Preperations

[Maxgoof]

So I guess my question needs to be, is there any reason a spot right under the luxfont would be avoided because it was right under the luxfont. (There might not be, of course. That's why I'm asking.)

Nope. There is no reason why it would be left alone simply because it is near the luxfont.

But under a bridge at the luxfont? Most people would not go under the bridge, in the first place. Those who would would not likely move something as heavy as that barrel looks, 20-30 pounds, especially when it looks like it was placed there. Especially when Quentyn goes back every day to check on them, I bet.

Heh...reminds me of a psychology experiment someone did once. They placed three eggs on a piece of cardboard with a sign that said "Do not touch! Experiment in progress!" The eggs were not touched all day.

Three other eggs were placed on a piece of cardboard with a sign that said, "These are eggs". The eggs were smashed within half an hour.

[TGIF]

Finally, he mentioned that he'd done alot of similar projects in school ... now i dont know about you guys but our teachers never let us within 50 feet of any explosives during chemistry, let alone teaching us how to make the stuff

Well, back in the '60's I had a chemisty teacher in Jr. High who taught us how to make a contact explosive from simple household items.

Not the best lesson to teach though - later in that year a few teachers had nasty surprises when they sat down in their chairs!

TGIF

[CasVeg]

I wonder if some of you are underestimating little Quentyn's capacity for bloodshed? Willing and ready does not indicate a tendency to enjoy.

Quentyn is a trained soldier: He may feel bad afterwards, but, he will do what he needs to do when he needs to do it. And, he will return kind for kind. If the royals try to kill him, he won't hold anything back.

[Tom Mazanec]

Well, if Quentyn tries to get his sword back, the Royals are likely to try and kill him. So it looks like we are in for mayhem.

[RHJunior]

"Trained soldier" is seriously overstating the matter. He's merely been part of the weekly militia drills.... which are open and voluntary to all members of Racconan society.

[Kerry Skydancer]

"Trained soldier" is seriously overstating the matter. He's merely been part of the weekly militia drills.... which are open and voluntary to all members of Racconan society.

But he's gone, and done well enough to impress his local militia captain in spite of his size disadvantage. He's not an experienced soldier, and they don't have anything like our psychological orientation in Basic, but he has been through more training than average. I get the impression that the boy has the right mindset even without Basic; he knew he might die taking out the Rat-King but he went anyway, because that was his job. The only bit he might be missing is the die-for-the-unit mentality, since he works alone.

[Squeaky Bunny]

The idea of an Lux version of an EMP device sounds about right.

Wildcard is very Lux hungry, so it would do a quick charge without damage. But, it would cause tappers to absorb much more energy than they can handle. (The question being is if the tappers and the Royal's weapons would act like phasers in self-destruct mode, overinflated balloons, or wet firecrackers?)

[Sharuuk]

Finally, he mentioned that he'd done alot of similar projects in school ... now i dont know about you guys but our teachers never let us within 50 feet of any explosives during chemistry, let alone teaching us how to make the stuff

Well, back in the '60's I had a chemisty teacher in Jr. High who taught us how to make a contact explosive from simple household items.

Not the best lesson to teach though - later in that year a few teachers had nasty surprises when they sat down in their chairs!

TGIF

Ahhhhh........good old NI3...(Ammonium) Nitrogen Tri-Iodide...I used to have SOOOO much fun with that stuff......used to have about 5-7 grams frozen in the icebox......man does this bring back memories.

S'aaruuk

[SolidusRaccoon]

Sounds like a very good time.

[Narnian]

Ahhhhh........good old NI3...(Ammonium) Nitrogen Tri-Iodide...I used to have SOOOO much fun with that stuff......used to have about 5-7 grams frozen in the icebox......man does this bring back memories.

"Used to" leaves room for many options ...

[Tom Mazanec]

My college chemistry professor once spilled some of this stuff on his table and it dried and crystalized. Then he went to open a drawer. Surprise...

[Sharuuk]

Ahhhhh........good old NI3...(Ammonium) Nitrogen Tri-Iodide...I used to have SOOOO much fun with that stuff......used to have about 5-7 grams frozen in the icebox......man does this bring back memories.

"Used to" leaves room for many options ...

They were all "good" options....I used it all up, and now getting the components together has not only become more difficult thanks to 9/11, but WAY more expensive. I could buy 36% Ammonium Hydroxide for about $10 a quart from the local drug store....Iodine crystals were a bit more costly at about $12 per 1/2oz......and that made a LOT of NI3.

And yer right Sol....it WAS a good time!

S'aaruuk

[MikeVanPelt]

Ahhhhh........good old NI3...(Ammonium) Nitrogen Tri-Iodide...I used to have SOOOO much fun with that stuff......

Oh, yeah... I discovered that, contrary to popular belief, NI3 is not, repeat not stable when wet.

True, it is more stable when wet than when dry, but that sure isn't saying a whole lot. I had some in the bottom of a beaker full of water go off, sloshing the water around.

Worst, my first batch, I was filtering through a paper towel in the bathroom, when a bit of it went off, blowing the wet paper towel to shreds and splattering me from head to foot with the stuff. I snapped, crackled, and popped every step I took for about the next 90 minutes.

[Madmoonie]

Just for future reference, none of you guys are ever getting near my kitchen sink......or anything under it.

[Tbolt]

Ouch,... That does not sound very enjoyable =X.X=

My favorite NI3 story came from my high school chemistry teacher. He made a batch of the stuff for demonstration purposes, but refused to teach us the technique. However, while he was drying out the small crystalline piles on his desk a fly came in for a landing on what it thought was a lump of grape jelly...

Hee, hee, anti-fly mines! =^^=

[SolidusRaccoon]

Just for future reference, none of you guys are ever getting near my kitchen sink......or anything under it.

Come on man, I will get the clogs out easily. That and add an open air picture window to your kitchen.

[Madmoonie]

NO! Just having a vague inkling of what you guys are capable of with just household chemicals (shudders) gives me the jibblies.

[Shyal_malkes]

I am capable of virtually anything with household chemicals



except predicting what will happen due to a lack of experience even pronouncing them!

[Tom Mazanec]

Back on topic, I think the gizmo needs lux. Unless Quentyn was right by it, he had to carry the barrel with a sprained ankle. There were probably just as secure locations closer by (the luxfont is somewhere I would imagine racconans more likely to be, just because the lux level is so high). Even under a bridge someone might see it, and know what it is (remember, this is based on "elementary science"). And why put it there for three days? Can't he "borrow" and prepare his other supplies quicker?

[Madmoonie]

Well....if HAVE to get back on the subject.......(do we do that here?).....I think is some kind storage device, designed to quickly release its power at a given time, and its also rather simply designed so it might take longer to power up, so to speak.