On the Manipulation of the Vibrational State of the Metallic Elements
(Resonant Metallurgical Fluidator)by Professor Harvey Wangenstein, Electrodyne Engineer
September 1, 1882Since the dawn of time, Mankind has differentiated itself from the rest of Nature by its use of tools. Tools offered Man the ability to hunt with greater effectiveness, farm with increased efficiency and transport himself and his possessions with ease. With his ingenuity, Man adapted his Environment to suit his needs, making tools out of materials available to him. Wood, bone, obsidian, ivory, stone, all these things and more have been used throughout Time to improve Man’s station in the world. One material, however, stands apart from the rest as the key to Mankind’s ascension to its proper place as the steadfast custodians of this, our planet Earth. Only through the development and manipulation of the metallic elements could we have reached our current level of Civilization. Metal enables us to build a stronger plow to work the fields that grow our food. It makes up the springs, gears and wheels that count our progress into the Golden Age in which we live. From the valuable gold and silver to the utile iron, tin and copper, mastering the world has meant mastering metal.
Metal has not given itself up easily to Man’s benign direction. The same strength that makes it desirable for Mankind’s needs also makes it difficult to manipulate. For example, iron, a staple of our modern, industrial Society, has a melting point of 2,800°F. As a result, our foundries expend large amounts of capital, fuel and labor in their efforts to mold iron into products for our use. Alloying iron with other elements often results in substances with much higher melting points, making an easier, more cost-effective method of liquefying metal even more necessary. Therefore, I now propose a Theory that will give Man the power to alter the state of metal at his merest whim, then re-solidify it again later, at his convenience.
Any Scientist worth acknowledging will tell you that heat melts metal. What is not as apparent, however, is how this occurs. Those familiar with my work will begin to notice similarities to the ideas put forth in an earlier paper, entitled “Harmonic Silver”. Indeed, this Theory is based upon that paper’s principles of affecting an object’s Pattern, and thus, its very existence, through the manipulation of the resonant vibrational frequencies inherent to it. With this Theory, I intend to show that not only can a given material’s properties be applied over a distance, but that they can also be brought forth at a distance by the manipulation of the material’s inherent frequencies. But, to my previous question, ‘how does heat melt metal?’ The answer is as simple and elegant as one can craft: it doesn’t. Let me restate that: increasing a metal’s temperature has absolutely no effect upon its state. Any object will burn, if a high enough temperature is applied to it for a sufficient period of time. But when heat is applied to metal, more takes place than a simple change in temperature. Heat also acts as a carrier, bringing with it a similar measure of resonant vibrational frequencies. The exact frequencies carried are directly related to the precise temperature applied. Metal melts when heated to a certain temperature because the resonant frequencies transmitted at and above that temperature set up a sympathetic vibration within the metal, a vibration that correlates positively with a similar frequency signature unique to the molten form of the particular metal. The vibration’s energy enables the iron particles to break the bonds holding them together, resulting in a change of state. An iron bar heated to 2,800º F would remain solid, if heat of that temperature did not also transmit a specific set of resonant frequencies to the iron that “told” it to melt. Thus, if specific frequencies carried by heat (and not the heat itself) melt metal, it is therefore possible that other sources of the same frequencies exist. Seemingly random mechanical and structural failures may, in fact, be attributable to unidentified sources of these resonant frequencies momentarily liquefying critical parts or load-bearing members.
Although heat is a reliable carrier of resonant vibrational energy, it does have its limitations. It is conducted unequally and inefficiently by physical matter, giving it a limited and uncertain range in most situations, and does have the tendency to damage, if not immolate outright, nearby objects that are vulnerable to high temperatures. An alternate method of transmission is needed if knowledge of these inherent frequencies is to be of use to the average Scientist. What if we instead tie the desired resonant frequencies from a Scientifically-pure sample of the metal to a carrier sound wave? By using sound as a vehicle, we gain its advantages as a high speed medium whose application is less destructive and more easily regulated. The sublimation of metal is also possible, although the process requires the amplitude of the resonant frequencies to be much greater than that required for the liquescence of the same metal, in order to convert the solid metal directly into a gaseous state. Except when deemed necessary, we will concern ourselves primarily with conversions into the liquid state. By melting a small sample of the metal the Scientist wants to affect, he can draw forth the required frequencies and project them in any direction he wishes. All items of the same element as the ingot that are within range of the produced vibrational waves will instantly change into a liquid state, retaining their former volume but losing their defined shape. This includes the ingot itself, which will promptly run off if uncontained. The ingot must be open to the air in any direction the Scientist wants the vibrations to travel, as obstructing matter will muddy the pure frequencies required for effect. This extends to intervening materials surrounding the target metal as well. Tests performed using a steel ingot on a gold watch revealed two things: first, that the watch’s gold and glass insulated the steel works inside from the effect, and second, much to my chagrin, that the watch chain was not made of gold after all, but was instead gold-colored steel. Very importantly, any metal used in the creation of an ingot must be of the utmost purity. The slightest random mixture of elements may corrupt the resonant vibrations produced, expending the ingot without further effect. Alloys, however, are acceptable and will affect objects constructed from the same alloy as the ingot, so long as the alloys are identical in chemical composition and close in chemical proportions to one another. A little carbon more or less between an ingot and its target does not appear to spoil the effect. Before proceeding further, I must take a moment to caution the reader that, as with any good Theory, this one comes with a caveat.
Changing the state of metal without changing its temperature may well bring about situations which the acting Scientist would never otherwise encounter. All metals, mercury excepted, melt at temperatures far above that required to burn human flesh. Therefore, I am certain that none of the possible adverse effects brought about by the inhalation, ingestion or absorption of pure liquid or gaseous metal have been sufficiently researched to allow for laxity on the part of the acting Scientist. Medical Science has already seen how breathing mercury fumes affected English hatters as they used mercury to stabilize the wool for their felt hats. Those afflicted with mercury poisoning suffer from such symptoms as nervousness, irritability and changes in personality, as well as muscle tremors and slurred speech. With such knowledge in hand, it is safe to assume that similar health risks exist from prolonged exposure to the liquid or gaseous forms of other metals, as well. Depending upon the severity and length of the exposure, a metal-poisoned individual may be identified by symptoms similar to that of mercury poisoning, along with an additional symptom caused by the body’s attempt to expel the foreign matter from it. An observer may notice a change in hue in the victim, coinciding with the absorbed metal. In these cases, the victim may literally be ‘sweating gold’, or silver, steel, or other metal. Another hazard that Scientists using this Theory might encounter is the possibility of liquid or gaseous metal re-solidifying while still in the body. One can, thus far, only imagine what effect a thin layer of solid gold coating the interior of the lungs would have on a Scientist’s respiration. A pool of ingested steel hardening inside the stomach also provides another interesting, if most likely fatal, example of what could happen without proper precautions. Additionally, should a part of the body be covered with liquid metal when it solidifies, it would be rendered immobile as it became encased in now-hardened metal. As always, the acting Scientist should be especially cautious when applying an unfamiliar Theory.
With the command of metal in hand, Mankind shall not just walk, but stride proudly into the Twentieth Century, confident in his mastery of all the elements. As a result of what Man learns from it, what he builds from metal will be stronger and safer, formed from a single piece of iron or steel. He will travel to the stars, to the deepest ocean depths, and no obstacle will long stand in his way. Dream of glories, Mankind, for tomorrow they shall come to pass...
GAME NOTES (Second Edition.)
Resonant Metallurgical Fluidator
Matter •••
By utilizing the design of any readily-available shotgun (I prefer one with two barrels) and a little ingenuity, the acting Scientist can construct a device capable of creating and transmitting vibrations that will change the state of metal in a manner and amount under his strict control. The shotgun must be constructed from a complex steel alloy which includes significant proportions of gold and silver in its chemical make-up, as well as other metals, to immunize it from the effects of this Theory. All metals used in the various processes of this Theory must first be Scientifically purified in order to remove from it any foreign substances or impurities. The ingots for this device are shaped like shotgun shells, and indeed are loaded as such. These ingots, or shells, are constructed from Scientifically pure samples of the metal the acting Scientist wants to affect. Contained within each solid metal shell is a small chamber of specially-formulated gunpowder. The Scientifically-enhanced gunpowder is designed to provide several times the heat, but none of the choking, black smoke, of its mundane equivalent. When the trigger is pulled and the hammer falls, the gunpowder is ignited, melting a small amount of the shell’s interior. As this happens, the Theory is applied, and the shell changes to a liquid state. The vibrations caused by the exploding gunpowder carry the resonant frequencies of the melted metal out the front of the barrel. Rifling etched into the inside of the barrel helps retain the cohesion of the resonant frequencies as they travel. The shotgun’s unique composition ensures that the pure vibrations do not proceed in an uncorrupted form, except in its intended direction. While the completed device can also be used as an ordinary firearm, it is not recommended in anything less than an emergency, as the firing of live ammunition from its barrel would instantly ruin the delicate rifling that covers its interior, jeopardizing its usefulness as a Scientific tool.
Several of this device’s features are a great improvement over previous attempts to incorporate firearms into different spheres of Scientific research. The compact and self-contained shells make for a much safer and reliable, although admittedly less esthetically appealing, power source for the application of this theory. As recently as 1850, Scientists were attaching Revolutionary War-era muskets to small steam engines, which the user would carry on his back. Along with the encumbrance of carrying the weighty engine, the rubber steam pipes leading to the musket were often awkward and made accurate firing difficult. There is even evidence of a previous attempt to develop a reliable method of changing the state of metal. Piecing together local accounts of the time with scraps of his own notes, we know that in 1797, the sadly unidentified Scientist succeeded in using just such a device to slightly alter the state of iron in a ten-foot radius around him. Unfortunately, the effect extended to the primitive (by today’s standards) steam engine he wore on his back to power the musket he used. The close proximity of the Scientist to the partially-liquid boiler’s explosively-released steam pressure, together with the resultant, near-simultaneous detonation of the gunpowder horn hanging at his side, gave him little chance for survival. To this day, we honor the memory, if not the identity, of that courageous Scientific pioneer.
1998 Derek D. Bass
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