Title: A Few Seconds More

Author: S J Smith

Rating: Gen

Disclaimer: Oh, please, I'm not quite old enough (but I remember watching it on t.v. during its original run?).

Summary: There's something wrong with the engines.

A.N.: Written for the Live Journal community, Fanfic Bakeoff.

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I dinna have a clue what was going on with my engines. The wee bairns, they weren't working properly. Telltale lights were flashing, giving me fair warning something wasn't right. I couldn't do anything proper from outside, I needed to get into a jeffries tube and figure out what was making my engines go gang aft agley.

The Enterprise rocked, sending me crashing into a computer bank. I got my balance, wiping my forearm over my sweating forehead. I could hear the Captain's voice, "Scotty, we need more power!"

I know, Captain, I know. "Yes, sair," I said to the comm. "Workin' on it!"

The siren blared, and I knew my time was running out. I had to figure out what was going on with my engines, or the Enterprise - and the rest of us – wasn't going to make out of this battle.

Into the jeffries tube I went, with all my equipment. So little time to figure it out, so little time to get it all right. The ship rocked again but there was little room to move within the tube. I shoved a sonic wrench between my teeth and ripped open a panel to peer inside.

"Ah, there you are!" I grinned around the wrench, reaching inside. I could fix this. I could. I just needed a few seconds of time.

I hope the Captain was able to give it to me.

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