Korie studied the report on the screen in front of him.  He didn't like what it suggested, but he didn't have much choice either.  Harlie had as much responsibility to this ship as any other crew member, perhaps more.

The problem was that there wasn't really a lot of precedent for this situation.  There weren't even any reliable simulations.  Nobody actually knew how a constructed consciousness would react to being revived in an amputated environment.  Would it be as traumatic as it would be for a human being?  Or would the constructed consciousness merely accept the circumstance?  What was the possibility for identity damage in this situation?

Nobody knew.

And despite nearly a week of chasing the question around and around in his head, Korie still had no idea what would happen when he began the process of reactivating Harlie.

Chief Engineer Leen pulled himself up into the cramped computer bay and anchored himself next to Korie.  "All set?"

"Your cutoff switch ready?"

In answer, Leen held up a remote.  "Think we'll need it?"

"I hope to God not."

"You hope to God?"

"It's just an expression.  Don't get your hopes up.  I will not be in chapel this Sunday."

Leen grinned.  "In my religion, we never stop praying for lost souls."

"You don't have to pray for my soul," Korie said absentmindedly as he refocused his attention on the screen.  "I'll sell it to you.  Just make me a reasonable offer."  He poked the display.  "According to this, the network is running at forty-three percent efficiency, the mass-drivers are on line, but not operating, the singularity monitors have been restored, the fluctuators have been aligned, and life-support is only ten percent below critical.  Can I depend on that?"

"Especially the part about life-support."

"Tell me straight.  Will we make it?"

"As long as you keep inhaling and exhaling, we're making it.  If you stop, you'll know we didn't."

"Thanks, Chief.  I've always liked the empirical method."

Leen nodded toward the board.  "Stop stalling.  Plug him in."

Korie allowed himself a half-smile.  "I've been sitting here all morning, looking for a reason not to bring him back on line.  I don't know why.  I guess - I'm scared for him.  In a way, he's the most real person on this ship, because he is the ship.  I don't know what I'd do without him, and yet we've been doing without him for nearly two weeks.  I know what it is that's troubling me.  With him sleeping, there's always the hope that we can restore him.  If this fails, he's gone forever."

"He might be gone anyway."

"I know that.  I'm just afraid for him.  And for us."

"I got it," said Leen, quietly.  "If it makes any difference, so am I.  Now press the button anyway."

"Right," said Korie.  He leaned forward and pressed his thumbprint to the Authority panel, then tapped the Activate button.

Then he waited.

For a long moment, nothing happened.

Then the screen blinked.

Internal monitors on.

Another pause....

System up and running.