and

Before. She's a heavy-duty ship, designed for flight tests. And maybe Gary cut the design too close. She can get to elliptical orbit, but it won't be stable." He turned watery eyes on Alex. "And up to now there's been no way to change that. But you can."

"What in the world is this?" asked Sherrine. She called from the back of the cavernous garage. Alex and the others followed her voice to a dark corner behind the trucks where an immense and convoluted structure of piping stood hissing. Out of one end, small dark droplets of liquid fell into a holding tank. Oliver started to laugh.
"So this is it!" he said.
Cole bounced up and down from his knees, holding a finger over his lips. "Shhhh!"
"What is it?" Sherrine repeated.
Bob frowned at the structure. "It looks familiar. I've seen it somewhere." He started to hold his finger under the dripping liquid, but pulled back. Who knew what that stuff was?
"It's the regenerative cooling system from the old Titan up in the museum," Oliver explained. "Ron stripped it out and used it to make his still. He distills fruit brandies." He placed a finger under the drip and stuck it in his mouth. "Blackberry. Very tasty. The museum doesn't pay Ron squat."
"I pay them," Cole said. "Heh. Apple is best. The trucks were bought with apples and peaches."
Bob started giggling. "Moonshining in the basement of the Museum of Science and Industry? I love it!"
Alex smiled. "Yes, but back to the trucks. Is there fuel? Can we get to California? Or is that another detail?"
"Some details are important," Cole said. He pointed to stacks of 55-gallon drums racked against the far wall opposite the still. "Shemp."
Alex blinked. "Shemp?"
"Fourth