...For Science!

[Scattercat]

There was a time that I meant it, every shining-eyed word. The future was so bight that we'd all need triple-reinforced smoked-glass goggles (with attached breathing apparatus C-37). My head was full of gears and levers and steam valves, without room for fears or worries. How could I have foreseen the endless, pointless struggle? Every generation needs re-enlightenment, it seems.

I tug on my leather gloves. I heave my rocket-pack into place. I flip down my goggles.

"Did you think it would be easy?" Experiment 715Q asks from its aquarium.

I ignore it. "Today is a glorious day," I mutter...

[Mr. Tweedy]

I don't get it.

[Scattercat]

Picture the steampunk hero-scientist, heading out to save the world and spread knowledge and learning. "Today is a glorious day for Science!" he cries.

Now age him fifty years.

[Mr. Tweedy]

Oh, so he's just jaded. That is good.

I didn't get that because I assumed the comment "every generation needs reenlightenment" referred to the traditional theme of scientific knowledge being potentially dangerous. Every generation needs reenlightenment about how dangerous steampunk hero-scientists are. Then when experiment 715Q starts talking, I naturally assumed that the slave had become the master, because that's what always happens.

You appear to be appealing to cliches that you don't mean to appeal to, which causes the drabble (for me) to end with a "?"

The concept is great. Just make it a bit clearer what's going on.