The rhythmic bubbling of the water within the coolant tank in the far corner of The Grotto of Infinite Gears suddenly shifted its cadence. What had been a slow, steady simmer of escaping heat turned into a rapid, frantic churn as air bubbles raced to the surface, shattering the heavy silence of King Ironbeard's private workshop. Dayat, who was still slumped in his oaken chair, nursing the dull, throbbing remnants of a migraine, snapped his head toward the tank.
Deep within the clear, blue-tinted liquid, two brilliant, electric-blue eyes snapped open.
"System rebooting... Data synchronization complete. Physical integrity status: 98%. Core temperature: Nominal," Dola's voice echoed internally in Dayat's mind, followed instantly by her physical voice as the heavy copper lid of the tank slid open with a pressurized hiss.
