Part 2

So. You're here about the pilot position, yes?
Yes, sir.
Alright. Uh...do you have any experience with piloting merchant vessels?
Yes, sir. I flew the "Noble Venture" freighter for eighteen Kukubian Standard Months and twenty-two Kukubian Standard Days, sir. And four Kukubian Standard Hours, sir.
The Noble Venture. That sounds familiar.
You may have heard about it on the news, sir.
Oh, right. About a year ago? Crashed into a space station? Everyone on board burned alive? Hundreds more dead by exposure to hard vacuum?
Yes, sir.
...that was you, was it?
Yes, sir. I remember it like it was yesterday, sir. The heat of the flames. The slowly dawning horror of what I'd wrought. The glassy eyes of the station's victims as they drifted through the void, staring at me, sir. Accusing me.
And the screaming. When I dream, sir, it is always of the screaming. Always.
You're not doing a great job of selling yourself here, buddy.
Sorry, sir. You said there had been no other applicants, so I thought I might as well be honest, sir.
He's got a point there. You're hired.
Wait, what? No.
...
I mean, uh...we'll call you?
Hey, look. I'm not that keen on it either, but we don't exactly have time to be picky.
We have time to be more picky than this.
So all that blubbering about only having eighteen weeks to live, and now you wanna sit on your haunches and wait for another qualified pilot to show up?
I don't want to, but I also don't want to die in a crash. That'd sort of defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?
Sirs?
Yes?
I understand your apprehension, sirs, and I will not press the issue if you wish to decline. But there is one thing I would like to make clear, sirs, if I may.
I swore to myself that I would never fly again until I was certain I wouldn't repeat the incident with the Noble Venture, sirs. I am prepared to put a hundred and ten percent into this job if you'll give me the chance, sirs.
I...I want to redeem myself, sirs. For what happened. And flying is the only way I know how, sirs.
...
Well? Go ahead. Turn him down.
...urgh. Alright. You're hired. Congratulations.
Thank you, sir. I won't let you down, sir.
Hey, I just realised. We never asked what your name was, did we?
You would need two tongues to pronounce it properly, sir. I'd prefer it if you simply called me "Pilot" anyway, sir.
Um...alright. Pilot it is. Can you start tomorrow?
Certainly, sir. Whenever you want, sir.
Alright then. That about does it for the crew. Looks like we're ready to get this show on the road. Excited, Slev?
Thrilled.