Nori rolled up her sleeves. “Come on, I’ll give you a hand. If I’m going to pilot this tin box, I better get to know its insides.” She bent and grabbed the core casing with both hands. With a low grunt and an increased hum of her exoskeleton, the woman lifted the hundred-kilo piece off the ground. “Now where do you want me to put it?”

11 - Restorations

Bulco looked at the tall woman as she strained to lift the heavy piece of metal. “Showoff. Come on, I’ll give you a hand.” He grabbed the casing and with hardly any effort, held up his side. “Careful not to bang it against the bulkheads.”

They carried the heavy piece to the engine room. To Nori’s surprise, Nathan left Lana to sort the rest of the equipment and followed them in.

“Alright,” Bulco said once they stood on the platform overlooking the core. “So I just need to figure out how to release the damaged casing so we can take it off. Hmm … there should be a manual override somewhere ...” He frowned, scanning the alien equipment.

Nathan stepped forward. He gently touched the large man’s arm and moved to stand between him and the edge of the platform. Reaching with one hand toward the core, the young man narrowed his eyes and let out a long steady breath. A soft blue light, similar to those that streamed out of the dead Warped, surrounded the damaged casing. A rapid chain of snapping sounded as brackets that fit seamlessly with the old casing popped open. A long hiss followed and the damaged unit slowly lifted into the air on its own, revealing the core’s interior. Colorful light pulsed rhythmically like a beating heart. The damaged casing floated toward the gaping Engineer and landed softly on the floor next to him. Nathan motioned them to let go of the replacement, and once they did, it remained suspended in the air, and floated to the waiting, beating core.

Bulco stared as the heavy piece of metal snapped into place and was locked in by the clasps. He looked back at Nathan, his mouth opening and closing without making a sound.

Then the ship came to life.

Bright lights shone all around them, filling the previously gloomy ship with an intense white light. A massive tremor ran through the ship and vibrated through their legs until the rhythm synchronized, replaced by a steady gentle hum.

Engine charts and complex holographic diagrams popped into life on the previously barren walls.

“Oh my god, you did it!” Lana ran into the engine room, beaming. “Everything just turned back on. How did you manage it so fast?”

“Ask him.” Bulco finally managed to find his voice and gave Nathan a piercing look. “How did you do it, kid?”

Nathan shrugged and made a motion with his hand, like a car snaking on a course.

Bulco frowned. “You used an invisible car?”