Benny was plastered to the window as they approached the space station. He, and a very lucky few others, had been chosen to join the Outpost's security ranks. The station had been constantly harassed by space pirates for some months now, and were slowly but steadily losing resources. Something had to be done. So Benny and a team of five other pilots (whose names, by some strange coincidence, all rhymed with his) had been hand-picked and shipped off to give the Outpost a hand in hopefully driving off the pirates for good.
Benny was absolutely beside himself with excitement. He'd always wanted to go to space, and worked hard to be able to become an astronaut, but never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he'd get to see the Octan Outpost with his own eyes. It had been affectionately nicknamed the Think Tank, and was a collaborative effort made up of the most brilliant minds from all around the planet. Rumor had it they'd even invented a super-advanced AI, and that was what the pirates were after.
The shuttle pilot's voice came over the speakers then, instructing them to return to their seats and strap in to begin the docking procedure. Benny did as told, hands clasped tightly in his lap as he vibrated in his seat. It wasn't long before they were able to board the station. They made their way through the airlock, and Benny nearly froze in place when he spotted his new commander standing on the other side of the door, waiting to greet them.
Benny swallowed hard as he stared. The man was tall and broad shouldered, with soft dark hair, blue eyes, and dressed in a sharp black uniform. "Welcome to Octan Outpost. I'm Chief Security Officer Callaghan, and you will be reporting to me for the duration of your assignment here." His voice was deep and rough and sent shivers down Benny's spine.
In what universe is it considered fair that The Man Upstairs should make the man of my dreams a reality and then make him my boss?!
He jolted back to reality as the others began to walk away, trotting after them to keep up with the tour. Mess hall, barracks, medical ward, labs; they even had a garden where they grew some of their own food. Benny did his best to memorize where everything was. He didn't want to have to embarrass himself by having to ask for directions because he hadn't paid enough attention.
(And maybe he wanted to impress his new boss. Just a little.)
The last place they visited was the hangar, where all manner of spacecraft were kept. Benny bit down on a knuckle to keep from squealing in absolute delight, trying to pay attention as the Chief spoke. "I know you all have had little to no training in flying spacecraft, but as you have all shown promise as Earth pilots, the transition from flying in atmosphere to flying in space should be a relatively easy one. I will be overseeing your instruction."
"Wait, so you're going to be teaching us how to fly these things?" Penny asked.
"I am, yes. And as we have no way of predicting when the pirates will make another attack, your lessons begin immediately." Benny was immediately all ears. He listened with rapt attention as the Chief explained the craft's controls to them. It was complicated, incredibly so, but Benny was determined to memorize it all. He was actually going to learn how to fly a spaceship! The Chief continued talking.
"Once you have completed this course, you will each be assigned your own ship-"
He paused as Benny let out a strange, strangled little sound of glee, giving him a concerned look. The other pilots were also looking at him strangely. He gave them a sheepish grin. "Uh. Can I have the blue one?"