Quisquiliae

Eugo heard of what had happened to George some days after he had witnessed the explosion. His nonchalant perspective guided him away from visits of mere acquaintances, even people he would consider friends. A trait not uncommon for the boy since birth. 

He had often watched from the side-lines, shovelling coal while calmly listening to the symphony of a dying neighbour. “Such is life,” proclaimed Eugo, free to let the world drown, or watch his parents burn as he sat peacefully on his wooden bed.

Helena found it odd that this same boy adored coal, despised candles, and would happily talk to her and many other citizens throughout the dome. Though she had never questioned him why.

This boy now stood in front of George, who (thanks to his mother) looked no different than when he last remembered him.

“Hi Sir brass kisser."

A wave of disgust subconsciously spread across his face as he remembered his reasoning behind despising the pig. Simultaneously remembering George’s extraordinarily dull remarks on his day-to-day life.

“I’m glad to see you're better… George.”

“I don’t think you ever saw me unwell, you ungrateful… shovel.”

“George maybe one day you could try being nice both when your mother is and isn’t around.”

George frowned, seemingly in need of great attention for everything he had done in the past few days.

“You know I took on a Spotless right!”

“I heard.”

“Well, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Not particularly.”

“I just achieved the most amazing feat in my life, and you have nothing to say!”

“…Didn’t you get bashed?”

“Who told you that! I mean… no, of course not. I fought valiantly for my wonderful angel and you can’t say anything to prove me wrong!”

For a brief second, Eugo scrunched up his face.

“Helena knows the truth doesn’t she.”

“Since when were you close to her. I bet a cold-hearted idiot as you could never even make friends with a heavenly being such as her.”

“Well, I mean you can ask her yourself.”

“As if I’d trouble her just for that.”

“But she’s right there, surely you just ask her”

“Wait… what?”

To Eugo’s great amusement, he saw the boy transition from parsnip to tomato in record time. The boy even began to boil, releasing wheezes of steam within regular two-second intervals.

“Hi George, how’re you?”

At that moment the world briefly lost a citizen, as he flopped to the group still steaming from a sudden heart attack.

“I’m good thanks, Helena, though I’m not George.”

“Well, I asked about you earlier, so I didn’t really see the need in bothering.”

“So, you felt the need to bother the ferocious mutt instead?”

“Well, less of a mutt in my eyes than an overzealous knight who’s high off slaying a dragon.”

“Though you would at least say he’s still a prideful dog?”

“Perhaps.”

“I take it you’ve grown fond of him then.”

“Perhaps.”

“Well, if you ever find yourself bearing your own pompous bastard, know that I won’t be helping you take care of him.”

“You won’t have to.”

Eugo parted from his conversational partner with a fairly common goal in mind, smelting coal. He hadn’t had a coal-free day recently so he knew another would have to be coming soon, hence he wanted to get some important work done. 

§

Betty had stood solitary for several weeks loyally doing her job, but Eugo felt it was time to upgrade. She needed new copper plating, a new steam valve and a fresh shine, so after finishing his quota he strode to the nearby scrap heap.

The scrap was less of a heap than just an amalgamation of various sharp metal edges protruding out into the open air from every direction. Some clumped into solid balls while others lay flat in thin sheets, twisting like vines along the dome’s floor. 

Benefits of the heap included the ability to find or at least scavenge whatever you needed, today Eugo just needed metal. Something very hard to come by in a giant metal dome with metal homes and a somehow metal aesthetic.

§

After some time of searching in the seemingly endless pile of trash, Eugo found some of the pieces he was looking for. Though at the same time he also found something else, a weapon. Though not your common shovel, but instead a gun.

He had never used one, nor did he know how they worked. Yet Eugo did oddly enough know what they fired, having found the small round balls inside many Scorchers throughout his life.

Pocketing the firearm, Eugo pounced between some risen metal sheets to pave his way towards home.

“Whatcha doing up there Mr?”

A squeaky voice pierced out from the sheets of metal into Eugo’s ears. Like nails on a chalkboard, it drove its way into his head, far from a joyful greeting. 

Eugo poked his head down to where the voice was, to see what he would describe as an eccentric coal addict. Two small beady eyes peered at him from a seemingly oversized body.

From initial impression Eugo would have placed her at George’s age, but based off height, perhaps closer to his.

“You seem very strict Mr, you been doing something sneaky?”

“Just collecting metal for my steam engine.”

The girl excitedly leapt up and dragged Eugo into a small hole made from the scrap, chucking him onto a nearby chair.

“Well Mr, you gotta tell me alllll about your steam engine, I’m sure she’s a beauty ain’t she.”

Shellshocked from the encounter, Eugo stared blankly into the girls widening eyes, she looked ready to sing a jig just about burning coal. Admittedly something that Eugo practised himself whenever he felt the time was right.

“Mr, are you still there, you've been staring at my eyeballs for some time now don’tcha think?”

“Uhhhh, yeah sorry I just…”

“Did you say something Mr? You gotta speak louder, I ain’t exactly got the best hearing see.”

“Ah, ok... well... yes... my steam engine is… a beauty.”

“I knew I saw it in your eyes, someone with the same appreciation as I do. Dat folding metal, and oh wonderful curling body, nothing beats the rumbling power of steam, isn’t that right friendo.”

“Yeah… sure, I guess you’re right.”

“You speak pretty quietly there, don’tcha Mr, I think you gotta be more excited about these types of things.”

Eugo spent another second doing his best to match the girl’s bright enthusiasm. He tried thinking of happy times, exciting himself like he did when he first spoke with Ilken… Nothing could match the blindly insane hyperactive girl in front of him.

“Hey Mr, if you ain’t gonna talk, ima get back to work ok but I’ll see you around I guess.”

“…”

“Dunno what happened to you there Mr, but the name is Fiz I hope you’ll feel better with whatever is going through your head soon, seeya.”

Eugo sat and stared at the ground for a few more long and arduous seconds. The immense energy slowly ebbed out of him as he stared at his surroundings. 

A small kettle and pot, rare to find in the house of someone living alone, and steam engines… A lot of steam engines. They stood row upon row in the tiny hole, somehow making it seem far larger than the minuscule space it was.

Just from their appearance, Eugo could admire a craftsman better than his himself, with tools greatly exceeding his single hammer and shovel. They weaved together in a chain, each machine built to help the one beside it, interlocking they stood together. 

After spending some time staring at things Eugo finally thought he should head home.

On the way he saw the bubbly girl in her rugged overalls throwing aside metal into a pile next to her, Eugo couldn’t help but idolise her talents. Maybe after some practice, he could create sculptures to compete against Fiz.

Just as he was leaving the nasal voice rung out across the scrapyard.

“Byyyyyyyyye Mr!”

Breath

“Goodbye Fiz!”

Eugo walked away without looking back, mainly due to his slowly reddening cheeks. On the other hand, the girl in the scrapyard beamed wholeheartedly feeling accomplished that she might have cracked someone’s shell.

§

At home, Eugo placed his acquired weapon under a small loose metal sheet beneath his wooden bed. Hoping it wouldn’t have to use it he dragged his small metal table onto it and got to work on fixing Betty.