Rei's Space Walk - Part 10 of 10

Five years before the events that were described in Rome's Evolution, Rei and Rome had left the Tabit system and were just starting out on their one-year trip to Deucado. At the time, they didn't know it would only take a year, they were planning on more like two-plus years. However, Rei had a burst of inspiration that allowed them to ultimately double their speed. This is a little vignette about Rei's spacewalk which facilitated a vastly shortened journey. This is part 10 of 10:

     “What is that?” she asked.
     “It’s all my music in one little package,” he said. “Now I can play it for you!”
     “I wondered what you were doing back there,” Rome said curiously. “I assumed it had to be something important. I knew you would not dawdle for no reason.
     “This is important,” Rei said, waving the slab. “I’ll get MINIMCOM to hook it into our system and then I can teach you all about it.”
     “I will love it, I am sure,” Rome said, this time a bit more enthusiastically. “Let us get going though. Asdrale Cimatir is still back there. And if OMCOM is right, who knows what else?”
     “Roger that,” Rei said.
     After stowing their pressure suits in their lockers, Rei and Rome made their way back to the cockpit and took their seats. They both buckled in which was prudent since this would be the first time they attempted a PPT jump with their newly reduced mass.
     “OK, MINIMCOM,” Rei said. “We’re skinny now. Let’s see what you can do with it.”
     “Very well,” MINIMCOM said tersely from the other tug, “initiating jump.” Immediately, the PPT generators fired up and in front of them, a yawning black hole appeared. MINIMCOM fired both tugs’ plasma thrusters and Rei and Rome were pushed back into their seats a little harder than before.
     As soon as they stepped through, they heard the click and thump of MINIMCOM unclamping and rotating his craft and reattaching. A slight push forward indicated he was firing his plasma thrusters to bring them to a dead stop. It only lasted a few moments. Rome looked down at the view screens, tapped a few buttons then exclaimed, “Yes!”
     “What?” Rei said but he already knew.
     “It equates to 24c,” Rome replied.
     “Sleek,” Rei said. Then remembering MINIMCOM’s remark from earlier, he added, “Good thinking, MINIMCOM.”
     “Yes, MINIMCOM,” Rome chimed in. “It was an excellent idea.”
     “Thank you, thank you,” MINIMCOM replied, clearly pleased with himself.
     Rei turned to Rome and shrugged. “OK, what say we get…”
     “No,” Rome said, holding her hand up. “Allow me.”
     “Sure,” Rei replied, somewhat puzzled.
     “MINIMCOM, it is time to get this show on the road,” Rome said with a smile.
     “Acknowledged,” replied MINIMCOM. “Next stop: Deucado.”
     Rei laughed. This was going to be some trip.

So there you have it. It was story I've been dying to tell for ten years. It explains how Rome and Rei came to arrive at Deucado so far ahead of schedule and how Rei retrieved his cherished music slab.