She needed fifteen minutes to get to the Romeo boarding area, where she hurried into the connecting tube. The Eiferman, locked in place by magnetic clamps, was visible through transparent walls. The Union docking system was capable of holding eighteen vehicles. In Hutch’s early days it had usually been crowded. She could remember once having to settle for an emergency quay on the roof of the station. Now the bay was almost empty.

Beth and Ken caught up with her as she approached the airlock. It was open, and they passed through into the passenger cabin. “Touch and go,” said Beth. She and Ken sat down. The luggage from the terminal had arrived and was piled in a corner.

“You guys,” said Hutch, “can go back and pick your cabin if you like. But be back up here when we get ready to leave.” She heard movement on the bridge. Wally was there, standing in the door and talking with Barry, the AI, checking the maintenance report. “How we doing?” she asked.

He wiggled a hand. “We haven’t been cancelled yet.”

“Are we ready to go?”

“More or less. I’d like to have a little more time to look around, but the reports are okay. And our luggage is on the way from the hotel. As far as I can tell, we’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

“Is Derek here yet?”

“He’s in back somewhere.”

She returned to the passenger cabin. They’d installed eight chairs, which could be locked into the deck. There was a large display screen, and a group of lamps, one positioned to service each of the chairs. She passed through into the corridor, which led aft along the cabins to the galley, storage, and workout areas. Beth and Ken had just opened the door to their cabin and were carrying luggage inside. Derek came out of the captain’s cabin. “Good morning, ladies,” he said. “Glad to see you. Hello, Ken.”

He gave Hutch a hand with her bag. Then he pushed open one of the doors. “In here,” he said. She watched while he hauled her suitcase into the wrong room. There was no difference between the cabin reserved for the captain and those set aside for the other occupants, except for a private line in from the AI for emergency use. The cabin was not expressly marked in any way, other than a star at eye level. On all ships it was located on the port side, nearest the passenger area and bridge.

Once they were inside, Derek closed the door. “Priscilla,” he said, “we want to get moving as soon as Clay gets here.”

Hutch nodded. “Have we locked in all the numbers yet? For Calliope?”

“Of course,” he said, sounding annoyed. “Barry has everything.”

“Good. Just playing it safe. I wasn’t trying to insult anybody.”