<div align="center"><strong>-=Griffin Kingston, Captain - Engineering Room - en route to Persephone=-</strong></div><br/>Griff watched Hayes as she tinkered with the engine, but all he could see was her legs protruding from beneath the engine. She was on her back, half concealed by the massive assortment of pipes, tubing and the myriad of metal components that all seemed to be billowing steam as they jostled about noisily. The room was sweltering and his body was quickly coated in a sticky glaze of sweat that was beginning to streak along his dark skin in beads. A drop of the salty liquid hung from the tip of his nose, threatening to drip at any moment. Gathering the hem of his black wife-beater in one strong hand, Griff raised the shirt to wipe at the perspiration that trickled down his face uncomfortably before letting the shirt fall back in place to cover his perfectly proportioned and chiseled six pack.<br/><br/>Hayes slid from beneath the hulking machinery in one fluid motion and then slowly sat up. The look on her face as she took her time to grab her crumpled pack and light up a cigarette was enough to put Griff in a defensive mindset. Yeah, he knew deep down that she was right and his decision to hold off on buying that part Hayes kept pestering him about was currently the cause for their woeful pace through the black, but did she have to so damn smug about it? He half rolled his eyes, readying himself for the chiding he just knew he was about to get from his brutally truthsome mechanic. As she began to explain, Griff listened intently as Hayes gave her prognosis on the fate of the engine. He didn't much understand mechanical speak, but he wasn't exactly obtuse either.<br/><br/>Griff let out a relieved sigh and let his arms fall to his sides. "Well, there's a pleasant bit o' news. So, the engine is fine so long as we replace that "cannibalizer, " or whatever the hell that gorram piece of<em>Luh Suh</em>is called? We get that, you can get the 'ole girl back in proper workin' order again,<em>shi</em>?" Griff was already backing towards the narrow corridor that housed the supplies lockers and connected to the galley and lounge. He still had preparations before they touched down at Eavesdown Docks to take on any potential cargo. There wasn't much more he could do about the stench from the Sihnon Coursers aside from letting the cargo doors open to allow in some fresh air, but he still needed a shower and to change into something more presentable. He couldn't really expect to get any respectable work if he looked a knuckle dragging grease monkey.<br/><br/>Glancing back over his shoulder as he stepped over the shin height lip of the passageway opening through the aft bulkhead, also known as a "knee-knocker", he gave Hayes an inquisitive arch of his brow. "So, it'll be okay if we open her up just a smidge? Just a short spell so as to make Eavesdown Docks.. you know,  before Mei Mei grows up into a respectable young woman of character and class?" He grabbed the intercom handset before Hayes had answered and keyed up the flight deck. "Mei Mei, go ahead and give her some juice. Say.... 20 percent power?" He looked to Hayes to gauge her reaction, shrugging his shoulder at her as if to say, 'Does that sound okay?' and waited for her assurance with the intercom still open.<br/><br/><br/>