‘tween Jumps

In which first board fails to answer to the pilot.

Even if Bechimo were in the right, messing with the function of the pilot’s controls is dangerous territory to get into, and Theo’s correct not to let him get away with setting a precedent.

Especially since Bechimo isn’t in the right: the Builder’s Rules, as reported in Ghost Ship, do not forbid involvement with Korval. They do say that it’s best to avoid dealing with Korval if possible, but they go on to admit that it sometimes might not be avoidable and even give advice on the best way to proceed in that case.

And if Bechimo genuinely believes that they ought to avoid entanglement with Korval, the time to have brought it up would have been when Korval offered Theo the loop contract. To accept Korval’s contract then, and complain now, suggests that Bechimo is acting out of other motives. (Or was too eager to accept occupation back then; in either case, a situation calling for reflection on Bechimo’s motivations and decision-making.)

There’s an interesting word choice during this scene, as a consequence of Screen Six tending to go to a flat unvaried colour when Bechimo is in a state of high emotion: when Theo announces the error test, the resulting display on Screen Six is described as “bright and untroubled”, which is a clear description of what the screen looks like and exactly the opposite of the state of mind it represents.