Geminid What do you do to poor Geminid?

• Quacklin takes him up to his roof and introduces him to everyone. "This is Phillip, and this is Alga, and you've met Walker, and.."

Quacklin He shows him all the sculptures built from dreams.

Quacklin He also teaches Geminid how to zip-line.

• Geminid learns quickly.

Quacklin "And these are the trees. They stretch out in the light, like the insides of a thermo-metromiter. It's dark now though, but if you shine a light on them..."

Quacklin he takes a light from a sculpture and shines it on the trees, and waits. He continues to explain how all the pieces of things work, especially if Geminid knows the technical terms for things.

Quacklin ie, the gnomish words.

• Geminid knows them quite well.

Quacklin "And so this is how I build a dream. I wait for the ideas to come. I write down the good ones, but the bad ones need more work. I build those and try to fix them."

Quacklin "You should build one. I've got lots of parts. What are you thinking about?"

• Geminid cocks his head, "This unit thinks about dreams."

Quacklin "What aren't you thinking about, that you should be thinking about?"

• Geminid pauses, "This unit does not understand."

Quacklin "That's what's in most of my dreams. Things I'm not thinking about, but should be thinking about. Or things I thought about before, or things put together in new ways."

Quacklin "And then there's the new dreams I haven't thought of before, but that I wanted to think about. And the bad dreams I can't forget."

• Geminid shakes his head, "This unit does not understand."
• Quacklin picks up a hammer and cone. "It's like putting things together. Pick up two things here on the roof."
• Geminid looks around and picks up a lightbulb and a wrench

Quacklin "Now put them together somehow."

Geminid He puts the wrench around the base of the lightbulb.

Geminid That is, the mouth of the wrench around it

Quacklin "Now, this combination is different from just a wrench and just a lightbulb. It does new stuff. Make up a name for it."

• Geminid says, "How does this unit make a name for it?"
• Quacklin considers. "What can it do that it couldn't do before?"

Quacklin "The light bulb is easier to screw in now."

• Geminid considers, "This unit can see little added utility."

Quacklin "So it's an easier-screwer-lightbulber."

Geminid "Does that make it a dream?"

Quacklin "Some dreams are like that, but with ideas instead of objects. Any two ideas get put together to make a new idea."

• Geminid nods, "This unit has much knowledge, but no ideas."

Quacklin "The ideas that go together are kinda like dream."

• Geminid cocks his head, "This unit does not understand."

Quacklin "Tell me two facts."

>Gabe< Yo?

Quacklin "or tell me two things you know."

• Geminid pauses.

Geminid "The Ironhook Corporation made its fortune first through railroad, but expanded into weapons during the second to last war. The cutting edge of film technology is often first used in the pornographic film industry."

Quacklin "Okay. Now we combine them into an idea. The Ironhook Corporation made it's fortune first through railroad because the cutting edge of film technology is used in dirty movies."

• Geminid shakes his head, "Inaccurate."

Quacklin "So that couldn't be true?"

• Geminid considers, "This unit does not see how."

Quacklin "Then it's not useful like the lightbulb wrench. But if you keep trying it with everything you know, you'll find some ideas that do work."

• Geminid pauses, "Such calculations and combinations would take... three hundred twenty two thousand eight hundred fifty six years, nine months, one week, three days, eight hours, fourty minutes and six seconds."

Quacklin "You don't do them all. Just practice until you find one to start."

Quacklin "Then find out what makes that combination different. You'll find more combinations that way."

Geminid "The Empire of Tara'hin was founded nine times since its first founding. The city Madziar has never been destroyed."

Quacklin "Could the Empire of Tara'hin been founded nine times because the city of Madziar has never been destroyed?"

• Geminid shakes his head.

Quacklin "What about the other way around?"

• Geminid pauses, "Inconclusive."
• Quacklin beams. "That's the first part of your first dream."
• Geminid considers this. "This unit will reflect on this."

Quacklin "Okay. If you can't figure it out, or if you want to see how it works, we can build copies of the cities too."

• Geminid pauses, then nods.

Quacklin "Taking an idea like yours and trying to make it real, sometimes that can answer the question."

Quacklin "You can learn how to do it with practice, just like learning to zipline."

• Geminid says, "May this unit and yourself build the cities now?"

Quacklin "Okay. Draw how they are laid out, and we'll get started."

Geminid He takes paper and makes perfect replicas of Ienova and Madziar

Geminid Maps, that is

• Quacklin has him sketch them on a portion of the roof. Then he starts eyeballing pieces of trash into the proper buildings and roughly reconstructing the cities.

Quacklin we do this until it's time for the sleepover I imagine.

Geminid You'd barely be started construction by that time.

• Geminid is insanely skilled at detailing the cities.

Quacklin that's fine.

Quacklin Quacklin has another lesson for him. He uses the lightbulb for a building, uses pieces that don't fit exactly, etc.

• Geminid has a hard time wrapping his head around that

Quacklin "It's like when I gave you the idea to combine things you know. Sometimes ideas don't come from you directly."

• Geminid considers, "This unit does not understand."

Quacklin "By using what I have around me, I get new ideas. The goal is to get ideas, not build the city."

• Geminid looks to the ceiling, then back to Quacklin, "The process brings inspiration?"

Quacklin "If the lightbulb doesn't fit here, then I take it out." He demonstrates. "If it does fit, that's part of a new idea. It builds the dream."

Quacklin "Right!"

• Geminid considers, "This unit has much to learn."

Quacklin "I made Walker after watching a spider inside Phillip. As I built him, I made up new parts from what I had around. The pieces I used ended up fitting better than my first idea."

Quacklin er, "as I built her,"

Quacklin "That's also why you have to have lots of stuff, so you can get more ideas. You have to know lots of stuff as well."

Geminid Wait, who is Phillip?

Quacklin the tentacle

Geminid Got it.

• Geminid considers, "Material possessions bring inspiration?"

Quacklin "Only if you try and make them fit where they don't normally go."

Quacklin "Other people have thrown away everything you see up here."

Quacklin "But I put it together in new ways."

• Geminid considers, "What do you seek?"
• Quacklin sighs. "I'm trying to fix my bad dreams. Like the one with the Scissorman. If I don't fix him, he'll kill me."

Quacklin "Before that, I wanted to give people new ideas. Movies give people ideas all the time."

Quacklin "They're like dreams, sometimes."

• Geminid nods, "The film industry was once a bastion of inspiration, when the Hat Makers ran it."

Quacklin "Oh, it still is. People wouldn't go if they didn't get ideas."

• Geminid cocks his head, then nods.

Quacklin together, we continue to construct the two cities.

Geminid You get as much done, then go back to the lot?

Quacklin before it's time, Quacklin takes Geminid for a quick to-go order at his diner, then they head back to the lot.

• Geminid does not eat. The waitress gives you extra cream on your crab cake and feta wrap.

Quacklin (nice) As we're walking back, "If you want to work on your cities, come over any time. Phillip could use the company. He gets a bit sullen sometimes."

Quacklin "I'll see if I can get more stuff for your project."

Geminid "This unit is grateful."

Quacklin "Sure! You're a good listener."

• Geminid cocks his head, says nothing

---

Geminid Where's Quacklin go?

• Quacklin heads home by rail, up to his house to get Walker, then to the junkyard.

Quacklin like he promised.

Geminid This is the one where you asked to buy some junk?

Quacklin yes, the one with the good slag.

Geminid Your note is gone, but no one's there to sell to you, and no one's around to talk to except junkyard dogs.

Quacklin do I see it collected anywhere near the office?

Geminid No, it's not been moved.

Quacklin how rude. Plan B it is. Quacklin returns home, searching the regular trash places on the way back. Then he gets to work.

Geminid What's he do?

Quacklin are the fences barbed?

Geminid At the top, yes.

Quacklin he uses the bicycle frame, connects together some gears, and makes an electrical capacitor circuit that he can charge up by biking. He connects this to two electromagnets and normal magnets, one designed to be thrown over the fence to the slag, the other designed to be on his side of the fence.

Quacklin The idea is that he tosses one of the trays over until it attaches to the part he wants, then uses the electromagnet to create a magnetic field that pulls the two magnets together, then pushes these up the fence and over to his side

Geminid Why doesn't he rule the world?

Quacklin no one has suggested that to him yet.

Quacklin the trays are cafeteria trays, he gets coils from an old air conditioner, 3/8th gears, and starts putting all of this into Walker.

Geminid It takes a few hours to get that together, I think.

Quacklin definitely.

Geminid You get a magnetic grapple, of sorts.

Quacklin while building Getter, Quacklin listens to the radio

Geminid "...And another wave of locust attacks has hit the city in the wake of the dust storm. This one killed two production assistants from Leonine Studios today, in front of witnesses. Authorities suspect sorcery or cult activity..."

• Quacklin makes a mental note to make provisions to protect against that.

Quacklin a locus costume, perhaps?

Quacklin he works further in earnest, eager to make the stilts that will let him run from locusts.

Geminid "...And in other news, Armande Green is running for mayor! The president of Aurdog Studios announced today his candidacy for the top municipal spot, joining a race of ten contenders so far, including incumbent mayor Jonas Watley and other local leaders."

Quacklin "He's going to need a fast car."

Quacklin "Or really good stilts."

• Quacklin changes to the gnomish channels.

Geminid "...and Ironhook CEO Marshall Ironhook announced his candidacy for city council today, representing District G," which includes Burzene, "he had this to say:" A high pitched gnomish voice of the gnome who runs the railroads speaks. "It's time for the small, underfoot folk of this city stood up tall, on their mechanic stilts and pogoing shoes, and said, 'This is our city, too!'"

Quacklin (we can go ahead to the junkyard anytime you like. I just was trying to add flavor to the scene. I realize I'm asking for a lot of news when your attention is divided.)

Quacklin "He's right, they might listen if we're on eye level."

Geminid Those are the only two tidbits I needed to share, actually

Geminid The trip back to the junkyard takes a few minutes, but you make it.

• Quacklin goes to where all the pieces he needed were, and gives Getter a workout. Getter makes a high pitched whirring noise when Quacklin engages the flywheel, and occasionally a spark attaches to something metal and nearby when the capacitor is fully charged.

Quacklin he brings money as well

Geminid Junkyard dogs uselessly attack Getter's arms.

Geminid But they back off from the whine, whining themselves.

Quacklin "Nice Doggies!"

Geminid They run off, wounded by noise.

Geminid You drag metal to yourself?

• Quacklin examines each piece of metal he gets, having walker step on it, testing it's springiness.

Geminid You get a wide range.

• Quacklin throws back the metal he's not interested in, or has Walker throw it back. He's looking for the most tensile metal he can get. He'll have to borrow someone's forge to get it into the shape he needs. He needs enough to build 4 relatively thin limbs about as long as his body.

Geminid He can get enough this night for that.

Geminid Does he know where to find a forge?

Quacklin when he's finished, he goes back to the office and slips money underneath the door, paying a fair price.

Quacklin I imagine someone in Burzene has a forge he can rent

Quacklin in fact, I imagine you have to put your name onto a waiting list.

Geminid There are a few forges in Burzene, more in Akazad Alley.

Quacklin perhaps it's even a gnomish public works thing

Quacklin gnomes asked for chemical vats, electro dyanmos and a public forge instead of parks

• Quacklin goes to Burzene forge and talks with the owner. "Excuse me, could I borrow this forge and some assistants?"

Quacklin "I only have a little metal work, it won't take long." He indicates the metal on Walker.

Geminid "Our next free slot is Uqtium," Saturday. "At 10 p.m."

Quacklin (when is that relative to the competition?)

Geminid The competition is months away

Quacklin does that conflict with his dinner date? "Okay. I can come then."

Quacklin if his blind date is then, he'll just have to bring her along.

Geminid It's roughly the same time, perhaps after if things go poorly

Quacklin he'll definitely have to bring her then.

Geminid The man nods and takes your name down

Quacklin I imagine the Akazadian forges are where you go for quality, and the gnomish forges are where you go for dangerous molten metal catapults and experimental alloys.

Quacklin but the gnomish forges are cheaper.

Geminid It's true.

Geminid Where to now?

Quacklin back home to work on the fuzzler telescope.

Geminid Refresh my memory

Quacklin the news said that someone might have seen a space fuzzler

Quacklin so he got a bunch of mirrors to arrange and create a fuzzler telescope

Quacklin using the mirrors to focus instead of lenses.

Quacklin that's the first part of it, anyhow.

Geminid Right.

Quacklin the second part will be a motor and photoresistance control circuit to track lighted objects as they move out of the telescope's field of vision. He'll project this to a small screen on his roof. That's the eventual plan. It's a work in progress. He'll design it to look like a giant eye if he can.

Geminid A good seque: as he's working on this, he hears something outsid.e

• Quacklin is working outside on his roof. He peers over that edge, wanting to know if he should secure his sculptures from an explosion

Quacklin (once completed, Gander will track any object it sees flying across the sky)

Geminid A floating, bulbous sphere with sprouts drooping off it floats through your sculpture garden. The sprouts, or stalks, hold eyes on them, and you get the feeling this being is partially your antithesis.

Quacklin "This is my roof! Get off!"

• Quacklin moves closer to Phillip's controls.

Quacklin "This is your last warning."

Geminid The being turns to face you, and one big giant eye in the middle of it faces you. It hovers there a moment, then hisses with a gaping mouth just below its main eye.

Geminid Then, it scrambles itself, and vanishes.

Quacklin (Quacklin won't judge something for floating and looking like a horrible monster. He actually thought it was kinda cute. But it really needs to learn and knock, and it gave him a funny feeling.)

Quacklin what color was it?

Geminid Reddish brown, except the eyes were all colors

• Quacklin decides to make Gander look like that, with the stalks instead containing smiling mouths with the photoelectric circuits inside.

Quacklin in fact, the stalks will have all different expressions, but all happy.

Geminid How long does he work on that?

Quacklin it's too late to get a suit at this point. After working on Gander for a bit, Quacklin will supply Alga with another piece of gum, check his messages, and give all the people around him a quick inspection. Not too much dust comes up here, but enough might wear out some moving parts.

Quacklin he works until 1, then goes for another bite to eat at his diner.

Geminid The waitress smiles as you enter, "Did you see the beholder?" she asks.

Quacklin "What's that?"

Quacklin or rather,

Quacklin "I saw something with lots of eyes. It could behold lots of things."

Quacklin (he'd know what it was if he bothered to think about it.)

Geminid "Sounds like the creature. It came floating past an hour ago and killed a greater gnome right outside."

Quacklin "I knew he was bad news! Are the Ornothopter Crews looking into it?"

Geminid "And the other authorities," meaning not gnomish. "And the railroad men are offering a reward for news."

Quacklin "What kind of reward?"

Quacklin "Sorry, I had my radio off."

Geminid "Your choice of engine!"

Quacklin "Wow! They'd get reports from all over the city!"

Quacklin "Can I have some capers and a goat cheese blendie to go?"

Geminid She says, "Comin' right up, if the blender survives."

Geminid She grins and goes back to work.

Geminid A moment later, a cook screeches in terror, everyone ducks, and a cup of goat cheese blendie lands on your table with a bowl of capers.

Quacklin "Good aim!"

Quacklin "You got it, Jollywacks!"

• Quacklin pays and leaves his tip, then zip lines over to the railroad office. He uses a zip-harness so he can eat on the way.

Geminid The railroad office is manned by a lonely old gnome at this hour

Quacklin "Hi! I heard you were looking for information on the big red scabby thing with lots of eyes?"

Quacklin "I think it's scared of my friend Phillip."

Quacklin "It came up to my roof and I told it to go away, then it shook and got foggy and vanished."

Geminid The gnome blinks, "Do you need a ticket?"

Quacklin "Not today. Are you the only one here?"

Geminid "At this hour, sir, I am."

Quacklin "Okay."

• Quacklin goes back to Burzene street, looking for Carpathy's house.

Geminid His lights are out.

• Quacklin writes a long note and hangs it on Carpathy's zipline. The note contains his account of what happened and how to contact Alga.

Quacklin then, he goes home.

Quacklin it's probably late at this point.

Geminid Very,.

• Quacklin goes home, dresses up in his banker suit, and grudgingly goes to bed.