Far out on the edge of Strikken-controlled space, a human who calls himself Plug joins the short-term crew of a mining ship. The Deep Sky Company hauler DSC18 is piloted by a slow-rider, a species naturally able to connect into the machine and operate the ship via thought. This slow-rider has led hundreds of humans over his years at the helm. But what's a pilot do when the genetically modified Plug wants to change things up?
This is a short story of approximately 6500 words.