[[Note: this thread's interaction occurs via internet forum]]

Investigating new topics was difficult. When one didn't know the words and phrases used by that topic, finding information on it was slow, sporadic, and unreliable. When one was also not especially social and didn't immediately know of anyone who openly specialized in the topic...

Well, sure, he could bring it up with any of the Xs, but that wasn't a conversation he was ready to have. A sudden rush of interest in his future? Maybe later, but definitely not right now! He was barely thinking about this, after all. It probably wouldn't go anywhere, like his writing. It was even less likely to be feasible, but it did impact his quality of living much more directly.

After many accumulated hours of wearily browsing internet sites and trying to find new keywords and searching for the same thing in a hundred different orders, largely limited to inaction by the heat, Aiden had come across a forum that looked hopeful, at least. A week ago. It took a while to convince himself to actually go and register, and longer to actually post.

In the meantime, he read threads arguing one method over another, illustrating projects under development - those were interesting - and horror stories. Those were informative. Also very concerning, and led to significantly more research on potential risks on anything that he thought might possibly be useful in making a personal cooling system. Because that was somethin he could really, really use, but couldn't afford. Except he'd never really made anything before.

Okay. He was going to stick a toe into this world. No commitment to anything. Just making an opportunity to get more information. He clicked the New Topic button.

Title. Er. How about leaving that until afterward.

Okay. Post. What should he say? Hm.

<Hi. I am very new to all of this, but have been lurking for a while.>

Did people still call it lurking? He'd been less active on the internet since he joined the team, and even more so since Alaska. Anyway.

<I have a mutation that makes me unable to tolerate heat, although I have yet to find a limit to how much cold I can handle. Summer basically makes it so I can't work, and what few options I've found to stay cool are either useless (because they don't last or are physically incompatible with my work; it can be very physically intense) or way too expensive. I started looking into how I might go about building something, but there's a lot to learn. And not a lot of specific information on mutant-friendly gear that can handle daily use. I'm not the only person with temperature needs who can't afford a two thousand dollar shirt with a six hour battery.>

Where was he going with this anyway? Um.

<Anyway, I guess that's where I'm at. If anyone happens to know of any resources I might have missed, or even education programs in the general NYC area that might help, I'd like to hear about them.>

And Post.

....

TITLE! Oh no, where was the edit button? There. Phew.

<Heat-Intolerant and Fed Up>

Richard had just finished dinner and was browsing forums. He was a regular on a number of innovator/engineering forums. There were HORROR stories much like r/OSHA or R/JUSTROLLEDINTOTHESHOP, there were genuine suggested innovations, the usual rather quickly banned trolls, all in all a mixed bag but if one searched patiently one would invariably find delightful gems.

Take this new thread for example, a relatively new user, joined a while ago only just posting so exiting the lurking phase, and with a seemingly intriguing challenge. Richard being a mutant himself always liked helping other mutants solve challenges, particularly mutation related ones.

Richard scanned the thread titled "Heat-Intolerant and Fed Up" posted by snowcookies.

Richard hit the reply button.

<Welcome to the site snowcookie. I assume you have looked at things like Veskimo are things of that nature out of your price range? Any chance you could be more specific about your requirements? Temperature, duration, an idea of the environment you would be working in so that you can estimate energy consumption and hazards. All of that would help.

There are also alternatives like using something like ISOBAR to power as suite. Let us know more. Fellow mutant and engineer here, would love to help>

He hit send and waited to see what would happen.

After sitting around and ctrl-R-ing for a few minutes, Aiden hauled himself up to make more tea. There ought to have been enough time for the kitchen fridge to have made more ice cubes, at least. Enough for a mug, anyway.

He was in luck, and spent a few minutes steeping tea and fishing out the tea bag and fitting in ice cubes until his mug was just about to overflow. The ice cubes at the bottom melted quickly, though, and he was soon able to creep back to his officially air-conditioned room. Another refresh.

Oh! A reply! He swung into his chair. A couple of links... okay, he'd come across that one at least. Water didn't work as a cooling system that would also be exposed to freezing temperatures, and he was kind of hesitant to use something toxic like antifreeze. His clothes turned to snow too when he shifted, after all, and he had no way of knowing if there was any danger inherent with mixing himself with other... stuff. Not that he was worried enough to avoid mixing with clothing, because going around naked would be infinitely worse than fusing with clothing or something.

Anyway.

<I could probably manage one, but there are some drawbacks. At least in my situation, anyway.

By most people's standards, the temperatures I deal with aren't particularly special, but in the course of my work it can drop below freezing in very little time. So fluid-based cooling systems are... problematic. As for time frame, most of the time a few hours' runtime would be enough, if it could recharge or refill fairly quickly, but there is the potential for extended use. My work can be unpredictable that way.>

Like Alaska. Although that wasn't a heat issue. Or kind of a lack of heat issue, indirectly?

<It also needs to be able to withstand physical impact. Blunt and ideally edged.> Not that he ever planned on getting stabbed, but again, potential. And realistically he was going to get hit sometimes. <Thanks for replying, by the way.>

Ok so some more information was forthcoming. Richard scratched his chin through for a minute then started typing.

< For fluid based cooling that works below freezing, a poor man's trick is to simply add vodka to water, get the ratios right and you have liquid that does not freeze but can still pull away heat. One thought would be to use the circulating water Vodka mix to draw away heat and run it through a heat exchanger that is cooled by the ISOBAR cooler. I would add a few sensors, one to turn the pump onto low if the incoming water temp falls below a set point, that way you conserve power but the fluid will not freeze even at low flow rates. A simple Arduino could serve, the code would be simple. Once then incoming fluid temp is above the min cooling set-point ramp up pump speed in delayed increments till both outgoing temp and return temp are within limits.
 
 As for durability, the cheap option would be to wear a Kevlar vest over it, but a longer term solution would be to make the tube lined vest out of Kevlar in the first place, and perhaps add some shock absorbing padding into the mix as well just make sure that the tubes are as close to your skin as possible. Would that work?>
 
 Send.