video/action;

[eatsyourscience]

[It's pretty early on the second day of the event--it's only just turning light outside--when Souji turns his camera on an interesting device he's made from stuff he's found around the area.]

I had to make one of these for a project in middle school. [He turns the camera around to point at himself.] I thought it might be handy if we manage to draw a crowd.

[Next, he turns the camera on a pile of junk--but heavy and sharp looking junk--that he's gathered. Based on his other zombie-event experiences, this stuff should work well enough.]

I'm going to need a hand to try it out, if anyone has some time.

Comments

Action

[eatsyourscience]

[The harder part will be moving all the junk they're going to use to test the thing out. Fortunately, they don't have to handle that very carefully, so they can chuck it in a pile when they get it to where they're going.

It takes a good twenty or more minutes to transfer everything to an area just outside the walls, and it seems smart to take a little break before they get to actually using the trebuchet, just in case they have to make a run for it in the meantime.

While they're doing that, though, Souji can at least explain how it works, pointing to different parts of the device as he does so.]

The basket is counter-weighted. When the basket is released, gravity does the work of moving it up and propelling whatever's in it. If it goes far enough and fast enough, it should take limbs off of some zombies and at least slow the fresher ones down.

Action

[pottershotter]

[James nods along at the explanation, his eyes following everywhere Souji gestures to. He's probably not going to get the terminology right, but he's pretty sure he understands the principle behind it.]

Sounds perfect - and no one has to get anywhere near them.

[If they're quick enough, maybe they would even knock down an entire hoard before they get too close. James grins over at Souji. It's obviously time for the fun part now.]

So, what're we testing it with first?

Action

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji smirks, his version of James's grin.]

The problem is going to be aiming it. I've got some sandbags here to try it out with--they're the most expendable thing I could find.

Action

[pottershotter]

Great! Let's give it a shot then. And with enough practice, aiming won't be a problem at all.

[He talks about the whole thing like he expects it to be a breeze, and he heads over to the sandbags to grab one, so they can load up the trebuchet.]

Action

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji does as well. He has James help him load up just two of them--he's got to make what he's got here last--before signalling James over to show him how to release the trebuchet's arm. He explains the mechanism briefly, before putting into action.

He underestimated the force with which the counterweight would drop by a bit and he back steps quickly to avoid getting clocked by the arm as it swings up. That aside, however, nothing falls off, and the sandbags fly a decent distance.]

Action

[pottershotter]

[James wasn't quite prepared for the arm to swing around the way it does. It misses him, but he sure jumps like a startled deer when it happens. He recovers quickly enough though and watches the sandbag soar a good distance away. He gives a low, impressed whistle as it starts to fall to the ground.]

That was incredible! It flew so far!

[Clearly a lot farther than James was expecting it to. He's very impressed!]

Action

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's a bit amused.]

What were you expecting?

[Probably for the whole thing to collapse where it stood, actually. That's generally how things went when the two of them worked together.]

Action

[pottershotter]

Well...not for it to work that well!

[Which is a very diplomatic way of saying exactly what Souji might have assumed, but to be fair, he is legitimately awed.]

Action

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's pretty pleased himself.]

The only thing that isn't that great is that it takes some work to move it.

[But if it were easier to move, it probably wouldn't stay in place when in use.]

But now that we know it works, we can leave it out here. There shouldn't be anything smart enough to dismantle it around.