Magnetic Particle Inspection (IC)

[Supercape]

"Would you like me to put on some Jazz music?" the strange robot asked, picking up the snippet of conversation as it entered. In its arms were two gift baskets filled with food. "I believe Friend-de Havilland has placed a collection of Jazz recordings on The Lab's shared entertainment drive."

"Errr....that would be splendid!" replied Supercape, who was honestly more shocked at the robots behaviour than Ferros' ability to manipulate the metal pen so accurately.

"I'm rather fond of Ragtime, myself" he continued, still rather lost for words. "Ummm, if our guest is agreeable, of course" he nodded towards Ferros.

"And on that note, introductions... Ferros, Protectron... Protectron, Ferros" he said, waving his hands to and fro to indicate the respective heroes.

"Ferros is here for a bit of a Super-check up" he explained to Protectron. "Although I daresay it will transpire he is less mysterious than you, my golden chum!"

[quotemyname]

"Well, hey! There he is." Ferros exclaimed at Protectron's arrival. "Bering gifts too? That's one exceptional robot, you know? Thanks," he added as he accepted the basket. He pulled an apple from inside, and brought it up to his mask. The mask melted away into the upper section, exposing his mouth. He sunk his teeth into it, and the mask reformed back over his mouth. The metal on the mask was still as he chewed. He'd thought about something more comical, but didn't want to scare Protectron.

When he was finally finished chewing, he said, "Oh, hey, I made something for you." With a gesture, the metal plate with his name on it floated over to the robot. "Name's Ferros, by the way, you know?" He set the basket of fruit down, and offered his hand to shake.

To Supercape he added, "I'm okay with Jazz. But, hey, if you could throw in some more smooth jazz I'd appreciate it. Ragtime can get a little choppy for the type of smooth movements I'd need for performing any of my Katas. It's tough to establish a healthy biorhythm when you've got outside factors working against you, you know?"

[Supercape]

"Now then" said Supercape, excited enough to ignore the question of music for the time being. He would have preferred some Philip Glass "Einstein on the Beach" if he was honest about it.

"On the subject of electromagnetic distrurbances, yes, as you probably now, the fields of magnetism and electricity can interact. Well, practically everything interacts in someway. But I digress. Lets look at electrical fields..."

He scurried around Ferros, setting up a coil of copper connected to a power generator and complicated sensors.

"Don't move the wire!" he said with a smile "that's just to see what happens!" he added.

With a grin, he took another cube of iron and placed it a Ferros feet. "Err...." he mumbled. "Do something with that... I'll just monitor over here...."

[quotemyname]

Ferros nodded at the command. Silently, he held his hand out above the cube of metal. There was a good amount of matter there for him to work with. He decided to get creative.

Ferros pulled his hand upward, and a point at the center of the cube started extending upward. It quickly became apparent that the cube was growing. Halfway up the slender stem of metal, small shoots started branching off. Eventually, the metal stem was about waist high with a base melted to the floor to make it sturdy. Then the top of it blossomed. It turned into a large flower, vaguely reminiscent of a hibiscus, though it just wasn't the same without the vibrant colors to give it life.

"Hmm, I wonder... Let me try something," Ferros mumbled, he raised his other hand and began making circles around the top of the metallic flower repeatedly. Slowly, gradually, the metal began changing colors. "It seems," he began, as the flower grew redder and redder, "That inducing a rapid oxidation was easier than I thought it would be. I'll have to remember that. Oxidized metals are more brittle, you know? Could be useful in a fight."

Finally, he glanced at the coils near him, and looked up at Supercape, "Anything yet?"

[Supercape]

"Why yes!" said Supercape excitedly.

"Some fluctuations... nothing spectacular... you aren't going to be blowing any television sets, or creating radio static or anything, but on the other hand, there are some subtle distortions in the quantum spectrum. Quite complex, from the look of it. Its not your regular electromagnetic field that's for sure, quite the head scratcher. Some kind of quantum entanglement between you and the metal, a kind of instantaneous wave-collapse function I would guess... first guess that is. I'll need to plug the numbers through the computer and plow through some maths to be sure. I'm good, but not that good..."

He chuckled at that.

"But anyway, the upshot is, you are safe, and its not classic electromagnetic fields. That should do for know, eh? To be honest, it is not a million light years from some of the effects that I perform - observer related psionic manipulation or some such nonsense. Call it what you will. On the other hand, its still pretty different from what I do. Because I don't understand it and I don't do it..."

[quotemyname]

"So, hey, what's all that really mean, then?" Ferros asked, as he bent forward and stroked the flower, "Heh, forgive the terrible pun, but the name "Steel Magnolias" just ran through my head." His mask took on an apologetic face, like just making the joke hurt even him and he was sorry for whatever it would do to Supercape's head, or Protectron's processors for that matter.

Just keep acting like you don't really know science for now. Though maybe you can let a little bit go. It can't hurt, right?

Ferros straightened up, and his mask became the more serious blank slate it usually was. "Hey, could it have something to do with the metal in my blood? Well, like we've all got iron in our blood. Maybe there's something else in mine, you know? Maybe some weird chemical reaction that's causing me to connect with the metals outside my body?"

Doctor, I've got this friend, and he has a problem, but he doesn't want to ask a doctor about it. You're an idiot sometimes, Jin.

[Supercape]

"Its certainly possible!" replied Supercape nodding his head. He realised he was chewing a pencil as he studied the readouts, and threw it away.

Haven't done that in years... he thought to himself and mentally slapped himself.

"....actually, good idea. Good fit. Would certainly explain the micro-fluctuations" he said, mainly to himself but well within Ferros' earshot. "We shall make a scientist of you yet!" he smiled full of encouragement at the young man.

He went back to his guest and started unplugging him. "The heam in your body perhaps? its not strictly iron, at least not the metal iron. Its the atom iron in a the haem molecule. But in your case it may be different of course. Perhaps we need a little trip to infirmary. I'm not a doctor, but I know a fair amount of biochemistry. Enough to get through the basic, in any case. Enough to put two and two together, at the least..."

[quotemyname]

"So, hey, guess I wasn't wrong then, huh?" Ferros asked as he let Supercape detach him from the multitude of devices around. "So what would these tests involve? Probably blood samples and all, right? It's a little dangerous to be giving out my DNA when I'm supposed to be wearing this mask for a reason, you know? Besides, you can't even do family histories or anything without knowing who I am. That's a whole area of data lost to you right there."

Ferros folded his arms, "I may or may not be a scientist, you know? But I still know something about what's involved in these tests. I'm not sure I'm really ready to take this survey to the next level yet. Can you confirm with those results there whether or not using my powers is dangerous to myself or those around me? That's my biggest concern right now, you know? If it's not dangerous, I think the rest of the tests can wait."

[Supercape]

"Of course, of course, sir!" said Supercape, putting down a syringe. "Pardon me for getting, er, a little over-excited..."

He went back to look at the data streams still reeling off the computer.

"As far as I can see there would not normally be any danger to your average human. Of course, alien life forms with bizzare metal-based biochemistry is another matter, but lets stick to whats probable eh?"

whatever that means in Freedom CIty...

"So I think you are not a biohazard at least. Electronics and Machines, maybe a very low level risk, for very sensitive equipment. But again, I cant see any untoward effect for day to day life. You may want to take a few precautions if you are taking a trip on a Space Shuttle or something like that, just with the engineers, but I emphasise even that is just playing cautious. Quantum tunnelling effects might allow for the possibility of some disruption in some very sensitive equipment. The possibility being low..."

He tapped his chin. "Thats if you use your powers in a conventional way, of course. Rapid magnetic reconfiguration could cause rather more dangerous electro-magnetic disruption, I guess...."

[quotemyname]

"Hey, well, I guess that's a no then, huh?" Ferros cut off Supercape's incredible verbose dissertation. "I'll just, you know, take it easy around the complex equipment, yea?"

The mask he wore actually adopted somewhat a forlorn expression, "Unless Protectron here has anything to add, I guess that means we're done, you know?" He looked expectantly at Protectron.

Without taking his eyes off the robot (such that either of the other heroes could tell), he added, "Hey, maybe we can do a little more if there's ever a next time, ya know? Those kinds of tests really aren't my idea of 'first date material', ya know?"

[Supercape]

"Hey, maybe we can do a little more if there's ever a next time, ya know? Those kinds of tests really aren't my idea of 'first date material', ya know?"

"The Lab is at your service!" replied Supercape, with a bow.

"I'll run this data through some more analysis over night, if you are agreeable, just to fine tune my initial observations, of course. But I'm fairly confident that your powers are quite safe. Quite beautiful if I may so. You could make quite a career as a sculptor"

He nodded towards his new paperweight. "And thanks for the gift!"

[quotemyname]

"Hey, ya know? No problem!" Ferros looked down at the floral design at his feet. He plucked it from it's base like it was a real flower, and held it delicately. "This one I'm gonna hang on to. Artist or no, this thing's pretty cool."

After tucking the flower away in his duffel bag and readying himself to leave, he turned to Supercape, "Hey, thanks for your help, ya know. It's a big relief to know I'm not dangerous. Now I can really cut these powers loose without worrying about contaminating someone!"

"See ya, Protectron!" He waved to the robot as he left the room.

[Dr Archeville]

The strange golden robot had spent the entire time looking back and forth between the young man and the gift he had given it.

Searching language files...

保护钢铁

Bǎohù gāngtiě

Protect Iron

Observation: This is the first gift anyone has presented to me, aside from the basic shelter my Lab-Friends offer.

Tentative Classification for Ferros: Friend.

Hypothesis: This a type of business card, meant to convey his protective/heroic nature as well as the manner in which he does so, with iron and other ferrous metallic implements.

Analysis: This seems very cumbersome for a business card. However, materials could be used during heroic work.

Hypothesis: Distribution to citizens throughout the city, to insure there is always some metal around which he knows he can affect with his powers?

Observation: radio signal strength and clarity unaffected by use of his powers. But if he is a magnetokietic, his powers should have a minor side-effect on my delicate communications systems.

Hypothesis: He is not a magnetokinetic.

Telekinetic who believes he is a magnetokinetic, and is limiting himself -- consciously or subconsciously -- to affecting only metals?

Action: See if he would be willing to submit to brain scan by other Lab-Friends, to check for psionic activity.

Friends-Dragonfly and Americana seem most knowledgeable in these fields.

By the time it snapped out of its thoughts, Ferros was on his way out. "Thank you for this gift, Friend-Ferros, it said in its flat, toneless, electronic voice. "I hope you have a pleasant day." The strange robot even waved back at him.

[Dr Archeville]

Later that Evening...

Doktor Archeville and Supercape had made a habit of meeting with each other, about once a month, to share and to brag and boast and commiserate on all they had done, both as scientists and as science-heroes (and as non-Americans). More often than not the talks were pleasant, held over a game of chess and tea and coffee (or, occasionally, snifters of brandy), and more often than not were on the roof of some building. That was one of the great things about Freedom City: so many fliers meant that there were a lot of nice spots for them to meet, prepared and maintained in part by some civic-minded citizens, and in part by the mysterious Doctor Metropolis and other heroes who liked to have a nice spot to perch.

He must have learned how to see the future with his quantum powers -- seeing all the probabilities before him and seeing which is most likely to happen in sequence -- because I cannot believe he is beating me so handily! Then again, I do have a lot on my mind: new training regiments for the Interceptors incorporating the introduction of new members and absence of old, new directions for and pressures from my company as the fiscal years comes to a close, increasing activity with the Freedom League, not to mention my relationship with Mona!

"So," he said at last, after quietly studying the board for some time, "find anything interesting this month?"

[Supercape]

"Ah yes indeed" said Supercape, pouring himself a cup of Earl Grey and offering the good doctor one.

Normally the Doctor trounced him at chess. Supercape was no grandmaster, but he wasn't far off. He played at Cambridge, and quite well too. He guessed the man was a little preoccupied today. He normally had about ten different things on his brain at any time, he guessed.

"Chap called Ferros popped in to see me. Nice chap. Fashioned me a paper weight out of a lump of metal, very good quality, he could be a sculptor..."

Should have brought it... never mind...

"Anyway, wired him up to see any kind of micro fluctuations in electromagnetic spectrum. Not a dicky bird. Some minor oddities in his body, probably from haemoglobin throwing a wobbly. But he is not magnetic. As far as I could sense, he emits nothing of the sort. Best guess, he just telekenetically manipulates metal. Why metal, I have no idea..."

[Dr Archeville]

"Not magnetokinetic?," Archeville repeated, actually looking up from the board to focus on Supercape. "How intriguing." He leaned back slightly, "yes, telekientic sounds most likely. You said there were some 'oddities' in his body? Could be some mutagenic contaminant, unlocked some psionic potential. But why metal?" He stroked his chin in thought, "psychological reasons, probably. Perhaps something in his past. I think I should like to meet this young man."

Potential addition to the Interceptors? The team could use a long-range manipulator, and if foes think his powers are magnetic, and employ anti-magnetic countermeasures, they may be surprised to see they do not work!

I wonder what his family life is like? The team's members do have certain... leanings.

He sat up and took a sip from the tea Supercape had provided, "I really must introduce you to some East Frisian teas, 'Cape. There are other teas besides Earl Grey!"

~fin~

(continued here)