The Mars Run

The Mars Run, Chris Gerrib, Lulu Press, 2006

In the last half of the 21st century, Janet Pilgrim has just graduated from high school, and is looking forward to college. That is, until her father, who invests in one get-rich-quick scheme after another, tells her that he is bankrupt. Not wanting to face her friends, and after considering joining the Army, Janet signs on to a cargo ship to Mars. Being a working astronaut is the lowest form of life in the Universe, but one cargo run will fund several years of college.

Somewhere between Earth and Mars, the ship on which Janet is traveling is seized by space pirates, killing the three other members of the crew. Janet is taken prisoner, and given a choice; willingly join the pirates, or get a one-way trip through an airlock. It is not a hard decision. Janet has several moments of doing what she has to do to stay alive.

Mars is sparsely populated, so Janet's first escape attempt does not get very far. She gets a metal slave collar affixed around her neck, and spends more than one night in a cage. On the way back to Earth, another ship is seized, but, this time, there are casualties among the pirates.

To turn their booty into cash, several members of the crew land in the Central African Empire, your average corrupt African regime. The Emperor makes it clear that if they don't become leaders of his new space pirate fleet, they can forget about getting any payment for their pirate activities. Back in space, they attack a larger passenger ship, which has the nerve, and the ability, to fight back.

This is a first novel that is actually pretty good. In space, sometimes man is the biggest enemy. It is not a young adult novel, and it is worth reading.