The Diamond Dog's Guide to Engineering

by Tolerance

Excitedly Encroaching Endgame

Aaron had to give the smallish dog some credit, because what he lacked in size he'd more than made up for through sheer persistence.

As the challenge had started, Chaser quickly realized that he had trouble holding onto the rope, let alone climbing it. Failing his first two trys, the Diamond Dog's next attempt had him jumping almost 9 feet into the air, nearly a third of the total distance, and very nearly catching up to Aaron's position.

Catching one of the knots between his forepaws, Chaser was once again at a loss as to what he could do next. The knots were just too far apart for his stubby arms. The canine swung back and forth for a few moments, allowing Aaron to increase his lead once more.

Suddenly, Chaser overheard the female Boss member shout something along the lines of 'forget the rope', and he realized that the Human never said anything about using the rope to climb. Swinging and turning himself to a better position, Chaser leapt for the central support beam.

Digging his claws into the wood, Chaser began to make his way towards the top. Splinters rained down beneath as each small leap tore the shavings from the unfinished beam. The Diamond dog was now making excellent time, but had lost sight of his human competition. Not knowing how far Aaron had progressed since he last sighted him, Chaser redoubled his efforts.

The dog was so focused on his rush to the top, that he forgot his path was cut off by the plank that supported the ropes. A sickening crunch could be heard as skull collided with wood. Dazed, Chaser was vaguely aware of this new floating feeling he was experiencing. He could have swore that there was something bad about that, but it didn't matter so long as he'd won the contest, right?

A fast, firm pressure surrounded his left paw, ending his perceived weightlessness. "Whoa there big guy! I got you."

Chaser jerked himself back towards consciousness, swinging listlessly from the appendage that was now being grasped by the claws of none other than his human competition. Aaron was already on top of the beam, and as a literal insult to injury, he still had enough time to save the Diamond dog from a nasty fall.

As sad as he was that he had, in fact, lost his race to Aaron, every Diamond Dog watching, save the other members of boss, were cheering at the spectacle of it all.

Realizing he was still hanging, Chaser quickly latched onto the central beam. "You can let go now, human."

Aaron let go, and the dog clawed his way back down the pole. Finding his rope, Aaron made his own way back down to the bottom.

"We have a Winner!" Mint said to the crowd, pointing to Aaron as he did. Turning toward Aaron, "I've never seen anything climb that fast!"

"Would you believe I've actually seen someone do that faster? I need to work out more." Aaron said as he stretched his arms out from his sides.

"But, but how?" Asked Chaser. "I faster than any Diamond Dog and you still win. How there be a faster?"

"My race descended from apes, so, yeah. We're kind of built for that kind of climbing, I guess."

Tawny interrupted the little chat. "Enough of this. Chaser, such disappointment. Now I will-"

"No. I will crush Human." Grey Boss interjected. "It my duty to defend Chaser, Yes?"

"Fine. But see you not fail like him, Gruff." Tawny said whilst pointing angrily at Chaser.

"Alright then. Give me a moment and I'll be rested up. Meanwhile, Mint? Care to help me set this up?"

Grey, or Gruff, approached the weight platform. Two empty mine carts had been on platforms that had rope tied to the sides. The ropes, in turn were tied to a metal ring.

"What all this for? We pull cart? That no test."

"Give us a minute and I'll explain. We're not going to pull the carts, not in the way you are thinking, anyway." Aaron pointed the pegasi toward the overhanging beam, which was almost as thick as the last challenge's beam was wide. The pony attached a device that consisted of nothing more than a grooved wheel mounted into a frame, and wound a length of rope through it. Aaron did the same thing with the other side of the rope and the pulley mounted to the platform base. "You pull on this, and, if you are strong enough, you will be able to lift the cart. If you can do that, then we put some rock into the cart and try lifting it again. The one with the most rocks in their cart at the end, wins."

"Hey, why you rope have more wheel?"

"Um, because my rope is longer?" Aaron said sheepishly.

"Why not just cut rope? No extra wheel needed, yes?"

"Oh, uh, we just ran out of time is all. Didn't want to accidentally damage the rope by cutting it now, would we?"

"Hmm... When we start?"

"Whenever you are ready. I'll even let you go first."

'When they said he was strong, they weren't kidding' Aaron mused. By the end of Gruff's attempt, Aaron estimated that he was lifting upwards of nearly one and a quarter tons. Already struggling with the current mass, the canine attempted to add one last stone to his cart before he dropped the rope. The cart his the platform with a resounding crash that knocked a small amount of dirt loose from the cavern ceiling.

"Human can not beat that? No?"

"We'll see." Aaron said as he pulled his rope from the pulley. Making short work of the drastically increased amount of rope, He managed to pull the cart into a suspended position. slowly releasing the rope back into the pulley system, Aaron let gravity take the cart back down to the platform. "Hmm, that went well. What do you think, Mint? Should we just fill it up now and save us some time?"

"Do you think the rope can handle it?"

"Might as well find out."

Gruff looked on in a state of shock as they filled to cart well past what he had lifted. Sure the human made lifting the empty cart look somewhat easy, but not even an adult Minotaur could lift a full cart. They had to be pulling his leg.

Once the cart was full, Aaron began pulling on his rope once more. Ever so slowly, the cart lifted from the ground. Surprised gasps resounded through the audience as the cart was lifted above the heads of the contestants. The Human had seemingly accomplished the impossible once again.

As Aaron lowered the cart back down, Tawny stormed down to the challenge area. "No fair, you cheat somehow."

"How can this something be cheated?" asked Gruff.

"I not know. Maybe the unicorn pony hollow out rock when we not looking."

"I understand your position miss, um, I never actually got your name. But I can assure you there's no trick. I really did lift all of that by myself."

"I am All Ears, Human. And I still not believe you."

"And my name is Aaron. Now that introductions are out of the way, Mint? Plan B."

"What plan B?" asked Ears.

"Just watch."

Both carts were pushed side-by-side and tied together, their support rings tied to the end of Aaron's rope.

Aaron began pulling the rope once more, but now it was obvious that he was straining quite a bit. Much to the Diamond Dog's disbelief, the group of carts was soon hanging in the air as before.

Breaking herself out of her shock, All Ears was sure that something tricky still going on. "Out of the way, Aaron. Let me pull on the rope."

Before he was forced to comply, and therefor reveal his mechanical advantage, the ropes between the pulley and the suspended load began to snap. The first smaller rope to break away caused a chain reaction that forced the others to fail with their own cracking, whip-like motions. One of them snapped and hit the overhead pulley block with enough force to break it apart. Dropping the rope, Aaron yanked All Ears away from it before the mechanical system violently yanked the rope through the floor mounted pulley.

When the dust settled, everyone's ears were ringing. In the wake of the crash lay two mangled mine carts, a rash of spilled rocks, and a ton of tattered rope.

"Is everyone alright?" Aaron asked after a brief coughing fit. A quick once over, and it appeared that, thankfully, no one was harmed.

"Well then. Wasn't that exciting? Two down one to go."

"I do not know how you beat Gruff and Chase, Aaron, but you will not beat me. What is next challenge?" All-Ears said, whilst eyeing Aaron closely.

Aaron approached the final stage, the one that worried him the most. For the previous two tests, he'd had several distinct advantages, either built-in or manufactured. But All Ears had almost caught on to the last one. She was smarter than he'd given her credit for, and now that she'd shown just what she was capable of, Aaron was wondering if a simple brain-teaser was going to be enough.

Comments

[Drails]

Heh, strength is no match for mechanical mastery.

I'm beginning to like Aaron. A lot.

[Reykan]

What was that line? Test a fish or a horse on its ability to climb trees, an it will fail every time? By the same token, you can test yourself in such a way as to never fail.

[Vadelent]

These tests are starting to sound like an old fairy tale I once read. Something about a boy and a giant. The only test I can recall just now is the strength test. Giant crushed boulders and the boy tricked the giant into thinking he was proportionally stonger by crushing eggs that the giant thought were rocks.

[WorldWalker128]

7017495
I've read another one similar to that involving a bird and a bull. One of the tests was to have one drink more water than the other. The bull drank when the tide was coming in, and the bird drank when the tide was going out.

[Cursed Quill]

Well. Aaron is the title character: the Diamond Dogs' Guide to Engineering.

Before he was force to comply,

forced