Corrin paused mid-step, slapping a crewman on the shoulder. “Strap that PDA down, Rickman! You want it to bat you upside the head? And do up that restraint good and proper!”

She grabbed the seat restraint and cinched it tight enough to bruise the man, growling the whole time, “I swear to God, all of you, if I catch you in the medical bay with a broken leg because you fell out of your damned chair, I’ll wring your necks good and proper!”

There was no verbal response, but before she moved onto the next station, they had all triple-checked their belts.

“All stations report ready, Captain,” Lieutenant Daniels said.

“And our current orbit?”

Daniels looked up. “We’ll pass the meridian in two minutes, sir. At that point, we’ll be completely behind the planet and should be shielded by its mass.”

“Very well, Mr. Daniels, you may execute when ready.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” Daniels tapped in a command and watched the course change. On the screen, a diagram of the system ticked by, moment by moment, until the navigator leaned eagerly forward. “Firing thrusters now!”

The ship began to vibrate, a low rumble filling the air around the crew, and the force shoved them back into their seats. For the first few seconds, it was a gentle pressure. Then it climbed until the acceleration on the bridge had equalized with the centrifugal force of the habitat, and they all felt like they were half lying down as the bridge angled upward.

“One gravity acceleration,” Daniels announced. “Increasing power in fifteen seconds.”

The countdown was silent but poignant as the Odyssey poured on the power. The big ship looped low around the planet, almost skimming the atmosphere as it followed the course, using the planet’s gravity as part of his calculations.

Then the second-stage thrust kicked in and they felt the bridge flip end for end around them as the force slapped them back even harder.

“Crossing the second meridian in forty-five seconds.” Daniels’s voice was strained this time, but he managed to speak clearly as his hands worked the controls. “Main thrust cutoff in forty.”

Weston didn’t say a word as he watched the numbers on his personal display, noting that the entire ship’s company was currently pulling over three g’s due to the firing of the powerful main engines without full compensation from the CM generators.

“Main thruster cutout!”

The sudden lack of acceleration was like being thrown forward in a braking vehicle, but the seat restraints held everyone in place as the heavy rumble faded, leaving only a bare hint of its former glory in the air, and everyone started breathing a little easier.

“We’re clearing the meridian…now,” Daniels said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice as the Odyssey whipped around the planet and flung itself out into the depths of space once more.

CHAPTER 31