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]

"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.

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

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Strange dreams," he amended. He decided not to get into the exploration of 'what is porn?' that'd happened. "And strange people."

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

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

Additional programming kicked in. Secret, hidden code and binary all pulling up information on dreams and queens and special assignments.

"Could mean somethin', you know. Dreams can be very important."

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

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Someone else said the same. I don't think my dreams can be much of anything. Except--"

Except these had been about Andrew. And Teddy.

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

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Shouldn't second-guess somethin' you don't know. Least not 'till you know more about it."

Programming was still running through files, bits of code, snippets of data. Overall, that was a very pre-made comment. Not that anyone could tell, of course.

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

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"But how do you find out more about something like that? Having strange dreams and not being sure if they're real or just your mind playing tricks?"

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

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

"Well, I'd suggest talkin' to folk you know about it. They might know somethin' you don't."

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

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I suppose," he said with a quirk of his lips.

"Er, thank you."

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

[a-no-brainer.livejournal.com]

Hank nodded and smiled, whirring all the while.

"Welcome, kiddo."