I enjoyed this. I like mission stories with some "I'm not leaving without you, dummy" H/C attached.

A very minor quibble - do you care that the Coleridge quote isn't quite accurate? I know people often say it that way, so it's not like it's out of character for a person who's not a total pedant to get it wrong, but if you care, it's "water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink." :-)

Thanks for sharing this!