Applied Inventiontronics, Period 4 - Week 5

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

Today, Inventiontronics was in the Danger Shop. Said Danger Shop looked a lot like a rural 1950's American town. Nice, normal little town, except for that creepy floating dude, and the fact that all the people were robots in various states of disrepair.

The zipperheaded man responsible was standing under the welcome sign, notes in hand, waiting for everyone to gather around.

"Hello, class!" Gosh, he was cheery. "Today, you're going to be repairing the good folks of Milltown. They're all ready and able to tell you how to fix them. Think of it as a walk-through. Ask them whatever questions you need to, they don't bite no matter how angry they look in the icons and are waiting with tools over there."

Glitch pointed over to the main street where six robots, counting the weird floating one, were scattered on steps and porches. Each one had a toolbox sitting near them.

"You can work together, if you like, or work alone. It's up to you. They'll let me know how you did when everyone is finished. Now go on," he started to herd them towards the robot people, "start working!"

[ooc: Wait for the OCD of roboty doom is up!]

Comments

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Hey there, kiddo!" He waved and shuffled over to him, whirring as he moved, and stuck out a hand. "Name's Hank."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He almost startled back. Tinmen to ticktocks... well, was the way between so far? What had kept the Tin Man going, after all, other than his endless quest for a heart?

"Liir," he said. "Um. What do you want me to do?"

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

Hank pulled his hand back, looking a little dejected. Even his whirring sounded a bit sad.

"New power unit in the lower back or replace some ankle joints. Up to you, kiddo."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He looked at the hand.

Took it.

And then settled, just a little. He felt... almost like a person. Almost, but he could tell the difference like you could between a brush in a crowd and a brush against the wall. Something intrinsic.

"Which one is bothering you more?" he asked.

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

Hank smiled and whirred as he shook Liir's hand.

"Power unit would be good," he said with a chuckle. "Don't want to run down to sparks before you're done with the class."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Can you tell me what to do?"

Though he ducked behind 'Hank' to see if he'd have a mess or just some replacement to do.

"I'm not really familiar with ticktocks the likes of you. We don't have them from when I'm from."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Well, of course I can," he said, pulling aside his shirt. The casing was gone from his lower back, and there were all sorts of wires mussed about around and connected to a round battery.

"Gracious me, I ain't been called a ticktock in annuals." If Hank breathed, that would have been said under his breath.

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I'm not from around this time," he said quietly. "They're still ticktocks when I'm from. That's probably lots and lots of years before you."

He looked at the lower back and started carefully arranging the wires more neatly.

"Where would I find a power unit for you?"

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"When you're from? Well, ain't that peculiar phrasing."

Hank motioned to the toolbox. "Everything you need's in there. New power unit is to the left. All you gotta do is disconnect the wires, pull the old one out, and get the new one in and connected." A whirring beat. "I got a backup, so I'll still be able to talk at you when its out."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"All right."

He started working, as carefully as he could manage as he put to memory where each wire he was disconnecting was to go. Then he reached over to the toolbox.

"I'm from Oz. I grew up in the Vinkus and most recently spent time in the Emerald City."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Really now? Ain't ever met someone from the Vinkus that I can recall."

Hank kept still so Liir could work.

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"You might call it Winkie Country," he said as he pulled out the power unit. He swapped in the replacement carefully.

"You might call it Kumbricia. You might call it a dozen things. So many years have passed. I don't know."

He started reconnecting wires.

"I knew Nick Chopper."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Lots of folks knew Nick. Lasted a good long while 'fore his ticks all tocked out."

He chuckled. "An' everybody's got different names for things by now. Hundreds. Makes the cartographers mad as hell, to tell the truth."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"What about the Scarecrow? Or the Lion? Did they last for long?"

He hoped that the Scarecrow had. The Scarecrow had saved him, after all. The Lion, though, could drown for all he cared.

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure, exactly. Never any mention about the Scarecrow dyin' in any official capacity. The Lion, though, I think went off and gathered up his kin and started the first Viewer colony. Didn't call 'em Viewers, then, of course."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"There wouldn't be. Scarecrows don't die."

They just get replaced.

"That's what Professor Ambrose seemed to think."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Always fires, son, can eat up straw in an instant. Just don't know if that was ever the case." Hank didn't notice any hints of attachment, distracted as he was by the business with his power unit.

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir finished connecting the power unit.

"There's latches for something over this," he said briskly.

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Oh, that's just for the casing. Don't need it," he said, letting his shirt fall over it again and straightening up, smiling.

"Thanks all the same."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He backed away.

"Should we do your ankles as well?"

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Can if you like, kiddo. Don't have to."

Hank smiled congenially at Liir.

"'less you want to save some fixing for your classmates."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He nodded.

"I probably should. Er."

He looked sideways at Hank, green eyes so very troubled.

"Do you want me to leave you alone so they can get to it?"

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

Hank, despite being oblivious to quite a few things, was still a Nurture Unit by design and programming. Troubled eyes were noticed.

"Don't have to," he said, trying his best to look as non-threatening as possible. "Somethin' the matter, kiddo?"

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He reminded himself that this was a ticktock. He was looking to a ticktock for advice, worse than wanting one to do your laundry...

"I've had a very very odd sort of morning."

Re: Fix some Robots! - Hank (2/4)

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Odd?"

Programming was clicking on, files opening and searching as the system went through lines of code about how to deal with young people who had odd mornings.