The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Ashby and Sissix play chess in the Fishbowl and talk about Ashby’s family. The crew got drunk the previous night and is now waiting for the wormhole’s containment cage to finish self-assembling. Dr. Chef tends to his herb garden. After winning the chess game, Ashby leaves to check the news. Dr. Chef and Sissix discuss humans. Sissix is puzzled by the contradiction between Humanity’s violent past and the kindness of the humans she has personally known. Dr. Chef understand humans better, seeing aspects of his own species in them.

The pair worry about Ashby, who has a secret Aeluon lover, Pei. Her species is at war, and he checks the news hoping to discern where she might be. Sissix and Dr. Chef play tikkit, an Aandrisk game. After a while, Ashby returns to them and turns on the news for them. The Toremi Ka, a single clan of their species, has been admitted to the Galactic Commons. They are all bewildered by the decision. The Toremi are a mostly unknown race who violently repulse all attempts at contact. Ashby shows Sissix a new job contract that has just appeared.