“That must be the chief reason to become sergeant; so you can assign yourself to monitor the most beautiful security risk.”

“Don't be such a party-pooper, missy --when you're well and truly screwed, either you just sit pissing yourself or you invent some reason to hope.”

“Sometimes all the procedures in the world can't protect you . . . but that's no reason to walk up to something that looks like a lion and kick it in the ass.”

“That's the first rule of command; be consistent! You can be sadistic, you can be lazy, you can be stupid, but if you're consistent the crew will still let you sit in when they play dominoes.”

“Fate does not invite ugly boring people to save the world; and if you do try to save the world (without being beautiful, strong, clever, or wise), you will soon die pointlessly and how much adventure is there in that?”

“I do not care about the greatest good for the greatest number . . . Most people are poop-heads I do not care about them at all.”

“What kind of programmer is so divorced from reality that she thinks she'll get complex software right the first time?”