I spoke. “Captain Meyers. I am coming aboard. Open the gravity wall of your docking bay. Have your logs ready for inspection when I board.”
The Captain was silent for a moment. “I am afraid I have to decline that request Detective. We have a crewman with Duleria aboard, so I must maintain quarantine until we reach Thalimus port.”
I had to smile at the Captain’s audacity. “Mr. Meyers, you are aware that I have full authority under the laws of the New Alliance to board and inspect that vessel. Please reduce the gravity wall on the docking bay so that I may land this cruiser on your deck. This time Captain, I am insisting that you do so.”
The Captain replied, “We are having trouble with our open channel reception Detective. I’m switching to a scrambled feed. Please enter X447 to continue receiving our broadcast.”
This was something new. It was obvious that the Captain wanted to talk in private. I entered the code with the anticipation of finding out what it was that he wanted.
Meyers spoke. “Mr. Beutcher, I know this may look bad, but I am only trying to save us both our jobs. I have always respected the law, Mr. Beutcher. I don’t want either of us to pay the price for what others have dictated that we do.”
I replied, “Captain, open that docking bay or I will be forced to shut down your core. You will then have no choice but to turn yourself and your crew over to me for a full arrest. The Belwitz will then be towed to Thalimus port where it will be impounded by the colony authorities.”
The Captain was silent for several seconds. “I will level with you detective. This cargo is property of Camwich mines, a subsidiary of the Motlin Corporation. The story I told you about the quarantine is true. I have six thousand miners on this ship, and one of them has Duleria. If you come aboard that infected miner will be logged in your public records and I will not be able to dock at Thalimus port to unload the rest. The people who pay our salaries will be extremely unhappy with us if that happens, Mr. Beutcher. I’m pleading with you to please not do this.”
I looked down at my empty mug. “Would you have any coffee over there Captain?”
Meyers replied, “I do. The last port I was at was overloaded with it due to some arguments about taxes and transfer fees. I have a good stockpile of it aboard this ship.”
I was not one to outright break the law, but I was given discretion to bend rules while in the field, with three stars, my judgement would not be called into question. The quarantine problem the captain of the Belwitz was having, if that was indeed his problem, was not a violation of any law. It was a protocol that the Thalimus port authorities, and most every other port in the galaxy, enforced for health safety reasons.
I spoke. “Maybe we can work out a little trade Captain. If you sell me some of that coffee, at a fair price, I will take your infected miner off your hands. My holding cells on this vessel are rated for quarantine.”
The Captain replied. “How do we make the transfer, Mr. Beutcher? If I allow you to dock it becomes public record and the quarantine will be exposed.”
I brought up the schematics of the Belwitz. “You have a dozen lifepods on there for your crew, Mr. Meyers. Blank out the transponder code on one of those, place your miner aboard and set her afloat. I will pick up the miner. You can recover your pod afterward.”
The holo-image of the Captain’s face that floated in front of me had a smile. “I will happily give you two crates of our coffee store, Mr. Beutcher. I will pack them on the lifepod with the miner myself.”
I held up my hand. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mr. Meyers. I still have a ship inspection to report on. You send out the miner, and I will come over for the inspection and the coffee. We both get what we need and we can both be on our way.”
The lifepod was jettisoned and I allowed it to float in free space while I performed the inspection. I cringed as I let slip a single digit in my report log for where the pod had been found. The Daunte’s logs would show the correct location, but those logs were not read unless an officer’s integrity was called into question over an arrest. Without an arrest in this instance, there would be no questions and the Daunte’s logs would remain sealed.
I brought the Daunte to a stop on the deck of the Belwitz. A smiling Captain Meyers came out to greet me with his manifest logs and two crates of high grade, Orientus coffee. Enough to last me for several months. The logs reflected one less miner in transport than had been there an hour before. The miner had been logged as having a burial in space after a natural death, an event that was not uncommon. I again had a moment of pang as I looked over the manifest logs of the Belwitz. I abhorred any type of dishonesty, in the field however, compromise was something that would allow all parties to continue on with their duties. Even though it was a minor transgression, it would weigh on my conscience.
After reviewing the logs I insisted on a full inspection and was granted access to all sections of the ship. The miners were well cared for and no contraband was found. I gave the Captain his clean inspection report, paid a fair price of twenty credits for the coffee and began to board the Daunte.
I turned back towards the Captain with one last question. “Mr. Meyers, you had a run in some months ago for supposedly carrying a load of bleurgh. One of our detectives was demoted because of that. What can you tell me about that incident?”
The Captain looked down at the deck. “I was not aware of the cargo my manifest administrator had loaded aboard at the last minute. He was on the payroll of the Motlin Corporation who had contracted for the remainder of the legitimate cargo. At the time I was OK with not having to pay the extra wage for a company worker.”
“When the detective came aboard and the container was found I was terrified. I have a family to support, Mr. Beutcher. If I’m stuck away in some jail for years they would have to turn to the streets for food and shelter, or even worse to the government. I’ve run an honest ship for thirty four years, and I will do it for that many more if I can. Retirement is not something that happens often in the New Alliance. If I want to take care of my family I have to keep this ship moving.”
I replied, “This is registered as a salvage trawler. Why would you be hauling miners?”
The Captain shook his head. “Live cargo is not something I want to do, Mr. Beutcher. Contracts are hard to get and you take what comes your way. Besides, with the slowed economies everywhere, salvage is not always in demand. I’m just trying to feed my family, nothing more.”
I was a good judge of character and the Captain’s expressions told me he was telling the truth. I nodded goodbye and the hatch of the Daunte closed behind me. I slowly taxied back out into free space and recovered the lifepod and the infected miner. Jurgem Meyers then recovered the pod shortly after its second release.
As the Belwitz sped away toward Thalimus port, I raised dispatch on the comm. “This is Beutcher. I’m transmitting my inspection report on the Belwitz. And I came across an unmanned lifepod out here. It had one occupant and a med scan says they have Duleria. I brought them into quarantine for transport to the proper med facilities. Sweep me back to SS5 for the dropoff and I’ll be on to my next inspection.”
Hela Gruend replied, “Roger that, Mr. Beutcher. I will have a med team waiting at Dock-17. Hold your position for a sweep.”
Twenty seconds later the Duante was swept through a portal back to the security station. I promptly moved to the assigned dock and unloaded my infected cargo.
Fifteen minutes later I was ready for a jump to the colony at Jarvis IV, a farming colony on the boundary edge of the Beta sector. The colonies near Beta were governed by the Magnus family. As close allies of the Saltons I, expected no trouble.
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As always, take care and have a great day!
Stephen Arseneault
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AMP Armageddon Page 25