The protagonist is a 13-year-old boy from Manchester who, like his father and grandfather, is an inventor. He has inherited a mechanical aptitude from his family, which he demonstrates on at least two occasions by constructing a steam-powered riding wheel and a steam-propelled flying device. He holds a youthful idealism and genuinely objects to the use of technology for harmful ends. Throughout the film, his motivations are alternately influenced by his father and his grandfather.
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