Miles wasn't sure what the old guy wanted with him, but he was kind of hungry, so he'd readily agreed to the offer of food. What was surprising was how empty the halls were as the Captain led the way to the mess hall. Sure, not every deck of the pirate ship he'd been on was always hustling and bustling, but even on the lower decks, there were signs of life. Here, the halls just felt empty. and it somehow made him feel even smaller and more vulnerable.

For the most part, the Captain walked in silence, only pointing out the occasional feature that might be useful, like the bathroom. However, he brightened considerably once they walked into the mess room, showing off all the "new amenities."

However, Miles was again stuck by how empty the place was. Where was the cook or the kitchen staff? Did the Captain really cook his own meals? Was that just his eccentricity, or were they alone on this ship? The Captain was grilling up a couple steaks as he grinned and explained. "You know, you're lucky kid. Not long ago, you'd be eating mint-flavored bug paste. It's not as bad as it sounds, but it's nothing compared to a fresh steak! Once this ship was fully up and running, that was one of my first demands as Captain. Now, whenever we raid a pirate ship, their food stores are on the list of priority supplies we secure."

Miles finally decided to ask the question on his mind. "Where is everyone? Is it really just you and the rest of the people I saw on the bridge?"

Carter looked over at him and laughed. "Oh, no. Not at all! Erik and Vanessa aren't usually on the ship. They're just here temporarily, lending a hand. Or maybe it's us helping them? Either way, it's usually just me and the three Sybils. If I wasn't already kind of a loner, it'd probably drive me a little crazy. Then again..." He looked thoughtful for a second. "Ah, never mind. Enough about that. Let's talk about you. You're a bit young to be a pirate, but you don't seem too broken up about losing your old ship, so I'm guessing your parents weren't there. I guess I'm asking, how'd you end up there?"

Miles wondered what this man was getting at. Usually, when adults asked questions like that, they were looking to make themselves feel better by "saving" him from a situation they knew nothing about, or they were looking to get him in trouble for being a beggar. However, Miles didn't quite get that feeling from this guy. However, it still felt like he was hiding something. Still unsure of what might get him in trouble or not, Miles decided to stick to the truth this time. "I wasn't really a member of the crew; I was just some kid they kept around to do chores. I don't have any family either, so there was no one to lose."

The Captain nodded as he flipped the steaks. "Well, what about now? What do you want to do? We could drop you off at a nearby port, or I'm sure we could get you a similar job doing maintenance on the ship Erik and Vanessa come from. Don't worry; they're the only aliens, and the rest of the crew is human. But we do get in a lot of fights with pirates, so that might not be the safest place to be. Or is there something else you'd like to do?"

That made Miles stop and think. What did he want to do? He'd never really had a choice before. "I...I don't know. I've never really thought about it."

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The Captain nodded as if he'd expected that kind of answer. "Yeah, it might have been a few years since I was a kid, but I distinctly remember no one asking for my say in much of anything. Don't get me wrong, we're not gonna go out of our way to make your dreams come true or anything, but so long as your request is reasonable, we'll see if we can't accommodate you."

Miles tried to think of what he wanted, but his mind drifted back to earlier in the conversation. "Why do you live on this ship all alone? It looks pretty big. Seems like it'd be kinda hard to run it by yourself."

The Captain sat down and smiled. "Well, like I said, it's not just me. There are also the three Sybils, but you're right. This is an awfully big ship for just us. I suppose that's the way they like it, though. You're probably too young to know this, but the Sybil is one of the most notorious ghost ships ever to sail the void. This scrap heap has been sailing the stars, in one form or another, since before FTL was even a thing. Over that time, the ship developed a personality, or rather three personalities, and has been haunting the void ever since. You're lucky they decided to play nice with you. Most people who set foot in their halls never live to tell the tale!"

That only piqued Miles' curiosity further. "What's so special about me?"

The Captain thought about it a moment. "Well, for one, you're a kid. For another, you didn't come here to make trouble. But don't get me wrong, it's not like you have total immunity or something. If you push them, they might very well revoke your stay of execution. This lot can be....unpredictable." He looked around as if to make sure they were alone before leaning in as if sharing a secret. "I think all their time alone in the void has driven them a little insane!"

Thinking back to the woman in red and the bombastic pirate, Miles agreed. However... "What about the...uh..."

The Captain grinned as if in on a joke. "The girl?"

Miles nodded.

The older man shook his head. "Don't let her fool you. The girl is the oldest of the lot and probably the craziest in her own way. Though at least she probably won't laugh while you die..."

Okay, Miles had no idea what to do with that information. As the Captain served the steaks he'd cooked, Miles stopped and considered what he wanted to do but was immediately distracted by the mouth-watering smell in front of him. As he cut himself a bite-sized morsel, the Captain changed gears. "Well, I don't suppose there's any rush. Once we finish up here, we'll get you sent over to the Laughing Comet. That's the ship Erik and Vanessa are from. That way, you can get some rest and decide with a clear head."

Miles' mind was racing. He'd never made any decisions like this before. How was he supposed to decide his whole future after a single night's sleep?

Just then, the one the Captain referred to as "the girl" popped into existence next to the two of them, making Miles jump just as he was about to take a bite. "Sorry to interrupt, but we've got more incoming. Looks like they're not giving up the hunt just yet."

The Captain put down his own serving of steak he'd been about to tear into with a curse. "They never let up, do they? Alright, let's get what we can and get out of here. Do we have enough time to get Erik and the kid back to the Laughing Comet?"

The girl looked somewhat doubtful. "It would be close..."

The Captain cut her off as he stood up and headed for the door. "Better not risk it then. We'll send them over after we get out of this mess." Then, looking over at Miles, he added. "Well, looks like you'll be our guest a little longer. Go ahead and finish up here, then Sybil here will show you to a reasonably livable room so you can get some rest."

With that, the Captain was gone, leaving Miles to wonder how he was supposed to just eat a meal and "get some rest," knowing they were about to be running for their lives...