fandomhigh | Science You Cannot Possibly Comprehend, Monday, Period 5

Doom was not in a throne this week. Sorry, you weren't always going to see him being a total pimp. Sometimes you were going to see him being an awesome scientist.

As the students entered the science lab, where all future classes would take place, they would see Doom standing on a flat, metal platform on the ground. There were two more next to him as well. "As I mentioned last week, I created mechanical time travel before anyone else in my world. I am now aware of future beings who travelled before my time, but their technology owes much to mine."

And then Doom launched into a very detailed explanation of how time travel works (and how to stick to a singular timeline even though every choice you make creates alternate realities) and how you can mechanically control the timestream.

Seriously, you'd have to be among the ten smartest people on Doom's world to fully grasp his instructions... which weren't even complete. Because did he really want students knowing how his time travel technology worked? No.

"Now that you'e heard the theory and been heard much about the construction of my Time Platform, you have three choices. You can choose to merely experience time travel. The completed platform I stand on is calibrated to send anyone who stands upon it to the end of class. Please note the time shown on the lab's clock and your watches or any time device you own that does not self correct before you step through. Then note the time on the clock when you have reached the end of class."

"This second platform is partially completed. The components within it already are calibrated to ensure you join the rest of us at the end of class. There is no way to change that. And it is likely that if you attempt to study what has already been built, it would be akin to a dog staring at the inner workings of a computer. Team together and finish the work if you believe you can."

"The third platform is merely a shell. You will have the rest of the class period - a mere thirty minutes - to work together to build an entire platform from the provided parts and instruction from earlier. Please note that you will fail. But in failing Doom's challenge, you, like so many others, may still learn important lessons."

"One way or another, you will see me at the end of class," Doom said. The Platform he was standing on began to glow, and then a glowing plane lifted from the platform, up and then back down Doom's body. Suddenly, he was gone. Well, from this moment in time, at least. See you at the end of class!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

One way or another, you made it here. Learn anything? Want to share what it was like to suddenly be a short way into the future? Angry about your failure? Time for you to discuss what you experienced.

And just like that, he was at the end of class and looking impressed by the technology.

"Kinda tingled," he said. He thought it an apt description.

Apparently, Danny's sense of self-preservation wasn't that strong.

"Your concept's solid," he offered at the end of class with a shrug, "but I think instead of a--"

From which he launched into a vaguely critical analysis of the materials available to them in the expectation to build Platform 3, with a few notes on what he would have done instead, which tended to use a variety of different technical terms matched with an excessive amount of sound effects and gestures. Somehow, it wound up digressing into something that involved an impressive amount of explosions and the punting of children and the use of a interdimensional warp coupling pack and a video game controller.

"But even that would be hard in thirty minutes," he said. "If you can pull that shiz off in thirty, kudos. Mega kudos, Doc."

Doom listened until Danny began to digress. He still waited patiently for Danny to finish before speaking, though. "I see one problem with your proposed design, aside from your unfortunate lack of focus. And that, child, is the fact that you presume any of your designs represent an improvement on Doom's design. I do credit you, however. Your suggestions would create a functional - if inferior - time machine."

Danny narrowed his eyes slightly, finding it hard to believe that his time machines would be inferior, especially considering that he wouldn't be in this class right now if they were inferior.

And he didn't have Chris around to hold him back from saying stupid things to evil dudes.

"Inferior how?" he challenged. "What, does yours shoot out sparkles and glitter and lasers, too? Far as I'm concerned, all a time machine's got to do is travel through time. Anything else is irrelevant."

He folded his arms over his chest to conclude his argument.

"All an airplane has to do is fly through the air, yet you will win more battles with a modern jet than you will with a crop duster," Doom said. "The small plane will suit the needs of some people. Doom aims higher."

"So, wait," Danny said after a moment to consider this, "are we using these machines to win battles, then?"

Now there was a novel concept. So far, Danny mostly just used his time machines for funsies, exacting revenge on his childhood nemeses, and trying to pick up chicks.

"Science is always a battle," Doom explained. "If wielded well, it is proof of your dominion over your intellectual inferiors. Those who see it otherwise are destined to lose the battle."

"But isn't science also, like, you know, just...life? It's gonna happen whether you wield it or not, Doc."

Danny definitely dug his rap; he just also liked to be contrary.

"And what do you think life is?" Doom asked. The correct answer was , 'a battle.' If Danny didn't answer that, he was automatically losing based on Doom's previous proclamation.

Chaz starred at his watch, then at the clock in the classroom. "Hunh."

"I think it sucks that you rigged the last platform," Victor said, sounding annoyed. "I could do the engineering, but not in half an hour. It's like what Danny said. You'd have to be a team of geniuses with superspeed to get it done that fast."

"If you have an issue with the amount of time available, complain to your principal for limiting the class period," Doom scoffed. "But know that creation always has limits. You never have as much time as you need unless you find a way to prepare. But that is an obstacle you must overcome. You will get no assistance from me."

"Well, yeah, obviously almost no one ever has all the time they'd want in a perfect world," Victor conceded. "But even if you don't control how long the class period is, you control how much you ask us to do during it. I'm not asking for your help, I just think it's BS that you treated this like class is a casino and the house always wins."

It was probably not a bright idea to take this tone with a supervillain, but seriously. Victor's dad or granddad could both science the pants off Doom. And one of them wasn't even evil.

Please. Doom considered Ultron nothing more than a psychotic robot who couldn't even beat a blind man. Yes, he briefly subjugated a sector of the galaxy, but he was defeated by a sentient tree from what Doom understood. And Pym? Ha.

"I told you there should be no expectation of success. If you choose to attempt an impossible task and then fail to complete it, you have no one to blame but yourself. If you wanted an achievable task, one was available to you."

Victor glared. Standing on a platform was not science. He wanted something extremely difficult and achievable.

On the other hand, he could tell when an argument wasn't going anywhere. He grumbled out a, "Fine."

"We didn't actually have time to finish, which is sort of ironic, when you think about it," Cecil pointed out. "But as conceptual proof of concept, we got you a pizza!"

He held out the one they'd gotten him.

It...made sense at the time.

Science You Cannot Possibly Comprehend, Monday, Period 5

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