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It was fun for a long time but towards the end it just started to drag

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Total Members Voted: 28

[WillowLuman]

"Well, I don't know, actually. It's upright, at about basement level, and metal. Other than that, couldn't really tell. All the exposed steel on the site was horribly corroded, but the door seemed to be in good shape. It wasn't blue, so it can't be adamantine. Maybe it's some strange alloy, or enchanted. We didn't exactly have stuff to test things with, I'm afraid."

[wierd]

"You can usually tell by hitting the metal with a hard object like a hammer, and checking the pitch of the ringing sound. Was it shiny, or dull colored, and what color was it? You said it wasn't blue, but was it more dark colored, or more silvery?"

[WillowLuman]

Sort of polished steel-y or chrome-ish I'd say. Well, not quite as shiny. Just kind of smooth. Maybe a little white-ish, but the stuff around it was a little dark, so it's hard to say. Could be titanium, maybe. But I guess that we could just hit it with a hammer today."

[wierd]

"It would cost a fortune to make that large of a titanium steel block... might be chrome steel though. Was there any rust at all? Little speckles on the surface? Even stainless isn't completely stainless you know. High chrome would be a dingy red-orange with yellow hues in it. Titanium would be more dark grey with a powdery consistency... both are awefully hard though. Sensitive to extreme cold."

[WillowLuman]

"Now that I think of it, I believe there might have been little flecks on it. You ought to see it for yourself, it's pretty impressive. I'm just wondering how goblins managed to kill people who had a door like that."

[Gizogin]

Gizogin and Gizo X loaded their considerable array of mechanical equipment into the tank's cargo bay.  However that door was locked, they'd be able to crack it.  X carried all the really heavy equipment, with Gizogin simply bringing what he could manage.  Lana stood a ways off and watched, keeping out of their way.  The Gizogins didn't mind; they preferred to work unmolested.  Finally, they were ready to go.  Wierd, Hugo, and Oliolli, however, were nowhere to be seen.  They wouldn't have much time at the tower at this rate, unless they wanted to spend the night there.  Lana volunteered to go and find the others so they could get going, and promptly disappeared.

[WillowLuman]

"So, you ready to go then, Wierd? I think Gizogin's almost done packing up the equipment. I don't even know where he got half that stuff, really."

[wierd]

[This image is corroded chrome steel. The port-lug installed looks like titanium. Note the powdery thin layer on the lug, and the orangey yellows of the chrome steel rust. Chrome steel is cheaper than the titanium. Most "stainless" steels are an alloy of iron, carbon, chrome, vanadium, and copper. Some don't have vanadium, which helps reduce grain size, increasing hardness, but also increasing brittleness.  Titanium steel is usually iron, carbon, titanium and vanadium. Usually 4Ti-6V or there abouts.the titanium rusts white, the vanadium greyish. This makes the rust take on a powdery greyish yellow hue.]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[The secret with these metals is that most of their hardness comes from special heat and pressure treatments. By heating the metal white-hot to destroy the grain structure, then holding it at red and orange-heats, you encourage large crystal formation in the metal, which greatly weakens it against sudden shock stresses, like sudden, rapid cooling or being shot with a tank.]

[WillowLuman]

[Visually, then, it was probably titanium-steel I was thinking of.]

[Gizogin]

Lana popped out of the air in front of wierd and Hugo.  "Come on, slowpokes!  Time's a-wasting!" she said, then disappeared without waiting for a reply.

[wierd]

[Then we drill a small hole, and pack it with aluminum powder and a little stick of white phosphorus. Titanium burns freely once critical temp is reached, and burning aluminum will ignight it.  The door would be particularly vulnerable to thermite, which is a mix of aluminum, iron, and magnesium powder with a mild accelerant, usually hypo. Alternative is to make use of its brittleness against accute shock. Ultrasonic resonance might shatter it. If X is coming, he might be able to convert ambient heat into localized chill and sound.]

[Here's a high titanium content engine block from an aeroplane that experienced a titanium fire. Note how it continued to burn the metal.]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"Yeah, I think..."  weird started, then cut off abruptly. In the back of his mind there was a chime, and a tingling on his extremities as Lana appeared out of nowhere.

"There you are!" She said. "Hurry up! My brother's waiting on you! Get a move on!" Then promptly vanished just as mysteriously.  It was clearly magical, and he had never seen anything like it.

He looked at hugo with an incredulous "did you just see what I just saw?" Look on his face.

[WillowLuman]

[Again, though, in whatever state it's hard to get through a several foot thick mass of any metal.]

"Sure as hell made me jump when she warped from 50 feet up to ground level."

It took a bit of shifting around and wiggling, but eventually everyone was able to get in past the equipment. HugoLuman climbed up on the roof once more, and they set off. The tank had left clear tracks from the last trip, which Gizogin followed, and in just half an hour they were back at the site.

[Gizogin]

Gizogin and Gizo X disembarked quickly, and set straight to work unloading.  X directed the others as well, instructing them on how to set up their various tools and sensors.  Before long, the tank was empty once more, its cargo now sitting in front of the massive door.

Gizogin cracked his neck.  "Right.  Let's get this thing open."

[Aaaand I'm done for the night.  Just as things were getting good, too.]

[WillowLuman]

"Oh, Wierd, before we blow this thing open or whatever, I just want to tell you I forgot to mention one thing. The one clue we have about opening this door is "Kognassussun," or at least something that sounds or is spelled similar. Just thought I'd mention it. I don't know about destroying this door, because if there's something bad in there, we just might want to close it again."

[wierd]

Weird looked at the enormous round portal. He doubted that whatever actuation mechanism was still serviceable. A door this heavy would have to be hydraulically driven; the door itself would weigh several tons, and a magnetic motor would never be able to drive a field strong enough without exceeding several serious engineering limits from materials science.

That was a really bizzare word though.

He picked up a rusted shank of crumbled off rebar off the floor, and rapped the door with it. He looked at the door again, placed his left hand over the steel surface, and rapped it again.

"It's a composite door." He said. "Hard, corrosion resistant shell, soft metal core to help absorb hard impacts."

"How can you tell?" Asked Lana. Gizo X had that inscrutible expression on his face when.    Presented with a challenge. He stepped forward, and put his hand on the door as well.

"From the way the vibration rebounds in the metal." He said over his shoulder. "Different material densities effect the conduction of the impact. Its kind of an acquired--"

X struck the door with his other hand, sending another loud ping through the structure of the door.

"Agreed. Outer shell is approximately 3 inches thick. Inner cavity approximately 3 foot thick, if you use imperial measurements. 7.5 centimeters, and .92 meters, respectively. Density variation is not constant...." he struck the door again. "Irregularities make the density change in the material difficult to quantify, but the accoustic conduction rate drops sharply in the inner mass."

"Thanks X...."  weird muttered.

"Don't mention it. Any ideas on how to open it?"

"It's gotta be hydraulic." He said. "Find the cylender and manually compress it maybe?"