I want to be a cowboy

"I want to be a cowboy."

"You can't be a cowboy."

"But I want to be a cowboy."

"Fine... be a cowboy."

"You're just saying that."

"Of course I'm just saying that, you can't be a cowboy!"

"Feh."

"Bob! We're 85 lightyears from Wyoming, you can't be a cowboy"

"I have to be in Wyoming to be a cowboy? I think there's a bunch of boys in Arizona that would say a thing or two about that. Not to mention the Texans."

"Yes... well, we don't have a lot of horses here, do we."

"No."

"Nor cows."

"No."

"Not a lot of ranches, or dust trails, or injuns on the warpath."

"No -- but that's not the point."

"No?"

"No. The point is being a cowboy... being a cowboy... is a state of mind."

"Fine. You're right. I'm wrong. You're a cowboy."

"But I want to be a cowboy."

"You said it, not me... state of mind. You're a cowboy."

"I don't feel like a cowboy."

"I give up."

"I want to ride. I want to herd. I want to punch cattle."

"No cows, Bob."

"I know."

"So?"

"Damn it. I want to be a cowboy."

"You want to be the Marlboro man, Bob? You want to set up a campfire and kick up your boots and swap stories of the range over a smokey cigarette? There isn't anyplace on this station you could light up a campfire... let alone a cigarette."

"yeah... but... damn."

"I don't know what to tell you. We could order you a hat and some spurs, but it'll take some time..."

"The hat would help."

"The spurs might be a bit dangerous in the hallways, you know. And there's no way you'd get to wear 'em on your space suit."

"Yeah. But I'd like the hat."

"Ok. Fine. We'll order you a hat. ... what? What is it?"

"I want to ride."

"Well, you get to drive your loader all day long. Why don't you give it a name and we'll call it a deal."

"A loader? A loader don't buck. I wanna tame a wild beast. I wanna break its will and ride it into the sunset."

"Well, we're not ordering you a wild horse. For one thing, there's no where high enough for you to ride it... let along break it in. And as for riding it into the sunset... well shucks Bob, it'd pop if we let it out the airlock."

"Fine. Why can't I tame one of those?"

"What? That?!"

"Yeah... look at it. It survives in a vacuum. It's wild. It's untamed."

"Bob, damn it... I don't want you looking at that. That's a 15 feet of vicious spidery death. Look at those fangs, Bob! Look at 'em! The only thing keeping us out of it's mouth right now is 2 feet of transparent aluminum."

"Nonsense. That's the beast for me! I'll break it, and I'll call her Wildfire."

"It would cut you in two and leave your desiccated halves in the dust before you even threw the lasso. Can you even tie a lasso, Bob?"

"Don't tell a real cowboy the odds, it's all in knowing who's the man, who's the master in the battle of wills."

"Bob? Bob, damn it, funs-fun. Look at me, damn it!"

"I am a cowboy! Here Wildfire! Here Girl!"

"Shit. Security, we've lost another one. Security!"

"Nooo... no! I can take it. I can. Let go of me."

"Bob, you don't even have any rope."

"No. Let me go you laggards! You city slickers! You can't keep me tied down. I'm a free spirit. I belong to the big sky and the wide open range. I'm coming for you girl."

"No... no... I don't know. Put him with the others. And someone throw something over these windows. I swear, there's something in the way those things look at you. It just eats away at you. I just don't want to see it any more today."