How to Open a Door

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Aventicus

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This is a near-future scifi story I'm writing. However, I need to get a locked door open. Material of the door is in my head made of some steel alloy. Durable, but not too heavy. Something that can open and close quickly as it slides along rails. Anyway, the characters are entering a lockdown scenario. There is little power to where they are, and the door they're trying to access has maglocks. In emergencies like this one, there's thermite charges that set off to spotweld the door shut. It can be reopened with embedded lasers, but those aren't working. The team doesn't have ready access to power tools like circular saws, angle grinders, or plasma cutters. Blowing it off the hinges sets off the alarm and they DO NOT want to do that. My idea was to use sonic force to crack the welds and then they could pull it open, but I've got no clue how to make that work. Any suggestions on using a make-sense way of using sonic force to get the door open? One of the characters has something I call dousing forks that detect specific resonances.
 
It's rather strange to have a door that welds itself shut yet has a malfunctioning built-in laser cutter. Seems like a little much. Like an emergency parachute that re-packs itself.

As a resonator, how about a borrowed electric motor that can be spun incredibly fast and then cycled between two frequencies rapidly?
 
Could have someone use the sonic device and speak some gibberish at the same time. "Emases Nepo!"

And when it cracks and they are all perplexed, the character could say "it's just 'open Sesame' said backwards."

Then they can laugh it off and not think about the technical particulars. :)
 
There might be a way to use the fatigue over some time with resonant frequency and possibly changing frequencies over time but you might have to overlook the reality that it might take --time--that your people don't have. What I would focus on would be the ability to break the welds with a resonant frequency.

How many of those devices do they have and is the door one solid weld or spots welded on the door to fix it?

Have you searched out information on possible resonant frequencies that might break welds.

There are some interesting equations related to that.
 
You have elaborated yourself into a corner. :unsure:
I would say simplify the door to something that can just be overcome, maybe making an aperture in the outer wall to reach the lock mech / door motor.
Thieves going through office buildings have been known to bypass locked offices doors by simply kicking holes through the drywall. (Ask me how I know.)
 
Go through the Air Vents.

Still, an awful lot just to secure the door. Sounds like a Last Resort to spotweld the door shut. I that case, just follow the protocol set in place and see where it takes the story.

Also, the door is useless at this point. Even if you have it opened somehow, it's no good anymore due to the thermite itself.
I say, skip the thermite and just go with the magnetic locks. They would be rare earth, thus no power needed for them to work and there would be a manual over-ride on the inside to open it. Make it so that all the characters trapped inside would have to combine all their physical strengths to open it.
 
THX1138 said:
Go through the Air Vents.

Still, an awful lot just to secure the door. Sounds like a Last Resort to spotweld the door shut. I that case, just follow the protocol set in place and see where it takes the story.

Also, the door is useless at this point. Even if you have it opened somehow, it's no good anymore due to the thermite itself.
I say, skip the thermite and just go with the magnetic locks. They would be rare earth, thus no power needed for them to work and there would be a manual over-ride on the inside to open it. Make it so that all the characters trapped inside would have to combine all their physical strengths to open it.
Click to expand...

I like that last bit about physical strength. Seal the door. Requires serious strength to get it open (not part of original design, it's just a desperation option).

Then, you can have a character(s) be unconscious. Or sick or injured. Anything to lessen the party's strength. Then, you can have them recover just in time to get everyone out. Plenty of flexibility there.
 
paranoid marvin said:
Have you considered a kind of sonically-powered tool? Such as a screwdriver, perhaps.
Click to expand...
Or even better, have the TARDIS appear. The Dr. jump out and use his sonic screwdriver to open the welded shut door, then jump back into the TARDIS and disappear, leaving the crew dumfounded and flabbergasted. Only for the TARDIS to reappear moments later and have the DR. pop his head out and ask. "Sorry for being so rude. Need a lift?"
 
The solution should be simple. Cut the power to the maglocks, heat/melt the welds, lift the door off the slide rail. Pirates of the Caribbean did it best.
You could always use the cut wiring to create sparks, electric sparks can reach temps of 5000+ degrees (welder is approx 3500 to 5000). Should be enough to melt or weaken the welds. Getting that workable in the scene could be fun. Even better if you could have plasma conduits.

At the end though, it's near future, not today. So the science can be bent to meet your needs :)
 
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Hi,

Did no one think to bring a sonic screwdriver?!

But seriously, what about attacking the door frame near the lock. I don't suppose anyone has a pry bar? Also I don't really buy the idea that anyone would design a door with thermite charges to weld - I think you mean melt together - the door closed. It would make the door practically useless for the rest of time. And the bloody thing could go off at any time making it a safety risk. If you want to make sure a sliding door stay's locked shut until the right people come along, a simple bolt dropping in the slider would be perfect. And presumably the door owners could come along with the right thingumy to release the bolt later.

Cheers, Greg.
 
Gotta say, this is one of my least favorite behaviors. I can tolerate trolls more than people who drop in only to gather and never to sow.
 
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