Final Diagnosis Part 1

Benjamin Hale had diagnosed enough broken engines to last a lifetime. That was his official opinion.

Instructor Mercer, naturally, disagreed.

The good news was that Mercer had finally run out of rigged test engines. The bad news was that he now had an entire motorcar.

Forty-three students stood gathered around a stripped Model One chassis. Mercer walked along its length, pointing with a wooden ruler.

"Engine."

Everyone knew that one by heart.

"Clutch."

A wave of nods.

"Gearbox."

More nodding.

"Final drive. Brakes. Steering. Suspension." Mercer stopped and faced the room. "For weeks, you've learned these systems in isolation. Today, we stop treating them like separate machines."

Benjamin's brow furrowed. "What does that mean, sir?"

Mercer offered a razor-thin smile. "Today, the fault is the whole motorcar."

Samuel Croft groaned softly. "There's more than one?"

"Several."

"Hidden?"