eruct
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The machine was turning on. Those tending to it turned to watch. It was had been many years since it has last activated. Metallic clinks and whirs issued out from deep within its metal body, followed by a long hum. A dull glow rose in the main chamber as the flames were stoked by the machine’s inner workings.
The people there still did not know where the flames came from, or what fueled them. Neither did it matter to them. They watched as the flames grew brighter. The machine shook and its pipes trembled. Great gouts of steam and smoke were forced out of the openings, filling the air for a moment before the air filters started.
It rumbled to life, belching and spewing its fumes. Gears creaked as flakes of rust fell off as they began to turn. A particularly large burst of smoke was ejected from the pipes as the belts and pullies whirred to life. The machine’s tenders scrambled around, working furiously to prepare for its full activation.
They connected hooks and tubes, moved gears into place and lowered platforms hidden in the ceiling. And all the while, the light coming from the machine grew brighter. The parts spun and moved faster. The tenders soon finished their work. Everything was set up and ready for the machine to work towards its great task.
Not that they knew what the task was. Just that it was great. They knew when it was finished, wonderful things would happen. They feared it would never finish its work, as it spent more and more time dormant. But now they could watch it work. Some would try and figure out what it was doing. Most were content to know that the great task would be closer to completion.
The machine’s gears and pullies hooked up to various parts of the chamber the tenders had prepared. And everything started to move. The platforms rose and fell, coming down with bits of stone and scrap metal. Belts were loaded and the materials moved. They disappeared into the floor, where more of the machine was housed. What happened then, none knew.
The machine worked tirelessly, moving the materials towards the completion of its task. The tenders ensured it did so. They applied oil to make sure the parts would move properly. They kept gears from coming out of alignment. The heat radiating from the machine, and the smell of its exhaust made the work difficult and unpleasant, but none of them complained. It was all for the sake of the machine and its great task. A bit of discomfort was hardly worth mentioning.
Both man and machine worked for hours. Almost half a day, by some of their reckoning. But then the machine gave a huge, powerful burst of smoke and steam. One that seemed to shake the entire chamber with its force. The fires began to dim. The gears and pullies slowed. The machine was ending its work for the day. When it had cooled, the tenders returned all the mechanisms back to their places. Everything hidden away and quiet. The air was quickly purified and a cool breeze moved through the room.
They left the chamber, ready to rest. They would need to prepare for whenever the machine next awoke, ready to continue its work on the great task.
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I'm not gonna lie, this one isn't my favorite. I'm a bit tired now, so writing something good was tricky, and I'm not sure if I succeeded. Well, what's done is done. Maybe someday I'll go over this and make it better. Probably not, but maybe.
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