Cliff stands trial, the floating screens shining their harsh light over him.

  Cliff Mason
You--?
Why are you--??

Moon-Soo
* you know her?

  Cliff Mason
I--

  Avean Engineer
You KILLED me, CLIFF MASON!
YOU SHOT ME DEAD!

  Cliff Mason
No, no I--
I had to!

  Cliff Mason
I had to protect my-- these people!

  Avean Engineer
Who protected ME, CLIFF MASON!?

  Cliff Mason
Protect you? You were trying to invade this planet!

  Avean Engineer
We were STRANDED, we--
I just wanted to go home!
I-- I wanted to see my mama again!

  Cliff Mason
That's-- That doesn't matter!
I had to do what I did, I didn't have a choice!
For the good of this planet!

  Avean Engineer
NO!!! YOU DIDN'T!

  Cliff Mason
I did!


Moon-Soo pokes his head out from crouching behind a rack of games to chime in.

Moon-Soo
* wow, you're really bad at this.

  Cliff Mason
W-what?

Moon-Soo
* so, okay. wayward spirit.
* let's talk this over.

Clip
* Oh, oh!
* Debate start!

He steps out in front of the floating monitors and does his best imitation of Jasper's style.

Moon-Soo
* cliff shot you. understandable grievance.

  Avean Engineer
OH, IS IT, NOW!?

Moon-Soo
* but, if i'm gathering correctly here, this was in the context of some greater conflict?

  Cliff Mason
That's right! The Aveans are-- they come to planets, they conquer, they bring war wherever they go!

Moon-Soo
* okay, right.
* so, if you arm yourself, participate in combat, you must admit there's a degree to which you have to accept responsibility.
* the enemy will fight back, and as a soldier you acknowledge that they are rational to--

  Avean Engineer
I wasn't!!
I wasn't a soldier! I'm-- I'm an engineer.
I was there to keep the ship running, get everyone to the outpost okay, I-- I didn't even have a gun...

Moon-Soo
* shit, for real?

  Cliff Mason
No, no, Moon-Soo, it's not what you think!
Her people, her empire, they-- they destroyed my home!
They killed everyone I knew!

  Avean Engineer
THAT WASN'T ME!!
I didn't, I didn't do any of that!
I didn't blow up your planet!
I didn't hurt anyone!!
I was just, just helping some guys get from one space station to another.

  Cliff Mason
They were murderers!
You can't say you had nothing to do with what happened, they-- you were a part of this!

  Avean Engineer
I HAD MY HANDS UP!!
I had my hands up and I was BEGGING YOU just to let me KEEP ON BREATHING!!
THAT'S ALL I WANTED!!!

Moon-Soo
* christ, okay, look!

Moon-Soo
* i get it. you don't bear full responsibility for what your people did.
* but, honestly, it sounds to me like you've already had your revenge.

  Avean Engineer
I haven't even done anything...

Moon-Soo
* right, but cliff mason's friends, his family, they’re already gone.
* realistically, how are you going to bring him any lower than he is now?

  Avean Engineer
...

Moon-Soo
* you're pouring salt in your own wounds, trying to make a sad old man sadder and older.

  Avean Engineer
What else is there? What else do I do?

Moon-Soo
* let go. move on.
* i don't know exactly how it works, but i'm to understand once your worldly tethers are gone, you're ready to move to whatever afterlife comes next.
* and someday, out there, you'll get to see your mother again.

  Avean Engineer
You promise?

Moon-Soo
* it's only logical.

  Avean Engineer
...
...Okay.
Okay.

  Avean Engineer
I'll... let go of it all.
I'll face it. Whatever it is that's next.
I... thanks, kid.
And... to you, Cliff Mason.

Steam seethes out from the crevices in the monitors and they blink off, one by one. But before the engineer is fully gone, she glares at Cliff for one last curse.

  Avean Engineer
I hope the boy's right.
I hope every day you live hurts worse than the last.

With that, the monitors fall to the ground. Cliff watches them drop. There's a pit in his stomach.



Clip
* Debate won...?


  Cliff Mason
I... can't stay here.