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You must have some sort of look on your face, because he starts chuckling.
"And that isn't even the worst of it. That new hulk that you are working on, the <span class="mu-i">Highest Heaven</span>? Her chitty has a class three bio-hazard stamp. The bitch has <span class="mu-i">worms</span>."
Just what you fucking needed. You have seen conduit worms before - or rather, bits and pieces of them coming down the conveyor back when you worked recycling, and persevered specimens when you were learning for your EVA cert, but you have never been wrecking on the inside of a ship that was infested. And of course, you are salvaging conduit and electronics, which is exactly where those fucking parasites live and feed. You are beginning to question if you made the right decision when Quimbix stops chuckling to himself.
"Now you don't need to worry yourself about it. The <span class="mu-i">Highest Heaven</span> is just a modestly-sized tender, and on top of that, she has an undersized power plant for her displacement. And as the size and fecundity of conduit worms scale with the system that they are feeding on ... well, you shouldn't have anything too serious to deal with in there. More than that though, on top of the bonuses, overtime and hazard pay available, there is a bounty on their eggs. A damned good one. I'd go out there, if I could."
"You would, eh? Still, that posting didn't say a damned thing about worms, sir."
Quimbix makes a dismissive gesture with his hand.
"I was going to tell everyone at first call, but you jumped the gun. Besides, I told you now, didn't I? Wait, are you getting cold feet? Kid, the hulk was hauled here, she hasn't been running in half a year. Without any juice, most of the damned things will be dormant or dead as a door-nail by now. And the ones that are still up are going to be sluggish. Just keep them away from the electronics, smack them away with your prybar, bash them with your sledge. I'm telling you, you will be fine."
You look at the suit that has been made available to you for the shift. While you cannot be certain without a manual or schematics, the suit appears to have all of its electronics shielded ... but of the equipment in the cart underneath, of the ones that are electronic, none of them look shielded. In fact, more than exposed wiring, you can actually see exposed <span class="mu-i">copper</span> on some of them.
> Please choose ONE of the following:
> Ask Quimbix if you could get better equipment, on account of the worms.
> Ask Quimbix for permission to tinker with the equipment, to try to improve its shielding.
> Accept the equipment, then tinker with it, to try to improve its shielding.
> Accept the equipment as is. Do not do any tinkering.
> Ask if you could take one of the other jobs.
