By the time Liam arrived, the X10 stood fully assembled in the living room—a gleaming, ridiculous monument to obsolete engineering. The console blinked “READY.”
He reached for his phone.
The original Exergear manual was a legend of corporate incompetence: blurry diagrams, steps like “Attach part F (see Fig. 2a–2z) to the main bracket via unspecified fastener,” and a warning that read “Do not over-torque the phalangeal coupler” (a part that didn’t exist). People had returned the X10 in droves, calling it “Satan’s erector set.” Exergear X10 Cross Trainer Manual BETTER
The box was torn. The foam padding was shedding like a dying animal. And the manual—the infamous “Exergear X10 Cross Trainer Manual BETTER”—was the only thing holding it together. By the time Liam arrived, the X10 stood
He picked up the manual—the BETTER one—and placed it on the shelf next to his old toolbox. Not as an instruction guide. As a reminder: some things are only fixed by hand, one step at a time. 2a–2z) to the main bracket via unspecified fastener,”
He worked slowly. Not because he’d forgotten how—his hands still knew the dance of lock washer, flat washer, nut—but because he wanted to savor it. Page 4: attach stabilizer bar. Page 7: route the data cable before sealing the lower casing. Page 11 (red ink, underlined twice): “The left pedal crank is reverse-threaded. If you force it clockwise, you will strip it. Ask me how I know.”
Arthur nodded. “And you can show me how to pair it with your phone, or whatever it is you people do.”