OOC: JP from [@Aalakrys] and [@sail3695] “Abigail.” A hand touched her shoulder, its’ gentle grip kinda reassurin’ as she come undone from her dreams. “What….umph…” the girl’s eyes blinked, her mind struggling to conjure not just who’s wakin’ her, but where’n hell she actually was. When the answers finally come, they all come at once. “Ms...Baker,” Abby came awake. “Time is it?” The woman knelt at her bedside...though it weren’t, actually. “One-thirty. You still up to help me?” “Sure’n I am,” the deckhand nodded as covers was kicked off an’ she rose from the couch. “Gimme a minute to go pee an’ git clothes on.” Ms. Baker took to her feet. “Meet me in the galley. A little coffee’ll clear out the cobwebs.” ********************************************************* Near half an hour later, Ms. Baker led the way into the engine room. “Here’s your gloves.” Tonight, she weren’t wearin’ her nun’s robe. Instead, she’s done up in a pair ‘o’ coveralls, but them burgundy boots was still there. Her hair’s tied back, makin’ a single tail what she’d tucked ‘neath the collar. Abby’d done the like. Didn’t take more’n once to conjure an engine room’s got lotsa movin’ parts just waitin’ tah snatch yah baldheaded...or worse. “C’mere.” Baker crooked her finger, drawin’ Abby to look down upon the spinnin’ core. ‘See that tiny streak of blue light as she turns...dit...dit...dit?” Abby nodded. “Yeah...what’s it mean?” “Old catalyzer. They get plugged up with carbon and back pressure starts crackin’ the ends like that. This one’s in a bad way,” Baker shook her head. “We got a spare?” “Captain Strand said he didn’t think so. I searched. No luck. So,” she offered a smile, “you and I are gonna see how well we can fix this one. What’s the pilot’s name?” “Penelope,” the girl answered, eyes still followin’ the blue streak. Dit...dit...dit… “Get her on com,” the mechanic instructed. “Let her know we’re shutting down the core.” [i]Good thing about Fireflies[/i] Abby reasoned as she switched intercom channels to number one, [i]they’s all set up pert near standard[/i] “Engine room...cockpit? Penelope?” With the crackle on the comms breaking the lulling sound of quiet night on deck, Penelope's eyes flickered over to it just as get name was called. She uncurled her feet from where they were tucked beneath her and sat her handiwork aside to lift the handheld. Even if she was feelin' a bit tired, her voice didn't seem any different as she spoke into the mic. "I'm here." “Abby here with Ms. Baker, the mechanic. We’s takin’ the core offline now…” “...and battery power will kick in…” Ms. Baker coached. “Soon’s we do, batteries ‘ll keep us in lights an’ air,” the teenager reported. “Ms. Baker says should only be an hour afore we’re back online.” "Alrighty, I'll keep an extra set of eyes up front and holler if there's need." Penelope let her tucked feet rest on the ground so she could swivel towards the sensors after setting the handheld back in it's cradle. She was ready to flip the switches once the drive was offline so the power up didn't trigger an overload with the current settings. “We’ll give yah a call right when we’re fixin’ tah power up. Out,” she finished, settin’ the mic back onto its’ hook. Ms. Baker threw the lever at the core’s front end, causin’ her drive tah disengage and spin down to a stop. “She sounds nice.” “Just met ’er,” Abby replied. “She’s perty...not in that ‘dolled up’ kinda way, neither. Yah git tha feelin’ that tha perty runs inside an’ out…” the girl stopped, feelin’ the flush rise to her cheeks. The woman gave her the space. “I copy what you’re sayin’. Folk like your pilot are a rarity in the ‘verse these days. Look forward to meetin’ her. Now grab the vac,” she instructed. “As I take each end loose, tuck the nozzle right alongside. You’ll see little black flakes fallin’ out. We wanna get ‘em all, [i]dohn mah[/i]?” “Why’s that?” “Radioactive.” “Fer true?” “Not too bad,” Ms. Baker answered over the whoosh of the vacuum. “It’s called tritium...a reactor by product. Not a bother in little bits, but I wouldn’t leave it layin’ about for your beagle to find. The bad stuff..cesium one-three-seven and the like? The scrubbers get that...okay...now the other end.” Abby kept a sharp eye, her vacuum catchin’ all the little bits what come out when Ms. Baker pulled the catalyzer free. “An that blue light?” she asked. “What was that?” Ms. Baker moved to an empty tray on the workbench, then up-ended the catalyzer. More black flakes come spillin’ out, afore gettin’ sucked into the vac’s maw. “See that crack?” she tapped at it with a gloved finger. “Little bit of air that came in through the crack got ionized. That’s what caused the blue glow. Just remember...you see a blue glow in this room that isn’t a light bulb, you tell your captain right away.” “Copy that.” When Ms. Baker set to tappin’ the part with a wrench, it done belched out lots more carbon bits. Abby was Johnny-on-the-spot with her vac, makin’ sure each time she got it all up. After several taps didn’t yield nothin’, Ms. Baker hefted the part. “Ever do any weldin’, Abby?” “Nope,” the girl shook her head. “Wanna learn?” ********************************************************************** “Not bad,” Ms. Baker admired the work. “Not bad for your first tack.” The catalyzer now sported two metal collars on its’ ends. Abby could still feel the heat through her gloves, but it was coolin’ down right proper. “Don’t take no genius to see which parts I done an’ which ones yew done,” she chuckled as the catalyzer changed hands. Ms. Baker flashed a grin. “Don’t let perfect get in the way of good, child. You did a solid bead that’ll hold a seal. Gonna make your captain happy to know he can get another five-six runs outta this one.” After given’ it one more look-see, she tossed it over. “Care to do the honors?” “[i]Ku.[/i]” As Abby locked the part into place, Ms. Baker picked up the mic. “Cockpit, engine room. Still with us, Penelope?” The handheld was back up in the time it took Penelope to shift back around again. With soft good-humor, her voice came through clear. "Too quiet to sleep - can't hear the girl hummin' with you ladies lettin' her nap." “We’re good to go down here,” the mechanic replied. “Repairs are finished and we’re about to touch off the core. All set?” Penelope's feet slipped back down to give herself a push around as she spoke into the mic in her free hand, the other flicking through screen status to see green. "She's ready to wake up on my end." Baker smiled. “Copy that. Abby...kick her over.” Once she thowed the lever, the core set tah chuggin’. Then she picked up speed, bringin’ up her spin til’ E-lights was replaced by reg’lar overheads. “Looks like we’s back in business,” Abby couldn’t hide the smile. “Alrighty then,” Baker spoke into the mic. “Penelope, I’m gonna stick for a few minutes to watch system balance...but I think we’re done! Thanks for sittin’ up with us tonight.” "Aw, had to keep the Doll company before she got worked on. S'only right." Penelope's smile was in her voice, free hand rubbing the dash. "Have yourselves a good rest - ya deserve it after all the hard work takin' care of her. Out till next time." With the receiver down, it was Pen's turn to do her part in waking up the China Doll, so she set to it with a grin spreading over her face. She spoke easily to the only sound she had going in the downtime. "Never gets old, eh Scratchy?" “I think you’re right,” the woman placed the mic down. “She’s just flat out nice.” Abby shrugged. “Yew should know,” she replied, “bein’ a nun an’ all…” “I’m not a nun.” “Come again?” “Keep it between us...okay?” the mechanic leaned against a handrail, her eyes on the core, yet plain as day Abby conjured they’s seein’ somethin’ altogether different. “The robe...belonged to a friend of mine...somebody I miss.” She folded her arms, turned eyes onto Abby as she spoke. “When I wear it, feels like we’re not so far apart. Makes me conjure….she’s watchin’ over me.” She waved a hand. “I know...doesn’t make a lick of sense.” “I think I copy,” Abby give ‘er a slow nod. “Like how I feel when I got my pa’s pistol on mah hip...like he’s with me.” Ms. Baker’s face brightened. “Tell you what. Let’s head for the galley. You can tell me about your father while we grab coffee.” “Why not? Ain’t feelin’ no sleep now,” Abby piped up as she fell in behind.