play it for me [video]

[oncearanger]

[The screen clicks on. There are stacks of paper on every side of Billy's room, with wire prototypes strung together. He looks weary and a little uncomfortable for a second, but this request requires a visual presentation.]

Do any of you happen to have experience with piano construction? I'm willing to trade services for materials, of course, and I'd like to help as much as I can. But my usual construction projects are much closer to this:

[Billy pushes a button on a remote in his hands, and then a little round robot walks on the desk that the tablet is propped on. It's a green baseball-sized bot that takes up most of the screen, greatly resembling a pea with tiny hands and feet. It 'smiles' and waves hello in a mechanical back-and-forth, then waddles out of sight.]

I can trade you a similar robot---it's useful for retrieving small items from small spaces, and it's easy to control from up to half a mile away. I'd like to add a camera mount with an additional viewing screen on the remote control when I have the materials for it. Or perhaps I can build something for you, or fix something you already own.

But this piano project is very important to me. I'd appreciate any help at a fair price.

Comments

[video]

[notpeterparker]

That's really amazing, sir! I'm afraid I can't help you with what you asked, but can you tell me more about how this "robot" works?

[Carol scrambles to find a pen and paper. Reporter skills go!]

[video]

[oncearanger]

It's a little hard to see on a small screen like this one. Would you like to come see it?

[video]

[notpeterparker]

[Wow, she gets to see it up close? She can hardly contain her excitment.]

Oh, I'd love to! If you don't mind, may I take some pictures of it?

[video]

[oncearanger]

Sure. All you need to do is find the garage. It's west of the housing building if you leave from the main entrance, just a block down the street.

video;

[ultragorgeous]

Did you construct that?

video;

[oncearanger]

Yes, I did.

[video]

[vocalizer]

[ Aoba's leaning forward towards his own tablet like that's somehow going to get him a closer look at the robot. This is very much relevant to his interest, but...

Leaning back now. ]

I don't really know anything about pianos, sorry, but... Where did you find all the parts to make something like that?

[video]

[oncearanger]

Scavenging parts from broken electronics, for the most part. And I molded the shell from old metals.

video

[psychopath]

I took apart a grand piano once, if that counts. Put it back again mostly properly.

[3...2...1—]

That robot is adorable though!

private

[salvagedsoul]

Billy, you really don't have to go through so much trouble.

video;

[ultragorgeous]

Hmm, I see. You you frequently make them? What fonon frequency do you attune them to?

[Dist not everyone is from Audrant okay]

video;

[gaburincho]

[ He's sitting at a table, the backdrop of a white Housing wall (decorated with pictures) behind him. ] Oooooh, sweet robot!

[ He pauses, visibly, to think. ] When I was in Spain, my neighbor was a pianist... He was too old to tune it up himself, so I helped him out some. I can't help you much on construction, but I know some stuff about getting the guts in order, if you need it.

[ A diminutive roar rumbles from the off-screen; he leans off to pluck up the source, plopping a red t-rex robot about the size of a small dog in his lap. ]

Your guy's remote controlled, right?

private

[oncearanger]

But I do.

I'm the one who failed to save it in the first place. And I thought you could really use a space to play.

[salvagedsoul]

It's a piano. What would you have done? It probably would have fallen apart if you tried to move it.

[oncearanger]

I could've shielded it along with more of the city if I'd started that project earlier.

But what's most important is that it's yours. And I really think you should be able to play.

Re: video

[oncearanger]

That counts! It's certainly more than I've done.

[Billy guides it back into view, and it 'bounces'.]

Do you want one?

[salvagedsoul]

[he just can't let Billy's efforts weigh on his guilty conscience.]

I hesitate to allow you to put demands on yourself for such a frivolous benefit to me. Your salary and time is yours.

video;

[oncearanger]

...fonon frequency?

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that term. Do you have any alternate words for it? Or a description?

Re: video;

[oncearanger]

I could use that as well. I'm definitely not musically inclined.

[He nods and smiles, but his calm agreement becomes wide-eyed excitement when he sees the little guy.]

Wow, did you build that? That's what I should've done! I spent so much time studying dinosaurs last month and I didn't even think to attempt to build a robotic replication.

[oncearanger]

I know that.

I choose to spend it on something that will make a friend happy...and in turn make his friends happy.

We love to hear you play, Kaworu.

video

[psychopath]

Yes please! I can certainly use one when it come to jewelry.

[and for taking surveillance and maybe poisoning a person or two, nothing much.]

What sort of piano is milord looking to build?

video

[oncearanger]

A grand piano. He prefers something classic, magnificent.

And yes, I'm sure it can handle jewelry.

[video]

[vocalizer]

Then finding specific parts probably isn't all that easy.

video

[psychopath]

Oh, this is for a friend? How long do we have to build it?

[video]

[oncearanger]

No, so they're all unique in small ways. But there are enough similar parts that I can make them all function similarly.