They were closing fast; both Carson and I were scared.
Directing the microdrones against our pursuers was commanding all my attention - so, whilst he was inexperienced, I'd given Carson the job of communicating our coordinates to the Extraction Picket. It would briefly open a wormhole on us as it flashed past the planet, completing our escape.
The gaping disc appeared fifty metres away. There was no chance we would get there before it closed.
"We're in a gravity well!" I screamed. "Did you account for the time dilation?"
The blank look on his face made me reach for his throat.
