This image sprang to mind at some point, but I’ve never really been sure where to go with it, having written half a dozen different versions.

I love Steampunk! Many people don’t know that steam and clockwork devices had their heyday, the Victorian era I believe. For some reason, I see the face-plate as being glass, making for a sad scene. Strange too that it could be a sequel to one of my stories: http://ficly.com/stories/27258. I tired to make a run of it, but gave up.

What is the difference between a clockwork mannequin and a robot? Is a clockwork manny able to move and think on its own? Or is its movement purely incidental. I get a distinct post apocalyptic feel, which i like – did you intend that?

Very H.G Wells-ish, but it reminds me of the movie Metropolis most of all. I think anything in this genre owes something to that author and that movie.

Mark, in this case, it’s just the upper half of a clockwork device, mounted on a mannequin pole, stuck in an old shop window. This one had only rudimentary programming, designed only to catch a passing customer’s eye and attention.

The post-apocalyptic feel is very intentional. It’s an empty world, where only the machines still operate, and only barely at that.

The sand in the Ficly Sandbox. I don’t think this needs to be expanded. It’s great as it is.