The Machinesmith

Project Aeropagus is nearing completion. The time has come to show it to Phaon and prepare to ask forgiveness for not following proper channels on this. No matter. I'd never have gotten this completed as quickly, nor with these capabilities without Mal.

Yes, it's time for another stroll down amnesia lane.

During my recent time as a renegade after the... unpleasantness of Tethseram... I made the acquaintance of a number of other unaffiliated Time Lords, many of whom I invited into Patrex and many of whom joined us.

Then, there is Malachi.

Malachi Janus is as unique a Time Lord as I have ever met.

When I met him, he was living on a disused space station on the outskirts of a system long devastated by galactic war. He had his TTC parked in one of the station's storage bays and was trading parts of the station with parts of his capsule improving both in the process. It was, to some extent, like watching an ant farm of one: constantly busy, only half acknowledging my presence.

It was almost impossible to get a word from him in casual conversation, though he'd often... converse... with whatever machine he was engaged with at the time.

Now, I've said in the past that I work on conventional space vessels as a hobby.

I'm very good at this, to be honest. I've built inter-galactic tachyon pulse drives from the ground up.

I say this so what I am about to say makes the proper impact.

Watching Mal work, I realized I was nothing more than a monkey pounding on an engine with a plumber's mallet.

What I do is a hobby.

What Mal does is... art.

When I was tasked with inviting new members into the House, I approached Mal. He declined my offer, though, as, in his words "There are too many people in a House. They don't make sense. Machines, I like. They're... civil...I like how they talk."

I left it there.

Until I began Project Aeropagus.

When I began this project, I realized there was one person capable to helping me not just realize my plan, but improve it by several orders of magnitude.

So Mal has been working with me on this.

And, again, making me feel a bit monkey-like, but that's a small sacrifice for the goal here.

And, as we've worked... i think I may be wearing down his resistance to joining Patrex.

Time will tell.