Gridlock Gremlin's Arc

Chapter 5 of 6

Gridlock tightened the last bolt on the carburetor and wiped his claws on his work rag. The engine sat complete on his workbench, every part in its proper place. He'd spent three hours on this rebuild without breaking a single piece or letting his troublemaking urges take over. He carried the finished engine outside and set it on a wooden display stand beside his workshop bus. The transmission he'd rebuilt last week already sat there, its gleaming metal parts catching the morning sun. Each completed repair proved he could do this work right. Other gremlins walking past slowed down to look at his display. A few nodded. One tapped the engine block and grunted approval. Gridlock's ears twitched forward. These mechanics could see his progress now. The next morning, an official letter arrived at his workshop. He tore it open with shaking claws. Inside was a certificate printed on thick paper with his name written across the center. He'd passed his basic skills examination. The document proved he'd earned the right to call himself a certified mechanic. Gridlock pinned it to the wall of his bus where he could see it every day. His yellow eyes traced the words over and over. That afternoon, he noticed something new near Riddley's Repair. A water feature stood outside the main building, glass tubes twisted together like a mechanical sculpture. Water dripped through the tubes in a steady rhythm, mixing with colored sand that marked the passing hours. Tools hung suspended inside the flowing water like gears in a clock. The whole thing celebrated what mechanics did here. Gridlock watched the water flow and the sand shift. He'd built his display to show his work. Others had earned their certificates. And the Gorge kept growing more beautiful with every gremlin who chose craft over chaos. He headed back to his workshop with his claws steady and his mind clear. Tomorrow he'd start on something harder.