[Flashback] The treasure of the cat kind

[Alice]

“It's all right,” Alice answered. “I'm not offended. I hope you are not either. Let's call it a draw”.
She didn't want to discuss the past, and she promised Amir not to remind his new partners of the bad. But she was unexpectedly pleased that Rimmer had been on the Black Phoenix in the same position she had been on Max's base, and Max's ring was hanging on a silver chain around her neck under her clothes. If the ring was too big for Max, then it was even bigger for Alice, and Alice didn't want to lose it.

While Amir and Max were agreeing on further actions and the rules of staying on the Black Phoenix, Alice couldn't get rid of the memories. Max was incredibly charming, he joked cheerfully, and if Alice had met him under different circumstances, she would have completely fallen under his charm. Understanding this was a little frightening.

Alice was glad that Max had agreed to fly on the Black Phoenix. Alice didn’t want to go into Max's territory but she was prepared for this outcome of the negotiations. Max hadn't done her any harm when she was his prisoner, but the effects of the implant-disabling drugs, coupled with the resentment that Max was going to use her as an argument in negotiations with Amir, left a very unpleasant aftertaste. Alice tried not to show her joy, but Max and Rimmer could see how the tension left her face when the four of them walked towards the Black Phoenix.

The passengers were placed in separate cabins. This time, no one locked Rimmer in, but access beyond the living quarters was closed to both of them. A lot had changed since Rimmer had been on the ship last time. Even though the guy hadn't seen much when he was a prisoner on the Black Phoenix, he could see that the ship had been heavily modernized since then. It had become more comfortable, there were green areas in all accessible corners, the interior paneling of the living quarters had been updated and now sparkled with the cleanliness of a fresh renovation.

"How well is the temple we're going to infiltrate guarded?" Alice asked Max when they arrived on the ship.
That was the first question she dared to ask.
"I'm interested not only in perimeter security, but also in network security. If I'm going to work online, I'd like to know what we might encounter".