Heechee Rendezvous

Odie Waters, a former pilot from Venus, gets a job as an air carrier on a remote, newly colonized planet. But after he’s left without money and his beloved woman runs off with someone else, Odie becomes a pilot on a huge ship that transports colonists—previously known as Heechee Sky. Accidentally using an ancient Heechee artifact aboard the ship, he establishes telepathic contact with a foreign intelligence. Believing it was the Heechee, Waters, without much thought, decides to seek help from Robin Broadhead, who might help establish their first contact...