The Modern Age of Industry

"Here Stands the Greatest Achievement of Dr.Gulvio," The tour guide told the group. "A man of science and industry, he refused to be bound by the superstition of old artisanship."

Salinae followed behind, looking at the whirring machines of the manufacturing plant.

She and other visitors walked close by one another, ogling the snaking pipes, the impressive machines, clanking and sparking as their gears and pistons pounded away.

"No longer is Illamini relying on old wives tales and tradition for making clothes and fabrics."

"No more herbal mixtures to ward away spirits, no more of this silly, wasteful triple stitching because 'that is what the gods demand'." The tour guide continued. "The country is in an enlightened period where such magical thinking and actions on faith aren't required."

"And look!" The tour guide boomed, sweeping his arm at the conveyor belts, the stacks belching steam and smoke. Machines automatically weaving fabrics by the hundreds.

"*This* is modern industry. Every machine and network of pipes is from the hard work of Dr.Gulvio."

Salinae nodded, though the rest of the crowd seemed bored. Oushiqae and Nexakii had already long abandoned the tour.

The guide led the group through mazes of entangling pipes, giving brief explanations of each machine, the method to the late Dr.Gulvio's factory.

"Amazing..." Salinae whispered to herself. "...all of this still running long after the good doctor left the world."

The tour guide took a turn, Salinae eying up the clanking machinery against the wall.

It was then something caught her eye.

Against the wall, by the window, was an odd and out of place machine.

It was a round looking machine, painted a bright sky blue. Eyes and a happy mouth were built into the side, with a red light acting as a cheerful glowing nose.

Thick, red pipes anchored the machine to the floor and friendly looking gears with rounded teeth spun uselessly, seemingly connected to nothing.

It had a smoke stack shaped and painted like a little top hat. The machine silently buzzed, the gears squeaking as they turned.

Salinae paused, watching as a worker walked over, picking up some logs of wood and dropping them into the intake on the side. The machine shuddered, smoke belching from its top-hat smoke stack, the gears continuing to clank and creak.

The edges of the machine were dirty, the paint looking like it was beginning to chip. It looked as though it had been running for a long time.

"Say, tour guide..." Salinae called. The group paused, the guide turning around to look at her. "What's this thing do?"

"That one?" The tour guide asked, approached. He stroked his chin, staring at the machine that looked more like a kid's toy. "I don't know. Nobody does."

"What do you mean? Why's it there? You got guys dumping wood into it."

"Were it Dr.Gulvio were still alive we'd ask him." The tour guide countered, folding his arms. "He'd know exactly what it does. As it stands, we don't know why it's here but we're surely not going to shut it down."

"Why not?"

"Why...? Because it MIGHT be important!"

"Might?"

"How would I be able to explain to my supervisor that I brought down the company because I shut down a machine without knowing what it did?" The Tour guide exclaimed. "*I'm* not turning it off. I'd rather just trust Dr.Gulvio knew what he was doing."

With that, the Tour guide spun on his heel, waving his hand to direct the bored crowd along for the rest of the tour.

Salinae looked back briefly, watching a worker dump another log in the intake, the cheery machine whirring away at nothing, before she moved to join the group.