Extend the Story - Add a Room

The sense of barely-contained chaos does not diminish as you approach the cluster of launchpads the next day. Students are still typing or scribbling on scraps of paper even as they're being strapped into their safety harnesses by surly flight personnel.

You are introduced to your own complement of assistants/babysitters when you reach the small craft assigned for your trip to Siltrada 7. Manning the Drunken Tortoise on its journey will be Pilot Second Class Roger Dodger, Technician Third Class Spar Key, Navigator First Class Victor Vector, and Security Officer No Class Juan Tuffnut. You're pretty sure they are all giving you fake names to avoid any negative reports to the dean, but since your life will be in their hands for the next few hours it seems best to humor these antics.

While the law prohibits any use of aggression or force against sapient species, SO Tuffnut still carries a sidearm to protect against any environmental hazards while on the planet. The downfall of the local civilization has led to a massive upsurge in wildlife running amok, and some of it can be dangerous. You've never seen a true weapon up close aside from a museum trip during your undergrad years. The handheld beamsplitter gleams in the ship's harsh lighting.

I shy away from the weapon and focus on the task at hand.