Deraen watched John's interaction with the coffee-producing machine quizzically. Why the human would think utilizing force on an automated machine would solve a performance issue he could not begin to guess. He supposed it had to do with their violent nature. When the machine had been returned after he shook it, the Andalite stepped forward to examine it. John hadn't done a good job of putting it back exactly in place, so Deraen pulled it out enough to peer at the wires and tubes in the back. The problem quickly became apparent,  the liquid infuser seemed to be leaking. All the shaking and abuse had jarred the bolt loose and there was a puddle on the steel bench indicating that it had been a persisting malfunction for quite some time. 

Deraen reached into his left pouch and withdrew a magnetic wand which functioned as both a wrench and screwdriver, and used it to tighten the bolt. Just like that, the problem was fixed. He didn't worry about the puddle, since it would eventually turn to vapor then be absorbed by the ship's life support system and recycled. [color=6ecff6]<This crude machine may yet last another year,>[/color] he said to no one in particular. As he'd worked he noticed others appearing in the room. He checked the status of their assignment on the personal screen communicator which was wirelessly connected to the ship's computer. Unsurprisingly, almost all the other crew members had selected the same mission Deraen had. 

[color=6ecff6]<It seems we're going to be joining the [i]Babylon IV[/i].>[/color] As he spoke, the cyborg Valian appeared and greeted them all. [color=6ecff6]<I awoke without any trouble,>[/color] Deraen said in answer to his query, slightly confused. [color=6ecff6]<Does your species have difficulty when waking?>[/color] He tried to imagine what such an experience would be like and to be completely honest the idea of not being able to open one's eyes after sleep with a clear and alert mind was rather horrifying. 

His hooves clicked on the galley's cold metal floor as he turned, surveying each individual present. There was John Mason, of course, and the petite girl Johanna Hawkins. Stephen Walker, whose appearance and speech suggested he might be disabled in some way. Deraen was unsure of his background but it was obvious that Stephen relied very heavily on his cybernetic modifications. He thought the same of Valian Forsythe, actually, with his prosthetic limbs and eyes. It was unnerving to look at them, who would otherwise be handicapped. Then there was Cy, whose physiology was a mystery though it was obvious he was alien, and Jaydaar whom he had never spoken with but felt a certain kinship with the reptilian creature being that they were both ethnic deviants. Something about Jaydaar was reassuring in that while he walked on two legs at least he was balanced with a long tail like Deraen did, unlike the humans--except Johanna--who looked like they could tip over at any moment.