Hang on!

HERE IS CHAPTER TWO OF MY SCIENCE FICTION SERIES..ENJOY.....
I flipped up the red saftey bar, and hit the ignition sequence for all four engines simultaniously. the whine of the turbo pumps vannished in the full throated roar of the huges rockets. Each engine bell is fifteen feet in diameter, and the pumps injected enough fuel into them to fill an olympic sized swiming pool in minutes.

We left the launch rail, and I pulled back on the stick. Swift Arrow rotated nose up. I stopped her at forty degrees, and we climbed out picking up speed, as the g's built. We were out of the tundra of the space port, and over the ocean. I could see the coastline out the forward windows as I banked steeply to stay in my launch window. In no time I could see the horizon start to become curved as we streaked through the atmosphere. We were minutes from orbit.

I was a busy beaver, make no mistake, but I still stole glances at my passenger as we made our assent. She was no stranger to spaceships, I saw that right off. She knew how to breathe so the g's weren't so over powering. She was totally alert, her eyes scanning the displays. swift Arrow was giving us a magnificent ride. We made eye contact, and she smiled. It wasn't girlish, or come hither, it was the smile of people sharing an exhilarating experience. I was glad she hadn't stayed in her cabin during lift. Even if it was a rule of mine. no passengers on the bridge during lift or landings. I fully expected her company on touchdown.I wondered why?

We were at m.e.c.o. (that's main engines cut off), and the silence was accompanied by the thrill in the belly of free fall.I hadn't bothered with the usual passenger warnings about zero gee, with her beside me. She was no stranger to it either. Good.I hate people barfing on my bridge. I got busy at the nav computer, and shortly the gyros whined as they rotated us onto hyper space tajectory. I gave a short countdown, and hit the engines again. we had to boost out of the gravity well of this system's star before I dared make the jump to hyper space. It plays hell with the navigation. You can end up anywhen, or anywhere.

And then it was time. I dreaded this. I looked at Ms Keeley. I knew she dreaded it too. The star drive produces some short lived, but sometimes un-nerving effects. Extreme dizzyness, and a bizarre multitude of deja' vus. As if all the possible pasts, and futures were flashing through your mind. I gave another short countdown, and keyed the stardrive sequence. Colors sagged outside the view ports, as the stars became lines, and vannished. She was my best friend. She was my enemy. She was my wife. I was alone. I was rich. I was a soldier. I was a coward... I was back! I wondered if I looked as plale, and shaken, as she did. The stars were long rainbows flashing by. The red shift. We were on our way.