[@Randomguy]

"Did something happen?" A second voice chimed in, a feminine voice with few inflections, which however a stark contrast with the engineer's heavy sighing. Bug turned to the new source of sound gingerly, stopping for a moment to admire the figure. [i]Oh ho ho...what do we have here. The silent belle type. Fills the clothes really nicely, this one. Granted, she's no Lieutenant Ritsu in that regard...but I guess such a senior is a welcome sight for sore eyes.[/i] Astolfo offered a kind smile as he got up.

"Oh hello...senior." He said, as he stood up and performed a [i]salute[/i] towards Ava. "Lieutenant Lane,sir." He knew he wasn't supposed to, and he knew it was bungling up the ranks. But well, newbie mistakes could be made, right. "Oh, wait, we're not supposed to do this anymore, are we? It is my first day after all. And you're such a known quantity. A shining star in certain circles." He admitted. There was no denying he had locked on interest on Ava even before he had met her. One of the things his life had taught was to scout potential allies. Partners. So to speak. And she was...easy on the eye too. "...But I am getting carried away, am I? I'm Astolfo Bugatti. Bug...for friends and peers. Short and concise. Nice to meet you, senior." He smiled once more. "The gentleman and I were having a conversation about...simulations. It appears I may have carried it too far a little when trying to win an unwinnable scenario. The Duvallian Folly, if I must be...precise."

"YOU BLEW UP THE PLANET!" The engineer whimpered.

"A simulated planet, friend. And thanks to that...we managed a sort of victory condition. Which is not supposed to happen." Bug replied as he raised his finger. "Excuse me for a second, senior." His eyes darted on the frazzled engineer.

"I SHOULD THROW YOU IN THE BRIG!" He exclaimed exasperated. "YOU MASS MURDERER!"

"Is it murder when we're speaking of simulated entities? Is it not the job of simulations to train and otherwise test things that would otherwise have unacceptable costs in real life? After all, you can regenerate a simulation. But you can't regenerate a human life in this hostile cosmos." Bug said. [i]But still we must burn lives in the conflagration to just survive[/i]. He thought mentally. "Well, who knows. Maybe it is a good thing. Look at it this way... won't the next simulation version be better now that you will account this kind of possibility? If anything It would reassure me." Bug replied as the engineer stopped his whining and looked to Bug up, as if he had grown three heads and tentacles.

"...I guess." It was his sheepish reply, as the words sunk inside him like sweet, numbing poison.

"Next time, bring me something...harder to break. I'll buy you a good vintage bottle if you do manage make me yield. Thanks for looking out for us pilots, engineer..." He paused, reading his ID plaque. "Andersen."

The engineer nodded thoughtfully, as he went to work, his mind clearly racing about reports and improvements. Bug looked at the spectacle before he decided it was far too boring and face once the beauty of the redhead besides him.

"It seems I have much to learn, senior. Would you be so kind to give this junior of yours a tour of the ship? Maybe even exchange stories." Bug smiled once more. "We all have stories."

[i]She was a redhead too. Warm like the sun, and with sparkling green eyes. Ample bosom and great beauty. Such bittersweet memories... I remember her lifeblood sprawling on the ground of my princely chamber, the stained butter knife on my hand, caked with the fat, skin and blood of her pretty neck. A bottle of poison rolled from her garments on her limp body, as if trying to get away from the wrath of the Prince. My wrath. I was merely 10, and I had already killed my first person to not be killed in a futile battle for the throne. She had been lying all along. Thinking I had been easy prey. In a sense I was. Had I not realized and snapped there and then, there would be no present. Nor future.

...Such bittersweet memories.[/i]

He thought to himself, as he awaited a reply from Ava Lane.