Tenet laid on his table when it gently tapped on his shoulder. It was her.
“How are you doing?”
“I think we can start the final stage tomorrow...” he replied, pointing tired on his papers.
“That's not what I asked for” she smiled at him “How are you?”
“Well, uhm... I think I'm fine.”
“Why don't you make a break? The others are waiting”.
“You know our schedule, why don't you go ahead and I follow later”
He tried to turn away, but her hoof grabbed his leg and pulled him along with her.
She wasn't strong, but as soon she touched him, he became too weak to fight back.
“Ahhh... there he is!” it cheered.
“About time” it grunted.
“No reason to be impatient, he made it in time.”
It came from three stallion's, which sat in a circle, waiting for the two gaps to be filled.
The last arrivals sat down and closed the gap around the dinner in their middle.
They were a group of five. Four stallions and one mare.
The first was himself... he was the mechanic and late, as usual, unable to put his work down for just a minute, without somepony forcing him to. He welcomed the challenge which laid ahead.
Going clockwise around came Bottle-Jack... he was the chemist here, a bright green stallion with cyan mane and dark orange eyes. He always had a playful smile on his lips and kept seesawing back and forth, unable to hold still for just a minute, as he would overflow with energy.
Swiftmovewas the next in line... he was the magician, a pale blue unicorn, with black mane and purple eyes. His second name was Ace, since his parents couldn't agree on a name, so in tradition with their family roots, they let fate decide – each of which picked a card from a stack.
His father pulled Spade Nine... his mother Ace Heart...and therefore, won.
Sledgecame right after... he was the steelworker, but unlike most pony's working in this business, he wasn't a bulky earth-pony, but a slick gray pegasus, with white mane and dark green eyes. He didn't just know how to craft metal, but also form arguments, which made him to the unofficial leader of the group.
Last but not least was Muse... a white earth-mare with a yellow mane and green eyes. She was the one responsible for the design work, which would combine all their talents, with the simple use of a sheet of paper and a piece of lead. She loved being around others, more than anyone else in the group. The more the better.
They shared a humble meal with one another, mostly consisting of crops while talking about work and once in a while; about the things they would do after this.
Tenet was zipping juice thoughtful while giving a few glances towards the pony sitting on the opposite side, which was busy talking to a stallion, showing a hoof-sized paper with one of her thousands of scribbles. Later, those would be turned into detailed drawing's, in different scales, but all with the same amount of love in detail given to them.
“... it's connected here and ...here... you think this works?” Muse pointed out.
The gray pegasus nodded thoughtful “It will, but you have to make this bow further, or it will block up – this- part.” a hoof-tip tapped.
“I know, but Jack told me he would need the space” with that she circled a small spot.
“Jack, why you need this area?”
“Oh, good question! Yes, really good! And I will answer this to you right away!” with that the chemist jumped up and ran a half circle, to sat down in between them, tapping one time onto the paper “it's... for the coolant!”.
The gray stallion gave him a disturbed look “You could have said this, without coming here.”
“Oh sure sure, but ... I like our, bonding” he grinned brightly.
“Your chemist jokes ain't as funny, as you might think” it came calmly.
“You don't like them!? He doesn't!” Jack gasps overly dramatic “What you think!?” turning to his right to find a giggling mare “But she does! She does!” it now smiled brightly at him.
Sledge rubbed his forehead “Than if you are already here and we got past your... humoristic attempt... tell us why you need thismuch space”.
The stallion rose his hooves in defeat and spread them up and to the sides for a long “Nooot myyyy faaault!” to whip them towards the blue unicorn, with an unspectacular “Ask him” shrugging it off.
The unicorn's head rose from his newspaper and considered if he really had to explain anything. It was so obvious already. So he ignored them and kept reading, till a green head rose over his shoulder to whisper “Tellll usssss Aceeee” into his ear.
The newspaper got crumbled and slapped the head, like a game of whack-a-mole “Don't-call-me-Ace! You -ain't -my -mother!” pronouncing every word with a hit onto his forehead, while the green stallion tried to cover himself with his hooves.
After the barrage was over, the paper got unfolded, but it was pretty much ruined, which made him sigh.
Sledge was the one to try it again “I thought we estimated the amount of heat to be expected correctly, if we have to adapt our construction, you have to let us know.”
The stallion rolled his eyes at this. Why couldn't they just go with it?
“Please Ace” it came sugar-sweet from Muse, which let his frown lose up a bit, but angered him even more. She wasn't his mother either, but her caring attitude reminded him at her.
“Hey, why she gets to call you Ace and you don-OUCH OUCH!” the paper struck twice. One for his use, one for her's. Now it was alright.
“Fine, but would you stop wasting my spare time then?” he frowned.
He got two affirmative nods on this, the third head was busy to be rubbed, while the mechanic just kept observing. He could adapt to anything, so why bother to get into the argument?
“As soon there is a certain level of stress on the core element, the heat will skyrocket, which could burn out the rest within days, if not cooled down appropriate”.
“Days?” the gray pegasus repeated, with a risen eyebrow.
“Ugh, do I speak some weird accent? DayZse” he spat.
“It wasn't considered to run for days to come.”
The blue unicorn just shook his head and tried to flatten his newspaper, so he could finish the article “Keep your naivety to yourself” he mumbled.
“I say we reduce the tank size by thirty percent” Sledge suggested “so we can keep a acceptable running time, while solving at least most of our design problems” giving Muse a glance, which nodded approving.
“Jack, you will need to change your formula I fear.”
“No problem my fine sir!” he cheered “And I think this time, I will make it... BLUEEEE” with that he leaned onto the side of his best friend, which grunted annoyed.
Now heads turned to the mechanic.
“Any mechanical concerns in this regard?”
He didn't reply while staring straight forward.
“Tenet?” he asked once more, which snapped him out of his thoughts.
“I... what was your question?”
“Any mechanical concerns in this regard?”
He blinked at him... at some point he must have lost track.
“Muse, could you show him?” the gray stallion asked politely.
The mare walked over to his side and broke down, what they were going for.
While she was busy pointing out the new schematics and began to draw sketches on the backside, he found a hard time to pay attention, until she looked up to him.
“What you think?” her thin lips formed.
Now he was blinking confused at her.
She gave a nod down and he gave it a quick look. It took him only moments to swap parts back and forth in his mind, to find a working configuration. Like a puzzle he could rebuild in a thousand ways, till he found the one working.
“Yes... works for me” he confirmed, trying to crack a smile.
The mare smiled at him and scribbled a fifth smiling pony-head below the schematic.
Her checklist, to make sure all sides agreed.
This all happened a long time ago...
... today, there were no smiling ponies.
Just the constant click-clack of a wrench, being pressed against a screw, to be turned a few degrees, before repeating the process. Turning time after time... till the bolt nut got stuck. “Ghmnnnnn.....” he grunted annoyed.
Tenet sat all alone in his dim basement, trying to fix their invention.
It had worked for many years, but it felt like most of the time was spend on fixing it.
More force was put onto the wrench to get it loose by force... and after some pressing, it nearly moved – just... one... m- the wrench slipped, the bolt broke and his hoof slammed against the workbench!
“LIGHT'S SAKE!” it shouted while holding onto his ankle “YOU PIECE OF JUNK!” after which, the twisted wrench was thrown against the wall, leaving him limping upstairs, to find something to stop the bleeding.