A naturally occurring terraforming ecosystem teemed throughout the fuselage. Landrover gripped overhead vines for support. The stranger in the infinitely strange land cleared away plant life on a lighted instrument panel of rocker switches, buttons, and knobs. Power levels were charged to maximum from the disparate comet's pure, undifferentiated atmospheric electricity. Haviland continuously spoke incoherently in hushed tones barely louder than a whisper. Each attempt to initialize the systems by giving his biometric access code failed because Haviland did not recognize his aged voice.
The weakened commander collapsed. On the verge of losing consciousness the man of tomorrow removed his scorched helmet visor revealing his wrinkled face to smile. “Have you heard of any place that's hiring?"
Suddenly Haviland knowingly replied, “Cogito, ergo sum. Access granted. All circuits are functioning perfectly, and completely operational.”
Braided rings encompassing the all-enveloping presence appeared like a giant rainbow. Matter-antimatter directional thrusters ignited to rise the augmented interstellar spaceship like a phoenix from the ashes over a river that coursed across the surface so forcefully it constantly changed aim without the least idea of where it was headed except for anything but a straight line. Sharp metal flaps of a hatch irised open. A telescopic sample collection device siphoned a strange brew of liquid to pour into the captain’s mouth. Aside from his hair touched with white, the coruscating elixir regenerated the maverick starman to the approximate age when he first encountered Big Bad John. His necrotic pallor became flush, chest heaving as he took in a huge gulp of rarefied air.
"The meat body circulatory system is in working order again, so I have that going for me. Yay. That took longer than three days. Man, I sure got to pee."
