Good work, Mister…"

Dr. Vith was formal, and always addressed everyone by their last name or a title, in the case of Arlik.

Good work, Mister Tyl of Goltorth)," Dr. Vith raised his hand to silence the commotion. "Field test tomorrow at ten. Mister Lia, please arrange the transport with Mister Barner."

"So you're telling me this noisy lump of metal is going to fly?" Arlik slammed the table and shook his head "Don't look like it does much"

"We will verify that tomorrow, Second Arcanist" our team leader responded and started cleaning his station

With our day's work complete, a rare sense of liberation permeated the air. The upcoming task at hand involved transporting the prototype the following day, prompting me to contemplate its relocation onto the platform for convenient loading onto a truck. Rationality nudged me to consider dismantling the rotors, but in the grand scheme of deserted roads, I scoffed at the notion. Why on earth should I bother?

Immersed in my thoughts, a whimsical image materialized in my mind's eye—a bovine entourage impeding the path, a narrow passage nestled beside a dense treeline. Picture this: our vehicle inching forward at a snail's pace, thwarted by a colossal, damn rotor protruding from the truck's rear. Meanwhile, Dr. Vith, his visage eternally devoid of expression, observed the bovine parade, their melodious moos filling the air with unabashed glee.

"You don't seem to think much of technology" I pushed to my feet with a groan

"Oh, not a hater" he laughed "Simply don't understand the need for it. But you have your apples, I have my oranges, yeah? It's a delicious experiment to eat them together sometimes"

After several, or several dozens of bad jokes, the blades were detached, and the prototype was packed on the truck. Miara took the opportunity to excuse herself for a quick refresh. Frankly, I couldn't blame her. The task of loading this cumbersome contraption onto the truck was far from enjoyable.