I forgot to mention -- it's cold.  Very, very cold.  Lack of operating life support will do that.

!i!

"glad we have the jackets," says eraan, snapping the brass buckles closed.  "Now where's the LS on this tub?"  i'll search for that, making its operation my priority.  if my skills can't handle it, then i'll comm the others about it, then proceed to the rest of the inspection.

"Oh great!" Gerrard mutters. "Just what I needed."

He activates the ship's comm system (or communicator if its not working).

"Guys, we're not going anywhere until we find and engineer. Someone was fritzing with the engine and they were kind enough to stop in mid-fritz."

Sten calls out into the cargo bay area: "Hey!  The computer room looks like a K'kree just stomped through it.  I might be able to straighten stuff up, though..."

He immerses himself in the work without waiting for a response.  (OOC)

To the electrically-minded, a quick survey of the currently-non-functional powerplant suggests that the most immediate course of action is to upgrade the Anselhome Starport's electrical feed from standby maintenance to a fully functional current.  There's bound to be a fee involved, but it would most definitely bring life support and all electrical functions back online.

By the way -- do any of you read Zhdant, the standard Zhodani language?

!i!

i probably do not.  unless i found a secret zho language tape stash in an asteroid . . . :haw:

"captain, add another expense to our list--more power!  no way we can bill the company for getting off bay standby and on to standard active, eh?"

(I do not speak Zho)

"Yeah, add it to the list of Things the Great Galactic Ghoul will bring us for Zero-Day."

Gerrard stares at the disassembled engine.

"Always somethin'..."

Rolls up his sleeves and gets to work (Engineering-1)

((edit : Forgot I HAD Engineering-1))

The Zhdant-matter comes up because, as you folk set to work, a lot of wiring and circuitry and such appears to be coded differently.  Slightly different color conventions, printed with characters that you can at least recognise as being Zhodani.  Perhaps it's nothing -- the Querion Subsector is dominated by Zhodani client systems, and it's not inconceivable that technical supplies would trickle their way through the Entropic Worlds, particularly during the Fifth Frontier War when the Zhodani were still supporting their allies in the Sword Worlds.

An hour or two into work, the emergency lighting flickers, then full lights come on here and there throughout the ship -- the port must have thrown the switch to the power feed.  A loud snap crackles across the ship's comm, then over-loud music begins to pump through the speakers.  It's Rongo Wright, the psychobilly punk whose career was cut short when he disappeared in a pirate raid just prior to the outbreak of the war.  Of course, he was a pirate, so this sort of thing had to expected sooner or later anyway, but still, it was kind of a shame -- he was really just hitting his stride.

Eraan and Sten get along fairly well in the vicinity of the bridge, just getting simple ship's stations operating, though the ship's computer is a long way from responding.  The engine room, however, is a mess.  Gerrard finds himself shifting from one problem to another, as addressing one issue reveals one or two others that need more attention first.

!i!

Between bouts of activity and frustration, checking the port rosters of registered freelance support personnel reveals a dearth of qualified engineers.  The local TL of 8 limits the few available staff to power plants and maneuver drives, and the fact that the new drives in your ship are at least least TL11 makes them a shaky option at best.  Add to that the fact that the qualifications aren't the greatest for any of them, and you figure you just might be better off doing the work yourselves.

The system is crawling with belters, though, a trade and a people known for ingenuity that outstrips their formal training and lettered qualifications.  They're not likely to show up on a port's registry, though, and finding one willing to talk to you, so much as work for you might be a challenge.

!i!

"hey captain, after i finish here, howzabout you lend me some credits and i'll check the belter bars?  i may be able to rustle up some help."

"captain?"

i look around the ship to see where he's disappeared to.

Gerrard pokes his head out of a crawlspace. "What? Credits? Sure, sure - here." (he rustles around and pulls out a roll, 300cr, and tosses it to Eraan.

"thanks!  navigator and engineer, preferably someone who also understands zhdant, right?  and i'll assume standard wage scale.  see ya!"

eraan takes off for the belters' part of the starport.

"So," Sten says, standing there wiping dust and sweat off his hands and onto his pants.  "What, uh...what's going to be my job title?"

"Well, right now, all our titles are "mechanic", or "grunt" for you ground-pounders. Hand me that wrench."