Chapter 4

 The gates of the airlock swung open, behind which was another tunnel - this one was pedestrian. There was a smell of rubber. The tunnel with a black floor and rows of transverse copper strips led upward, to another glass door, behind which was the lower loading airlock. It was a shuttle!

 Overwhelmed with emotion, with a gaze scattered as if in some dream, Somerset, along with the others, stepped onto the resonant metal of the free machine, capable of carrying away from here. His hands habitually grabbed the rubberized steps. Someone used the lift. The main thing now was to quickly take their seats. The passenger compartment of the vertically standing shuttle was also located vertically, so it took a certain amount of dexterity to take a seat. However, the retractable platforms helped out. Several people remained below, on the airlock floor. This was a blatant violation of all instructions and rules, but it had long been verified that this was possible. Over the years of the settlement's history, all sorts of things had happened.

 When the fuss died down, the pilot gave a warning signal without further ado. Somerset pressed the green button on the personal console display - this was how he announced his readiness. The others did the same, after which everyone traditionally raised their hands with their thumbs out. All this should have been more than enough for the pilot - the control post had an output terminal for the video system, which allowed, among other things, to monitor the airlock and the cargo bay.

 Less than a minute after the first signal, a second one sounded, supplemented by a notification on the personal console display.

 A few seconds after the notification appeared, a shudder ran through the shuttle's hull. The units began to howl even before all the passengers reported their readiness.

 The small side windows turned into rectangles shining with a blinding white light - this was the engines of the reversing units, located on both sides in the front part of the hull, turning on, testing their strength. Now the task of these small engines was to slightly lift the ship so that the activation of the cruise engines occurred not at the surface of the platform, but at some distance from it. About three hulls.

 Here the discord of howling equipment slightly changed its tone and at the same time the ship began to move. The glow in the windows changed color. In fact, it became incomparably brighter, but the light filters worked. The ship went up.

 After fifteen seconds, a wave of overload hit the back. The cruise engines started working. The glow from the reversing unit disappeared, as if a lamp had been turned off. The light filters immediately reacted, opening the opportunity to observe the familiar red horizon.

 A puzzled voice was heard in the earpiece. It was the dispatcher on duty at one of the rocket launch site posts. The pilot switched the external communication channel to internal communication, making listening to radio traffic available to everyone sitting in the passenger seats. - Takeoff according to the work card, number... - the pilot answered without a shadow of embarrassment, having spoken the code of the technological card.

 - Repeat the card number, - the Dispatcher asked.

 The pilot repeated it.

 The Dispatcher asked to stay in touch. The pilot responded with a reasonable smile, saying that he was not going anywhere and that the communication line was working constantly.

 A minute later, the Dispatcher reported that there was no such card in his system. The pilot responded with bewilderment, asking whether he should land back and suggested that when the shuttle arrived at Phobos, everything would become clear.

 A couple of minutes later, a joyful cry was heard. It was the pilot again. This time he reported, but he had already informed the passengers that all the shuttles had left their pads. The compartment was filled with enthusiastic cries.

 - Maybe we should send him? - someone shouted, meaning the Dispatcher.

 - Better wait.

 - The further we go, the better it will be, - several people answered at once. Some woman began to sing. Somerset threw his head back as far as he could, clenched his teeth, and hissed.

 They were gone. They were free.