Jeffy and his eager band of cronies hastily made their way toward engineering. The engineering officer grabbed the small gadget from the tool cart as he passed, and began punching
complex coding into the mechanism.
"What is that?", Schultz inquired, easily keeping pace with Jeffy's the compact steps.
"Just a thing", Jeffy responded distractedly, repositioning his flashlight to illuminate the small display screen on his device.
"Hey, not so technical", Broski called in from behind, "there's laymen present."
Jeffy ignored him and resumed his pace. They rounded the corner where they'd earlier set up the perimeter around the NCO Club and nearly ran into Lt. Scott who was bent over, adjusting the heel of one of
his low quarters. VanTedly, who had been standing guiltily behind him, jumped in the air and clapped his hands animatedly.
"They found us!", he yelled, his high pitched wail grating on Number Two's last nerve.
"They weren't even looking for us", the lieutenant shouted back uncharacteristically, "because we weren't lost!"
"He's in denial", the ensign related to the recently arrived crewmen. "We thought we were goners."
"Are you alright?", Schultz asked blandly.
"I guess so", VanTedly answered, "but we could use some water. We're almost out of provisions." As if to demonstrate, the ensign pulled a half eaten doughnut from his pocket.
Lt. Scott shook his head wear wearily. "We're fine. The lights went out and VanTedly had a fit", he explained, glaring at the ensign. "It is good to find intelligent life again, though."
Everyone took his meaning (except VanTedly).
"Where are you going now?", the lieutenant asked.
"Over to engineering", Broski replied. "Mr. Jeffy thinks he can turn the power back on."
"I didn't say that", the engineering officer interjected, "I just think it's our best chance."
"Well", Schultz prodded, "perhaps we should get going then."
Following Jeffy, Mr. Schultz briefed Number Two on what had transpired, earning a wry look at his mention of the mathematical mishap. "It could have happened to anyone", the science officer concluded
somewhat defensively.
"Yeah, anyone stupid enough to toss an EMP grenade into an unshielded area", Broski put in inelegantly. "Uh...sir", he added soberly, noting the angry set of Schultz's jaw.
"Regardless", Schultz continued moodily, "the renegade android was deactivated, and everything seems to have worked out in the end."
"That's a rather optimistic point of view, sir", Number Two observed. "It seems that we're not out of the woods yet."
They walked the rest of the way wordlessly, the gravity of Lt. Scott's last statement weighing heavily on each of their hearts. Jeffy led them through the open door of engineering where they found Ensign
Hibbard hard at work trying to bring the systems back on line. The ensign stopped what he was doing when he saw his supervisor.
"Mr.Jeffy!", he exclaimed loudly, "am I glad to see you...everything is on the blink..."
Jeffy put up a hand, halting the young officer's diatribe. "What is our current status", he asked in a calming voice.
"Well, we have no status, sir", Hibbard explained. "The entire system is magnetized and completely off line, and the emergency power won't last more than another fifteen minutes."
"That should be enough time", Jeffy responded distantly, edging his way toward the ship's main generator.
He stood there for several seconds, pointing his device toward the generator as he fed data into the small instrument. He then straightened his arm, pointing the device at the generator like a gun.
A millisecond later, a thin, white beam burst out of Jeffy's tool and shot into the generator spool.
Broski, who had been expecting some pyrotechnics walked up behind the engineering officer. "I don't mean to piss in your Cheerios, Mr. Jeffy", he said quietly, "but nothing happened."
"Don't be so sure", Jeffy remarked smugly, looking up at the commando.
"Hibbard, can you conduct another magnetism check?" "Aye-aye", the ensign replied automatically. He moved from one system to another, holding an instrument similar to Mr. Jeffy's before him.
He then pointed the mechanism at the main generator.
"Well, I'll be", Hibbard muttered in awe. "Everything's been demagnetized."
Jeffy smiled warmly as Schultz explained the process to the less enlightened crew members. "...and so, the generator should be able to handle enough power output to get all of our systems back on line."
"So how do we get it started?", Broski asked enthusiastically.
There was a long pause as all eyes drifted toward the engineering officer. Jeffy shuffled his feet uncomfortably under their scrutiny. He looked up sheepishly, struggling to maintain eye contact with
his fellow crewmen.
"Well", he began weekly, "we're going to need a jump start."
