[RP] The Engine Room Challenge

Migs stumbled into the sweltering heat of the engine room, squinting as the white glare of the vibrating Aether-Core pulsed in sync with the throb in his temples.

"Alexa, enough with the health updates," Migs grumbled, wiping sweat from his brow. "Go into diagnostic mode. Give me the schematics and keep the telemetry steady. My eyes are doing that thing where there’s two of everything, and I only need to fix one core today."

The Kimoyo bead bracelet on his wrist detached, shifting and expanding into a small, floating metallic globe. Alexa hovered near the Core's housing, projecting a series of crisp, holographic blue overlays that mapped out the arcane ley-lines and mechanical stress points. The steadying presence of the AI helped Migs focus, effectively filtering out the dizzying distractions of his "Solar Nectar" hangover.

Migs tapped a sequence on the floating screens, casting Guidance as he cross-referenced the pulsing energy spikes with the ship's original blueprints. "Alright, let's see what Rolex was screaming about..."

The Repair Sequence

Investigation (Normal Check): With Alexa’s holographic guidance and the schematics, Migs identifies that the harmonic resonance isn't a mechanical failure—it's a sabotage attempt. A small, vibrating "jinx-cog" has been wedged into the containment housing, designed to mimic the sound of a failing engine.

Tinker's Tools (Normal Check): Migs pulls out his Manifold Tool and, with the precision of a field technician used to working under pressure, deftly extracts the foreign object and recalibrates the pressure valves.

The mournful wail of the Aether-Core abruptly smoothed out into a contented, low-level hum. The ship’s deck plates stopped rattling, and the temperature in the room began to drop to a manageable level.

"Telemetry stabilized," Alexa reported, the globe bobbing once. "The feedback loop has been terminated. Also, I have identified the foreign object as a non-standard component. It appears to be a 'clunker'—a device often used by mutineers to simulate engine failure."

Migs stared at the small, twisted piece of metal in his hand. "Mutineers? Joey didn't mention anything about the crew trying to tank the ship."

Migs emerges from the engine room, wiping grease onto his pants and holding up the sabotaged cog. Captain Joey is waiting at the top of the stairs, her hand resting on the hilt of her rapier.

"Well?" she demands, her eyes flicking to the now-silent deck beneath her feet. "Are we going to explode mid-jump, or can we actually leave this rock?