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[Pagan listens patiently, nodding once and gesturing for him to continue. He takes a drink. Mutiny and cannibalism talk means his sobriety goes out the window.]

[ Completely understandable. Hickey gives Pagan a little nod before the conversation continues. ]

Unfortunately, Captain Crozier decided that my actions went too far. Never mind the fact that he kept the secret of the tins from us or that he almost walked out himself, abandoning the mission at the start of things. I was almost hung. Fortunately, my group and I managed to escape. We made it on our own for a bit but eventually it became obvious: we needed meat.

There was one member of our party close to death. When he died, I had the surgeon butcher him. We ate well that night.

[A long drink. Gross. Says the man who bathed in yak's blood.]

Wait, wait, wait.

Why were you almost hung? What were the charges? Even stranded, there had to be some semblance of order. Was it simply the mutiny?

[ What do you MEAN selectively not mentioning certain details won't work? Hickey pauses for a moment before just nonchalantly answering, ]

I mean, I also murdered a man. Thought I staged it well enough that most of the camp thought the natives did the deed.

[Pagan laughs a bit at that.]

Ah, so you murdered a man, framed it badly, and staged a mutiny.

I would have shot you. But they obviously failed to hang you. So you got to do the more colorful crimes.

[ He bristles a bit at that. Badly? He framed it perfectly well, thank you very much. The only person who suspected was Crozier. ]

I think Captain Crozier wanted to set an example of me. After all, he wasn't aware who was in my group or if they'd try again after I was gone.

Clever, to keep your group hidden, then.

[He gestures for him to continue.]

After you butchered the man - then what?

We kept on going, [ Hickey admits, with a little shrug. ] Most of the men kept on going to try and find a way out of the Arctic. But for myself, there was something greater I was interested in.

I saw a god up there. And I thought I knew how I could gain some of it's power. I wanted that.

[Pagan takes a pause here.]

Ah. Wait. A god? A literal god?

[ Hickey nods. And as he talks, some worrying intensity slips into his voice. ]

It took the form of a bear, but it walked on two legs. It could tear a man's soul from his body, leaving the shell breathing and whole but not alive. It bisected two of our men in half and returned them to us, one man's top half stacked on top of a different man's lower half. I saw that thing commune with it's shaman, I know it's a god.

[Pagan's...not so sure. It sounds more like a monster. But he doesn't argue the point because that sort of intensity?

Yeah, he knows it.]

I don't suppose getting its power worked well for you.

I did what I was supposed to do, [ Hickey points out, defensively. ] But instead of taking my tongue, like the thing should have done, it ripped me in half.

[ quite literally. Hickey draws in on himself a little bit, as if by rubbing the sides of his arms, he can physically hold himself together. ]

[Pagan refills Hickey's drink.

Well, he didn't expect to find that this man was totally bonkers, but hey. Small surprises.]

Ah. Tragic.

Still, you landed here. Making you at least somewhat redeemable.

I landed here because the Admiral asked 'want to not be dead' and I said 'yes,' [ he grumpily remarks, taking a large swig of his drink. ]

I'll admit, a few of my actions were a little bit misguided, [ he can't really justify murdering Irving and he knows it, ] but what's so wrong about a man wanting to better himself? Wanting to live?

Oh, nothing, I suppose. [He shrugs.]

But the Admiral doesn't bring on just anyone.

So what, [ Hickey points out, with a little laugh. ] You honestly think I'm 'redeemable?'

[ though he doesn't physically make the air quotes, they're audible in his voice. ]

Well. It doesn't matter what I think. Most people don't think I'm redeemable.

They've said as much to my face.

[ Hickey lets out a sharp little laugh before he points out, ]

I suspect the two of us are in the same boat then.

Fortunately, I don't have to worry about people from my world being around.

No one's ever decided to show up.

Lucky. I'm bleeding people who know me—but it's never the right people.

[Well, that's interesting news. Pagan nods.]

Mm. And who would you want to see?

My mates, [ Hickey says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. He then starts up on a round of gentle teasing, ] What, did you expect I didn't have any friends back on HMS Terror?

[Pagan tries not to look surprised.]

Friends? Of course. Strange that none of them showed up here.

Says the man who doesn't have anybody he knows here? I think it's obvious that the Admiral just picks and chooses—there's no method to his madness.

[Pagan just waves that away.] The friends I had at home are not good for me here, Mr. Hickey. That's something I have learned here.

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