Mother X: Father

by Tatsurou

Beating the Heat

As soon as the group was inside the store, Ness moved Moondancer around until he found the coolest point in the store before laying her out to relax and cool off. "Okay, what do we do now?" he asked, turning to Paula, Jeff, and Buzz Buzz.

Jeff raised an eyebrow. "Um...I'm pretty sure our only option is attempting to walk around the traffic via the desert itself, and hope we're able to take a pedestrian path at the opposite end to get past the jam. What other options could there be?"

"I was hoping for one that didn't have Moondancer dying of heat stroke," Ness pointed out dryly. "Even the single step between the edge of the road and the shadowed awning left her struggling to breathe in the heat. With how much heat her fur coat keep in in this desert, I'm not sure there are enough Wet Towels in the world to get her through the whole desert, especially when we don't know where we're going through it."

"And even if there were, I doubt the store has them all in stock," Paula added thoughtfully. "Not that we could spare to cash to buy them all if they did..."

"Moondancer," Buzz Buzz spoke up, "you had that technique you could use to completely cut yourself off from your environment, don't you? You used it to float around in the vacuum of space without having to breathe. Can't you use that here?"

"Using that technique leaves...me pretty much defenseless...against anything but...environmental hazards," Moondancer pointed out between panting for breath as her body slowly cooled to more normal temperatures. "I'm not willing to bet my life that there aren't any Madness Wave influenced animals or Giygas troops roaming that desert waiting to try and kill us...or on anyone but a Dr. Saturn knowing how to treat me if I end up in need of medical attention from such a combat." She shook her mane out to get the sand out of it. "What I want to know is why it was so much cooler on the road, to the point walking there didn't leave any of you sweating?"

"Oh, I can answer that!" Jeff spoke up excitedly. "That's actually one of my father's inventions. It's a special material that absorbs and redirects temperature extremes. In this case, it's inlaid in the road under the asphalt to absorb the intense heat of the desert and redirect it deep into the ground where it readily disperses. That's why no one driving in the desert ever has tires melt while on the road, or has the radiator overheat and cause the car to crash."

"And how does that not create uncontrolled tornadoes over the desert from the temperature imbalance?" Buzz Buzz demanded in shock. "Hot air and cold air meeting always creates strong wind systems, and it felt at least 20 degrees cooler on the road than over the sand."

"Most of that was wind chill, actually," Jeff corrected. "See, the material is laid out so that the cold air created is in motion along the road, specifically in the direction of traffic flows. This results in everyone getting a tail wind to minimally reduce gas expenditure, and controls the resulting mini-system as the movement of cars along the road reinforces the flow of air."

"How did he manage to come up with something like that?" Moondncer asked eagerly, enthralled at the notion.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Jeff allowed ruefully. "This invention came about before I was born."

"It actually sounds a bit like the material used in my old shell to protect the interior from environmental extremes," Buzz Buzz observed thoughtfully. "Which is also similar to the heat-shielding material employed by Geeg spacecrafts for atmospheric penetration."

"Then maybe we could use it to build Moondancer some sort of environment suit to protect her from the heat?" Paula suggested hopefully. "Because otherwise, I think our only options are 'leave her here while we find a path to Fourside and back to pick her up' or 'wait for the traffic to clear', and I don't think either are a good choice."

"Leaving Moondancer alone is definitely a bad choice," Buzz Buzz confirmed. "As is waiting for the traffic to clear on its own, we don't have the time to spare. Not sure how we'd be able to get that material, or if the environment suit is a feasible option..."

"I'm going to make a phone call," Ness spoke up, heading over to the nearby payphone. After inserting a dollar, he dialed home.

After a time, a familiar voice answered. "Yello?"

"Hey Uncle Theodore," Ness responded happily. "It's Ness. I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"I will if I can, kid," Theodore responded readily. "What'd you need?"

"Well, you know that special material in the roads that...um..." He turned to Jeff. "What's your Dad's name again?"

"Dr. Andonuts," Jeff answered, pushing his glasses up as he observed Ness curiously.

"That Dr. Andonuts invented?" Ness said into the phone. "The stuff that makes the road and the air above it cooler?"

"Yeah, I know it," Theodore confirmed. "Everyone who drives knows it. Why do you ask?"

"Think you could get a hold of some and send it to us?" Ness asked hopefully. "We're at the Dusty Dunes Desert convenience store just by the bus stop, and have hit a bit of a snag. Moondancer can't handle the desert heat, and we have to get around a lot of traffic."

"Well, I guess I could get you some," Theodore offered doubtfully. "But it's really only meant for roads and the like. Not sure what good it will do you."

"I'm pretty sure Jeff can figure something out once he has some of the material," Ness allowed. An idea occurred to him. "Oh, can you send us a fridge, too?"

"A...fridge?" Theodore asked in surprise.

"I figured Jeff could use some raw materials, too," Ness explained. "You can take the money out of my account if you need to, or send it COD."

"Tell you what," Theodore offered with a chuckle, "get a picture of whatever Jeff makes out of this for me to see later, and it's on me."

"Will do!" Ness promised. "Thanks Uncle Theodore!" He paused. "Have you heard from Mom? Will she be home soon?"

"From what she told me last time she called, she took a wrong turn and wound up in Winters and then Summers on her way to Fourside...somehow." Theodore chuckled softly. "Your Mom doesn't exactly have the best sense of direction at times. Anyway, she said she picked up some sweets for you while in Summers, so maybe you'll meet up with her in Fourside and get to try some!"

"It'd be great if we did," Ness offered happily. "Heck, maybe Mom can bring that picture you asked for."

"That could work," Theodore allowed. "I placed the order through Escargot Express, so you should have the stuff in about ten minutes. Later kid! Have fun storming the castle...or whatever it is you're up to!"

"You too, Uncle!" Ness offered warmly. "Give my love to Tracy."

"Will do." There was a click and a long beep, signifying the connection broke.

Ness hung up the phone. "Well, we'll just have to see what happens when the stuff gets here."

"Ness, I'll freely admit to being able to repair just about anything I come across," Jeff pointed out worriedly, "but you're asking me to create something brand new out of a few obscure items you're handing me! What, do you expect me to just shove them into the Combinulator and hope it gets us what we want?"

"Would it work?" Ness asked curiously.

Jeff opened his mouth to counter, then paused. "Well, I don't fully grasp the workings of the Combinulator yet, but it does seem to work less on the actual functionality of the input items and more on commonalities of nature...If I had a third item that had some sort of motor, it might create a cooled walker unit Moondancer could equip to let her move around in the desert with us..."

"Uh...I have no idea what you're talking about," the store clerk spoke up helpfully, "but we do sell RC cars...?"

Jeff blinked. "That...might just do it."

---

Eleven minutes later, Ness, Paula, and Jeff walked into the desert with Wet Towels on their heads to keep their body temperatures down. Moondancer followed along behind them inside a clear glass capsule that walked along on four metal legs at her PSI command, discharging powerful Freeze PSI at her directive to deal with any enemies they encountered. While the Hot Suit - as it was called - would be completely useless outside the desert as it required the high temperature imbalance between the outside and the inside to power the mechanisms, it gave Moondancer a way to deal with the desert while still being able to protect herself, which was exactly what they wanted.

Comments

[Voldine]

Nice chapter...

Sorry, can't really think of anything more to say.

[Sigmacipher]

Okay that is some impressive science.

[InsanityStreak]

Third option if that didn't work would have been to shave Moondancer.

Which would then have resulted in a hospital visit for the one holding the shears.

[badninja]

Jeff seems to be a great fan of MacGyver. This kid needs his own version of Mythbusters.

[WanderingPony]

"Ness, I'll freely admit to being able to repair just about anything I come across," Jeff pointed out worriedly, "but you're asking me to create something brand new out of a few obscure items you're handing me! What, do you expect me to just shove them into the Combinulator and hope it gets us what we want?"

But...will it blend?

[Xenoguyver]

8709166

Oh most definitely.

8709150

Pfft oh man THAT would've been a funny sight. Or at least something funny to read on here.

[Jakomi of the Rose]

8709150
And a question on how said scissors ended up there. I leave it up to your imagination on where is.

[InsanityStreak]

8709338
The last place you'd ever want them, yet not the first time the doctor has seen them there.

[Level Dasher]

Escargot Express. Best contradiction.

[F14m3rz]

"I was hoping for one that didn't have Moondancer dying of heat stroke," Ness pointed out dryly.

Except heatstroke (like many other status effects that involve walking through certain climates in this game) is only really effective against weak, lower-level people. Considering Moondancer should be at least Level 60 at this point, she shouldn't have much of a problem...
But since this is a way to make us sympathize with characters and present the growing camaraderie between them (and to make things a touch more realistic), this is fine.

"And even if there were, I doubt the store has them in stock," Paula added thoughtfully.

So what you're telling me is, a shop on the side of the road in the middle of the desert doesn't have a surplus of towels on hand to make a profit?... That's like saying price gougers won't have water on hand in disaster areas. Even my old marching band had plenty of wet towels to pass around, and there were like 80 middle-high-schoolers in it.

"Oh, I can answer that!" Jeff spoke up excitedly. "That's actually one of my father's inventions. It's a special material that absorbs and redirects temperature extremes. In this case, it's inlaid in the road under the asphalt to absorb the intense heat of the desert and redirect it deep into the ground where it readily disperses.

He can do all that, but not transfer the heat in such a way that it can be collected as thermal energy?

"That could work," Theodore allowed. "I placed the order through Escargot Express, so you should have the stuff in about ten minutes. Later kid! Have fun storming the castle...or whatever it is you're up to!"

Weird thing is, Earthßound's the only game in the series not to have a castle (unless you count the palace in Dalaam).

Eleven minutes later, Ness, Paula, and Jeff walked into the desert with Wet Towels on their heads to keep their body temperatures down.

See, what'd I tell you?

While the Hot Suit - as it was called - would be completely useless outside the desert as it required the high temperature imbalance between the outside and the inside to power the mechanisms, it gave Moondancer a way to deal with the desert while still being able to protect herself, which wasexactlywhat they wanted.

Huh, an unconventional naming convention; how delightfully Mother.

Anyways, see you later.

[Tatsurou]

8709538
The "have them in stock" line was specifically referring to having all the Wet Towels in the world, as the amount they wondered if there would be enough for Moondancer.

[F14m3rz]

8709546
This just makes me wonder...
How do the Appleloosans survive? Is it a foal thing or a Tribe thing?

[Tatsurou]

8709561
And that's why they're planting trees everywhere. All that shade...

[F14m3rz]

8709565
Maybe that's why the Buffalo wanted the apple trees gone; they were tired of the Appleloosans throwing shade at them all the time.

[Chrome Masquerade]

Eleven minutes later, Ness, Paula, and Jeff walked into the desert with Wet Towels on their heads to keep their body temperatures down. Moondancer followed along behind them inside a clear glass capsule that walked along on four metal legs at her PSI command, discharging powerful Freeze PSI at her directive to deal with any enemies they encountered. While the Hot Suit - as it was called - would be completely useless outside the desert as it required the high temperature imbalance between the outside and the inside to power the mechanisms, it gave Moondancer a way to deal with the desert while still being able to protect herself, which was exactly what they wanted.

GENIUS! This is the first time i'm gonna say it, but...

[Bugsydor]

Yay, she got a Mr. Freeze suit!