Nori let out a long breath. “I know.”

“Nervous?”

“It’s much bigger than the shuttle,” she admitted. “There are systems and subsystems I’m not sure I know how to operate, yet.”

“You know how to push on the gas and steer, right?” The man shrugged. “That’s all we need right now. Once we’re ready, just point us straight to the moon.”

“You have a point.”

Nori walked back into the bridge and the pilot chair formed around her. She brought up the main console and started tapping it. The ship vibrated as the thrusters fired up, then it lifted slowly off the ground. Nori inspected the small holo-monitors on her side. “She seems to be holding fine, for now. I think we can take her out for a spin.” Her palms opened and a delicate net of holographic light appeared around her extended fingers. Nori gently lowered them. The ship shuddered again, then started moving forward.

“You got it, girl,” Bulco said soothingly, standing next to her. “Nice and easy.”

Nori twisted her fingers and the freighter curved to the right. She twisted them to the other side and it turned left. The tall Navigator breathed out a little easier. “I think I got it now. Using the thrusters inside the atmosphere calls for manual control. It takes a very delicate touch.”

The ship turned around and the three large viewscreens at the front of the cabin flickered to show the area before them.

Lana held her breath. The picture was so smooth that if not for a fracture running down one of the monitors, she would have thought the front of the ship was missing and she was looking straight outside.

The ground sped below them as Nori grew more confident steering the ship and several minutes later they arrived in front of the old library building.

The freighter touched down lightly on an open stretch of road, then a violent thud ran through it, throwing Lana and Bulco to the floor.

“Sorry!” Nori said tensely. “I forgot to disengage the thrusters after touchdown.”

Bulco got to his feet and rubbed his aching backside. “I’d appreciate if that doesn’t happen too often.”

“Sorry,” Nori said again.

“I’ll take out the Hummer and the sealing kit,” he grunted and walked toward the cargo hold.

Lana approached the stressed pilot and lowered her voice. “I take it we’re not a hundred percent comfortable with him onboard?

Nori shook her head and the chair melted from around her. “I believe he wants everyone to survive this new world, but there’s something off about him.”

“I know,” Lana whispered. “It’s like he’s always joking and acting casually, but when he talks about the people he hates …” She shuddered. “It’s like taking other people’s lives doesn’t faze him in the slightest.”