Jed remembered the Captains remark and struggled to keep it uppermost in his mind "Jed these artefacts are unique, I need some one of your calibre to guard them" That was why he was left behind; he had been given a vital task! Try as he might the Sergeants voice butted in "Only someone of your ability can guard these from the risks of this planet!" It had taken Jed a while, but the significance of the grumbled words was dawning on him.

In the weeks they had been here, not one living thing larger than a mouse had been seen. The intelligent race that once ran the massive complexes had disappeared without leaving any trace. Jed squashed a bug under his space corps boot; having eliminated that threat he relaxed and stopped assuming the guard position. The helmet was whipped off and spun into the far corner of the storeroom; he rested the phaser rifle on the desktop beside the comms station. Sighing he slumped into the sculpted chair "What a loser" Jed muttered to the unhearing walls. It had always been the same; no one had ever given him a chance. Well thinking about it some had, and some had even recovered from the experience. When it came to success "walking disaster" was his only accolade.

The slow winking was just noticeable at the periphery of his vision and it interrupted his depression. Turning his head he saw the light was coming from one of the artefacts, the silver band glowed centrally with an alluring violet light. In all the hours he had stared into the storeroom, nothing like this had happened. Instinctively he reached out and touched the glowing metal, it felt so natural like it was a part of him. Quickly he scanned the room and corridor, in case anyone was watching, then he cursed his own foolishness; other than Jenna in the sick bay they were all on the away team. More calmly he explored the surface of the object with his fingertips. As they reached a point opposite the glowing region the band separated "Christ, I've busted it!" Jed thought fearfully, although he tried, he could not rejoin the ends.

Concentrating wildly he studied the metal attempting a repair before the team returned. His fingers felt some indentations on the surface, squinting hard he could just make out a pattern, no it was pictorial instructions. Hands touching band, band opening - yup right so far - and then a balloon with the closed band on it. The balloon had a large hole at the bottom, realisation dawned; it was a head, all he had to do was put the band on his head and it would be fixed! In an instant it was fixed, Jed felt it snuggle against his hair and seal shut; it was getting a bit tight, painfully so. A second later the pain was gone, and a relieved Jed reached up to remove it from his head. To his amazement his fingers touched the bare skin of his forehead - it was gone. First he'd broken, and now he'd lost one the artefacts he was supposed to be guarding! Jed stood and searched desperately around the chair, across the floor, no it was gone!

The shower spray hit the tousled hair with force; after a couple of days confined to a sick bed this felt so good. Jenna extended an elegant arm towards the recessed nozzle "Shampoo" she commanded quietly, and a green pool gathered in the palm of he left hand. Vigorously she scrubbed her lank hair, wondering what to do with the rest of the day; she felt fully recovered now, but she had woken late. Great, left alone on a deserted ship with nothing to do, and nothing to expend her energy on. She swung around, the hot water stinging her naked back "Ship status, crew status" she requested of the blank metal wall in front of her. A patch of metal level with her eyes first became bright sliver and then cleared showing the requested information