Reece looked with amusement as Connor finally stood up and spoke but the sly smile turned down as he said 'Hangar Six'. That was his hangar. He glanced at his tablet, tapping it to bring up the note that told him assignment. Hangar Six, Mining Pod 24, that was his hangar and ship. 

"Son of a bitch," he muttered under his breath as the kid stuck out his tongue to the one who had urged him to stand up. "MIT grad, huh?" 

It was his turn and he stood up, removing the toothpick from his mouth before he spoke. "Name's Owen Reece, I'm the lead pilot of the mining pods. There are twenty four crews that will be working hard this shift to harvest ice from asteroids to refresh our water supply. I'm a former helicopter pilot and I've got years of mining experience, hell I was born with coal dust in my blood." 

He grinned a little, the dimple not quite hidden under his scruffy beard. "We'll do our part to keep this tub running. If any of you'uns got any questions or such, just let me know. I'll be in...Hangar Six."

His gaze dropped to Connor for a brief second before looking back up and he shrugged, "Guess that's about it." 

Reece sat back down, stretching out his legs as he looked at Abby up at the podium before his attention shifted to the next person standing up to introduce themselves. 

[i]Introductions[/i]. The word made Ester's palms start to sweat and she rubbed them on the thin cotton slacks. She was going to have to stand up and speak about herself in front of all these people, right after the somber and startling news they were given. She took a deep breath and felt Naomi's hand pat her shoulder. Ester never liked to be the center of attention, she preferred to bask in the shine of those like her sister who radiated good nature and were open and friendly. It is why they got along so well and it is also why her eyes had been riveted to the handsome Marine who seemed to glow with energy. But now, the spotlight was rapidly heading her way and she could feel herself shrink against her chair. 

After the blue haired mechanic with all the ink introduced himself, a few more stood up and spoke briefly and suddenly it was her turn. Ester stood up, feeling her knees shake and she pressed her hands against her thighs to steady them. It was not the first time she had to speak to an audience but it never failed to unnerve her. Even in the dimness of the auditorium she could feel their eyes on her. She cleared her throat and looked over the audience, her large dark eyes even wider. She caught Abby's eye and when her gaze fell on Sergeant Davis she felt a blush creep up her fair skin. Looking away quickly, her eyes passed over a man with a large cat and the face of a woman who looked as nervous as she felt. 

"I am Ester Baum," her words wore softly spoken and she saw a few people lean in towards her to hear so she took a deep breath and began again, in a louder, stronger voice. 

"I am Ester Baum, I will be leading the agricultural program during the Third Shift," she said in her Hebrew accented English, her slender fingers clasping together in a nervous gesture. "I will be in charge of the hydroponic farm and of the botanical gardens. If you have any questions or would like to visit...just ask. I ah...that's about it." 

She sat down quickly and felt her face burn with embarrassment. Naomi laughed gently and reassured her with hand on her arm. Ester could feel the heat of her face and wondered if she resembled a cherry.