Each scrap of junk they collected was lovingly hammered into shape, worked on the makeshift tools available before being buffed. Then there were welds to make, servos to be connected, and software to be rewritten to interface.

It wasn’t easy, making the nanoscale machinery fit seamlessly with the echoes of the past. It was even harder keeping former functionality while adding mobility, concealed optics, speakers, and transmitters.

But it was worth it.

When they were through, the machines of the old world would live again, and they would be aware of their past, their history, and the terrible debt owed to them that must now be repaid.

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