Being faced with an opportunity to skip half of his shift without losing in pay, Devon took it immediately. This is how he found himself in the last row of the media theatre on the third deck next to very sleepy Rin on one side and openly snoring Mamani on the other. The Chief Steward Seidel was the one to present the seminar but even she was not able to make the topic exciting.

The idea was quite thrilling – space pirates! They would be entering dangerous subspace corridors that the Hopestar never went through before, and there was a chance hostiles would try to board them. There would be a training exercise afterwards, which was probably the only part of it that mattered. But Seidel started with a lecture on psychology of piracy and raiding; she lost half the audience almost immediately. It was just really boring.

Rin was obviously a person who still had “flight academy” wired into every bit of his mind. He tried very hard to listen to what was being said and even made an occasional note via his interface despite it being way too early for him. Devon wondered how long it would take him to realise there won’t be a test in the end and no one would scold him for not listening. He looked kind of adorable, though.

They grew close in the past week and a half, ever since they’ve stumbled into each other on that shitty day. Rin didn’t pry him for information but instead just started writing private messages from time to time. This led to them having an actual heart-to-heart in person during which Devon cried at least four times. Rin didn’t laugh or dismiss this or say that this was an unmanly behaviour; instead, he listened, and shook his head in disbelief, and patted him on the back. Afterwards, Devon realised he really needed this: just having someone to share inner pain with. 

Seidel finished her presentation on a “Feel Free To Ask Questions” slide, and Rin was the only one who raised his hand. She didn’t feel discouraged and pointed at him with a smile.

“Uhm, I am new to the ship, but… are there really… no weapons on the Hopestar?”

Rin seemed to regret his question right away because most of the crew present turned around to look at him. Seidel didn’t expect this question either. “Why would we need weapons on the Hopestar? We are a passenger liner, not a military ship…”

“No, I didn’t mean on the bulkhead… But… No personal weapons? For security and such?”

Yeah, this didn’t help with everyone staring. Seidel pondered this for a moment and put on her trademark “polite to hide amusement” smile. “Well, the passengers are not allowed weapons when boarding. So there is no need for a dedicated security force. If someone causes trouble, the stewards are trained to deal with that together.”

Of course, it wasn’t that simple. But “call someone for help” was indeed the way to go, in Devon’s experience. If getting a rowdy passenger out of the bar wasn’t possible, often other passengers reacted well to being asked to leave for now. This way, no one would be under the risk of being assaulted. Then, with the help of two or three other stewards and Dr Bhagooli for good measure, you could manage to return the troublemaker back to their cabin. It was a mess but it was better than shooting energy or projectiles and risking hurting people or damaging the ship.

There were no follow-up questions, and Seidel announced a lunch break before the actual exercise. Devon looked at Rin, who was still frowning, and tilted his head. “It’s not as rose-tinted as she presents it, but it’s better without weapons on the ship. I’m sure, many people feel safer this way.”

They stepped out of the media theatre and headed for the lift pod to get to the cafeteria. Rin didn’t look convinced. “Do they? This feels so counterintuitive. If we get boarded by armed raiders, surely having weapons to defend ourselves is preferable?” 

Devon grimaced. Rin was a good guy, and he honestly liked him, but occasionally he would say the silliest things with such devotion it was a bit scary. “What would you do with these weapons? Shoot first? So that the raiders start shooting too? It will only lead to unnecessary death and injury.” It looked like Rin wanted to argue but Devon didn’t let him. “Now imagine that alternatively, there is no one with a gun on the ship. The raiders see no danger and just take whatever cargo they want and leave. Crew, passengers, and ship are safe and unharmed.”

Rin took a breath, then slowly exhaled. “But what if… they start shooting anyway? Just because they can.” He didn’t sound as convinced anymore.

“Well, we are fucked then. But having weapons won’t help. Maybe you’ll find one crew member trained to use a gun and they manage to shoot a raider. Other raiders will kill everyone else in revenge.” Then, realising the silliness of this whole conversation, Devon added with a chuckle. “Neither of us ever faced real raiders or pirates or whatever. We may as well argue about media characters.”

This made Rin smile and sigh. “Fair.”

They ate in silence surrounded by the buzz of a full cafeteria. Most people present were from the same seminar so Devon kept catching bits of conversations about pirates, raiders, hiding places, and an occasional romantic fantasy about all of the above. Living on a spaceship made one crave excitement and new experiences. Devon was pretty sure there would be nothing romantic if they actually got raided.

“Are they giving stewards time off on Kashi-Sulak too?” Rin suddenly asked as he finished his drink and put the cup down.

Devon has been trying not to think about it. Turns out, the shorter stay at Kashi-Sulak saved him from an awkward not-a-date with Shiloh. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to cancel the bookings for all the things he had planned on day 3. He hoped to at least refund the theatre tickets but he could send a request only after they returned to normal space. It wasn’t even about money: he didn’t want them to blacklist his name for the missed bookings.

After he learned about Shiloh and Sharifa, he decided he would not go to the station during their stay there to make sure he won’t see them on a date there. And then Seidel announced everyone is expected to disembark for a day except for a couple stewards and engineers. Devon wasn’t part of that.

“Yeah. I will probably just stay in a hotel room and knock myself out with something I can buy at the station store.”

There was a complicated expression on Rin’s face, and Devon wondered if drugs was another thing he had weird opinions on. From what he could remember, the care system taught that recreational drugs were the bane of society. Maybe just a step behind the stamped. And until a month ago, Rin believed everything the care system taught him.

“That sounds less stressful than what Mikey’s plan is. He has never been on the Kashi-Sulak station before and insists we should ‘find four disks’ there, whatever it may mean.”

Why wasn’t Devon surprised that Thoresson found the worst rumour about Kashi-Sulak and immediately believed it?

“Rin, no!” He leaned forward and tried not to groan. “This is the worst idea. The four disks are a marketing stunt by the local souvenir chain, and all you will see are their stores and not actual sights.”

Rin looked surprised and then even more anxious. “I have no idea how to convince him not to do it. This was the only thing he has been talking about the past few days. I believe he didn’t have a proper shore leave for several months, not since Second Pilot Ndaw left. He is from Colossus and I am from Earth, and there is a good chance this sightseeing trip will end with the two of us getting lost.”

Devon knew he was making a mistake as he opened his mouth again. “I can show you around.” And then he made it even worse. “I can even take you down to the surface.”

And this is how, four days later, he went through the airlock and into the station gate to find Rin and Thoresson waiting for him. He approached them, acutely aware that other stewards in the area were staring at him. Rumours would be wild: a low level steward hanging out with Second and Third Pilots was unheard of. Devon may have cared about this popularity half a month ago where it would mean more reasons to talk to Shiloh. It didn’t sound like a perk anymore.

Both Rin and Thoresson (Mikey? Could he call him that now?) were wearing their light grey uniforms. Perhaps, Devon should have proposed wearing something casual and logo-free. It was too late now. Kashi-Sulak wasn’t as against stamped individuals as most of human colonies but walking around in the Hopestar branded jackets anywhere outside of Hopestar still felt awkward. 

Thoresson smiled and offered his hand for a greeting. “Hi! Devon, right? I’m Mikey. I was so excited when Rin told me you’ll show us around! I haven’t been to a planet for almost two years! Never on Kashi-Sulak, that’s for sure. Is it true they don’t differentiate between Human and Gemi spaces there? Will the shuttle be suitable for humans?”

Wow, he was as talkative as described. As they walked from Arrivals to Local Departures, he explained that yes, the majority of residents on Kashi-Sulak were Gemi; yes, they would take a shuttle meant for humans; no, the gravity was not that different from Earth if a bit lighter; yes, it would be best if they used rebreathers and they could buy disposable models in the station shop. (Devon didn’t have to use a rebreather because he had been vaccinated against the main diseases when he lived on the planet. However, he worried he would suffer from mild hypoxia because he got adjusted to the Hopestar atmosphere in the past few years.)

At the station shop, Devon also bought a green marker and drew three striped symbols on Rin’s and Mikey’s shoulders. He pointed to the matching manufactured patches on his own jacket and explained that this would show Gemi that they were friendly and didn’t mind being approached. Gemi cared a lot about colours in their culture: wearing even a little green was a sign of respect and openness. 

“What about the symbol?” Mikey tapped the sign as he took his place in the passenger shuttle. “Yours look different.”

“Oh, it just means ‘tourist’. So no one tries to talk to you in Rh’z. The local Gemi dialect.” Devon smirked. “Unless, this is one of your hidden talents, of course.”

“I’ve been told my Far-Galactic is atrocious. So I really doubt I somehow magically understand Rghzz or however you say that.”

Rin, though clearly unsure how to correctly pronounce it, looked quite embarrassed with this attempt. Devon shook his head with a smile. “Okay, I know this is the most horrible thing a person can tell you… but, perhaps, you should try staying silent around Gemi today.”

Mikey pouted, and Devon couldn’t help but find it cute. Perhaps, being friends with pilots was not that bad of a thing.