M is for Mechanic
As long as far back as Maru could remember he had been obsessed with the movies. As soon as he could talk he would drag his siblings into participating into mock movies that they would act out in front of cardboard cameras. Going into school Maru had been convinced that he was going to be a movie star…but that was a dream that had been quickly dashed for the little tug had nether the build nor the voice for the movies. In fact, he didn't even have the voice for radio. Try as he might, he couldn't manage to get more than a pity part in the school plays, and at times, even those had been given grudgingly.
His parents had been kind, but firm. It was fine to have acting as a hobby when he was in middle school, but once he was in high school it had been time to buckle down and actually focus getting the skills that a tug would need to survive in a world that was built for far larger vehicles. They had nudged him towards food service because he had a number of family members with highly successful restaurants that would mentor him in the kitchen, but Maru still couldn't give his dream to give up on the movies.
So, he changed his focus, if he couldn't be the leading man or even an extra, Maru would choose a career that would but him at the center of the action. He would become the one vehicle on the lot that had even more power than the director…Maru would become a mechanic.
Getting certified has been brutal. To pay for his tuition he bussed tables during the breakfast and lunch shifts at his cousin's restaurant, then spent the evenings pounding through classes at the local community college. The only true bright spot in the struggle was the fact he lived in California, a state known for the silver screen, and community college also offered classes in stage craft. Maru often found himself sneaking into the back of film theory classes on his precious days off and outright signing up special effect courses.
The fact that he kept hanging around the film school was not lost on the faculty nor the students and he was rapidly using his skills to jury-rig inexpensive solution for student films on the side. His work on student films was what finally got him his first break, when one of the films he worked on made it to the Sundance Film Festival. One of the TV executives had been impressed with his creative retrofitting and offered him a job upon graduation.
Maru had worked his way up from there. On every single shoot he increased his skills and collected more certifications. He became as comfortable working on the rotor of a helicopter as he was replacing the timing belt in a car, all as he created new ways to simulate injury and illness on the screen. Soon he didn't even bother using store bought parts and just started manufacturing everything he needed from scratch.
His reputation of being able to make things 'better than new' eventually landed to top mechanic's position on a nationally syndicated TV show and Maru was convinced he was about to finally make the jump to movies…then his dream disappeared in a fiery explosion on the filming lot.
Maru hadn't known if he was going to be able to go to work after that…not after he had failed a friend that badly. Plus, he had a second friend that needed him to be an anchor, so he didn't go try to fly straight into the ground. So, Maru pivoted once again, he went back to school and left with the certs to work as part of a wildland firefighting team.
His new career had pushed his limits. There was not a new part to be found. In fact, most of the time Maru was had to repurpose things that had long passed their normal operational life. Luckily, there was a lot in common with being a mechanic on a film lot and a mechanic on the fire line…and while Maru missed his endless budget he wouldn't trade the family of firefighters he had gained.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Blade was giving Maru a look that told him that the tug had been staring into space for far longer than the helicopter was comfortable with.
Maru gave a soft, somewhat mournful smile. "I was just thinking of how the universe takes you on a path that leads you exactly where you need to be."
Term- Mechanic- A person who repairs and modifies machines and motors. Mechanics are considered to be both artisans and skilled tradesmen requiring schooling and experience to properly diagnose and repair a wide variety of mechanical problems.