Taban: And what makes you think they’d honor any agreements they made with us? They’d say, “Oh, sure, you can have the money, you can name the planet,” we give them the coordinates, and then it’s fuck off Fin and Hap, no one’s ever going to believe you.

Daley: We’d come up with a backup plan. We could—we could threaten to release the HARE tapes to the public. Yes! We could do that. Their reputation’s already hurting bad, with the rebels and the privacy shit—they’d be scared shitless, they’d have to listen—

Taban: Daley . . .

Daley: Listen. This could be big. I know this is your first job, but you’re thinking too small—clients, deliveries, Sunfarer, all of that other shit. But trust the guy who’s been doing this for twenty years: it’s not worth it. I don’t think you’ve really grasped how huge it is that we’ve found this place. I think we’ve gotta take advantage of it. I think we’ve gotta make our mark. It was—

Taban: Don’t say it was fate that led us to this place. Please don’t say that.

Daley: Okay. I won’t say that. But I’m serious. I have this feeling that something valuable could be here. We just have to spend a few days looking around. If we find something, we can take a sample, show it to ISF. We say, “There’s a lot more where this came from!” But we don’t tell you where it is until we get paid. And recognized. You know?

Taban: Daley. I just want to go home.

Daley: So do I. But I want to go home rich. The king of a new planet.

Taban (rubbing his face): . . .

Taban: So, what, you want us to stay a few more days and . . . look around?

Daley: That’s exactly what I want.

Taban: . . . Okay. I mean, it’s going to take me at least another day just to repair the FTL, anyway. I guess we can explore more while I do that.

Daley: Yes! That’s what I’m talking about, Fin!

Taban: But no going out without each other. Or without the HARE. I’m serious, Daley. No going out by yourself.

Daley: Sure, sure. We’re all in this together. No making it alone.

6.