Supergiant (Gigaparsec Book 2) Read Free

invariably find a recessed ring in just the right place to latch onto the
hull. Everything was so smooth and elegant.
    While on the bridge, she coordinated
repairs and rebalanced mass. She corrected several safety flaws introduced when
pirates had converted the ship meant for a three-Magi crew. She stocked every
section of the ship with multi-species med kits, spare oxygen, suit patches,
food bars, and flashlights—everything they would need to return the prototype
ship safely to the academy of sages in Magi space.
    Soon, Roz ordered crewmembers
around, and they listened. The entire starship became an extension of her will.
She felt invincible. She even proved her worth while discussing drive theory
with Echo. When Roz quoted a journal from a certain Bat physicist, the
astrogator read everything available by Professor Eesan Crakik, convinced he would
be able to solve their drift problem with the subbasement. Echo was so certain of
his value that she selected a long-term route to the academy that detoured
through Bat space. Echo may have decreed the quest, but Roz had to carry it
out.
    During the weeks of flying toward
the first jump point, Roz passed the time examining the blueprints of every
model of Magi starship known. This alone had been worth the trip. After
studying their design principles, she could write her own ticket at any dock or
shipyard in the Union.
    On the overhead screen, the
astrogator had drawn a gravity line from the nexus in this star system to the
one at their destination. Roz checked the computer-approved approach vector and
handed control over to Echo.
    Like a vein in the body of the
galaxy, the star lane would carry them toward the higher-gravity star at over
150 times the speed of light. With consummate skill, Echo guided the starship under
the skin into subspace.
    As a mental null, the immersion had
never affected Roz before. Normal people with a connection to the Collective
Unconscious claimed that they could sense the event like sunrise or a distant
sonic boom.
    To Roz, this particular jump smacked
her in the nose like a baseball line drive. The jolt continued through to the
back of her brain. Voices clamored for attention, and a wave of dizziness swept
over her.
    When Max unstrapped and floated to
her side, her breathing was erratic and she held her hands over her ears. Her
dark, bobbed hair came to points on either side of her face.
    “Shiraz, talk to me. What’s wrong?”
His caring voice pulled her back to the bridge.
    She could stare into those blue
eyes all day and be at peace. When she tried to convey her list of symptoms,
the words came out jumbled. Max donned a pair of smart goggles from his bag and
asked a series of inane medical questions. Talking with a man she wanted to
date about her last period was a step too far.
    Fortunately, a short blonde arrived
in the elevator to provide a distraction. The jumpsuit she had borrowed looked
usable with the sleeves rolled up, but it fit too snugly around the chest and
hips. Ivy had been her best friend for the last year on Eden. They were
roommates again and did yoga together every morning, but the betrayal still
stung. Okay, betrayal was too strong a term, although her actions had been a
definite violation of trust. Ivy had spied on her for a foreign government,
used Roz’s connections at the Eden Space Station to gather more information,
and fiddled with her brain. On the other hand, none of those actions had been
hostile. In fact, Ivy’s extended family, the Llewellyns, had funded Roz’s
university scholarship, and Ivy had opened her home as a friend. Roz could
never stay angry at the pert hairdresser for long.
    Concerned, Ivy said, “Echo told me
to hurry. What happened?”
    Max wrapped a medical scanner
around Roz’s arm and read results on his goggles. “It’s not anemia this time.
Fatigue played a part—”
    Roz sat up straighter. “I’m right
here.”
    He ignored her outburst and slapped
another scanner strip on her forehead.