Using stars as gravitational 'slingshots' to boost its speed, the Lepus-class courier ship 'Hare's Breadth' hops from system to system delivering messages between human colonies.

In a universe where faster-than-light travel was long ago dismissed as a intangible pipe dream, the Hare's Breadth is one of the fastest means of communication there is. Mostly engine, the ship can reach a respectable percentage of the speed of light, though never quite managing to break through it.

But don't think that means a quick ride between systems - with a crew of four in a space ideally meant for two, there is little room for passengers.

Or mistakes.

Due to the hazardous nature of the manoeuvres required to reach top speed, as many as three out of every ten Lepus-class ships goes missing in space, never to be heard from again.

Still.. it's a living.

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Altogether roughly 27 images contributed to creating this piece.

Many (but not all!) of the images used in this piece were obtained through Google Images with the exception of the background.
No official photo stock was used.

Most if the images are from sites selling used industrial equipment, electronic components, car and airplane parts. So many images from so many different sources were used that I simply cannot credit them all individually (mostly because I simply don't remember where each one comes from anymore).

No copyrighted material was used in the production of this image.

The background is a composite of images taken by NASA, and all credit for the image goes to them. Check out their website sometime, there's some fascinating stuff!

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The original can be found on my deviantArt page:
http://cheeseycom.deviant art.com/art/Escape-Veloci ty-261349378