Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!rpi!nason109.its.rpi.edu!harrij4 From: harrij4@nason109.its.rpi.edu (Joshua James Harrison) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [Chance]Rebuilding I Date: 16 Sep 1993 06:10:29 GMT Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY. Lines: 79 Distribution: world Message-ID: <27900l$dc3@usenet.rpi.edu> Reply-To: harrij4@rpi.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: nason109.its.rpi.edu FROM THE JOURNAL OF CHANCE MCRAE DATE: Unknown, Morning (Day 5) Place: Landing Site Things are finally looking up. Dartan is feeling much better this morning, and he's itching to tackle the problems with Sandy. We'll be working on possibly assembling some device to transport her personality and memory chips, so that when we get home, we can reinstall her in whatever ship we get to replace the HUNTER. I am sure now that, given time, we will find our way home. With Dartan, and possibly Sandy, our chances of survival increase greatly. Tomorrow morning, we will begin what may become a long walk home. **** Chance crouched nearby as Dartan, laying on his back, fiddled with the innards of Sandy's main processor. He talked as he worked, an old habit that assured Chance he was going to be just fine. "We're very fortunate, you know," he was saying. "I can probably rig up a portable system that would keep the circuits working. With sufficient tweaking, I might even make the system usable." "Do what you can, Dart," cautioned Chance. "Don't do anything that might threaten Sandy's capabilities." "Calm down, Chance. Have you ever known me to be anything but careful when dealing with ol' Sandy?" Dartan yanked out another chip and dropped it in the slowly filling box. "Besides, even if I do damage some of her circuits, I'll just make the necessary adjustments to fix her. I built her, remember?" Chance did remember. Initially, Dartan's enhancement of the ship's navigational computer had annoyed him to no end. But now, after four years of flying with the tempermental Sandy, it was difficult imagining how he would do anything without er familiar voice just a call away. In a way, he guessed, he loved her. As much as you could love a collection of hard-wired chips and optic cable. Dartan, too, loved her in his way. They had all become very close, and Chance was not willing to let his 'family' be split apart without a fight. Dartan dropped another chip into the bucket, and slid out from beneath the panel. "Chance, I've got all the critical chips out, but there are still a few things that I need. Could you help me out?" Chance nodded in reply, and Dartan continued. "All right. I need a photoelectric sensor pack, and a spare voice synthesizer from supply." "Sure thing, Dart. I'll be back in a few minutes." Chance headed aft to retrieve the needed materials. He returned to the bridge a few minutes later to find his copilot placing the chips in a slavaged motherboard. He looked up as Chance entered. "That's great. Now, if you could go back to the hold and start stripping the power cells out of those weapons, I think I'll have this set in an hour or so." Chance opened his mouth to ask a question, but Dartan had already turned back to his electronic components, his golden eyes narrowed. Chance knew that when his reptilian copilot had that expression on his face, nothing would distract him from his work. Chance shrugged, and headed off towards the cargo hold. **** What does he need these for? Chance asked himself as he dropped another power cell on the growing pile next to him. It was about forty- five minutes later, and Chance had stripped about half of the weapons. It was tedious, greasy work. The weapons were all new, so the connectors for the power cell to the weapon itself were still fairly tight. That made it a little more difficult to remove the cells. Chance dropped his tools and stretched, feeling the vertebrae click back into place. Hunching over routine mechanical tasks had never been his favorite thing to do. He would much rather lean back in his pilot's chair and zoom between the stars. The feeling of freedom and speed made him complete. Dartan had his circuit boards, Chance had the thrust of an engine behind him. Chacun a son gout, he thought to himself, remembering one of his grandmother's favorite sayings. Dartan's voice came over the intercom, breaking Chance from his reverie. "Chance, I'm just about finished up here. If you could bring some of those power cells with you, I'll show you what I've got." Chance sighed in relief. For now, at least, the tedium was relieved. He picked up the box of power cells and headed up to the bridge. **** Back on the bridge, Dartan was polishing the metal box that contained his new creation. Chance dropped his box and whistled. "Looks good, Dart. Does she work?" "We're about to find out." Dartan took a power cell from the box Chance had brought up and slipped it into a slot on the side of the box. There was a hum, and the photoelectric sensor on the front began to glow a pale green.