Page 87 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

weapons gantry. You got out of there just in time; the Nephel fried the place with heavy
bombardment. The water here is bluer, but just as pleasant” Lomax answered. They
watched the screen as a Vid of an experiment was played. The scientist explained that he
was conducting toxicity tests of a neuro toxin from a lizard, recently found in a remote
system of the Buraxin sector. The Vid was some fifty years old. An animal had been exposed
to a spray of the toxin. The results were not pretty and very spectacular, the animal
screamed in pain just before it appeared to melt before them.

“That’s like a faster version of Caspar’s Viper venom. What happened to the rest of the
research of this man - Dr Belkin Harrig?” Lomax asked

“Not known; he went missing not long after this. No trace of him was ever found, no DNA
trace, no residue if he’d been exposed to the toxin, he just seemed to have vanished. It was
rumoured at the time the Order might have sequestered him away to a Protectorate
somewhere, but nothing was ever proven. The neuro toxin here matches slightly the stuff
used on Lucerne. It could have been derived from this venom as it would seem from the
autopsy toxins report that Lucerne’s lungs appeared to have some “melted” tissue” Jason
replied. The two friends watched more of the data that Maxel had sent, and Jason arranged
for Lomax’s things to be transferred from the Grindon to his house and he contacted Jenna,
who whooped at the mention of her joining them “FIELD TRIP!! AWSOME” she had yelled in
excitement.

A debt repaid, freedom for some

Mortimer Glass was a worried man. He had returned from the Force HQ with Gaston
and Herne to find his office had been broken into. He quickly recovered the hidden Vid
recorder and removed its crystal. The three of them watched the footage on the office large
screen. The two individuals seemed to know what they were looking for, and had carefully
worn cover all suits to avoid visual identification. They opened the filing cabinets and rifled
through the contents. They were being methodical in their search; and Herne recognised a
Chronometer that one of them was wearing

“That’s a Vanquist Chronometer, very expensive, that guy has breeding. If you can focus on
the face you can find the serial number. It’s in a Barcode incorporated into the back display.
The serial will lead to the owner.” Herne said, thankful for his Grandfather’s Knowledge of
quality timepieces. Glass focused on a still of the Chronometer; the barcode was hidden in a
cartouche in the faceplate design. A quick cross-reference to the manufacturer’s database
and the owner displayed as Louis Cranchant-Habel

“Louie the Swipe! Then the other one must be Herb Gaffner, Herb’s a burglar by trade Louis
is a data broker. Really likes to dress sharp hence the Chronometer” Gaston said and
continued “They are rumoured to be the ones responsible for the theft of Old man Silas
Carnegie’s pocketbook. The one he kept all his underworld contacts in. What’d they get
from us boss?” he asked

Mortimer started the footage again and watched the pair’s activity. They seemed to
be taking certain documents and copying them to a data recorder. Mortimer noted the files
and documents copied and retrieved the originals. They were an eclectic lot; mostly