human
Look, Pop, he said,
gpt
Whatever you say, Lennie. Figure on breaking out of this sector and moving in closer to Earth, do you?
human
Not exactly. We're going into hyperspace.
gpt
Sure, Schiemann said, blowing a smoke ring.
human
Can't leave the sector without passing through hyperspace; that stands to reason. But where are we Jumping to?
gpt
We're not Jumping anywhere. We're _stopping_ in hyperspace.
human
Of course you're joking, Lennie.
gpt
No joke, Pop; I'm dead serious. We're going to take a cargo into hyperspace. To the mem--the mem--oh, hell, I can't pronounce it--the queen, I guess, of Ferr. That's one of their planets. She wants Earth stuff, she says, and she promises to do right by us if we bring it to her. Sounds like a good deal.
human
Look, Lennie, I don't make out I'm a saint. I've smuggled and cheated and stolen. But this I will not do. For the laws of the Federation, I don't give a damn--men made 'em and men can break 'em--but to go against the laws of nature, that is a different thing.
gpt
What do you think you're doing?
human
Leaving, Len said.
gpt
I'm sick of small-time operations.
human
Leaving me? Just like that? Does our friendship mean nothing at all to you?
gpt
Sure it does, Len told him.
human
When I get a chance, I'll write.
gpt
Look, Lennie, if we did move into one of the more important sectors, maybe--
human
You know we wouldn't have a chance there, Len said harshly, to conceal his true emotions.
gpt
The sectors closer in to Earth have bigger, faster ships, and bigger, tougher men to run 'em. And they wouldn't like us trying to jet in!
human
I'd rather take a chance on that than--
gpt
We wouldn't _have_ a chance; it'd just be a massacre, with us on the receiving end. The only way we can break into the big time ourselves is through hyperspace. We've got to do what's never been done before.