Challenge #02226-F036: Simple Metallurgical Skills

They were doomed. The copper tin alloy for the critical drive component they desperately needed was on a planet weeks away, and even if they had it, they couldn't make the part on the ship.

That's when the human walked into the bridge mopping sweat off hir brow.

"All fixed let's go."

"What do you mean all fixed?"

"Simply, I made a cast of the part with the pieces, then melted down the original and re cast it. It should last to the next port, the one after at a stretch."

"You what...?!? But how?"

"Surely you guys know the concept of recycling?"

"Yes, but I've never heard of ANYONE doing it MANUALLY!!!" -- Adam in Darwin

The captain and higher-ups were in a sealed conference about their plans. Such plans usually revolved around how to make the maximum amount of crew survive with the minimum amount of sacrifice. There were only so many cryo-pods and stasis tubes, no matter how much of the supplies the rest of the crew ate their way through during the interim. Who would live, who would die, who would be high-priority and who, ultimately, would remain behind to maintain the remnants as it drifted towards the sanest destination with minimum everything as the ship auto-repeated its emergency message on all useful frequencies.

Human Fen, knowing all this, made a decision. Three words, and not kindly received when uttered allowed, so ze said it to hirself, "Screw that noise." They went down to the engine room to see what the damage was.

The bronze injector was cleft in twain. A combination of a flaw in the original manufacture and repeated microstresses from temperature differentials, expansion, and contraction in use. Fen couldn't help it. Ze whistled backwards. "So that's what's got the top lot bothered."

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