How This Came Together
In Repairs, a sci-fi short story set on a hostile alien world, a stranded crew works to restore their ship while holding off constant threats. As engineers push to bring failing systems back online, pressure mounts and progress begins to stall. What should be routine repairs turns into something far more complicated, where the problem isn’t what’s broken, but what refuses to work.
As Jarvis and Cecile push to bring their ship back online, the situation grows increasingly uncertain. Systems appear functional, power is flowing, and yet progress stalls in ways that defy expectation. What begins as routine diagnostics slowly shifts into a deeper problem, one that resists explanation and challenges everything they think they understand.
Music Pairing
Twirling Foliage brings a lively yet uneasy rhythm to Repairs, reinforcing the tension between motion and stagnation. Its spiraling energy mirrors the back-and-forth between the characters and the growing sense that something isn’t behaving as it should, adding subtle unease without overpowering the scene.
Behind the Scenes
This story was written to highlight the underlying issues facing this Larian expedition. While they’re performing better than the original crew, similar problems are still holding them back. Instead of focusing on action or confrontation, this piece leans into the central issue keeping them grounded, allowing the mystery to emerge through dialogue and technical problem solving. It serves as a quiet but important entry in the series, where unseen pressures continue to shape the expedition’s progress.
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Excerpt of Repairs
Jarvis closed his eyes and thumped the wall of his useless ship. With a grunt, he marched into the laboratory and leaned against the doorframe, studying the plasma cannon’s exposed innards. He folded his arms across his chest and cleared his throat. “Cecile, how’s your work progressing?”
A curse echoed off the walls, and as silence rushed to fill the space, Cecile’s head crested the workbench. “You weren’t supposed to bother me for a couple of days while I performed my diagnostics.”
“That’s why you got five.”
“Has it been that long?”
Jarvis nodded as he retrieved an implement from the bench. “Based on where you are, I’ll assume you’re poking at my engine.”
Cecile snatched the tool from Jarvis, returning to the opening. “I’m following your standing orders to get this bucket off the ground.”
He reached down and pulled her clear of the hatch. Jarvis’s thumb pointed at the workbench as he leaned toward her. “While that’s an important goal, your top priority was repairing and replicating that cannon.”
With a shrug, Cecile waved her tool at the weapon scattered over her table. “Five days…?”
“You’re in your element. I’m not surprised you lost track of time.” He stepped to the workbench, tapping the device. “Now tell me why you’ve abandoned the cannon.”
“I haven’t deserted it.” Cecile swiped her eyes as her shoulders sagged. She hopped onto a stool and pulled an implement from her belt. She stuck the tip into the chamber and adjusted the wires there. “Whenever I wear out a mystery, I need to sink my teeth into something new.”
Jarvis plucked the tool from her and patted the chassis. “Have you repaired the overload?”
“Not yet.”
“We’ve successfully used the other experimental weapon in three raids.”
Cecile reclaimed the device and tapped it against the hollowed-out cannon. “There’s a difference between theoretical and operational. And given your proximity to the thing, I thought you’d appreciate that distinction.”
Jarvis wrung his hands. “When will we receive more cannons?”
“I’m not sure. While I’ve isolated the cause of their self-detonation, I haven’t corrected it. But if you’re eager to tempt suicide, I’ll produce flawed weapons for you.”
Jarvis’s palm slammed against his forehead while gritting his teeth. “If you’ve identified it, why isn’t it fixed?”
“Whoever designed the original was careless.”
“Why’s that?” Jarvis asked, sitting down at the workbench. “The folks back home are pretty smart.”
Cecile shook her head and dove into the open access panel. “Even the smartest people make mistakes, especially with a prototype.”
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