"Impassioned speech about the shortsightedness of their choices highlighting the flaws in their logic?" provides Yvette, wryly self aware.

That person snorts. Yeah, sure, impassioned speeches are what gets things done here.

He smiles a bit. "In the hypothetical where it was the best option for them, though?"

"Impassioned speech about contributions to the overall well-being of the world and society at large. And also loyalty."

There is general staring.

"Old man, I'm buying you a drink, you have a hell of a job, don't you."

"Much obliged," says Vernon wryly, raising his glass in toast.

Man, Zash really wishes he could live in Yvette's world where people can resolve their differences via "conversation" and "argument".

Someone barges into the diner right then. "Hey, we should divvy up the loot!" Then he pauses as he takes in the atmosphere and notices Zash is there. "Oh."

Zash just laughs, though. "Show me what you got, Elliott, I want to judge you for your choices."

"My choices are perfectly good and valid ones, thank you very much!" he sniffles proudly.

“Have the sunglasses been sorted out yet?" wonders Vernon.

No and in fact it is time for FIGHTING OVER THE SUNGLASSES, round TWO.

Generally speaking, though, the prospect of dividing up loot lightens up everyone's moods and, despite silly infighting for specific things, does ultimately bring everyone together.

And there's no solution to awkwardness as good as effective as aggressively and cheerfully ignoring it, which Zash is great at. It helps that he genuinely cares about these people and doesn't hold any of what happened against them. Plus, he has Opinions™ about who should get what, and some of those opinions are fighting words but personally he finds it hilarious to rile these people up.

He does, actually, genuinely have fun.

Vernon seems to agree with Zash's assessment of riling people up. He's happy to assist in trolling resource distribution.

One person.... definitely feels like she's being a killjoy, though. She'll uh, just. Excuse herself. Go to her (and technically Zash's, though he's been sleeping on the couch) room to work on plant related equations to help these dickish self-centered people.

It doesn't take very long for Zash to excuse himself so he can check up on his city slicker wife, who is very unused to violence because she's from fantasy rich person land. People are very understanding of this, given how clearly in love Zash is, so he is in short order slipping through the door.

She looks up from her data. She has not, actually, properly gone to math world yet.

“Hey,” she says, blinking with surprise. “Sorry, I’m fine, you can go back to having fun. I’m irritated but I won’t actually do anything about it. I’m still going to help them.”

"Eh, it's fine. We're selling the married couple act very well, they understand that I should come check on my wife.

"...so, how are you doing?"

“About the violence? A bit freaked out, but fine. Honestly the notion of casual betrayal from people that seemed like friends freaks me out more than everyone around me being armed and dangerous, but.” She starts shuffling through her papers to find something she doesn’t immediately have at hand. “…. I mean I was kind of aware I was going to die out here, so.”

"...why do you think you're going to die?"

"Statistics? Lifespan outside of the seven cities is tragic. People live short, sad, violent lives out here and I do not expect that being a valuable learned engineer will actually change that for me."

He needs to look away so she won't misinterpret his smile. Statistics. "Not that short."

"I'm not expecting to die tomorrow or anything, just. I am aware that I'm doing something crazy and risky and it'll probably get me killed. I don't think lying to myself about my chances will help anything? It's still worth it."

"So what exactly is it that you're doing, that's crazy? Is the plan to fix every plant you run into?"

"And send the data back to civilization on each and every one, yep."