For a long time, Kaz sat in total silence. No one spoke, or moved, or made any indication that he was there to be questioned at all. There was no clock, so the pilot had no idea how long he'd sat there before someone finally entered. The woman that strode through the door was fairly attractive, with lightly tanned skin and bright blond hair, which she wore in a bun. She wore a formal suit outfit that ended with a skirt that hugged her hips tightly. The skirt and jacket were navy blue, with a white top and red pin underneath. Her heeled shoes match the color of her jacket perfectly, almost too perfectly. "Mr. Markin, my name is Jennifer Wheeler. Thank you for coming to see me today."<br/><br/>The woman took the seat opposite of Kaz, her back to the two-way mirror, and smiled. Her bright red lipstick was nearly flawless, as was her eye makeup. "Kaz Markin... you're a pilot, correct? Quite a career record you have here. Passed up two offers to get out of the cockpit and into a captain's chair? That's quite a promotion. Why would you let that pass you by?"<br/><br/>Kaz studied the woman carefully, listening to her voice and committing it to memory. Her words were afflicted by a deep Southern American accent, though she was still very easy to comprehend.<br/><br/>"I don't belong in a desk. I belong in the action. I'd be miserable outside of a cockpit."<br/><br/>"But there is no fight, soldier. No war. As horrible as it is, the death of our planet was the best thing that could have happened to world peace."<br/><br/>"A pilot who is not at war spends their time preparing for it. Our existence is predicated on the idea that if and when something does happen, we'll be ready to act."<br/><br/>"Hmm... tell me about this morning, Mr. Markin."<br/><br/>Kaz could not pass up on a chance to be a smart-ass to a suit, even if it wasn't the best time. "I woke up a 0500, completed my morning PT, ate breakfast, showered..."<br/><br/>"Mr. Markin," the woman interrupted. "I get what you're doing, but I assure you, there's no need to be concerned. I'm just here to take your statement and go over the facts." She was clearly irritated by his choice of words, but Kaz had counted on that. His ability to get under someone's skin was practically uncanny. He could piss off the Pope in less than ten seconds if he put his mind to it. "Just tell me what you found today while you were working on your mech."<br/><br/>Kaz paused, regarding the woman cooly. "While performing maintenance on my mech, I discovered a foreign object imbedded in the secondary armor plate around the plasma flow control unit. Thankfully it had not pierced the coil, or I would not be sitting here. The piece was smooth and had a pointed end. Because it did not match my pain scheme, I assumed it was just a piece of an asteroid that had impacted my unit, left behind as I sped away from there. Dr. Brigandy passed by, and given her role as my Operations tech and her background as a scientist, I handed over the foreign object to her to be dealt with appropriately."<br/><br/>"You handed her the item?"<br/><br/>"No. I had already removed it from my mech and placed it on the floor. I kicked it over to her."<br/><br/>"Ahh, that makes sense. Did you touch it with any part of your body that was not covered? Meaning did the item ever contact your skin directly?"<br/><br/>"No. When I removed the object, I was wearing protective gloves, and my feet were still in their boots when I kicked it over."<br/><br/>"Did Dr. Brigandy touch the item with an unprotected part of her body?" Damnit, he thought. He didn't remember her putting on a glove, nor could he remember which arm she used. "Mr. Markin?"<br/><br/>"Dr. Brigandy is quite accustomed to handling potentially dangerous materials. She used her prosthetic limb to touch the object, and i'm sure she followed any decontamination procedures that were necessary based on the nature of the material," he said finally. He wanted to protect Shira, though he wasn't really sure why. Their association up to that point had been somewhat strained and contentious up to that point, but he was certainly not going to throw her under the bus. He wasn't lying, after all, but he did make sure to phrase his sentences carefully.<br/><br/>"I see. Just a few more questions then." Jenny continued on for what seemed like an eternity, questioning nearly everything she could think of, professionally speaking. Near the end, she changed the subject dramatically.<br/><br/>"I understand your mother and father are aboard a different ship. Why not sail on this one so they could be near their children?"<br/><br/>"My parents entered their golden years some time ago. They did not want to distract us or be a burden, knowing our work is important."<br/><br/>"Ahh, very noble, and understandable. You know we try very hard to keep in contact with our sister ships. If I am not mistaken, your sister received a message from your folks saying that your father has taken ill. Radiation poisoning." Kaz's expression darkened, if only slightly. "You know, we treat our own like family. I understand if you don't want to sell out a co-worker, or even a friend. But we reward loyalty. We've got access to the best doctors in the fleet. If you know anything else about this material, or about Dr. Brigandy's interaction with it, your father would be our father, and we'd do anything to keep our father in good health."<br/><br/>Kaz sat silently for several long moments, contemplating what she'd told him. There was no mistaking her innuendo. Something was up, and they needed someone to pin. That, or they were looking for a future scapegoat. With their help, Kaz's father could live many many more years. But what else would he have to give up if he gave into them now? How long would it be before he was forced to condemn someone else, or barter his wants over the lives of others.<br/><br/>"Thank you for letting me know, Mrs. Wheeler. Dr. Brigandy has performed her responsibilities and adhered to protocol to the letter. I fully endorse her decisions."<br/><br/>"That's great to hear, Kaz," Jenny replied. "Before you go, I must tell you not to share what happened today with anyone. Our conversation is private. Should we need anything further from you, we will send you an encoded communique with instructions. Please remember that, and remember what I said. Radiation poisoning is a very unpleasant way to die." Without another word, Wheeler left the room, instructing the guards to escort the pilot back to the plaza after a set amount of time had passed. Kaz's mind raced, his heart pumped hard. Jenny's threat did not go unnoticed. He was making a choice between his tech and his father.<br/><br/>Did he make the right one?