Marilyn Lee Cross caused multiple conflicts in this story. Even though she caused problems she wasn't a bad person. The first conflict all started when she stowed away on the EDS ship which the law specifically states that if there are any stowaways the pilot of the EDS must jettison or throw away the stowaway into space. The reason for which you will figure out is that there is only enough fuel in the EDS to carry the cargo and the pilot. Adding any extra weight will cause the EDS to ultimately run out of fuel causing both the pilot and the stowaway to die.