steel, we wouldn't be here. The engines would
have melted and we would have exploded. But this beauty can take far
more than anybody. She saved our lives! If we can get her back
together, she'll take us home!"
61 "Excuse me," I.S. interrupted, "may I see those radiation figures?"
62 The Engineer handed the droid the readout board. For several minutes
the others sat drinking their drinks while the droid absorbed the
information. Finally he sat the readout board down. "Can you provide
me," he enquired, "with an extra inch of external shielding, but still
maintain my current mobility?"
63 "To your body casing," agreed the Engineer, "but not your arms and
legs."
64 "The body casing will be sufficient," the droid answered. "I'll do
it. I'll disassemble the engines! It will take me several hours to cool
off, after each work period, but I can tear them down."
65 North turned towards the Engineer. "Can he actually survive" he
asked, "or will he be sacrificing himself to save the rest of us? I
want the truth!"
66 "He'll have to give me his calculations," the Engineer explained.
"If he's right, if he'll just overheat, and can withdraw before any
damage is done, it's possible. My calculations said they'd burn out in
less than twenty minutes, but these droids know their own systems
better than we do. Give me a couple of hours to check his figures!"
67 "Very well," North agreed, "I.S., give the Engineer the required
data. But I want one thing clearly understood ....there are only three
I.S. units on this ship, and they are as important as any other
crewmember. There are to be no death missions, even for the droids,
that might later cost all of us our lives!"
68 "Understood, sir!" the Engineer snapped.
69 "And in case anybody gets any ideas," said North, "that goes for
organic personnel as well. Either we all go home, or none of us go
home. Clear?"