Junebug scuttled up the ladder with the ease of a trooper who's life had depended on unassing a burning vehicle in a hurry on more than one occasion. A broad smile was on her lips when she reached the waiting pair, as the slight rocking of ship was already evidence that she had been successfully floated. The world had only very slight solar tides and no moon for which Junebug was profoundly grateful. That would have made this whole plan a hell of alot tougher.

Neil and Sayeeda had stayed up late into the insect infested night, drinking whiskey and coming up with various plans to get the Highlander operable again. The key problem had always been that the repairs necessary were next to impossible while the ship was in the water and there was no way to lift her and set her down safely on dry ground. After many belts of whiskey and a good deal of cursing inspiration had struck. If they couldn't get the Highlander on dry ground, then they must bring dry ground to the Highlander.

The solution, as insane as it initially seemed, was surprisingly simple. Patch the holes and float the ship, then drag it as close to the shore as possible using braided engineering cable as hawsers. The final stage was to build a dam of structural plastic and local lumber around the ship and a cradle to take the weight on the side sloping down towards the bottom of the estuary. Once done they could use the same pumps that floated the ship to pump the dam dry and conduct repairs. It was on the crazier side of plans Sayeeda had tried but neither she nor neil could find any reason why it would work, other than an unexpected typhoon.

It was invigorating to have the first stage come together so easily but there was alot of work ahead to get them back into space.

"Well that is stage one com..." alarms pinged in her helmet and in the ship.

"Shit its the motion detector in the jeep, we are about to have company."