(TATB) Ch 16: A New Invention Revealed, The Missing Piece, Leadership!

(Victor)

A few days had passed, and things were... well, better than I expected. I walked through the growing city, kicking up a bit of dust as I went. Tents dotted the distance, their patched tarps flapping faintly in the air currents. It was rough, sure, but it wasn't the chaos we'd had on that first day. People were actually working together, and, for once, it felt like we had a shot at something real.

I looked around, taking it all in. The smell of sawdust and fresh paint lingered, a testament to the new structures being built. Farther out, I could see groups huddled together, working on what looked like makeshift roads. I even passed by a guy who was digging a trench—maybe for plumbing? The hum of productivity filled the air, and I couldn't help but feel impressed.

I thought back to when we'd first arrived here, to the day Skylar lowered us into her closet. There'd been doubts—of course, there were doubts. Who wouldn't doubt a Brob claiming she wanted to "help"? But so far, she'd kept her word. Every day, she came back to check on us, her massive shadow spilling over our city-in-progress like a watchful guardian. She brought food, water, and whatever resources she thought we might need.

And it wasn't just her presence; it was her attitude. She smiled. She asked questions that we would never be able to answer. She actually tried to listen even though our words would never reach her. I didn't want to admit it out loud, but she was winning people over—Meara included, which was a shock in itself.

I paused near a group of newly built houses, watching a man carefully nail together what looked like a roof made out of thin bark. It still amazed me how quickly things were coming together. Sydney's dad, with his experience in construction, had taken charge of the building crews, and a couple of electricians from the tank were already rigging up basic power systems.

Then there was Sydney himself. Turns out, the guy wasn't just good at talking. He'd actually studied engineering at the Lilliputian University of Scientific Advancement and Research (bit of a mouthful, but that's academics for you). Between him and his dad, the city was taking shape faster than I'd thought possible.

And Meara? The woman who once barked orders to her gang in the tank was now running her own little operation as the city's tailor—or "Textile Specialist," as she liked to call it. She'd already set up shop in a tent near the center of the city, sewing clothes out of scraps Skylar had given us. She even smiled occasionally, which, frankly, was terrifying.

Me? I didn't have much to offer. No fancy degrees, no skills to speak of. I mostly just helped wherever I could—hauling materials, running messages, keeping an eye on troublemakers. It wasn't much, but it was something. I'd find my place eventually.

Right now, though, I had somewhere to be. Sydney had asked to meet, said it was "super important." Knowing him, that could mean anything from "I've invented a new power grid" to "I saw a weird bug."

I made my way toward his tent, one of the biggest and most pristine in the city. It stood out like a beacon, its white fabric gleaming against the dusty backdrop. As I approached, I noticed a group of three guys lingering near the far corner of the tent, whispering to each other.

They didn't look like the type to be discussing city plans. One of them glanced my way, his eyes narrowing before quickly turning back to the others. I recognized them instantly. They were part of that gang from the tank—not the worst of the bunch, but trouble all the same.

I made a mental note to keep an eye on them. If there was one thing I'd learned in the tank, it was that guys like them didn't change overnight. They might not have all their numbers anymore, but that didn't mean they were harmless.

"Great," I muttered under my breath. "Like we don't have enough to deal with already."

Shaking off the unease, I stepped up to Sydney's tent and pushed the flap aside.

The moment I stepped inside Sydney's tent, I didn't even have time to blink before I was crushed in a bear hug.

"I did it! I did it!" Sydney yelled, practically bouncing up and down as he squeezed the air out of me.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" I said, trying to pry him off. "What did you do? And more importantly, can I still breathe while you explain?"

Finally, he let me go, his grin wider than I'd ever seen it. He ran over to a cluttered workbench piled with wires, gears, and who-knows-what else, and held up a small, strange-looking device.

"This!" he announced proudly. "I made it! A working communication device! We can talk to Skylar!"

I blinked, looking between him and the gadget in his hands. It was a mishmash of salvaged materials—tiny wires twisted together, parts of what looked like an old microphone, and a bit of tape holding the whole thing together. It honestly looked like it might fall apart if I sneezed on it.

"You actually got it to work?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course, I got it to work!" he said, like it was obvious. "I mean, I still have to test it, but it should amplify our voices enough for her to hear us clearly. And her responses? The device will lower her voice to a frequency we can understand. All with the scraps I had! Boom!"

I had to admit, it was impressive. Communication devices weren't exactly new—we Lillis had been figuring out ways to talk to Brobs for decades. But considering Sydney only had access to what little tech Skylar had handed over, pulling this off was nothing short of genius.

"That's incredible, Sydney," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Seriously. You should be proud."

Sydney's grin somehow got even bigger. "Thanks, man. I'm telling you, things are finally starting to come together. The city's coming alive, the people are settling in, and now we can actually talk to her. No more shouting ourselves hoarse or hoping she can guess what we need. It's all falling into place."

I nodded, feeling a little of his excitement rub off on me. He wasn't wrong. Things were getting better. The city felt more like a home every day, and Skylar had been nothing but supportive. Maybe this whole insane idea of hers wasn't as impossible as I'd thought.

But then Sydney turned to me, his expression shifting slightly.

"Almost everything, anyway..." he said.

That pulled me up short. "What do you mean, 'almost'?"

He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck like he was trying to figure out how to phrase it. Finally, he sighed and gestured vaguely toward the city outside the tent.

"The town still needs a leader," he said.

That hung in the air for a moment. I stared at him, not sure where he was going with this.

"Okay," I said slowly. "And?"

He turned to me, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "And I think it should be you."

"Wait... what?" I nearly choked on the word, taking a step back.

He didn't laugh or take it back. He just stood there, looking at me with that same ridiculous smile.

"Nope. Nope, nope, nope," I said, holding up my hands. "Sydney, you've clearly inhaled too much soldering smoke. There is no way—"

"Victor," he cut me off, his tone calm but firm. "Just think about it."

I opened my mouth to argue but nothing came out. What was I supposed to say to that? This was Sydney. When he had an idea in his head, there was no stopping him.

But me? A leader? No way.

Absolutely no way.