[TML] Ingenious Chemistry, was Re: NY Reload

[Richard Aiken]

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 3:41 PM, Mark Urbin <eclipse at urbin.net> wrote:
> The Mythbusters TV show "cooked" cartridges in an oven.  When the
> powder ignited, the brass case caused more damage to the inside of the
> oven than the bullet.  It was moving faster.

Anybody else watching "Breaking Bad?"  Last night's episode revealed a
neat use for chemistry knowledge, that could easily show up in
someone's game.  Not sure how "real life" it was, so I'm throwing it
out here, just to check.

SPOILER SPACE

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Setup:  Gangsta has been selling the meth they made retail; one ounce
has brought them just over $2000, but Teacher isn't happy with that.
Desperate for funds to finance his chemo treatments (without having to
accept charity from the now-very-wealthy ex-best-friend who married
his first love), he pushes Gangsta into selling wholesale to the
area's New Distributor.  (What happened to the *Old* Distributor is a
looooong story, involving a large quantity of strong acid . . .).
Gangsta finds an Old Cellmate of New Distributor to make an intro.

The Bad Luck: New Distributor is not amused that someone has been
selling ultra-pure meth in his patch, without his leave (or him
getting a cut).  So New Distributor beats the s*** out of Gangsta -
putting him in the hospital with broken ribs - and steals the entire
pound of meth.  Teacher discovers what happens and asks Old Cellmate
for a full briefing on New Distributor.  NOTE: Due to the chemo
treatments, Teacher is looking rather haggard and is shaved bald.  He
actually looks rather like a worn-out ex-con . . . which proves useful
for blending in.

The Ingeniousness: Some hours later, Teacher walks up to New
Distributor's hangout and demands a meeting.  Curious, New Distributor
let's him in, but (of course) has him patted down for weapons.  No
weapons are found, but the henchman do find a bag of large, clear
crystals, which they turn over to New Distributor.  New Distributor
makes a small slit in the bag with his bowie knife and lifts out a
sample crystal, which he closely examines for clarity before laying it
down on his desk blotter.

He looks up at Teacher and demands: "Well?  What do you want?  It's
your meeting!"

Teacher, very calmly: "$50,000."

New Distributor laughs uproariously for a bit, then demands: "For WHAT?"

Teacher, still calmly: "$35,000 for the pound of meth you stole and
another $15,000 for my partner's pain and suffering."

New Distributor looses it again for a while, then eventually gasps:
"Let me get this straight.  You send my your mule with a pound of
dope.  I beat the s*** out of him and rob him.  So you show up
yourself!  Not only that, but you bring me ANOTHER pound of dope!  Is
that right?"

Teacher glances around the room <checking the positions of the
henchmen> then looks back at New Distributor and says: "That's almost
right."  Bending down, he picks up the sample chunk New Distributor
lifted from the bag.  "Except that this isn't meth."

Covering his eyes, Teacher SLAMS the crystal into the hardwood floor behind him!

<View of building from across the street>  BOOM!!!!  ALL the windows
blow out in gouts of smoke and flame!!  The wall A/C unit is thrown
out into the street below!   Car alarms start going off everywhere!
People on the street, are staggered, some picking themselves up from
the ground.

<Back inside hangout> Teacher was expecting blast, so even though he
is a little charred around the edges, he manages to stack up the bag
of crystals and hold it over his head, before anyone else can gather
their wits.

Teacher, in a very tight voice: "I want my money."

Needless to say, Teacher gets his money.  He also get a deal to sell
New Distributor a further two pounds, at the same price, money up
front.  New Distributor has discovered that the ultra-pure product
literally flew off his "shelves."

Just before Teacher backs out the door, New Distributor asks, "Just
what is that stuff, anyway?"  Teacher hefts the bag a bit and says
shortly, "Fulminate of mercury."

So . . . my question is: Would this actually work?  Are raw crystals
of fulminate of mercury clear enough to pass for pure meth?  Would a
chunk about the size of someone's thumb create an explosion like that?
 If the person setting off the blast was expecting it (and had STRONG
willpower), could he stand a couple of feet away and remain unscathed
enough to act as Teacher did?  NOTE: The only visible effect of the
blast on Teacher was a bloody nose and some singed clothing.

BTW, the actors weren't shouting at each other after the blast (as
real people with appropriately stunned hearing would have been), but a
GM can correct for that easily enough in-game.

-- 
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident."  Robert A. Heinlein