Some of the vibranium alloys showed promise for unexpected applications. A copper and tin
admixture, in particular, had fascinating properties, and only required a very small percentage of
vibranium. Tony was still thinking about it when he parked his motorcycle outside the church.
The AA meeting went well. No one had fallen off the wagon since the last meeting, so there was a
jubilant spirit and hugs all around. Tony didn't know if other AA groups were into hugs, but this one
was, and after the initial surprise he'd found it was an excellent thing, whether used as comfort,
consolation or congratulations.
The meeting leader had as usual coffee and doughnuts on the side table to refresh everyone after the
speakers had finished, but this time she'd added a case of bottled water. "Got it at Sam's Club in
Knoxville," she said. "What do you think, Sterling?"
Tony picked up a bottle of 'Glacéau Smartwater' and perused the label. "Wow, Coca-Cola's
merchandizing department is amazing. This is tap water, distilled to take everything out of it, and
then they added electrolytes."
"Electrolytes are a good thing, though?"
"Sure, but they're not magic. It makes the water taste better than plain distilled, but I could make it by
the gallon by adding a few cheap ingredients to generic distilled water. Or you know, the quickest
way, add a few drops of unflavored Pedialyte... I picked that up from a soldier..." Soldiers made him
think of the coming war. He reached into his pocket to touch his new two month coin, bronze again,
copper and tin with traces of silver, but it could be vibranium bronze coins. Huh, smart water... No.
SmartWater! Liquid encoded by different techniques, each resulting in a binary sequence unique to
each batch. Already in use as a theft deterrent and property identifier in some areas.
After a few minutes, Tony realized he'd lost his audience. Probably looked foolish, holding a bottle
of water and staring off into space while he thought. God, space. This... this wasn't a complete
solution, but it could help a hell of a lot. He had to get back and contact the Wakandan scientists,
check if his math was right. If it was... even a small amount of vibranium could protect a large area.
He put the bottle back down on the table, and waved goodbye. Got to get back home to begin work
on Project Atlas. Yeah. Project Atlas, hold back the sky, and protect the Earth.
Chapter End Notes
SmartWater REALLY exists. This is amazing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartWater
YOU ARE READING
Peachy Keen
ActionSummary What if Tony decided in Siberia that he couldn't just go home? He was used to being the scapegoat, but this time the cost would be more than he could pay. Ross would have the ammunition he needed to get Iron Man under his control, and what h...
