The next morning, Tatehan woke feeling surprisingly good despite the previous day's physical labor.
His muscles had that pleasant soreness that came from hard work rather than injury, the kind that reminded you that you'd accomplished something significant.
He lay in bed for a few extra minutes, mentally preparing himself for another day of repairs. Yesterday had been tedious but satisfying work. Today would likely be similar, though the AI had suggested shield repairs would be more complex.
Eventually, he pushed himself up and got dressed in clean clothes. No point in wearing anything nice, he'd just get them dirty again within an hour of starting work.
When he stepped out into the main cabin, the lights automatically brightened to full intensity. He could immediately notice the difference from before the power coupling repairs—the illumination was stronger, more consistent, with none of the slight flickering that had occasionally occurred when systems drew extra power.
