Under the circumstances, I score this as a win.
“All right,” I groused, “so he hates you so much he doesn’t even want the pleasure of annoying you in person. But why me? I don’t know a damned thing about software piracy, and I don’t think I’ve ever run over the Adjudication Council’s dog.”
Maki checked a strap, then tightened it further. “I don’t know, Pam. Maybe because you’ve been on One-Eighteen the longest? You’re an old hand by now.”
“Yeah, but it’s only been five years — hold on, is that really the longest anybody’s been here?”
“Yeah, I looked it up. You got here fifteen months before Nur did, three years before me. And nobody stays here more than four years. Didn’t you notice the bonus on your renewal contract?”
“No.” Actually, at the time I had thought it was pretty high, but I had decided that if they wanted to give me extra easy money, well, I wasn’t their accountant. “Why is there so much turnover? This planet’s a dream to live on.”
“And that’s a good thing?” Maki asked, with a crooked grin. “I’ve had dreams I was happy to wake up from.”