14 x 10^9 Polchronons Passed
DTD cycle linear length: 10 Km
Linearization period: 1.5 x 10^-5 seconds.

Peak recorded Haorocharge: 2.5 Dns (by non-directional detector)

Number of pieces the subject was in upon exit: 1
Number of shearing events: 0
Number of objects fused together by Philidyne compression: 0

Magnitude of Hawking Radiation observed: Insubstantial
Magnitude of Carruthian Field observed: (awaiting analysis)
Magnitude of Lomnino radiation: 304 Candella

Observed Stochaton Energy: 64 x 10^22 Joules.

[The Union of Tinis]

Lipner covered his mouth as he thought for a moment. "I think I'll find a number yes," he headed quickly to the house computer and began looking up numbers. Of course the basic numbers for waste disposal didn't look as if they'd know how to handle something like this. Finally he looked up a number for a hazmat office and made the call.

"Hello? Sector 7 Heaven Special Waste Services."

"Hi, I have a rather unusual situation. Do you have any experience with deochal bricks?"

"I'm afraid I'm not to familiar with what that is," came the voice on the other end. Lipner began pulling the long phone from his ear. "But I'm just the secretary. I'll call up one of the folks. Give me a moment."

Lipner was put on hold. While he waited he looked over to Ryuqi and gave his best reassuring smile. "Its going to be ok."

"Hello? This is Wak Sotu. What seems to be the problem?"

"Uh yes, hi," answered Lipner. The cord of the land line was already well wrapped around his fingers. "Well my, uh, girlfriend was trying to changer her battery and well we don't know how to dispose of it."

There was a brief pause. "Uh, are you talking double As or more like a car battery?"

"Oh, sorry, its a deochal brick."

Another, longer pause. "Now I'm less confused I think. Well, was it past ninety eight percent run down?"

Lipner repeated the question to Ryuqi and got an affirmative.

"Yep."

"Well I can't say I've delta with them m'self. But I do know that past a certain point their radioactive output is in the safe zone. That limit being that there ninety eight percent of course."

"Then what was all the blue water about?"

"If I recall most manufacturers of things like that like to use a particular paint that dissolves in water that hasn't been pretreated for the purposes of changing a battery. Not quite remembering why the water needs to be treated, but it was important for something. Anyway, the stuff can quickly turn untreated water funky colors pretty quick. Unless your girlfriend is on the fritz that's probably what that was."

Lipner nodded a few times. "So then what do we do with it?"

"What ever you like," came the voice. "Just don't eat it or try to recycle it. And if you're in the Arx city limits they get angsty if you try to dump it in the trash. There is some residual radiation so its also not safe to keep around the house for very long or to leave somewhere with lots of people. At least not for a year or two. I think. Better check with the manufacturer to be sure I think."

"Ok, uh, thanks. Wak Sotu was it?"

"Yes sir."

"I'll make sure I send some bonus your way later tonight."

"Much appreciated."

Lipner hung up and sauntered back to Ryuqi. "Well the good news is that I'm not going to die. The bad news is that we can't just chuck it. The more important thing though is that we figure out where your new brick is." Lipner placed his paws on his love's solid exterior. "I think if we remain calm we can work this out. Now is there a number I can call to yell at someone to get it delivered?"

[miokalia]

"Oh yeah.

The new cartridge is in the kitchen...


It's in it's delivery packaging. It was couriered over yesterday night I think.

Don't worry, that doesn't leak.", Ryuqi said.


Lipner was slightly bothered by the new brick being in the kitchen, but figured if it was delivered then it probably wasn't packaged in such a way that it leaks.

He still handled it delicately and called the number on the small delivery card that was attached to it.

He began wrapping the phone cord around his paw.

It took a little while, then finally an automated system picked up,
"Please wait. This will continue to be a local call, but we are redirecting to an international line. Please hold."

More ringing when on and then another automated system picked up,
"Thank you. Select your language:
Farrp Kohtohkhapo, taka Uns. For English, press two. Pour le Français, presse trois. 为普通话，新闻四. For MBTL, pulse 5 then 2. For other languages, please stay on the line."

Lipner pressed 2.

"Thank you for calling EDB International Services. A Part of the Apparat of Services for Citizens Living Abroad.
If your call is regarding a safety issue with a Deochalcham component, or a couriered delivery package of Deochalcham, please press one now."

Lipner pressed 1.

The line rang once and then someone picked up,

"3301 Hazard Consultation, what is the nature of your problem?"

Lipner explained,
"Well my girlfriend was changing a battery and we don't know how to dispose of it, and the local places here said to call the manufacturer, which I thought I was doing when I called you."

"Uh.. what?", asked the operator.

"It's a deoch...", Lipner started and the operator interrupted him.

"Alright got it. First time replacing it outside the country I assume.
Well sir, you should be able to just put it in the package that the new one came in and then send it back by calling the number on the disposal bag...

There is a new package right?", said the voice on the other end.

Lipner paused and then said, "Yeah there is. But I can't really um... It's not really safe to open it? I'm just assuming. Ryuqi seems concerned about a radiological hazard and they did even send her this huge tub to fill with water to change it in, so I'm assuming there is a hazard."

"The water tub? Hold on.
What kind of residence is this in?"

"A townhouse. In Tinis."

"Oh Oh ok. Ok.
Yes, we do send the water tub kits up there to comply with the local regulations.

Listen, the water tub is for the arresting of dust from the brick. The brick has a wax coating and a thin sheet of catalyzible plastic underneath that. The plastic layer is fire-engine red to indicate if something has cut into or caused abrasion to the brick. The brick itself is harmless, it's the dust you have to worry about."

"Ok. what?"

"Is the previous brick more than 95% depleted?"

Lipner looked at Ryuqi and then said, "The guy at the local place asked if it's more than 98%. Which it is."

"Yeah, close enough.
So don't worry. I'm guessing your girlfriend has never done this outside of a facility in Miokalia?"

"I'm pretty sure that's the case."

"Ok. So don't worry. The main hazard of Deochalcham is the dust. There are several safety measures in the material itself to keep it from breaking down like that.
Now listen carefully: you can touch the expended brick in most situations. It is most dangerous when exposed to an ultraviolet light source."

"Ok ok. It is in the tank of a toilet in the bathroom. The bathroom has a flourescent light."

"The toilet tank?", the operator asked, then snickered a bit.
"Did it ink out?", he suppressed the snickering a bit.

"Yes, it did actually", Lipner said, slightly annoyed.

"Ok. Sorry. It's just there's a scenario in the training video we have, where somebody threw a brick in their toilet tank because they were panicking. And it's actually kind of funny because it's very poor acting and stuff.

Ok. So it's fine. The blue ink is just an indicator for quality assurance purposes, it releases only in non-distilled water. Don't worry about it.
Here's what you do:
turn off all the flourescent lights in your house, including all compact-flourescent bulbs. If you're not sure if a light is flourescent or not, then just turn it off.
Make sure ALL BLUE LEDs, and WHITE LEDs are turned off.
Turn off all halogen lamps. There is only one kind of lamp you should have on and that is: incandescent. And keep the light low.
And for Gods' sake, if you have any black-lights of any kind, make sure they are totally turned off and unplugged."

"Might I ask why the LEDs have to be off?"

"Blue and white LEDs emmit ultraviolet and high-frequency blue light which can catalyze the moderator in the deochal. This makes the deochal release gamma rays and alpha particles, that is: radiation."

"I know what those particles are"

"Hey hey. I'm just going off the list here alright. Also: make sure the brick is not exposed to daylight, so draw your curtains."

"Ok, it's actually nighttime here"

"Seriously? Oh well, I guess it is here too. So this is good."

"Ok what do I do?"

"You open up the toilet, pull out the brick, put it in a plastic bag and then tell your girlfriend to load up the new one, then put the old brick in the disposal bag supplied in the new package. Then call the number on the disposal bag and someone will be by to pick it up.
DO NOT MAIL IT. "

"Do I need gloves or anything?"

"As long as you don't have a 120 watt UV lamp right on the thing, it's no more harmful than handling a smoke-detector. You can touch it.

I am also required by law to instruct you not to Eat it or otherwise place it inside your body in any other way"

"Ewww."

"Hahahaha. ok. You should be fine."

"O... K are you sure?"

"Yes. This is what we do.".



Lipner concluded the call and looked at Ryuqi and sighed.