Captain Tom Billing's ship, "Redemption" was just getting ready to leave the planet Athens after a short stop to pick up supplies.  It wasn't the best place for ship parts, but with the bombed-out cities now open for salvage, you could get a good price if you knew where to look.  Besides, Trixie could keep the ship running with just about anything.  They needed to get moving though.  Thier fare, a nervous fellow name of Eggers, was powerful eager to get to Santos and deliver his message to them that was expecting it, and he as offering a bonus for speedy travel.  Unfortunately, Trixie said that the ship wouldn't keep flying without a replacement part, so here they were.