A few orbits back I shared a meal with the Captain. They are a boisterous type who delight in regaling me with stories from their youth. For instance, they were the kid who always collected the milk money. Between hearty sips of their infusion, the Captain talks about the inevitable kid who “forgot” their lunch money. “Lordy, and then I had to cover their mess”, they add with a twinkle. The message being I suppose, that a true mark of a natural leaders is a generous spirit. When the Captain suggests we take a shortcut through the Vandam Belt, I won’t lie, I am alarmed. Anyone who’s attended even the most rudimentary class in starship navigation knows that at forty-five degrees off axis sits a wide swath of radioactive decay which tends to melt the scrubbers. Factor in the increased likelihood we’ll encounter alien ships…and I panic but say nothing, knowing full well my caution will fall on deaf ears. Instead, I elect to go for a brief swim.