"Engine start complete," he continued. "Beginning pre-takeoff sequence."
Will he be able to get this thing off the ground? Vance was wondering. He's shot up and now he's falling apart.
Guess we're about to find out. The fuselage cameras are showing an empty hangar. Everybody's run for cover.
"Eva, want to take that seat? I'll take this one. No free drinks in this forward cabin section." He was speaking through his upraised helmet visor as he eased himself into the right-hand G-seat.
"And buckle up for safety." She settled herself in the left. "Let's just hope he can still manage this monster. It's a Saturn V with wings."
"He's got his talking computer, if she'll still cooperate. Do me a favor and translate now and then."
"Machines are supposed to translate for people, not the other way around. We're in space warp."
"I believe it."
As he pulled down the overhead seat straps, he found himself wondering what Daedalus would feel like in full afterburner mode. Those turboramjets made a Boeing 747's massive JT-9Ds look like prime movers for a medium-sized lawnmower.
"Power to military thrust." Androv was easing forward the twin throttles, spooling them up past three-quarters power. Daedalus had begun to quiver, shaking like a mighty mountain in tectonic upheaval.