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"Well I'm good with computers. I noticed through the window of the spaceplane that your flight computer is the outdated 10.5.8 version, while the 10.9.6 came out several months ago. I assume that that spaceplane is owned by Altea Aerospace, who really procrastinate when it comes to updating software, and they do it very sloppily when they get around to it."

"Fine, with the pilot's permission, you're going to help us repair everything."

REPAIR GUY takes pistol out of holster.

"Don't make me use this, and we'll be fine."

REPAIR GUY holsters pistol, and returns to work.

PILOT AGREES with REPAIR GUY, and RELEASES MAISNER, but KEEPS him UNDER GUARD at ALL TIMES, to PREVENT SABOTAGE.
Spoiler

REPAIR GUY shows MAISER to computer panels.

"Come on and help us out. It would be nice to not be the sole repair person around here."

REPAIR GUY resumes REPAIRS.

"Right, well, we'll need a tubenetweb connection. The spaceplane can connect to tubenetweb, but you need to software plugin, which Altea neglected to include. Would you, by any chance, have a computer or tablet connected to the tubenetweb?"

REPAIR GUY looks to ETERNAL FREEDOM.

"If he does anything funny, shoot him."

REPAIR GUY points towards computer.

JOHN pulls a USB 4.0 DEVICE out of his POCKET. He PUTS it in the COMPUTER. He CLICKS something. A TERMINAL POPS UP. He STARTS DOWNLOADING ALTEA SOFTWARE from the ALTEA REPOSITORIES. The ALTEA REPOSITORIES are PASSWORD-PROTECTED. He ACCESSES them ANYWAY.

"It should take about ten minutes for the software to download. Installing it into the ship will take a good half-hour. Meanwhile, make a back-up, just in case something messes up."

REPAIR GUY decides to follow PRUDENT ADVICE and makes BACKUP of SPACEPLANE OPERATING SYSTEM.

The SOFTWARE finished DOWNLOADING and JOHN plugs the USB STICK into the SPACEPLANE's COMPUTER. He BEGINS INSTALLING THE SYSTEM.

"The software will function the same as before, except with a few minor improvements. The major update is that pressing "Menu" three times will bring up an embedded version of Debian Linux. Only the main screen will display Linux, the other screen will remain on the flight display at all times. Pressing "Menu" another three times will bring the main screen back to the flight display. You will have tubenetweb access and will be able to do just about anything you can do in a simple installation of Debian, except that because of the lack of a proper keyboard, you'll be forced to type the same way as you would in old cell phones.

Unless, of course, you attach a keyboard, like, say, from that computer. An external monitor can also be attached, and I would recommend doing so. Moving the whole computer into the spaceplane would probably also be beneficial because the spaceplane has better signal than the little wireless device inside the computer.

With the extra space, processing power, and memory that the computer's hard disk would provide, you could also install the full version of Debian."

"Let's make sure the instrumentation and cockpit are up to speck before we add any more hardware."

REPAIR GUY continues REPAIRING.

SPACE PILOT looks BAFFLED at the TECHSPEAK flashing back and forth. To REASSURE HIMSELF, he KEEPS his HANd on his SHINY NEW GUN, which is OF COURSE LOADED.

"We're making all the tech stuff shiny and working again."

Once REPAIR GUY finishes with SPACEPLANE. He waits for delivery person with parts as well as TILE EXPERT.

UPDATE:

ZIXINUS and IVAn are off CLOTHS SHOPPING. REPAIR GUY has REPAIRED the INTERIOR with the UNEXPECTED HELP of MAISNER, who is BOTH KNOWLEDGEABLE and HELPFUL. SPACE PILOT still DOES NOT TRUST HIM.

It is now MORNING of FEBRUARY 25th, 2025. The SPARE TILES and SPACE TOILET have ARRIVED and been PAID FOR.

There is also a SMALL, SHABBY, LONG-HAIRED RUSSIAN HEAT SHIELD EXPERT that has ACCOMPANIED THEM to ASSIST with REPAIRS and SO FORTH.
Spoiler

Spoiler RUSSIAN HEAT SHIELD EXPERT looks around. He is ILL TEMPERED and JET LAGGED, having traveled a LONG WAY to get to MIDDLE OF NOWHERE FUCKING OKHOTSK. He is OLD.

He starts asking for IVAN IVANOV, who brought him out here on this mess anyway. He speaks RUSSIAN. A lot of it. He does not speak ENGLISH. It is a PROBLEM.

MILDLY DERANGED PHYSICIST is unsure what to do, as he does not speak Russian or know anything about what arrangements IVAN IVANOV the EXTREMELY RUSSIAN PERSON made with the EXPERT.

REPAIR GUY, seeing the EXPERT speaking nothing but RUSSIAN, decides to work on installing the SPACE TOILET while PHYSICIST is busy escorting EXPERT to bottom of SPACEPLANE.

Upon further reflection, he takes the box of SPARE TILES and hands them to EXPERT, then points at HOLE in bottom of SPACEPLANE.

REPAIR GUY then returns to INSTALLING SPACE TOILET.

Sorry guys, but this thing has no energy in it and therefore has lost my attention.
Kill off my character if it's in the way.

HISTORIAN starts to YODEL.

I'm sorry to hear that Zixinus. Very well then.