Chapter Two: Brown Dwarves and Stellar Winds

Scene One: Driving to Kitt Peak
mgrasso> And then we have to talk about our favorite subject; how we're all going to drive somewhere. :)
Erica> Oh, man. Can't we pretend we did it already? :D
Travis> You can all just hop in the back of my limo.
mgrasso> Hah. Well, first of all, Travis, over the Thursday morning and afternoon, you shoot your fashion rescue with Ingrid's co-worker.
Erica> I'm driving Chet. Ingrid's got Travis. James has a handful of himself as he speeds down I-10... :D
*** Joe is now known as Chet
*** Mandy is now known as James
*** Erica is now known as Gemma
*** Julia is now known as Ingrid
Travis> !dice 6 6
* DiceWell Travis rolls 6d10 at difficulty 6. S/He gets 1 success.
* DiceWell 6 10 4 1 4 2
mgrasso> And Travis, in order to commandeer the limo, give me a Charisma + Subterfuge roll, diff. 7.
mgrasso> (Driving a limo to an observatory. Only in this game.)
Travis> !dice 5 7
* DiceWell Travis rolls 5d10 at difficulty 7. S/He botches the roll.
* DiceWell 1 5 1 4 7
Travis> feh
mgrasso> Ouch.
Travis> I guess I'm taxing...
mgrasso> Well, who's willing to drive to Kitt Peak?
Gemma> SUVs would be better. Mike, I'm commandering Papi's Suburban.
Ingrid> I suppose I could drive my sedan also.
Chet> I'll drive...
Gemma> !5 6
mgrasso> Okay, hold on. Let's see if papi gives Gemma the SUV first.
James> how many of us are ther?
Travis> (I don't know the area. I'd just go up to a taxi, wave a roll of $20s, and say, "Take me to this big observatory thing that juts into the...sky)
Gemma> !dice 5 6
* DiceWell Gemma rolls 5d10 at difficulty 6. S/He fails the roll!
* DiceWell 2 7 5 2 1
mgrasso> Five.
mgrasso> We have five changelings.
James> (I'll brb)
Gemma> !dice 5 7
* DiceWell Gemma rolls 5d10 at difficulty 7. S/He gets 5 successes.
* DiceWell 7 8 7 7 10
Chet> (Now say it like the Count from Sesame Street..."Five! Five Wonderful Changelings! Ha, ha, ha!")
Travis> (Can I say it like a fey Eddie Deazen?)
Gemma> (::lightning::)
mgrasso> Gemma calls all of you and says, "It's no problem. I got a car. I'll pick you all up at Rudy's"
Ingrid> (He's Deezening!)
mgrasso> (Illegal use of the Deezen!)
Chet> Wait a minute...how am I getting to Rudy's?
Gemma> Chet: I'll pick you up.
Ingrid> I could pick up Chet.
Travis> (is there a *legal* use of the Deezen?)
mgrasso> Let's just avoid it all and see what Gemma's driving. :)
* Gemma rolls up in a shiny black Ford Explorer. It's obviously some male's pride and joy judging by the quality of the tires, rims, and loud stereo system currently blasting out a Gregorian chant.
Gemma> The front right tire rim looks freshly dinged.
mgrasso> Chet's in the passenger side.
mgrasso> (*smirk*)
* Chet rolls down the window and lights a cigarette.
Gemma> Chet, Andrew said no smoking.
* Gemma rolls up the window, but doesn't make Chet put out the cigarette
mgrasso> Ingrid, Travis, and James stand in the shade of Senor Rudy's.
Travis> Gemma, I *love* your car! It's so *butch*!
* Chet takes one last drag and puts the cigarette out on the floor mat.
mgrasso> It's about 6 pm, and the sun is slowly setting, casting long shadows with its deep orange light.
Gemma> Eh. It's not mine, actually. I drive something a little smaller. Shall we go?
James> (back)
Gemma> James, do you want to drive? I hate dealing with traffic this time of day.
* Ingrid swings herself into the back seat, behind Gemma.
* James smiles broadly
Chet> So I guess it's *Andrew* that's "butch", then.
Travis> Oh, I've driven many a small thing. I generally prefer to be driven in or by something rather big and black....
* Gemma lets James take the driver's seat and slides into the back
* Chet shakes his head slowly.....
Gemma> Hey, baby. ::pats Ingrid's leg::
* Travis climbs in the back, not-so-coincidentally brushing up against the boys.
James> careful Gem, don't want to make her *nervous*
mgrasso> So, James driving, Chet shotgun, Gemma, Ingrid, and Travis in the back.
Chet> Hey James, maybe I should sit in back. I think Travis wants to work the stick.
* Travis smirks.
James> hey chet- maybe you could sit in the front and travis could keep his stick where it belongs
Gemma> If you sit in the back, Chet, I'll take the front. Then Travis can work the *real* stick in this car. Yours.
mgrasso> (oh, the saucy language)
* Chet clicks his seatbelt, leans over the seat, and whispers loudly to Travis, "Hands off, mister. He's *mine*."
Travis> *Bitch*.
* Gemma drapes her arm across the back of the seat on Ingrid's side
Gemma> So, Ingrid. Dear. How the hell are you?
* Ingrid rolls her eyes and waits for the trip to start.
* Chet tugs the seatbelt to be sure it's fastened, hits the dashboard, and says, "Onward, James."
Ingrid> Fine, thank you, Gemma. And how are you?
James> /me makes the car purr, to get a feel for her, before taking off
James> (ugh)
Gemma> I'm doing quite well, thank you.
mgrasso> James sets out and drives I-10 to I-19, then to Highway 86 West.
Gemma> You look so lovely this evening. Tell me, did you change your hair? It looks like a nice wig.
* Chet opens the glovebox and inspects the contents.
James> put something weird in there... like a gun or a bloody knife
* Ingrid smiles "No, dear, it's the same as ever."
mgrasso> Driving the hour west to Kitt Peak, you notice the elevation slowly rising and rising. As the setting sun slowly dips under the shade of the mesas and mountains that rise steadily from the desert basin, you can see a white cylinder rising from one of the highest mountains about 30 miles distant. You see all this in the dying daylight.
* Chet pulls out a paper from the glovebox and shows it to Gemma. "Think Andrew will mind if I borrow this?"
* Gemma smirks
mgrasso> Ingrid and Travis get a glimpse of the laminated ID card. Intelligence + Area Knowledge, diff. 8.
Chet> Is that a no?
Gemma> No, not at all. I'm sure if I asked him, he'd say he *hardly* ever used it.
mgrasso> Sorry! Wits!
Gemma> Or that it's "only for visiting clients."
mgrasso> Wits + AK, diff. 8
* Chet slips the ID into his shirt pocket.
James> what is it?
Ingrid> !dice 3 8
* DiceWell Ingrid rolls 3d10 at difficulty 8. S/He gets 1 success.
* DiceWell 8 6 7
Travis> !dice 2 8
* DiceWell Travis rolls 2d10 at difficulty 8. S/He gets 1 success.
Chet> Oh, once I get a good look at it, we'll all have one, James.
* DiceWell 8 3
James> marvelous- what is it?
Chet> It's an ID badge.
James> yeah, to where?
Ingrid> I'm sure it will be right up Gemma's alley.
Chet> It'll be a surprise. We'll save it for your birthday, big boy.
Gemma> Not at all, dear. You, on the other hand...
* Gemma purrs at Ingrid
James> so, is it a nunnery or a stripjoint?
Gemma> Health club, James.
Ingrid> Why can't it be both?
mgrasso> (*loud cackle*)
Travis> Hmm. *I've* seen something like this before.
Travis> Of course, places like this don't show anything *I'd* be interested in...but you, James...
* Gemma leans over and smooths the back of James' hair
Travis> I think it's called "TDs."
James> yeah, i like my naked people with breasts.
Gemma> Just keep driving. My ass is falling asleep over here.
mgrasso> (Did people get a chance to see the jpg I posted up there?)
Travis> Oh, honey, let me massage that for you.
Gemma> (can't. I'd crash if I open my browser)
mgrasso> Other weird solid white geometrical solids dwell on the plateau, including one that looks like a huge acute angle.
Ingrid> (yes, very cool!)
Chet> Maybe you could be there to "comfort" him after the club, Travis. Even though he's mine, he *does* have a wandering eye...
* Gemma stretches her neck a bit
Gemma> Wandering hands, too.
James> damn straight

Scene Three: Joanne's Office
mgrasso> After a look at the older two telescopes, you enter the building adjacent to the large telescope dome and walk through a generic set of business/academic hallways. You eventually come to a small office with a nameplate that says "Richard Toskild/Joanne MacAllister."
Travis> If only you were a little more butch, Gemma...
* James *Glares* at Gemma
Gemma> Butch? Sorry, not my thing.
* Gemma doesn't seem to notice James' glare
James> so, what do you do here Joanne?
* Chet inspects the door.
* Travis tsks. "I could fall for you otherwise, too."
* Gemma playfully bats Travis on the shoulder
mgrasso> She unlocks the door and ushers you into an office with two desks, the usual batch of nerdy science grad student decorations and doodads (slinkys, Christmas lights wound around bookshelves) and two computer terminals with big LCD flat-screen displays.
Gemma> You lie with the best of them.
* Gemma wanders over to the nearest male nerdy science grad student and quietly introduces herself
Travis> Honey, I *am* the best of them.
mgrasso> Sorry, Gemma... you're the only ones in here. All fae.
* Chet starts reading the titles of the books.
Travis> (Hot, throbbing, fae action!)
Gemma> Oh! I thought we were still in the room with the nerds
Gemma> (Sorry!)
mgrasso> "I sent Richard out," Joanne says as she grabs a computer chair, "so we could have some privacy."
Gemma> (I just see the word "nerd" and go a'runnin')
* Ingrid perches on the edge of a desk.
* Chet looks back at Joanne and sits down, paying full attention to her.
* Gemma hangs back near the door
Travis> me stays with Gemma.
Travis> (oops)
mgrasso> (Mandy, still there?)
James> yeah
mgrasso> (Just checking)
mgrasso> Joanne asks whoever's closest to the door to shut it.
* Gemma shuts the door
* Gemma leans against it for good measure
Ingrid> Thanks for the tour, Joanne. It was fascinating.
Chet> Yeah. It was pretty cool.
mgrasso> "Thanks, Ingrid! Well. I want to thank Ingrid and all of you for making the drive out here. I hope Ingrid gave you all an idea of what we're facing here with this light ordinance."
mgrasso> (Everyone, Perception + Kenning, diff. 6)
Chet> Telescopes are pretty bad-ass...
Gemma> !dice 6 6
* DiceWell Gemma rolls 6d10 at difficulty 6. S/He gets 2 successes.
* DiceWell 5 2 10 3 8 3
Chet> Actually, she didn't.
Ingrid> !dice 5 6
* DiceWell Ingrid rolls 5d10 at difficulty 6. S/He gets 2 successes.
* DiceWell 7 8 5 4 5
James> !dice 6 6
* DiceWell James rolls 6d10 at difficulty 6. S/He fails the roll!
* DiceWell 5 5 1 1 9 9
Gemma> Not really, Joanne.
Chet> !dice 7 6
* DiceWell Chet rolls 7d10 at difficulty 6. S/He botches the roll.
* DiceWell 4 3 3 3 2 4 1
Travis> !dice 2 6
* DiceWell Travis rolls 2d10 at difficulty 6. S/He fails the roll!
* DiceWell 1 10
Ingrid> No, I just gave them a short summary. Would you mind going over it again?
Travis> (boff me)
mgrasso> "Sure, Ingrid."
mgrasso> "Well, Pima County has one of the strictest light laws in the United States, mainly because of the many telescopes and observatories here at Kitt Peak."
* Chet slumps down in his chair.
mgrasso> "That law is about to expire."
mgrasso> "The law goes before the county council in a week, next Tuesday night in fact. My colleagues from the university will be testifying, along with representatives of local business who want the light restrictions lifted."
mgrasso> "The reason why *I've* called you here is that I suspect a Banal plot to rob this place of the Glamour that's just beginning to accumulate. And even if I'm just paranoid about this, it's still going to ruin all the Glamour that's just now starting to grow around the complex."
Chet> Hmmm...business versus academia. I wonder who local government will side with...
James> business men don't know what they could be destroying- you could never see stars like you can here back in Boston...
mgrasso> "Even with just a few tours and observation parties each night, Dreamers who come here look up into the sky with the wonder of their ancestors."
mgrasso> "That starts to add up, after a while."
Gemma> This is Tucson, Chet. It won't be with the business if they can find some way of connecting the light ordinance to the university football team.
Gemma> Claim that the players get sad when there's too much light and won't play as well. Problem solved.
Ingrid> Have you tried getting the public behind your cause at all? Grass-roots sort of stuff?
mgrasso> Joanne looks at James thoughtfully. "Yeah, exactly. If Tucson becomes just another big city, we're doomed up here."
Chet> Well what can we do? There's only a week left...
James> that would be a furking shame.
mgrasso> Joanne turns to Ingrid. "We've been working on changing people's opinions, but this is all the council's call. I know one thing: if it went to referendum, we'd lose. BIG."
Gemma> Ay, Joanne. You're only safe now because mountain golfind isn't popular yet. But once it is...well...
Gemma> (golfing)
James> why were the light ordinances installed to begin with?
mgrasso> "See, they pose it as a safety issue. Circle K convenience stores want more light so their customers and employees can be 'safer.' But if you ask me, it's just so their signage can be brighter and more likely to be seen."
mgrasso> James: "For us. There's laws on the books now against using too much light per square meter."
mgrasso> "Those laws expire at the end of October."
Gemma> How do laws expire? WHY would laws expire?
James> right- and who funds this place?
Ingrid> Well, if I may be so bold as to ask, what do you think we can do about it?
James> so that people outside of the 1600 can bathe their donkeys on wednesday.
mgrasso> Chet and Ingrid: "Well, we want to mobilize the whole court of Rogelio, all the fae of Tucson, to help us preserve this oasis of Glamour."
Ingrid> Ah, I see! Yes, they would have a vested interest...
mgrasso> "Fact is, I'm the only fae here in the complex. I'm the only one who sees that Glamour here is starting to well up and collect. Hell, I don't want a freehold." She laughs.
mgrasso> "Here, let me show you something," she says, and wheels her chair over to her computer terminal.
* Chet walks around and peers over her shoulder.
mgrasso> She moves her mouse to stop her screen saver. "We work with Hubble downloads here. We're one of the four observatories working with Hubble data as part of the NOAO." You view the huge 23" liquid crystal display flat monitor as Joanne clicks away. Joanne says to you, "Those are the brown dwarves we're working on now." You see a group of small white specks in a cloud of space dust.
* Ingrid walks over to look too.
Chet> Sweet.
mgrasso> "This is what I'm doing my dissertation on. Brown dwarves. Too wimpy to turn into stars, they're like Jupiter times ten. They shed a little light, but don't go nuclear like normal stars do."
Ingrid> It would be a tragedy to lose that...
James> oh wow.
James> is this center government funded?
mgrasso> "It's a burgeoning field in astrophysics. Like, just in the last three years. I want to be able to finish. Sure, I'll have the Hubble data, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING beats firsthand observation."
mgrasso> James: "Yes, we are. Before you ask, yes, we do have government lawyers filing papers for us in the light ordinance fight."
Chet> Well of course.
mgrasso> Everyone, another Perception + Kenning roll, this time diff. 8.
James> !dice 6 8
* DiceWell James rolls 6d10 at difficulty 8. S/He gets 1 success.
* DiceWell 7 4 3 5 10 4
Gemma> !dice 6 8
* DiceWell Gemma rolls 6d10 at difficulty 8. S/He botches the roll.
* DiceWell 6 3 1 5 1 8
Travis> !dice 2 8
* DiceWell Travis rolls 2d10 at difficulty 8. S/He gets 1 success.
* DiceWell 4 8
Ingrid> !dice 5 8
* DiceWell Ingrid rolls 5d10 at difficulty 8. S/He botches the roll.
* DiceWell 7 3 1 5 7
mgrasso> (May I say? You guys are rolling BADLY tonight.)
Gemma> (Hey, It's *your* Dicey...)
Ingrid> (It's *your* dicebot, Mister. :)
mgrasso> Let's see... Chet?
Gemma> (::smacks dicey::)
Chet> !dice 7 8
* DiceWell Chet rolls 7d10 at difficulty 8. S/He gets 1 success.
* DiceWell 6 4 7 8 8 4 1
Travis> (I think Travis should introduce Dicey to a leather bar)
mgrasso> (ahem)
mgrasso> *smirk*
Chet> You know. I never did figure out how you guys were able to differentiate between a small brown dwarf versus a large planet. it seems to me that they'd appear *very* similar.
James> oh wow! joanne- the screen saver- how?
mgrasso> Joanne nods approvingly at Chet. "Yes. Definitely. Even Jupiter is a *huge* magnetic source. And magnetic force is just basically a form of EM radiation, or light. That's why it took so long to discover these things."
Gemma> Screen saver? Huh?
mgrasso> "Huh?" Joanne says, as she turns to the screen.
* Gemma goes over to peer at the computer
* Ingrid turns to look.
Travis> How odd.
Gemma> What?
Travis> Gemma, darling, tell me, is your vision any different?
* Gemma squints at the screen
mgrasso> You all naturally turn to the screen, and see that the stars on the static jpeg image... are moving. The mists of the nebula seem to be parting.
Travis> I seem to be experiencing a most peculiar sensation.
Travis> I haven't been doing any poppers, have I?
Chet> Well I can see why you need to continue your research, then. The discovery of a large number of brown dwarves would have huge repercussions. The discovery of the so-called "missing mass" in the universe, just for starters.
Ingrid> If you have, we all have, trav.
mgrasso> Now, you can see that Joanne's office is starting to look a little misty around the edges. In the corners.
Chet> You've got my full support and help, just so long as you'll promise me one thing, I'll do everything I can.
James> chet. shut up.
* Chet glares at James. "What's your problem?"
mgrasso> The walls are starting to fade. You all can see stars behind the mist. "Oh my God..." Joanne says, as you all feel the floor beneath you give way.
Ingrid> What the...?
Travis> (My god, it's full of stars!)