The Star Brotherhood (AGU: SCI) by DePrima Thomas

Author:DePrima, Thomas [DePrima, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Vinnia Publishing
Published: 2014-01-08T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter Eight

~ Oct. 8th, 2288 ~

"No one in this one," Byers said as the three men entered the first container cautiously while the women covered their six from outside."

"Use the distance-measuring equipment to make sure there aren't any disguised hiding places," Vyx said, "and then the monitoring equipment to check for things like heartbeats or tracking devices."

When the measurements were complete, Nelligen reported that the inside was eighty-two centimeters smaller than the outside dimensions. "Of course, that could be attributed to the materials and reinforcement design used in construction of the container."

"It could also mean hidden areas for people or smuggled materials," Byers said.

"Possible, but a real stretch," Vyx said, "given the structural support requirements for the weight they were carrying. Okay, let's check the other three containers for obvious stowaways before we check out the walls of the containers.

A check of the other containers revealed no stowaways waiting to leap out and begin a forcible takeover of the ship after the crew had relaxed their security, so they began an exhaustive examination of the container construction.

"We have an outer skin of tritanium," Brenda said, "bonded to a point-five centimeter lining of lead, followed by a low power electronic grid that will scramble any electronic scans that get through the outer materials. Then we have a two-centimeter-thick layer of stainless steel with normal reinforcing construction and an interior two-centimeter layer of stainless. Overall, it's well constructed and well protected from snooping."

"Any signs of recent work?" Vyx asked.

"Recent work?" Brenda echoed.

"Yeah. Such as by the freighter people. Did they put anything into the walls that we'll be smuggling back to Bleadalto?"

"No evidence that I saw. Did you notice anything Kathryn?"

"Nope. I didn't see anything that suggests recent tampering with the interior or exterior walls."

"Okay. Thanks everyone. That puts my mind at ease."

"So what were we carrying? Why did they transfer it to other containers?" Byers asked.

"I don't know. They were pretty secretive. Let's go review the vid records and see if we can spot anything."

An hour later the team had cleaned up and were meeting in the lounge to watch the images recorded from the Scorpion's exterior-mounted cameras.

Most of the cameras only recorded images of empty space, so they weren't reviewed. The images that showed how the containers were handled once the small robotic tug delivered them to the freighter were enlarged to maximum magnification and played at slower-than-normal speed.

"Look at that," Byers said after the first of the recently delivered containers was opened. "It's a container within a container."

The freighter crewmembers had opened one end of the container and were pulling another smaller container out. After the smaller container was out, the larger container was closed and pushed out of the way. Then the side doors of a full twenty-meter-high container already part of the freighter's load was opened.

"There's the reason," Vyx said. "The full-size container has a false bottom. It's really only a three-quarters container in a full-size shell."

"Why?" Kathryn asked.

"Look, they're sliding the small container into the bottom of the full-size container," Nelligen said.

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