The Void Between The Stars (game thread)

Undeterred, Dimitra takes another swing at Lorenzo.

when Squat arrives at the fight scene, he will try to get within range of his plasma lance - he fires a threatening burst pointed in the air, to intimidate Lorenzo.

"Drop that weapon, Ramos, it's over."

Lorenzo drops the gun and surrenders. "All right, all right. I'm unarmed."

He has so much to say, but he is confused. "Hibernation sickness?" He holds his hands still. "No, sorry, I don't know what to say. The captain was on my shit list."

Dimitra clenches her fists around the controls, her knuckles whitening. Her voice is measured, a result of her restraining her anger.

"I think it was more than that, Lorenzo. What scares you so much that you thought that you had to do it?"

Lorenzo deflates, clearly defeated. "Look, it's crazy. There's a lot of money at stake. Do you have any idea what we find out there? I could buy this ship outright with the right buyer. More even. I know people."

He looks at Dimitra. "I didn't want to kill you, that's why I left you alive. We could have been partners."

Dimitra gives a derisive snort.

"You made a very poor sales pitch then. That chance was gone the moment you killed Frederick."

"It's really a lot of money." His voice trails off, defeated.

Money?

Anna snorts in anger and disbelief.

Money! Of all the selfish narrow minded reasons to kill. Greed has to be the worst.

I had figured there must have been some high ideals involved, or a misunderstanding. Maybe even jealousy.

But no. Greed. How depressingly ordinary.

Dimitra nods in agreement, laughing darkly.

"A shame. Personally I thought he was being threatened with how cornered he seemed."

She drops her fake smile and returns to her grim expression.

"I don't need to hear anything more."

Lorenzo narrows his eyes. "I've seen a black wing shadow etched all over the ship. I suspected it has something to do with the illegal contraband that's being smuggled." He looks pointedly at Dimitra. A long, hard stare. Not at all subtle.

"But if your asking me....

Forget all of that? Do any of you know what we found? The actual salvage? Black abyss, you people."

Should I know what that is?

Dimitra decides to tell it straight.

"I had some contraband drugs onboard. Recreational stuff for rich kids. I'm in debt, you see. It was going to be simple, piggyback it on this trip, and deliver it."

She sighs.

"That was the plan until Lorenzo opened the airlock. I've given up on that. It doesn't have anything to do with this Blackwing thing though, or at least I didn't notice anything of the sort on the ship."

"Why don't you tell us, Ramos. It's not like you have any other choice. What did we find, that's worth betraying us and killing for, you sonofabitch?" he spits out bitterly, feeling anger pervading him at the thought that his strictest collaborator on the ship has betrayed them, killing several of the crew and now the Captain.

He takes a step forward, raising the plasma lance.

"Aliens. And alien tech. This stuff will change the universe, hombre. Madre con Dios!"

"We know, we all saw the alien stuff in the lab."

Dimitra did realize how valuable that alien stuff was, and could see how a man of lesser principles like Lorenzo would bite at the chance.

"So, is that all you have to say for yourself Lorenzo?"

Meanwhile Squat sends Left and Right to retrieve the gun dropped by Lorenzo and orders them to bring it back to him