upper deck. “I only inherited the ship from my brother a little over a week ago, and I have not yet had the time to sort everything out.” He felt the need to explain himself, not wanting the security officers to think he was responsible for the mess.
Chapter Fifteen
“Well, Phard, is everything in order?” Step enquired when the search had been completed. He had followed on the heels of the BSS officer and his men as they spent more than three hours going through the ship. At the start of the search he had been worried they would find the package he was carrying for Carboni, but after observing their search efforts for a while his concerns disappeared.
Though Phard Bruin was clearly an officious sort, who revelled in the small amount of power he had been given, he didn’t really know what he was doing. His comment about the engine room being the place most often used as a hiding place was obviously something he had been told, or had heard. His men made only the most cursory of searches, remarking a few times on the need for maintenance, and he lacked the experience to know they weren’t being thorough.
The response was a nod. “You are cleared to trade here Captain. I trust the next time your ship is examined it will be in better order than it is now.”
Step chose not to respond to the younger man’s comment. He could tell, from the disgruntled look on his face, the Phard had been hoping to find something illegal hidden away on the ship, or something not in order he could issue a fine for. Failing to do so had annoyed him, and the only response open to him was to remark on the messiness in the areas Step had not found the time to clean and tidy.
Most of the ship had drawn disapproving looks from the young officer during the course of the search. Not that Step was surprised; cleaning, tidying, and conducting maintenance on the bridge and in the engine room had taken longer than he had expected. Apart from those two areas, the only other area of Gambler’s Luck that no longer looked as it had when he first stepped foot on board the ship was the galley.
For as long as the ground-car remained in sight Step stayed at the top of the ramp, watching it move away, then he re-entered the ship and closed the outer doors. He had a lot to do, with the search finished, but first on the list was a check of Carboni’s package. The BSS officers had come close to the package a couple of times during their search, though they hadn’t found it, and he wanted to make sure they hadn’t disturbed it.
Descending to the lower level of the engine room Step made his way round to the other side of the main assembly. Attached to the assembly, near the bottom but in plain sight, was the package he was delivering for Carboni. Since he didn’t know of anywhere in the ship to hide it, he supposed it was something he would have to consider in case he was given anymore packages to deliver, he had chosen to disguise it.
The disguise had held up under the search, though that was more the result of the officers’ laxity than his creativity. He had even been advised that the part was in danger of coming off and should be replaced or repaired as soon as possible.
When he had satisfied himself that the package was still secure and disguised, if not as well as he would have liked, Step left the engine room. On his way to the bridge he detoured and grabbed an energy bar from the galley and tore it open. By the time he reached the pilot’s seat he had already consumed half the bar.
Stuffing the rest of the bar into his mouth he chewed noisily as he opened up a coms line. The first thing he did, since he wasn’t capable of speaking just then, was to leave messages for the recipients of the packages he had agreed to deliver. In each case the message was the same; he let them know he had arrived with their packages and they could collect them from the spaceport’s collection centre, where he would be taking them just as soon
Chapter Fifteen
“Well, Phard, is everything in order?” Step enquired when the search had been completed. He had followed on the heels of the BSS officer and his men as they spent more than three hours going through the ship. At the start of the search he had been worried they would find the package he was carrying for Carboni, but after observing their search efforts for a while his concerns disappeared.
Though Phard Bruin was clearly an officious sort, who revelled in the small amount of power he had been given, he didn’t really know what he was doing. His comment about the engine room being the place most often used as a hiding place was obviously something he had been told, or had heard. His men made only the most cursory of searches, remarking a few times on the need for maintenance, and he lacked the experience to know they weren’t being thorough.
The response was a nod. “You are cleared to trade here Captain. I trust the next time your ship is examined it will be in better order than it is now.”
Step chose not to respond to the younger man’s comment. He could tell, from the disgruntled look on his face, the Phard had been hoping to find something illegal hidden away on the ship, or something not in order he could issue a fine for. Failing to do so had annoyed him, and the only response open to him was to remark on the messiness in the areas Step had not found the time to clean and tidy.
Most of the ship had drawn disapproving looks from the young officer during the course of the search. Not that Step was surprised; cleaning, tidying, and conducting maintenance on the bridge and in the engine room had taken longer than he had expected. Apart from those two areas, the only other area of Gambler’s Luck that no longer looked as it had when he first stepped foot on board the ship was the galley.
For as long as the ground-car remained in sight Step stayed at the top of the ramp, watching it move away, then he re-entered the ship and closed the outer doors. He had a lot to do, with the search finished, but first on the list was a check of Carboni’s package. The BSS officers had come close to the package a couple of times during their search, though they hadn’t found it, and he wanted to make sure they hadn’t disturbed it.
Descending to the lower level of the engine room Step made his way round to the other side of the main assembly. Attached to the assembly, near the bottom but in plain sight, was the package he was delivering for Carboni. Since he didn’t know of anywhere in the ship to hide it, he supposed it was something he would have to consider in case he was given anymore packages to deliver, he had chosen to disguise it.
The disguise had held up under the search, though that was more the result of the officers’ laxity than his creativity. He had even been advised that the part was in danger of coming off and should be replaced or repaired as soon as possible.
When he had satisfied himself that the package was still secure and disguised, if not as well as he would have liked, Step left the engine room. On his way to the bridge he detoured and grabbed an energy bar from the galley and tore it open. By the time he reached the pilot’s seat he had already consumed half the bar.
Stuffing the rest of the bar into his mouth he chewed noisily as he opened up a coms line. The first thing he did, since he wasn’t capable of speaking just then, was to leave messages for the recipients of the packages he had agreed to deliver. In each case the message was the same; he let them know he had arrived with their packages and they could collect them from the spaceport’s collection centre, where he would be taking them just as soon
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