Chapter 2: Little Problems

"Oh great, a General Engineer" said a scientist. "The worlds greatest scientists, one of the largest scientific staffs, the most expensive equipment, and they stick us with a General Engineer?"

"What's so bad about that? He can repair just about anything we need him too in the lab." replied his partner.

"They can do a little of everything, but none of it is top notch. If one thing is going to bring this project down it's him. This project is too important to take half measures."

Blackie sneered at him, and then another scientist approached him.

"Don't mind those jerks, they obviously have no idea why we chose you. It's because you're a prime cut above the rest in your field. Hi, I'm Sando" he said as he offered Blackie his hand.

Blackie accepted the greeting.

"Unlike the others it's a pleasure to meet you" replied Blackie as he sneered at the other scientists.

Sando then lead him into the next room.

"This is a miniature of a single cryo-chamber" he told Blackie. "This little thing here could preserve just about any organic matter we put into it for a near infinite amount of time."

"You expect to put a one of us in there? How do you propose that?" said Blackie as he snatched the mini cryo-chamber. He then began to examine it.

"Well, that is part of the reason why we've called you here. We need someone who can help us correct the errors we made when we tried to make a full sized chamber" replied Sando.

"That's it? Somehow I thought I came to this establishment to do more than repair a little freezer" Blackie said giving Sando an angry glance as he tossed the mini cryo-chamber to him (which Sando caught).

"You didn't let me finish. When we tested the full sized chamber, we blew out the main back up generators and the main computer console. We need you to make the necessary repairs to our equipment before we teach you about our cryogenic studies and how our freezer is supposed to work" joked Sando.

"Why don't you do it yourself? You're all scientists, why can’t you fix a few simple machines?" questioned Blackie.

Sando was starting to get a little angry.

"They’re a bit more than simple machines. We know how to use them, but not all of us know how to build them" said Sando. "Let me show you the generators."

Sando lead Blackie to the Generator Room while the other scientists continued with their work.

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Back inside the building of "Exploration and Extra-Planetary Development"

"Something is wrong, I can't get a reading from the exploratory shuttle" said the head scientist.

"How are our satellites and our satellite systems?" replied his partner Maygier.

"Running perfectly, unlike this. . . oh wait, I just got a reading from the shuttle" said the head scientist excitedly.

"Establishing communications now. Exploratory shuttle 35, status report" replied his partner.

"All systems normal" responded the pilot.

After a brief pause the head scientist said.

"Are you sure? We lost you on the radar for a minute there."

Once again, the pilot responded "all systems normal."

A little worried but satisfied the head scientist said "alright then, we’ll be expecting you in a few days. End transmission."