The muggers revealed

Underground.

It seemed… natural.

We set up our meeting place in some unused storerooms. Most of us go this route because of all the pipes and machinery you see along the way.

There's just something relaxing about walking through well maintained infrastructure.

After living on a space station, I know exactly what you mean.

The muggers revealed

We have about four hours until the meeting. You'll be able to sleep here.

Good night. You get some sleep, too. You don't want to start overwriting your day memory.

Organic brains are superior in that respect.

Though overwriting does have its advantages. When you have a bad day you really want to forget, stay up another eighteen hours and you do.

The muggers revealed

Religion. Mostly I hear about it when there's a scandal or when someone tries to use it as a weapon.

Thing is, there's a lot of good people out there quietly working to make things better. You don't hear about them.

I haven't heard a word about this spiritual advisor. I'm counting that as a point in his favor.

Polly!

Go home! Go home! We don't need an emu on the spaceship!

Florence! We're back!

Ms. Ambrose left with Sawtooth at 9:30 P.M.. She has not returned.

What? She's been out all night partying and carousing with her robot friends?

See Helix? It took time, but I knew we'd be a good influence on her.

Polly!

Where are we going to put Polly?

Polly? You named the emu Polly?

Sure. For when we become scurvy pirates. People won't take us seriously without an animal mascot.

Our Polly will command more respect than any silly old parrot.

I know I'd be respectful of a pirate with an emu on his shoulder.

Polly!

We're not keeping the emu. I'm going to take off my faceplate and scare it so it goes back home.

SQUEE!

SQUEE!

SQUEE?

GHXZP!

I didn't know your facial tentacles came off.

THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO!

Polly!

What's with Polly?

The emu's tasted blood! It's gone carnivorous! That bird has become death on drumsticks!

Can we still keep her?

No! She bit me when I tried to scare her! I've suffered enough loss of face!

You never let me keep any pets that try to eat you.

I'm sorry, Helix. But to command this ship, it's vital that I remain undigested.

Polly!

Humans might consider another mission to your planet if they knew how many earth species find you delicious.

When dealing with a technologically superior race, not something you want on the bargaining table.

And it's not just big animals! Remember that time I went swimming wearing only a breathing mask?

I've never seen anyone before or since covered with so many frog bites.

I'm the captain of a space ship! I deserve to be higher on the food chain!

Polly!

It's all because of that stupid asteroid! Smacks their planet, wipes out the large life forms and leaves the advanced cell biochemistry in place! Terran life gets another hundred million years to evolve!

People like me who evolved on the first try have comparatively simple and easy to digest proteins. We're like a walking buffet tables to them.

Buffet tables with tentacles!

There is no Fermi Paradox! Any time space faring aliens make it to earth, the cows get them!

Fermi's paradox is that if there are billions of stars and thousands of inhabited worlds in the galaxy, why hasn't humanity discovered any yet?

Polly!

I'm going to bed. Lose the bird.

Polly's our guest! We can't toss her out into the cold, dark night!

Okay. Fine. She can stay until morning.

She'll need a place to sleep.

I don't care if Helix IS worried you'll get lonely. You lay an egg on me and you're out in the hall.