Tatehan stared at the jumble of connectors, ports, and exposed wiring beneath the mounting plate, confused.

He'd never seen anything this mechanically complex before in his life. Back on Earth as Gavin, the most complicated thing he'd ever dealt with was maybe changing a car battery or replacing a broken phone screen — simple, straightforward tasks with clear instructions.

This was different. This was advanced alien technology, or at least technology far beyond anything he'd encountered. Multiple connection points, color-coded systems he didn't understand, components whose functions were completely mysterious to him.

If the AI hadn't been guiding him step by step, he would have had absolutely no idea where to even begin.

[Now take a new emitter from the replacement kit,] the AI continued. [You'll need to connect the power coupling—the blue connector, and the data link, the red connector, before mounting it.]

Tatehan carefully removed a new emitter from the kit. It was clean, pristine, and significantly heavier than it looked. The underside had the matching connectors the AI had mentioned.

He aligned the blue power coupling first, pressing it firmly into the corresponding port on the mounting plate. There was a click as it locked into place.

The red data link connector was smaller and required more precision, but after a moment of careful alignment, it also clicked home.

[Both connectors secured,] the AI confirmed. "

[Now position the emitter on the mounting plate and reinstall the bolts. Tighten them in a star pattern to ensure even pressure distribution.]

Tatehan placed the new emitter carefully, aligned the bolt holes, and began reinstalling the bolts in the pattern the AI had specified: opposite pairs, working around the hexagon in a star shape.

As he tightened the final bolt, the new emitter suddenly glowed briefly with a soft blue light, then settled into a dim, steady light.

[Emitter one is now active and responding to system commands,] the AI reported. [Excellent work. Five more to go.]

The work was methodical and repetitive, but not boring. Each emitter location presented slightly different challenges—different access angles, different amounts of damage to the surrounding area, different environmental conditions.

The second emitter was partially buried under windblown Martian dirt and required careful excavation. The third was in a location that required Tatehan to climb partially up the ship's hull using built-in handholds. The fourth was in a shadowed area where the temperature was even colder.

But one by one, he replaced the burnt-out emitters with new ones, connecting the power and data links, mounting them securely, and watching them activate with a brief blue glow.

After three hours of exterior work, he'd replaced all six emitters, summoning the bolts and fixing them back to place.

[Excellent progress,] the AI said as Tatehan returned to the airlock. [All six primary emitters are now installed and responding. Return inside and we'll proceed to the next phase: realigning the shield nodes.]

Tatehan cycled through the airlock, breathing steadily as the inner door sealed.

He went directly to the kitchen area and grabbed a bottle of cold beverage from the refrigeration. He drank half of it in one long gulp, feeling the cool liquid revive him somewhat.

It was at this precise point that he realized he still hadn't taken a bath since waking up this morning. He'd gone straight from breakfast into this extensive repair work, and now he was covered in a thin layer of sweat and grime.

'Will make sure to do that once I'm completely done with everything,' he promised himself.

[Shield node realignment is performed from inside the ship,] the AI explained as Tatehan ate. [You'll be accessing the shield control systems through various access panels and making fine adjustments to ensure all six emitters work together as a coordinated network.]

[How precise do these adjustments need to be?] Tatehan asked.

[Very precise. Shield coverage is geometry-dependent. If the nodes aren't properly aligned, you'll have gaps in coverage or areas where overlapping shields interfere with each other and reduce effectiveness.]

"Great. No pressure then," Tatehan said dryly.

This was starting to seem like more and more work the more the Spaceship's AI explained the process. He'd thought replacing the physical emitters would be the hard part, but apparently that was just the beginning. Now he had to make sure all six of them talked to each other properly, coordinated their coverage, didn't interfere with each other's energy fields, maintained proper geometry...

It was like assembling a complex three-dimensional puzzle where every piece affected every other piece.

"I will guide you through each adjustment. The process requires patience and attention to detail, but it's well within your capabilities."

The shield node realignment took another two hours.

Each of the six emitters had corresponding control nodes inside the ship—small interface panels that allowed for micro-adjustments to the emitter's position, angle, and power output.

The AI would show Tatehan which adjustments to make, and he would carefully turn the precision controls while monitoring readouts on the diagnostic scanner. When the values matched the AI's specifications, that particular node was properly aligned.

It was tedious work, lots of tiny adjustments, lots of checking and rechecking measurements, lots of backing out previous changes when something didn't align correctly.

But gradually, the shield network came into proper alignment. The diagnostic scanner began showing green indicators instead of yellow warnings. The holographic display showed the coverage pattern improving, gaps filling in and overlaps resolving.

"Final node aligned," Tatehan announced, making the last adjustment and watching the scanner confirm success.

He knew he was very close to ending this all. And standing there, looking back at all the tedious work done, he realized that maybe fighting monsters and risking his life was more worth it and fun than this.

"Excellent," the AI said. "Now for the final phase: patching the energy coils. This will be similar to yesterday's power conduit work."

"How many coils need patching?" Tatehan asked, already knowing the answer would be more than he wanted to hear.

"Fourteen."

"Of course there are."

More work!

He couldn't help but sigh in slight frustration.

But he was committed now. Fourteen damaged energy coils stood between him and a functional shield system. And after all the work he'd already done today, he wasn't going to stop now.

The energy coil repairs were indeed similar to the power conduit work from yesterday. Access various panels throughout the ship, locate the damaged sections of coil—thin, flexible cables that carried energy to the shield emitters, cut out the damaged portions, install replacement segments, seal everything properly.

The main difference was that energy coils were smaller and more delicate than power conduits, requiring more careful handling and more precise cuts.

But the process was familiar now, and Tatehan worked with increasing confidence. His hands knew what to do, the tools felt natural, and the AI's guidance was clear and helpful.

Two hours later, he sealed the final repaired energy coil and ran the diagnostic scan.

All green indicators.

"All energy coils repaired and tested," the AI announced. "Shield system repairs are complete. Initiating full system test."

Tatehan set down his tools and watched as the holographic display showed the shield network activating properly for the first time in months.

The six repaired emitters began generating their defensive fields, the energy flowing smoothly through the repaired coils. The shield nodes coordinated the coverage, creating overlapping layers of protection.

On the display, he could see the shield coverage visualized as a translucent blue dome surrounding the Spaceship—not complete coverage, but substantial. Approximately sixty percent, just as the AI had predicted.

"Shield system test successful," the AI reported. "All emitters functioning within acceptable parameters. Coverage is at sixty-two percent of maximum capacity. Energy consumption is within sustainable limits."

Text appeared on the holographic display:

[SHIELD GENERATORS: PARTIALLY RESTORED]

[Repair Points Awarded: +10]

[Current Total: 46/100]

"Forty-six points," Tatehan said, and despite his exhaustion, a huge, tired but incredibly satisfied smile spread across his face. "I can now send the spaceship to my system space! We hit the threshold!"

He couldn't hide his joy even if he'd wanted to. After months of living with the constant anxiety that the ship might be discovered, that raiders might find it, that the Obscuron's forces might stumble across it, that some random catastrophe might destroy his only real shelter on this hostile planet—after all that constant worry, he'd finally reached the magic number.

Forty points had been the minimum threshold. He had forty-six.

The spaceship could finally be safely stored in his system space inventory, protected from all external threats, secure and hidden in a way that no physical concealment could ever achieve.

"Finally!" Tatehan said aloud, actually laughing with relief. "Finally, I can stop worrying about someone finding this ship while I'm away!"

The weight that lifted from his shoulders was almost physical. He hadn't fully realized just how much stress that constant concern had been causing him until this moment when it suddenly disappeared.

Now he saw words flash across his retina:

[Congratulations, Host—

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