Chaos in the Construction Zone
After the groups met in the Outer Ring to discuss the preparations for the party, we found ourselves in Belobog Industries. While the others were working on a new construction site, Koleda asked Anton and Ben about something.
Koleda: Hey, Anton, Ben! Have any of you seen big sis? I haven’t seen her for at least 2 days. And she didn’t put anything in her records?
Anton: Now that you mention it, boss, no, I haven’t. Maybe she’s working on building her body strength to rival me? Hahaha! It seems I may have finally made her see the benefits of training!
Ben: Calm down, Anton. But sorry, boss, I haven’t seen Grace anywhere, but hey, as a positive, we have been able to advance with this construction without any chaos from her.
Koleda: Ugh! Where could she have gone to? There’s no way she would disappear on us like that? Could she have gone to a hollow to test something out? No, that sounds ridiculous.
As they continue to discuss it, one of the other workers approaches the trio.
Worker: Hey, boss, did an accident happen in the storage room? It smells terrible there.
Ben: Really?
Anton: Oh boy, don’t tell me…
The trio explore the storage but are hit with the massive smell when they open the door.
Anton: Holy~~ What happened here? It smells even worse than when I finish my daily training.
Ben: Kol- I mean boss, are you ok? (Ben says as he holds on to a passed-out Koleda)
Koleda: Thank you, Ben. I am fine; I didn’t expect to be hit with this smell. Anyway, let's go find the source of this. I guess that it will solve Grace's missing case.
Anton: You believe that Grace is behind this boss?
Koleda: Well, I hope not but remember that she is very DEDICATED to her work, so I guess she has been here for quite some time.
As she finishes saying this, the trio locates the source of the smell and finds Grace in the middle of it all. She seems to have her hair undone, bags under her eyes, and a lot of food that’s half eaten or left to rot.
Grace: Let's see if that programming works… Oh, hey guys, how’s it going!?
Koleda: GRACE, WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING!!!?
Grace: Hey, knock it down a few decibels, will you? You’re too loud, Koleda.
Koleda: This is where you have been this whole time? We have been looking for you. What are you doing here?
Anton: Boss, I feel like we should make her take a shower before she answers any questions. We don’t want to be contaminated by whatever she has, much less risk our other brothers.
Ben: I’m with you on that one, Anton. Better not risk any of our other workers.
Grace: Hey, wait a minute, guys!!!!
In a swift motion, Anton grabs Grace, and with Ben’s help, they hurry over to the showers in the storage room and take her shower. After a few minutes, Grace returns fresh and better-smelling than before.
Grace: Was it necessary for me to shower?
Koleda: Yes, it was. I didn’t want to risk any other worker getting hit with your smell and having it blow up on our faces. But anyway, what were you even doing here? How long have you been here?
Grace: Well~~ ever since the gathering with our friends and us having been tasked with the decorations, I wanted to create a machine that could make the job simpler and fun. Since it’s the proxies we’re talking about, I wanted to go out and surprise them with my invention.
Koleda: Hey! I thought we agreed that we would do it together! We all promised that. Why go behind our backs and do it on your own?
Grace: Well, sweet pea, it's just because your ideas seemed too big, even to my standards, that I wanted to make my plan instead.
Koleda: Come on, big sis, my idea was fine, right Ben?
Ben: Well, it was out there, even to me, but it was somewhat acceptable.
Koleda: Agh– Anton, you got my back, right?
Anton: Sorry, sis, but your idea was wacky, not gonna lie. But before you kill me, I didn’t know about Grace over here doing this machine.
Koleda: I can’t believe you people. My idea was good and doable. Hey Grace, how about we play a little game?
Grace: Sweet pea, I would love to, but right now I’m busy with this an–.
Koleda: Not ‘that’ game. I was talking about a competition! Ugh, why do you still treat me like a kid?
Ben: Well bos-
Koleda: Don’t answer, Ben; it was just a rhetorical question. Anyways, Grace, since you believe your idea is SO good that we don’t need mine, how about we compete to see who can make the better machine? Does the winner get to keep their machine, and does the other have to throw theirs away?
Grace: You sure about this sweet pea? I don’t want to crush you and make you sad if you lose.
Koleda: Hey! I’m not going to cry because I will win this. Are you in or not?
Grace: Sure then, may the best creator win.
Koleda: Alright, let’s go, Ben, you will help me out.
As Koleda and Ben leave the storage room, Anton stays behind to talk to Grace.
Anton: Aren’t you going to tell her that you are making her idea?
Grace: How did you–?
Anton: I saw the blueprints of the design. How fast you could have the design and model done is pretty impressive.
Grace: Thanks, Anton. I know she would have wanted to do it herself, but knowing her, I know she would struggle with the design development and programming part. I know she knows a lot from watching her father, but she still doesn’t fully grasp the workload.
Anton: Like, are you any better than her?
Grace: Hahaha, very funny, Anton. But yeah, this code and programming is killing me. Making a boring machine is more straightforward than developing a program from scratch. At least I have a base to work on.
Anton: Anyways, I’ll watch them; what time should we call off this competition?
Grace: Around sunset, all the workers start going home.
Anton: Alright then, I’ll go and tell her. Good luck, don’t sweat it too much, or you will become an ethereal at this rate.
Anton returns to the duo, and Koleda grabs some planners about her idea. Anton watches with admiration for her boss as he nudges Ben and tells him about what he discussed with Grace.
Koleda: Alright then, with this machine coming to life, I’ll beat big sis and prove that my idea was the best. Hey Ben, do you mind grabbing some of the materials that we use for the boring machines for me?
Ben: Right away, Madam President. Anton, if you don’t mind…
Anton: Don’t worry, bro, I got you. Let’s go and retrieve those materials.
So, as Ben and Anton went to collect the materials, Koleda was busy mapping out her design from the object's dimensions and spherical shape.
Anton: Alright, boss, we have the materials here.
Koleda: Thank you guys.
Anton: Wooooo! I have to say, boss, this design looks unique!
Koleda: See, just what I told you, I plan to make a sphere that can read the dimensions of a room and set the preference to whatever it wants it to be. From there, we can buy out the remaining decorations, making it more interesting.
Ben: It is quite the machine, but are we sure it wouldn’t just be fine if we get the usual decorations?
Koleda: You must remember, Ben, this is for the proxies. We can get other decorations, but I want to go all out for them. They were the ones who helped us obtain the fame and recognition that we lost after my father went missing. They also helped us solve the mystery, and I could see the truth behind my father. So this is the best we can do for them.
As Koleda says this, Anton is so moved by her speech that he talks long about their friendship and bromance with the proxies, much to the amusement of Ben and Koleda. As time passes, Koleda finishes with the machine and now only has to integrate the software, but she is in limbo, struggling to write down the code for the machine.
Koleda: This is so HARD!! How does Grace even do this??? I thought it would have been easy since I saw Grace do it.
Anton: Come on, boss, you got this. It’s nothing to sweat about.
Ben: Um, guys, I shouldn’t intervene, but it's already noon, and the workers are leaving already. I’m pretty sure the competition is over.
Koleda: What- No way. I was close to getting this done. Damn it!! ( She says as she throws the machine )
Anton & Ben: BOSS!!
Before they had the time to react, the machine hit the wall hard, shattering it.
Koleda: A-a-a ( In a loss of words ).
Ben reaches out and puts his hand around Koleda. She buries her head into him, and Anton grabs the machine.
Anton: Hey, look, it didn’t receive much damage; I’m sure we can-
Koleda: Leave it, Anton. Let’s just go and meet Grace. ( In a defeated tone )
As she says that, she returns to the warehouse where Grace is, looking defeated. Anton and Ben follow behind her.
In the warehouse
Grace: Alright! I’m finally done with this child! It was so difficult, but I managed to finish it.
She then hears the door open.
Grace: Oh, is it already time for the competition? I’ll be right there- Sweet Pea! ( She hurries to Koleda and hugs her ) What happened?
Koleda: Nothing. Nothing happened. I just wanted to say that you won…
As she says, Anton and Ben look at the situation. Grace looks at them as Anton shows her the machine, which is now broken, to Grace.
Grace: Oh, sweet pea, there’s nothing to be sad about. You did a good job.
Koleda: But it’s useless. I broke it, and now it won’t work anymore ( She says as a few tears escape her ).
Grace: Ah, my sweet pea, don't worry about it. Look, let me show you what I did ok.
As she lets go of Koleda, Grace grabs the machine she worked on, and Koleda is in shock.
Koldea: Wait, isn’t that?
Grace: Yep, that’s right, sweet pea, I created your idea.
Koleda: But you said my idea was useless and impossible to make.
Grace: Sure, at the beginning, I may have agreed with what I said. After hearing your thoughts and words about the proxies and your wanting to make this for them, I decided to do it myself. Although it was hard, especially the software implementation, I could finish it.
Koleda: But then why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped you.
Grace: Sweety, I know you wanted to, but honestly, I felt that you would have struggled and been rageful due to the process it takes to install the software.
Anton: Well, you ain’t wrong. She reminded me of you when you started doing the boring machines.
Koleda: Hey!
Ben: Sorry, boss, but I have to agree, you resembled Grace back then.
Koleda: You guys! I swear I’ll-
Grace then comes and hugs Koleda again, much to the dismay and anger that she’s feeling at the moment.
Grace: Oh, sweety, don’t worry about them. After all, we now have the perfect machine for the decorations!
Koleda: Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, big sis. Now we just have to buy a few more, and we’re set.
Anton: Alright! This party will be great!
Koleda: Alright, guys, let's go home now. Today was something.
As Koleda finishes saying that, Grace puts the machine in a container before catching up with everyone else discussing dinner plans. Now that Belobog has secured the decorations, who will be the next group in chaos?