beek

I've found the problem! We've picked up a bloody Rigel Lizard! Don't know if you've ever seen one? There -- you can make out its outline on the maintenance cam, beeking just inside the primary core housing, happy as butter.

Little bastards have by now infested most ports in the sector. They feed on hard radiation from the reactor core and jump between ships when they need to. Their teleportation range is about 100 clicks and you usually pick them up in port when an infested ship shuts down its core for maintenance. We'll be okay; this is a small one and it will maybe knock 20% off the reactor's output. But if they breed, it's a bloody nightmare.