It's late -- well after hours, really -- but Carlos remains at Campbell's Garage.  The boss has been leaving him to close up shop alone for months now anyway, so nobody's likely to mind his presence, and his apartment just doesn't have enough room to work if he gets another<em>idea</em>.<br/><br/>And there are plenty of ideas, ever since the world went crazy.  Now that his actual job is done (which hardly takes any time to speak of), Carlos frowns at a pair of corkboards.  On the left board are pinned a variety of news reports and other articles about the recent incidents -- everything from the crystalline disaster in Tokyo to the Pacific Coast's earthquake, not to mention the Central Park attack -- interspersed with the occasional note he'd scribbled after getting in touch with other Central Park survivors.<br/><br/>On the other board is a map of the continental USA, full of colored pins marking the locations of incidents.  And surrounding the map, sketches of ideas.  Improved building foundations to withstand earthquakes and inclement weather.  Odd-looking weapons designed to penetrate the ground and strike burrowing creatures.  Pavement solid enough to resist misplaced plant growth.<br/><br/>He taps a pencil against his chin, still puzzled over what exactly could be built to prevent transformation into amethyst.<em>At least,</em>he muses dryly,<em>this is more interesting than a busted engine.</em>