Orloff Tree was the swing-shift pilot of the transgalactic cargo ship Iblis under Captain Et Cetera.
On a routine flight through the Erlenmeyer Asteroid Field, Orloff picked up strange readings on the scanner and fragments of an audio transmission saying "bad design" and "out-of-date color scheme". He had no way of knowing the source of both was the crew of the Wotwot flagship WSS Ferlinghetti, who were commenting on his own vessel. He relayed this information to Captain Uxno of the Gilded Excelsior who knew what to do with it.