Chapter XXXIV
Date: 126-993
Place: Kingan, King George's Land, Alief
Back in the hotel room, Ian shares an idea with the group. "Why don’t we buy some screw–top bottles of King Sour just to round out our collection. My thought is to replace the contents of the screw–top bottles with the giveaway soda from the cans. We can have a couple of ‘unfinished’ bottles in the car when we cross the border. We maybe ought to buy more, may look less suspicious. Also, I don’t have a good feeling about the donut truck and the guy and girl loitering in the lobby. We probably should try to hide our actions concerning the cola from them."
Vasilii says, "I like your idea, but I’m afraid that if we do get detained that they’ll just confiscate everything, Amadel included. I was hoping to send an express parcel of some of the cans to the ship. If we are being followed, however, that’ll just tip our hand that we know they’re there."
Ian says, "Well, if we are really serious and the odds are good that all will be confiscated — fill some balloons with the cola and we can swallow them. They’d have to detain us for quite a while for the evidence to appear."
Swann involuntarily winces, as Ian’s comment brings back unpleasant memories of some large Sydite guards, rubber gloves, and insufficient lubrication.
Vasilii muses for a moment. "What if you and Dr. Talbek take a couple of cans and go ‘shopping’ while Mr. Hellinic and I do the same. If we see an opportunity we can slip our ‘shadows’ and try to send the cans out. Make it a priority delivery to Lowford Airport, Bromley, addressed to Darishun. Hopefully one of the two parcels will make it. Then we can take the rest of them and do as you advise."
"I have no real training or practice in smuggling," Ian says, "but I will do my best. Maybe Swann could show me some tricks that would help."
Vasilii stops and looks at Ian. "Sometimes traders have a need for hiding their assets." Ian looks at Vasilii with a smirky grin. "Maybe you should come with me and Mr. Hellinic can go with the Doctor?"
"Sounds good to me," says Ian.
Saro wakes up from his deep slumber after some hours. Excited at having a plan, even if he doesn’t know what it is yet, Saro follows Vasilii’s lead and pairs with Swann. After all, Swann does seem to have more experience at this than anyone else, by his own admission. His initial excitement gives way to anxiety at the prospect of having to get the cans over the border.
Vasilii jots two quick notes and attaches each of them to a can with a rubberband. Each note is written the same (in Vilani): "Darishun, Saro says the vaccine is inside the cans. We may be detained." He gives one can with a note to Swann with a second can of the giveaway soda going to Dr. Talbek. "Put these in your pockets or something." Vasilii takes the other can with the note attached and gives another can to Ian to hide in his clothing. Vasilii splits the remaining local currency he has with Swann and Saro, so they won’t have to use ImpCreds for the fee.
Vasilii lowers his voice so the others can barely hear him over the radio. "Here’s my plan, such as it is. Each pair goes ‘shopping,’ ostensibly looking for trade goods. Buy whatever you like if you can justify it within the cover story and have it shipped to the ship, all straight and above board. If you have the chance to slip the surveillance, either add your cans to the shipment or find a parcel delivery service and have the cans shipped that way. If you ship them parcel post, make sure that it’s priority delivery to the ship."
Vasilii looks at the group. "Can anyone come up with a better idea? Has anyone scoped out possible side and back exits from the hotel?"
Swann said in a low voice, "I think using multiple methods of trying to slip the cans over the border gives us our best chance of getting at least some through. If we can distract our watcher down in the lobby, that would give one person the opportunity to slip into the business center to ship some cans back to the Bray Keaven.
"We should probably try to ship a few from someplace away from the hotel. If we can find someplace in the city that does express shipping, we could enter a nearby cafe or store, then have one person slip out the back and down an alley or side street to ship the cans.
"If we try to hide some in the Amadel, we should move the car first and park it in such a way it will be difficult to see into the trunk from the donut truck or the lobby of the hotel. That would better hide what we are doing back there.
"Hiding cans of soda on your person is difficult, even harder than hiding a gun because the cans don’t have a flat profile. An inside jacket or coat pocket works best. If you have a shoulder holster for a gun, you could use that as well. A briefcase or small carrying bag would be ideal.
"Ian, in your little walks around the hotel, did you notice if there was an alternate way to get in and out? Preferable, a side entrance that can be accessed from the stairs or fire escape that can't be seen from the lobby or the donut truck?"
Ian reports there are several exits from the hotel other than the front lobby. One is near the Amadel (and not too far from the Sweet Crust Donuts truck). There are two more on the backside of the hotel and one on the far side of the hotel from the Amadel.
"Maybe we should try all the things you are suggesting," Saro says. "Attempt to hide some cans in the car while we cross, send some using a parcel or courier service, and try to move some of the contents into other containers. I do worry about changing the containers because I feel the cans are a very stable environment and moving the fluid might result in denaturalization, but I feel we should try everything. My theory is that the carbonation works as a buffer for the packet envelopes that contain the viral particles. I’ll bet that those particles are sensitive to changes in pH and when they reach the stomach the envelope denatures and the viral particles are released.
"The one thing that might not work would be drinking the viral particles in the hope of having enough virus in our bloodstream to harvest it later. While that could be theoretically possible under very controlled circumstances, it would require knowledge about the life cycle of the virus that we do not possess at the moment. As a last resort I guess we could try it, but that would have to be a desperation move.
"As far as sending some of the cans, we might want to at least try and occupy the people who are keeping us under surveillance. Perhaps I could try and engage the lady in the lobby, and each one of the others carries a package. Whoever is not being followed can try and send it urgently. I can also try and send one, and someone else can try and speak with the people who are keeping an eye on us. Then we can try and smuggle the unsent cans through the border.
"The other thing is that we should try to leave this place as soon as possible. How about if we try to leave by the end of the day?"
