Laying on the decking with my head and arms up into the co-pilot's console. I was tracing down a problem in one of my automation circuits which were necessary to let me pilot the Athame by myself. The usual complement of this class ship was half a dozen people and it normally took three to run her. I heard the click of heels on the decking and then a timid feminine voice. "H..Hello?" Dropping my head down so I could look at her I was astonished. I don't know what Lady Silver had done but I barely recognized this poor girl from what I had seen before. Her skin color had changed along with her hair style and she was dressed in a rather attractive outfit which I was sure had cost a small fortune. "Hello yourself. You're looking much better than the last time I saw you." Her cheeks colored with a blush and her eyes dropped to the floor. "She said I was nearly dead. I..." "Don't think about it. Now, she tells me that you have talents that might be useful here. When I get this circuitry straightened out I'm sure I can find something for you to do." I swung my attention back to my task. I heard her move and swing out the chair of the weapons station. Her soft voice reached me again. "A Mark-58!" I saw her move her hands as though to touch the control surfaces but then they stopped. "I'm sorry. It's your ship and I shouldn't mess with it." I had dropped my head out of the console again and I looked at her. "You know the Mark-58?" She nodded and then indicated the other systems. "I know all of these. I... I was a systems specialist but..." She clasped her hands tightly together in her lap. "I'm very, very good with computers. I... I could increase the targeting and acquisition parameters of this one for you." I watched her long enough to see her blush again. "You're trying to tell me you are a cracker?" Her hands tightened and then she nodded. "Go ahead." The console was locked I knew. She looked up at me, glanced at the console and then nodded. As she concentrated on the console it was like watching another person take charge of her body. Her movements lost the hesitancy she had displayed previously as her hands reached out and played across the control surfaces. I heard the contralto voice of the ship announce that the weapons system was now active. A move of her hand cut off the voice. "I think I can get you about a 75 percent improvement in acquisition and I can double the tracking efficiency. This is a Delbert and they are good machines but poorly programmed." Her fingers were flowing across the controls and then they stopped. "That should do it." She looked up at me as I watched her. She smiled shyly. "I... I didn't int..introduce myself. I'm...Sally, Captain." "Glad to meet you, Sally. As long as you don't try to take my systems away from me or drop logic bombs into them and they stay functional, feel free to work your magic on them." "Thank you, Captain." A radiant smile lit her face as she turned back to the console and danced her fingers over it. Hard to believe that five days ago she had been on the brink of death. I went back to work. I was getting that feeling. The one I always get when things are about to get out of hand. Over the years I'd learned to trust that feeling. I wanted everything checked out and operational. I had an idea that time was starting to run short. Two days later I was watching Sally show me the changes she had made on the nav system when the secur-com chirped for attention. "Yes?" "We are heading there. Be ready." "Be waiting for you." I pocketed the secur-com. "Sally, I want you on Nav and tied in with the comm system. Full acceleration harness." Her eyes widened but she moved to the chair I had indicated and pulled on the harness without argument. I opened the small-arms compartment and strapped on a side-arm and then went aft to open the loading ramp. I stationed myself where I could see the egress area. Then we waited. To be continued..