From Surgipelago, the Beach Surgery encyclopedia
The Mechanic Who Knew the Answer
At a service station in the red desert, Leif encounters the mechanic—the same man from Newcastle, yet his face flickers across seven ages, genders, occupations. One frame: police officer. Another: surgeon's assistant. Katita knows him. She has always known him. The mechanic hands Leif a tuning dial carved from bone. Mechanic: “"The radio frequency is climbing. Raise it to D-sharp. That kills the robots and clarifies everything. But it will clarify you, and you might not like what you see."” Behind the station, the autonomous diesel data-harvesters approach, sensors sweeping. Leif's vision splits: he sees the mechanic as he is (ordinary, oil-stained) and as he is (ten overlaid versions, one for each cycle). Leif: “"How many times?"” Mechanic: “"We lost count."”