DISCLAIMER: I own zip. We all know this.

*****

My job isn't fun.

I seem to have a penchant for working under madmen. First there was Captain Crais, before his contamination. I was not pleased to take on that duty. There were rumors around the ship surrounding the suspicious death of Teeg, and we all suspected that Crais had murdered her. I, like all the others, pitied the officer that would take her place. I never expected it to be me.

If I have learned one thing in my career, it's that being submissive and obedient will keep you from getting killed. It's worked for me. I didn't like taking orders from Crais, who was in the middle of some sort of nervous breakdown. I was afraid to say anything for fear or having my neck snapped. I did everything I was told, I did it as best I could, and I kept my frelling mouth shut. This technique served me well.

Crais was banned from the Peacekeepers. Anyone has to be better than him, or so I thought. No. Next I end up working with Scorpius.

I had good reason for being paranoid with that one. He's a scary, scary man. Every once in a while he'll look at me and I'm bracing myself for sudden death. I think he's insane. He certainly has problems. He goes around sticking neural chips in people's heads. Anyone who does that has serious problems. Not that I'm going to tell him that. He ate part of John Crichton's brain. I saw that. That haunted my dreams for a long time. It's just not right.

Surprisingly, though, after two cycles I'm not dead. Yet. I might not die anytime soon, either, which I like. Scorpius and I seem to be reaching a point where I can speak out and not expect to have an accident with an airlock. My technique has merit. I am living proof.

Of course, I'm also beginning to think I deserve to advance in rank. That's all right. I'll wait. I might have to wait a while longer, but at least I should live long enough to receive my promotion.