Tomas’ tri-way deep skimmer

The people of Klatch love the water. Every home boasts a high res motion cap of the wondrous creatures within it. The skill and daring of the scientist photographers who take them is universally admired. They twist through bayou, race over reefs and dodge round rocky inlets in pursuit of a stylish scan.

The true queens all pilot the Tri-way Deep Skimmer. Designed to tempt the sinuous blauwdraak within range, it resembles their favourite food, the juicy jufferfly. Having got their cap – or triggered a creature hungrier than expected! – they reconfigure for home. Sacrificing manoeuvrability for speed, they radically change their craft’s silhouette and push the twin deuterium drives to the limit with the draak breaching and gaping behind them.

But often it’s not enough.

To the gasps of fans and patrons watching live at home the only escape can be turning for the nearest storm. Raising the shields they speed down wave valleys, scissor rolling through spray, and hoping the epic lightning will scare the blauwdraak back to the deep.

No wonder classic scans are loved so deeply and shared so widely!

2022, a cosy Christmas with extended family in the Scottish Borders. Sourdough cooking in the Aga, rain coming in over the hills outside, strings of coloured lights gently cycling. Looking at the parts in 31123 and saying ‘engines’ to myself and the rest flowing from there. Such a satisfying build, each iteration adding a little extra, the wing tip flaps, greater movement range, the proboscis scanner.

And then back home, wanting to share, so making instructions and bundling it all up and giving it to a friend’s son for his birthday. A lot of happiness in this one.