I just want my NPC crew mate to sit next to me ;-{

I think this multicrew thing will at the very least be a bit of fun, and I think it has great potential. But as an explorer (most of the time), in its current state it doesn't seem to have much to offer me other than the chance at having someone scan planets for me. Rather than call up a friend just to have them sit in my cockpit while we jump endlessly through the void, I really REALLY wish I could just have an NPC crew mate sit in the second seat in my Python. They don't have to do anything! I just think it would be nice if I could have a friendly face to look at every now and then. They've already been given faces and back stories, so why are they not allowed outside of the fighter bays?