Risk Analysis (Draft 04 -- Reading Script) by David Collins-Rivera

Author:David Collins-Rivera
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-17T16:00:00+00:00

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Dieter was working hard on a plate of scobble. The stuff was pretty good hangover food; he must have been enjoying it.

"So...long story short," I concluded, "I'm still in. They like that I'm careful to keep to my signed agreements."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked quietly, wiping gravy from his chin. Then he cursed less quietly when he saw some on his jacket lapel.

"Doesn't matter. I still have a job. That, and being attacked, are all my news."

"Yeah, see, that's the one that worries me. There's another player in the mix."

"I've been circling around that idea, myself," I told him. Laydin caught my eye from across the pub, and gave me her formless smile. "Those weird, encrypted radio messages..."

He thought about that, and then nodded slightly.

"How did this party get onto us?"

"No clue. No clue what they're after, either. Something they think I know, anyway."

He was silent for a bit, drinking his point beer.

"The parts got fabbed yesterday," he announced at last. "Some supply ships came in with Team, I guess. General Store called when the things came off the line, and I had them freighted to the Routing Office down here. I ran over and took possession a few hours ago, on my break."

"Any problems?"

"They didn't bat an eye."

I couldn't keep a grin off my face.

"We'll be out soon, then!"

"Those things take time to install, remember. If I make a mistake, we'll all pay for it."

"What can I do to help?"

"I can't think of a safe way to get them into the closet and up the shaft. Ideas?"

"How big a package are we talking?"

"All together...?" He considered it, then pointed to the tabletop, and motioned up-and-down from the floor.

"That's got to be heavy under one gee," I remarked, feeling suddenly intimidated.

"Yep. Our grinder/winch thing won't do."

"Then we'll need another one -- something bigger. And a cart of some sort to get the stuff over there."

"Agreed."

"I can't obtain either one from R&D. I'm cut off from most areas now."

"Well, to pick them up from the Routing Office, I used a flatcar I found over in the Water Reclamation plant," he told me. "The supervisor there asked questions when I brought it back. I made up an explanation, but it's not something I can repeat. Right now, the propagators are covered in a sheet, in a dark corner of a certain plumbing supply room. They'll be safe enough for now. Anything like a large portable winch, though, we'd either have to appropriate -- from where, I've no idea -- or have fabricated, like the parts were. If we go that route, it means even more waiting...and, the order would probably be considered unusual."

"Someone might track it and ask questions," I finished for him. "Okay, what about a block-and-tackle? Could we monkey-up something like that?"

"A block-and-tackle?" he replied quietly, but incredulously. "Like, from those old-time sailing ships? Maybe we should all go a-whaling while we're at it!"

"They were used everywhere," I countered, ignoring his tone. "Read some classic lit.

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