Chapter 26--Intermezzo
The other half is to dramatize the fact that we still "are" human beings, now.
Or can be. It might just be that simple.
--David Foster Wallace
* * *
"Déjà vu," Kam thought to himself as he entered the mess to find it empty except for Avi Stasi.
"Stasi," Kam said neutrally.
"Anders." The other man spat out his name. Kam poured himself a cup of coffee then deliberately turned to face the salvage expert.
"I want to make something very clear to you, Stasi. My past is something I had no control over and make no apologies for. I was eleven years old when my mother died. Custody was awarded to an uncle I'd never seen before, and as soon as he could, he sold me to one of the Red Houses. I was marked, I was imprisoned, I was beaten, I was raped. I did what I needed to in order to survive. When I had the opportunity, I escaped. I do take responsibility for that, and the choices I've made since, including signing onto this ship. I'm a pilot, and a damned good one. And I'm my own man, a free man, for the first time in my life. I choose who I'm with and when."
Quaking inside, he was amazed by the steadiness of the voice coming out of his own mouth.
"I outrank you on this ship. If you continue your insubordination, I will have to put you on report. You don't have to like me, Mr. Stasi, but you do have to treat me with respect." He continued to face the other man, holding his breath. Stasi held his gaze but as the discussions he'd had about the young pilot, and his own observations began to filter through his mind, the initial instinctive hostility gradually faded into grudging respect.
"Yes, sir. I apologize sir. I completely misread the situation, and I take full responsibility for that."
"I'm sure the version of what took place you heard from Ruegar Hannix differs a bit from my point of view."
"Yes, sir. But it took me a little while to figure out how skewed it was. I wasn't paying attention to my own observations, or to the way the other members of this crew interacted with you. I do, actually, sincerely apologize. My behavior was unforgivable, I know, but I hope that eventually we'll at least be able to work together professionally."