Captain Ilya Ivanovich Rostov paced up and down behind the desk in his office. He was not happy.

“I don’t like this at all,” he growled to his assistant, a thin young man named Hector. “We haven’t run any of the final set of tests on this ship. There are a thousand things left to do before we launch. It’s absolutely crazy to expect us to leave orbit right now, let alone tearing off into hyperspace!”

Hector gave a slight nod of agreement. “Yes, but the Admiral...”

“The Admiral has his brains on backwards,” Rostov said. “It’s unacceptable to put people’s lives at risk for political reasons. Get him on the screen and I’ll tell him off myself.”

“Yes, sir.” The assistant pressed a few buttons.

On the screen appeared an elderly Japanese man with a small, round face. He was frowning. “Captain, I am not sure why you have requested this communication,” he said, with great deliberation.

“I’m trying to understand your orders, sir,” Rostov replied with more than a hint of sarcasm. “I want to understand why it is more important to leave right away than it is to ensure the safety of this ship and its crew.” He tugged at his beard, a nervous habit he was trying to eliminate.

“I have already explained the great importance of our mission to you,” the Admiral replied. He was clearly annoyed by the questioning, but was trying to remain calm and collected. “It is your duty to make certain that all safety standards are adhered to during this mission.”

“But Admiral, I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety without going through very specific checks that we won’t have time for! If we could just postpone the launch--”

“There can be no postponing of the launch. Your orders are very specific and you will be expected to carry them out with the highest regard for safety. Sakaki out.”

The Admiral’s face disappeared from the screen.

Rostov made a low clearing noise with his throat. “I can’t work with that man,” he said in a growly tone. “He and I simply don’t agree on the fundamentals.”

“But sir,” Hector piped up, “you needn’t worry about the orders, I mean, if anything happens, the responsibility will clearly lie with the Admiral…”

The Captain stopped pacing. He turned around and placed his long arms on his desk, staring straight into his assistant’s eyes. “I don’t give one rusted screw about who will take the blame if anything happens! Nothing is more important than the safety of my ship!” He straightened himself up. “Arrange a meeting of all my senior staff, immediately following the introductory session.”

Hector tapped a few buttons on the Captain’s terminal. “Yes, sir,” he said.