  We present a three-stage model for a long GRB inner engine to explain the
prompt gamma ray emission, and interpret recent Swift satellite observations of
early X-ray afterglow plateaus followed by a sharp drop off or a shallow power
law decay. The three stages involves a neutron star phase, a quark star (QS)
and a black hole phase as described in Staff et al. (2007). We find that the QS
stage allows for more energy to be extracted from neutron star to QS conversion
as well as from ensuing accretion onto the QS. The QS accretion phase naturally
extends the engine activity and can account for both the prompt emission and
irregular early X-ray afterglow activity. Following the accretion phase, the QS
can spin-down by emission of a baryon-free outflow. The magnetar-like magnetic
field strengths resulting from the NS to QS transition provide enough spin-down
energy, for the correct amount of time, to account for the plateau in the X-ray
afterglow. In our model, a sharp drop-off following the plateau occurs when the
QS collapses to a BH during the spin-down, thus shutting-off the secondary
outflow. We applied our model to GRB 070110 and GRB 060607A and found that we
can consistently account for the energetics and duration during the prompt and
plateau phases.
