The planet’s atmosphere is on fire, thanks to some amateur carrying a highly volatile load of mining chemical down in a severely under-shielded ship, and our captain has taken to quoting Asimov’s more abstract quotes. The fire will burn up it’s fuel, our captain’s state of mind, who knows.

The captain seems to be completely incapable of problem solving his way out of our decaying altitude. The twins should be fixing it, but aren’t, due to going into their 2 day hibernation upon our arrival. Nice time for a nap boys.  Meanwhile Ekwohortio, the chemist we brought along to verify the untold riches planet-side, and I, are trying to figure out how to get the reactor fired up so we don’t die.

I am Janice, the only earthling on this crazy floating wreck of a ship out in the middle of nowhere trying to find a deposit of the high quality ore used in the manufacturing of long haul space freighter solar sails. We came here following a lead the captain got while playing a game of rognog (a game of gambling, like playing dungeon and dragons and poker together where an AI tracks everything you say) .

No one believed it could be a real mother-lode of ore, rognog after all is all about lying your face off, but upon arrival the coming and going of small ships suggested that indeed this was a newly discovered bonanza. We were in the middle of our planetary scans when the captain spilled his drink on his console triggering an electrical short which then opened a directional steam valve that nudged us downward before initiating a shutdown sequence for the reactor. 

This calamity was followed by the main computer calculating that the printer can only finish printing a replacement circuit board 5 minutes after it’s too late to correct our fall and escape the atmosphere. In other words, crashing through the burning atmosphere and then into the planet’s surface.

It was a crazy chain of events, but that was 30 minutes ago. Now Ekwohortio and I were busy trying everything to find a direction connection to the reactor controls. Ekwohortio was still calm, she had her species awesome ability to control the chemicals in her body. I, did not.

“Janice, quit freaking out, we are going to find a solution. “ Ekwohortio said in a calm and metered tone “no one would design a reactor to be dependant on the ships main computer, that would be foolish”

At that moment I was freaking out and I had every right to be.  I didn’t really sign up for this level of adventure and I certainly have no idea how to help us get out of this insane situation.

“Found it” I screamed out “direct data control access port over here Ekwo! Plug personal system into this beast and find the ON command”.  Ok, so maybe I get lucky sometimes.