Emergency Power Counselling

  "What happened to you two?" Dean asked.  "Close incounter with a cargo box." Keto growled.  "So what about my idea? I mean appart from that i'm cluless, i guess we just have to sit tight. Anyone for a game of eye-spy?" Tara said, unaware of what happened to Phil in the shuttle.<END SNIP>
"Well, yeah. Sitting tight sounds like a plan. I'll bung the Raven down to Emergency Power and pray we aren't hit by anything."
"What?" asked Keto, with an admittedly worried tone.
"Well, the reason we fled here was that this is an area that asteroids do frequent as they orbit that sun over there." Dean pointed at the side of the Raven's hold.
"That's a bulkhead Dean." said Tara.
"I mean in that direction..."
"Still, surely the sensors are on the emergency systems circuit?"
"Nope. Well, they will be shortly. I'll patch them onto it as soon as this meeting is over before flicking the switch. This does mean of course, that'll I'll be working on live cabling."
"No way to avoid that?"
"Not unless you feel the urge for a gravity and oxygen deprivation session no." said Dean, pointedly.
"Motion passed?" asked Alota
There was a murmur of general assent.
"Keto? Can you come and give me a hand with the wiring? I don't think we've got any actual engineers onboard this craft."
"There are quite a few people who aren't on this craft Dean." said Tara, "Speaking of which. Which ship is Phil on? I didn't get a chance to check in the confusion."
Silence.
 
 
More Silence.
 
 
Somebody coughed.
 
 
More Silence.
 
 
"Tara?" asked Dean. "How about you come with me and Alota into the cockpit for a second? We need to talk."
"What?" said Tara, worriedly, quite panicked by the reaction of those on the Raven.
 
The 3 of them stepped inside the cockpit and the door swished shut behind them.
"Tara?" said Dean. "The thing is..." he paused, "Well, what happened..... well, I'm sure Alota knows how to do this better than me."
"What?" asked Tara.
"Well," said Alota, "Basically...umm... oh Dean, you were doing pretty good."
"I think you're doing better."
"Well, umm.. Phil was on Jay's shuttle."
"Uh-huh" said Tara, looking from one to the other.
"We saw it go down, right next to the bug-infested BD. There's no way they'll be alive." said Dean.
"I'm really sorry." added Alota.
"Phil's.... dead?"
"Well, if it's any consolation, so's Jay. You guys have been widowed together!!!!" said Dean, like a game-show host announcing the grand prize.
"I'll leave." he said, looking at the ladies.
The door swished open and Dean left, before he set it to lock. The ladies needed some time he figured.
 
Dean "Empathiser" Thomas