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xp_logs2007-12-30 12:30 pm
x-plosive.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2007-12-30 12:30 pm
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Backted to 12/29/2007 - Tabitha and Forge - Climate Control
It's Tabitha vs. static electricity and Forge to the rescue.
She stood in the corner of the library, eyes narrowed on the carpet. If she dared approach the computer catalogue, she was quite certain that another jolt of static electricity would destroy it completely. She wasn't sure why, but even taking off her sweater generated a metric ton of the stuff.
She leaned back against the wall, and squeaked as a spark of static shocked her shoulders.
The odd step-click-shuffle of Forge's steps stopped by the open archway into the library as he leaned on the cane Moira had given him. Although his EEGs were showing no lasting effects from the strain of being exposed to both Cortez and Milan's powers only days before, he was still finding some difficulty in reacquiring the synchronization with his prosthetic limbs that formerly had become second nature. However, one thing he certainly wasn't lacking was his insatiable curiosity, and sharp squeaks coming from the library definitely weren't part of the normal routine.
Ducking inside, he cocked his head and looked at Tabitha's awkward squirming. "Problem?" he asked.
Tabitha's hand shot out. "Stop!" She ordered with wide eyes. "There's enough static in here that I think I wiped the hard drive on one of the card catalogue computers. I don't have it in the budget to get TWO replacements. Unless..." she trailed off, eyeing Forge speculatively. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to look at it once I figure out what the hell is causing all this static?"
"Nonsense," Forge insisted, shuffling inside and holding his left hand out towards the shelves. He frowned as a blue spark jumped from the row of books to his fingers, then rubbed his fingertips together. "Climate control's got the humidity set really low, which also explains the dust. And a lot of these old books use thicker non-gloss paper, and being pulled on and off the shelves builds up up up a pretty significant charge." He gritted his teeth at the sudden stutter, then carefully eased into a chair to look at the heavy shelves. "Did you do a reshelving lately? With the humidity this low, it would be like... like... winding a dynamo. But not enough to fry your computer unless you're touching the hard drive."
She calmed down considerably at the reassurance about the computer. "It's right after mid-terms and finals. A lot of people had books out. I was just getting things in order," she said absently. "The humidity should be set to thirty percent. Shan hasn't told me how to adjust it, and catching her is like noodling for catfish."
Forge nodded, then leaned heavily on the table to lever himself up. He shuffled by another row of books, feeling the charge of static electricity even without touching the shelf. Frowning at the uncomfortable feeling, he laid one hand flat against the wall and closed his eyes.
Images seemed to flash before him - refrigerated coils in the air conditioning ducts drawing moisture from the air, relays controlling them relative to air pressure and temperature, drain reservoirs connected through one-way valves to the old boiler tubes connecting to the condensers in the basement, all wired through and connected to --
He opened his eyes, shuffling backwards from the wall. "Whoa," he said after a brief pause. "That's... new. Um, it's part of the air conditioning system. Cycle it by shutting it off for five minutes, then hold down the test/reset button when you reactivate it. The system should reset, and the rehumidified air will decrease the conduction potential of the dry air in accordance with Ohm's Law. Simple problem, simple solution."
"Simple?" Tabitha blinked as she tried to follow along. "New? Test button? Forge, I can talk about web crawlers and the Library of Congress system all day, but you're just over my head here. I go to the thermostat and set the temperature in my suite, but I've never even SEEN the controls for here."
Forge extended his arm, cane clutched in one fist, to point at a simple box on the wall. "You people these days put too much faith in software. Hardware's what runs the world. Sometimes you actually have to walk over to the box and push the right button."
She blushed to the roots of her hair. She couldn't speak as she went to the box and opened it up. The controls definitely weren't your typical home HVAC set-up, but fairly self-explanatory. She turned the system off and snuck a glance at her watch before she turned back around. "What happened to you, by the way? I don't recall you needing that before." She gestured to the cane.
"Eh," Forge replied with a dismissive shrug. "Your standard powers overload with two wannabe mutant revolutionaries trying to find some legendary superweapon. Doctor MacTaggart says... says... says I'll be fine in a few days. Had to kind of do a 'hard reset' on my own brain."
Tabitha half-smiled. "Typical week, eh? You kick their pansy asses?" The stutter worried her, but if Moira said he'd be fine, who was she to argue? "Grapevine says Ms. Amaquelin gets to meet your parents. Are you prepared for imminent mortification?"
"Huh?" Forge's expression went immediately to one of surprised confusion. "I mean, um... yes, my parents, well, she asked my mother for baby photos and since then they haven't stopped asking about her, so I figured that she could meet them. You know, see what normal American families are like, since - well, let's be honest. This place, as wonderful as it is, isn't exactly an accurate representation of what life in our country's like."
She checked her watch again before she turned back to the control box. "You kids have fun. Families scare the ever-loving crap out of me." She pressed the red test/reset button as she turned the HVAC back on. There was a brief delay before she heard the machine kick to life. "Ha! I'm not completely helpless, whaddya know."
"Never would've thought it," Forge replied with a grin and a jaunty salute with his cane as he shuffled for the door. "Have yourself a happy new year, Boomer."
She stood in the corner of the library, eyes narrowed on the carpet. If she dared approach the computer catalogue, she was quite certain that another jolt of static electricity would destroy it completely. She wasn't sure why, but even taking off her sweater generated a metric ton of the stuff.
She leaned back against the wall, and squeaked as a spark of static shocked her shoulders.
The odd step-click-shuffle of Forge's steps stopped by the open archway into the library as he leaned on the cane Moira had given him. Although his EEGs were showing no lasting effects from the strain of being exposed to both Cortez and Milan's powers only days before, he was still finding some difficulty in reacquiring the synchronization with his prosthetic limbs that formerly had become second nature. However, one thing he certainly wasn't lacking was his insatiable curiosity, and sharp squeaks coming from the library definitely weren't part of the normal routine.
Ducking inside, he cocked his head and looked at Tabitha's awkward squirming. "Problem?" he asked.
Tabitha's hand shot out. "Stop!" She ordered with wide eyes. "There's enough static in here that I think I wiped the hard drive on one of the card catalogue computers. I don't have it in the budget to get TWO replacements. Unless..." she trailed off, eyeing Forge speculatively. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to look at it once I figure out what the hell is causing all this static?"
"Nonsense," Forge insisted, shuffling inside and holding his left hand out towards the shelves. He frowned as a blue spark jumped from the row of books to his fingers, then rubbed his fingertips together. "Climate control's got the humidity set really low, which also explains the dust. And a lot of these old books use thicker non-gloss paper, and being pulled on and off the shelves builds up up up a pretty significant charge." He gritted his teeth at the sudden stutter, then carefully eased into a chair to look at the heavy shelves. "Did you do a reshelving lately? With the humidity this low, it would be like... like... winding a dynamo. But not enough to fry your computer unless you're touching the hard drive."
She calmed down considerably at the reassurance about the computer. "It's right after mid-terms and finals. A lot of people had books out. I was just getting things in order," she said absently. "The humidity should be set to thirty percent. Shan hasn't told me how to adjust it, and catching her is like noodling for catfish."
Forge nodded, then leaned heavily on the table to lever himself up. He shuffled by another row of books, feeling the charge of static electricity even without touching the shelf. Frowning at the uncomfortable feeling, he laid one hand flat against the wall and closed his eyes.
Images seemed to flash before him - refrigerated coils in the air conditioning ducts drawing moisture from the air, relays controlling them relative to air pressure and temperature, drain reservoirs connected through one-way valves to the old boiler tubes connecting to the condensers in the basement, all wired through and connected to --
He opened his eyes, shuffling backwards from the wall. "Whoa," he said after a brief pause. "That's... new. Um, it's part of the air conditioning system. Cycle it by shutting it off for five minutes, then hold down the test/reset button when you reactivate it. The system should reset, and the rehumidified air will decrease the conduction potential of the dry air in accordance with Ohm's Law. Simple problem, simple solution."
"Simple?" Tabitha blinked as she tried to follow along. "New? Test button? Forge, I can talk about web crawlers and the Library of Congress system all day, but you're just over my head here. I go to the thermostat and set the temperature in my suite, but I've never even SEEN the controls for here."
Forge extended his arm, cane clutched in one fist, to point at a simple box on the wall. "You people these days put too much faith in software. Hardware's what runs the world. Sometimes you actually have to walk over to the box and push the right button."
She blushed to the roots of her hair. She couldn't speak as she went to the box and opened it up. The controls definitely weren't your typical home HVAC set-up, but fairly self-explanatory. She turned the system off and snuck a glance at her watch before she turned back around. "What happened to you, by the way? I don't recall you needing that before." She gestured to the cane.
"Eh," Forge replied with a dismissive shrug. "Your standard powers overload with two wannabe mutant revolutionaries trying to find some legendary superweapon. Doctor MacTaggart says... says... says I'll be fine in a few days. Had to kind of do a 'hard reset' on my own brain."
Tabitha half-smiled. "Typical week, eh? You kick their pansy asses?" The stutter worried her, but if Moira said he'd be fine, who was she to argue? "Grapevine says Ms. Amaquelin gets to meet your parents. Are you prepared for imminent mortification?"
"Huh?" Forge's expression went immediately to one of surprised confusion. "I mean, um... yes, my parents, well, she asked my mother for baby photos and since then they haven't stopped asking about her, so I figured that she could meet them. You know, see what normal American families are like, since - well, let's be honest. This place, as wonderful as it is, isn't exactly an accurate representation of what life in our country's like."
She checked her watch again before she turned back to the control box. "You kids have fun. Families scare the ever-loving crap out of me." She pressed the red test/reset button as she turned the HVAC back on. There was a brief delay before she heard the machine kick to life. "Ha! I'm not completely helpless, whaddya know."
"Never would've thought it," Forge replied with a grin and a jaunty salute with his cane as he shuffled for the door. "Have yourself a happy new year, Boomer."