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It was a long, hot summer's day, which would have been acceptable except for the fact it was supposed to be hot outside, not in the vast halls and classrooms of the Liberty Center. Few things spelled summer torture like the words "broken air conditioner."

Every classroom, every office, every hallway and supply closet: broken air conditioner. The fans were out in full force, gusting giant waves of air that turned the hallways into wind tunnels, but the fans only moved the air around, didn't cool it any. It was beneficial only to the cooling of individuals. The planned science lesson for the day was canceled, something about "component spontaneously combusts over ninety degrees Fahrenheit." Instead, students were learning the conversion between Fahrenheit and Celsius, which didn't help distract from the heat any, and the only conversion being done was "if it is ninety-two degrees in Fahrenheit, it is ******** HOT in Celsius."

The only hint as to anything being done about the problem, the only clue, was an irregular metal clanging sound. It seemed to move around the building throughout the day. It was clearly the sound of someone working on metal, of opening and closing metal panels, and banging at the parts inside. Students and teachers alike wondered at the noises. Workmen, or robots? At the Liberty Center, it could be either.

It wasn't hard to follow the noise, or find the spot where it was loudest. It just took a lot of walking around. And up, and down, and waiting and listening, all of it culminating in a spot underneath a vent in a second-floor hallway which was, mysteriously and invitingly, open.

As Jace's head went in, another head came out, and the two met in a crack of skull-on-skull action that sent both parties reeling back from the impact. Which was fine if you were the one in the air conditioning shaft with nowhere to fall, a little less fine for the one climbing in. Only one thing could be agreed upon: a mutual "AGH!" of sudden head trauma pain.

"Aaaaah," was the warbled response, like a bird's trill, and the boy in the ventilation shaft bent with his hands pressed to his head. It seemed another student had beaten Jace to the adventure, but Jace had never seen this boy before, and the Liberty Center was not exactly a large school. "Same, you! Ugh!"

He was a bit older than Jace, but not old enough to be mistaken for a man, though his hair was a grey shade that usually came with advancing years. He continued to groan and grimace, rocking slightly from side to side. He probably had less experience with butting heads than Jace did, or was a whiny baby, or both.

"No, I don't--" he managed, though really, he might have if the thought had occurred to him. He looked at Jace through squinted eyes and stopped short. The color drained from his face. Then he rubbed his eyes, blinked, and realized his mistake. The resemblance was uncanny. "Ah-um, 'm Talos." He extended his hand out into the hallway.

"I don't live here," said Talos, not missing a beat. He pointed back into the vent behind him. "The air conditioning. It's broken?" He had a very short manner of speaking, not bothering to elaborate on anything. It was a stark contrast to Jace's meandering train of bullshit. He still looked half-dazed, though, so possibly his habits would change once the shock of the encounter wore off. Assuming it was a result of the trauma and not indicative of a serious flaw in his personality.

He didn't even bother to correct her usage of the word kid, as he would have done had anyone else said it. She looked much the same. She acted much the same. She had the same name, even, and this could only be described as some sort of miracle. Talos did not question miracles, not any more. He just accepted them with a feeling of giddy elation. This could be, beyond all expectation and hope, a second chance. He said, "I'm not an electrician, I'm an engineer." There was a strong note of pride in that assertion.

Talos edged himself out of the ventilation shaft, having been stuck in that cramped tunnel for too long now. "Some of it, yeah. Not so much my area, but there's no reason I couldn't." It was boasting, but not blatantly. Emerging completely, Talos stretched his arms out over his head with a groan. That felt good. "I mostly do mechanics, kinetics. And buildings."