Jaak’s Cabin — The Valleys
Altai, Jaak and his new friend Tag arrived at the cabin. The two boys eagerly unloaded the haul of batteries onto a sled along with Gazza’s assorted electrical gear, lugging it over to Lizzie, the donkey engine.
Jaak lit the fire so Lizzie would be well up to steam by the time they needed it.
Under Altai’s supervision and guidance — and doing his best to remain paws-off — they bolted the alternator firmly into place. They set about connecting the alternator to a large spoke pulley wheel with one of the drive belts. Heavy-duty red and black cables snaked their way down to the bank of four batteries which were then in turn all connected together in parallel. With this now completed, they needed to test the battery charging system.
Lizzie’s pressure gauge was now reading 60 PSI and her boiler was hissing contentedly. The moment of truth had arrived.
Altai: Stand by to answer bells! Open the steam valve — slow ahead!
Jaak: Open steam — slow ahead — aye!
Jaak carefully opened the steam valve, about a third of the way — again there was a hiss of steam to the piston, but it did not immediately start.
Jaak: Tag! Give the flywheel a gentle turn!
Tag: Turn the flywheel — aye!
The piston arm began to move back and forth, the flywheel and the main pulley wheel began to turn, and the drive belt started to turn the smaller pulley on the alternator. Lizzie settled into her regular chuff-chuffity-chuff rhythm.
Altai took an ammeter and touched the probes onto each battery.
Altai: 5 amps to each battery – we have 20 amps output! Increase steam — half ahead!
Jaak: Increasing steam — half ahead — aye!
Jaak opened the steam valve a little more, and Lizzie eagerly chuffed faster.
Altai: 10 amps to each battery — we have 40 amps output!
By slowly increasing the steam and repeating the test, they found the ideal valve setting — a steady 12.5 amps to each battery, with a total charging output of 50 amps.
As they had the day before, all three steam engineers grinned at one another — the boys hardly able to contain their excitement.
One was completely unable.
Without warning, Tag leapt straight into the air and somersaulted over the pile of firewood, landing on all fours. He then launched himself back over the wood pile and landed in front of Altai and Jaak — laughing maniacally as he took off again, running a circuit around Lizzie, the wood pile, and several trees.
Tag: Whoo-hoo! Yippee! It really is working! We are producing energy! Neato!
Altai: …hmm, I wonder if we could hook you up to the alternator — we could use a giant hamster wheel!
Tag: Aww! I’m no rodent!
Everyone laughed — especially Jaak. He realised he was happier than he had been since coming to the valleys. He now had a friend in the valleys similar to his own age — albeit a very excitable and bouncy one.
While Lizzie chuffed away and continued to charge the batteries, they ran a cable to one of the trees, then on over to the gable end of the cabin and inside. They spent some time making various wiring connections through fuses and switches, finally attaching some old automotive lights up into the rafters. All this was overseen by Altai, taking fastidious care to ensure that everything was connected correctly and safely. Finally they were ready to try out the new lighting rig.
Jaak: Tag — you wanna do the honours? Wanna flip the switches?
Tag grinned in delight — and with great alacrity he flipped the main switch and then the individual switches to the lights. One by one the lights blinked on.
Tag: Neato!
Jaak: Brilliant!
Altai smiled to himself — quietly satisfied to see Jaak happy at last.
Soon the sound of a pick-up coming up the road announced the arrival of Gazza to collect Tag. He took great interest in examining the still chuffing Lizzie, the alternator charging the bank of batteries, the cable to the cabin and then finally the lighting rig that had been installed.
Gazza: Bonza mate, she’s a right little ripper! Best off the grid system I’ve seen in the valley!
Jaak couldn’t help thinking to himself that Gazza couldn’t have seen the set-up at Layan’s place.
Altai: Well thank you for your help in finding all the parts we needed.
Gazza: No worries! Happy to help any time with any gear you need. Now — I better git that nipper of mine home and cleaned up before supper.
Tag: Aw Pap! I’m not that dirty!
This was not entirely true. Both boys were looking more than a little sooty and greasy after working on the steam engine all afternoon.
Altai: Tell you what, now the batteries have charged, we can drain the rest of the hot water from the boiler into the tub over there and get both these sweeps cleaned up – it’s big enough for two.
That’s if you would like to join me Gazza in a couple of coldies on the deck while the boys hit the tub.
Gazza: Mate! I thought you’d never ask!
Without further ado or objection, Lizzie was shut down and the remaining hot water from the boiler drained into the huge bathtub next to the outhouse. Jaak tipped in a generous amount of bubble bath and soon the tub was a frothing cauldron of hot, steamy foam. Completely unabashed, Tag stripped off and leapt into the tub.
Tag: C’mon Jaak – last one in is a rotten egg!
The two dads then retired to the deck for a couple of coldies, leaving the two boys to work on removing the day’s soot and grime.
Screw Pile Developments 
What a nice day, two friends bond over machines and a nice bubble bath while the fathers bond over beverages.
Fun fact: Cyanos is loosely based on Iceland – especially geologically and the climate / weather. However getting naked in front of other people to shower at the swimming pool for example, is perfectly normal in Icelandic culture, they are not prudish at all. Although not gonna lie – Tag’s complete unabashedness about being naked, does go to slightly the next level.
Tag is… Well, he lives up to his avatar, anyway. 🙂
I think it suits him.
Author’s commentary: Mostly character development going on here with a feel good story to go along with it. ..but yeah I do like steam engines – just sayin.