A few hours later and Cam’s ship looked like it had been turned inside out. Pretty much all maintenance panels had been removed. Wiring and tubing were birthing from the vessel, making it look like some mechanized octopus. Vee, dressed in her engineering coveralls, looked even more dirty and dishevelled than she had earlier. She had every right to be exhausted at the moment, having put in a ten-hour shift, but she loved a good mystery, and Cam’s ship provided just that.

As she pulled herself out of one of the maintenance holes, a hypospanner in one hand and a microtubule converter in another. She looked up at Cam and then down at the multiple pizzas they had replicated. “Would you mind, Cam?” Vee asked and then chomped the air several times, indicating she wanted a bite but didn’t want to put her tools down.

Cam chuckled, adjusting his grip on the piece before holding it out. His fingers tensed slightly, offering just enough resistance to make the tear clean and easy. “You help me, I help you,” he said, the corners of his mouth quirking up as he met her gaze..

The Orion gratefully took a large bite of pizza with her friend’s assistance and quickly took a second before practically throwing herself back into the compartment she had torn apart. “Can you initiate a simulated emergency thrust again? Do the port side this time.”

Cam hauled himself into what remained of the cockpit, his fingers brushing against cold, stripped-down panels. Exposed wiring snaked along the frame, and through gaps that shouldn’t exist, he caught glimpses of the cargo bay beyond—a view he was never meant to have.

Still, he didn’t hesitate. This was Vee’s work, and if there was anyone he trusted to tear Sunshine apart and put her back together, it was her.

Settling into the seat, he ran his hands over the console, the familiar hum of the system booting up beneath his fingertips. Screens flickered, one by one, casting flickering light over the cockpit’s skeletal frame. With a final keystroke, he engaged the simulation.

Vee’s tricorder was already running continuous scans and was visible on the ledge of one of the internal control panels to the left side of her head. She eyed the results closely as Cam ran the test as requested. The minor and barely noticeable phase variance the two had identified after some chasing was still reading clearly now.  She groaned in frustration and pulled herself back out. The tools she was holding were dropped to her ground, and she turned herself around before taking a seat and using the craft as a backrest.

“I don’t get it. This isn’t making sense.” Vee stated in a muffled and frustrated tone. She was rarely puzzled about such problems, a benefit of having been at this gig for many years now.

Cam’s leg twitched, a subtle tremor that quickly spread up his thigh. Her words had hit too close to something he didn’t want to face. For a moment, the room seemed to close in, his breath catching as the thought flashed through his mind—If Vee can’t figure this out… who can?

He snapped his focus back, shaking off the rising panic. His voice was controlled, steady as he met her gaze.

“What did we miss?”

Typically, being one who always has an answer to that type of question, Vee shrugged in a bit of a frustrated manner. She loved a good puzzle as much as any engineer, but this was just ridiculous. “I honestly don’t know. I feel like we’ve turned her inside out at this point, Cam.”

His fingers brushed over the console, eyes still on her. “Did you scan the intermix chamber for residual tachyons?” The words felt flimsy, but he couldn’t help himself. It was a shot in the dark, but it was all he had left.

Before Vee could answer Cam’s question, a slight purring sound emerged from one of the open compartments. It was barely audible but reminiscent of a kitten’s mew. Vee turned her head sharply toward where she thought it came from. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Cam asked, his voice low with genuine curiosity. He straightened up slightly, his head tilting to one side, as if trying to catch any hint of sound that might have escaped his notice.

“I swear I heard something coming from…” Vee stood back up and moved toward the open compartment. She stuck her head inside and looked around. More importantly, she intended to listen for the mewing she thought she heard. Either it was something, or she was losing her marbles. Vee made a whispering sound in her mouth as if she was calling for a cat to come close to her.

“Mewmewmew…” A louder but barely audible sound replied to her attempt at communication.

Cam stood two meters behind her, his brow furrowing as he watched her, a baffled expression creeping across his face. He crossed his arms, shifting his weight onto one leg, eyes narrowing in disbelief. The problem they were dealing with was frustrating, sure, but it wasn’t the kind of thing that would send someone spiraling. He couldn’t help but feel a little stunned, wondering if she’d completely lost her grip on things.

“Camden. There’s something in here.” Vee dug a little deeper, moving some conduit material out of the way, and it revealed a small tennis ball-sized creature reminiscent of a cat mixed with a gerbil. Its fur had a transcendence to it, making it appear as if it was phasing in and out of space-time. Vee immediately recognized the creature and slowly made an attempt to scoop it up with her hands lightly. Thankfully it was receptive to the touch and immediately nestled into her hold.

“I’ll be damned.” Vee had a massive smile as she elbowed her way out of the open compartment, the creature secure in her hands – like a little chick being held by someone at a petting zoo. “I’ve never seen one of these in person. Only ever heard of them. It’s a Yarr. They’re an energy-eating, phase-shifting creature that is native to a region near the Betreka Nebula.” Vee gently itched under one of the creature’s ears, and it began to purr louder and nuzzle into her touch.

“Many species have similar sayings. Gremlins in the engines, I believe, is the human term?” Vee looked up at Cam. “Very much because of little creatures like this. Extremely rare to come across. There’s an old Klingon tale of how these creatures only inhabit the ships of honourable commanders. I just… How did it get here?”

Cam’s laugh echoed softly against the metallic panneling surrounding them, the sound a mix of disbelief and amusement. His gaze fixed on the creature nestled in Vee’s arms, a small, scrappy thing that seemed completely out of place next to the sleek, powerful form of Sunshine. It looked so unassuming, yet it had managed to bring down the ship that had been his pride and joy. He stepped closer, trying to get a better look, his eyes narrowing in utter curiosity.

“Honorable Commander, huh?” he said with a raised brow, his voice laced with amusement. “Sounds about right!” He shook his head, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he eyed the creature, then flicked his gaze back to Vee, half-amused, half-stunned by the absurdity of it all.

“We should secure it and run a sweep for any of its friends. They’re harmless in small numbers, but if we get a couple hundred of them phasing around, we’ll have an issue. There’s also the issue of sensors being unable to detect them easily because of their phasing abilities. I think it’s just a baby, though. They take two years to hatch, so there’s no telling how long this friend was being baked up in your ship. We may not even have a problem besides this little buddy.” Vee held out the creature in the direction of Cam.

“Did you want to hold it?” The creature looked at Cam, its eyes opening wider, and one would swear it was smiling at him, too.

Cam eyed the Yarr, its small, wide eyes blinking up at Vee as it nestled back in her arms. The creature’s fur was soft and fluffy, its tiny paws curled against her chest as if it belonged there. He couldn’t help but smirk, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than he intended.

He shook his head, a chuckle escaping his lips as he backed away slightly. “Nah, I’ll pass,” he said, his tone light but teasing. “But you might want to ask if they’ll let you keep him. Looks like you two are already thick as thieves.”

He raised an eyebrow, glancing from Vee to the Yarr, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.