Zanshin was underway with less than a third of what she could carry. One of her containers was destined for Iaslone, the other two for Vellin. The ship would lose money on the run but that hardly mattered now. In the last twenty-four hours, the freighter’s crew had worked around the clock to make her as spaceworthy as possible. Nearly all of her systems were repaired, or at least repaired enough, and although there were still action items of lesser priority, they were inconveniences rather than of the life-threatening variety.
Six hours after casting off from the Vela orbital, the ship waited patiently in the queue near the instant tunnel point to Iaslone. Lochlain watched with a gratified smile at the coordinated efforts of his bridge crew. The pair worked almost seamlessly together.
“Captain,” Truesworth announced confidently, “Tunnel Point Control has cleared us to move up. We may dive when ready.”
Lochlain stroked a key on his console’s screen. “Mercer, is Zanshin ready to dive?”
The woman’s cheerful voice returned a heartbeat later. “Ready in all respects, Capitan.”
Lochlain looked away from the console. Both Truesworth and Lingenfelter were twisted in their chairs, staring back at him with eager grins. He felt his own face tighten as he echoed their expressions. “You ready, guys?”
Enthusiastic nods answered him.
“Elease, sound the dive bell and prepare to dive,” he ordered, noting his voice had taken on a commanding air that surprised him. He raised a finger at Truesworth. “Jack, open a broadband channel, general frequency to every ship around us.” Lochlain paused for a moment, savoring the unfamiliar sensation running through him.
“Transmit and dive.”
* * *
Thank you for your readership and be sure check out my other books. Jack Truesworth appears in the original series, This Corner of the Universe.
This Corner of the Universe (Book 1)
No Way to Start a War (Book 2)
The Wrong Side of Space (Book 3)
Loyalty to the Cause (Book 4)
Last Measure of Devotion (Book 5)
The Parasite Initiative Series
Hero of the Republic (Book 1)
Across the Blue Line (Book 2)
For updates on future books, visit http://www.thiscorneroftheuniverse.com.
If you liked Confidence Game, consider leaving a review where you bought the book.