The tinkerer offered Halpert a nod, pretty much downing their cup of coffee just as quickly before resuming their work.
"No problem, really. And no that wouldn't be a modification that I'd do to a Kali, that wouldn't quite work... Not one that's precise at the very least... Anyway."
Installing a few more parts and fitting them rather carefully, Mille would take some time quietly documenting said modifications on their tablet before speaking again.
"Had to modify a few things for some of the parts to fit but... We should be able to get a test fire. That and a recording of it can be created and processed so we can analyze which parts may be a little wobbly through motion amplification techniques... Not something that most people do but it's better to be safe than sorry."
Turning back towards halpert, Mille flipped a wrench before setting it down on the bench.
"Got anywhere in the station that is isolated and safe enough for that test fire?"
"Here... probably. Though the engine facing this wall is probably a bad idea... hmm..."
A dip into his pocket reveals a small communications device. Not wanting to make that long trip to the dockmaster again, he instead spends a minute tapping out a message and sending it off wirelessly to the dockmaster's terminal. A few seconds after, the rails of the overhead system starts working and a clamp drops off a large stack of silver crates between the Orcus' engine and the wall it faced. These alloys serve to cushion to constant thrust of the HNP-Class engine block and prevent a catostrophic incident from occuring on the far end of the docking area. A look at his device reads: "This is all I've got, Halpert. Crates of Reinforced Alloys. Whatever you're doing, don't destroy my docking area."
"The dockmaster wishes us good luck."
He jumps off, making his way around the crate he was sitting on to take cover, in case the ship explodes.
Testing something in such a way was dangerous even for Mille's standards, or so they thought. But regardless, with the modded engine block fitted to the Orcus after a little while, the tinkerer would set up a camera using a smaller, more battered holo-tablet they had, changing it to a black and white motion amplification mode and clamping it close to the engine before walking closer to Halpert.
"This could go kinda bad... And I'm using parts -from- the claymore too but I thankfully know where to get some of those... Well, let's hope it doesn't. I'll check the engine once more to make sure that all parts are properly fitted and that we didn't get any connections wrong and dump a little bit of mixed oxides in."
With that said, Mille would spend some time checking if the Orcus' systems were seemingly operational and if the engine block was properly fitted or if there were any glaring issues, triple checking any custom work in order to try and not leave any room for a major disaster. They'd also spend some time in the cockpit, temporarily hooking up something to the start-up systems before walking back to Halpert, behind one of the crates... He would not be surprised if the man already had another cup of coffee given the time they were waiting. Regardless, Mille would hand him his tablet, which had a little power bar display.
"You should probably have the honors, Halpert. Once you slide that bar, it should force the Orcus to start up the engine remotely so that we're slightly safer. I've got something set up close to the ship that will collect some data about the test as we go, including radiation levels. We're dealing with atoms splitting after all."
"Radiation? I'm already dealing with very minor symptoms. Hell, I might die from it. Here goes nothing."
The device was passed to Halpert, he looked at Mille with a slight nod and proceeded to slide the bar down. At first, nothing. Silence. It seemed the modifications to the engine were futile, then, a spark and the HNP-Class roars into action. Crates of Reinforced Alloys were blasted out from their stack and landed on the nearby wall, held up by the thrust of the engine and keeping the heat from melting the wall. Mille celebrates as Halpert looks in awe at Orcus. The flare of the minty green thrust then changes, a familiar look of particles start getting pulled into the engine exhaust.
"Is that the cruise engi-"
Orcus buckles against the floor mounted magnetic clamps as the engine ignites the second time. Pushing the system keeping the ship in place, the ship's fuselage slightly warps but stays intact. The engine exhaust had a massive minty flame, pushing the rest of the reinforced alloys against the wall. The entire area shook and the muffled noises of the techs nearby stopped. An audience gathered as the roar from the HNP-Class engine echoed throughout the docking area, with the Orcus now having moved to the edge of the platform it was sitting on.
"What the hell is going on here?"
"I'd like to know the same thing!"
Surrounded by the techs and the dockmaster, the two pilots look at each other surprised.
Mille was indeed ecstatic for a moment, believing the modification to have been efficient enough. Perhaps a little too efficient, once he realized the familiar sparks coming out of the Orcus' exhausts. This was a pure HNP engine block after all, unlike the Claymore which was pretty much a makeshift one. It was however, beautiful and dangerous in a way, with the sparks taking a distinct light blue fade at the very end of the exhaust stream.
"I- I didn't put nearly as much fuel for it to be able to engage into cruise, wh- Halpert, slide the power bar down, quickly! It's going to tear the clamp apart!"
The young tinkerer shouted, pointing at the tablet they had given Halpert with a rather shocked look on his face before looking back at the ship and watching as its fuselage started warping a little bit. After all, within an environment that had atmosphere and gravity, surely things could get very dangerous if they didn't get the burn in control soon enough.
Despite being behind cover, the loud roar of the engines muffled any speech directed at Halpert, even one from someone right next to him.
"What?"
The frame of the Orcus cracked as the engine block pushed itself closer into the fuselage, and with it the front magnetic clamp slipped off the edge of the platform. The ship dipped off the edge, lifting it's rear end and breaking away from the other two magnetic clamps. The improved engine showed it's might as the entire ship shot off towards the edge of the docking bay doors, bouncing off the top of the Albatross transport and through more crates in the process.
Screaming and shouting were seen from the dockmaster and the techs as the Orcus' engines powered down mid flight. Halpert's hand glided across the tablet, remotely shutting down the modified HNP block. However, this didn't stop the momentum of the Orcus as it crashes into the docking bay doors, exploding upon impact, taking out one of the docking bay doors and creating a hole in the process. Emergency lights flare up as an announcement was made declaring a breach has been made and to evacuate the area.
Everything in the docking bay that wasn't mounted started to move towards the hole, as it started to suck everything in. Papers, tablets, crates, started flying through. Pulsar buckled a bit as the void of space was quickly claiming the interior. After a few moments of losing a lot of good hardware, tools, diagrams and the like, the shields get raised around that section of the station, stopping the vacuum.
"What the hell were you thinking, Halpert?!"
Trying to make sense of what happened, Halpert stares blankly at the dockmaster.
"What?"
"What. Were. You. Thinking?!"
A couple crates get pushed over as Mille gets up, just as dazed as Halpert.
"You. I have half a mind to ask you to leave. No, I'm asking now. Get in that fighter of yours and don't come back here."
Mille couldn't help but stare like the pilot of a starflier in front of a cruising battleship, stunned and astonished at what happened. However, he was a bit stranded now, given how those were parts of the Claymore that had been used to modify the Orcus' Engine. Slowly, he'd put both hands behind his head, drawing air through his teeth.
"Halpert, Dockmaster... I don't really know how to say this but... If my apologies are worth anything, I apologise. I... Can't really go anywhere since I used the Claymore's parts for that but... That's my fault. I believe the pumps must've sucked more Mox than indicated when we fueled it for the test fire. If I may, I've got my environmental suit and my tools in the Claymore, I believe the least I can do is help your crew repair the damage outside and inside while I order some replacement parts to get myself and the Claymore out of your sight."
A rather defeated-looking Mille would sigh, shaking his head lightly before adding further.
Daggers were shot at Mille and Halpert by the dockmaster. Anything said to him at this point would be met with "Get out." Seeing that Mille was sincere in their apology, the Starflier quickly tries to come up with a plan.
"I have a feeling he wants you to leave."
"Damn straight, I do."
"If things were shuffled around in the Pulsar, there'd be space for you to sit inside. Might be a little cramped, but hey, it's all I can do."
Seeing the sheer destruction and mess a giant hole into space creates, equipment was left scattered everywhere. All ships that were left hanging in the docking clamps remained untouched, but the floor was turned from an organised mess into even more of a mess. A giant fire now spits out of the wreck of the Orcus, growing in size since the shield stopped the venting atmosphere.
"If I can find towing cables, I'll tug your ship to the Renzu Shipyards, Mille. I'm sure they can repair your ship back to full speed."
"I don't care how it happens, just go. At this point, I don't care what happened to Pulsar. Fix your own damn ship next time. Guess it's up to me to find an external repair service to come around and patch up the station."
The dockmaster angrily stomps off towards his desk as he mentions repairing the station. A massive sigh is heard from Halpert.
"Not the best plan... but at least it'll get you out of here and your ship repaired. Also, it will make that guy happy...er"