Logs:Bright One

Bright One
Dramatis Personae K.C., Tomas
In Absentia	2020-10-02 *(Tomas --> K.C.): Experimenting a bit take a look.
Location <XAV> Workshop - Xs Grounds
A large barn-like building situated at the far end of the gardens from the mansion proper, this makerspace functions as a classroom for many of the more hands-on classes. An expanse of workshop space, it is subdivided into smaller segments for the different types of activities: Woodshop, Welding shop, Machine shop, Electronics, Bike shop, Screen Printing and Photography, Fabric Arts, and the Rapid Prototyping Lab with a trio of 3D printers. The space comes complete with a large host of tools available for use, although many of the more dangerous require prior clearance from administration to use -- students with appropriate clearance to use them can gain access to locked equipment with their student IDs. From sanders to MIG/TIG welders to soldering stations to industrial sewing machines to its own darkroom, though, this space is well equipped for teaching students how to make. Tomas had found his way to the electronics workshop, his experiments needed more room, and his dorm room would no longer suffice. He stood in front of a worktable, to the side was a cardboard box full of old electronics, and his satchel bag was set next to it. A disassembled laptop laid on the workbench to the side, many of the parts had been removed or burned, hooked into the USB port was a cable that had been frayed, a failed experiment. He decided to try something simpler this time. He set up a basic circuit, a 9 volt battery wired to a few LEDs, his left hand acting as the switch, a bit of exposed copper wire wrapped around it. With his other hand he tapped his pencil on a note book. He took a deep breath and stared at the circuitry as he did so the LEDs began to flicker a bit, he made a note in the notebook, as it did this and nodded. K.C. has been working for some time, now, tucked over by herself off by the woodworking materials with a pair of large green headphones on her ears and her head slowly bobbing. As is her usual habit, her attire today -- baggy jeans, sneakers, a too-large tee shirt with a silhouette of a dog holding its own leash in its mouth and play-bowing (NEW LEASH ON LIFE reads text underneath) leave her looking overall fairly shapeless. Whatever project she's been working on is too small, really, to make out at much distance, but abruptly she abandons it, hopping down off the stool she's been sitting on to wander -- first toward welding, then a frown, then towards electronics. Her brows have knit into a frown, one hand snapping fingers restlessly at her side. She hesitates as she nears Tomas's bench, eyes flitting over his work, over him, toward the assorted tools there as her first two fingers make a small mindless scissoring motion in the air. As K.C. approached Tomas continued to take deep breaths with each breath the LEDs only flickered, he noted this in the notebook and nodded. He snapped his fingers on the hand wrapped around wire as he was thinking this caused the LEDs to become extremely bright, about then Tomas noticed K.C. approach him and gave a slight wave before turning to his notebook and scribbling the result down. For a moment K.C. continues to stand by Tomas's bench, her fingers still scissoring on nothing. Her eyes skim over the area again, her frown deepening. She reaches up, starts to pull her headphones off her head but course-corrects this, instead reaching for her phone. A moment later a text comes through to Tomas's phone: (K.C. --> Tomas): Is there a wire cutter here? And then another, almost immediately after the first: (K.C. --> Tomas): Maybe that's machine shop. I lose track. A notification sound comes from Tomas' phone, sounding like a power up being gained, then another. Tomas removes the wires from his hand and puts up his finger to say 'hold on' then grabs his phone and reads the Texts. In reading the texts he looks at the phone a bit confused, then back at K.C. seeing the gesture she is making and nodding. He digs around on the bench and hands her the wire cutters with a slight grin before typing on his phone Texting back: (Tomas --> K.C.): This is the electronics lab, so you're the right place. K.C.'s fingers stop their scissoring as she reaches for the cutters, bobbing her head. Her next texts come in as rapidfire succession as the first: (K.C. --> Tomas): Thanks. (K.C. --> Tomas): Obviously this is electronics. (K.C. --> Tomas): You're staring at the guts of a laptop. (K.C. --> Tomas): I think half these sections have wires though. (K.C. --> Tomas): And the computer people never put OTHER wire cutters back where they come from. Now she's absently scissoring the cutters themselves, lazily snipping them open-closed on the air down by her thigh. (K.C. --> Tomas): Why is the wire on your hand though? As the Phone notifications become faster, Tomas Giggles a bit, seemingly for no reason, he then reads the text messages and nods responding: (Tomas --> K.C.): Experimenting a bit take a look. He sets the phone down and grabs the disconnected ends of the circuit wrapping the wires around his hand, ensuring that the copper is connected to create a complete circuit, the LEDs light up. He then points with his other hand to the LED chain. He takes a deep breath and stares at the LEDs causing them to flicker, his hand acting as a resistor, altering the flow of power between the battery and the LED chain. He snaps the finger on the hand that is wrapped causing the power flow to increase making the LED increase in brightness. K.C. looks, but only for a second. Her eyes scrunch when the light starts to flicker, and she looks down and away. (K.C. --> Tomas): No At first that's all that comes, but as she backs away from the table with her wire cutter, gaze still fixed on the floor, there are more messages. (K.C. --> Tomas): Why would you want to make lights flash that's terrible. (K.C. --> Tomas): Better when they pick a state and stay there. (K.C. --> Tomas): Not a bright one. (K.C. --> Tomas): Can you do that. Tomas looked over at his phone and read the messages, before shrugging and messaging back: (Tomas --> K.C.): I don't know this is the first time i have tried to do this, i am not sure what I CAN even do, but i will try. Tomas takes a deep breath before looking back at the LED chain, this time he takes his finger and slowly rubs his pointer finger and thumb together, causing the power flow to decrease and the LED to become dimmer. He notes this result in the notebook before turning back to K.C. (K.C. --> Tomas): Not sure what you can do? (K.C. --> Tomas): Oh, you mean your abilities. (K.C. --> Tomas): You must be NEW-new. (K.C. --> Tomas): And very diligent. (K.C. --> Tomas): I don't miss those days. K.C.'s head is slowly returning to bobbing. She glances over Tomas's collection of parts once the light goes dimmer, eyes running down the wire and then back to the bulbs. Slowly snip-snipping the wire cutters, she ambles back towards her table to take her seat once more, setting the phone down on the table beside her and bending her head back over her work. (K.C. --> Tomas): Good luck. Tomas watches as K.C. walks off, removing his hand from the wires. He reads the texts and responds (Tomas --> K.C.): Yea, i am new to school, and powers. (Tomas --> K.C.): I think I can like touch electronics and make them do stuff. (Tomas --> K.C.): I am not sure thou, I am experimenting now, I already broke my laptop, so I'm trying something simpler. Tomas pauses for a few more minutes before sending the next text (Tomas --> K.C.): Can I ask what you are working on? K.C. doesn't look up, at first. Doesn't look up for a while, in fact. Eventually she does set her tools back down and look at her phone; the texts that answer Tomas come quick enough then. (K.C. --> Tomas): Wood. (K.C. --> Tomas): That sounds very handy. (K.C. --> Tomas): Or it will be, once you get a hold of it. (K.C. --> Tomas): The school has laptops you can borrow in the computer lab but I guess that's a bad idea if you're going to break them. (K.C. --> Tomas): Anyway I'm going back to working now. (K.C. --> Tomas): Good luck. (K.C. --> Tomas): Again. Tomas reads the texts and simply nods, deciding to not respond as it seems the other student was busy. He continues to make different gestures as his hand is wrapped in the wire and notes the results. He continues this for awhile, hooking up the LEDs in different orders. Eventually he hooked hooked up a small motor and figured out to control its speed and direction by making a circular gesture with his finger, as he was controlling the motor his phone rang causing him to jump and frying the motor, he simply sighed. "well i guess that's enough for now, its getting close to dinner time"