Pixie Hazard by Archibald Bradford (top young adult novels .txt) 📕

This is by far the most inexact stage as infinitesimal irregularities in the antimatter cloak will inevitably cause them to exit slipspace with a violent lurch that meant a directional error rate of approximately point zero-two percent per light-year traveled.

Hence why jumping into a crowded sector without a heads up just wasn’t done.

There were many more steps to the process of course, each of which took trillions of deks and an equal measure of man-hours to troubleshoot; which means that countless vessels have been, and continue to be, lost as humanity spread out into the stars with ever increasing speeds.

The simple conclusion offered to schoolchildren is that the universe doesn’t fuck about when squeezing apple seeds, so even though the aging Pixie Hazard could make a journey of a dozen or so light-years in short order, a single misstep in the calculations would inevitably mean a fatal outcome for her and her entire crew.

Most ship captains, Donnie included, opted to spend more time in normal space rather than risk their ship going splat because someone missed a decimal point somewhere, saving the jumps only for inter-system travel and giving themselves plenty of breathing room when they couldn’t afford a jump window.

Better her crew got fat on her groceries rather than got died to shave a couple days off a trip.

They came out of slipspace without incident, at which point, once Davie assured them of their position firmly within Juan Corps secured territory, Donnie ordered her crew to get some much needed rest.

Despite her orders though, the few hours she had snagged for herself earlier were enough for her to see to a few chores around the ship, which was how she and Billy ended up in the galley doing the dishes from the last meal that Bunny had prepared for them.

“Seems we got out of there just in time, what with the GRC nipping at our heels.” The doctor remarked drily.

Donnie handed her another plate to dry, then wiped the back of her hand against her cheek to get at an itch without dragging sudsy water across her face.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely feel a lot better once we offload that transport.”

“You think it wasn’t a coincidence?”

The skipper scowled as she rubbed her finger squeakily against a stubborn spot on the last of the plates in the sink.

“I don’t know what to think. Two ships with no Junker markings, claiming to be investigating the remains of a Junker vessel that nobody but Junkers should give a damn about? What the hell is that?”

“Is it possible they wanted the salvage? Maybe whatever is in that safe?”

Donnie shrugged.

“That Junker dirtside called it a substantial find, so maybe they were there looking for it, but who knows? Kyle and I are gunna cut the safe out of the wall once he’s gotten some sleep. Then we’ll see what we see. I’m hoping we pulled our head out of the noose in the nick of time with that jump. To be safe though, we’ll sell the ship on Mung if we can, then get clear of this system entirely.”

“What about Bryan?”

“I’d know how to answer that, but his doctor won’t let me talk to him.” Donnie replied pointedly.

Billy’s expression soured and her captain didn’t bother hiding her eye roll when she saw the displeasure on her face.

“For crissakes Bridget! I’m not ‘Major Slaughter’ anymore! I have some empathy for the poor kid, I just want to debrief him!”

The doctor slowly smiled as Donnie drained the sink into the water recycler intake with irate movements.

“There’s a joke in there somewhere about debriefing, but I’m too tired to find it. And your nickname was never ‘Major Slaughter’, even when you were an actual major. Eniella was pulling your leg with that one.” Her face split with a mighty yawn which conveniently allowed her to ignore her captain’s scowl; “Once I discharge him from the infirmary you can talk to him, but go easy.”

“You go easy.” Donnie sniped; “Heard all it takes is a crantini and blowing in your ear.”

Billy took the teasing in stride, stifling a yawn with one hand.

“Any other day just the drink will do it. At the moment I’m dead on my feet, am I good to crash now that the dishes are done?”

Donnie huffed out a breath as she accepted the situation.

“Yeah, I checked Eniella’s console a bit ago, nobody within a million klicks. Thought you doctors had more stamina though.”

“Fuck your mother.”

“Nah, kitty poon only.”

As if summoned at her jesting words, Bunny came into the galley then, clearly a woman on a mission.

“Oh! Hey, I was going to do those!” She protested with a hint of indignation at having her job usurped.

Donnie chuckled as she wiped the last of the moisture from her hands on a brightly coloured tea-towel.

“Sorry Bunny, I don’t know what came over us.”

Being as she wasn’t much good in a firefight or flying a salvaged ship, Bunny was the only one of the crew other than Donnie who had gotten any rest lately, but now that everyone else was abed she was left at loose ends.

Billy gave the cat a comforting hug and a scratch under her chin to mollify her pout before taking her leave.

“Right. I’m for bed. Wake me if someone dies.”

“Be too late by then.” Donnie taunted after her.

With Billy gone, she was now alone in the galley with Bunny.

The cat had taken up the towel and begun to wipe down the counters, acting almost as if she was cleaning up after them.

Her exotic feline eyes flicked to the captain when she didn’t follow Billy.

“Aren’t you going to sleep too DeeDee?”

It always amazed, and truth be told unnerved, Donnie how much the K’or-Macka’s presence could brighten her disposition.

She wasn’t