Date: Tuesday 21st July, 3012
Time: 10:15 AM
Professor Wellington sat and read the morning paper. He was reading, but barely taking any information in. It was really just something to pass the time. There was a scuttling sound, as a small metal man skipped across the room with a cup of coffee.
"Thank you, Glink." Professor Wellington said.
"No thanks required, master. I am merely doing what I was created to do." Glink replied, in his grainy, electronic voice.
"Regardless, you have served me adequately for 50 years now. That is worthy of credit."
"Much oblidged." Glink replied, bowing graciously.
There was peaceful silence for a few minutes, but it was interrupted by a knock at the door. Professor Wellington looked up. He almost never had visitors. He didn't have any friends who would be calling round, all his bills were on a standing order, he had no servants other than Glink and he hadn't been contracted to a job in close to two years. He sat silent for a few seconds. The knock was repeated, and it echoed throughout the Professor's grand, old house.
"I shall get the door, master." Glink answered. Although Glink had never been programmed to have emotions, his eagerness to serve could almost have been mistaken for pride.
"No, no, Glink. That is fine. I'll get the door." Professor Wellington interrupted.
"Are you sure?" Glink asked.
"Yes. You can make some soup in the meantime."
Professor Wellington slowly opened the door. There was a girl standing in the front of the door. She was pretty, with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was about 5'6, and if were not for the professor's heeled boots (adding an extra 2 inches or so to his height) she would have been a tad taller than he. The girl looked to be in her late teens, and she had some visible tattoos, adding colour to her pale complexion.
"Hi." The girl said. "My name's Nina. I live a few streets away. I'm looking for Professor Wellington."
"I am Professor Wellington." He said, a little nervously. His voice was dark and bassy, but it sounded a little brighter when nervous.
"Are you ok?" Nina asked, tilting her head to one side. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"I'm fine." Professor Wellington said. "Good, actually."
Nina smiled. "Ok. I heard you'd be the one to talk to about repairing machinery."
"I'm afraid you heard wrong." Professor Wellington sighed.
"I don't think so. If you're Professor Wellington, and you live here then I think you repair machinery."
"Well, you may guess again."
Professor Wellington was about to close the door, and Nina would have turned and walked away had Glink (a functioning machine) not interrupted, informing the professor that the soup was ready.
"I think you'd best come inside." The professor said, admitting defeat.
Nina smiled as the professor led her through to the kitchen.
"Who exactly told you to come here?" Professor Wellington asked.
"My uncle, Harry. He said you fixed a sewing machine for my aunt a while ago."
"Yes, I think I know who you're talking about. I remember fixing a sewing machine, but that would have been close to a decade ago. I don't get many sewing machines, so it stands out in my memory. But I don't get much of anything to be honest. I've been trying to retire."
"Sorry." Nina said, still smiling a little.
"Not at all. It's nice to have a visitor. It will give me something to do as well, I suppose." The professor replied, a little apathetically.
"Soup!" Glink declared. The 4 foot metal servant poured a bowl of soup and set it on the table. "Would the lady like any soup?"
"I'm fine thanks." Nina politely passed up.
"Actually Glink, save the soup for later. I don't really feel like eating at the moment." The professor said. "What was it that you wanted repaired, Nina?"
"This." Nina answered, reaching into the bag on her shoulder. She produced a small, metal box. "It's a music box. It doesn't work any more though. I haven't heard it play in about 15 years." She laughed.
"Shouldn't be too tricky." The professor said, confidently. "If you'll just accompany me to the bedroom."
Nina blinked, looking a bit startled.
"No, not like that. I wouldn't dream of it." The professor backtracked. "That's just where I do most of my work. My workshop is currently taken up by a piece of machinery I was contracted to build it a long time ago. But then they pulled the funding on it and it's just sitting there now. Honestly, I wouldn't want to do anything with you."
Nina blushed a little, as the professor rambled.
"Not that you aren't lovely. You're the sort of woman that every man wants, except for me, even though I think you look very nice. What I'm trying to say is you're very pretty, but I don't want to do anything inappropriate."
"Ok then. But you can still fix the music box." Nina replied, finding the professor's lack of composure amusing.
"Absolutely."
The professor took Nina to the work table in his room. He tried to play the music box, but no sound came out.
"I'll have to open it up." The professor said. Looking all over the box, there appeared to be no way of opening it, other than the keyhole on the front of the box. "Hmmm. Do you have the key?"
"Yup." Nina answered, producing the key from the pocket of her trousers.
The professor tried opening it, but it wouldn't turn.
"Are you sure this is the key?"
"Positive."
"Well it won't turn. The locked might be jammed. I'll have to dismantle it more carefully. Could take a little longer. Couldn't you just buy another music box?"
"I want to hear this one play again. I can still remember the song." Nina said, reminiscently
"A little sentimental then?" The professor said, with a touch of sympathy.
"I'll see what I can do. Come back tomorrow, and if I haven't got it working I'll buy you a new music box."