Part two of two. Faced with a new obstacle, the crew struggles to navigate all of Wolf 359’s sudden changes. Eiffel, Minkowski, and Hera desperately work to get the Hephaestus back on a stable orbit, while Hilbert and Lovelace face their own time-sensitive challenge. Plus, the point of no return, bad ideas, very good life-and-death emergency situations, maximum engine power, and the existential implications of our tiny, tiny place in the universe.

Part one of two. The Hephaestus is thrust into a maelstrom in the wake of Wolf 359's sudden, violent change. With the station infrastructure taking heavy damage and multiple systems failing, Eiffel, Minkowski, and Hera must scramble to find a way out of the storm. But as they struggle to content with the inexplicable phenomenon, the human members of the crew slowly realize that there may be another, even deadlier, force affecting them. Plus, inner logic consultants, messages in bottles, the polarity of ions, Duck Dodgers, and unprecedented deep space discoveries. 

With Eiffel in critical condition, Minkowski, Hilbert, and Lovelace are forced to put their differences on hold. But with long-held fears and grudges reaching their breaking points, it's not long before the uneasy truce is teetering on the brink of open violence. Will the fragile alliance be able to work together long enough to get Eiffel through this outbreak? Plus, metamizole, useless suspicions, aggressive outside agents, decorum protocols, and the Care Bear Stare.

Forced to work together, Eiffel and Hilbert try to find some middle ground as they adjust the Hephaestus' systems. But with old grudges coming to a boil and Lovelace getting ever closer to her goals, will the volatile team be able to get the job done? Plus, shallow nonsense, the touchy-feelies, angry kitten face, Darth Virus, and floppy, hoppy bunnies.

Captain Lovelace goes forwards and backwards in time. 

Now armed with a plan, the crew begins putting their elaborate deception in motion. While Eiffel keeps Captain Lovelace occupied, Hera and Minkowski start adjusting the station's equipment. But when their modifications cause a major system failure, will they be able to reverse the damage before Lovelace notices that something is amiss? Plus, the role of Igor, waffles in a solar flare, Team Desperate, a bigger boat, and all of western pop culture.

Ten days after the reappearance of Captain Lovelace, the crew works around the clock to get the various systems on her shuttle up and running. Tensions rise steadily as Eiffel, Minkowski, and Lovelace face technical difficulties, personal differences, and plummeting morale. But when a short circuit leaves them marooned outside the Hephaestus, they must race against the clock to repair the shuttle's malfunctioning life support system. Plus, Ford Pinto-class shuttle service, diabolical foxes in the machine, Herr Trigger Von Bombenstein, compound eyes, and raw animal magnetism.

From the Goddard Futuristics Archives, File #A7NB566. Communications Officer Log on Day 1 of the Hephaestus Project. 

The crew is shocked by the sudden reappearance of Captain Lovelace. At first relieved to have another ally on board the Hephaestus, Eiffel, Minkowski, and Hera soon grow suspicious of the station's former commanding officer. Is the newcomer really who she claims, or is another devious scheme afoot? And when Minkowski realizes they might have a way to escape the Hephaestus, can she and Eiffel trust Captain Lovelace with their plan? Plus, Voight-Kampff kits, sucky-ass casas, Wonkavators, Barney sensors, and the Twilight Zone.

Following the Plant Monster's reappearance, Minkowski makes it her mission to eliminate the mutant stowaway once and for all. But when her quarry proves surprisingly difficult to corner, the Commander resorts to increasingly desperate and dangerous tactics. As the deadly game of cat and mouse intensifies and the lines between roles start to blur, Minkowski must decide on the best path to take to ensure the safety of her crew. Plus, Howard Beale breakdowns, escalating hostilities, Holy Hand Grenades, friendly conversations, and Heart of Darkness lighting. 

Against Minkowski's better judgment, Eiffel decides to use Hilbert's mechanical skills to repair a faulty system in the station's optical network. Things seem to be going well, until Eiffel and Hilbert discover that one of their screwdrivers has vanished into thin air. With everyone's whereabouts and actions accounted for, the crew struggles to solve the enigma of the mysterious, disappearing screwdriver. Plus, a staggeringly vast number of evil plans, Machiavellian little schemes, ginormous boulders, powerful magnets, and Dr. Tech Support.  

Tensions run high when the crew revisits the issue of how to handle Doctor Hilbert's continued presence on board the Hephaestus. With Eiffel, Minkowski, and Hera all bringing their own perspectives, fears, and agendas to the table, discussions soon grind to a halt. But when a member of the crew decides that drastic measures are called for, they may end up damaging the fragile bond that joins them together beyond repair. Plus, electric sheep, cruel and unusual tickling, the blinky red light of doom, Shatnerian fury, and Team "What's Wrong With Handcuffs?"

An unscheduled emergency air vent leaves Eiffel and Minkowski stranded in the station's hidden laboratory. Their attempts to escape from the concealed room are put on hold, however, when they discover a hidden cache of audio logs left behind by Captain Lovelace. Might these recordings hold the key to discovering what happened to the previous crew of the Hephaestus? Plus, flashing red lights, lifetimes of the Earth, things that go bump in our nightmares, rats in the wall, and the realm of the remotely possible. 

After weeks in a state of emergency, Eiffel, Minkowski, and Hera are faced with an unexpected challenge: staving off boredom during an uneventful night on the Hephaestus. Desperate for any way to pass the time, the crew goes through games, contests, bets, jokes, minor intrigue, secret-telling, rare moments of sincerity, and even a bit of honest work. Plus, elementary grade English, paranoid old harpies, Giraffe 163, a failure to communicate, and Zibbeldy-Dibbeldy. 

Still dealing with fallout from Hera's deactivation, the crew struggles to keep the rapidly deteriorating Hephaestus functional. Overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, and constantly faced with new mechanical problems, Eiffel and Minkowski can't escape the feeling that they are on the verge of a disastrous mistake. But when the Commander thinks up an unconventional, and possibly dangerous, solution, the exhausted pair must decide whether they are willing to take on yet another deadly risk. Plus, "check engine" lights, dizzy spells, Hitchcock antagonists, Dr. Iscariot, and a brain the size of a mack truck.

Still rattled by their recent discoveries, Eiffel and Minkowski try to force Hilbert to reveal what he knows about the Hephaestus's mysteries and the details of his secret mission. But will they find some way to get their prisoner to cooperate with them? Or will their formidable opponent succeed in breaking them apart before they break him? Plus, pet monkeys, bad cop territory, winning personalities, irrational needs, and hammer time. 

Unsure of who or what to trust after the events at Christmas, Eiffel and Minkowski make contact with Mr. Cutter, their liaison to Goddard Futuristics and the mission's direct supervisor. But given Hilbert's actions, how wise is it to inform Command about their discovery of the mysterious deep space signal? And how much does Mr. Cutter already know about what is happening on the Hephaestus? Plus, long distance calls, exponential emergencies, showing and telling, extreme prejudice, and Hephaestus Mystery 340.