[ WP ] A soldier in the heat of battle suddenly hears a voice that says `` I am your child 's imaginary friend . They have sent me to protect you in your greatest time of need . ''

Reactor diffusion was difficult in the best of times, and that was painting it lightly. I crouched under the half shell overlooking the reactor console as best as I could, sheltering from the fighting overhead. Beside me lay Jones. Most of Jones at any rate. I do n't know where the rest of him was. 
 
 Anyway, back to the reactor. There was a panel. There. I adjusted my grip on the unfamiliar tools and eased the blistering hot cover open. There was n't much time left before the whole ship was going to blow. I blinked the sweat out of my eyes. Inside crowded insulated connectors marked in the colours and stripes of the Makers Code. 
 
 Reactor diffusion was difficult, even for someone who was trained. Me? I'm the bloody cook, for Andromeda's sake. But Jones was dead and the rest of the team were holding them back as best they could. They were buying me time. I was the only one here. If I do n't get this right, and quick- 
 
 `` Hey buddy, you're gon na kill everybody if you touch the wrong thing.'' 
 
 I jerked my head up. A Terran? But all of our power was forcibly redirected to the ship's reactor chain. There were n't any communicators still functioning. I did n't dare peak out for a look around, but the voice was so close it could have been a whisper in my ear. 
 
 `` Pay attention. Red markings mean the connectome is a basic branch. What other connections lead off of. Do you understand? Pea green is for operational signals, blue for software-hardware interface. Hey, are you listening?'' 
 
 I shook my head and took a deep breath. I really was n't cut out for this sort of stress. Red, blue, green? I could n't make sense of any of this. If I just break all the connections, it should- 
 
 `` No! Do n't you dare. David's still keeping his night's watch. He wants his space ranger to get back home.'' 
 
 I paused. David? The thought of my son made my heart clench that much harder. `` Who are you,'' I asked through gritted teeth. `` How can I trust you?'' 
 
 There was a snort. `` You would n't believe me if I said, mate. You never did. Besides, what does it matter? You've got an overpumped reactor and only one person who knows how to diffuse it. I'm not talking about armless over there. You either listen to me or I have to go explain to Dave what a stubborn bastard his poppa is.'' 
 
 A suspicion started to form, one quickly discarded due to how ridiculous it was. But David was only Dave to... I shook my head, keenly aware that the temperature was rising. 
 
 `` Alright then. You tell me what to do.'' 
 
 *** 
 
 In all the years hence, I never mentioned a word of that day to my son. I had a feeling he knew what I wanted to say anyway. There were too many knowing smiles, and understanding tilts of the head. Although I never heard that voice again, I too, started slowly to believe. After all, I was a cook. Who was I to say what was or was not possible?
