A Very Important Safety Lesson

[claudiometer]

Hokay, so. Now is the time for a network announcement that has nothing to do with ‘holy shit possibly Harrogate,’ other than I can share the load of beefing up mental firewalls. Otherwise network-fu isn’t so much my thing. Instead, I have a couple follow-ups to Riddick’s ‘hey we can turn Liminal Space into usable electricity’ discovery.

Thing One, during the last jaunt I figured out how to properly wire my rooms, so you can bring your own plugs. The downside is I think it has a measurable limit in terms of energy output, so I didn’t rewire the server room for Liminal Intranet. That’s still on… hell, I don’t know, cognitive power? I expect it to work so it works?

Thing Two, and slightly scarier: It’s possible to draw some serious shock power out of Liminal Space, if you play your cards right. The really bad news here is that shock power is measurable in milli-amps. Very Important Safety Lesson, guys – amps can absolutely seriously hurt or kill people. I’m reasonably sure anything fatal would take a deliberate effort, but it would be very easy to contact-paralyze someone by accident.

I’m not here to tell people not to chase it in the first place or whatever. Just… be careful. It’s one thing to have another weapon in your arsenal and another thing entirely to risk accidentally Flooring someone.

Comments

[thornsofmalkav]

Oh my fucking god I need to learn how to wire a room. Like yesterday.

[claudiometer]

It might be easier to explain if you already know something about electrical wiring. Considering I could mod Teslas in my sleep at this point I didn't find it that hard, but... that pretty much helps me and Helena, and that's it.

[thornsofmalkav]

... uh, only the most basic basic stuff about it. Like the stuff you need to know for computers and hoverboards and small robots.

[claudiometer]

That's probably enough to get you started. A room is just a really, really big circuit when you look at it right.

[biiowiired]

Sweet, sweet civilization.

If you had a really big, really strong battery, I could probably charge it. But a) it would have to be more advanced tech than I've seen around here, and b) most likely it would explode and get acid all over us. My stuff's pretty volatile. Working on that.

So let's be realistic and say I can just help craft some power cables, converters, and plugs for the schlubs out there who don't have them. You're... not the only tech person here... right?

[[ Please let there be more than just one computer person or he is going to apply his palms directly to his face. ]]

[thornsofmalkav]

Claudia's better than me, but I can do some programming and I'm passably familiar with hardware. Jules is probably up there with Claudia.

[biiowiired]

Oh thank God. I really thought I'd landed myself in a techless wasteland and would be forced to become some kind of computer messiah. It's a thankless job, messiahing.

[thornsofmalkav]

Naw, there's a couple of us computer people around. And some of us who at least have used computers in their pre-Traveler life.

... I mean, on the other hand, there are way too many people here who think computers are full of tiny people, but at least most of those people come from pre-computer times.

[claudiometer]

...Yeah, let's... maybe skip anything involving explosive batteries.

Me and Jules are the main 'making computers do stuff' crew, but we're not the only tech-savvy people by any means. With most of the pre-computer-era folks, it's a pretty even split, I think, between people who don't know and don't care, people who found out via infiltrating, and people whose first exposure to computers at all was the Grid. That last group is gonna be the 'computers are full of tiny people' crowd Thorne mentioned.

[biiowiired]

Did they get duped by some sort of simulation?

[tookashirototheknee]

... there are people who don't know that?

What the hell did they teach in school in the early 21st century?

Oh, right. Dark Ages.

[claudiometer]

Hey, for those of us who haven't been friends with volts since we were eight, it's easily forgettable.

[awitchdidit]

Some of us were born in the actual Middle Ages, thank you.

And some of us didn't live a thousand years after that and then have an eventful afterlife as the subject of what I'm told is called an internet fandom.

[youandyoualone]

Indeed. In my time as well, the only 'electricity' we have is lightning.

[awondrousplace]

I believe I am aware of the workings of energy in Liminal Space now. Would you mind teaching me about the wiring? I would like to perhaps create a space for people to charge things.

[claudiometer]

Absolutely. You know where to find me.

[triggerhappytraitor]

So a more universal outlet, rather than a built in one?

[claudiometer]

The outlet's still built into the wall, but people can bring their own chargers now, instead of the creator having to think appropriate plugs into the wall. I'm not too solid on non-American plug types, but this is my field - gimme an example or details and I can work one in, no problem.

[triggerhappytraitor]

I already have a charging station set up for the few things I have from home, and have been able to work up some adaptors when needed. I'm a bit more curious as to the differences between the two more than anything else.

[itsananimalthing]

Also, we can charge shit on the Jaunt using liminal energy, with this. Takes some more control, and being able to summon things, but could be pretty useful.

I'm workin' on how to zap people next.

[There may be the sense of a grim sort of grin to go along with that last part.]

[claudiometer]

[Of course he is. But if there's anyone Claudia trusts to know the right time for 'deliberate choice to really really hurt someone,' it's Riddick.]

Man, sign me up. Once I figure out summoning stuff, pretty sure I don't have that one down yet.

[itsananimalthing]

[You sure that's a smart thing to trust, Claudia? He's a known murderer, after all.]

Summoning object ain't hard, really. Think it's pretty far down the ladder, bet you could pick it up without any trouble. I had to fry a couple electronics before I got it down, though. Just to warn ya.

[naturaltwohands]

That is... good to know.

I take it that I should ask for help before adding electricity to my "room"?

[claudiometer]

Wiring the room was a completely separate process. As long as you have a good mental image to use for that, you should be perfectly safe doing it yourself.

[naturaltwohands]

I have read up some on electricity, but I am afraid I do not know much about how to wire a house. I have a book called "Reader's Digest Repair Manual, The Complete Guide To Home Maintenance"", but I have not gone through it too much.

[Thrift stores. Who let Drizzt into a thrift store.]