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Dialogue
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Late at night, on a pitch-dark mudflat.
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Flashes of blue sparks flickered on and off somewhere there.
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Following the light that was too glaring to be from a lighthouse, yet too meek to be a fire...
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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……
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There was a child firing sparks at the insides of a large weapon with his welding rod.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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Mm... Let's see...
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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If the weld beads get too big here, the electronics will be affected, I've been told... B-better keep it to a minimum...
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Pzzzt, pzzzt.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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Phew... And then... what was I supposed to do next?
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Lifting his goggles, the child reads down the memo written on a small sheet of paper under the tiny lamp.
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That must be the circuit diagram his coworker drew for him.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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Right... Now let's get to connecting circuits...
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Tzzzt.
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This time, a thread of smoke quietly billowed instead of sparks.
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The child's brows were furrowed, perhaps disturbed by the acrid smoke created while soldering.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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Kaff... Phew, and now...
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A click is followed by a hum of electric power.
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The child earnestly hoped that his modification of the weapon was a success.
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Alas...
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Pbftt.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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Agh! Come on... why... There's no reason it shouldn't work...
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A small sigh filled the shop's still air.
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The silence felt doubly palpable thanks to the weapon turning off.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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It's okay... Let's, let's try again.
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With a desperate look on his face, the child began examining the circuit board, holding a pair of tweezers in his hand.
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At the same time, a growing feeling of anxiety ruffled the child's mind.
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Being the last of the group to return from the book, it was by sheer luck that he was discovered before he starved to death, he thought.
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Though he happened to start working at a boat shop, his skills and prowess as a Fixer weren't really needed here.
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When he tried to help out with hunting... the leader was doing it with far greater efficiency.
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And when he thought he'd lend a hand in mechanics... his colleague was much more capable than he was.
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The unease that he's too mediocre to make meaningful contributions in any field has been constantly haunting the child.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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...Ah, this must be it!
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That's why the child is desperate.
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To upgrade his weapon, learning from his coworkers...
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And hunt trash crabs with greater efficiency using the improved weapon.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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...There!
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That was the only way he could think of to be helpful.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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Great! I'll give it a test run on tomorrow's hunt...
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Things don't always go so swimmingly, however.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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Mmh... It's working, I guess, but it's not quite there...
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It looks like the modification didn't go as the child planned.
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With an uncertain look, the child laboriously slew trash crabs.
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Molar Boatworks Sinclair
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Maybe the gear ratio in the part where the chains are attached was off... Alright, I'll ask about it when I get back.
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Still, the child doesn't give up.
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He'll keep at it until a better solution is found.
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