Email to: eXcalibur

[xp_forge]

From: Forge
To: eXcsl
Subject: Portal containment

Howdy folks. If my paranoid brain is gonna keep me up I'm gonna share the love.

Right now, if something big and nasty comes through the portal, what if anything can we do about it? We've got sensors galore so at least we'll have good data as the beastie eats all of our faces.

So - brainstorming time. What do you think we should do the next time something pops out of the portal and it's not as benevolent as April?

I've got ideas but someone with very pointy elbows is reminding me that obtaining feedback and brainstorming before I go ahead and implement what I want might be a good idea.

Said pointy-elbowed person is also reminding me that just setting up a killzone is also probably Not On.

I think someone on Team Magic may have set up a mystical ward. Illyana, can I ask you to take a look and judge if the ward's any good? You're the dimensional traveler, after all.

Comments

[xp_forge]

From: Forge
To: eXcal
Subject: Containment

Since I started this brainstorm, here's my thoughts: We isolate the portal chamber. Airlock, independent environmental and power. Airlock entry, strictly controlled. Anything we do put in is gonna have to be reinforced all to the hells and back, we don't want someone super-strong to come on in and breach if they feel like it. Nor do we want someone just teleporting out. No idea how we'd stop someone from just popping off, but lemme give myself a few migraines working on it.

Sensors and all that stay and are good. We still need monitoring data.

Queen of the Pointy Elbows is still telling me setting up a killbox is Not On, but I'm not sure she's right.

[xp_hawkeye]

To: [Replay All: eXcalibur]
From: [Clint]
Subject: Re: Portal containment

I think the killbox isn't a bad idea, but I also suggested a partially sci-fi option that might make it superfluous.

[xp_hawkeye]

To: [Replay All: eXcalibur]
From: [Clint]
Subject: Re: Portal containment


I'm glad your brain's paranoid. Mine is, too, so I've been mulling over potential solutions, myself. I've come up with two or three possibilities, but translating them from brain to reality might be an issue purely based on availability of materials.

I think we need something like a three part containment system.

1. Room containment - meaning literally locking down the room. The problem right now is that our equipment and everything we need are inside the room with the portal. Renovating things in the subbasement will take a while, but would probably be worth it in the long run, as we can plan out for the next two parts. This would be easily triggered, eventually, by what I hope is a large button. Note: this would also require some kind of reinforcement of the room itself. We do have access to the lake down here, thanks to our spill/kill containment in the labs, and we wouldn't want anything getting out into the world if it managed to exit the room and then claw it's way through the walls and the dirt, etc. REMIND ME: talk to Amanda and Topaz about setting up containment wards so being with ill-intent can't leave the Chapel.

2. Bubble containment - something that's always up in case the portal activates unexpectedly but we're not sure it's hostile. Large enough so people can stand and breathe unhindered, etc, but still contained within the initial room itself. Forge, I dunno what you know about force fields and how to make them, but the best I've got is something magnetic maybe, so help me science that out. It's obvious that sound can be used to harden air to a degree, but I'm not sure how that translates from a mutant ability (to fly, to put up various fields, etc) into something actually useable in this kind of setting. Controlling it might be an issue? Same for any shield-related powers/abilities.

3. Shield containment - (Matt's gonna love this) putting up something directly in front of the portal itself like they did on Stargate, but making it... actual science. I think vibranium would be the most likely metal to work, but obviously there's a supply issue there. Adamantium in theory, but again, availability seems like it'd be an issue. We could attempt to make an alloy using both metals, which would stretch them farther, but it's still a supply issue and we don't actually know that they'd alloy well or even what quantities to attempt it with. I'm 100% open to any and all ideas on this front. I don't claim to be a metals expert, but those are the two that came immediately to mind, given their respective properties. Anyway, this would be an option once we know that the people/things coming through the portal are actually hostile. Something to close the portal with to prevent further incursion while we deal with whatever came through.

Beyond those things, I've got some other ideas that might work or might not, but they're not fleshed out enough for me to want to share them yet. I'm still working with Megan to incorporate various things into our suits when we go out. Liquid Kevlar's all well and good, but sometimes getting it into the right molds and fabrics is a pain.

[xp_forge]

Then why don't we get together, you and me and Molly, and start roughing out what we want to do with the space. Portal itself isn't gonna be movable but we presumably have more flexibility around it, modulo the lakebed. Kill/spill is all well and good but when we want it to happen, not just because we wanted to change up the space.

Once we have that, the rest of the planning can be informed based on what we come up with.

[xp_hawkeye]

To: [Replay All: eXcalibur]
From: [Clint]
Subject: Re: Portal containment

I'm down for whenever. Love a good brainstorming sesh. And we Molly might know something about energy-to-energy-shield conversion, she hung out with Sif for... a while? I'm not actually sure how long. She's our Asgardian tech expert.

Maybe we should start out with a list of the things we really need/want. Then see what we can actually do with that. Like Love It or List It.

It's been a few years since we had a major renovation in the Chapel. I think our budget for that's built up again, but I'll have to check the numbers again. What we really need is an actual structural engineer.

[xp_daredevil]

: [Replay All: eXcalibur]
From: [Matt]
Subject: Re: Portal containment

For obvious reasons, I support anything I can touch or otherwise sense is accurately working. I don't want some computer to say everything is fine when it's not, but the sensor that says it's not is broken. Technology is wonderful when it works and we need redundancies that are as dumbed down as possible for when they tech doesn't for any number of reasons.

I'm not against a kill box, though I probably should be.

Unfortunately, I am very much not a science type to have an idea of what is possible or not. Though, I'm sure anything is possible and it's more of a probable issue.

[xp_forge]

From: Forge
To: Matt

You might not be a scientist or an engineering type, and I think we all know and respect that. But what you are, why we want and need your feedback, is you're mostly a deeply moral man. I'm a soldier, Clint's ex-SHIELD. We got no real problems with putting the deserving in the ground.

I suspect you do.

So we need you to look at what we do, our plans and aspirations, and judge them. It's easy to put interlopers in the ground. It's a lot harder to contain, to question.

So, if you're amenable, please stay on top of these conversations as best you can.

[xp_daredevil]

: [Replay All: eXcalibur]
From: [Matt]
Subject: Re: Portal containment

Thank you. I am. I'm also walking hypocrisy and I'm aware of that as well. But life has never been black and white.

I don't like the idea of a kill box, but it likely necessary. We don't know what may come through or their intentions are and at the end of the day, we need to not only protect ourselves, but the school and the wider community and world. That's why the X-Men exist.

I'm half to provide counterpoint and different perspectives.

[xp_hawkeye]

To: [Replay All: eXcalibur]
From: [Clint]
Subject: Re: Portal containment

Yeah, yeah. You're handy in a fight, too, bro.

[xp_daredevil]

To: [Reply All: eXcalibur]
From: [Matt]
Subject: Re: Portal containment

and I'm pretty

[xp_magik]

To: [eXcal]
From: [Illyana]

Different kind of travel - Limbo does not make nose itch - but wards on Chapel are strong and secure. Do not keep me out but am always aware of them, would probably be contained if had actual intent to cause serious harm. Would like to be surprised you cannot feel them but magic is sick, probably part of what gives headache.

Killzone probably worth as last resort but am willing to just drop ill-intent visitor into Limbo first unless very dangerous.

[xp_hawkeye]

To: [Replay All: eXcalibur]
From: [Clint]
Subject: Re: Portal containment

Can you get them back out of Limbo if we need them? What're the chances of them still being alive?

[xp_magik]

To: [eXcal]
From: [Illyana]

Depends on how long they are kept there and how much they wander. Time in Limbo is more fluid than up here. If dealt with swiftly, probably yes to both. If drop and forget, more likely no. Or will... adapt.

[xp_hawkeye]

To: [Replay All: eXcalibur]
From: [Clint]
Subject: Re: Portal containment

I'm guessing 'adapting' might make them worse than they were before they got dropped into Limbo?

We should talk about contingencies if that actually becomes necessary.

Sweet, merciful Christ - eXcal's safety stuff is gonna wind up becoming a compendium.

[xp_magik]

To: [eXcal]
From: [Illyana]

Likely. Long time in Limbo can twist person. Would have to be left there for quite long time or willingly give in to Limbo influence.

What do science lab pictures say... oh yes. Wear correct gear, do not lick, keep hand and feet inside at all times?