A teen missing on Peria (part 10)

Alyssa nodded at Roxor's plan. Three people showing up armed was more likely to raise hackles than two. The Gammoreans were muscle, pure and simple, but they were a wall of flesh that would be hard to get around. Then the others would just make things that much more complicated. So long as none of them suspected that there was another person watching over the pair, ready to blast them, they would stay calm. Or at least calmer than if she was standing there ready to blast them.

She was able to spot a nearby spot where she suspected that she could keep an eye on the scene without immediately being spotted. A low catwalk which had boxes and crates stacked underneath and on the platform, it provided cover and a nearly perfect perspective on the entrance. Alyssa quickly made her way to the spot she had in mind and had her blaster out just as she settled in to watch.

Wilanto's rather matter-of-fact statement of his presence seemed to confuse the guard, and Alyssa wished that she could have heard what was being said. Unfortunately, she was just outside of hearing range. The armored guard was obviously not happy about being interrupted from his doing nothing to being required to do what he was being paid for.

---------------------------

"Buddy, I don't care who you are." The armored guard said with a steady voice. "My orders are that no one gets in the ship. Now get the hell outta here!"

Wilanto didn't miss a beat. He looked down at his datapad and tapped on it for a moment. "Listen, I don't want to tell you how to do your job," he said, not looking back up at the guard. "But have you ever heard of Thraxian Roe Fever."

"Say what now?"

"Thraxian Roe Fever. Nasty little bug." He shook his head. "Tends to be fatal if your exposed." He then lifted his head and looked meaningfully at the guard. "See what happens is that you develop these little nodules on the body. Looks a lot like fish eggs, so hence the name."

The guard tried to maintain a steely glare, but Wilanto knew that he now had his attention. "Really now?"

"Really. Look, I've got a copy of the manifest. See, I asked for a favor in lieu of a more expensive payment. They're taking a sample of the bug to a researcher I know. But the freezer unit has to maintain a steady temperature. If this thing defrosts, let's just say that you're not looking at a long lifespan."

At this point, even the Gammoreans were looking antsy and the guard was starting to sweat.

Wilanto typed briefly again on the datapad. "Here you go. The run down on Thraxian Roe Fever." He held the datapad up for the guard to see it, who blanched as he read it. "The power unit has about another day left on it, so I just need to make sure that it's got that much time before things go belly up, potentially for real." He pointed behind him with his thumb toward Roxor. "He's with me, just to make sure some fool doesn't try to steal this stuff. Cold storage or not, mishandling it is gonna have the same fatal result.

"Now are you letting us through or do I just tell the authorities your name for your next of kin when it gets loose?"