Fourteenth Evolution of Sail: A steady eleven knots

[shakenandlimp]

Those things in London. Not Below; I didn't go Below, but above. Cars, they are called. Have many of you piloted them? Are they difficult to learn?

[Private to Dr. Bloom]

Doctor Bloom-- [He restrains himself carefully from addressing her as simply 'miss', and then from his second instinct to compile Doctor Miss Bloom into a title as one would say Captain-Sir-Thus or Admiral-Lord-Such.]

If you find it convenient, could you tell me whether you are taking on patients? Doctor Banner has recommended that my inmate be counseled by you, and Captain Jones-- that is my inmate-- has consented to trying the thing.

Comments

[mightthinkthat]

It takes a short time to get the basics, longer to be trusted not to crash.

[shakenandlimp]

I'd say so. How early do they start'm learning? It takes years to get good seamanship under your belt.

[mightthinkthat]

You're not considered eligible to go out onto the public roads until sixteen, but if you have access to private ones, then as soon as you're tall enough to hit the pedals. Then you or your instructor feels confident enough, you apply for a test. Pass and you're given a full license, fail and you have to try again.

[tentacruelest]

...Yeh want to drive one of those monstrosities?

It ain't like steering a ship or guiding a carriage, Bush. It's a hell of a lot faster, from what it seemed.

But no; please, do it. I need a good laugh.

[shakenandlimp]

I was only asking. It isn't as if there's much call for it here, one wouldn't fit the halls.

[tentacruelest]

[Pls, Bush. Chris, the universal Barge screw-up, somehow managed it]

And I can't imagine it being sea-worthy.

Can yeh operate it? With your leg?

private;

[praesidium]

Of course. I still have a fairly open schedule.

Re: private + Jones

[shakenandlimp]

Thankee, Doctor. He has rages that he finds difficult to control-- if you could help him...

I will add him in the discussion, and you can tell us what we'll need to do. Does he only go to you and talk? How often?

private + Jones

[praesidium]

Once a week for an hour, he will come to my office and we can discuss whatever he'd like. He can set the limits as to how much you know of our discussions if he's not comfortable.

It won't always be just talking, of course. There may be a few things that he might benefit from and be interested in trying during sessions.

[notdreaming]

Ours weren't stuck on the ground like that, but it's not too hard to learn! You have to keep an eye out though. You stop paying attention for just a second and suddenly you're about to crash into the lightbridge.

[shakenandlimp]

Holy Peter, that must knock you about pretty bad if you crash.

[notdreaming]

There's all sorts of safety precautions. At least, on Krypton there were. I'm not sure how safe Earth cars are.

[darknessb4me]

I don't trust them. They have eyes in the front, you can see them.

/gentle threadjack

[la_belle_rogue]

[She's smiling, because that was really really cute adorable charming funny. But she doesn't want to outright laugh at him just because he's a Luddite.]

They're not eyes, Arthas. Those're lights.

[darknessb4me]

Why would you put lights on a car?

[shakenandlimp]

...I took those for lanterns.

[darknessb4me]

That's what Rogue says. Why does it have a mouth, then?

[la_belle_rogue]

Ah don't think they're that hard. [Says the lady who can fly jets.] Just takes practice is all.

[shakenandlimp]

I don't think I will try it, but I wondered. So many people in'm, jammed up together and waiting. The smell was -- strange. I expect to smell horses in London, instead it smelled more like oil lanterns burning everywhere.

[la_belle_rogue]

That'd be the fuel, gasoline. The engine burns it t'create propulsion.

[brokeout]

Not hard. Almost every kid learns how - takes six months, a year to get good enough for a license.

[shakenandlimp]

They go so fast, though. Ain't it dangerous putting young people in them?

[brokeout]

You get used to it.

And even when they're going really fast, mostly they're going about the same speeds as each other.

[hart_or_hand]

Cars? Cars are easy. Assuming you have hands and feet to drive them with. [See that smarmy look? Lindsey's just found another victim for his really bad mood.]

[shakenandlimp]

[Bush doesn't bother to hide his offense and irritation-- his words are rote and polite, but his face communicates exactly what he thinks.]
How fascinating. Thank you.

[And to blazes with you.]