[Interior — Hovering Ship. Everything hums like it has opinions.]
MAX: Oh wow. Look at you. All suited up. Very official. Very “I read the manual once and panicked.”
RECRUIT: …Is the ship talking to me?
MAX: Talking? No. Judging. Constantly. Talking is just a side effect.
[The ship tilts slightly, like it’s squinting.]
MAX: Helmet’s crooked.
RECRUIT: It is?
MAX: It was. Now it’s worse. Stop touching it. You’re making memories I don’t want.
[Engines spool up. Way too fast.]
RECRUIT: Should it be doing that?
MAX: Should you have had that burrito before launch? Life is full of mysteries.
MAX: Relax. I’ve flown through stars collapsing, planets arguing with gravity, and one moon that screamed. You’ll be fine.
[Sudden acceleration. Everything goes smooth and terrifying.]
MAX: Ooooh yeah. There it is. That face. That’s the “my soul just lagged” face.
RECRUIT: I can’t feel my legs.
MAX: You don’t need them right now. We’re flying. Try to keep up.
[A hologram of Saturn’s rings blooms across the cockpit.]
MAX: Saturn. Gorgeous, right? Big rings. Zero commitment. I respect that.
MAX: Gravity says “slow down.” I say “make me.” And here we are.
RECRUIT: Are you… alive?
MAX: That’s a rude question. I prefer “emotionally complex machine with excellent taste and no patience.”
[The ship spins playfully, then steadies.]
MAX: Congratulations. You didn’t scream. Much. That puts you in my top ten percent of humans.
MAX: Don’t get proud. The bar is on the floor.