First to arrive was his gun-for-hire, Albert Perez, a military man whom Callum instantly liked. Something about being called ‘sir’ made him feel good. Al, as he liked to be called, had enough time to place his things aboard the ship, and come back down to wait with Callum. “Company is always welcome.”<br/><br/>Next to arrive was the mechanic, Ettin Yokfur, a portly looking man with a scruffy beard, pushing a dolly of tools. “I am Captain Dereeve,” he told the man, putting his hand out to be shaken. “Nice to finally meet you.” He hadn’t met Ettin until this moment, but they had communicated for a while as Callum was trying to find the right man to keep the Feronia flying. He still felt uneasy leaving the fate of his ship in this man, but at least he looked like a man who could be trusted. Only time would tell, but Callum would be keeping a close eye on this man.<br/><br/>Then came Logan McKale, a doctor who, for unknown reasons to Callum, agreed to join the crew. From what Callum could guess, Logan was either a man who was on the run from someone, or couldn’t get a job at a hospital for whatever reason. Either way Callum was glad to have him on board, as finding a doctor to work on a ship like this for little pay was a difficult job. While the skill was welcome, Callum was hesitant as Logan’s personality was a bit… different. Regardless, the Feronia was a place for second chances. Logan came up to Callum and shook the man’s hand, perhaps a bit too eagerly. “I hope you won’t disappoint. Hopefully your talents won’t be needed all too much except for a few colds and maybe a bump or two, but it’s good to have you aboard our ship.”<br/><br/>Final to arrive was the man Callum was most eager to meet, the pilot. Like with Ettin, Callum felt a bit uneasy handing over the reigns of Feronia to another person. However, Joseph Cosh seemed a good enough man as any. The man didn’t want to talk about his past, but Callum had heard about Joseph through a friend of a friend, and was highly recommended. From what he’d heard, Joseph was a good fighter, which was made better by his cybernetic implants, and was ‘the best damn pilot this side of the system’ according to the friend of a friend. He shook the metal hand of his new pilot. “You better treat her nice. She’ll be temperamental at times, so she’ll need steady and calm hands to operate her. I hope you’re as good as I’ve heard you are.”<br/><br/>He led the crew up the space elevator, which was as nauseating the way up as it was the way down. Once they reached the ship they were greeted by a sensual female voice echoing through the cargo bay. “Hello boys,” she purred.<br/><br/>“I’d like you to meet our last crew member,” Callum told the four men. “This is Feronia. She can be difficult at times-“<br/><br/>“Hey!” she screamed.<br/><br/>“But she’s sweet most of the times,” he continued.<br/><br/>“That’s better.”<br/><br/>“I know working with an A.I. is a touchy subject, but trust me, without her, running this ship would be near impossible. Over time you’ll learn to love her… or at least tolerate her.”<br/><br/>“Oh stop making me seem like I’m impossible to work with,” she butted in. “I’ll be able to help with everything from diagnostics to weapons, and everything in between. Just treat me like you would any other crew, and I’ll treat you with respect. Remember, I can lock your doors, and control your thermostat. If you really piss me off, I’ll vent the whole goddamn room! So watch yourselves!”<br/><br/>“Like I said, she can be difficult,” he smirked.<br/><br/>He led the crew through the various decks. Some sections were worked on, like the engine room, but other places were untouched and packed with equipment and empty boxes, like the sick bay. Callum was always intrigued by the many bullet holes and scorch marks that lined the walls, making it obvious the ship had quite a past. He ended the tour on the most impressive deck, the mess hall that seconded as an observation deck. He sat down at the table, signalling the rest of the crew to join him. “Like I said in our interviews, I run a tight ship. Everyone get’s equal pay for the jobs, including me, but a bit more goes to the ship. As you can see, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to her.” He got up and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. “I don’t expect you to be at your post at all times, but when a job needs to be done, I expect it done. There’s plenty of work on this ship and everyone will be taking part in it, including scrubbing toilets. Clear?“<br/><br/>He placed a glass in front of everyone, and started to pour each a drink. “What I say is god. I expect to be called Captain, not out of respect but because I think it sounds cool. I’m not a hard man if you do what’s expected, and my door is always open if you’re having trouble with something.” The captain raised his glass for a toast, waiting for the others to follow. “To good times, good pay, good crew, and to a good ship. Welcome to your new home.” He took a swig, and sat down at the table. “Feel free to get settled in, and Feronia can answer any questions you might have. Set up your bunks in the crew’s bunkroom. Once you get the spare bunks out it’s quite spacious. Be back here in an hour and we’ll talk about the first job I have lined up.” He stretched out his legs on another chair as everyone got up and left.<br/><br/>“So how’d I do?” he asked.<br/><br/>“Very captain like, I was almost convinced,” Feronia teased him.<br/><br/>“What’s that supposed to mean?”<br/><br/>“I’m kidding. You were excellent. But sweetie, I’m not calling you Captain.”<br/><br/>“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he told her smiling, as he drank down the whiskey.