hulamit says, "Hoo HOO! Today we are looking at the antique vibroshield from....Gunurash, yes yes."

Reeloc nods slowly.

Reeloc says to Afesotinuilar, "Indeed."

Shulamit shows off an archaic vibroshield to those gathered. "This rounded metal shield is covered in all matter of scars, scrapes, and dings from many years of active combat defense. Two loops chiseled into the back suggest this shield would be wielded on the arm and a small slot in the inner facade is the perfect shape for slotting a strangely humming blue crystal. A thin strip of woven plant fibers is attached to two points on its edge to string clear across the inside of the shield as some kind of sash."

Shulamit says, "Today we have Afesotinuilar Matari with me, as well as Reeloc Sol'lun."

Shulamit nods its head slowly, looking very wise.

Afesotinuilar says, "S'this thing on? M'I comin' through?"

Reeloc inclines its head politely at Shulamit.

A tiny drone flies around Afesotinuilar and Reeloc, beeping as though recording them. Shulamit nods, agreeing with the drone. "Hoo yes, all good."

Shulamit says, "So, hoo. I'd say the first things one is drawn to is the strangely humming blue crystal, yes?"

Shulamit taps the crystal in the center of the shield ever so gently. It sparkles briefly, but does not activate its vibro capabilities.

Afesotinuilar emote totters past the camera, with just the tips of his huge ears visible as it points up to the two Decheeran. "Oh, gloves, gloves. Us meatbags have oils on our skin."

Shulamit starts to hand Afesotinuilar some tendril gloves, before realizing they will not fit. "Hoo, yes. I have some for me and Reeloc."

Shulamit slips into some tendril gloves before handing a betentacled set to Reeloc.

Afesotinuilar emote rummages noisily off-camera, before the waggling tips of his ears move back towards the high table. "Well... Hang on, I saw an Elgan-sized stool over there."

A drone flies around, beeping as it lowers the table to a better height for Afesotinuilar although it still remains high enough that Reeloc and Shulamit don't have to fold themselves in half.

Afesotinuilar steps off-camera again for a moment before pushing a tall chair that looks not unlike a lifeguard's station across the room, with a nerve-jangling scraping sound.

Shulamit waves at Reeloc as it leaves. "We will continue onwards, hoo hoo!"

Afesotinuilar clambers up to observe the proceedings, his little legs kicking absent-mindedly. "Righto, so this shield. Where was it found? Gotta state all th'deets fer th'camera"

The drones beeps, no longer following Reeloc's movements before settling in to watch Afesotinuilar and Shulamit examine the artifact.

Shulamit says to Afesotinuilar, "Most were found near where the sapling cradle was found, so probably, hoo...what was the location called. Azme? Let me check."

Shulamit quietly shuffles through papers.

Shulamit nods to itself, clearly proud it remembered something. "Azme, yes yes!"

Afesotinuilar says, "A city, yeah? What's th'tech level?"

Shulamit says, "Azme is an old village. Was an old village?"

Shulamit says, "I do not think it's currently being used. Somewhere between hoo, the capital and ahhhhh the..."

Shulamit says, "Hoo, Uryet."

Afesotinuilar says, "Well, if ye dug up bits o'it, I'm guessin' its old news aha."

Shulamit nods its head affirmatively.

Shulamit says, "The Historian Nergal Shirat told us the vibroshield walls around the capital are old old too. So maybe when the walls were first made, this was first made."

Afesotinuilar says, "So th'village o'Azme, up on top o'them mesa bluffs west o'Agog."

Shulamit nods its head affirmatively at Afesotinuilar.

Afesotinuilar says, "Oh, th'Guardian Wall is only like 2000 years old or somethin' like that. Not crazy old, and definitely not pre-spaceflight."

Shulamit rubs its chin thoughtfully, raises its eyebrow and says, "I see..."

Shulamit says, "Perhaps then, an earlier prototype. Although generally prototypes are very very big, and hoo...not small like a shield."

Afesotinuilar says, "Ye don't see vibrotech like this much these days either, so its gone outta use since then."

Shulamit taps the shield again, causing the vibro portion to flare up briefly, burning blue before it settles back down.

Afesotinuilar says, "Lets give 'em a few hundred years t'work it out, and say it's somewhere around 2500 years?"

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Acknowledging Afesotinuilar's point to be true, Shulamit nods its head gravely at him.

Shulamit says, "Do you think the crystal is...natural?"

Shulamit says, "Hoo. Perhaps it naturally it does...this."

Shulamit points at the gem, crackling quietly away.

Afesotinuilar says, "Hard t'say. Gunurash did go flakkin' nuts w'th'industrialisation thing so there's every chance it got dug up. But then they were also smart enough t'grow synthetic crystals by then."

Afesotinuilar says, "Maybe we can do some carbon dating or somethin', when we're prepared t'do some damage t'it."

Shulamit nods, pulling out a jeweler's loupe, looking at the gem carefully. "I think without hoo...uh...putting the crystal into an analyzer, we won't know for sure. And I'd rather not do that right away."

Afesotinuilar nods.

Shulamit says, "It's already been tappy tapped, but! Seems fine!"

Shulamit nods at the archaid vibroshield. Very minor cracks show on the shield, but they might have been there before.

Afesotinuilar says, "Mmm. Shields get rough use I bet."

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Afesotinuilar says, "We can do a scratch test - whip out materials o'varying hardness an' see if we can't cause a scratch o'our own."

Shulamit says, "Hoo, very true. They must take a beating. I doubt they were designed to be buried in the desert for...awhile."

Shulamit stares at Afesotinuilar, tilts its head quizzically, rubs its chin thoughtfully, raises its eyebrow and says, "I see..."

Shulamit tries to scratch it with a single tendril. The gemstone shows no damage.

Shulamit says, "Well, it's harder than living wood."

Shulamit nods solemnly.

Afesotinuilar carefully descends his chair to move off-camera again. "Ye got one o'them tester kits over here, I saw before."

Shulamit says, "Hoo, haha yes."

Shulamit indicates to the drone filming to go get a testing kit. The drone flies off and drags the kit back, landing it next to the shield with a heavy thud.

Afesotinuilar says, "First talc, then gyspum, then calcite."

Shulamit rubs its chin thoughtfully, raises its eyebrow and says, "I see..."

Afesotinuilar hurries back to climb up his seat, the tips of his ears bouncing past the camera as he hustles.

Shulamit pulls out a piece of talc, handing it to Afesotinuilar "Would you like the honors?"

Afesotinuilar says, "Wait, I'm a Nanoseer."

Afesotinuilar lets go of the ladder and hangs gently in the air. "I'm a flakkin' dumb-dumb. Yeh, gimme th'talc, I'll have a crack."

"Heh heh heh," Shulamit chuckles.

Shulamit says, "I too forget I can hover. I'm already so tall, hee hoo."

Afesotinuilar drifts up to Shulamit to retrieve the talc from its tendrils before darting back to the shield like a poikos.

Shulamit watches Afesotinuilar, the drone hovering nearby.

Afesotinuilar says, "No sign o'damage, but we expected that."

Shulamit acknowledges the point with a grave nod of its head.

Shulamit says, "It would be a very sad crystal if talc hurt it."

Shulamit says, "The sand itself would have deformed it with its time in the sand, hoo."

Afesotinuilar says, "Wanna skip some steps? I reckon we can do quartz without trouble."

Shulamit looks down at the shield, holding up a piece of calcite. "Time to...hoo!" Shulamit puts the calcite down, picking up the quartz. "As I was saying, quartz!"

Shulamit nods its head slowly, looking very wise.

Shulamit gently pulls the piece of quartz across the shield. The crystal does not like it, but does not deform or scratch.

Shulamit looks at the quartz, now a tiny bit shorter. "Hoo."

Shulamit says, "I don't think it's as hard as diamond though. It doesn't...vibe like that."

Shulamit gives a half-hearted laugh.

"Heh heh heh," Shulamit chuckles.

Afesotinuilar says, "Somewhere in th'middle? Corundum?"

Shulamit nods slowly.

Shulamit says, "I think so, hoo hoo. Guests privilage!"

Afesotinuilar says, "Or... maybe it's harder than diamond - ta-deth deposits are everywhere."

Shulamit hands the piece of corundum over to the floating Afesotinuilar.

Shulamit says, "Hoo, maybe."

Afesotinuilar says, "A guest in m'own home! Alright, corundum!"

Shulamit says, "Hoo, well. Celestine, Scatterhome, yes yes."

Afesotinuilar says, "Pft, I live in Bilox- ooh! It's cutting!"

Afesotinuilar says, "So s'not quite as hard as diamond. Might be a type o'corundum, might be a shade weaker even."

Shulamit watches as the corundum leaves a small groove. "Hoo, we know this crystal is not quite as tough as corundum. But that might mean this shield is very old. Or maybe, conversely, strong? We only have the one currently. A datapoint does not make a set."

Afesotinuilar says, "True, true!"

Shulamit says, "Shall we put it away before we inflict more damage onto it for today?"

Afesotinuilar looks about himself, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Afesotinuilar says, "Yeh, I guess so! S'about time."

Shulamit nods its head slowly, looking very wise.

Afesotinuilar says, "D'we need t'log a thing, or s'th'camera doin' all that?"

Afesotinuilar says, "I dunno if I've ever done one o'these fer real."

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Shulamit carefully packages up the archaic shield, placing it inside the box. The drone beeps at Afesotinuilar, as though informing him it is indeed filming, right before it shuts off.