Anomalous Cargo - Chapter 7

[Fhg#1893]

Anomalous Cargo - Chapter 7

"Have we traced the of the breach yet?" demanded Garret Rena.

"We've managed to apprehend what was left of the group responsible for the initial theft. They appear to be pirates, and we doubt that they knew what they were stealing. We've also discovered that someone was able to plant a data-decryption program into our system. We have a pretty good lead on the courier they hired, but so far we've been busy with the interrogation, and trying to trace the leak." The intercom responded.

"How did the courier manage to get past our covert scanning?"

"Unfortunately sir, by all accounts, he didn't even need to. By the time the breach was reported, the package had already been picked up and was probably somewhere in pirate territory. By the time we got the military appraised of our situation, the package was entering Light of Heart, and by the time that we had authorization for covert scanning, the package was in Boron territory. I'm sorry sir, but that's our system."

"Damn politicians. Was it a fast ship?"

"Yes sir. Late model Scorpion. It looks like the thieves had been watching their courier for at least a few wozuras. They chose carefully. He's small-time, but he's good. Preliminary reports suggest that he even survived a fight with what looks like Khaak."

"In a Scorpion? An Argon managed all this?"

"Yes sir. Like I said, he's good."

There was a long pause.

"Senya, I want your preliminary report, and all the date we've collected so far transmitted to me within the next 2 stazuras. But before you get strated, advise the investigation team to refocus their efforts on recovering
the package; continue the interrogation, but don't waste too many resources, they won't know anything of consequence. And I want you to bring in the courier. He may well prove useful in recovering the package."

"There might be a problem with that sir."

There was another icy silence.

"Go on."

"Well sir, his ship was pretty beaten up, and our sources among the Teladi haven't been able to locate any ships matching that description."

Garrett's voice was flat, "They're just holding out for more credits."

"I uh... I didn't want to make that presumption sir."

"Of course not. No matter Senya, it's not your job to say such things anyway. Offer a fifteen percent bonus to our usual agents for the first one who makes a complete report. If you don't have something within a quarter-stazura, bump the bonus to twenty, though I doubt that will be necessary."

"Yes sir."

"One more thing. Do you have a file on this courier?"

"It's very preliminary, but yes sir."

"Send it to me immediately."

"Yes sir, transmitting now."

"Thank you Senya. That's all for now. Out."

Garret Rena closed the transmission.

"Computer, have you received any new communication?"

"Affirmative. One file from agent Senya Trellar received."

"Open and display."

A large page of text appeared on the display in front of him and he began to read about a mysterious courier who went by the name of Tred Decker.

Three quarters of a stazura later, his comm chimed again.

"Sir, this is agent Trellar."

"Go ahead" he immediately responded.

"I thought you'd want to know, we've received a full report from our sources in Teladi space."

"And?"

"Well sir, the courier's ship was last confirmed docked at the shipyard in Ianamus Zura, and it hasn't departed since. We think he probably sold his ship to the Teladi."

"Could he suspect that we're onto him?"

"We don't think so sir. One of our sources passed us a bill of sale for a Demeter."

"So?"

"The bill also included the cost of adapting the ship for a human pilot."

"Good work Senya. Anything else?"

"Yes sir. I think we'd better be cautious around this Decker character."

"What? Why?"

"In short sir, Tred Decker is someone who doesn't really exist. Our information on him indicates that he was originally called, Gram Talik. But Talik disappaered under mysterious circumstances a few tazuras after trying to run a group of slaves through Boron territory. To avoid capture, he spaced the lot of them. Of course, the incident made the news, and the media was able to expose the family Tryk as his employers. Naturally, the Split government denied any knowledge of the family's illegal activities, and the family's status fell very quickly. And as you know sir, Argnu
dung rolls down hill..."

"Is that all?"

"No sir. Our information indicates that Gram Talik was killed a few tazuras later in a bizarre accident in the Heron's Nebula. system. As I'm sure that you're aware sir, with the amount of embarrassment that he caused the Split, they'd never have let him get away so easily. We investigated but of course, we found no body. A few tazura's later, a courier by the name of
Renard March comes on the scene, who also disappeared under mysterious circumstances after a contract went badly. Next thing you know, Tred Decker pops up."

"And you think that if we come on too strongly he'll make himself disappear again?"

"Almost certainly sir."

There was another long silence.

"Good call Senya. Okay, this is how we're going to play this one..."