2020-08-03: Playing a Suited Pair

Playing a Suited Pair
Astra and Arumi plan a trip to a far away dimension
IC Date	August 3, 2020
IC Time	2 PM
Players	Arumi, Astra
Location	Arumi's Lab
Prp/Tp	N/A
Spheres	Traditions
Theme Song	明日へのBRILLIANT ROAD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRqzBIeeYsg

Arumi arranges to pick up Astra at the Nexus or from town, her preference, driving her out to the lab. "You know, I was talking at one point about forming a formal research corporation and building a corporate lab for it in Mexico, in addition to my personal lab. It'd be a shared one. Is that something you'd be interested in joining, once you join the Society?"

Pulling up to the lab, she giggles. "Anyway, um. I've started hollowing out the Shatterdome. But in the meantime, how would you like to see the Hollow Earth?"

"That sounds weird until I remember just how close we are to Mexico." Astra chuckles as she gets out of the car, "How public is this lab going to be? Will they be alright with, ah unorthodox methods?" She smirks, "You keep offering me stuff, It's hard to say no. Is there a catch I need to know about? Also you cannot possibly be serious." She peers at you skeptically when you mention the Hollow Earth.

Arumi giggles. "Oh right you were in Colorado until recently. Makes sense. " Letting Astra in, and down into the lab, she gestures to the far end of the room, where there's a steel door with a white, red, and yellow "DANGER DO NOT ENTER" sign.

"Shatterdome will be through there. The corporate lab would be, well, trade secret. What we do would be private, but we'd be an actual business, which has potential advantages. Dr. Varona suggested we get a good lawyer to keep it all quiet. I agree. As far as offering you stuff, it's what we do in the Society. We advance science."

The last look though makes her smile. "Hollow Earth is a... saying. The earliest theories of that dimension were that it was literally underground. We know it's more complex now but... it's weird. Wait until you see it. Not that I've been yet."

Astra takes a breath, "It would be nice to know there's a secret lab out there doing things that actually benefit people. Does joining he Society mean being Enlightened or is the interview process not as stressful?" She's smiling but looks a little nervous as well. Fortunately the Hollow earth is distracting, "So, we can't get there but digging straight down.. it's in another dimension? I'm not sure if that's better or disappointing?"

Arumi giggles. "Joining the society meaning you read the book, you feel that spark if inspiration in you, and you're ready to commit to what we do and what we're about." She grabs a pair of stools and sets them out. "It's dimensional travel. It is down. But it's also... out in another dimension. But rather than being alien it's... oddly Earth-like. But not Earth-like in substance, Earth-like in ideas. Impossible to explain."

Astra sticks her hands in her pockets. Thinking about that book makes her both excited an uncomfortable. "I've never been hesitant about reading a book before. That's impossible for me to explain." She sighs, "What your saying doesn't sound impossible at all, the environment is alien but the inhabitance, human or otherwise, think and feel similarly to the way we do?"

Arumi shrugs. "I haven't been there. I can't say for sure. I can only read accounts of explorers who have gone before. But I'm saying we can go, ourselves. I can create a backpack wormhole generator that can take us into the Hollow Earth, and back."

"As for the book, well. It's a big deal. It's a very smart book that can change your thinking. And that might naturally be intimidating? So take your time."

"That sounds awesome but I'm tempted to ask if The Galaxy Express already has a stop there." Astra smirks, "Or.. Oooh, if it doesn't maybe we can help build one!" She beams, "That would make for a truly amazing adventure!"

Arumi giggles. "That might be possible. But why don't we go to the City of Agartha, first? See if it's something we WANT connected with Prospect before we actually suggest that sort of thing?"

Astra nods in understanding, "First mission should be a scouting mission, makes perfect sense to me." She grins, looking like she's starting to get excited, "I'm still not going to be entirely convinced the place even exists until I see it, but the alternate dimension idea has merit. Agartha generally seems to be a pleasant place in all the legends, I certainly won;t argue!"

Arumi nods. "Alright. Well, That's good Astra. You should rely on facts and empirical evidence, not hearsay and appeals to authority. Question everything. The consensus needs it."

Another snicker. "Want water or coffee or anything? Actually.. mind going upstairs and grabbing a couple from the fridge? I'm going to pull out the equipment for the biggest reason I brought you here today: making our suits for the trip."

"That sounds like a job for Coffee! This is California, you've got iced coffees in the fridge right?" Astra smirks as she makes her way upstairs, "The idea that the electromagnetic field of the sun keeps the earth's core molten and rotating always sounded reasonjably to me, sorry?" She says on the way back down, drinks in her hands. "Are these Hollow Earth Suits, Space Suits, or both?"

Arumi does indeed keep iced coffee bottles up there! "These are ... both. They'll be form fitting protective exosuits. I just won't have any of the actual life support systems attached to them yet, nor will I have EVA helmets yet. So they'll be.. just cool uniforms to wear for the trip. So optional, but potentially very useful going to a wild and dangerous environment like te Hollow Earth."

"I mean yeah, the actual, classical space earth's core is molten. It's all rock all the way down. But down, and one dimension over? Just total weirdness."

Astra nods, "One dimension over sounds plausible. We could potentially run into pockets of toxic gas on this expedition though, out in the wild untamed jungles full of dinosaurs!" She swoons, then blinks at her own words and slides you an iced coffee across the table. "I just realized how dangerous this trip could be if it works..."

Arumi watches Astra go get the coffee. When she returns, some rolls of fabric are placed on the bench, in orange and white. Along with what appears to be an industrial .... sewing machine.

The coffee is taken with "Thank you. I have seen the reports of dinosaurs. To be honest I'm skeptical those are quite accurate. They're old reports. But maybe it's true? Wow. Anyway, how's your doctorate coming along, by the way?"

Astra rubs a corner of the fabric between her fingers to get an idea of how durable it is. "It's.. coming." She smirks, "We can't all be child geniuses. Truth is I'm having trouble deciding what to focus on." She sighs. "What is this material?" She asks curiously Also whatever we end up with should be a statement for our team in addition to being practical." She offers with a smile. "We'll find out if there's Dinosaurs when we get there."

Arumi giggles. "I'm just asking. It's um. Well. Assuming you do join, it's of benefit to have a full on academic doctorate. It gives you more prestige. People respect that. So as long as you're still working on it, and are going to finish it, that's really all that matters."

Moving inf ront of the machine, loading up some thread. "It's spandex. I'm open to ideas, but I have a sketch that will be a spandex suit with boots, and 3d printed plates to support equipment and life support systems."

She then grabs her tablet, props it up, and shows Astra... pictures. https://imgur.com/a/3OEm1BE

Astra sighs, "A Physics Doctorate is within reach, It's just frustrating trying to explain a lot of my vibratory theories in ways the University can understand." She takes a breath, "Anyway, does spandex protect against dinosaur bites?" She smirks, "Kidding, I get that these are uniforms, not armor. At least not yet. And they do look rather anime inspired if you don't mind me saying? Not that it's a bad thing." She grins.

Arumi points to the pictures. "The show is called Uchuu no Stellvia. You could say it's inspired by a few series, including Star Trek and Ender's Game. It's... well, it's a pretty accurate portrayal of what it's like to go to a top school. That also happens to be a space station on a Great Mission to save the planet."

"And well, the armor will come from. um. Well, the first phase will be to run an etheric engineering treatment on the materials to weld them together and make them airtight. And then... I'll build personal shields. Well we will, if you're ready by then."

"I'll bring my plasma rifle in case of dinosaurs, and we can also run back home if it's bad. This won't be Sliders. We won't be on a timer."

Astra ahhhs, "Well, we can't violate their copywrite if they don't know we exist. I won't tell anyone." She says with a smirk and a nod, "Also.. gonna try to watch it sometime.. so thanks!" She runs her fingers along the fabric again, "Is this Etheric engineering treatment something I can help with? assuming it's something I even understand?"