The Workshop #
The engineers Rufus and Siro stare at the horizontal frame. "It's a bed," Rufus grumbles. "It's a track," Siro corrects. "The shuttle doesn't float; it slides."
Testing the picker mechanism proves dangerous. Rufus's first yank sends the shuttle flying off the track, burying it in a beam next to Siro's head. "It's a weapon, not a tool!" Siro shouts.
Marcus points to the shuttle's balance: "Weight the nose like a pilum." Rufus adds leaded bronze tips to provide the necessary mass.
The second test is a triumph. The shuttle slides smoothly across the polished race with a satisfying click-clack. "Smooth as oil," Siro admits. "Pass the wine. We need to build ten of these."