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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shadowdancer" data-source="post: 1281707" data-attributes="member: 515">Swann rubs a hand across his face, considering the table. "If it didn’t explode during handling and the shifting of the cargo, that should rule out any type of proximity fuse or inertial trigger. The biggest concern is if it is set to some type of timer. As far as searching for more surprises in the remaining cargo, I suggest starting with anything that was shipped with this table." No one else says a word. Argent looks around at those gathered in the cargo bay, then says, "I’ll be on the bridge or searching the ship. Mr. McConnell, I want hourly progress reports. Mr. Hellinic, I want reports as time and progress permits." With that, Argent heads for the bridge. Swann walks over closer to the table, his mind racing. He kneels down close to the fake leg and starts looking at it from all angles. His first priority is trying to determine what type of explosiveit is, and if there is some sort of timer and/or detonator connected to it. Still rubbing his tired eyes, the Doc yawns again. "Explosive, huh?" he thinks. "It better be . . . if this turns out to be nothing more a chewy candy center, I'll laugh myself silly. Say, I wonder . . . " Doc picks up his handcomp and starts scrolling through the double-checked inventory, looking to see if a chem sniffer/detector was packed on board. As he searches his comp, he calls to Vasilii, "Mr. Kugiikiishshi, can you run through the manifests that we haven’t double-checked yet? Look to see if we’re supposed to have any sort of chemical scanner in our cargo. If we find one, we can use that to check what this stuff is, and to help search the rest of the ship for any more." Vasilii thinks for a few seconds then mentions, "We do have image scanners listed on the cargo inventory one of which is in working order. Is it possible to use this device on the substance? Perhaps with a little modification we can determine the chemical composition. Can we use the image scanner for that purpose?" Swann, without turning from his examination of the device, says, "A chemical sniffer would be good, if we have one. But I wouldn’t want to run it through any type of scanner, except as a last resort. The imaging process might detonate the explosives." Swann continues his examination. Vasilii, although extremely tired, gets to work on the inventories and the cargo examination. The external casing, where it is cracked open, doesn’t appear to be connected to the "putty" itself, Swann observes. He recognizes the mottled gray color: it’s standard low–yield explosive used for mining and demolition. It’s common wherever people dig holes in the ground and easy to get hold of. As to how it might be set off, he can’t tell. There is no indication from the opening he can see whether it is some way of transporting explosives or a bomb itself, whether it’s a pressure trigger, timing device, booby trapped or what. The trigger could be absolutely anything. There may be a chip/microphone waiting to hear a special word/conversation. There might be a tamper switch. It could be time triggered. There may be time–delayed motion triggers. Sweat starts to pour down his face. This much explosive would probably be enough to wreck the Keaven and kill all aboard if it went off inside. His choices boiled down to three: would he try and defuse it in position, try and minimize the effect then defuse it, or just minimize the effect? Was it a decision he could make alone? Someone else might know a good way of dampening the blast. He triggers the intercom, "Captain, may I talk to everyone." He thinks about the possible speech recognition trigger. "In the crew lounge, please."</blockquote>

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