Cosmo had intended to introduce the Nebula's temporary new officer.
However, when he reached the table where Collins had already seated himself, he could only shake his head.
"I'm telling you, a millipede would be nasty inside and crunchy on the outside. Same for those other hard-shelled bugs," Collins declared.
"I'm pretty sure they all have exoskeletons," Red corrected.
"You know what I mean."
"No, I don't. I never said a millipede sounded more palatable. I said anything with that texture would be better than the wasps you suggested."
"I don't know… I'd imagine it'd be a little spicy, so it'd probably suit me."
"No offense, Tyson, even though you're on my side right now, but when you say things like that, telling me to stop making 'red-head' jokes feels even more unfair."
"Personally, I'd take the safe option and go with termites," Oliver said, surprisingly invested.
"That's not safe, it's just boring. How about the new guy?" Yon asked.
All eyes turned to Collins. He stiffened under the attention.
"Well… probably something… exotic," he stammered.
"..."
The table fell silent.
"Exotic? What the hell does that mean? A bug's a bug no matter where it's from."
"Y-you put me on the spot! I can't even imagine being in that situation, let alone know the right answer!" Collins protested.
'Well, at least he's fitting in,' Cosmo thought, 'though he worried the idiocy might be contagious.'
He turned to the girl who had been trying to edge away from the group, her expression oddly close to tears. "So, what kind of conversation is this?"
"I don't know… but please make them stop," Blue whined. "When I came back up here, it was just an argument about the last shrimp on the platter. Then it went off the rails, and I still don't know how we got here." She rubbed her temple, bewildered.
"Actually, I have a pretty good guess based on that exposition," Cosmo said, hand under his chin as if weighing the choice himself.
"Ugh, you boys are so weird sometimes," Blue sighed, conceding to their strange mindset. "Yeah, yeah…"
WHAP!
Cosmo's heavy clap drew every eye in the room.
"Good news, our efforts weren't wasted. Hortusole is more than suitable for the entire population of Ra'pert, and then some," he announced. "But before you celebrate, you should know that… actually, never mind."
He hesitated, weighing whether to share the burden of Hortusole with them. It felt like shirking responsibility to push it onto others, yet he also feared stalling their ambitions.
"Just be aware we're in deeper crap than we started in, and it's only going to get harder. So I'll say this–"
"Ugh! Just say what you were going to say," Red groaned.
"You can't seriously be this much of a tease," Yon added. "Why bring it up if you're going to chicken out?"
"Well, I–"
"You're probably going to ask if we want to quit before things get serious, aren't you?" Tyson cut in, "You're the one losing your nerve just because our first mission was tougher than anyone expected."
"They're right," Clarisse agreed. "After everything we've been through, I thought you'd understand how valuable this path has become for us."
"..."
"It's still okay to be worried sometimes," Blue added. "Just share the load with us, okay?"
He was momentarily speechless.
Given the secret criteria required for him to use Stardust Rhapsody, he should have known their resolve better than anyone. Yet he alone grasped the full scope of the trouble the Nebula would face, and he needed their reassurance before committing to the long-term goal of the Nebula's third generation.
"Look," he said finally. "I'll keep my promises, but I'll also start holding you to yours. If the outcome isn't to your liking, don't come whining about it."
"This might be the first time I fully agree with you," Tyson replied. "We're not children, and we're not so fragile that we need you to function. We'll own the consequences of our actions."
Cosmo sighed.
'Who are these savages, and what have they done to my kids?' he wondered, the question echoing in his mind with a different meaning than when he had said it before.
"Whatever," he shrugged. "Since you've met Collins, there's no need for formal introductions. He only needs a place to stay for a short while, so don't get too attached."
"Sir… you make it sound like you're babysitting a pet," Collins muttered.
A few of them stifled laughs at Collins' deferential tone, especially at whom it was directed.
It was easy to forget how much higher Cosmo's rank was, and yet there had been a time when none of them would have imagined showing him reverence. Collins' instinctive respect surprised them.
"That's the difference between a real officer and whatever we are," Yon said, earning a puzzled look from Cosmo.
"What are you on about? You are real officers."
"That's not what I mean, and you know it."
After leaving for the expedition and barely a day into their arrival at Veil, the Nebula had already developed an odd dynamic. It guaranteed they would stand out as oddities among recruits.
"Speaking of which, I forgot to mention, you aren't recruits anymore," Cosmo said with a small clap. "Congratulations. Tyson, Blue, Yon, Red, and of course, little Jenny, you've earned another ring on your badge."
"Really? Me too? I didn't even know I counted!" Argenta exclaimed.
"That's great!"
"Only after one mission? That's impressive."
They were eager to celebrate, but one of them hesitated.
"Hold on," Tyson interrupted. "What comes with that?"
Cosmo tilted his head, searching his memory. "Actually… I forgot that too."
Multiple sighs filled the room.
'Of course you did,' the thought rippled through them.
One of the costs of the vast amount of information Cosmo processed at every moment was a terrible memory for anything he deemed unimportant. If he didn't mark it as significant, it vanished, hence his frequent failure to tell them details they would have liked to know sooner.
Apparently, someone, or something, had noticed this recurring oversight and decided to act on it this time.
Cosmo's A.D.A. orb suddenly shot out from the jacket he'd left on the stairs and landed squarely on his head.
"Since when did you get snarky?" Cosmo muttered, flicking the orb's metal surface.
"That's a relief," Red said, and Yon, Blue, and Tyson nodded.
"That unpleasant bunch? We should avoid them at all costs," Clarisse said, and no one disagreed.
"What was that last part?" Blue asked.
"We can't quit, but we can be fired? That doesn't sound right," Tyson added.
A collective swallow.
Eyes turned to Cosmo, who looked as startled as anyone, though for a different reason.
"Captain," Yon said, "I don't think this is something a normal person would forget."
"Um…"
"Actually, that's the part we should have heard on day one," Red finished.
Cosmo laughed, a little too loudly. "Haha. I know, right? What is up with me?" He looked away at nothing in particular.
"So, uh… congratulations again?" Cosmo broke the long silence.
Tyson stepped forward, an uncharacteristic grin on his face. "Hey… Cosmo?"
"Sup?" Cosmo answered.
Tyson raised a clenched fist. "Can I punch you?"
"Hell, no. You already got your lick before, remember? Everybody only gets one, and you should have used it wisely."
"Tch."
"I think I'll save mine until the day I get killed," Yon muttered.
"Ha. Joke's on you, that day only comes if I'm already dead."
"Captain… that'd be touching if it doesn't feel like we're being screwed over."
"You too, Blue?"
Cosmo fumbled for a way to defuse the mood until a half-forgotten idea snapped back into place. He snapped his fingers.
"Right. Let's get your minds off it for now. I promised each of you a gift when we got back, remember? Here it is." He straightened. "I thought about the complaints you had before we fought the Spire and how secretive I've been."
He raised a finger.
"Each of you gets one full hour with me. In that hour, I have to answer any question you ask. Literally anything." He paused to clarify. "Of course, I can't reveal anything I'm obligated to keep, but personal knowledge is fair game. I've been up and down Conmundia, I've got things money can't buy. Road to power, love advice… err, maybe not that one. Financial tips, the secret to immortality, how to get swole or skinny, why the chicken crossed the road, anything's on the table. Let your imaginations run wild!"
After everything they'd endured in the past year, half the time, on Earth. Pushing through suffering that had included unimaginable pain and life‑threatening peril, Cosmo's offer produced a single unanimous thought that echoed through the room.
'I really, really want to hit this guy.'