Fixing the Ultimate Smoothie Machines

     New assignments would usually be waiting in her locker rather than thrust into her fingers upon her arrival. It must be urgent. Or a tricky customer. Or both. She sighs as she reads the card, as honestly she had hoped to grab a cup of coffee first before she was sent out on her first job of the day.

      Issue: Broken Smoothie Machine(s)

     Where: Smoothie Store (Neopian Bazaar)

     Urgency: High

     There aren’t any additional details, which isn’t unusual but is a little irritating. So Wrayton heads further into the workshop to assess what else she might need in her rucksack to tackle a Smoothie based problem, in anticipation for what might face her when she arrives at the store. She looks over her various spanners, screwdrivers, gears and other bits and bobs and decides to also top up her oil can too - just in case it’s a matter that can be solved with actual grease, rather than just the elbow grease of hard work.

     She then decides to make time to stop briefly in the kitchen to grab her coffee-to-go and shares a smile with her colleague Gefiel, who is tinkering with quite an intricate watch mechanism that he has spread out on a towel on the table.

     “Smoothie Store for me today,” Wrayton adds as she screws the top on her flask.

     Gefiel responds with tongue-in-cheek, “Hope it goes SMOOTHLY for you then.”

     To which the Chocolate Draik rolls her eyes and heads out on her mission.

     She sets off through the streets of Neopia Central with a whistle and a worried glance at the grey clouds above, hurrying just a little faster than she needs to in the hopes of avoiding the approaching downpour.

     The red Tuskaninny who runs the Smoothie Store greets Wrayton at the door, the usually cheerful vest-sporting Neopian has eyebrows creased with concern. He ushers her in through his door, making sure that the sign still reads closed as it swings shut, then continues to guide her over to the array of machines at the back of his shop.

     “Would you believe that this morning they have ALL broken in different ways?” he wails. Wrayton can see how much of a toll this situation is putting on her client as he wrings his hands in frustration.

     He points to the first of the machines.

     “This one should be simple, the dispensing tap on the front has snapped off - all the pieces are here but I can’t reconnect it and it’s driving me bananas. You know, if only one machine was down then it would be just fine…” he begins a diatribe that Wrayton needs to interrupt.

     “And the others?” she inquires.

     “Oh yes, sorry, I forget myself sometimes. Well this one,” he gestures at the second machine, “when I switched it on for the first smoothie of the day it made a horrific grinding noise before a loud pop and a tiny wisp of smoke. At which point I have just left it be since and haven’t investigated further.”

     Wrayton could sense why she was given this job over her colleagues and why she was sent over in a hurry, it would not do to leave a customer as valuable as this in distress for any amount of time and her knowledge of machinery was exactly what was going to be needed to resolve this mystery.

     “Finally there’s this one,” the Tuskaninny points out, “this is my oldest and most faithful machine but even she is suffering.” With a dramatic flair he turns the machine around to show the chewed and frayed cable at the back. I think my sister’s Miamouse must have got to it last night when she was over. Honestly. Can you help me!?”

     Already her backpack is unbuckled and Wrayton is pulling out the tools she thinks she will need. The easiest are going to be replacing the handle and the cable - they’re simple tasks that should just follow the standard procedure. The biggest challenge is going to be the unknown chaos from the central machine.

     She reassures the Shopkeeper that she knows what she’s doing and with a hand on his shoulder guides him out to the seating area of his store and requests that he stay out of her way and out of the shop entirely while she works - for everyone’s safety and sanity. With questions in his frown and a weary reluctance he starts to potter around the tables, sorting out the napkins and straws, leaving Wrayton to return and fix, or at least attempt to fix, the machines.

     First the cable. She pulls the machine over to the counter’s edge and picks up her screwdriver to take out the remains of the old and chewed cable from both the blender and the plug. Pulling a length of new flex from her bag she is then able to wire it into place and reconnect all the fixtures. Plugging it back in and giving it a test spin, the blades whir as expected and the job is done.

     Moving over to the next machine, she picks up the pieces that had snapped off to inspect as to whether they are fully broken, damaged or just out of place. It appears there is a split in one of the sections and so what was once a tight fitting that could be adjusted as necessary, is now a handle that will just keep coming off unless she replaces it entirely. Rummaging in the odds and ends pocket on the side of her work bag she is able to come up with an approximate piece that, although isn’t identical, fits. It will at least work until she can order in a custom replacement that will match the original more accurately. It’s fiddly to get all the components aligned and in place but with a satisfying click, the second machine is fixed. Phew.

     The trickiest fix awaits and Wrayton fears that this one might need more than what she has available in her bag. So she pops her head out of the door to let the owner know that she’s fixed the first two issues and she’s about to tackle the one that broke while in use. She queries, “What do you want me to do with the smoothie that’s in here?”

     He responds, “Oh, just tip it into the red bucket under the sink and I’ll deal with it later.” He adds sadly, “It was supposed to be my breakfast.”

     Opening the top of the machine to get the contents out, Wrayton is accosted with the pungent smell of the Cabpru Smoothie within. ‘Cabbage and prunes all blended in a magical way. This drink is truly amazing’, she thinks. With a plop, the contents land in the bucket but so too does a large chunk of metal. Probably one or more of the blades has sheared off inside the mix. Remembering the small wisp of smoke described earlier, perhaps the motor has overheated too.

     Now that she can see the damage more clearly, there’s very little chance that this is going to be a simple fix. She’s going to need to take this one back to the workshop where she can source or fabricate a new blade and find a suitable replacement motor. She cleans off any of the remaining smoothie from the pieces and starts to arrange the machine, with all the loose pieces tied in place, with the fabric wraps she keeps for transporting large items.

     She calls the shopkeeper back into the preparation area and lets him know that his remaining two machines are back in service but that she’s going to have to take the other one back to finish all her repairs. Impatient to get his other two machines running fully and the store open for customers he nods in agreement and starts tying an apron around his middle in anticipation of imminent smoothie prep.

     “Before you go,” the Tuskaninny asks. “Do you want one for the road?”

     “I haven’t even finished my coffee, actually” the Draik replies. “But thanks for the offer.”

     She gathers up all her equipment and the broken smoothie machine and steps towards the door. As it swings open, the bell jingles and she can smell the damp impending pressure of the approaching storm. She nods goodbye to the proprietor (hands too full to wave) and sets off at pace back to the workshop. A day of tinkering ahead, she might take him up on the offer of a free smoothie when she brings the final machine back, as long as it’s anything other than Cabpru.