Transcription

[[Trudy and Esther Matusevitch are sitting on the floor in a small cavern in the star beast, both of them covered in dried goop. Esther is opening a can of something.]]
Esther: I'm... sorry you got mixed up in all this. _You_ were never meant to be a target. It seems my data on your company was a few years out of date.

Esther: Your firm may be small, but your boss Duncan has _many_ contacts. That man knows how to network. He was meant to be a hub for intelligence and new targets.

Esther: The aliens generally work in pairs, so the other target was to be the marketing head, someone else who networks well. I forget who--
Trudy: [icily] Trent...

Esther: You... don't mean that pond scum you dated back in college...
Trudy: Please, mother. Don't insult pond scum like that...