BBeast

Sanctuary

I've posted my half. It just relies on GrandDM having time to reply.

Sanctuary

Zachary had been busily working on the output regulators for his prototype when he managed to catch a glimpse of the time. He almost dropped the part he was working on in shock. He had lost track of time and he was about to miss an important appointment. Scooping up his machine he hurried off to find somewhere quiet with a table he could sit at. Finding such a place, he placed his engine down on the table and pulled out his holopad. He set it up so the camera would be able to see him then made his video call.

The next few moments were nerve-wracking. It was a few moments of uncertainty, where anything could go wrong. When the call was answered he released his breath, which he hadn't been aware he was holding. "Mr Zey, this is Zachary Mason, calling for that interview. May I say that it is an honour to be granted this time in what must be a busy schedule."

There was the exchange of pleasantries. When Zachary heard that Thanar was in hospital due to a broken arm, he said "Oh, that is a shame to hear. I hope they fix it up quickly."

Soon they were able to get onto the business of Zachary's engine. Zachary pointed his holopad at his engine prototype so Thanar would be able to see. "This here is a prototype of my engine. I'm yet to make it fully functional. I'm working on the output regulators at the moment, and there's still the ECU to program, but the engine itself works a treat. The goal of my project is to create a far more efficient shuttle engine, since as we know the shuttle engines at present are rather crude and costly to run. My engine uses not only a kinetic core but a wind core and polarity core too. The wind core is to manipulate air around the shuttle so to reduce drag to almost nothing. The polarity core is to provide additional lift. Polarity cores may be more expensive than kinetic cores, but their extremely prolonged lifespan outweighs the extra cost." Zachary continued on, giving more precise details on its function, pointing at bits and pieces on his engine as appropriate. He concentrated his explanation on how the power from the cores are harnessed and distributed, as this was Thanar's field of expertise and where he would be able to receive the most advice.

In the middle of this explanation the low rumble of a fleet of shuttles punctuated his speech. Zachary peered up, although he couldn't see anything as he was indoors. He was about to continue when another shuttle fleet droned over his voice. He waited impatiently as two more waves passed by, then once he was confident they were all gone he picked up where he had left it.

Eventually Zachary reached the end of his explanation. Taking a breath, fearing the possibility of total rejection, he asked, "So, what do you think? How would you suggest improving the efficiency? As I said, the goal of this engine is to achieve the highest efficiency possible. I know you are the right person to go for about this, as you have an unparalleled knowledge of cores and how to get the most out of them."

Sanctuary

Not too soon. I've got a quick interview to have with Thanar.

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On the workbench was a strange device constructed from twisting pipes of exotic metal and three colourful gems. This was Zachary's engine. He held it up at eye level and inspected it, and he was evidently pleased with his creation. But there was something left to do. He looked around furtively and found an open area in the workshop. He walked over there with his engine and gently placed it down. He pulled out a small apparatus which was, practically speaking, a pair of wires attached to a battery designed to initiate core sparking reactions. Checking that the coast was clear, Zachary applied the electrical current to two nodes on the engine.

Suddenly the engine jumped from the ground and bounced across the floor, with the sound of a roaring wind (and metal bouncing off a concrete floor). This little display caught the attention of everyone in the room who hadn't already been looking. Aware from the stares he was receiving from some of them that an explanation was in order, Zachary said cheerfully, "It works wonderfully." To his relief, the people in the room shrugged off his impromptu demonstration, despite it being against safety procedures. He just couldn't restrain himself from trying out his engine: a machine, not only wrought by his own hands but designed by himself too. And now that he knew it worked, he took great pride in it. All he needed was to build a control mechanism and a chassis and he would have a complete prototype. He could just sense the achievement.

Sanctuary

For pre-writing posts, I prefer to use TextEdit (Notepad for Mac, basically). It loads faster and as these posts are mostly plain-text anyway Word is a bit over the top.

Sanctuary

The morning sun shined a beam through the curtains and an alarm clock buzzed in a simple hotel room. Zachary, who had been sleeping, turned off the buzzer and slowly stretched his way out of bed. Taking a shower and getting dressed for the day, he departed his room taking a bag with him. He worked his way up the tower to the skyway bus terminal, stopping along the way to buy a cheap takeaway breakfast meal.

From the bus on the skyway, there were panoramic views of the marvellous city of Sovereign, with its towering, elegant buildings and web of roads. However, Zachary was more interested in the glimmering blue skyway beneath his seat, which had been the subject of his masters. He, along with a team of other masters students, had been endeavouring to find a way of allowing vehicles to travel upside-down on them without scattering their occupants and cargo throughout the vehicle. A gravity core, although it could solve the problem (and already has for very very high-class carriages), was out of the question on a matter of cost. To substitute, Zachary had found a way to simulate the desired effect by means of a kinetic core embedded alongside the polarity cores. The design was yet to be implemented throughout the grand city of Sovereign, but proposed skyways were considering it.

Soon the bus stopped at a terminal by the university, where Zachary disembarked. The reason he was here in Sovereign, as opposed to his residence in Argos, was to perform some research for his thesis on a novel propulsion system for shuttles. At present, shuttles use kinetic cores to propel themselves by brute force. However, this method leaves a lot wanting in terms of efficiency. This is where Zachary is investigating- means to efficiently and cheaply propel a shuttle. So far, in his preliminary research, air and polarity cores have been found to improve propulsion provided by kinetic cores. With the theory in hand, he has come to Sovereign to access facilities which would allow him to put that theory into practise.

Zachary entered a lift and descended to the lower floors, where he proceeded through a door and into a mechanical workshop. Several other people worked inside, constructing and tinkering with their own projects, making use of the sophisticated tools available to them. Zachary found a small crate addressed to him, which he opened to find a selection of metal parts, some electronics and a few cores, along with a piece of paper which was the receipt. He smiled to see that his order had come through on time. Inside this crate were the materials he needed to create a prototype miniature shuttle engine. Using a trolley to move the crate over to the workbench he had reserved, he got to work on fabricating a working machine from this collection of parts and his own notes, which he had in a notepad he had been carrying in his bag. It was like a hands on puzzle, and he loved those, so he was quickly engrossed in his task.

He was interrupted by the man working on the bench next to him, who had decided to strike up a conversation. "Did you hear of the recent explosions in the core mines?"

Zachary nodded. Core mining had always been risky business, but the risk was rarely from the cores themselves. On their own cores are rather stable. It takes special conditions to get a core to release its energy. "I have. It is a strange occurrence. Cores don't normally explode unless prompted."

The woman on the bench in front of him chimed in. "It has been..." she hesitated, choosing the next word with care, "suggested that these explosions are caused by the Ancient Cores."

Zachary chuckled. "Those myths? Even if they are real I doubt they are what the legends say they are." He held up his wind core and the casing for it. "My guess is that they've come across some hybrid of a core and this metal. Such a core would likely be very unstable. The size of the explosion need not be from a core of legends. Even this puny little wind core would flatten everything in this room if it exploded. Just imagine what would happen if a full vein of cores went off? And in a shaft mine it doesn't take much to bring it down on you." He put the core back down. "Of course, the final verdict lies with the corologists." And with that, he returned to work on his engine.

Sanctuary

Sage said
Correct on the first statement. And nah I was looking for a more dollar based system but just with a different name.

Dollars are usually based on a gold standard, or some other precious metal.
But yeah, dollar system. Need a name. Not credits. Not warrens (we aren't trading rabbit-holes here). Not dollars.
Maybe some inspiration would help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_currencies

Sanctuary

There needs to be some kind of currency that we can mention, otherwise how are we to perform anything with money?

Sanctuary

So carriages, by being less demanding in terms of power output, are much less expensive to run than the price of a kinetic core would suggest. OK.

I think using a currency is a good idea. This is a modern civilisation. We should be using modern currency. The currency (called Warrens, as you suggested, although that word is already taken to mean the burrow of some burrowing animals, so maybe a different name is in order) could be set on a gold standard, but not actually made from gold.

Sanctuary Character List

Zachary Mason

Name: Zachary Mason
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Birthplace: Warshire
Current Home: Argos, Arcarus

Personality: Zachary is a highly inquisitive person. When he sees something, his first consideration is generally 'how does it work?' To satisfy this curiosity, he tinkers with machines a lot. Encountering a new situation, he likes to disassemble it and look at it piece by piece and the interrelation between the pieces. Often this curiosity leads him to asking more than he should. He tends away from violence and aggression and more towards fleeing in applicable cases. He relishes technical challenges, although when it comes to living he would prefer that to be simple and straightforward. His general demeanour is cheerful.

Bio: Zachary was born into a working class family. His mother was a seamstress, creating clothing for the harsh Warshirian weather. His father was a miner, working to collect metals and cores from the earth. He has two brothers and a sister. Whilst his siblings worked towards trades, Zachary's inquisitive mind made him more interested in science. A key point he remembers in his early life was a visit with his family to the capital city, Wintra, at age 7. There he saw the marvellous and masterful technology which Wintra is famed for making. This was a pivotal point, as it gave his longing for inquiry a place to grab hold. Since then he has been deeply interested in machines.

His parents obliged in giving him an academic education. After graduating from school, Zachary moved to Arcarus where he would be able to study at the universities there. In his studies he has obtained a deep knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of the technologies prevalent in the world. At present he has achieved a Masters in Engineering and is working towards his PhD.

Appearance: (No picture available yet, and not likely to become available, so you'll have to read, imagine and extrapolate) As a sign of his heritage, Zachary is reasonably tall, standing at six feet. He is lightly built for a Warshiran, but this counts him as a medium build for most other places. He has dark-blonde hair, cut short, and a neatly trimmed beard.

Special Traits/Weapons:
-Sharp, inquisitive mind
-Affinity with machines and technology
-Reasonable endurance (typical for Warshiran)
-No weapons. He's an engineer, not a soldier. He typically doesn't carry around a tool-kit either. He's an academic, not a mechanic. No skill in fighting either.

Theme Song: Hundred Days Music - Breakthrough

Kage Type: Onikage
Kage Name: Kaa'is

Kage Primary Power: Metal Manipulation. Kaa'is can move, bend and manipulate metal that is nearby, using a kind of magnetism crossed with telekinesis. This can be used to, but is not limited to, move objects, throw projectiles, manipulate machines, form armour and create new machines from the parts of others. For Zachary, this power can be used to make otherwise very heavy metal objects very light. It can also be used for limited self-levitation (limited being he can't stay up there for long), in cases where Zachary is on a metal platform or wearing metal armour. When in metal armour, Kaa'is can also enhance Zachary's movement and strength (or forcibly manipulate it), by moving and manipulating the armour. The range follows the inverse square law, meaning he has to exert an ever-increasing amount of effort to move things as they get further away. Say, he can pick up something small that is 50 meters away, but something very heavy can only be picked up when it is directly beside him.

Kage Secondary Power: Machine Reading. Kaa'is can telepathically analyse machines on contact. 'Machine' in this case is used in a very, very broad sense. Living things can be considered biological machines, so can thus be analysed. Computer programs can be considered digital machines, and thus can also be analysed. There is a catch though. Analysis requires understanding. In order for an analysis to make any sense, either Kaa'is or Zachary must have an understanding of how the particular machine works, in much the same way a book only makes sense if the reader understands the language the book is in. As Zachary has a wide understanding of many physical things, this makes him an appealing Conduit for Kaa'is as this allows for a wider use of this power. Analysing a machine takes a few uninterrupted seconds, taking longer for more complex machines. Once an analysis is complete, it can be maintained for a real-time viewing of its operation. Kaa'is' primary ability and Zachary's knowledge can be applied to manipulate said machine, which can be used for repairing, sabotaging or repurposing it.

Kage Personality/Description: Kaa'is is manipulative, greedy and cheeky. He loves to stir up trouble among humans, and delights in chaos. There are two reasons he does not completely take over Zachary. One is that he needs Zachary to be sane in order to get any use out of his mind. The other is that he loves taunting and manipulating him. To Kaa'is, tempting and twisting this human to do his bidding, toying with him, is much more fun than having free reign in a human body.
In his physical form, Kaa'is takes the form of many thick silvery metallic wires which can stretch and shrink. The wires typically arrange themselves to be of human form, but can scatter apart and regroup.