"Start prepping the slip-drive," he said as he put the ship into a shallow climb. "I'd like to leave this system behind as soon as possible."
"Of course," Lucky said agreeably. The fact his friend could take to such a mundane job with so much enthusiasm had, at first, impressed Jason. Now it made him want to punch the battlesynth in the face despite the fact all he would get out of it was a badly damaged hand.
"I'm taking us up top," Jason said, pulling the pitch control back and throttling up the main drive to full power. "Keep an eye on the air pressure in here. I'm still not sure I trust that patch we fixed last week." The ship lumbered up out of the atmosphere as the main drive shook the ship and its occupants harshly. Even though the main drive was only meant to push the ship out of an atmosphere so that the slip-drive could be engaged, it was still woefully underpowered. "This thing is such a piece of shit."
"This was the only ship that was in our price range at the time," Lucky said.
"Don't remind me," Jason said bitterly.
"Perhaps next year we can—"
"What's that?" Jason interrupted Lucky before he could launch into another lecture about fiscal responsibility. "On the sensors. We've got something coming up under us from the direction of the spaceport."
"It could be traffic along our same course," Lucky said. "But they are increasing velocity and pitching sharply to match our ascent."
"Figures," Jason muttered. "We almost made it all the way through a run without someone trying to jack our cargo. Any idea who they are?"
"Negative," Lucky said calmly. "They are not running with a standard transponder signal and this ship's sensors are unable to determine the type of craft, only that there are two."
Jason suppressed another sigh. "I'm pushing this heap to full power," he said. "Get the slip-drive nacelles deployed and the emitters charged. As soon as we're out of the thermosphere we'll hit our first jump."
The ship complained mightily as Jason overrode the safety interlock on the drive power control and pushed it just beyond its normal operating range. He watched Lucky's fingers dance nimbly over the controls on his side despite the heavy buffeting they were experiencing. He checked their velocity and nearly laughed out loud. Despite all the noise and shaking the ship had gained a negligible bump in acceleration. Even so, it looked like they would be able to outrun their pursuers unless they were willing to risk attracting attention from Tetara-4's orbital control authority.
"We are receiving a com channel request from our pursuers," Lucky said, looking at the com panel that sat between them. "They wish to discuss terms if we turn back towards the surface and land."
"Ignore them," Jason said. "I'm not entertaining a conversation with a bunch of damn pirates. We're almost to our mesh-out point. How's the drive looking?"
"It will be sufficiently charged for our first jump," Lucky assured him. "Course is entered and ready."
"Standby," Jason said, reaching for the slip-drive controls. "Jumping out in ten."
Ten seconds later the emitters that had extended from either side of the small cargo ship flared with a bright, white light and the ship disappeared from the Tetara System even as the two smaller tactical vessels that had been chasing them pushed up out of the planet's orbit. Without hesitation they swung onto a new course and also disappeared in a brilliant flash.
****
"At least there was something to break up the monotony that time," Jason said as the ship touched down softly on S'tora, the planet he and Lucky were calling home at that particular moment.
"True," Lucky agreed, "but that could hardly be called exciting, even by our current standards."
"We're delivery boys now, Lucky," Jason said as he climbed out of the seat. "No matter what clever titles we attach to our business, we take shit from one point and leave it at another. Being chased is about as much excitement as I want anymore." As he walked off the flight deck and into the narrow corridor Lucky watched him with an expression that could almost be sadness despite the fact his facial features never changed. The battlesynth finished securing the ship and locking out the computer with a complicated, randomized cipher. They'd found, surprisingly, that the dilapidated cargo hauler was more of a target for thieves than their previous ship.
"I will say one thing for this planet," Jason said, scratching at a couple months’ worth of beard as Lucky joined him outside. "Not too many other places in the galaxy where a beachfront house would be so cheap."