The Last Horizon Read Online Free PDF Page B

the take as far as Departures and Flightplans are concerned, all the money in the world wouldn’t get the Zephyr off the pad if I didn’t think she was space-worthy. Don’t go, Nikki, or you won’t come back.”
     
    “What kind of thing is that to say!”
     
    “You heard me, you will not be coming back, Nikki. I know, you will NOT be coming back.”
     
    “Is there a problem here, Nikki?” Scott asked grimly as he eyed Max.
     
    “No. No problem, Scotty.”
     
    “Then we’ve better get going.” Scott interrupted.
     
    “Mr. Scott,” Max turned to address my passenger to try another angle, “do you have any idea what you and Nikki are about to do during your flight?”
     
    “No sir.”
     
    “Max, button it down.” I shot him a look hoping to shut him up.
     
    “It’s insanity...” Max insisted as he shook his head. “The Pipe can be unstable at times. You could end up only God knows where if it doesn’t tear you guys apart.”
     
    “Nikki, what the hell is he talking about? What is this pipe?”
     
    “Nothing, Scotty. Nothing to worry yourself over.”
     
    “You don’t know, do you Mr. Scott?” Max gasped as he shook his head unbelievingly with his eyes wide. “He doesn’t know, does he, Nikki? You haven’t told him. Remember what happened to Johnny?”
     
    “That’s enough Max!” I growled through clenched teeth. “That’s enough!”
     
    “He has the right to know!” Max blared.
     
    “What’s he talking about Nikki?” Scotty asked with concern as he looked at the fear in Max’s eyes.
     
    “Ignore him, Scotty, grab your things and let’s go.” I grimaced as I grabbed my gear. “See ya ‘round, Max.”
     
    “All right,” Max wilted, “You win, Nikki. I’m on the desk tonight so I’ll do what I can to keep the hounds off your trail until you get to Ceres Vesta. If you make it through the Pipe in one piece stay on the sealed frequency until you get contacted by Kurlie’s man. He’ll give you the final coordinates to a small landing strip on the outskirts of Fluture.”
     
       We shook hands as Scott and I stepped into the Blue Zephyr. A slight chill suspend itself in the dim cargo hold of the ship as I checked to see if Kurlie’s boys secured the payload properly while Scotty stuffed his bags in a stowage rack. One good thing about Kurlie’s goons, they knew how to pack things tight and fasten them down thoroughly. It was makeup all right. A lot of it. About thirty containers containing powders, soaps, perfume, and lipstick; padded, packed, and stacked about twenty feet high in two rows.
     
       Kurlie even had them pack a case of hundred year old whiskey up front with a large duffle bag containing half my money along with a note:
     
    Nikki,
    No hard feelings ok cupcake? Money’s all there. Half now, and the rest when you get back home. Threw in a case of my finest booze as a bonus in case you want to whet your whistle when you get to Nexus. Yes, I know, that’s contraband too, but I figured you wouldn’t mind this kind since it’s for your personal use. Bon voyage, baby.
     
    -Kurlie

Chapter 3
     
        I handed Scotty a flight helmet and ushered him into the copilot’s seat next to mine and began the ignition sequence. I flipped a toggle switch and the radar blipped on with its soft, lime green light and the overhead console lit up with blue, red, and yellow lights as the flight systems enabled. The bridge pressurized with a small hiss and the O 2 generators began to prime the entire ship.
     
       I set my hat on the center console as I scanned the GPS and IFA monitors and punched in my coordinates for my point of destination. I could see Max doing a final check on the pad and he waved to me as he secured the dock and closed-off launch bay access.
     
       Five minutes later, Max sounded in on the radio “Blue Zephyr, systems check, over.”
     
       “Roger, control, Blue Zephyr confirms preflight systems run down.” I replied as I adjusted