Crank sits at the front table pouring over his various devices. Simone enters the farmhouse carrying her clay jug and the basket of gardening materials. Crank’s agitation is obvious by the way he studies one device and then the other. From the rigidness of his posture, Simone can tell he does not like what he is observing.

Simone goes to him, cautiously extending a hand to touch his forearm. Crank turns before her fingers make contact. A smile finds its way to his faux human lips. Simone refuses to let him off that easily.

Grabbing another chair, Simone positions it beside Crank's chair and straddles it cowboy style. She stares briefly at his face and then down at the devices spread out on the wooden table. Reclining her chin on the back of the chair, she angles her face to peer up at Crank.

“What’s going on?” Simone inquires with genuine concern. “I was looking for you, Crank. Then, I find you in here alone…Looking over all of this. And looking none too happy about it. I thought we were going foraging together?”

A soft chitter escapes Crank’s mouth and he returns his full attention to the devices spread out on the table top.

“I don’t think that is a good idea,” Crank says. “Not at the moment, anyway. The power in most of my devices is being drained faster than I anticipated. With no electrical energy to replenish the cells…We shouldn’t take any unnecessary risks. Without my mask, I can’t navigate us back should another large dust storm develop. The last storm was much more powerful than any of the previous storms. We should exercise caution."

Simone lets out an exasperated sigh. She puckers her lips in an exaggerated pout, lowers her eyelids halfway, and stares askance at Crank.

“There hasn’t been a storm in two days,” Simone says. “And there isn’t a sign of a storm anywhere on the horizon. I don’t think we’re in any immediate danger. I don’t want to go far. I just want to see what’s out there…Past the town. Maybe we’ll find some clues as to what we’re all doing here.”

Crank is unwilling to compromise where Simone’s safety is concerned. He has seen what lies beyond the town. Miles and miles of endless sand and desert. Crank shakes his head with resolve.

“It isn’t worth the risk,” he retorts. “These storms pop up out of nowhere. We need another plan.”

Simone shrugs and shoves both hands in the back pockets of her jeans. She straightens up and gives Crank her undivided attention, focusing on his golden-brown eyes. Eyes which have fascinated her since the moment they met. So full of emotion. So human.

“Do you have another plan?” Simone asks.

Crank manages a wide grin. Sharing his plans for the energy turbine with Simone is all he has been thinking about since waking. However, he is wary about getting her hopes up. The plan might fail.

“Yes. We are going to make our own electricity. We are going to build a hydro-electric engine,” Crank says proudly.

Simone’s mouth drops open and she gapes at Crank in surprise.

“Did you say—? Are you serious? Is that even possible?" Simone stammers.

“Yes,” Crank replies. “Everything we need, we can salvage and piece together from the things we find in town. I’ve already compiled a list. Paul Bunyan is helping to gather wood for the scaffolding, as we speak. Sherlock has agreed to help dig the moat around the water tower. It will take all of us working together, but we can build it. It can be done."

Crank removes a smart device from his implement belt and turns it on using a sequence of symbols he inputs on his wrist device. Simone glances from him to the large android phone—complete with heavy duty Otter Box.

“A smartphone?” Simone squeals. “Where in the hell did you get a smartphone, Crank? And how did you do that with the wrist thingy?”

Crank is hesitant to answer. He considers his next words very carefully.

“I…Borrowed the…Smartphone from the same ooman who provided me with the yellow slicker. I’ve been altering the technology to accept feedback from both my wrist controller and facial interface. It now accepts commands from both. If I had more time, I’m sure I could patch in my shoulder cannon as well. To fire on remote. I’m still working on it. Downloading the ooman language, and syncing it between all devices and commands, was the hardest part.”

Simone moves in closer, in order to see the screen of the phone more clearly.

“So…You’ve completely upgraded the software on that phone? Enabling it to do what? Translate the entire yautja-human lexicon?” Simone squeals in delight.

Crank’s face scrunches even underneath the disguise, and Simone knows he is thinking intensely.

“There are no direct translations. More like language approximations,” Crank says matter-of-factly. “It’s as close to an actual translation as I can get. For instance…”

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Crank types a sequence into his wrist controller and then touches the screen of the smartphone.

“Water-driven engine,” a computerized voice chimes.

Simone stares at the screen for several seconds before raising her eyes to Crank’s face.

“And so…These symbols here,” she says pointing to the first few yautja symbols dancing across the phone’s screen.

A picture of a hydro-power turbine digitally floats on the smartphone's background. Simone hovers her finger over the image, tracing it from the air.

“Those symbols mean 'water'…In your language?” Simone inquires in a soft voice.

Crank offers her a small smile. “Not a direct translation. But again…Very close.”

Simone returns her gaze to Crank’s face. She gently touches his knee. Crank's chest tightens and he swallows the lump rising in his throat.

“How do you say it in your language? With words, I mean?” Simone asks.

Crank sounds out the words in the yautja language. Simone does not even attempt to mimic him. She knows she will be unable to replicate the sounds. At this time, anyway.

Crank inputs another sequence of symbols on his wrist device. He angles the smartphone so that Simone can see the screen without straining.

“One of our names for your planet…Refers to the numerous bodies of water found here,” Crank explains. “The star of many waters.”

By this time, Simone’s face is positively glowing with her excitement.

“You did all of this…For what? To understand us better? Do you have any idea how…Fascinating this is? How brilliant? What am I saying? Of course, you do,” Simone gasps.

She studies the phone intently, running her finger over the symbols on the screen. A soft exhale of air escapes her lips, as she contemplates the genius of Crank's mind.

Crank observes the all too common flood of color which creeps into her cheeks. Discreetly raising his mask to his face, Crank studies Simone’s heat output. As she cycles through various stages of excitement, her heat signature fluctuates. Crank inputs the information he will need into his facial interface for future reference.

Simone suddenly notices something which makes her color flare immensely. Crank lowers the mask just as she turns to him. Surprise plays over her face and she glances briefly down at the mask in his hand. However, whatever she was thinking previously takes precedence and she forgets the mask.

“Crank…This phone has a full charge!” Simone exclaims with disbelief. “How have you been charging this thing up with no electricity?”

Crank points to the mask in his hand with a shrug.

“I’ve been powering the hand device wirelessly…Using the facial interface within my mask. But even with the negligible power it requires, I don’t dare power up the device often. Not until we can get the turbine up and running. Even a small power drain is too much, if we cannot replenish what is being expended.”

Simone simply stares at Crank dumbfounded. She longs to kiss him savagely. To tell him that he is being entirely too modest. However, now is not the time.

“You say all of that as if it’s normal,” Simone says with a chuckle.

“Isn’t it?” Crank responds.

The innocent humility in Crank’s voice causes Simone to laugh. Crank’s brow furrows and he gives Simone a blank stare. Simone cups the side of Crank’s face with her hand.

“No, Crank…It isn’t. Who goes around saying things like that?" Simone whispers. "The average human can’t even properly read the instructions out of a box. No one is going around saying…‘Guess what I did today? I hooked up my facial interface to wirelessly charge my smartphone.’ Well…No one that is…Except you.”

Simone’s eyes take on a far-off look and she smiles wistfully.

“I should have been a scientist. What with Weyland Industries hiring like crazy these days? I could have made a go of it. I thought about it once. Talk about missed opportunities?!" Simone muses.

“Wow. A wireless interface charger," she continues. "That also serves as a yautja universal translator? A hydro-electric engine to offset power consumption? Ha. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Crank is once again studying Simone through his mask—making notes of her temperature variances and emotions. He lowers the mask a second time and grips Simone’s hand. She glances down at the hand wrapped around her own and then to Crank’s smiling face.

“You would have thought of it…Eventually,” Crank says in a teasing voice.

Crank's smile grows even wider and he squeezes her hand. Simone winks and lightly pats his cheek—as a gesture of endearment and a warning to mind the limits of his disguise.

“Good answer,” Simone whispers. She kisses him lightly on the mouth. “So when do we start?”

Crank reluctantly withdraws and points to his mask.

“As soon as possible,” he says. “I don’t know how long the power left in my devices will last. I can lower the output levels, but we absolutely need a secondary power source. A sustainable one. Especially, if I intend to create a device to figure out where we are…When we are…And how to get us out of here. Such a task will require enormous amounts of energy.”

Simone takes a minute to think. She bites down on her lower lip. Crank's eyes wander to her mouth. He studies her teeth with keen interest. While her teeth are not sharp enough to pierce her lip, he worries at the habit. She only does this when she is worried.

“Maybe you should give your devices a rest?" Simone finally says. "At least, for now. Save whatever energy is left for something more important."

Simone's face is only inches from Crank’s and he can smell the scent of oils in her skin. He squeezes Simone’s hand tighter and the color returns to her cheeks.

“I saw a newspaper office on the other side of the warehouse where Holmes is holed up," Simone explains. "There’s bound to be reams of paper in there. Maybe some graphite pencils. We should go low tech until we get some real power going to this place. If you want…I can even help you with the blueprints?”

Crank’s mouth droops at the idea of pencil and paper. So quaint. But Simone has a point. Crank cups Simone’s face with his free hand.

“I’d like that,” he says—looking forward to the flood of color which explodes onto her face.

Blushing immensely, but trying to appear calm, Simone kisses Crank again. He wraps her tightly in a muscular arm, and she emits a soft sigh. Crank reluctantly releases her as she prepares to stand.

“I’ll go have a look," Simone says breathlessly. "You keep working out all the technical details. You’ll probably think better when I’m not looking over your shoulder.”

Simone gets up to leave. However, Crank’s voice halts her at the front door.

“You know that is impossible, Simone?” Crank says in a dull voice.

Simone turns back in his direction. She places one hand on her hip with a grin.

“What's impossible?” she inquires.

“For you to look over my shoulder,” Crank replies mockingly. “I’m much taller than you are.”

“Ha,” Simone laughs. “You got me there! If I didn’t know any better…I’d suspect you’ve spent a lot more time around humans than you’re letting on. Our sense of humor is rubbing off on you. Sit tight. I’ll be back.”

Simone blows Crank a kiss and then she is gone.