Chapter 34
It took Major Thomas two days to trace the item he required. In the end it came to him via a devious route of dubious contacts and many creds and without guarantee. The man, who wore a hat to conceal his face, casually tipped it on the table: a small, translucent cube, with interior swirls of brown.
The Major picked it up. In the palm of his hand he could feel it tremble, quivering as if potent. It certainly looked right. “Unlocked?”
“Of course. What’s the point of locking them?”
The Major licked his lips. “I need to know it works.”
The contact shrugged. “Sure. but I’m never alone …“ the Major felt a looming, dangerous presence at his shoulder “.. so payment now, regardless.”
The creds were jolted over and the tension eased. The Major glanced round and discovered they were
