E-467-Oliver: Merchant Freighter Spanial (Docked at Zarg’s World Highport), Control

Is there anything he wishes to do?

Over the next little while Ipan arrives, gives Oliver a slightly odd look, and sits at the right-hand workstation.

Ipan and Jennie engage in a little easy banter, she asks him how his head is after his dock leave.  He shrugs guiltily and says he’s alright now.

Then Karmen appears and Oliver will have to vacate his seat and sit in one of the jump seats at the back of the room.

“Ready to get out of here?”

It’s rhetorical.

She seats herself at the central workstation, announces, “Control is active.”

The mood changes.

The gruff and slightly folksy woman, her awkward son and the introverted, nerdy gym junkie are suddenly a smooth professional team running through the pre-flight check of a commercial starship.