Frozen Hydrogen Bubble Mushroom

Frigid gusts whipped across the square, making those crossing it step lively with shrugged shoulders. In its middle huddled a cluster of shoppers, winter tourists and curious, keeping warm under the cap of a ten foot, stainless steel mushroom. Now and then, with a rainbow sparkle reflecting the feeble winter sun, a spore-like bubble broke free of the cap’s edge rising quickly as it was swept away over the rooftops.

Other bubbles clustered like multihued frog eggs above the assembled pedestrians who watched them wide-eyed with some apprehension and listened to the slight tapping as new frozen spheres made their way up the metal stem. At its base, hydrogen seeped through a wet, soapy mouthpiece at the bottom of a foggy dry ice tank creating more lighter-than-air hail.

At random intervals glow plugs at different places on the inner roof switched on, melting and igniting the nearest bubbles with a “wump…wump, wump”. Each flash lit up, warmed and sprayed those nearby with a balmy mist smelling of lilac.