Higgins' eyes snapped open from their half-closed position, lazily staring at his project. He had been fiddling with it for the past... however long it had been. But, with the same casual motion, he tossed it on the lowest shelf of his makeshift metal bolted-to-the-wall shelf, and rolled to his feet. His device hit the metal with a loud, electrical [i]snap![/i], but Higgins just waved off the passenger's flinch. 

"Nothin' to worry about, mate," he said, dismissing the snap from behind him. "Hey, look, bringin' the tinkerer some food- thanks." He took the proffered food with a grateful smile, and then waved vaguely with the other hand. 

"Welcome to the heart of the ship! Thousands of parts, an not one of them a day over twenny years! Remarkable how some machines keep running with the magic touch, eh?"

Then he held out his now-slightly-dirty hand, which he looked at and promptly rubbed off half of it on a clean spot on his unusual attire for a handshake. But this time, when he spoke, his smile got a touch colder. 

"Don't be comin' on down here without an escort, put my worries at ease? Not to accuse, but the good Cap would have my head if you were in the engine with no one around." He left out the part where someone might bug the ship or set it to malfunction or some other ungodly thing. The engine room was his- the heart was under his protection, and he'll naught let anyone stick a needle in it. The captain excepted. He might just get angry if someone were to be here, messin' with the heart, messin' with his shinies.