Opening up Bellerophon is not a simple task. It takes Tasha and Akkers working together (with the space captain calling instructions most of the time) to get the cradle power systems running again. Then comes the effort of maneuvering the heavy external power coupling into the appropriate connector on the ship, revealed by giant magnet Gabriel runs over the ship's hull. The cable had to be turned and shifted a few times before the connection clicked home, and then various bolts and levers had to be thrown to lock it into place.

A quick rest period fell upon the wolf and the hybrid while power was transferred, and there was little to do except watch the indicator levels on a maintenance console – or else watch Blammo scurry around on the hangar deck below, scavenging tools and machinery for whatever attempt he was going to make at reviving the kneeling Titan.

It was also during this time that Layth and Zerachiel made their way into one of the many control rooms on Orpheus, until they found one that had power and was more or less functioning. Eli searched out logs, library data and status reports while Layth moved various portable electronic devices back to the buggy, including a backup of the ship's memory core. There was one more stop that Zerachiel had them make after consulting the data stores: a storage area off to one side of the hangar. There were some signs of scavenging by the 'natives' of Sheol, but there were still two large untouched cylinders with unusual couplings that he and Layth carried out. They had to be placed on a separate wagon pulled behind the buggy.

At just about the time that the power monitor indicated Bellerophon was ready for access, the large Lapi and the scholarly Karnor were ready to be picked up by the elevator platform.

"We had best hurry." Layth calls up, "The scavengers have spread to other parts of the ship. They will find the hanger sooner or later."

Tasha pushes herself off the floor of the scaffolding, reaching over to gently rock Gabriel's arm to make sure he's awake. "It looks like they're back," she informs him. Once on her feet, she glances at the control display as she walks by it towards the elevator, nodding in approval now that she knows what to look for. As she reaches the elevator, she calls down. "I was afraid of that," she yells, "we're going to need to hold a meeting and discuss what to do about them soon. Lift coming down now." After pressing the button, the familiar wail of the lift sirens start up, along with the rotating lights, and then the platform is descending.

Eli simply waves up at the scaffolding to try and get the attention of Tasha or Akkers. "We're back! We have… uh… TREASURE!"

"You should disconnect that siren. It is annoying," Layth complains.

"I would if I knew how," Tasha replies, "but I think it's for safety, so maybe I shouldn't. And I'm not a pirate, Eli!" The elevator thumps down on the floor, the Vartan pushing another button to make the railings drop.

"Besides, she already has a large booty," Layth remarks to Eli as he drives the motorized cart onto the lift. It takes a few tries to get everything into position, but eventually the carts are clear of the lift gate.

"Well, the treasure comment was one of urgency, lest Blammo find us first," Eli notes to Layth as the platform takes them up.

"I could take him," Layth claims.

"Are those what I think they are?" Gabriel asks as he spots the two big metal cylinders.

Tasha peers over the rail and watches Layth sort the cart out. When he's done, she yells, "You're getting good at that! And, I heard that Layth!" She punches two buttons in quick succession, and soon the railing is going up, followed by the lift. She watches the lift rise for a moment, but catching Gabriel's question, glances over at him and asks, "What do you think they are, Gabriel?"

Zerachiel is all grin when he nods to his former captain. "Fuel pellets, and they should still be viable," the scientist offers. "Assuming we can get the reactor restarted, Bellerophon can have internal power."

"How long will this fuel, last, though?" Layth asks, ever the one to find the cloud in spite of the silver lining. "And how will it be replenished?"

Tasha glances between the two Karnors, blinking. "I used to feed the Rahktors pellets, some times," she remarks, bemusedly. Shaking her head, she steps aside as the lift arrives, and adds, "The Bellerophon has been connected to Orpheus' power grid, so it's receiving some power already. We managed to to secure the power coupling and she's ready to be opened."

"Oh, just maintaining the internal systems… maybe 200 years?" Zerachiel notes.

"We still need to see what condition she's in," Akkers says. "And Tasha's right – we can open her up now."

"Powering engines," Layth notes, "How long?"

"Well, that… I don't know," Zerachiel admits. "I hadn't even thought about trying to get the engines working."

"Drive right up, we'll meet you in front of the hatch." The Vartan waits for the cart to vacate the lift, then shuts the power down before walking towards the hatch herself. "There's still a lot we need to check on before we risk the engines," she notes as she follows after the others.

The cart fires back up and Layth takes it over to the main hatch. "I merely wish to know what the situation is and whether we need to find more," he says as the cart powers down again.

Meeting Layth at the hatch, Tasha walks up to him as the Karnors discuss the matter of fuel pellets. "Gabriel explained some of the problems to me. For one, the Fenris used a lot of the Bellerophon's parts and we don't know if it's still viable. Two, it's very old, so even the systems that are still here may need maintenance or replacement. However, given how well the Fenris endured its crash and several thousand years of waiting – not to mention the SPM – we're hopeful."

"And bear in mind it may have been shut down this entire time … which I think would make it last longer," Layth adds, "So I want to be sure we get what we need while we are here."

Tasha nods to that point, saying, "The SPM seemed to reach out to supposedly safe monitoring altitude and disrupted the Fenris' systems, causing the crash. The SPM is weaker on Abaddon and Sheol, so we should be safer. Not safe, but safer. Approaching Sinai in the Bellerophon, if it can fly again, would be inadvisable."

"Or the crystal brain somehow attracted it and drew it to the Fenris to make it crash," Layth notes.

"My theory is that the artifacts themselves awakened the planet, or the planet itself was always a trap," Tasha suggests, marking the first time the word 'theory' has ever escaped her lips.

"It makes little difference now, though," Layth says with a shrug. "And I have a present for you."

"You know I like presents," Tasha says, grinning and leaning forward. "And, I've been thinking the artifacts may be the key in dealing with the SPM, but we need MOTHER to find out – and I need to somehow overcome Directive Zero."

"I recovered the ship library," Layth notes and pats one of the large crates. "Even if the ship doesn't fly, the knowledge of how to build one again is yours."

"Really!?" The Vartan's eyes widen, darting to the crate. "The entire library? In that crate? Orpheus's library?" She steps towards it, hands hovering over the box as if it were too sacred to touch.

"A complete copy of the memory core, I think Eli called it," Layth notes. "Knowledge is more important than old stuff that may or may not work."

The Karnors are at the console now, which beeps and buzzes at them as they try things. Finally, a seem appears in the rear of the Bellerophon. A horizontally split hatch appears, and the upper part folds inward while the lower extends outwards. Revealed beyond is the cargo hold, a large space that ends in another wide pressure door separating it from the Titan bay. There are several missing wall panels, showing access nooks and lots of exposed cables and pipes, along with a few unsecured crates, but otherwise the space is empty.

"That's true." Tasha steps back from the crate, returning to Layth. "Although, building another of any of the vehicles here would be a major undertaking, so we should use what we can. Still, that was remarkably nice of you, Layth. Thank you." The woman's ears perk as she hears the pressure seal begin to open, then reaches over and tug's Layth's hand. "Come on, let's go see inside!" And then she's off.

"You go ahead, I'll drive the cart in," Layth calls after her. So … back to the cart he goes and hops in.

"See you there!" Tasha is soon with the Karnors, peering inside the ancient vessel. "If I ran inside and hugged the Bellerophon, would you still respect me?" She glances at the two lupine men beside her.

There's plenty of room to bring in the cart and its wagon. The lights on the interior door are a steady green, as well – unlike the blinky versions on the Fenris.

"I'm not sure what you could hug in there," Gabriel notes with a chuckle, and heads inside. "Lights are working at least," he comments, and goes to stick his head into one of the exposed holes in the wall.

In goes the cart and Layth parks it. He even remembers to set the brake this time. The last time, well, he and Eli had to chase it for about three hundred feet.

Tasha walks inside as well, noting the green light – possibly because it's shiny. "Green is good, isn't it?"

"It means there's equal pressure on the other side," Zerachiel notes. He goes over to a wall panel and presses a button. There's a brief screeching noise as ancient lubrication gel goes back to being pliant, and the door opens up into the ceiling and down into the floor to reveal the Titan bay. The cradle is there, but it's empty, and most of the support equipment that was connected to the Themis-Skoll is absent as well.

"Mm, no Titan for you, Tasha," Layth notes. "Perhaps the one below was originally here."

The Vartan is the first to enter the Titan bay, staring longingly up at the cradle where the Themis-Skoll rested inside the Fernis. She lays her ears back, and shakes her head. "No, no Titan for Tasha," she says with a sigh. "And I don't think so; the Themis-Skoll was equipped for flight in atmosphere and possibly space. I'd think the sister ship would use the same type."

"An infantry Titan wouldn't have been any use on a scout ship," Akkers notes, after he's done poking his head in things. "Themis-Skoll was the only remaining flight-capable Titan we had when the Fenris launched."

"What happened to the others?" Layth asks

"Orpheus wasn't a military transport, so we only had a few," Akkers explains. "Most were used to evacuate to Abaddon after the crash."

"Maybe we can recover it from Sinai's orbit some day," says Tasha, trying to sound hopeful. The woman seems transfixed on the cradle, perhaps remembering the simulations she had forced herself though – and trying to accept she'll never have the chance to master the work of art and military science.

"Let's check the Medical Bay," Eli suggests, hurrying across to the far (and smaller) door.

"There seems to be little to see there. We should see if we can get internal power running," Layth suggests. "I worry for how long the external power will work with the scavengers about… "

The mention of the Medical Bay snaps Tasha out of her morose state; soon the hybrid is hurrying after the doctor. "That's right, we may have crew members entubed! I wish Dr. Carevelli was here right now, just in case."

"I'll check on the reactors," Gabriel says, heading for a side-wall. Another nearly-invisible access-hatch is there, which he opens using a magnetic wrench.

Pausing, Tasha calls after Gabriel, "Do you need my help?"

"I will go with Tasha, then. The doctor explained the basics of care to me," Layth notes and heads after the all too excitable Karnors and Karnor-want-to-be.

Eli gets the door open to the central upper corridor where the crew quarters, bridge and medical bay are located. He doesn't seem at all concerned about possible crazy robots lying in wait on the other side… but he wasn't awake for that incident on the Fenris.

The Vartan looks back at Layth, then shrugs a little. "We're so disorganized some times," she says with a chuckle. "But if Gabriel doesn't need me, I'll go to the medical bay. I still know Nora's command codes."

"No, go on ahead," Gabriel says. "I'm just going to make sure nothing's been removed."

"Okay, be careful – yell if you're in danger! Don't make me worry," Tasha tells her lover, then waves towards the hatch he disappears through. Turning towards the Medical Bay, she heads that way. "Alright, let's see what's inside, Layth, Eli."

"You will worry anyway," Layth points out as he walks along with the two. "I hope that no one is in the pods this time," he notes.

Nothing jumps out at them with dripping needles, but the view beyond the door is disheartening. The walls are bare, with none of the comforting wood and scenery of Fenris. Panels are left open here and there, as well, but overall the ship seems sterile. The door to Med Bay is closed, but opens easily enough at a touch.

Lights come on slowly as the Medical room comes to life. All but one of the beds have been removed, but the vertical tubes in the suspension tank area are all still there, and empty.

"Of course I will," says Tasha, as if it were a given. "If there are people entubed – and judging from how spartan this ship is I'm thinking not – then we may need to begin reversal procedures." Stepping inside, she shakes her head. "Nothing; but the tubes are still here if we need them, I suppose."

"All the supplies were removed. Not surprising," Layth remarks as he looks around the emptiness. "And no one in the tubes, which is also good. Well, unless that merely means we will find a pile of skeletons elsewhere."

Eli is at a terminal now, working away with swipes and gestures of his fingers. "The medical computer is up," he reports. "But all of the stocks are depleted – not surprising, since there wasn't any reason to leave medicine behind. Might be able to replenish if the Bio Lab hasn't been gutted."

"I hope not; it seems to me like they evacuated successfully … Although it is something of a mess, so maybe not," the Vartan says. She glances at Eli and nods. "We can only hope. I'm going to try something, since I'm here, actually."

Tasha clears her throat, and says, "Access Code Nora 75GC."

"That may or may not work here. This was not her ship," Layth points out.

There is a crackle of static from the ceiling, followed by a monotone, vaguely female voice stating, "Voice function is unavailable at this time."

"The ship's still waking up," Eli notes. "There are multiple systems that need to finish activating before the central computer will have full function."

Tasha doesn't reply to Layth for a moment, instead perking her ears and waiting until the crackly voice responds. "Well, at least it didn't deny my codes." She glances at Layth, and explains, "That may be true, but she was a member of the Joint Expeditionary Force – her command codes should apply to all vessels she was stationed on."

"The system says the Medibot is still here," Eli notes, looking at the screen. "So the Mech Bay could still be stocked."

"Does it say if they are awake? I cannot fight them," Layth points out.

"It's not activated," Zerachiel notes. "If the crew shut things down properly, its power cells would have been removed."

"Should we check the mech bay, then?" Layth asks. "I … think I will not comment on what I think we could find. I do not wish to worry you."

"That's good news. If we can get supplies from the Bio lab, then we'll have a doctor available, assuming the Medibot functions." The Vartan then blinks at Layth, then laughs a little. "We should be fine, I have Nora's codes, and both Eli and Gabriel are actual Expedition officers, who should also be able to stop them. Anyway, we should be going. We need to examine the ship."

The ship holds as few surprises as it does supplies. The Mech Bay has the medical robot and its discharged power cells (which Zerachiel starts charging again to make sure they're still good) along with tools and other robot-related equipment that hasn't been touched. The supply closet is empty as expected, except for a few sealed uniforms. The galley and crew quarters are intact, although the quarters are slightly different from those on the Fenris; some of the rooms are clearly made for Naga use, and even the chairs and beds are not uniform for the biped accommodations. Most of the data terminals have been removed from the quarters as well, except for the captain's.

The only unchecked spot on the command deck now is the bridge itself, and Gabriel joins them just outside. "Reactor One's laser is gone," he reports. "But Reactor Two looks intact, if we want to try and fire it up."

"Could we replace the missing, ah, laser by salvaging one from outside the ship?" Layth asks. "But in any event, we should. I would feel safer if this ship was self-powering."

"Do we want to start the reactor up, and can can we replace the laser?" Tasha inquires, glancing at Gabriel briefly before returning her gaze to the door. "As for the rest of the ship, we found the Medibot and its battery, which is charging – the rest of the ship is nearly empty."

"If the laser could be replaced, it wouldn't have been taken," Zerachiel notes. "The ones for the Orpheus reactors wouldn't fit."

"Could it be modified to fit?" Layth asks, "I'm sure a proper application of a hammer might work… "

"One reactor is plenty, if we can get it running," Gabriel says reassuringly, and starts entering a code into the bridge door-pad.

"Jury-rigging a thermonuclear reactor is outside of our skill, I'm afraid," Zerachiel admits.

"Then there's no hope th- … " Tasha cocks her head to the side suddenly, as she is wont to do when she has an idea. She shakes her head a little, then nods. "I know of an alternative power source, but there's a few things we'd need to do if we're to use it."

"It may not be outside of the Titanian's," Layth notes. "What alternate source?" he then asks.

"Would it involve shoveling coal?" Zerachiel asks in jest, as the bridge door opens. Well, several bridge doors actually, as it's an airlock.

"Titanians may be able to make things work now and then, Layth, but I've seen when their machines don't work. We really don't want to trust their engineering," warns the Vartan, glancing at the Lapi. She returns her gaze forward again as the doors begin to cycle, and explains, "MOTHER drew power from the artifacts themselves. If we could overcome Directive Zero and get our MOTHER to interface properly, then we could, perhaps, draw power off the SPM itself."

"That is an even worse idea, Tasha," Layth says.

"It's a power source unaffected by the SPM; I think it's our best means if the ship is to fly again. At the very least, maybe MOTHER can try and counter the field through them," insists Tasha, who shoots Layth a challenging look.

"I will remember to put that on your headstone when the system goes insane and actually kills you this time," Layth says flatly.

"MOTHER doesn't use the same sort of power that the ship does," Zerachiel explains, looking uncertain. "And we have no idea how those crystals do whatever it is they do. It's… magic."

"I've got the lights on," Gabriel announces from beyond the open airlock, in the bridge.

"I still think it's worth trying. We're going to hook them up eventually anyway, after all." She looks between Eli and Layth, brow raised, then sighs a little. "We'll see," she says, neutrally, before stepping inside the airlock.

"I think it is suicide," Layth remarks and follows after Tasha.

"Envoy said it was the distance that drove MOTHER insane. We can always separate MOTHER from the ship's systems and try. We have to rely on her to interface with the Sifran artifacts anyway, otherwise searching for a MOTHER unit would have been pointless." Tasha maintains an even, if a bit forceful, tone. A year ago, she might have been yelling by now.

"You are trusting in an insane mage who destroyed the Imperial Life Dome? Unwise," Layth remarks simply. "She had little more understanding than we do. You could tell as much by her eyes and mannerisms."

The bridge is close to what Tasha saw in Nora's memories of the crash: a roughly spherical space with chairs and workstations that can move out on mechanical arms. The walls that would be showing the outside are black now, but the workstations are lit. Gabriel sits uncomfortably in the central one, a horseshoe shaped control console practically in his lap. Other stations are active, but all but unrecognizable. The chairs and control layouts are alien on them, showing that Bellerophon was meant to have a mixed crew.

"Don't forget we mean to have MOTHER display the memories of the crew. That means she'll be able to read their memories, which includes any engineering knowledge. The last MOTHER unit used Nora's to access parts of the ship she was not authorized to do; we must trust MOTHER if we're going to allow her access to the memory crystals." Tasha walks towards the station Nora occupied in her PersoCom meeting, staring down at it.

"Human butts are bizarre," Gabriel complains from his seat. "Eli, get that sonic screwdriver from the toolbox and see if you can adjust this thing for me."

The navigator for Bellerophon must have been a Naga, based on the odd 'chair' and even odder control layout. The station next to that one has a normal looking chair with a slot for a tail, but its console is a featureless black surface.

Tasha shakes her head at the chair. "I hope, if this ship ever soars again, we can get more comfortable seats." The Vartan drops down in the Naga-chair, sitting side-saddle with her wings askew and and her arm at an uncomfortable angle. She peers at the console, trying to make heads or tails of it.

Layth … sort of stands around and just watches. It's not like he has any idea how any of this works.

One by one, consoles come to life as Gabriel works from his. "Ship's systems are all up, I think," he says. "Reactors are down, of course. Batteries at minimal cycle, gravity stators are green. Reaction mass is zero. Life support… hmm… backups are gone. We used them for Fenris."

The black console lights up with hand-shaped symbols; it must have been manned by a Silent-One originally.

"Well, do the normal ones work, then? Backups should be unnecessary, yes?" Layth asks.

Tasha, who's still staring at her screen as if it were written in ancient Aeztepan, looks up. "I can't tell what language this is, but given the seat I think it must be Imperial and – oh!" After struggling a moment to stand – which requires Tasha to rolls over, push off, then stagger back a step – the Vartan heads for the Silent-One terminal instead. "Can you explain gravity stators and reaction mass, Gabriel?"

"For a minimal crew and a short flight, the systems will be just fine," Gabriel notes. "This ship has two sorts of propulsion – the gravity stators, which let it hover as if it were weightless, are reactionless drives. Reaction mass is needed for the main rocket engines though, which are needed for gaining any sort of speed. We can use air, but that won't work outside of the atmosphere… "

"How difficult is it to restart the reactors? If you can give me instructions, I can go down and attempt it while you check things here," Layth offers.

"The compressors are good," Zerachiel notes from another, wall-mounted console next to Layth. "We can fill the tanks from the air here. Won't get us very far, but it's reaction mass."

"Doc, show Layth how to manually prime the fuel system for those storage tanks," Gabriel suggests.

Tasha's ears flick. "I … I think I understand." She stares at a wall, pausing in her advance, then just shakes her head and continues walking. With far less difficulty, the woman slides in the the Silent-One's seat and pulls the controls into her lap. "Is it strange I can read Silent Sign better than I can read anything else?" She begins studying the screen intently, ears forward.

"What is reaction mass?" Layth asks and rubs his forehead. "Surely there is something in this graveyard we can use as a substitute over just … air. We have an entire ship and an empty bay… "

The Silent-Ones terminal at least has things Tasha recognizes; symbols for power and numbers – lots of numbers, all of them low – attached to other symbols stuck together to form contextual meaning. It must be the flight engineer's station.

"I think reaction mass is like a ptera. When I crack my whip, they react and move the ship. Otherwise, even with the envelope floating us, we'd hover," explains the Vartan, not looking up.

"Well, more like… steam," Zerachiel notes. "When you boil water, you get steam, and the steam is moving and can do work. In a rocket, you heat up the water until it explodes, and the force of that steam is directed in the opposite direction to the one you want to go in. So water would be the 'mass' and motion the 'reaction', sort of."

"And what did this ship normally use for this mass?" Layth asks next.

"Tasha, can you make sense of that console?" Gabriel asks.

Tasha's gaze darts across the screen in front of her, then, testingly, she touches the controls in an attempt to interact with reactor control. "Oh, that makes sense. I remember the steam driven airships on Sinai." A few more console touches, then the woman nods. "Yes Captain," she says reflexively, "it's the engineering controls. I'm trying to access reactor control."

"Liquid hydrogen," Eli notes. "Hydrogen is what you use in your airships to make them float, but if you compress and cool it you get a very dense liquid with a good specific impulse… err… It shoots out really fast without being very heavy, so it's the same as something heavy that shoots out slow…

"And how can you get this liquid hydrogen? Where does it come from?" Layth asks next.

"Find the diagnostics system," Gabriel tells the Vartan. "We need to do a power systems check before firing up the reactor. We don't want a weak coupling blowing out on us – or find out something important has been salvaged."

"Well, from water," Zerachiel notes, looking towards the ceiling in thought. "Water is best, but there might be some useful isotopes in the soil too. We can get water out of the atmosphere, or bleed off… oh… the Orpheus used liquid helium for coolant… "

"Well, why don't we siphon off the water in the … bio dome you called it, and make it? There has to be a device here somewhere that can produce it, right?" Layth asks as he leans on a nearby wall.

"I'll see what I can do." Tasha begins searching the screen, which has ended up on Reactor One from her experimentation. She backs out of the current menu and begins searching power controls until she thinks she finds it. "Power grid test and cold startup diagnostics, Captain?"

"Yes! See if you can get that running," Gabriel says with a smile – followed by a grimace as he tries to wag his tail while he's forced to sit on it in the too-small seat.

"We should have enough power to process it," Zerachiel notes. "I hadn't even thought of using the lake. We'll need to find out how much is in there, and how to reroute the plumbing systems… "

"Or we find a huge barrel and use the cart to bring it here," Layth remarks. "Sometimes a simple solution is just as much work, or easier, than one of your technical ones."

Tasha glances up at her new Captain; seeing him smile makes her grin and wag her tail, too. "Of course, Captain." It feels good to her to call someone captain again. All her life she's had a captain and now the man she loves, the ancient captain from the stars, has taken up that role again. She can think of no one better. After a bit of hunt and peck some minutes later, the woman says, "Initiating power grid and cold startup diagnostic routines … Confirming startup … Startup confirmed, diagnostic in progress."

There are some flashing symbols on Tasha's console as the diagnostic runs, but they eventually go out as the system automatically reroutes through backup connections to get a working power network.

After a few simulations, it looks like the ship won't explode if the reactor is turned back on. It just needs to be fueled and primed.

"Ah, we'd need a lot of water though, Layth," Zerachiel notes. "The fuel tanks hold over a hundred tons of fuel… "

"Diagnostic complete." Tasha's eyes flick back and forth as she scans the readout, then looks up at Gabriel and reports, "If I'm reading this right, then there are some power grid problems throughout the ship, but the computer has … rerouted them, and found a stable route. Simulations confirm cold startup to be safe, and the grid to be stable, not counting the areas of damage. Orders, Captain?"

"Do I have anything better to do?" Layth points out. "I would rather be doing something useful than standing here and having my shoulder dust the wall."

"Get Eli to show you how to store reaction mass from the air, Layth. We can check the fuel containers for leaks that way, and you'll later know how to fill them with water," suggests Tasha, looking back.

"Eli, Layth, go prime and fuel the reactor," Gabriel orders. "Tasha, start warmup on the radio pulse generators – those were always finicky if they started cold, and I don't want any burps."

"Consider it done," Layth says. He bows, then heads out of the bridge door. He doesn't wait for Eli as he figures the Karnor will catch up with him at the cart and the fuel pods.

"Yes, Captain." Tasha returns her gaze to the controls, backtracking to reactor control. "You know, Captain, something about being here makes some of this intuitive. Maybe it's the Silent Sign, or Nora's memories, or even my time in the Themis-Skoll, but I finally feel like I might be catching on." A few seconds later and Tasha announces, "Confirming preliminary startup of the radio pulse generators, fifteen minutes and seventeen seconds until warmup complete."

Over the next two hours, Layth learns that a standing-wave pulsed-plasma fusion reactor runs on glass marbles – even though Eli assures him the spheres are made of transparent alumina crystal to contain the dense fuel pellets at their cores. They look like marbles. Also, you can't get fur in any part of the machine, so he's forced to wear a metallic-looking set of pajamas, but at least they fit him better than they would any of the others. It takes time to open up the injection chamber, mount several of the marbles, close it all up, check with a hand-held gizmo that checks for changes in air-pressure while the chamber is returned to a vacuum, and then he gets to load the rest of the marbles into a fuel hopper. With a shovel. It's not coal, but really things aren't that different.

When everything looks good on Tasha's board, the complicated ignition sequence starts. Powerful magnets and radio waves go to work, liquid sodium flows through cooling blankets and fuel is turned into plasma by a laser, and then the plasma rides on standing waves of electromagnetic radiation until interference causes it to fuse. There's a rumble that shakes the ship, and just like that Bellerophon is running under its own power. And not exploding.

"That is entirely too complex. Could you not have made it simpler?" the Amazonian buck finally asks Eli after the initial rumbles pass and the shock of still being alive has passed. "At least it has the honor of heavy work … but it does seem a bit fragile."

"Engineering confirms reactor startup … Reactor control is green … Power grid nominal … Confirming successful startup of Reactor Two, Captain! The Bellerophon is under its own power!" Tasha looks up from her console and beams at Gabriel, tail wagging through the hole in her seat.

"Now if can just fix this chair," Gabriel says, smiling as he works over controls. The black walls flicker, and are replaced with a view of the hangar, as if the walls had turned into windows. Blammo is there, perched on the Titan and working on its shoulder.

"Well, it's not as complicated as the older style reactors," Eli notes, as he runs a wand over Layth. "And no lingering radiation! You can take off the bunny suit now," he notes.

Tasha's gaze flicks forward, her smile as wide as she's ever felt it. "I remember this," says. The woman stands up a little, leaning forward to look out. "And there's Blammo! It's nice to see he hasn't blown himself up."

"Excuse me?" Layth asks the doctor. "I cannot remove my skin… "

There's a silent explosion as the Titanian is thrown from the shoulder to land on his head. He gets right back to his feet, hikes his pants back up, and starts climbing the Titan again.

"What? Oh!" Zerachiel says, and tugs on the protective outfit Layth wears. "This… uh… I have no idea why it's called a bunny suit. Tradition."

After dropping back into her seat, Tasha takes a moment to reconfirm the status of the reactor and the power grid. "Still no problems wit-" Her report is broken off as the viewscreen flashes, forcing her to peer around it at the fallen Blammo. "Captain, reporting minimal damage to Blammo." She shakes her head and returns her gaze to her controls. "Any further orders, Captain?"

Layth shakes his head then goes about removing the radiation suit. "I do not understand how this is possible," he comments as it is folded and put away, "But after six thousand years … this suit still smells like someone's unwashed feet."

"Seal the ship and run a pressure test," Gabriel notes. "If we aren't leaking, we'll disconnect the umbilical and run on internal power. Plus we can check out the rest of the ship while the pressure test runs."

"Oh, they always smell like that since the big radiation leak after we crashed here," Eli notes, waving a hand dismissively.

"Yes, Captain." Answering her captain is so ingrained into Tasha's mind that doing it is a comfort. She never realized how much she missed being a crew member, the Bellerophon bringing back memories both old and new. It takes her somewhat longer to locate the pressure test, being a few screens off the main engineering overview, but she finds it. While harder to find because of its location, the Vartan finds her speed at maneuvering the ancient controls increasing. "Are the voice systems working? We should try and warn the others, if we're sealing the ship, right Captain?"

"You worry me," Layth remarks. The buck then pauses and tilts his head. "We should check the crew quarters," the buck notes. "I have an uneasy feeling we have missed something important."

Gabriel flips a switch, and says, "Testing, testing, 1-2-3." His voice echoes through the ship, even to the hangar. "We're shutting the outer hatch now to do a pressure test. We'll be running at two atmospheres for the duration. You may experience some minor side effects due to the mix, but don't worry about it."

Layth twitches. "Pressure … will it bother my ears?" Layth shouts back in hopes that he will be heard.

"They'll pop, so keep yawning," Eli suggests. "Also, our voices may get squeaky because of the helium used as filler… "

Tasha's ears focus on Gabriel, then rotate as his voice resounds through the ship. Once he's done, she taps the controls and smiles as numbers increase and bars fill. "Exterior airlock doors closing … Closed. Confirming seal on all outer airlocks … Confirmed. Beginning pressure test. Testing startup confirmed, Captain." The woman pushes the controls up, then stands, stretching. "I could get used to this, Captain."

After a couple yawns, Layth pats Eli's shoulder. "Let us do a quick check of the crew deck. I worry about finding an unpleasant surprise," he says.

The vents in the walls and ceiling hiss as a wind builds throughout the ship. Reclamation pumps also kick in, now that the ship is sealed and the internal air needs to be scrubbed of carbon dioxide. "My brother used to get horrible headaches from these tests, so had to drop out of the space program," Zerachiel confides in Layth. "Me, I can't stand the low-pressure testing. My bowels aren't up to it."

"Er, what happens with low pressure tests?" Layth has to ask. "Violent winds?"

"Hah… you could call them that, yes!" Eli says, laughing.

After another pass through the crew quarters, and enough checks on the bridge that things aren't going to go pear-shaped without someone monitoring everything, the group meets up again outside the bridge. "This deck looks good," Eli reports.

"And Eli's pants have not exploded," Layth offers as part of the report.

Tasha stands outside the bridge with her hands folded behind her back. "The engineering station reports green for all reactor and power grid functions and, as far as I left them, the airlocks and the pressure test. We still have some time, however," she reports.

"We still have the lower deck," Gabriel says, with just a very slightly higher register to his voice.

"What is kept on the lower deck?" Layth asks.

"I feel like an Eeee," Tasha admits, eyes peering down at her muzzle. She shakes her head and explains, "MOTHER, the land vehicles and access to several computer systems, if I remember correctly."

"And the labs," Eli notes.

"Ah, for loading the memory crystals," Layth says and bobs his head. "We may as well go there now."

"Thank you, Eli." Tasha smiles, nodding to the man. Turning to Layth, she nods again. "I'll access MOTHER. There isn't room for more than me inside the core, and I'll need you all to rescue me if this MOTHER unit decides to seal me in. Shall we?" "Yes. Just remember that it too may be insane," Layth says, sounding rather serious about it. "Before we head down, do we have a way to shut it down if we need to in an emergency?"

"Well, we can… uh… " Zerachiel starts to say, then looks to Gabriel, who just shakes his head.

The ramp down is in the same position, just a ways before the bridge access. If anything, the lower deck is even more bare than the upper, and noticeably cooler as well. The lighting is also slightly off, having a reddish tint to it. The Avionics door is at the head of the corridor, while the room directly next to it and across from the access ramp is empty and open, where on the Fenris it held the Sifran artifacts.

Tasha stands before the Avionics bay, rubbing her arm with nervous energy. She hadn't realized it until she got here, but a part of her is dreading this. It was a moment like this she learned of Nora's death, then almost met her own along side her friends. It's a memory she had tried to avoid, but now it's a memory she needs to complete her task. "I'm more worried about Directive Zero," she murmurs, before stepping forward.

"The whole point of the MOTHER system was that it couldn't be affected by external disruptions," Akkers explains. "It can only be started up or shut down from within the core."

Lifting her hands, Tasha waits for the computer to acknowledge her. "I may need Nora's transponder necklace for this, Gabriel. I'm sorry."

"Given what happened, that seems poor planning," Layth notes to Gabriel. "There should always be a way to stop something if it gets out of control."

The Avionics door opens, revealing the room full of blinking lights and displays that make up the main computer core of Bellerophon. And at the end of that room, under a glowing ball, is the door marked MOTHER.

Gabriel removes the tags from a pocket of his vest, and hands them over to Tasha.

Pausing before the open door, Tasha looks back when Gabriel hands her the tags. She inclines her head to him, ears flat. "Thank you, Gabriel." The woman looks at the necklace for a long moment, then slides it around her neck. Stepping towards the door, she stops again, reaching to snatch a prong-like tool from the wall, possibly used to remove circuit blocks from the Avionics panels. "If MOTHER tries the same thing again, I'm going to break her," she says, quietly, before standing under the glowing orb.

"Just be careful," Layth says.

"Run if it looks bad – all of you." And with that, Tasha turns towards the door.

The 'eye' above the door is unlit, making it likely that MOTHER is powered down. No figures appear in the air to challenge Tasha, and the light on the door panel is cycling between green and red.

The Vartan has eerie flashbacks of her time with MOTHER, and even worse imaginings of what happened to Nora happening to her. Not this time, she swears. Unable to take the slow pace of the door cycling, she begins tapping the solid-looking implement in her hand against her thigh. "The wait is the worse part," she lies.

"I think you have to push the button," Layth offers.

"Oh, right. It doesn't open automatically." Tasha shakes her head, internally cursing her foolishness in the face of worry. She walks up and pushes the button to open the door.

There's a buzz, as the status light continues to cycle back and forth, but holding the button down eventually causes it to lock into green. The door slides open, and there is a fierce wind as air flows into the chamber beyond. The pressure wave rebounds, and something is blown out right into Tasha.

It's the dried corpse of a Silent-One.