He tried to work without thinking about anything, but he couldn't force his mind into stillness.
Even if I can fix the heaters, even if I don't freeze to death, I might run out of oxygen. And how am I going to land the ship? The takeoff was automatic, but even Jason and Arnoldsson can't make a pilot out of me....
"Tom?" Jason's voice.
"Yes!" He jerked to attention and floated free of the satellite.
"We've ... eh, checked what you told us about the ship's electrical system while Arnoldsson had you under the hypnotic trance...."
"And?"
"Well ... it, eh, looks as though one of the batteries gave out. The batteries feed all the ship's lights, heat, and electrical power ... with one of them out, you don't have enough power to run the heaters."
"There's no way to fix it?"
"Not unless you cut out something else. And you need everything else ... the radio, the controls, the oxygen pumps...."
"What about the lights? I don't need them, I've got the lamp on my suit helmet."