Chicago, 1893.

"Holiday is over, we've got a red light."

"What is it?" Jeffrey asks.

"How should I know? I just got here."

"What did you want to show me?"

"First Ferris wheel. We're at the right time and place, Chicago, 17 June 1893. Big sign saying 'Columbian Exposition'. I don't think the omni could have gotten us here anymore accurately."

"Maybe it's obscured by a building?"

"The wheel alone was 250 feet high, so we should be able to see it, you know, sticking out above something."

"I don't see it." Jeffrey looks around and shakes his head.

"Nope."

"That'll be our assignment, to get the first Ferris wheel built."

"Hmm. And do you know who built the first Ferris wheel?"

"That would be mr. Ferris. George Ferris." Jeffrey stands up straight as if he's giving a lecture.

"You happen to know where we can find him?"

"Er, no, 'fraid not."

"Good thing you've got me. George Ferris, Pittsburgh, Fall of 1892." Kate sets the omni.

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Pittsburgh, September 1892.

"Hawaii in the Summer is a lot nicer than Pittsburgh in Autumn." Kate shivers. "And it's windy here. Was Pittsburgh the Windy City."

"That's Chicago. Now, how do we find mr. Ferris?"

Kate bends to read a newspaper held by a man waiting for a tram. "Look that's interesting. Here a segment on the Columbian Exposition. Architect Daniel Burnham, who designed the thing, says they haven't come up with anything yet that can answer to the expectations of the audience." The man puts the paper down and frowns at Kate. She throws him a winning smile. He shakes his head and puts the paper back up. Kate turns to Jeffrey. "I think this should be the que for our friend to appear. Our yet unknown friend."

"George Ferris, will you ever ... " a little woman shouts after a man.

"I think we just got a bit of luck again." Jeffrey smiles to Kate.

"How dare you leave the house dressed like that." The woman has caught up with the man and is unbuttoning his coat. "Your shirt just randomly buttoned, your tie in a knot that boy scouts use to tie tree logs together." The woman straightens the man out. He doesn't argue with her. "There, that's better. Now you can present yourself again."

"Yes, dear."

"And I'll see you back home tonight. Do not forget we have company tonight, so don't be late."

"Of course, dear. I will, dear." The man bows his head in greeting to his wife, then runs away to catch the tram. Kate and Jeffrey run after him and just manage to jump onto the tram as it pulls away from its stop. They stand on the balcony next to George Ferris.

"I read in the paper that the exposition in Chicago next year still needs somethings that can answer to what the audience expects," Kate starts. "But it didn't say what kind of thing that would be. What kind of thing would the public expect from an exhibition like that?"

"Big things," Jeffrey replies. "Big buildings, like the Christal Palace. Big machines, like trains."

"I heard that in Paris they had this machine in which you could take a fake train ride. You sat in some kind of train carriage. In stead of the carriage moving, the scenery, that was painted on large canvas roles, was pulled past the windows. It was just as if you were making a real train journey. That may be something for the Chicago exposition."

"Well, they probably want something that is also unique. London had the Christal Palace, Paris the Eiffeltower, Chicago should have ... "

"Another big construction?"

"And something that is moving," Ferris joins in the conversation. "They should want something that is big and moving."

"Like those fake trains I was talking about?"

"No, that's too little movement. It should be big, and move up. Like those wheels they have in Atlantic City."

"Sure, but those aren't very big," Kate replies. "I believe one of them burned down in June; it was made out of wood. I think it was only 30 feet high. The Eiffeltower, now that is big, it must be a 1000 feet high."

"But that is made out of steel. Steel is a much better construction material than wood. The same length of a beam of steel can take on much more force than a beam of wood. No, if you're going to build a big wheel you must use steel."

"You talk as someone who is in the steel business."

"Well, I am. George Ferris. Testing of steel and iron."

"Kate Bogg." They give eachother a friendly nod. "With a name like yours it's no wonder you are in the steel business. Ferris or ferro, that's latin for iron."

"And what kind of business would you be in with a name like Bogg, non too boggy, I hope."

"I haven't really chosen a business yet. I was thinking of becoming a teacher."

"You will never a good position dressed like that." Ferris points at Kate's purple knot-dyed shirt. "Well, my wife would say. She thinks it's very important that the proper clothing should be worn, the proper way."

"Yes, we saw her rebutton you. But we are getting away from the conversation we were having. If you made a wheel out of steel, how big could you make it?"

"Much bigger than 30 feet. 100, 200 feet at least. And you want to put in big cars, not like those in Atlantic City with only four or five people per car. Dozens of people per car." Ferris is on a role now. "Come with me." He jumps off the still moving tram. Kate and Jeffrey follow him.

"The Eiffeltower is construction wise not very interesting." Ferris continues to talk as he takes on a brisk pace. "Basically it's a 1000 feet long bridge standing on one of its ends. What would be interesting, is to take a 1000 feet long bridge and make it round, like a bicycle wheel."

They go into a restaurant where Ferris flops down at the first table he sees. He takes a note book out of his pocket and starts sketching.

"I would make the wheel 250 feet high, and 20 feet wide. That's at least twice as wide as any of the wheels in Atlantic City."

"If you make it 30 feet wide you could fit in cars that would fit maybe fourty people." Kate who sat down next to him points out. "That's more than go into the Atlantic City wheels for all their cars at the same time."

"Right, right. 30 feet. And not forty people, let's make it sixty." Ferris adds some measurements to his sketch. "If the wheel is 250 feet big then I want two towers, one on either side, like so, which support the middle axis. Those should be 150 feet. You could use the same construction principle as used for the Eiffeltower. Two little bridges standing on one end." Ferris chuckles at the little joke he has made, then quickly returns to his sketch. "To drive the wheel, I put a steam engine here."

A waiter arrives to take their orders. Ferris and Kate are too busy to notice. Jeffrey suggests he should come back later. He leans back in his chair watching Kate and Ferris design the big wheel. They discuss the size of the beams needed for the wheel; those needed for the towers; the design of the cars; the number of bearings needed to keep the cars in upright position; how big the load of the cars will be. Occassionally they briefly pause when a page on the notebook needs to be turned, but most times they keep talking so no time gets lost discussing their big plan. Jeffrey feels an outsider to this conversation. The six-year-old boy that has to be quiet while the grown ups are talking. At the same time he is amused how the mutual enthusiasm of Ferris and Kate fires them both up even more. Then Ferris closes his note book.

"I think we just about discussed everything there is to discuss about it." He taps the book on the table. "I'm going to write this up as a proposal for the exhibition people in Chicago. They wanted to give the public something it expects. We're going to give them something the public hadn't expected in their wildest dreams." Ferris pockets the note book. "How is it that you know so much about engineering and construction?" he asks Kate.

"I've always had an interest in engineering. It's easy to pick up things if you have an interest in them."

"So your father must be an engineer. Does he work here in Pittsburgh? I don't think I have heard of an engineer named Bogg around here."

"I don't think he does much work in these parts."

"Oh, look at the time. I was already running late for work before I met you. It's a good thing I'm the boss, I won't fire me." Ferris jumps up. "It was very nice meeting you both." He shakes both their hands and then rushes out of the restaurant.

"An interesting character," Jeffrey says. It's about the first thing he has said in an hour's time.

"Why would my father have to be an engineer for me to have an interest in engineering?" Kate looks upset.

"I think it's the time we're in; engineering isn't part of a woman's field of expertize."

"It is still presumptuous."

"I guess so. I used to get it all the time: I tried to warn people about things, but they wouldn't listen, just because I was a kid."

"Yeah, I know. But I just had this really intens and stimulating conversation with George, he really appreciated my input, treated me like an equal. And then he ends it with something like that. I feel a little disappointed in him, that's all."

"Let's just check if we have a green light. That'll cheer you up."

Kate opens the omni. "Green light. You're right, that does make me feel better. So now we go back to Chicago to take a ride in that Ferris wheel. We deserve that, after all we helped design it."

"You helped design it," Jeffrey says as he gets up. "I just sat here looking admiringly at you." Kate smiles. He puts an arm around her shoulder and she sets the dials of the omni.

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A/N: Kate is mistaken: the fake train rides were a feature of the 1900 Paris' World Exhibition, so she shouldn't have mentioned them in 1892.