“Well that goes without saying,” Nathan agreed, leaning back in his chair. “But we have to do something. We can’t just sit out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“Why not?” Cameron asked. “Not forever, of course. But why can’t we just sit out here and fix everything we can before we move on? It’s safer than flying into that system full of who- knows-what.”

“What are we going to do for food, Cam? We’re down to nuts and dried fruit. And we’ll be out of that in another day or two.”

“I don’t know, Nathan. Maybe there’s something we can trade for some food. Maybe have this Tobin character ferry something out to us.”

“I don’t think that’s what he has in mind. He’s obviously angling for a larger score here.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Cameron insisted.

Nathan turned to look at Jessica. “Well, you’re awfully quiet. Surely you’ve got something to say about all this?”

Jessica, who had been leaning against the wall the entire time, stepped over to the table and sat on the edge, turning to face the two of them. “Look, the whole setup stinks, there’s no doubt about it. But I don’t see as we have much choice. We need food. We need supplies. But more importantly, we need intelligence. And a hell of a lot more of it than Jalea is willing to dole out. We’re not gonna jump or blast our way back to Earth. We have to think our way home. And to do that, we need to know exactly what we’re up against. And that means we can’t just hide out here in the void. We have to bump elbows with the locals. We have to interact. That’s the only way to gather reliable intel.”

Nathan looked at Cameron. “She’s right, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Cameron was obviously frustrated. The situation they were about to fly into was full of unknowns, which was something Cameron did not care for. “I just wish we knew more beforehand.”

“I think that’s the point she’s trying to make.” Nathan turned back to Jessica. “So what do you propose?”