Inadvertent Adventures by Loren K. Jones Read Free Book Online Page A

around. "Best vector I can give us is three-seven-three by seven-nine-one. It'll take us to New Tasmania. I figure we can jump again from there, Captain."
    "Olaf," she began, but he was already working.
    "Course set."
    "Maximum acceleration. How long will it take them to follow us?" she asked, wanting an answer but dreading it at the same time.
    "If they match what they showed us in Germanicus, we'll make hyper just half an hour before they do," Silver reported.
    "So long as we don't get shot in the ass while we're running," Olaf muttered, but received no reply.
    The Jolly Jane ducked into hyperspace and sped toward New Tasmania. It was only a three day trip, and Captain Denise gave her orders as soon as they emerged. "Best course to Nova Norway, don't wait for an order," she snapped. The little vessel slewed sideways in space as her hyper drive clawed at the fabric of space and time.
    The raider burst out of hyper almost on top of them and went burning by at nearly twenty percent of the speed of light. "He's in a hurry, isn't he?" Olaf laughed as they dove back into hyperspace.
    "He saw us go, and our vector. He'll follow again," Silver said as he looked over his shoulder.
    "I know. Use your last fix and recalculate for the trip to Lung Chin. It should be very close to our current course." Captain Denise smiled as she sat back in her chair.
    Silver turned around and started plotting the course. It was indeed very close to their course, only three degrees negative against the galactic disk. "Course is laid in, Captain. If it's not too much to ask, what are you planning?"
    "Drop into normal space immediately, Olaf," she commanded by way of reply and the ship shuddered. "Change course to match the navigator's settings and go back into hyper." She looked at Silver and smiled serenely. "Getting lost in hyper is one of our main dangers, Silver. I'm hoping that whoever that captain is thinks we're a lost ship when he gets to Nova Norway. We should emerge somewhere near Lung Chin, not close enough to reach, of course, but close enough to plot. Then we're going back to LaFontain and make our delivery."
    Silver shook his head and took a deep breath. "Yes, Ma'am. I sure hope you're right."
    The Jolly Jane emerged from hyperspace three light months beyond Lung Chin, but that was a near miss considering their inaccuracies in plotting the course. Silver and Captain Denise both plotted the course to LaFontain.
    Before emergence three days later, Captain Denise gave her orders. "Mister Silver, plot us a course to Columbia as soon as we are clear. Update it every ten minutes, including while we are in port. I'll be damned if I'll let that bastard put me out of business," she snarled and received grunts of agreement from her officers.
    This time it took longer to be challenged. "Space vessel entering LaFontain space, please identify yourself as soon as you receive this transmission."
    "They don't recognize us," Olaf observed.
    "Why should they? They aren't expecting us this time, and I doubt that their system control got a good read on us before." Captain Denise sat back and steepled her fingers as she thought. "I just wonder who is behind this at Amberson's."
    LaFontain Control sent them a course and instructions to dock at Alpha-7-India. The next nine days saw the crew of the Jolly Jane making the standard preparations to enter port. Docking was routine, but that was the last thing that was routine about the trip.
    The boxes of parts were unloaded without incident until the last one was being removed from the Jane's hold. The port lifer failed and the heavy box fell, breaking open to reveal an assortment of trash.
    "What's the meaning of this!" the dock supervisor shouted at the top of his lungs.
    "That's a damn good question," Captain Denise snapped. "That container was sealed by Amberson's in New Britannia, and the seals are all still intact." She pointed to where the container's seal was still visibly holding the container's door