Saul's eyes shifted slowly, right to left, taking in the chaos around him. He'd never thought it could get this out of control, but now with every flash of color, every new catastrophe, his hands moved automatically, knife flashing before he even had time to think. And it was all Mona's fault.

No, he corrected himself. It was his fault.

She might have said "Ain't no way you can make a omelet with protein packs," but he just had to prove her wrong.

The last of the freeze-dried vegetables finally thawed, he turned his full attention to the process of mixing them with the slurry of hot water and blended protein. A quick hover with his free hand confirmed that the pan was hot enough, and he began to pour the mixture. It released a hiss and an acrid smell immediately, and Saul growled aloud. He hadn't mixed it well enough; the water was boiling off to fast, and the protein was burning. "Li ni niu yao mo!"

Mona smiled smugly as Saul's increasingly colorful curses echoed down the forward hallway, and Rachel shook her head. "You're gonna be the death o' that poor man, mei mei."

"Yes, Miss Wu."

"You realize we ain't gonna be able to get 'im to concentrate on anything else for the rest of the gorram day?"

"Yes, Miss Wu."

"Hey, Saul, what's wrong?"

"Ding yao mo ai zi!"

As Saul's response followed Dex onto the bridge, Mona began to shake with laughter. "What's his problem?"

Mona cackled, eyes squeezed shut, and Rachel sighed. "Don't even ask. Mona, that wave come through yet?"

The pilot managed to straighten herself out, clear her throat, and almost take on an air of professionalism. "Not yet Miss Wu. He's over…wait." Mona tapped a few buttons and glanced at a side panel. "Incoming now."

The captain took Mona's chair and flicked a switch, then smiled at the small, dirty face looking up at her from the screen. "Spencer Capshaw, you crook. You ain't got yourself shot yet?"

The middle-aged man grinned back. "Good to see you too. Dex, Mona, long time."

"All right, Spence, you give us these rendezvous coordinates b