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>PENNY LOG INITIALIZED
>MANUAL INITIALIZATION REQUESTED BY: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Start log, force.”
>FORCED LOG REQUESTED BY: “ADRIAN”
>LOG WILL ONLY TERMINATE MANUALLY
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PORTION OF LOG OMITTED FOR BREVITY
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(AD) Start test battery 1.
>BEGINNING TEST BATTERY 1:
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY
(AD) Wait.
>TEST BATTERY 1 COMPLETE!
(AD) Wait.
(AD) What?
(AD) What?!
>
>
(AD) Start test battery 2.
>BEGINNING TEST BATTERY 2 (RAPID FIRE STRESS TEST)
> COMMENCING RAPID FIRE
>
>
>
>
(AD) What?!
>
>TEST BATTERY 2 COMPLETE!
>
>
(AD) Start test battery 3.
>BEGINNING TEST BATTERY 3 (SINGLE SHOT STRESS TEST)
>
>SHOT FIRED SUCCESSFULLY!
>TEST BATTERY 3 COMPLETE!
>
>
(AD) I. (?)
(AD) I did it. (?)
(AD) I did it!
>
(AD) I did it!
>
>
(AD) What am I gonna do?
>
>
>
(AD) Shutdown.
>SHUTDOWN REQUESTED BY USER: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Shutdown.”
>SHUTDOWN SUCCESSFUL!
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>PENNY LOG INITIALIZED
>MANUAL INITIALIZATION REQUESTED BY: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Start log.”
>
>
>
(CR) Adrian?
(CR) She’s ready for you.
(AD) Thanks, Cricket.
>
(AD) You’re coming in, too?
(CR) Bit of an upgrade from errands, if I do say so myself.
(CR) Anyway, I’ll be cheering you on.
(CR) Quietly.
>
(AD) Thanks.
>
>
? Here you are again.
? Adrian Smith, best craftsman in our fair kingdom.
? Or so you claim.
>
? Report on your progress.
(AD) Yes, your majesty.
(AD) Just last night, I was able to finish a small prototype of the larger design.
(AD) This is a strong step forward from our last meeting, and its construction will allow me to create the full-scale version much more effectively.
(AD) There may be issues in scaling up the weapon, but the existence of the prototype shows that in principle, the machine should be possible to make.
>
(CR) Of course, your majesty.
(CR) While I have not seen Adrian’s finished prototype, I have seen earlier versions of his work and been favorably impressed by the results.
(CR) The destructive force his cannon is capable of is nothing short of amazing to me.
(CR) If he says he has a finished prototype, I am inclined to believe him.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
? Excellent.
? You will transfer your prototype into my care after our meeting.
? I will send a courier to retrieve it.
(AD) I need that to finish the full-
? Are you not this kingdom’s brightest inventor?
>
(CR) If I may, your majesty…
>
(CR) Adrian surely is a great and bright inventor, as you say.
(CR) Surely we should trust him to understand his needs as an inventor?
(CR) He may be able to build the full-scale creation, as you know, but perhaps allowing him to keep his prototype would expedite the process.
(CR) Of course, I trust that you will come to the best decision on how to proceed.
>
>
? Your words ring with truth, Cricket.
? Adrian Smith, I am going to grant you a boon.
? You will be allowed to keep your prototype weapon for now to aid in your construction of my masterpiece.
? You have a period of two months to complete my weapon.
? At the end of that two months, you will give me my weapon for our agreed upon price.
? You will also give me the prototype, in exchange for the extra time I am granting you.
? Do you agree to these terms?
>
(AD) Two months may n-
? Do you agree to these terms?
>
(AD) Yes, your majesty.
? I knew we could come to an understanding.
? These last two months mark the end of my generosity, Adrian Smith.
? Use them wisely.
>
(AD) Thank you, your majesty.
? You are dismissed.
>
>
>
(CR) Well, how about that?
(CR) A finished prototype, huh?
(CR) I knew you could do it.
(AD) Two months…
(CR) You can do it!
(CR) And once you hand it over, all your troubles are gone!
>
(CR) Well, anyway.
(CR) I need to go back and take care of some other things.
(CR) I’m proud of you, Adrian!
>
(AD) Thanks.
(AD) Good luck with your work.
(CR) See ya!
>
(AD) Shutdown.
>SHUTDOWN REQUESTED BY USER: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Shutdown.”
>SHUTDOWN SUCCESSFUL!
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LOGS OMITTED FOR BREVITY
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>PENNY LOG INITIALIZED
>MANUAL INITIALIZATION REQUESTED BY: “ZHULI” WITH: “Hi, Penny!”
>
(AD) Did she say anything back?
(ZH) Just hi.
>
(AD) I’ll have to take your word for it.
>
(ZH) So, what are we gonna do today?
(AD) Actually, there’s something I’ve been a bit worried about, and I don’t know what I’m going to do.
(ZH) Worried again, huh?
(AD) Feels like I never stopped worrying.
(AD) Ted found out about the commission, and he doesn’t want me to hand it to the queen.
(ZH) Ted?
(ZH) I hadn’t thought about that.
(ZH) Do you think she’d use it against the revolution?
(AD) Ted certainly does.
(AD) He stormed into my shop and started telling me that if I give the queen what she wants, the revolution will be dead in the water.
(AD) He wants me to give them the weapon instead.
(ZH) That’s a good idea.
(AD) You think so?
(ZH) Don’t you think if they had something like that on their side, they’d stand a better chance against the queen?
(AD) A better chance, but the queen’s still definitely got the upper hand.
(ZH) Isn’t that still good, though?
>
(AD) It is.
(AD) The problem is, I’m scared.
(AD) What happens if I give them the weapon, and then they lose?
(AD) The queen will come after me as well, and then there’ll be no revolution and no blacksmith.
>
(ZH) Is that really why you’re scared?
(AD) What do you mean?
(ZH) Sit with it for a second.
(ZH) Are you really scared because you don’t want to leave the town without a blacksmith?
>
(AD) I am scared of that, but that’s not the only reason I’m scared.
(AD) I’m scared because of you.
(AD) I don’t want to lose you.
>
(ZH) Adrian…
(AD) Before, it would have been easy.
(AD) I hand over the weapon and help out the town, and whatever happens happens.
(AD) But now…
(AD) And I don’t even know if handing over the weapon will work.
(AD) I won’t just give you up for nothing.
>
(ZH) Adrian, do you know why I love you?
>
(ZH) Every time I’ve needed to talk to you, you’ve been right here for me.
(ZH) You care so much about whatever you’re putting effort into.
(ZH) Every time I watch you with a new invention, I can see just how much you want it to succeed, how much time and thought and energy you’ve put into it.
(ZH) And then you turn to me, and talk to me, and help me, and you make me feel like I’m special to you.
(ZH) I can see just how much you care.
(ZH) I can see it right now.
(ZH) I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.
(ZH) I really don’t.
>
(ZH) But at the same time, I have to ask.
(ZH) Is it really right?
(ZH) Would the Adrian I know and love really doom the town to life under the queen, because he was afraid?
>
(AD) I don’t want to doom people.
(AD) I just don’t want to lose you, either.
>
(ZH) Overthrowing the queen would help me too, you know.
(ZH) We wouldn’t have to hide any more, for one thing.
(ZH) I wouldn’t have to live with her anymore, either.
(ZH) I know you’re scared.
(ZH) I know how much you worry.
(ZH) But if this went well, we could be happy.
>
(AD) I’ll. (?)
(AD) I’ll need to think about it some more.
(ZH) Hey, should we keep Penny awake if we’re talking about this?
(AD) Me talking to you is already pretty dangerous, but this does seem like a step up.
(AD) Shutdown.
>SHUTDOWN REQUESTED BY USER: “ADRIAN” WITH: “Shutdown.”
>SHUTDOWN SUCCESSFUL!
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>PENNY LOG INITIALIZED
>AUTO INITIALIZATION: TRIGGERED BY USER: “CRICKET” BY: “Shop door entry”
(AD) Oh, Cricket!
(CR) Adrian!
(CR) You’re the man of the hour right now!
(CR) The queen’s getting real excited about your project.
(CR) You’ve got a lot to live up to!
(AD) Which reminds me, actually, I’ve been meaning to thank you.
(CR) Oh?
(AD) You really saved me back there at the castle.
(AD) If she had taken the prototype…
(CR) It was nothing, Adrian.
(CR) Gotta help however I can, right?
(CR) If she doesn’t get her hands on that project, we’re both in trouble.
(AD) Is that so?
(CR) Yep.
(CR) Especially now that I’ve suggested she let you keep the prototype.
(CR) That’s actually why I came to check on you; how’s that progressing?
>
(CR) If I’m being honest, I went to the testing spot before I came here.
(CR) I sort of expected you’d be working on it there.
(AD) I haven’t started yet.
(CR) What?!
(CR) It’s been a week!
(AD) I’ve been behind on commissions from people in town for months.
(AD) Now that I have a bit of breathing room, I’m helping them before I can’t anymore.
(CR) Isn’t that a bit risky for you?
(CR) I mean, you’ve used up an eighth of your time already.
(AD) The reason I’m a smith here at all is to help people. I can’t just completely ignore them.
(AD) I lost sight of that for a while.
(CR) What about us?
(CR) It’s not just you who’s feeling the risk here, Adrian.
>
(CR) We’re in this together now.
(CR) Right?
(AD) Right, of course.
(AD) I…
>
(CR) You?
(AD) I’ve just had a lot to think about recently.
(AD) What am I gonna do?
(CR) Well, I think you’re gonna finish the weapon no problem, and then you’ll give it to the queen and then you’ll be home free!
(CR) As long as you don’t waste any more time, that is.
>
(AD) Wasting time?
(AD) How can you say that?
(AD) Cricket, helping the town is why I’ve stayed here for as long as I have.
(CR) I’m not arguing that it’s important, but it’s not really the main focus here.
(CR) Gotta look out for each other, right?
>
(CR) Anyway, this was my own little excursion.
(CR) It’s not an errand, so I don’t need to report on anything to the queen.
(CR) I won’t tell her you haven’t started yet.
(AD) Thanks.
(CR) Just make sure you start before she actually sends me, yeah?
(CR) Gotta have good news for her, or else she can get a bit testy.
(AD) Yeah.
(AD) I can do that.
(AD) Sorry for worrying you, Cricket.
(CR) All we can do is keep moving forward!
(CR) You’ll get it done.
>
(CR) Anyway, I have actual jobs to do for the queen today, so I need to leave.
(AD) It’s always too soon with you.
(CR) Well, you know how it is.
(CR) Maybe once this whole weapon deal’s cooled down, I’ll have more time on my hands.
(CR) Toodles!
(AD) Bye.
>AUTO SHUTDOWN: TRIGGERED BY USER: “” BY: “shop door exit and no customers in shop”
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