He was breathing hard by the time he got there, his shirt half soaked through with sweat. Something felt off, like he was heavier than normal.

Probably the grav control system is out of whack…

That wasn’t a priority. The main guns and the launch bays were all that really mattered now.

At least the reactor seems to be at one hundred percent…or close to it.

He paused for a second at the top of the ladder, sucking in a deep breath. The air was better up here—there were still traces of noxious fumes, but they were far less concentrated than they’d been on the lower decks.

Carson moved quickly down the hall toward a large hatch. It was open, one side of the huge double door twisted and off its track. He stepped inside, nodding to the group of three technicians already there.

“So, what’s the problem?” He moved toward the main console, staring down at it, his hands moving over the controls. “What is it? We’re short on time, guys. So, what’s the issue?” He was normally a patient man, but this wasn’t the time for slowness and delay. If they didn’t get these guns online in the next fifteen minutes…

“Sir, there’s a power interruption of some kind. The guns themselves check out, we’ve run three diagnostics…there’s no significant damage to the weapon units proper. And the reactor’s operating at ninety-four percent, which should be more than enough. There’s power getting through to the guns, but not enough. We’re bleeding off energy somewhere in the system.”

Carson exhaled softly. It was good news, sort of. A break in the power transmission system was probably the least serious damage that could affect the main guns. It was likely an easy fix, at least compared to repairing the guns themselves, or a damaged reactor…assuming they could find it in time.

“Okay, I want a dozen bots moving along those conduits, and let’s get the AI working on an extended diagnostic. We’re bleeding power somewhere, probably a lot of somewheres, and it shouldn’t be that hard to find.

If we had the time…

“We’re short on bots, sir. They’re deployed all over the ship. We’ve only got four.”

Damn…this is because Commander Fritz was in the landing bay. Everything is a mess here…

“Get those four working. I’ll get more up here now.”

He glanced at his chronometer, shaking his head slowly. Then he tapped the com unit on his collar. “Commander Fritz, I’m up in weapons control. I think we can get the main guns back online, but I need more maintenance bots up here. At least eight, preferably a dozen.”

“Sam, those guns are our number one priority. I’m sending you twenty bots, and I’ll be up there myself in five minutes.”