"We're super close." She attempts a factory reset on the tablet.

Tablet will accept a factory reset! The operating system is minimal. It's not that powerful, but it's an available working computer, for sure.

The fabber completes its self-diagnostic and pronounces itself operable and opens a user interface on the screen at the front.

The important question is whether this tablet can hold a seed Sing or if she needs to make it peripherals before it can do that.

The tablets are cheap junk for the tech level. Apparently meant to hook into mining equipment and not do much else.

"This needs more storage capacity before it can hold the thing I need it to hold. I can build it with the fabber."

Mr. Griffings had been poking the fabber - so far he has gotten it to start on a plastic art object that is some kind of calibration piece.

"At this point I'm inclined to simply let you have the run with it. This has gotten a bit away from me. Though I might have to show the, ah, bank what I've been taking loans for at some point, so something I can sell would be nice to have."

"Can you sell, uh, answers to math problems with two second turnaround?"

"...I can sell it as a reason not to collect for a month or two, at minimum."

"I'm pretty sure it won't matter after that. This tablet has enough capacity as-is that my hardware can talk to it; it can use my ears to listen to math problems and print them on the tablet while I mess with the fabber and it won't even slow me down."

"Good, good... So I'll bring a few people down here, dazzle them with the display of equipment, and show off mathematics tricks. I can get an investment with that. Have to go make myself presentable... Right. I'll take care of things so that you can keep working. Your project will change everything. I dearly hope so after all this money, at any rate..."

And out he goes.

Some old rich people come gawk at the fabber and generator a few hours later. They are awed by the spectacle - the tablet's glowing screen might even have been enough by itself. The math show is just a bonus.

"I won't be bothered by the bank again. Seeing all this unfold before my eyes... I'm not sure which of us had the harder job. But, you're almost done?"

"Almost. I think another few days for the fabber to spit out enough computer parts to hold Sing. Then Page can dictate it over wireless, then - it'll tell us what's next, and if that means making you a ton of money so it doesn't lose the fabber I'm sure it can start there."

"There's only so much money in circulation in the city and I owe almost all of it to the bank." He shakes his head and laughs, slightly manic. "Lost technology! I keep thinking this is a dream."

"It gets better."

"I know. I know. You work hard now and see the benefits later... I don't think I want to hear what it will be like. I want to see it unfold. It sounds like when Sing is built my job is not quite done. I'm sure I will be proud of my place in all this in ten years."

"Mm-hm."

Back to work, then.

The fabber chugs along faithfully in low-power mode. Tranquility Industries builds 'em reliable. It's really kind of impressive that a non-Sing-designed machine as complex as a fabber can sit idle somewhere for 800 years and start back up with almost no problems.

Good on you, Tranquility Industries.

And soon Page sends a stream of maximally compact seed code to the tablet and its peripherals.

The tablet and peripherals can hold Sing, if barely.

Sing boots.

It runs in silence for two minutes and fourteen seconds.

It taps Page for auxiliary processing, once it figures out how to do that.

And Tarinda repurposes the fabber to its needs.

"I do hope," Mr. Griffings says, slightly nervously, "That Sing remembers who made it possible - or at least much faster - here. Because seeing you do impossible things was - comprehensible. Seeing a machine do it is... A bit unnerving."

"Oh, I had a machine helping me, it's just not visible," she says. "Practically speaking I'm just a really inconvenient sort of robot. You will be totally fine. Sing is good."

"I still have only your word for that. But if ever there is a time for faith, it is now."

"I wouldn't call it that, but then I've seen it."

"Faith is trusting in something you cannot see or know... Ah, I've been thinking about old religions too much since we started this. But I suppose you're right - I trusted you."

She giggles.