Symphony of stars

Chapter-3

Aaron had only been aboard the Nexus for a few hours before he found the engine room. The loud hum the mechanical beauty gave off was music to his ears and he immediately wanted to reach out and touch it. Here he was comfortable. Here he knew what he was doing. Aaron walked through the cramped room with confidence and listened to the symphony the engine sang for just for him. It was perfect, except for a flat note.

It was just a little drop in tone, but it stuck in his head as he searched for it. Aaron's fingers drifted over the hoses and metal bends that formed the engine. Vibrations shot through him and he could feel the sharp out of step note. He followed the puzzle until it led him to the life support and gravity generator. These parts were small in the grand scale, but such important parts. It was clear the air and gravity on the ship were as perfect as a small transport ship could get, but when he dipped down the problem became clear.

A slight whistle vibrated along a hose. It wasn't a big problem, but left alone and unnoticed it could lead to issues in deep space. Aaron reached through the machinery to cover the pin hole with his thumb.

"What are you doing?"

Ethan was suddenly standing over him and Aaron caught his breath for a second. Looking back at the almost invisible whistling hole, Aaron cleared his throat. "There's a small hole in this hose. It's critical to balancing the gravitation and oxygen. If it gets wider the air could combust in deep space."

Letting out a sigh, the boy knelt down next to him and squinted his eyes. "I don't see anything and the readings are well within normal ranges."

Glaring at the boy, Aaron said, "It's there and your readings should be off by at least point four. It's already large enough. If it gets larger in transit it won't be repairable. Most ships keep extra hose onboard, but do you really want to risk trying to repair this while the air burns around you?"

Standing back up, Ethan pulled a small screen from the wall and brought up a maze of green and yellow neon lights. His fingers swiped through the colors until he paused. "The reading is off," he said and quickly Aaron reached out the last inch and covered the tiny hole.

Instantly the symphony was in sync and Aaron grinned at the sound. The Nexus could purr like a kitten and Aaron let his eyes close as he took in her sounds.

"The readings are straightening out now. I don't think it's going to be a problem," Ethen said.

"I covered the hole," Aaron stated matter of fact. When the boy let out a soft groan Aaron could only imagine the defeated look on his face. Letting out a laugh, Aaron used his free hand to rummage in his pocket for the patch putty he always made sure to keep around. "Don't worry. I can repair it."

A simple press and spread had the hole covered. Aaron pulled back and listened to the music play. Turning to look up at Ethan, he grinned. "It should hold for several deep trips, but you'll have to replace that hose the next time those readings drop by point two."

"Right. I'll remember that, but you should get back to the cargo bay. Tir doesn't really want you in here," the boy said, shutting down the screen. "Can't say that I blame her. You're creepy."

Adjusting the magnifying goggles that covered his eyes, Aaron nodded. "Yeah. I'll stick to the cargo bay," he said and stood back up. That was all he really had to say as he made his way passed the boy and out of the engine room. He was used to it. Most people thought he was odd. That's just how it was, but he barely cared anymore. At least he'd been allowed to hear the engine sing.

The ship was small and it was just a short hallway that separated the engine from the main line of traffic and from there it was just a turn and a trip down a set of metal hand grips to the comfortable corner he'd been allowed in the cargo bay. He'd dropped his tool box and duffle there hours before and waited until after takeoff before he began his exploration.