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Post by Licht on Aug 18, 2016 15:50:37 GMT -5
In the streets of Cathedral, talk is buzzing about the latest news, that the solar flare problems broke down one of the mag trains en route! Some are worried that the protections of the city could be next to go offline, even temporarily. Many are laughing that off as nonsense, because what kind of sunspot could be bad enough to affect the whole city like that?
Here in the middle of the lab buildings of the Second Parish, two scientists are having a much more scientific talk about the activity.
"By all rights it just doesn't make sense. We weren't due for a cycle of solar activity for another 5 years, at least by all calculations." Sleip shakes his head to wake himself up as he says it. He has the look of someone that's had more caffeine than sleep of late.
Ziridel nods thoughtfully at her coworker. "These readings aren't lies though. And these flares, are no joke. I was on the mag train that had to be towed in when the last surge hit. I'd offer you the chance to look at my sensor data from the latest area hit hard, but any equipment in the area was fried!"
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Post by Pagus Steinberg on Aug 18, 2016 21:48:44 GMT -5
Doctor Pagus Steinberg turns his attention to the informal conversation. With no regard for social graces, he stares at the conversing scientists. "Solar activity. Solar activity?!? I have to get back to my lab and start modifying my defenses against electrical pulses what if it's an attack with technology DISGUISED as a solar flare or what if it really is that bad and things are just getting worse fast?!? I have to go!!!" Pagus drops whatever he was doing and runs off to his labs, presumably to begin frantically researching the problem.
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 1:21:38 GMT -5
Sleip and Ziridel both felt panicked by what was going on, but neither of them felt nearly as concerned after seeing the display from their colleague. While they tried to get back to their rational discourse, another listener to the conversation slipped out of a nearby building and hurried after the fleeing doctor Pagus.
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 19, 2016 1:42:02 GMT -5
"Wait Dr. Pagus I have some theories of my own." Zer voice was just as excited sounding. "I'm Amaranthe from the astrology department." Ze used a hand to move strands of black hair out of zer silver eyes. What if it is not an attack at all but something is wrong with the stars themselves which is causing the problem? No one else will listen to me I thought maybe you would." Amaranthe started flipping through pages of a notebook with hastily scribbled notes all over the pages and diagrams. Zer research was often scoffed at due to it's less scientific bend as well as eccentricities.
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Post by Pagus Steinberg on Aug 19, 2016 9:45:57 GMT -5
Pagus stops in his tracks, his mind working furiously. "Something's wrong with the stars...yes, that could be, because it would throw off all the calculations for our projections of solar activity...because when you put wrong information and wrong assumptions into analysis you get a wrong conclusion, YES!" He turns to Amaranthe. "What a paradigm-shifting proposal! Let me have a look at your work while we head back towards my labs. I'm curious as to how you would prove or disprove such a thesis! Either way, I still need to modify my AEGIS system to better withstand the electrical disruptions that can be caused by increased solar flare activity!" Doctor Steinberg begins looking over Amaranthe's shoulder and assessing her research as they walk.
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 19, 2016 13:19:59 GMT -5
"These are only my quick notes. My more in depth calculations are in the observatory. Perhaps we should go there, so I can show you. I have recently come across some very strange findings." Amaranthe was willing to follow him to his lab first if need be. "Thank you believing my findings could be a possibility, it's nice to not be laughed at for once."
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 21:45:31 GMT -5
((as a note the observatory is in the same general area of the parish, so if they decide to walk there we can keep it in this thread))
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Post by Pagus Steinberg on Aug 19, 2016 23:49:27 GMT -5
Pagus waves his hand. "Fine, fine, observatory it is. And I don't know if it's that I believe you insomuch as I don't NOT believe you! People come to believe too quickly that certain things are possible and IMpossible. They forget that the purpose of science is both to define and continuously REDEFINE the world around us based on new observed data! The scientist that closes their mind to possibilities is a scientist that will never learn anything of true value!" He waves his hand, taking in the world around them. "So I attempt to remain open to everything, at all times, considering all possibilities! Even if your theories contradict with current assumptions about the stars, if they are based on accurate data, they MUST be considered!"
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 20, 2016 0:45:47 GMT -5
Amaranthe led the way to the observatory and once inside, started moving various things around and clearing off some space so Pagus had a place to sit. Ze hurried over to a long table and snatched up a stack of papers bring them over for his perusal.
"Some of the constellations are out of their usual alignment. Particularly Innuruz and Alina's, those two are always close together and they have drifted apart from each other" Ze indicated the data that verified this through sketches and diagrams. "Ever since this happened about a week ago, the solar flares have started. There has to be a correlation between the two events!"
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Post by Pagus Steinberg on Aug 20, 2016 8:05:55 GMT -5
"That does seem like a high likelihood of correlation. Did you re-verify the location of other constellations? It could be that WE have moved relative to them."
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Post by Licht on Aug 20, 2016 13:27:23 GMT -5
Pagus, while not as familiar with astronomical data as other areas of study, watches over the recorded date with an open mind and scientific curiosity. There are a couple of things that seem out of place to him. The star labeled as 'Alina' begins to fluctuate in light pattern somewhat at certain specific times throughout the last week.
While he is watching the star labeled as Inuruz, a strange star with an almost blackish-purple light nearby catches his eye. He feels like he should know what that's about but isn't sure. He watches the readings up to last night, and a strange dot appears on the sped up recordings from the area near Inuruz, growing bigger for a moment before vanishing from the screen.
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Post by Pagus Steinberg on Aug 20, 2016 16:22:20 GMT -5
"Oh Alina, Oh Alina, why do you cry? Has Inuruz hurt you and said goodbye? Or is there an unwanted neighbor nearby? A suitor, perhaps, who catches his eye? Or a cur with a knife, who wants you to die?" Pagus sings to the air. Pagus checks to see if there are any emissions readings from the strange object. "Let us assume for a moment that the belief in beings and personality traits associated with the stars is not a product of fancy, but some little understood series of principles which are better understood by intuition than science. Personally, I have no reason NOT to believe this, so let us assume it so. Intuitively, it is known that these two stars have a strong connection to each other, and that thirdly, Alina has a strong connection to our own sun. Perhaps there is some sort of gravitational force that binds them, or a complex series of forces we can not observe even through astrology. If we follow the mythological connections, intuition understands before science does that any disruption to Inuruz would cause a disruption to Alina, which would in turn increase our own sun's agitation. We may not understand the why, but the fact that it's happening would seem to be incontrovertible! The connections may not be fully understood, but the source of the disruption, it appears, is visible, and it is that we should concentrate on for further progress!"
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 20, 2016 20:26:23 GMT -5
A look of excitement came over zer face when ze heard him singing about the constellations. "I have always believed they are beyond just stars, entities in their own right. Until now I have been the only one who feels this way. Others doubt my sanity."
Ze looked over the calculations again pointing out what ze had noticed. "Do you see here? Alina seems to be fluctuating between bright and dimmer. Innuruz has moved as well." Amaranthe indicated where Innuruz had been originally.
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Post by Licht on Aug 20, 2016 20:35:00 GMT -5
Closer look of the footage of Alina seems to indicate the highest fluctuations are at specific time frames within the past week. Any thoughts to compare it to?
When zooming in on the anomaly with Inuruz, it becomes clear that what happened was a meteorite entering the atmosphere from that exact direction. Probably the same meteor that there have been rumors about being seen last night.
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Post by Pagus Steinberg on Aug 23, 2016 13:11:28 GMT -5
"This seems like a shot in the dark, but can we compare the energy fluctuations from Alina to the periods of increased solar activity and our weekly mag train schedules? The most high profile electrical disruptions have been trains- we should look for a correlation before we attempt to determine causation."
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Post by Licht on Aug 23, 2016 20:05:06 GMT -5
Pagus and Amaranthe are able to pull up data on the train outages through the National Interface for Communication, Observation, Logistics and Entertainment, aka NICOLE. The holographic display throws an odd green lighting over Pagus' features, making him appear even more eccentric as he gleefully realizes he may be on to something. The data does suggest that both of the train outages due to solar flare activity coincide with times when Alina's star was having unusual activity. If he has the desire to try and fully match up the weather data that might not be released to the public with the observatory's recordings on Alina, he might consider trying messaging one of the two fellow scientists he was overhearing that conversation from. They are prominent environmental and meteorological scientists and he would know how to contact either of them.
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Post by Pagus Steinberg on Aug 23, 2016 21:07:03 GMT -5
"Amaranthe, do you see this?!? We have definitely found a correlation! I think it's time that we contacted our original source and looked for independent verification!" Doctor Steinberg rolls his chair over to a viewscreen and taps on it. "NICOLE, you in there? I need you to open a connection to Ziridel for me please! Note the subject as 'the reason why you had an awful train ride'." Pagus chuckles at his own joke, suspecting it will likely secure his attention.
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Post by Licht on Aug 24, 2016 0:37:28 GMT -5
There is a brief buzzing from his Core in response as NICOLE confirms who he is, then links him to the system. An emotionless female voice responds from the program. "Processing request. Beginning navigation. Turn left now. Recalculating." Ah NICOLE, with her infamous glitches...
After a moment there is a ping from the system and a message pops up, text. NICOLE relays it to him "She responds 'You're hilarious, do you have something or what?'"
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Post by Taliyah on Aug 24, 2016 0:54:39 GMT -5
Amaranthe couldn't help but laugh at NICOLE's glitches. "Left would be off the observatory tower. I don't think we'll be doing that!" Ze paced slightly when NICOLE relayed the response. "Yes in fact we do have something." Ze grumbled slightly. "Maybe they'll listen this time."
Ze looked at Pagus. "Let them know what we have discovered and if they ask for proof we will bring what information we have." Amaranthe was pondering. "We may want to search for physical evidence outside of Cathedral as well to back up what we have seen."
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Post by Pagus Steinberg on Aug 24, 2016 14:32:01 GMT -5
"Oh NICOLE, you have too many thoughts in that processor of yours...I think we work you too hard! There really ought to be redundant subsystems to ease the slack on you! I ought to look into that..." Pagus leans back in his rolling chair and turns to Amaranthe without creating a new message. "Of course they're going to ask for proof, if they're any kind of scientist! I think we should whitewash the emissions data so they don't know who it's from while they're independently verifying our information. We'll keep the original with your name on it and show it to them once they're done. I don't want them prejudging this data because they know it's from you- this is too important!"
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