He grimaces. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that." His kingdom for a machine shop-- and he hasn't even been here for a day!

He looks over at her again, a little more openly, and hazards a guess: "...Like octopus?"

After one or two extensions under pressure, the joint seizes up, just like she'd said it would. Huh. "I actually think your issue is somewhere up here." He taps at the control end of the apparatus. "I bet you've got an air leak. Maybe at both of these attachment points, actually." He straightens up and glances around. "Is there a rag or cloth I can use? Clean, preferably."