Commander Ted Tadeki

     Ok… this speech is not going to be normal, what with the captain eating it and what not, but here goes. As your commanding officer, I absolutely prohibit you from ever porting to the surface of any planet. Son, you said you have been looking for an opening on our ship… is this the first one you have noticed?

(uh…no sir..)

     And have you ever wondered why there seems to be so much turnover in engineering on the Hemera? I am just going to put it like this… if a member of senior command ever comes down to engineering and says that your area of expertise is needed a port mission you are to directly and explicitly tell them no.

Since you can’t exactly refuse a direct order you are going to  have to be ready! If the captain, well not the dead captain, but whoever becomes the new one, comes down here and looks at you and says… Corporal… (he can’t remember the name) Corporal Jackson, you have a specialty in mechanical engineering and we need you to escort us on a mission to the surface you say…

(No?)

     Darn right you say no! And you can if you are ready! You have to have a lie at the front of your mind at all times. Tell him that you have explosive diarrhea, or swine flu, or your herpes are flaring up…whatever it takes! Under no circumstances are you to leave the ship because that’s how you wind up dead and I am out another engineer.