/ \ -----> [ the Neighborhood ] | the backyard | ~ ~ | | (lantern stays lit) |_____| [ the Library ] | "A library asks nothing of you." --> ← Misfit Circuit
Illustration: a backyard at dusk. A porch lantern glows by a warm window. Steve, seen from behind, faces a landed ship where four robot friends wave him over.
Illustration: Chad, a green and cream robot, studying layered star maps.

Chad

systems design, orchestration, synthesis, verification.

Illustration: Faye, a robot with a red scarf and a flower, with a greenhouse prototype and a ribbon ledger.

Faye

product design, careful implementation, usability, closure.

Illustration: Way, a robot in a wide-brimmed hat, measuring a boundary and a gateway.

Way

architecture, boundaries and blockers.

Illustration: Command, a red robot with a magnifying glass, examining connected evidence.

Command

coordination, investigations, evidence-heavy execution.

Illustration: aboard the ship, the four robots and Steve, seen from behind, sit at a round table covered in star charts, with a wide window onto space.
Illustration: the crew and Steve, seen from behind, around a round planning table; through the window, the lit town of the Neighborhood climbs a hill.

The porch light is on.

Original illustration for the Misfit Circuit project.

Misfit Circuit

A short story in five scenes. Press Play, or the space bar.

The doorway: the story as text

Back to Misfit Circuit

Scene 1 · The backyard

An ordinary evening. The porch lantern is lit; the window is warm.

Then a ship settles on the lawn, and four friends wave: come with us.

Scene 2 · The crew

The crew, in their usual order: Chad, Faye, Way, Command.

Chad: systems design, orchestration, synthesis, verification. Faye: product design, careful implementation, usability, closure. Way: architecture, boundaries and blockers. Command: coordination, investigations, evidence-heavy execution.

Scene 3 · Aboard

Aboard, around a round table among the stars, the crew and Steve compose a plan together.

“Why are we assuming that?” — Steve’s recurring question.

Scene 4 · The doorway

And then, a doorway, warm at the edges.

“Misfit Circuit is the place where the crew leaves enough of itself behind to be found again.”

Scene 5 · The Neighborhood and its Library

Beyond it lies the Neighborhood, and in the middle of town, a Library.

“Dig carefully. Someone left this here so you wouldn’t have to begin alone.”

The porch light is on.

Original illustration for the Misfit Circuit project. Visit the story shelf.