*He hadn't really kidnapped anyone in ages, so he was a bit rusty, but he did manage somehow to convince Grace that it was worth coming out tonight to go watch a meteor shower fall. And so it was, the Observatory door was open, light streaming out from it and Danny was showing Grace around.* So if we wanted to look at this section of the sky for example, we could just easily rotate the wheel, you see the notches? That's how many degrees. It's cool huh? Even from the 1890s everything still works!
*The dome shaped top of the slightly weathered pale blue green observatory roof was built on red brick, and had formal looking stone steps that lead down to a nice lawn. Outside, there were random students and teachers all setting up their telescopes and some of them were setting up digital recorders to go with it.*
Grace
Danny's no good at kidnapping. He is, however, insanely good at convincing people to go with him, like some kind of pied piper of meteor showers.
"You don't think anyone's going to ask what you're doing touching the 1890s era telescope?" Grace asks, not really concerned about what those nebulous other people might say about Danny. She could easily walk up to the wheel and mess with it herself for all she cares. She'd probably get away with it easier too. Her friend has long purple hair and a penchant for outfits designed to draw the eye. He's somewhat... noticeable, shall we say?
Grace is not so loudly announcing her presence. Jeans, sneakers, short straight dark-ish hair. Trying to describe her would describe about half of the people in the room. So she could totally mess with that telescope. If she wanted. Only Danny would probably get blamed for it.
"We're traveling through an asteroid's debris trail, Google says."
Grace has been checking her phone now and then throughout this 'adventure'. Apparently she's been looking things up.
Danny
*He was dressed warmly, it had snowed lightly during the day and nearly the event had to be called off, but as usual, someone had cleared the snow from the roof to allow for a good show, and at this time at night, there was little alive in the world. Apart from the warm heater in the Observatory itself, there were hot beverages and soup on supply via a good travel stove someone had brought, no one was going to starve.
Danny himself had a his leather jacket on, when didn't he? He also had a cowboy had on of all things, and jeans with instead of the usual shabby combats, tonight he had walking boots on that would grip to the snow easily. Even with the chill in the air, he was happy. His cheeks bright. His long purple hair was loose today, it hung straight and there was a long desert scarf around his neck, tied so it could mask his face a bit if he needed it to. Nope, our boy wasn't getting cold for anything. Tonight he wore black leather gloves.*
I won't get in trouble. *he grins.* I've enrolled, I'm studying Cosmology and this is literal mana from the heavens. We doing an experiment as well with some other places to see if there's a sound made when the Meteors skim. It'll just add to the Cosmic Music.
Grace
"Of course there's a sound made. The meteors light up when they hit the atmosphere, so by the time we can see them, they're having rather violent interactions with air. That tends to make noise. Though, we might have trouble hearing it from here. They are small things. Usually burn up pretty fast," Grace says, spouting off the facts with great speed.
From the surrounding people, a chorus of interested voices pipe up, announcing the arrival of a meteor, an early arrival? Or just one of the normal meteors one can spot on any night? It doesn't matter. For those who were looking up, it was something to see, apparently.
Grace was not looking up.
"Damnit... Missed it," she says, scanning the sky for a few seconds.
Danny
That's why we've got other installations working with us. *He grins.*
We're going to share the data, and well, as I'm musician, they want me to take a listen as well. I think it's going to sound like one constant note, I hope so anyhow.
*He looks up and grins, then moves to where they had wifi set up to listen in on other places. The speakers are set up but for now they're just listening to make sure they get the right place and frequency.
He looks up and frowns, then leans with his arm outstretched.* That's where we're looking. See? Not too far from Orion.
Grace
"Oh hey, that's kick ass," Grace says, going right over to the tech setup. "Can I get a copy? For fun?"
Grace is, predictably, looking over the equipment (because ooo pretty toys) when the next fireball streaks the sky. Distracted much? Maybe.
"Aaaugh, I'm going to have to just lie down and look up aren't I?"
Danny
Absolutely! *he grins and glances up with a nod before heading over to her.* If you want to you can, or we can....
*he leans and moves the mouse then brings up the large flat screen monitor, turns on the speakers and less than a second later, the live feed from four different camera installations were on the screen.* I'm not going to worry about explaining.
*He let her take the seat if she wanted to, and nodded over her head to the professor with a knowing smile. Then turned around and looked up and out through the hole in the roof to let the telescope work. People were lined up to take turns round the big old brass thing, all it's cogs and wheels shining. For such an old machine, it was beautiful.*
Grace
"Ooh hey, or, alternatively, man the video feed," Grace says, and takes the seat. "Thaaaanks."
With the speakers turned on, the slow, trickling start of the shower will now be audible. And what noise does a meteor make?
After a few minutes of tense anticipation, a light streaks across the screen of the laptop, and a whooshing noise emanates from the speaker. This, followed by the ghostly echo of the meteor's passing -- a long, bell-like tone. It sounds like it comes from a cold, dead place. But to the students and professors, it might as well be the most amazing thing they've ever heard, judging by the smiles.
Danny
*He drops his jaw and spins back around hearing it, his eyes widening up and this look of sheer delight on his face. He had silent joy written all over his face and he even hi fived his delighted professor, who then went about collecting data from the different readouts and noting things down. The techs were congratulating themselves quietly as the notes continue to chime away* Isn't that incredible?
Grace
It's been a long time since Grace had anything to do with the academia scene. Or at least, it feels like a long time. So much has happened, so many events, that it's hard to reconcile her current life with the one she left behind.
They are amazed to hear the meteors. And truly, it touches some of Grace's own need for discovery and experience. But...
The stars and their rocky children remind her of the space station she lived on for a short while, where every window's view led to the starfield. It reminds her of that time she met a universe. There are some things, wilder than meteor songs, that she'd never be able to share with these students, these professors.
The ringing atmosphere does put a smile on her own face, but it's brought there by other means than just the meteor shower.
"Oh, it's credible. But very neat all the same."
Danny
*He laughed.* Well, thank you for coming along anyhow... Do you want to stay here watching it through the screen?
Grace
"Well, I suppose I could. That's not the 'analog' way though, is it? I suppose if I want to 'really' experience it, I've got to go outside," Grace says, layering her sarcastic distaste of the analog ways in her voice.
"This is really neat, what you've got here. But I'm afraid to fuck with it any. I don't know, would that mess up your experiment?"
Danny
*The questions began at once. Could she improve the feed some? Could she think of any thing that might improve the tech here full stop? It appeared that as usual, this sort of department might not get the same share of money as say the Smithsonian for example. So of course there were going to be questions. Danny smiled.* It's up to you, I'm happy to just stay here staring up and listening in.
Grace
"I suppose it wouldn't be good to cause a bunch of questions wondering what I did to you guys' poor machine," Grace says, and leaves the computer screen for a bit. Let someone else have a turn at it, eh?
She starts looking up at the sky then, head craning up to see. Without taking her eyes off of the up, she lays down on the floor, just as another whooshing sound fills the air.
"Oooh. Nice one."
Danny
*He grinned, then sat down too before laying back, staring up.* This is just... So yeah, this is my big secret. Sounds of the Universe.
Grace
"It's kind of lonely-sounding. Beautiful, but eerie, don't you think?" Grace says, listening to the echoing ring.
Danny
It is, but essentially what we're listening to is a dirge of a sorts isn't it? As they burn up, parts fall off and are ground to dust, perhaps some of the meteor flies on, perhaps most of it is destroyed? I think it's a beautiful sound as well.
*he falls silent, listening as a few go across together, the smile coming back onto his face.* It's like they're singing.
Grace
"Mmm. The mourning of a lost space rock. Kind of poetic, that," Grace says. It's cold here. Elevation combined with winter does that. But as they lie there, listening to the sky, they are not lonely.
Perhaps the rocks would be pleased to know that their music was heard by someone, appreciated by some small corner of the universe. It heard them as they sang their last.
"It's good you brought me up here. I'd have sat in my room drinking coffee all night, you know it."
Danny
*The grin broadened and he nodded in satisfaction.* Well you're welcome to come up here whenever you want to, if there are other things going on, I'll let you know. It's pretty cool... Oh wow look at that long one go!
*The keening faintly flat note rang out true and sharp, then it was joined by another one go to with it. Shorter bursts sang out around it as a cluster of the space rocks rang out across the sky.*
Grace
"I think it's starting to get going full speed, what do you think?"
The meteors are coming in quicker now. Shower would be a bit of a misnomer. They're not literally spraying the sky, but certainly come in faster than the usual. Some rare ones are true fireballs, that leave little trails in their wake.
Each one sounds a little different to the ear. They're not 'in tune' to any human measure, but the notes they sing are at times a little higher or lower.
"Maybe you could map that to actual notes and make a melody out of it? It'd be pretty random I guess."
Danny
That's what I'm planning on doing. Writing around the notes and tones set out. There are sounds from pulsars that I've retrieved as well, so I can punctuate all around it. It's all going to be very experimental. I might need a sound engineer though. *he glanced at her.*
Grace
"Oh man, I know just the person. Lena," Grace says, perhaps surprising Danny by not bothering to apply for the position herself. "She's one of us, she's a deejay, and she's totally awesome."
The sky rings a hollow note again. For a time nobody speaks, everyone listens. And then, when it's over...
"You should talk to her, at least. I'd be terrible at that."
Danny
*He nodded in agreement to her.* Well if you can hook me up I'd be grateful.
*He couldn't help but grin and be happy about this, then when he speaks again it's quieter.*
Coffee? Or are you warm enough?
Danny
(((FADE)))
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