Back to Alvsgaard (2 of 2)

["Amit J. Sabnis" <ajsabnis@stanford.edu>]

Back on St. Herbert's...this log ends where Part I picks up again, with the
return of Pers, Ariane, and Klaude.

======================
Brand appears not to have heard for a moment, then shakes his head lightly.
"No, let us continue. I'm sure..." He pauses, looking out over the ocean,
before continuing, "I'm sure everything will be taken care of. Unless you
would rather postpone the demonstration, milady?"

Magnus looks between the others present, still keeping silent. He appears to
take mental notes of what he can, though.

Sveena shakes her head gently, "Sadly either way would be an insult to the
memory of the late Viacount, but I do not wish to add another insult of not
allowing the demonstration, so if you would..", she nods towards the machine
and then glances towards Elgaa and arches an eyebrow but smiles at the
women's grin, but doesn't comment.

Dirk points to the all-in-one harvester. "It's quite simply, but subtlely
constructed, requiring 35 years of Mariner technician labor and head-strain.
This is a later model, fashioned from a titanium alloy and comprised of 6
basic parts:" He point to a red button. "This is the on/off switch." He
moves his hand to a blade-scythe at the bottom of the contraption. "This is
the harvesting sickle." He points to the jets in the back, "These are the
locomotion jets for underwater movement." He lifts a waterproof panel on a
side, to reveal a mass of wires. "Here we can find the seed stores if you'd
be so kind as to look down in there, the radio, and most importantly. The
brain."

Elgaa chuckles softly, the sound not unlike the waving of Dinkelferns in the
stiff winter breeze. "I'm afraid it won't be much of a demonstration,
unfortunately, since this particular machine doesn't work right now. But it
should give you a feel for the scale of the thing."

Brand raises an eyebrow at that last. "Not so much a 'brain' as a
rudimentary control system with almost no decision-making capacity."

Dirk says, "The 'brain' is just another more sophisticated radio
transmitter." He laughs." Yes, scale is quite important for a demonstration.

Magnus watches carefully, taking down some notes in his notebook at a few
points. Better mention this to his superiors in the Polymercantile sometime.
Seems like an interresting thing.

Dirk says, "Too bad the component minerals needed to build such a machine
are indiginous only to Alvsgaard, making it impossible for manufacture on
other worlds."

Elgaa mumbles softly about this thing having as much of a brain as her
husband, who, if he were a machine, would hardly inspire another Jihad.

Sveena nods gently as Dirk goes over things, she moves so she can peers down
where he points and takes a moment to get a better look at the machine up
close, she then steps back as if taking it the whole thing before moving
back to hear Dirk, she arches an eyebrow, and almost smiles, her family is a
deep core mining family, that she will speak to him later about, "As you say
simple, but impressive, all the parts make it a great advance for your
house..", she comments gently.

Elgaa waves her hands lightly. "You seem to have this under control, young
man," she says to Dirk, who is indeed quite young compared to her, "And I've
a roomful of repairmen that need to be ordered around!" By the looks or her
and her tone, they do in fact listen to her. She nods and half-curtseys as
appropriate and turns to leave.

Dirk bows with a quickness of breath. Was that... a blush on the giant's
face? No. Maybe... "Why, m'Lady. You honor me with your compliment." And
from the bottom of his heart, "No one's ever told me that before."

Elgaa eyes Dirk with a critical and appraising eye, much like a farmer
sizing up a bull. "My husband goes to sleep at sundown. Show up half an hour
later, young fellow, and do not be late." She smirks lightly and turns away
fully now, clearly expecting him to obey, as all her other charges seem to.

Dirk pauses and continues, "If you wish, m'Lady..." He says in a low
heart-felt tone, "I can show you around some of the more /complicated/
machinery." He speaks to Elgaa. but only as a dismissing comment - he
quickly returns to the business at hand.

And with that, the wrinkled, ugly, short crone turns on her wizened heels
and departs back up the beach, leaving the afroed, chicked-legged giant
behind her. Clearly, St. Herbert himself could not have found a likelier
match.

Dirk holds his breath. "Well, I'm glad we see eye to eye." (OOC: All Ladies,
Miss. ;P) He grins. And turns back to the group.

Magnus shrugs as he looks between the various peoples. "Crazy people..." he
mutters to himself.

Sveena arches an eyebrow at the exchange, and takes the time to look over
the machine abit more as Dirk flirts with the old women.

Brand nearly laughs at the exchange between Dirk and the old crone, and
pretends to be interested in the machine to hide it.

Dirk says, "Do you understand it's elementary workings, m'Lady? Or do you
have any further questions?"

Magnus notices Brands expression, and for some reason that almost makes him
laugh too. Well, something got to pull him out of his dark thoughts...

Sveena nods towards Dirk as she can't help but smiles a little, "I do think
I understand the basics yes, as for questions, I am sure they can be
answered when I see the marchine at work, but after the news earlier, I can
understand if you wish to postpond that for later..."

<<Somewhere in here (I seem to have lost that section of the log), a working
machine is brought out.  Brand places it in the water.>>


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