Masters of Science Fiction2007

[an airlock enters and Barney Curran enters. He has a friendly face and wears white regimentals]

Barney Curran:
Hello. I was sent from Earth Central... to make you a really terrific offer.

[the mutants are watching him in twitchy, grunting cynicism]

Barney Curran:
My name's Curran. And you must be the Captain.

[He holds his hand out to shake Bedzyk's. Bedzyk merely eyes him. After the commercial jump, the mutants are all shouting and pleading. Samswope begins pounding his cane against the side of the "Gulag" in a slow, menacing percussion]

Bedzyk:
All right, listen up!

[the mutants fall quiet. Samswope stops pounding]

Bedzyk:
You all wanted to go to the Terraforms. Have we been to the Terraforms?

[the crowd calls, "Yes!"]

Bedzyk:
You wanted to go to Europa. Have we been to Europa?

[the crowd calls, "Yes!"]

Bedzyk:
Have we been to Mercury?

[the crowd calls, "Yes!"]

Bedzyk:
Have we been to Venus?

[the crowd calls, "Yes!"]

Bedzyk:
Callisto? Ganymede? Twice! TWICE we went to Ganymede! All right, then, back off! Back off. Let me talk to this guy.