816 – Steam Gal | The Adventures of Dr. Triangle and Isosceles Ep 8

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and friends beyond the binary. Its time for the podcaster patrons that you support, and I only got one thing on my to do list. it's helping to put you to sleep. So, it would probably be more of a to goo list. Because I have a bit of, I'm just a little bit gooey. Yeah, you know, clean gooey, kind of clean. Goo balls. Anyway, I'm goofing around, thanks.

What do you say we get on with the show? Hey, are you up all night, tossing, turning, mind racing, trouble getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is “Sleep With Me”, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do is a bedtime story, all you need to do is get in bed and turn out the lights and press play.

I'm going to do the rest, what I am going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever is keeping you awake, whether its thoughts that you're thinking about, feelings, any emotions coming up. Or, you know, tendrils of those left over from the day or from the past, to present, or future. Physical sensations; you might be dealing with something, or it could be any kind of changes, schedule changes, personal changes, you know, just stuff.

Again, I am always trying to make sure you feel included, and you know you're welcome here without being too descriptive. But whatever is keeping you awake, I'd like to take your mind off of that and keep you company as you drift off. What I propose is to have a safe place to set aside here. I'm trying to clear it out, and space it up, and cozy it in, and invite you via rapport. Is there a podcast called “The Rapport Report”? Just a question that popped in my brain. I don't know if could make that because I'm not exactly good at establishing rapport, but that is what I attempt to do at the beginning of the podcast.

I don't know if I'll come back to that, but it sounds barely interesting, “The Rapport Report”, the only podcast, rapport notes, that would be like script notes but about rapport. Craig and John have good rapport. I offer rapport via bore, there you go, even got a cheap rhyme in there. But what was I going to say? I'm going to create a safe space to where you can set aside whatever is keeping you awake. I'm going to send my voice across the deep, dark night. I'm going to use these lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones. Creaky and dulcet, two things that don't normally go together and at first glance you might say, “Oh boy, I'm not sure about this podcast.” I'd say, well, give it a few tries, kind of see how its goes.

What I'm going to do is, oh I already said that. Sound over my voice. Creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, superfluous tangents, confusion. Here's another rhyme I don't think I've ever used, a profusion of confusion, that's what this podcast comes with. You say, give another round of confusion, Scoots. I'd says its on the house, believe me, it always is.

I'm thinking about if I had an album, it would be called Profusion of Confusion. They say, is it anything like Master of Puppets? I'd say well, I don't know because I'm confused. Yeah, so Profusion of Confusion. I'm so confused I don't even know what I'm talking about, except that my job isn't really to know where I'm going, but to be here with you. Was that a rapport level move there, from the “Rapport Report”? We have heavy level, we have a profusion of confusion in Scoots' report, reporting on rapport with the Rapport Report. I don't know if you could tell but I had my hand to my ear like I was a radio reporter on location. You know, imaginary ones; that's what imaginary ones do.

Oh, so, if you're new, this podcast is a little bit different, you probably figured that out already. This is, when you first listen… Right, I shouldn't have don't at you, I apologize for that. Kind of see how it goes, listen to podcast to gently or loosely or barely pay attention, because I'm barely going to make any sense. It's okay if it doesn't work for you, but give it a few tries at first, because yeah, it's not for everybody. I can see it in a… You know, I can see it where I hear from people that don't enjoy the podcast. It's like, oh, this doesn't make any sense. I don't like it. But kind of see if you say, you don't need to like it or don't like it or all.

What if you were kind of like, eh? That's what most listeners say. They say, oh, old Scoots, don't pay him any mind. You know who says that? The nana that lives in my brain. You know, do you have an internal nana? If you don't, trust me kids, don't get one. You don't need to go out and get one if you don't have one already. You see, this is one thing you don't need FOMO of, you see. What's the opposite of FOMO? Total sense of relief that I don't have a internal nana like Scoots does. I'm just kidding, nana. Not really, but she has selective hearing. She only hears me when she says, she wants to put out some places where I'm not measuring up. Please don't point down there, nana. Not in front of the podcast listeners.

Anyway, so where was I? Oh, don't really pay me any mind. You don't need to listen to me if you're new. I'm just here to take your mind off of stuff and meander around to keep you company as you drift off. So no need to listen. Here's the weird thing though. No pressure to fall asleep. I'm going to be here for about an hour to keep you company as you drift off. So you fall asleep, you know, kind of, you don't even, hopefully you're just listening along, and you're saying, I guess it is good I don't have… You know, I have a lot of internal things going on, but I don't have any internal nana, thank goodness.

Or if you do have an internal nana, now you say, well, well now I feel a little bit less alone, Scoots. Thanks. I'd say, yeah, it's one thing. Oh, there's some part of my brain just said oh, that's one of the things that unites a lot of humanity. I never knew it was called an internal nana. You say, you know, what a positive way to treat your internal nana. Put a shawl around her. Really? This is internal nana empowerment moment.

Really, this is Rapport Report. We're here live with Scooter, trying to reestablish rapport with his internal nana. Scooter's just invented a new move. He hasn't thought of a fancy name for it, but it's putting a shawl on your internal nana. He's going, there you go, nana. Isn't that nice? Yeah, isn't that nice, yeah, nice and cozy. It's a very nice shawl you have, too. Okay, tuck it in there? No problem. Okay, I'll come back and adjust it whatever you want; I just got to get back to these new listeners. But you know what, nana? Even though I just walked away, part of me wants to say, “My! What a lovely shawl you have.” Well, I'm glad a put a smile, that's the first smile I've ever seen on the face of my internal nana. So this actually worked. I just shawled her. Can you use shawl as a verb? Because I just did, and I think you could.

You say, this could be a book. It would make more of a pamphlet; you're right. Shawled. The way I came just to, that's what I'll say at the end of the episode of the Rapport Report. I'll say, “That was shawled, man. I just shawled my nana.” They'll say, “Well, doesn't…” I'll say, “No, it's placing a shawl gently on her shoulders and then complimenting her on it. It's a very positive thing. It was probably one of the pivotal moments of my life. So that's my shawling of my nana. The shawling of my nana. That sounds like a chapter in book.

But anyway, where I was I? Oh, you don't need to listen to me. No pressure to fall asleep. I'm here to keep you company as you drift off. No pressure, like a podcast. But I do make this show because I truly believe you deserve a good night's sleep. That's why I'm here, is to help, and now. A couple other things if you're new. Structurally what to expect. Here's the structure of the podcast, which is a little late. You're right. 8, 9, 10 minutes in. But you did just get to be a part of a live, imaginary shawling.

I mean, holy cow, I'm not even kidding. Webster's and what is that other one called? The dictionary company's are on hold now. One of them just said stop the presses. We've got a new… Don't print the next unabridged dictionary until you add verbiage to shawl in the unabridged dictionary. Oh, now they're saying they don't have the budget to that. It's fine. Then they said, “We just googled it in another dictionary.” I'd say, “Well, I don't want to know about it then.”

Oh, where was I? So structurally what to expect? Structure of the show. Starts off with a few minutes of business. That's how we're able to keep the podcast free for everybody, and not behind a pesky paywall. Then we have intro, which intros run 12 to 15 minutes of me rambling, and trying to explain what the podcast is, and then going off topic, and talking about stuff about my lovely, internal nana with her beautiful shawl. You know, complimenting her. Then a lot of people will listen to the intro. If you're new, and you might say, “When are you going to get to the point?” The regular listeners are chuckling, because they say, “Well, that's kind of the point is I don't get to the point very quickly.”

So the intro is a wind down. It allows you to get ready for bed, to ease you into bedtime. Maybe to fall asleep, and maybe you could skip it once you start becoming a regular listener. You can kind of see how it goes, but it's kind of made to help you, you start it maybe before you get in bed, you know, and you're getting ready for bed; part of your bedtime routine. But you don't have to listen. But pretty much, like a lot of feedback I get from regular listeners is that the intro's an important part of the show, or they like to skip it and just listen to stories. But there's no wrong way to listen.

So there's an intro. Then there's some business between the intro and the show. That's how podcast structure works. It's just like a preferred spot for the support to be there. Then there's an episode. Tonight it'll be another adventure of Dr. Triangle and Isosceles. That's an episodic series. So I'll fill you in on all the details, if you never heard it before. You don't need to, I'll catch you up. Don't worry, if this is your first time. You haven't missed it. Believe me, you haven't missed anything. If you have, you probably slept through it. So there's the series. Then the show ends with some thank yous and good nights. So that's the structure of the show.

Here's the thing. When I say I'm glad you're here, I mean it. I've been there, tossing and turning in the deep, dark night. Not only do I believe you deserve a good night's sleep, but I desire it because I know, then you could live your life. You could be out there flourishing in the world. The world and your family, and people in your life. You know, they need you. You deserve it. So if the podcast can help you, it's my honor. I do work very hard, and I yearn, I strive to help you fall asleep, but I also really appreciate you coming by and checking the show out. Here's a couple ways we're able to keep this podcast free for everybody.

Right here, everybody. Welcome to another episode of our episodically modular series, The Adventures of Dr. Triangle and Isosceles. Now, if this is your first episode, don't worry. Or if you said, “Well, Scoots, it says it's episode eight, but I only listened to episode two.” Oh, don't worry. I'll catch you right up. You're in a safe place, remember? Even when it comes to serial, like non, barely serialized stories. Let me put your serialized ease, your sort of concerns at ease. Because that's my job. So I'm going to give you all the information you need to know.

The Adventures of Dr. Triangle and Isosceles. I'm laughing because I'm like, features two main characters. Dr. Triangle and Isosceles. As well as a third character, their mule Ada, who also serves as a narrator to the story. Thank you, Ada, because you're doing, not only are you doing the heavy lifting, you're doing the heavy lifting. You know, you're doing it all. But this story is, so Dr. Triangle and Isosceles are heroic figures, the main characters. Mainly that's their…

Let me tell you about the world they live in because… So they live in a world without math. World, once pretty much like ours. Not that long ago, their world probably, they probably could have lived in our world. It was the same. But then at first, I don't know if I've covered this. You know, anti-math sentiment started to grow, and also probably at the same time, maybe less obviously, people's belief in math started to wain, their appreciation of it.

As that happened, you know, sometimes we think stuff… You know, most of the time, we just think, oh, that's just our human, we're just humans being human. Disregarding math. But oh, no. Because this is a story… There was another ominous force at work. A goddess named Discordia who had come to Earth, or was expressing her goddess-like influence over Earth to rid the world of math. Probably to cause something like Discordia. She was successful. Not successful in ridding 100% of the world from 100% of the math, because obviously that'd take… I didn't even mean to pun that, but it'd be like, that's a lot of math.

But what she did do is significant set back technology and all that stuff, because a lot of that relies on math. Or our way of life was significant changed, and you could compare life at current stage here to the Middle Ages. You know, well, they didn't have wagons in the Middle Ages. Some part of my brain just told me. In a fictional Middle Ages, you know, wagons, wells. Okay, well this, that's a world. Once was… This does take place in what once was the United States of America. Now a collection of holdfast, city states, affiliated areas, and things.

So that's the world. Oh, boy. Talk about sleepy. Dr. Triangle and Isosceles, in that world, were performers. They were traveling performers. They made parody plays about math, and you know, they're particularly making light of people who loved math. They kind of made a career capitalizing on anti-math sentiment. Though they may have not been truly believers in anti-math. They did spend a lot time making fun of math. That's why they have those names: Dr. Triangle and Isosceles.

But then they met another goddess, another goddess of course, wanted to keep the world in balance. Had a soft spot for math, so she needed two heroic figures. You know, let's not question Sheshad's judgment, because she is a goddess. But she chose Dr. Triangle and Isosceles to restore math principles wherever they could, to the world. So episodically, what is that other one called? Procedurally, what Dr. Triangle and Isosceles do is they go to an area. They observe the area. They try to figure out what principle of math is missing, and they try to restore that principle. Because usually it's a principle that gets in the way of people living their lives, or progressing. You know, they say, well, let's get some of this… At some point we got to get screen time back. Holy mackerel, am I right? If any kids are listening, they're saying, “right. For sure.”

So Dr. Triangle and Isosceles are traveling what was former United States, so a lot of time they're spending in the Midwest, or you know, West. Trying to restore math. I think that's pretty much it. Two traveling performers trying to save math one town at a time. Even though they don't call them towns anymore, maybe. In a world without math. Also we have a Hollywood, a celebrity, a man who just had a film fest, and who holy handsome. I saw a picture. I mean, you're handsome now, but this is a picture of you when you were younger. Different kind of handsome. Congratulations, ready to introduce our show is Mr. Antonio Banderas.

Ah, thank you. Thank you, Scooter. That's very kind. The ladies is the gentlemen, the boys is the girls, the friends beyond the binary. It's time. In a world without math. Two heroes, or heroic figures, thank you, Scooter. Two heroic figures must stand for math. One town at a time. Welcome to The Adventures of Dr. Triangle and Isosceles.

Wow, that was, whatever the positive version of H-A-U-N-T-I-N-G-ing, that was holy cow. That's Mr. Antonio Banderas, who is going to be laying in my bed. Actually, believe it or not, I have a little present for you, Antonio. I have a game of color coup, or color queue. Whatever it is, set up for you to play while you listen to me record the podcast. It's long, oh I didn't think about this though. Because it is, maybe you should just mentally play it, though, because moving the wooden pieces might make a clicking. So maybe just for you to contemplate. Or, I guess you could play. You could see how silent you could be.

Thank you, Mr. Antonio Banderas, this is Dr. Triangle and Isosceles, the adventures of. Thanks, Scooter. This is Ada here, your trusty narrator and beast of burden. My burden doesn't feel so heavy, but it feels important, and that's telling you about what's happening. I don't know when you last heard from us, but we were swept away by Isosceles sister, and in a mystery. We were unaware where we were going, and where we were swept away too.

It was a long but comfortable journey. So no worries there. Holy cow, they love mules, these… They know how to treat a mule. I could tell you that. So Ada had plenty of water, and room to roam. I knew where we were going, because we crossed a vast desert, which some would call a land of waste. But really it's not, if you know anything about the desert biome. But to the human eye, but a land without a lot of water, without a lot of food. We traveled across that land to a desert oasis, a town that doesn't really exist in your world. A confluence of places, a giant underground aquifer. But way out in the middle of the desert. Way, way out.

An aquifer, excuse me. Ada's mispronouncing words. An aquifer that could have refreshing water for the people in the area, for the animals that lived in the small groves of bushes and trees. That they could come to you know, drink water and continue the circle of life with [inaudible 00:22:34] and humans in the town. As the humans had learned to manage that, and enough for a small amount of crops to sustain a small town. This was an oasis with a village nearby. Pretty nice place compared to the land surrounding it.

That's where two heroes have woken up, and they've been strolling the town, taking it in and getting a lay of the land. I'll turn it over to, they're strolling. Okay. So I guess this is pretty nice. They seem to have… I mean, as long as they keep things in balance. They don't overdo it to people here. This is like a desert paradise. They have everything. This is really, really great place. Right, but I know, so my sister just left us here. No, no, are you going to open the letter she left? I mean, you don't have to read it near me. I'm sure the letter explains everything. But I'd love to hear it if you would read it.

Well, I'm just trying to figure out. So she brought us here. Then she left. I mean, we've been asking, and everyone's really nice here. You're right about that. I think it's just because it's almost like fresh water. I don't know. You're right, is it a pretty nice place, and everybody seems really relaxed. Everyone looks like hard workers. I don't know, is that just me taking a guess. I don't know, maybe it's your subconscious, but can you open…

Okay, so this is the letter from my sister to me. Says Isosceles on the cover, but, on the envelope. But you don't, I guess that's kind of a joke. Okay, do you want to read it word for word? Do you really think so? Let me see. Blankety blank, can't believe you'd align yourself. So funny to see you as attempting to help lead a charismatic movement. Surprised you weren't the one at the lead. You might not understand how to… It's [inaudible 00:25:07] got a lot of stuff about me not getting it. Not understanding what the forces really at work, and good versus not good. May have chosen the wrong side of math, but you know, I could be…

So she's basically, she's placed us here for safekeeping because sounds like she's going to go out there and save math. I don't know if she's working for, it doesn't say anything about Sheshad in here, though. Wait, where does it say that? I don't see anything about, say… She says, I'm going to make things right. Don't bother trying to find me. You won't be able to get out of the oasis. PS, why would you want to?

I see, there she called us a couple of babies. That's not like it wouldn't, that podcaster calls each other sweet baby. It's not like that. It's not a compliment. Okay, well. I mean, the one thing we have to go on is people said she had a wagon, a camel, wagon pulled by camels, and that she headed out that direction. We've been walking to the end of town. We might as well just keep following the camel tracks, at least for a little while, and see where they go.

Yeah, we should have brought some water, though. Well, I'm not thinking we'll follow them all the way. Let's just follow them for a distance. We'll keep our eye, we'll not going to walk too far out of town. I can't believe, I wonder what was here before, though, because it's interesting to be out here in the desert with the swirling winds and the heat. They live underground, and those are concrete… I mean, I wish I knew about this place. I would have just, if I could figure out how to get all of my entertainment and adult beverages out here, I could live out here, but I'd probably have to share everything instead of living, if I was going to live by myself.

Yeah, there's a lot of… I don't know, there's old train engines all lining the edges of town. The camel racks keep going here, heading out towards the edge. But yeah, I don't know what was here first. I mean, I think it's cool that they live in those concrete… I mean, they don't seem to like it that much, but I guess you stay cool below the Earth. You know, then they have the tents on top, for whatever the daytime… But you think, who's out there? Like, back when it was the United States, you think that it was some sort of…

I don't know, it seems to have just served some purpose. I mean, I cannot remember… I mean, maybe I wasn't aware of a giant desert aquifer. But it would seem like there would have been more development around here. So it must have been privatized or… Because otherwise it'd be houses. At least the remains of a golf course, unless it's all under the sand here.

Speaking of under the sand, the camel tracks stop right up here. What do you mean they stop right up here? They stop. There's end of the… They just stop. There's no more tracks after this. I mean, that's strange because the dust is filling in, but it's not, wouldn't have filled in that side. Huh, it's just like they just disappear. Well, do you think she got picked up by a plane or something? I don't, I doubt it, because I haven't seen any planes in like 25 years, at least, or give or take, I can't remember the last time I saw a plane or anything flying.

What about like, remember that Lord of the Rings? What about big bird. Okay, have you seen anyone flying? I'm not trying… Have you seen anyone flying? It could, I mean it's possible. But I kind of think it's hot though. It's hot out here. What's this under the sand? Well, there's train tracks. That's what all these paths are. Oh, so there's a train track leading into town, just buried under the sand, and leading out of town. Yeah, I mean we could try to brush off the sand off the train tracks. What do you think of them? Could we build our own train, like one of those cartoon, push up and down train cars?

I mean, we could. I don't know, I mean, we could probably see what we could put together. It just, yeah. We could see that… I mean, I don't know. Why wouldn't we just stay in this… What's the hurry of getting out of here? If you're sister said she's going to take care of stuff, and we have everything we need here, and she said to stay here, and she seems like actually leader. I mean, she had all those people with her. Logistically she has a team. Maybe Sheshad already knows about it. I mean, even though she didn't mention Sheshad, so I don't know if she has her own charms.

I mean, I'm not too worried. I'm just worried about, like if she got out of here, we should get out of here. Well, let's see. Did you have some conversations with people? Yeah, every time I asked how far is the desert, they said, too far to walk. Then I said, “How far with Ada and a wagon?” They said, “You'll never be able to carry enough water for the three of you.” I said, “Well, how far is it? How much water would we need?” Everyone said, no idea. You know, they have those towers with telescopes. I don't know if maybe that's for watching the stars. Yeah, but my sister made it out of here. So we just got to figure out… I mean, there's a lot of camel tracks.

Excuse me, did you see a wagon drawn by camels? Yeah, sorry to interrupt you. I'm Isosceles. New to town, for sure. No, I haven't… So you can swim in the aquifer? Oh, because it's so deep and the water's churning up from the spring below or something. Oh, you boil your water. Well, I hadn't thought about swimming in the aquifer. Thanks for letting me know, because I had cupped my hands and drank out of it.

I was saying, did you see a bunch of camels pulling… Oh, you did? Lot of camel. How many camels were pulling the wagon? No idea. Was it like, one, two? How many people? You don't know. Okay. Well, okay. I'll see you later. Thank you. Okay, well they don't seem to care. But we're going to get out of here. I'll work on, like what we could do is if we just load up, if we make one of those trains. I mean, there's enough train parts. This must be some old, abandoned train depot or something. We could make a working train. I don't know if we have time to do that, but we could do one of the ones where you're pumping the train, and we could have Ada pulling at times. So then we take breaks, and we'll just bring enough water to cover then.

Or we could have Ada following, pulling a water. Yeah, but we don't even know how far out of town… Like, we don't know if it's one day or five days. Well, we could estimate that. With what data? Like, how, I don't know even have any idea how to measure how fast we'd be going. Then we'd have to figure out how much… you know what I… I don't think you're being reasonable, Isosceles.

Oh, so you're just going to… So that's it. You got what you wanted. We're just going to stay here. I guess it worked out great for you, huh, Triangle? Well, no, for both of us. Your sister didn't say she'll never be back. She just kind of was diminutive, and didn't realize that we were also trying to be heroic. But she sounds, like, heroic. You know what I mean? So why don't we just wait and see?

I thought you had a more analytical mind, but don't worry about it. I'll work on, I'm going to work on getting out of here. Why don't you go swim in the aquifer? Go take a swim in the aquifer. That's what I meant to say. Okay, well I'm just going to take a walk, and I'll see you later, as I walk. Now, the thing I didn't tell him, Ada. Thanks for walking by my side, by the way. Ooh, that was… I mean, what do you think? Would you stay here? I mean, there's plenty of water. Did you just shrug?

The thing I wasn't telling Isosceles was there's also a letter for me from his sister, and I sense that, the frustration. But if we wait here, it's not just selfishness. So it's driven by that. It is that we have the charms, and if we try to leave with the charms, and we… If we only leave halfway then the charms will be in the desert somewhere. I'm going to take a, go up this telescope thing and look around. Maybe, I don't know why I didn't think of it. Maybe, I could, okay, climbing up. Don't worry, Ada, I'll talk loud enough for you to hear me down there.

I'll open up this letter. Oh, Dear Dr. Triangle. Take care of my brother. I'm confident that you and he, and your stubbornness and selfishness will find a way out of town. More important than that, is to keep the water… Oh, keep the water safe until my return. Watch out for discordian forces through the telescope. Sure my brother's pacing back and forth wanting to leave now. But there's some force at work here. We're only able to cross by two ways. By two means. Her handwriting's messy. We come with a set number of camels, and a set number of tanks that we just fill up. For some reason, due to discordian power, we were without, we're unable to figure any of that out when we're here.

By figure it out, I don't even, now I'm getting confused. But basically how much water, and how many camels we need to get out. But we also don't cross by land. If you keep looking where our tracks disappear, you'll be able to figure it out. But don't just head out there. You'll have to figure out some way. You'll have to get some things working. You'll need the town's help. The town will need your help. Okay.

Sorry, Ada, I was just reading and thinking. I looked through the telescopes. There's nothing in any direction. I can just see some green, but it's really far away, and I don't even know if it's… So probably too far to walk to. Yeah, no, off to that direction. I don't know if that's north, south, east, or west, Ada. So, oh, sorry. You're looking at me expectantly. You know, you really are the best mule. You're a mule, right? I'm just kidding, [inaudible 00:37:48].

So this letter from Isosceles sister says basically there's some mystery in this town. Something to do with the water, and the townspeople's help. I think it has to do with all these train engines and all this steam, but I'm going to go get Isosceles. We're going to go to the edge of town, and why don't you go get some water. Don't swim in the, keep the pee out of the pool, you know what I mean, Ada? I'll see you in a bit.

Hey, this is Ada here. So Dr. Triangle and Isosceles eventually got to the edge of town, and they started digging at the edge of the camel tracks. They found a giant platform that sprung up and led underground to a huge, huge tunnel full of pipes. A tunnel that kind of felt humid and on one end had one of those giant doors you kind of see under the water with the spinny thing, and they knocked on it, and it was sweaty with water. Dr. Triangle said, “This is some sort of underground aqueduct. It's closed off right now.” Then they saw that the camel tracks joined up with the train track underground, at the bottom of this aquifer or whatever, and headed off in a distance.

But there was a, not a note, but a sign written on a rock that said don't follow without power. Then we started to notice that the water, the giant door with the water had the pipes coming off to it. Some for water, and some that were hollow. Then Dr. Triangle and Isosceles started to figure out that the trains in town, the engines, yeah, they were all interconnected. The steam… They weren't really train engines, necessarily any more. They were secreters of steam, and that instead of the steam driving the wheels, to drive the trains forward. Most of them went into these pipes. Went into another underground area. Separate but close to the aquifer.

We started asking around town, and eventually realize that most of the people here, at one point in their lives or another, anyone that had been around before the end of math, they were experts in steam and trains. But they didn't care anymore. The more we asked, they said, “Oh, don't bother.” We asked, “Well, have you ever got any of these working?” No. Where do these go? We don't know. Why bother with some main answer. We have everything we need here.

Then we found great stores of coal underneath the Earth. A huge development underground. Very, very, very well made, and built to last centuries, probably. We found a lot of steam. A lot of steam engines. We started to realize that not only were the steam… They were, not only to drive and pump water, but to provide steam heading out of town, to… We found even a small train that we could use if we could get it going to put on the tracks and head out of town, like a two person train. Things don't get publicized like that. In another underground area we even found what could only be described as great, great boilers. For concentrating steam somewhere. Even solar boil… A lot of technology, we found.

But the point was no one cared, and after Triangle and Isosceles don't know, they started trying to tinker and steam, and it didn't seem fruitful. So they started begging the town for help, but no one cared again. Dr. Triangle was going up and checking around every day with the telescope, since that's what the letter said, and then one day Dr. Triangle came down, and asked if anybody had been to the one green patch far, far away, but you know, be able to see through the telescope.

This is a big telescope, by the way. So there's an army gathering there. Just flying the flag of Discordia. Or, you know, random tattered flags that are discordinant, which leads me, you know, they have a [inaudible 00:43:00] and a paisley flag with neons and browns, and pea greens. So that's got to be, that's a Discordian flag if I ever heard of one. They're gathering there at that green thing. Can see the camp fires at night, and still people in town didn't care. They said, of course they'd want to get this for Discordia. Water, steam stuff, who knows what else. You know, they're going to come. It's still, everybody kind of just lied around town lackadaisically.

So let's go to this brainstorming session, Dr. Triangle and Isosceles are actually trying to brainstorm. Okay, let me cut to them. You know, Dr. Triangle, I was wrong. You're right. Like, I don't know how we're going to get these people motivated, but I think it needs to be through the theater. Well, I mean, nothing else has motivated them. But what theater are you talking about? Steam box stuff. What if we show them how good their lives, like a world of steam. Remember Steam Pipe Alley? Yeah, that didn't have to do with being a Steam Pipe, that was a TV show for kids.

Yeah, Mario Cantone. What if we took that and made, took it and mashed up with steam punk into a play, like a Victorian, London meets the Middle Ages or something. I don't know how else to describe it. So just do a play about how great it is to be a steam punk, is what you're saying. Maybe. Like, make a… The old, I could do it. I could play the steam punk. Steam punk without a puff, or something. A little rebel without a cause. Okay, so you're saying glamorize being a steam punk, and a connoisseur of steam punk lifestyle?

Yeah, I'll do a play about that. I'll really ham it up. But also, just like my sister did, just make it seem impossible for these people to obtain. But maybe that's what, where those things are going, too. You know, one other thing I noticed was that the town's defenses are, like the town has a defensive system. It's all steam based. What do you mean? Like, a lot of the pipes going from a couple of train engines, they go to things to shoot high powered water jets. There's a couple steam launched trebuchet. Like, a bunch of things to propel things. Would definitely outmatch, probably outmatch Discordia.

Okay. So this isn't a problem. Math is a problem, motivation. I'll just do a great steam punk presentation. Great show. You know, kind of blow everybody's mind. Okay, so what are you going to do? Because we've used a music, that one. Trouble in river city, I think we've done that twice already. Okay, so we won't do that. I think rebel without a steam. I don't know. What about a steam punk in Victorian London? That's the name of one of those books. What about a Victorian steam punk in a desert oasis? Okay. Tell me more. Holy blue sky. Okay, so you dress as a steam punk. You play it however you want, Dean, Brando. Who is that? You play Gosling. I don't know. However you want to go.

Okay. I was thinking more of a Awkafina feel, but go ahead. Anyway. Okay, so play it like that. Then you've arrived here. This is, you know, this has happened before, and then you say, “Where's my…” You point out all of the deficiencies. So it might have to be like a walking, real life play where you don't break character for days, and you just keep on incessantly pointing out all the modern conveniences of Victorian steam that are missing from the town. Keep planting those seeds.

Also, I'll keep pointing out that we could easily keep the Discordians at bay. But, I mean, so it's kind of like they have everything they want. But they could have more. That might just motivate them. Just keep, go ahead. Be like, oh, how do you… You know? How do you blow cool air? Your air's cool down here, but it doesn't move. So stuffy. I'd do anything for a Victorian steam fan. They'd say, we don't want, you know… That's how they all talk around here. Well, why don't you just go for a walk? Oh, well, you have a steam engine here. It's just too bad. Oh, okay. I got it. I can do that. Okay, great. Why don't you go get, work on your wardrobe, and I'll keep an eye on the edge of town.

Hey, everybody, Ada's here. I'm Ada. You know, I'm back to talk to you once again. So Isosceles did become a Victorian steam punk in oasis town, and made the play, and like some great art, was both inspirant and an irritant at the same time. People in the town did start to tinker at steam engines, especially the people whose nostalgia was reawakened by have… They said, “Well, I don't understand how you make toast with steam.” [inaudible 00:49:43] or whatever. I forgot what name Dr. Triangle or Isosceles have been going by. Because you have to tune it out. For me, it's not an inspirant. But they said, “Well, this is how you make a toast with steam.”

But you know, the idea of having things even better than a perfect desert oasis started to get on people. Then some people were more family oriented, or community oriented, started to think about as Isosceles pointed out, the defenses of the town. Well, why wouldn't we put these to use? So easy, if it was steam powered, and we have everything. Soon, hubbub started to grow in town, and people started to ask, well, I don't know how to ratchet these bolts. People started to work and tinker, and refurbish, and polish, and oil and grease and tighten, and you know, hammer and all those things, was a floury of activity.

There was actually people that were qualified to supervised, and so they were saying, “Okay, well we're going to start our first soft test launch on this day.” Finally the day came when they would do the first small boil, they called it. The first steam. The more activity in the town, the more activity there was out at the edge of the desert, and Isosceles and Dr. Triangle were even watching. But the desert didn't seem, Discordia didn't seem to be able to manage crossing the desert to them, either.

So whole back and forth when, and then it was time for the first steam, and everyone gathered. It didn't go well. I mean, I'll just be honest with you, since I'm the narrator. They were unable to get, wrap their minds around it. Despite everyone being there, despite everyone working together, the right balance of coal, heat, and water, and even for something simple. Simpler steam engine. They just weren't able to do it. You know, they could boil water. But they couldn't boil water in the right balance. It was either too much water, too little water. Too much steam, too little steam. Too much coal. Too much wood, or not enough. You know, even to do basic tasks. Then the idea of storing the steam, and then releasing it. Everyone became very, very unhappy, and you know, F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-E-D.

So they, Dr. Triangle and Isosceles, the rest of the town was, hung their heads. But they looked at one another, and okay, so, don't worry everybody. We're going to work on this for the love of steam. You know, that was the catch line for my character. That's what we're doing. So, Triangle, walk with me. This is not a motivation problem, it's a math problem. Yeah, it's a math problem. Okay, so what if we, so we'll just restore the math, and we'll be all set. Well, I've been thinking about that, because I realized it was a math problem a while ago. But I was hoping, I didn't realize that the breadth of its impacts.

What do you mean, you realized it was a math problem a while ago? Well, I thought it was traversing the desert and distance. That was the math problem. But it is that, overlaid on what we need to calculate. It's hard for me to process without the actual principle, but so, yeah, it's a math principle. It's missing. With the math principle, we'll be able to restore steam to this town, and we'll be able to get out of here.

Right, but so that's what's keeping Discordia's people at bay. But that's what's keeping Discordia's people at bay. No, they're just waiting for something, or maybe they think we have steam and can hold them off. Nah, at this point they have sheer numbers. So I don't think. As soon as we solve the math, they'll just come and take the water and the town. Even if we get out of here, then they'll control the steam and the water. Okay, well. We could get everybody out of the town, I guess, with us.

No, I didn't tell you this, but your sister sent me a letter too, and she said, and I would have probably suspected it anyway, that this isn't some simple aquifer. There's some sort of, this is here for some kind of reason. I mean, even if it's just restore water to nearby cities, and power cities with steam. But I got to think that Discordia is not gathered for me and you. Oh, that's what I thought. Yeah, I thought they were going to come get us. No, they're here to get the town and the water. They probably even knew what we were doing, and now they've put us in this dilemma.

Okay. So what do we do? I think you're wrong, though. I'll be honest. I think this town, I think there's enough to… Remember that movie, On the Road or whatever. They were able to hold the town. That wasn't the name of that movie, but I don't know. I mean, if restore the steam, we'd have to have everybody ready. Okay, but you know the math principle? I mean, I'm pretty sure. I'm pretty sure it's a conversion thing. Because it's like trying to watch, because if you try to watch some of those, the gauges. No, I've been confused.

Okay, here's a question for you. What if we go get that mini steam engine? Actually, everybody went back home, so look, it's just sitting there in the middle of town by itself. There's even a warm fire. What if we restore the math principle here, and we don't, then maybe it buys us enough time to get ready for Discordia either way? Or we just don't tell Discordia. Huh, that's an interesting idea, because they have been testing the… Okay. So, like, we could restore the principle without them knowing about it if we don't do it obviously.

Okay. Okay. I'm going to get the steam engine ready. You restore the math. Do you have a charm in mind? Yeah, I have one that looks like a tea kettle. What do you have? I have one that looks like a bit of a furnace. Okay. Okay, Sheshad we call upon you to restore the principle of ratio rates and conversion. Wait a second, we already asked. It's too late. Because we already convert, we did that in another town. Doesn't mean it can't be missing in two places. Ratio rates and conversion, Sheshad, I already asked. Yeah, that's not good because [inaudible 00:58:16].

Okay, so what do you think? That giant train over there, it's turning into a giant steam woman. A steam gal, I think that's what it says on the… That's the name of the train. Oh, boy. She has a top hat. She's got to be like 30 feet high. What is she doing? Well, she's just standing over us. I think she's building up steam. Okay, so at least we have some time. What are we going to do now? Well, here's the thing. They're going to be able to see that, probably, out there. So that's not good. Also, we have a giant… I think she's more like 70 feet tall steam woman, steam gal. Once she builds up enough steam, then, like luckily she didn't come pre-stoked, because… But she'll probably. Either way we're in trouble, and the town's in trouble, and we don't really have a way to get of here still.

Okay. Oh, she's looking at… Hi, steam gal. I think she just made a choo choo, tried to make a choo choo sound, but she doesn't have enough steam. Okay, here's an idea. Because you did such a good job as, with the Victorian play. What if you do a play for steam gal? I figured out the principle. So I knew it was one of two math principles. So I know what the math principle is. I'm not going to mention it right now. But what if you do a play with steam gal? See, everybody in town's coming to gather. Like, talking about how these are all other steam based beings. These, we're all caretakers of the steam. Who knows what this, if we get all the steam running in this town, what it'll even do, other than help distribute, seems like endless aquifer to other places that might need water.

But, like, teach. What if you do a play while steam girl's, gal's getting her thing built up? You know, kind of, it's like she just came into this world. Maybe it's one of these things with these bosses we've been dealing with. Since she's not instantly against us, you win her over. Then win her over. Show how much, I know, I realize you're going to object, so I'm going to finish what I'm saying. Is, win her over, show her how we care and tinker for steam. Then, and how we got to defend ourselves against the takers of steam. Make sure to put that in the performance, okay? Takers of the steam. Got it.

But that was the bureaucrats in the Victorian era for me, for the other play. Okay, whatever it is. That's fine. But show her that we care for steam. Because then we restore the math principle. She'll, hopefully we could, like, repair her. Then she'll be even more in our good… We'll be in her good graces. We'll have the defense, and we could send her out to help keep this area Discordia free.

Huh, so you're saying if we, so we'll restore the math principle. [inaudible 01:01:51] deactivate. But we'll reactivate her. Well, yeah, you got to connect with what's deepest in the fire, the real fire within her heart. You know, her steam heart. Not just the coal. You know what I'm saying? You really have to do a performance that's so legendary that you find a spark within her. Oh, the old spark. Well, that's, yeah, sure. Sure. Then we'll use, then we'll be fine. Then we'll have the town. We'll be able to leave the town.All right, I'll get to it. You get to it, I'll get to it. Right, okay, good. Why don't you go get changed?

Hey, Ada here. So then Isosceles put a, kind of of a performance, another performance in the round for steam gal. She watched with her childlike incandescent eyes, and Dr. Triangle helped Isosceles, all the people of the town. They already had a soft spot for, I guess, because of their connection in their past lives to steam and to steam engines. That she may have truly been the first steam based being to become to sentient on Earth is an exciting thing. But then to know that as quickly as she came, you know, that once she built up her full steam, she'll probably mess with the town.

What they didn't quite realize is that worked out that the play was going really well. The steam gal seemed to be interested in the life of the steam based community and refurbishment and regular maintenance, and all that. The way it worked, though, is that as she built up steam, she still rose up to her full height, and started blasting steam. Communicated, luckily I don't have to do any of this. We know a lot of it was like, those steam whistle type sounds, which can really get on your nerves. When she did that, they thought at the edge of way out there that the town had restored the steam. So Discordians started going out and trying to traverse the desert without the proper calculations of what they would need to traverse it.

So they kind of got stuck halfway, and then after they were stuck kind of halfway, like they moved too early. Dr. Triangle and Isosceles took their, okay, well, you're right. I can just go to that, because they're about to do it. Sheshad, we call on you, you know as wrong and the last one, Sheshad, went wrong in the right way. Then I guess we were even wrong again, because steam gal still seems to be building up a little more steam. But she built enough steam to slow Discordian forces down significantly.

But we call on you, as we hold these charms, to restore math to our world, one principle at a time. The principle we call on here, missing from our world, is the ability to deal with quartiles. You know, minimums, mediums, the first and third quartiles. So as we call on you right now to restore the principle, and the usage of whisker plots to our world, Sheshad, in your wisdom, please do so.

Okay, there goes steam girl. Okay, everybody get to work on steam girl. Steam girl, steam gal, I'm sorry. I should just read the side of the name of the train. Steam gal, if you could hear me, I know I could see something deeper than steam in your incandescent eyes, and you watched that whole play I did. I'll tell you a story about a steam heroine who was, oh, wow. Her eyes, you guys are already… Oh, because you're able to read, oh. I didn't realize you had those guide. Paper guides to how much steam. Oh, you just couldn't read those before. Oh, to make sure it's within the variances. Oh, because you can't, you got to make sure you don't add the fuel or this water. You got to avoid the minimum and the maximum.

Oh, so that's what a whisker plot does? Oh, these are gauges, which work in a similar way. Interesting. So you're already restore… Hi, steam gal. It's me, Isosceles. You went for a little sleepy poo, but it was just a second, and we're getting the steam back to the town. We are going to ask that once you're at first steam again, steam gal, we're going to have to ask you to go out to the edge of the town, because the Discordia, of course has a backup, you know, backup force waiting to come here, and help us take care of your home. That's right, home. You're right. This is your home, steam gal.

Oh, you want to put me on your shoulder and do that? Well, I don't know if I prefer going out to the… Oh, wow, those steam trebuchets really do work. Okay, so we'll go out there and, what are you going to do? Like, kick around some of the forces of Discordia? Okay, I'll see you later, Isosceles. Okay, everybody, let's get everything ready, and we'll keep this oasis away from Discordia.

Hey, so it's Ada here. So the action parts aren't as really that important. What you need to know is steam gal and the people of the oasis used the power of steam to send Discordia's forces away. Of course, once they saw steam girl, almost no one was interested in trying to get across a barren desert anyway. Those few people that did saw the trebuchets, and the high pressure water, and all that steam. You know, warm steam's not pleasant either. They said, no thank you, Discordia. This isn't winnable.

So the town being kind of safe for a time, Dr. Triangle and Isosceles worked with the people, said they would come visit. Had a heartfelt good bye to steam gal. Wished they could take her with them, and then they had a heartfelt good bye to the town, and they got their own small train, and they headed down a tunnel below the desert, with me on back. Ada, your favorite mule and narrator. The tunnel was so long, that because we have… We decided to stop because you just got to start when you're tired because we can't tell if it's night or day. But here we are in a cool tunnel. There's steam pipes running down our sides. A cool water pipe, was fresh water pipe in. Yeah, we're going to get some sleep here, and I'll talk to you soon. Good night.