Hope you've enjoyed the previous story on BW Dinobot that I shared here. For this three-part story, I originally wrote it five years ago shortly after I got MP-29 Shockwave, but I haven't posted it publicly until recently.
Here's a direct link to my upload on AO3 -
https://archiveofourown.org/works/31...pters/78107003 - but I'll post it here as well.
Premise: A speculative origin story for Shockwave, who invents a new electromagnetic radiation multi-tool, just as the Decepticons begin their uprising near the end of Cybertron’s ancient Golden Age.
{Part 1}
“What in The Inferno
is this, Highlight?!”
The wireframe blueprint images on the work lab’s main vid-screen – multiple angles of what resembled a strange-looking weapon – contrasted sharply with the relatively benign tools and electronic equipment, strewn about in organized pockets of localized chaos in the laboratory. Magnificus was not thrilled with his cocky purple co-worker smirking at him from the only seat in the workshop. It was bad enough that Highlight always hogged that chair, and requests for another one were often forgotten by management. But while the duo often worked well together, Highlight’s maverick attitude sometimes grated on the by-the-datapad Magnificus, wishing he could concentrate enough light through his shoulder-mounted scope-lens barrel and blast some discipline into his too-damn-easy-going partner. Just once, if company regulations could allow it.
“It’s all right; the boss has nothing to worry about. It’s just my own little side project.”
“Yes, and this ‘little side project’ of yours is on company time,
and on company property, might I add? That’s already two violations if you get caught. And do you realize the slag-storm that’ll sweep you up if the higher-ups even
hear about this? Did you miss the part in Astro Magnum’s mission statement, about making stuff for
civil uses, not weapons? Forget it; I’m not getting dragged into this cyber-pet project of yours!”
“Calm down, bud,” Highlight dismissed him with a barely audible chuckle. “All right, I admit it looks like a blaster, but that’s not what I have in mind. This little idea’s been tickling the back of my CPU, since I designed those compact models of our nuclear reactors. Remember how I suggested your miniaturization skills for that job?”
“Yes, looking at your schematics, I see you’re talking about the models incorporating the Vulcan laser array,” Magnificus replied. “But what exactly
is this supposed to be?”
Highlight got up from the seat, retracted his left hand into his forearm, and extended a narrow laser pointer from his wrist socket. “It’s only a theoretical concept,” he explained as he indicated select features in the designs on the screen with his red pinpoint dot. “But you know how we interface Vulcan lasers with the reactors and draw ideas from the electromagnetic spectrum? I want to miniaturize that tech
further, and install them in hand-held devices.”
The black micro-electronics engineer crossed his arms over his chest as his all-too-relaxed lab partner delivered his informal presentation from the workshop’s seat. “How exactly do you expect to harness substantial nuclear power from a device the size of a hand tool?”
“You know, for someone who transforms into a microscope, you sure lack vision,” Highlight snickered. “What you see here, my friend, is an early prototype for what could lead to a whole assortment of multi-purpose electromagnetic tools. Think of it. With the turn of a dial, it can transmit radio signals. Or it can be an industrial heat gun. Or a searchlight. Or an X-ray scanner.”
“Or a weapon,” Magnificus interrupted. “You said ‘full range of the electromagnetic spectrum’, remember? If that thing also covers gamma-ray frequencies, someone could accidently put it on the wrong setting and cause some serious damage. Or blast someone to dust!”
“Ah, but don’t think that slipped my cerebro-circuits, pal,” Highlight said while continuing his impromptu lesson. “I’m working on restriction filters to prevent this tool from reaching the gamma-ray region of the spectrum. Once I feel it meets – make that
surpasses all industry safety standards, I’ll start drafting a formal proposal for this little devil.”
Magnificus resisted all temptation to facepalm in front of his lab partner holding his personal infomercial in their workshop. “‘Devil.’ Appropriate word. I’m sorry, Highlight, but I don’t like it. If that thing gets into the wrong hands, they could easily re-engineer it as a weapon. And if it gets traced back to you, Astro Magnum as a
whole could be held liable! It’s way too dangerous.”
Highlight showed no lack of self-assurance, as his laser nozzle retracted into his wrist socket and his left hand slid back out. “Danger’s a relative term. A laser in the military is a weapon. A laser in a factory is a tool. Look at the primary tool of
your trade. If you focused enough light through that lens barrel on your shoulder, you could start a fire if you wanted.”
“You sure have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Magnificus groaned, shaking his head. “I’ll bet you also have one about certain current events.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe if you kept up with the news instead of tinkering with your new toy, you might have heard about those new robots. You know, the ones who can fly on their own power? I heard they raided an energy facility on the opposite border of the province.”
“But that’s just a rumor, isn’t it? When was that reported?”
“About a quartex ago. Said they stole all the valuables they could find and left no survivors.”
“But if there were no survivors, then where’d that story come from?”
Magnificus’ rebuttal was aborted by a pause, trying to sort out the argument in his logic centres.
“Like I said, just a rumor,” Highlight grinned confidently, as he plopped back down on the seat and propped his feet up on a rare empty space on a work table. “And like I also said, nothing to worry about. I’m taking every precaution I can to make sure this device is safe to use before I write one line of code for that proposal. But I need your help for the miniaturization to go right. You being such a stickler for safety, you can inspect it in your usual obsessive-compulsive way, before I take the next step. Still, I expect it’ll be done in a couple deka-cycles.”
“You really think you can do it, huh?” Magnificus sighed in surrender. “And I suppose you’ll requisition parts in-house to build the prototype yourself?”
“Mm-hm. It’s all propriety anyway, but I intend to wow the board of directors, and they’ll see nothing but multiple returns on this investment. Plus, I’ll make sure to get a cut of the deal.”
“What makes you so sure the boss will clear
that?”
“Hey, it
is my invention. It’ll be the first of its kind on the market before anyone else thinks about copying the idea, but no one else has the expertise and high standards we got. I guarantee our model will always be
the best, no matter how many imitations are spawned, and who wants less than the best? I’ll just ask for a little residual; not too big a bite to hurt the budget. But once stock really gets moving – and it
will – you won’t believe how high it’ll pile up.”
Magnificus shook his head at Highlight’s boasts. “Your ambition bothers me sometimes, you know that? All this talk of proposals and deals and percentages; you sound more like a business dealer than a technologist. You sure you still want to work in a tech lab?”
“Nothing wrong with some extra money. Hey,
you remember another part of the company’s mission statement, right? Innovation is what sets good old Astro Magnum ahead of the competition, isn’t it? Besides,
I was the one who put in a good word for
your miniaturization skills, and that got you a raise. So you owe me a favor.”
“But you also got a raise for your idea.”
“Not as much as yours. They thought your hands-on work was worth more, anyway. I’m good with that. But this time, I’m making
sure to attach my brand to this piece of work. Hey, I might also go the opposite of miniaturization and make something big, like an electromagnetic radiation telescope. I’m sure some astronomical observatory is dying to capture some dazzling images of the stars in microwave or ultraviolet. Man, I can just see those pictures now.”
“Damn you and your dreams.”
“Hey, this is the Golden Age, where
anything can happen. We’re in position to
make it happen!”
Magnificus couldn’t deny his lab partner had quite the imagination and the optimism behind it. “You really have all this thought out, haven’t you?”
“Insight and foresight, my friend,” Highlight chuckled as he rested his hands behind his crested head, in front of the twin hover pontoons jutting from his upper back. “Insight and foresight are
everything. Tell you what; you help me with this idea, and I’ll give you a cut, how ’bout that?”
“Hm… I suppose I should have
some compensation for my contributions.”
Highlight offered his right hand to Magnificus. “That a yes, then?”
After a slight pause, Magnificus accepted his lab partner’s handshake. “All right. But you sure you won’t leave Astro Magnum after you get rich like you think? Like you said, anything can happen. You might start up your own company and compete with
us.”
“Ha-ha, you worry too scraggin’ much!” Highlight laughed as he relinquished the handshake. “I may be ambitious, but I still believe in loyalty. As long as Astro Magnum’s around, I’m staying.”
“By the way, what are you going to call this gadget when it’s done?”
Highlight paused. “Hm. I dunno. A laser… laser vulcan, I guess.”
If Magnificus didn’t have a mouthplate, it would be his turn to smirk. “Well, be glad you’re a top-notch tech designer, because you’re terrible at branding. All right, let’s get to work.”
* * * * *
The proposal began:
To paraphrase an excerpt from the company’s mission statement, innovation is the factor that sets us ahead of the competition. In fact, it is my belief that innovation sets Astro Magnum apart from the competition; that belief led me to propose to you the designs for our upgraded compact nuclear reactors, so that purchasers, and their customers in turn, could conserve space compared to our past models without loss of power capacity or efficiency. With this in mind, I would like to submit a proposal applying those same principles of electronic and technological miniaturization, to produce another device.
The MP.29 – tentatively named the “laser vulcan” – will be a variable-setting multi-purpose tool that harnesses energy from almost the full range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Measures will be implemented in the design to prevent access to harmful gamma rays, ensuring safe use among not only industrial users, but also an untapped market in the general public. Expanding the customer base for this device will open exposure of our products to the every-cycle consumer, capturing their imagination and strengthening our reputation for excellence in our industry. And as before, I will request Magnificus’ assistance to contribute his expertise in miniaturization and his stringent precision standards, to further ensure the safety of this device.
Please see the attached files and schematics for further details of the MP.29, including a list of essential materials, a budget, and a marketing plan should this project be approved. Thank you.
Highlight
Laboratory Technician, Micro-Electronics and Design
* * * * *
Summary of Technical Features
Manufacturer: Astro Magnum Precision Lasers & Electromagnetics (tentatively)
Model #: MP.29
Tool type: laser vulcan (electromagnetic radiation multi-tool)
Features:
* Multi-tool emits beams of energy from entire range of the electromagnetic spectrum; safeguards will restrict access to gamma-ray range; variable switch for setting frequency; nature of tool drains power source rapidly
* Possible uses of multi-tool: searchlight, scanner/detector, signal transmitter/jammer
* Miniature nuclear reactor with focused laser array accommodates a variety of fuel cells for power sources; energon, radioactive, and electrical cells yield most efficient results
* Insulated conduit cable contains inert gas coolant; draws excess heat from reactor into chamber leading to heat sinks for dissipation
* Barrel has strategically-cut slots for heat sinks, preventing overheating
* Retractable rangefinder
* * * * *
The text blinked on the wall screen as Highlight opened the message in his electronic inbox.
Thank you for submitting your proposal for the laser vulcan electromagnetic multi-tool. Unfortunately, we feel this proposal does not meet our mission statement, nor does it fit into our company’s plans at this time. Upon close examination of your schematic drafts, we noticed that you incorporated into your design components based on Astro Magnum’s propriety goods, without prior notification or permission from us. Furthermore, we were informed that your proposal was completed on company time and property. These are violations of company policy, as all Astro Magnum projects must be officially approved prior, with any personal and otherwise unauthorized projects forbidden on company grounds. In light of these offenses, we regret to inform you that, effective immediately, you are suspended from Astro Magnum Precision Lasers & Electromagnetics for two quartexes. We encourage creativity and innovation in our company, but be advised that due process must be maintained at all times.
We look forward to your return to work when your suspension period is over. Thank you.
* * * * *
“Soundwave. Report.”
In a secret system of crudely hollowed-out caverns, hidden deep under the surface of Polyhex, broad-shouldered humanoid labor drones sorted and placed their stolen plunder in assigned storage. Supervising the operation and taking account was the quiet Decepticon Communications Officer, who turned at the mention of his name toward the source of the deep, gravelly voice: Megatron, the upstart warlord who declared himself Leader of the Decepticon uprising.
“Raid 3 comparatively less successful than previous missions,” Soundwave reported in his electronically-synthesized monotone voice. “Increases in four inventory classifications are lower than expected. Hardware: 25.57%. Raw material: 32.63%. Ready-made equipment: 18.79%. Armament: 42.08%.”
“After the last two missions I personally led, this drop is unacceptable,” Megatron muttered. “This leaves us with not nearly enough resources to begin constructing our new Seeker aerial force. What of our energy stores?”
“Net loss of 27.85%, due to high fuel expenditure and considerable casualties to both combat and transport drone divisions.”
“Obviously, our next strike must be another significant source of energy. Our plan should have resulted in zero casualties among our forces. How do you account for this?”
“Infantry captain Blacklight reports arrival of unexpected defenses.”
“The Guardian robots,” growled Megatron knowingly, with a frustrated clench of his fists. “Trust those lumbering sentinels to interfere! Unless we remove those oversized automatons from the equation, my plans for Decepticon supremacy are in jeopardy.”
An indicator light on Soundwave’s torso blinked on and off three times. “Laserbeak returns from reconnaissance,” he droned; flying into the cavern was a small, ovoid-shaped scout craft with a wedge-shaped, hook-tipped head, blurring the line between bird and nosecone. Anticipating the scout’s arrival, Soundwave pressed the eject button on his left shoulder to open his hinged chest panel; Laserbeak folded up into his data cartridge mode, and slid home safely into his protector’s storage bay before the protective chest panel swung shut independently. The spindles inside his chest interlocked with the digital spools in Laserbeak’s cartridge mode, and rotated to internally play back the scout’s findings recorded in his data banks.
“Laserbeak has found a source of energy in Autobot territory,” Soundwave began. Location is south of Iacon city-state’s borders; a warehouse complex in Storage Yard 67 by the river northeast of the Rust Sea. Energy capacity equivalent to 275,000 astroliters of energon.”
“Excellent!” Megatron cried. “With that much energy at our disposal, any other losses will be rendered insignificant, and we can proceed with our expansion.”
“However,” the Communications Officer added, “security along regional boundaries has increased. Multiple Guardian Robots have been sighted.”
Megatron’s mood swung back after this bad news. “Those Autobots must have gotten wise to us and decided not to take any chances. My fusion cannon can neutralize the Guardian Robots, but the rest of our force is vulnerable to their sheer size. We must seize that energy, but even if Blacklight led twice our number of elite warrior drones in my place, a direct assault on the Guardians would be a mistake we cannot afford to repeat.”
“Understand, Megatron,” Soundwave rebutted, “that appointing Blacklight was necessary, in order to devote time to prepare future strategies.”
“Perhaps. But these results mean that I
still need to be present on the field for those strategies to succeed. Under these circumstances, not only must we increase our armament capabilities, but I must also recruit another lieutenant. One with exceptional acumen for strategy. Meticulous capability of calculating optimum courses of action. Great power to effectively eliminate threats such as the Guardians. And of course… unswerving loyalty to me.”
* * * * *
“Barkeep. Hit me again.”
“You’ve had seven rounds of high-grade already, pal. I think that’s enough.”
“Hey, I’m payin’ for ’em, ain’t I? You want my money or not?”
“Okaaay, customer’s always right. Even when they’re over-energized…”
Elbows propped on the bar, faceplate buried in hands, Highlight’s demeanor in Maccadam’s Old Oil House was nothing like the cheerful optimism he had at work just a few cycles ago. The rejection of his laser vulcan proposal was already a painful punch to the circuits as it was. But being suspended for conceiving his invention outside the normal channels was unfair. Innovation – that which “set Astro Magnum ahead of the competition” – is supposed to be about creative thinking, isn’t it? It’s about breaking rules and pushing boundaries in order to develop new ideas into fruition. That’s why we’re in a thriving Golden Age today, right? So how can innovation be expected to flourish in an environment that insists on staying on the same safe, established path?
What really rubbed acid into the wound was that someone ratted him out. If the issue was just unauthorized use of company designs in an outside project, disciplinary action wouldn’t have been much more than a first-offense warning. And despite the board’s attempt to keep the informant anonymous, Highlight knew exactly who the steel stool pigeon was. Who else could have known about the laser vulcan but his lab partner? Magnificus was a great lab technician, but Highlight often had trouble meshing his unbridled free thought with Magnificus’ insistence on keeping within set rules. Still, they had been able to set aside their differences in philosophy in order to develop and improve many of Astro Magnum’s best projects. But he never expected Magnificus to be so adherent to regulations, that he’d go so far as to throw away a share of a lucrative deal just to color inside the lines. How defective must you be to do
that?!
On the wall above him in the tavern, a television screen showed footage of wreckage and panicking mecha-citizens being attended to by emergency squads. The calm voice of a reporter contrasted with the frantic scene; “Another attack in Polyhex was reported earlier this solar cycle. An armament factory was the target of a violent raid, leaving thirty-six workers deactivated and an undisclosed number of bystanders injured. Witnesses say the incident was perpetrated by a legion of transport drones hauling disguised warriors, led by so-called ‘new flying robots’ allegedly sighted at the attack. The entire stock of defense weaponry was…”
Huh, Highlight thought.
Guess Magnificus wasn’t iron-slagging about that story after all. Well, he’s damn lucky he’s at work right now, ’cause if I saw him there, first thing I’d do would rip that microscope barrel off his shoulder brace, and spear it through his mouth and down his spinal infrastructure!
“Hey. Highlight.”
He heard the voice at his right, and miraculously suppressed that first instinct when he saw him.
“What the frag do you want?” Highlight slurred, heavily inebriated from the effects of his multiple rounds of energon drinks.
“Look, I’m sorry; I didn’t—”
“Save it, your titanium tattler. You backstabbed me, so I’m givin’ you to the count of five to zip off.” At that moment, Highlight balled up his right hand into a fist. “One.”
“Come on, now; be sensible about this…”
Highlight turned aside from the bar with a stumble to face Magnificus. “Two.”
“I already told you this was a bad idea and you’d get in trouble for it.”
Highlight clumsily raised his fist into view. “Three.”
“Would you just listen to me?”
Highlight grabbed for the panicking Magnificus and seized his throat. “Four.”
“I just had a talk with the boss.”
Highlight reared back his right fist. “Four and a half.”
“They suspended me, too!”
Pause. “Ironslag. You’re just buyin’ time so I don’t rearrange your faceplate this astrosecond.”
“I’m serious! All right, so I… had to follow regulations, and I admit I sort of betrayed you.”
“‘Sort of’?!”
“But I had to confess I was also in on your proposal, so they had to put me in the cooler, too.”
“Pfeh,” Highlight spat. “Knowing you, you probably
asked to get suspended for your part in it.”
“No, it wasn’t like that at all. Um… could you let go of me?”
Highlight grudgingly released Magnificus’ neck, then slouched on the bar again… right at the moment when the barkeep placed his next drink on the counter. “How long did you get?”
“Oh, a pretty long time, it’ll be a while before I can go back—”
“How.
Long?”
Magnificus winced. “A deka-cycle.”
“That’s it, huh? I guess it pays to suck up to the policy makers like a good little protoform.”
“Look, Highlight, I’ll make it up to you. I promise I can.”
“Whatcha gonna do? Quit?”
“Well… not exactly.”
“Then you got nothin’ to offer. Now scrag off before I—”
“No, I mean it has to do with your laser vulcan idea.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Think about it. Astro Magnum rejected your proposal, right?”
“Don’t remind me.”
“So technically, that idea is still yours, right?”
“So what?”
“Ever thought of… taking the idea to somewhere else?”
Highlight did a double-take, wondering if the mixed-fuel beverages he’d guzzled had warped his audio perception more than he thought. “What are you yapping about?”
“Have a look at the screen. See what’s up there?”
“Yeah. So you may be right about the flying robots. What about it?”
“Ever thought about putting that proposal to another use? Such as… defense?”
Now Highlight really thought the barkeep had the right idea about having enough. “Weren’t you the one who tried to stop my idea in the first place, because you thought it could be a weapon?”
“I used to think that, yes. But now there’s that new attack. Think about it… we’re going to have to defend ourselves, if these attacks keep coming.”
Highlight was starting to wonder if the drinks he had were stronger than he originally ordered. “This… this don’t sound like you at all, Magnificus. What’s going on?”
“I… just thought about looking at things your way, that’s all. And besides, if you still want to reap benefits from your invention, like you wanted, you can still do it. Maybe you can bring the idea to another company. Like… Destron-Laserwave?”
Now this discussion was getting really weird. Highlight had heard of Destron-Laserwave, a fairly new start-up company co-owned by two aggressive young entrepreneurs. So aggressive, in fact, that they had already absorbed and taken over numerous other companies in an almost-predatory expansion plan, as such a rapid rate unheard of in recent memory. But their expansion was putting scores of citizens out of work, leaving them out in the wild without a safety net.
“I can’t do that,” Highlight replied. “I really don’t like the way they run their business. Besides, we’re still under contract to Astro Magnum. If we gave the MP.29 proposal to another company, we could get nailed for corporate espionage at the very
least.”
“I thought you were the innovator,” Magnificus muttered with a slight, barely noticeable edge. “What happened to all the risk-taking and rule-breaking, huh?”
“That’s a totally different kind of risk, as in the kind that could land you in the slammer.”
“So just let your laser vulcan die, then?”
“No,” Highlight sighed, rubbing his weary faceplate with his hands, feeling the effects of the energon beverages distorting his perception. “It’s still my creation. I guess I’ll just have to… wait for another time and do it the right way.”
“Ah, following rules, huh? Uncharted territory for you,” Magnificus snickered.
“Don’t push it, pal,” Highlight humored his old lab partner with a chuckle of his own.
“Mind if I stay and have a round?”
“Sure. Guess I could use a drinkin’ buddy.”
Magnificus beckoned to the barkeep. “One Corona Solar Lite for me, and a straight shot of socket toluene for my friend here. And… put all his orders on my bill.”
* * * * *
“What do you mean, ‘not on the roster’?!”
“I’m sorry, Highlight, but that’s what our records say,” said Filesave, the lobby receptionist.
“But my suspension just ran out last solar cycle! I’m supposed to come back to work now!”
“Well, my new files were updated last quartex, and your name isn’t in our system anymore.”
“That’s ridiculous! Someone in the higher-ups must have messed up. If I’m not on the roster, the least they could do is let me know. That’s standard procedure in Astro Magnum, isn’t it?”
“Oh.” Filesave paused uncomfortably before she continued. “I think that’s the problem.”
“What is it?”
“Didn’t you see the sign at the entrance?”
“Well… no, I didn’t; I just pass it every time I come in. Has it changed?”
“More than you noticed, apparently. This isn’t Astro Magnum anymore.”
“What?”
“It’s Destron-Laserwave. This building’s their new central business headquarters.”
The range of Highlight’s emotions began to swirl like a kaleidoscope in his mind, and none of the colors represented “happy.” He froze for a few astroseconds that felt like half a stellar cycle, before he could muster up a confused response. “Destron… Laserwave?”
“Yes, they bought out Astro Magnum about a quartex ago, while you were still suspended,” Filesave explained. “A whole restructuring went into play, and about three-quarters of our old staff got released. I was lucky to stay, though. New boss seems to like me.” She really resisted a slight grin at her last sentence; she felt it might make Highlight more upset than he already was.
“Great,” Highlight lamented with a defeated droop of his shoulders. “So how about my stuff?”
“Sorry to say this, but only those who were still here during the restructuring could take their belongings with them. For everyone else, even those on their cycles off, the new crew just threw them out without a thought.”
Highlight shook his head with another sigh. Destron-Laserwave certainly was fast and efficient, he gave them that. Just not ethical. “Guess there’s no sense asking for my severance pay, huh?”
“I can send a message to the new boss for you, if you like. He’s busy in a meeting right now, but I’ll make sure to pass your question to him.”
“Sure… not like I got much else to lose now,” Highlight muttered glumly. Moments after the receptionist took his message, he left the building, transformed to his half-track hover sled mode and coasted out. Everything was being thrown about in all directions. Suspended over his project because Magnificus squealed on him, his old lab partner informs him about Destron-Laserwave at Maccadam’s while also being suspended… and two quartexes later, he’s completely out of a job because Destron-Laserwave took over Astro Magnum,
while he was in the cooler? None of this made any sense… and yet, he suspected there was a connection in there somewhere. And perhaps, Highlight thought, Magnificus could lead to that connection.
As his half-track hover sled form sailed along the tarmac streets, Highlight opened a channel on his internal radio and tried to reach Magnificus. There was no answer. He tried to hail his old lab partner again, then several more times, all with no response. Now, Highlight felt this whole affair was becoming highly suspicious. It couldn’t be a co-incidence that Magnificus name-dropped Destron-Laserwave to him during their suspensions, and now he’s not replying to his calls. Maybe… just maybe… it also could explain why Highlight couldn’t remember returning to his domestic quarters after Magnificus offered him another drink.
Speaking of another drink, Highlight felt he could use one right now. Somehow, he’ll have to sort this matter out, not to mention see if he could find another company to whom he could pitch his MP.29 proposal. If Destron-Laserwave didn’t want him anymore, it’s their loss they’ll lose his ideas with him. Or perhaps Magnificus had a point by unwittingly suggesting going into business for himself! One good thing about his newfound freedom and his Golden Age talk: infinite new possibilities were now opening up before him. But first, it’s off to Maccadam’s…
* * * * *
{Continued next post...}
