MAINTENANCE SHAFT 295

by: Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Kiko Nao Rhys stopped in a rarely traveled corridor, pulling out a work request as she stood under one of the remaining working overhead lamps. Carefully rechecking the work request that had arrived from Rhimus against her current location she groaned in frustration. In normal times she wouldn't have handled such repairs, but with the PASSIONS’s maintenance complement currently reduced, due to shore leave, to the bare minimum, everyone was pulling odd jobs just to keep things running. "Merithel forbid we ever get into a fight" she said to herself. "I might have to run a battlesuit. That would probably be more dangerous to our side than theirs." Looking around she spotted the correct junction, nodding her head absently as she hesitantly stepped over to it.

"Not like anyone knows I'm scared of creepy places like this" she thought, "If Rhimus knew, I'd be pulling every one of these jobs. Not just covering for shortages. Not that she would ever admit to being a practical joker." Reaching her destination she sat her tool box down, flipping on the access lamps mounted just above the plate.

Only two of the six supposedly eternal life lights came on. "Great. More wonderful news" she growled through clenched teeth. Pulling out a power driver she began fighting the seated bolts out of their long gummed up beds. Of course this pod was over three hundred and seventy years old. No one really expected an eternity light to last more than two hundred.

Meanwhile one of the GNAT autonomic repair units edged out of Michael Arbis’s quarters, skittering along on its multiple tentacles. For some reason the young fox wasn't currently in his quarters, and like normal when they were at minimal crew levels, the little unit was lonely. Somehow it had linked itself with the young pilot. A link that Michael himself had tried to break many times. Short of destroying the useful, and very expensive unit he’d been unable to rid himself of its attentions. Moving to a computer access it jacked in, querying the database. Maybe he was hiding. If so it would check every one of the crew that was currently in odd places. Main Computer soon informed it of nineteen possibilities. Clicking to itself the football shaped unit disengaged, turned and headed for the stern.

About the same time Kiko was sucking barked knuckles as she kicked a ruined bolt across the corridor. "I really should have stolen that mag-driver when I had the chance" she muttered in quickly vanishing anger. Waving her hand a moment to ease her pain she studied her problem. Then grasping the access plates two handles she pulling hard. It didn't budge, so she pulled harder. Still nothing. Frustrated she gave a tremendous heave, just barely hearing the tearing sound of ancient rubber gaskets as they released their grip. She threw herself to one side as the plate fairly flew across the corridor, banging into the opposite wall.

Rumbling echoes pounded along both the corridor and dark access way before her for over a minute, putting her fur on edge. "Now all I need is a wall of water" she mumbled. "This will be that old adventure movie scene. Just without the bugs." Turning she faced a gaping black tunnel, what breeze there was drifted out dry and dusty. Along with the scent came indefinable soft thrums and clicks from somewhere deep within the ships nose. "Oh crud" she swore. "This is the last time I watch horror movies with Fantus."

Meanwhile GNAT 389 finished checking its third target. Strangely, none of the crew it had located wanted to be disturbed. Briefly it wondered if that wrench had caused any damage to its outer shell when it bounced off. Well Michael could fix it. Michael could fix anything.

Still another odd thrumming sound jerked Kiko around. Swinging her flashlamp into yet another dark, empty crevice she almost instantly banged her head into a pipe. "Merithel" she swore in complaint. "Who designed these tunnels. Weasels?" Edging ever forward she approached the faulty junction box. As she came closer static electricity began making her fur stand on edge, allowing tiny particles of dust easy access to her skin. Now she itched too. Another ten meters brought her to a faded orange and yellow hatch, warnings painted on its surface fairly screaming of the high voltage radiation and microwave dangers on the other side. Scrunching around into a sitting position the mouseling pulled a headset from a pocket, jacking into the control station to one side of the deadly hatch. Punching in an access code she settled back to wait.

Another women's voice finally answered. "Who? I'm off duty so it better be important" the woman answered. Her voice was heavy with fatigue.

"Oh," Kiko answered, humor barely creeping over the stress in her voice. "Some people get to take a shower, slip between cool sheets and sleep while the rest of us scramble around in dusty old access tunnels. Sitting next to a couple billion jillion electron volts of raw power."

"Rhy's?" came the shocked answer. "What are you doing. I said that could wait until morning. You want to get killed playing 'round in that area?"

Relaxing the mechanic licked her nose, then rubbed it roughly. Dust made her want to sneeze and there wasn't really enough safe room for the reaction. "Well. You see I finished Michael’s fighter and he's out testing it now. Nothing else to do and I'm not tired, so I thought I would get it over with. After all" she finished, sarcasm heavy in her voice. "I have to leave with Michael tomorrow evening to search that old station Dia told us of, remember?"

"Baka. I forgot" Rhimus replied. "What is it you need from me then."

Kiko grinned, for she had purposely waited until the squirrel was about to crawl into bed for this. "Access code. You forgot to give it to me this morning."

A groan answered her. "Do you realize I'm ready for bed. That I'll have to get dressed, go up to the bridge and unlock the systems from there?"

Kiko giggled, the image the squirrel painted was enticing still... "Well I'm here, so you better be there" she managed, barely pulling the plug before the cursing started. "Ahh" she whispered to herself. "Its so wonderful to have friends like her". Settling into a more comfortable position she slipped the plug back into the waiting jack. Rhimus was a delectable little squirrel, but the mouse held out no hopes of even getting a hug from her. Besides, her money was on a certain other getting between those shapely legs first.

GNAT 389 was confused. Michael was supposed to be off duty. Yet he was no where to be found and there were only four crew targets left to check. It shuddered internally as it realized the bow most crewman was in the long range sensor access tunnels. Very close to the ship’s sensor nose and only a few meters from deep space. There was enough raw power in that area to fry the little robots electronic brains. It really hoped Michael wasn't there. Some things even the little robot preferred to remain far away from.

Kiko finished punching in the access code, waiting for the tale-tale to turn green. "Thanks for the help Mary" she whispered into her mike. The dark was getting to her again, she was getting jumpy. "I'd rather not have Michael and I out deep and this thing fail completely."

"I understand" came the squirrels melodic voice. "Still ahm not tha’ happy being on tha bridge in ah nightgown and robe. What if Captain Grandell comes in?"

The mouse giggled. Marcus Grandell, the ships Captain, had been trying to bed the poor squirrel for months. Kiko had a side bet with Fantus on who would give up first and when. So far Fantus was on the losing side, he owed the mouse several months back wages and was getting desperate. "Just don't let him catch you" she muttered, tugging open the reluctant hatch. "Or dance for him. I've got several months of Fantus's money riding on you and that panda assistant of yours. Don't either of you let me down."

The squirrel's gasp told Kiko of her slip. "You two are betting on mah virtue?" Mary almost screamed, still managing to whisper. "Ah will most surely kill you both."

The hatch gave way just then, opening the deadly wave guide banks to Kiko's view. "Then here's your chance" she answered, her eyes searching for IBL-212-D. "Found it. Shut down Link seventeen, breaker four, channel niner seven fife."

While she waited exhaustion caused her to make a mistake. She absently pulled out her small magnifying lens, slowly running it along the suspect wave guide. A sudden sparkle from the lens mounting frame caused her to jerk back, almost throwing herself down the tunnel. "Shit" she screamed. Her face was already on fire from the leaking microwaves. "Damn damn damn" she moaned, rubbing the burned cheek. Small patches of fur curled away, superheated from the momentary exposure.

"Hey" came the squirrels suddenly worried voice. "What's wrong, I was only kidding... are you okay?"

Kiko sat up, feeling her cheek. No bubbles yet. She was lucky, the momentary exposure had only brunt the outer layers of skin but she knew the pain would last days without medical care, and Deft would never let her live this down. Still microwaves could go deep and Deft’s ribbing was better than a hole in her cheek. "Okay. I'm okay" she managed, wincing at the pain. "I think. Maybe. It hurts. Lots. Tell Deft I’m coming to medical straight from here. Is that thing shut down yet?"

"Down now" came the answer. "What happened?" The squirrels voice was definitely filled with worry.

Kiko shook her head as pain lanced thorough her eyes, bouncing off the back of her skull and pounding against her forehead. "Wave guides cracked, found it the hard way" she replied. "Tell sickbay I'll be there in as soon as I finish here.” She was repeating herself but didn’t know it. “I don't think I'm hurt that bad but I’m not sure. Probably only a first degree burn. But better they check. I’ve been wrong before." Reaching in she began removing the damaged tube from its mounts.

GNAT 389 stopped at the access hatch. It had detected movement and a living heat source, but it was much to small to be the fox. Still, according to the roster this had to be the mechanic that was spending so much time with him. Moving slowly, in order to keep from contacting any loose systems, it edged down the dark tunnel. This crewperson should know where dear sweet Michael was.

Kiko herself was edging back, the half meter long guide in one hand. Shaking her head to clear her twisting vision she turned around, heading out. Her pain had lessened to a dull throb, probably nothing more than a minor, if deep burn. If it wasn't too bad she would actually enjoy the pain during the next three weeks, traveling with Michael in a supply shuttle with the problem of Dia’s heart between them. But Deft would rather repair the damage rather than let anyone run around in pain, so that wistful idea was only that. An idea. Mary had shut down her systems and left the bridge long minutes ago, it would be hours before the mouse could fit a replacement. "Probably gone to bed" she muttered, wishing she was in bed herself.

GNAT 389 rejoiced, venting excess pressure through flapping vents as it flashed its safety lights. It was the mechanic. She would know where Michael was. It blinked its lights rapidly, moving forward quickly. A sudden impact caught the little unit by surprise, sending it bouncing down the access way. A loud noise followed, overloading it's external sound detectors. Sparks popped off cables as it impacted them, only to be flung further back. A sudden burst of light blinded its sensitive sensors then a final impact. Circuits spun, power surged, waned, then surged again. Shaking itself, the unit staggered down the empty corridor as it moved as fast as it could away from whatever had hit it.

Kiko scrambled out of the access tunnel, banging against pipes without noticing them. Almost falling as she exited she spun to face down the corridor as Mary came running up, her open robe flapping around her near naked body. The squirrel came to a skidding stop at the sight before her. Kiko was in a combat stance, a bent wave guide held in one hand while a line of blood seeped down her left cheek. An overpowering acrid smell hit the Squirrel and she gasped. "What in the seven worlds happened to you?" she gasped.

Kiko grinned then, shaking her head. "Stupid GNAT unit snuck up on me in the dark. I sorta helped it do an impression of a baseball."

Mary stepped forward, leaning over to examine the mechanics cheek. "Mmm... So that's why the wave guides bent?" she asked, pulling lose fur away from the wound.

Kiko flinched. As gentle as the squirrel was trying to be it was still painful to be touched. "Yeah, and peed my pants."

Mary giggled at that, then forced herself to be serious. "We need to get you to sick bay, that's a nasty burn" she decided. “But clean clothing first. And you’ll need help walking” she ordered, putting her arm around the dazed mouse.

"Ok" the mouse managed. "Burns like mad tho."

Mary stopped, giggled again. "What, the burn, or your pee?" she asked, giggling again.

Kiko blushed, leaning against the other woman. She felt Mary’s body heat through the micro thin nightgown. It was a comforting feeling. "Both" she whispered, still in too much pain to more than sense the squirrels state of undress.

Mary smiled softly, hugging the other a moment before heading towards the lift. "Come on" she managed, slowly losing the battle to hold her laughter. "You need medical attention". There was a pause, "And I’ll stay with you tonight, just to make certain you don’t die on us. Besides, I’ve got a bet in that pot myself, and I know who I’ll be opening my bed for."

It was useful information, but for the life of her Kiko couldn’t understand why. Only that she had a very pretty woman helping her, and the light was way too bright for hanky-panky. Even if the squirrel would allow it. Something that Kiko was certain would never happen. Not with this squirrel.