I thought as much. If it was familiar, you may have been less inclined to kick it into submission.
Okay--first, we should determine what needs to be improved. Small problems that are easier to solve than, say, escaping this universe. Maybe modifications could be made to existing communication systems to make them more versatile or more secure. Maybe there are nonlethal weapons we could develop for self defense. You know more about what Marina's lacking than I do; you have ideas, surely.