“And when they fail?” Egan said.

“Then they fail in a situation where failure is an expected outcome,” Rigney said. “But if they succeed, then we’re much better off.”

“If we appoint them to be this ‘fire team,’ as you say, then we’re already raising expectations for whatever they do,” Egan said.

“There’s a simple solution for that,” Rigney said. “Don’t tell them they’re a fire team.”

“How awfully cruel,” Egan said.

Rigney shrugged. “Abumwe and her people are already aware that they’re not at the grown-ups’ table,” he said. “Why do you think she browbeat the Utche into negotiations? She knows an opportunity when she sees it. She wants those opportunities, and she and her team are going to beat their brains in to get them.”

“And destroy their ships to get them, apparently,” Egan said. “This fire team idea of yours could get expensive, fast.”

“What’s the plan for the Clarke’s crew?” Rigney asked.

“It hasn’t been decided,” Egan said. “We might put Abumwe and her diplomatic team on a different ship. Coloma’s going to have to face an inquiry about intentionally putting her ship in the path of a missile. She’s going to get cleared, but it’s still a process. Wilson’s on loan from CDF Research and Development. Presumably at some point they’re going to want him back.”

“Do you think you could put any decisions on the Clarke’s crew on hold for a few weeks?” Rigney asked.

“You seem awfully excited about these people,” Egan said. “But even if I did put them in career limbo for your own amusement, there’s no guarantee the secretary would sign off on your ‘fire team’ concept.”

“Would it help if the CDF had a list of fires it would prefer to be put out through diplomacy than gunfire?” Rigney asked.

“Ah,” Egan said. “ Nowwe’re getting to it. And I can already tell you how that idea’s going to go over. When I first joined the secretary’s team as CDF liaison, it took her six weeks to have a conversation with me longer than three words, all monosyllables. If I come to her with a list of requests from the CDF and a handpicked team, she’ll communicate to me with grunts.”

“All the more reason to use this team,” Rigney said. “It’s full of nobodies. She’ll think she’s screwing us. Tell her about the request and then suggest these people. It’ll work brilliantly.”

“Would you like me to ask her not to throw you in the briar patch while I’m at it?” Egan asked.

“Just this one request for now,” Rigney said.

Egan was quiet for a few moments as she picked at her fries. Rigney finished his burger and waited.

“I’ll take her temperature on it,” Egan said, finally. “But if I were you, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.”

“I never get my hopes up,” Rigney said. “It’s how I’ve lived this long.”

“And in the meantime I’ll keep the Clarkecrew from being reassigned elsewhere,” Egan said.

“Thank you,” Rigney said.

“You owe me,” Egan said.

“Of course I do,” Rigney said.

“Now I have to go,” Egan said, pushing up from the table. “More children to scare.”

“You have fun with that,” Rigney said.

“You know I do,” Egan said. She turned to go.

“Hey, Liz,” Rigney said. “That estimate you give the kids, the one about humans having thirty years before we’re extinct. How much exaggeration is in that?”

“Do you want the truth?” Egan asked.

“Yes,” Rigney said.

“Almost none at all,” Egan said. “If anything, it’s optimistic.”

She left. Rigney stared at the remains of their meal.

“Well, hell,” he said. “If we’re doomed, maybe I will have that second cheeseburger after all.”

EPISODE TWO

Walk the Plank

[Transcript Begins]

CHENZIRA EL-MASRI: —okay, I’m not really interested in who you have in the medical bay, Aurel. Right now I’m focused on finding those damn cargo containers. If we don’t track those down, it’s not going to be a very happy next few months around here.

AUREL SPURLEA: If I didn’t think the two of them were related, I wouldn’t be bothering you, Chen. Are you recording this, Magda?

MAGDA GANAS: Just started the recorder.

SPURLEA: Chen, the guy in the sick bay isn’t from around here.

EL-MASRI: What do you mean, “not from around here”? We’re a wildcat colony. It’s not like there’s anywhere else to be from around here.

SPURLEA: He says he’s from the Erie Morningstar.

EL-MASRI: That doesn’t make any sense. The Erie Morningstarisn’t supposed to be landing anyone. It’s supposed to be sending down the containers on autopilot. The whole point of doing it this way is to take humans out of it.

GANAS: We know that, Chen. We were there when the cargo schedules were drawn up, too. That’s why you need to see this guy. No matter what else, he’s not one of us. He’s come from somewhere. And since the Erie Morningstarwas supposed to deliver two days ago, and he’s here today, it’s not a bad guess that he’s telling the truth when he says he’s from there.

EL-MASRI: So you think he came down on one of the containers.

GANAS: It seems likely.

EL-MASRI: That wouldn’t have been a fun ride.

SPURLEA: Here we are. Chen, a couple of things real quick. One, he’s messed up physically and we have him on pain relievers.

EL-MASRI: I thought I gave orders—

SPURLEA: Before you bitch at me, we’ve watered them down as much as we can and still have them have any effect. But believe me, this guy needs something. Two, he’s got the Rot in his leg.

EL-MASRI: How bad?

SPURLEA: Real bad. I cleaned it out best I can, but it’s a pretty good chance it’s in the bloodstream by now, and you know what that means. But he’s not from around here and hedoesn’t know what that means, and I don’t see much point in telling him at this point. My goal is to keep him coherent long enough for you to talk to him and then keep him from too much pain while we figure out what to do with him after that.

EL-MASRI: Christ, Aurel. If he’s got the Rot, I think you know what to do with him.

SPURLEA: I’m still waiting for the blood work to come back. If it’s not set in there, we can take the leg and save him.

EL-MASRI: And then do what with him? Look around, Aurel. It’s not like we can support anyone elsehere, much less a recovering amputee who can’t do any work.

GANAS: Maybe you should talk to him first before deciding to leave him out for the packs.

EL-MASRI: I’m not unsympathetic to his situation, Magda. But my job is to think about the whole colony.

GANAS: What the whole colony needs right now is for you to hear this guy’s story. Then you’ll have a better idea what to think.

EL-MASRI: What’s this guy’s name?

SPURLEA: Malik Damanis.

EL-MASRI: Malik. Fine.

[Door opens, stops.]

EL-MASRI (quietly): Lovely.

SPURLEA: There’s a reason we call it the Rot.

EL-MASRI: Yeah.

[Door opens all the way.]

EL-MASRI: Malik c Hey, Malik.

MALIK DAMANIS: Yes. Sorry, I was dozing.

EL-MASRI: That’s fine.

DAMANIS: Is Doctor Spurlea here? I think the pain is coming back.

SPURLEA: I’m here. I’ll give you another shot, Malik, but it’s going to have to wait for a few minutes. I need you to be all here for your conversation with our colony leader.

DAMANIS: That’s you?

EL-MASRI: That’s me. My name is Chenzira El-Masri.

DAMANIS: Malik Damanis. Uh, I guess you knew that.

EL-MASRI: I did. Malik, Aurel and Magda here tell me that you say you’re from the Erie Morningstar.

DAMANIS: I am.

EL-MASRI: What do you do there?

DAMANIS: I’m an ordinary deckhand. I mostly work loading and unloading cargo.

EL-MASRI: You look pretty young. This your first ship?

DAMANIS: I’m nineteen standard, sir. No, I was on another ship before this, the Shining Star. I’ve been doing this since I turned twenty in Erie years, which is about sixteen years standard. This is my first tour on the Morningstar,though. Or was.