timetabled to depart on schedule, Mr Seede.”
“That’s good news.”
“You’ve just made it in time, we’re closing check-in in two minutes. You’ll need to hurry!”
“Quickly!” said Morph.
“Legs, trousers…” said Sirena. “No concealed pockets… Jacket, shirt… Nothing…”
“Is there anything else I can help you with today, Mr Seede?”
“No, thank you.”
“Please proceed to the security gate, and have a pleasant journey.”
“Skin surface, nose, underwear…” said Sirena. “All negative.”
“I’m sure I will.” Seede smiled at the assistantand walked away. His suitcase bumped out of sight on the conveyor belt.
“I’ll have to risk direct contact,” said Sirena. “If he’s got the Venom, finding it will need a high-intensity probe.”
“Be careful!” warned Nero.
Sirena landed delicately on the back of Seede’s jacket. Nero and Morph kept up with them, scuttling along underneath a line of luggage trolleys. Sirena recalibrated her sensors to take readings of everything from the chemical compounds in the gel on Seede’s hair to the fibres in the cotton and wool mix of his socks.
“You say he lost part of his left hand in an accident?” said Nero. “I can see his left hand from here, and it doesn’t appear to be damaged.”
Sirena moved to the back of Seede’s left arm.
“Refocusing high-res imaging… He has a prosthetic section attached to his hand!” she said. “The last two fingers, and a small section of his palm. It’s designed to look natural.”
“Didn’t you spot it earlier?” said Nero.
“Even now, I can only detect it at the far range of my sensors. It seems to be shielded with afake chemical signature that reads as normal flesh. Even the most sophisticated airport or other security scanners wouldn’t pick it up… There’s a shape lodged inside his little finger! The missing phial! He’s carrying the Venom!”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Seede suddenly swatted at his left arm and frowned at the butterfly that had brushed past him.
“I’ve been seen!” transmitted Sirena. “Withdrawing to safe distance!”
“Send a full report to SWARM headquarters,” said Nero. “Morph and I will stay with him.”
At that moment, a female voice echoed through the airport concourse. “Last call for Flight AW91 Air Weihan to Shaghai, boarding at Gate 12. Last call for Flight AW91.”
Peter Seede walked calmly but quickly over tothe security checkpoint. A sour-faced guard ran an electronic wand around him, then ushered him into the arched X-ray detector. No alarms were triggered and the guard motioned for Seede to continue on to the gate.
Nero and Morph followed, scuttling along the corridor. Morph kept to the thinly carpeted floor, while Nero moved along the high ceiling, the two of them staying apart in case one of them was spotted as Sirena had been.
“Once Seede is on the aircraft,” said Nero, “SWARM headquarters should be able to stop it leaving by raising an official alert. Seede will be trapped and the police can arrest him. Until then, we must keep track of his movements.”
They shadowed Seede into the departure lounge. It was almost empty, as most of the passengers had already boarded the flight. The Air Weihan jet, a huge Boeing 767-300, could be seen through the enormous windows that formed one wall of the lounge. A steward was stationed at the metal tunnel which led out to the plane, hurrying the last few passengers through and collecting up their boarding passes with a wearysmile. He beckoned to Seede.
“Should we follow him on to the aircraft?” said Morph.
“It shouldn’t be necessary,” said Nero. “He won’t be able to escape once he’s aboard.”
“I’ll signal headquarters,” said Morph.
Moments later, Queen Bee cut in on the robots’ communications network. “Nero! Morph! How long before that flight takes off?”
“Eight minutes until the plane proceeds to the runway for take-off,” transmitted Nero.
Queen Bee
“That’s good news.”
“You’ve just made it in time, we’re closing check-in in two minutes. You’ll need to hurry!”
“Quickly!” said Morph.
“Legs, trousers…” said Sirena. “No concealed pockets… Jacket, shirt… Nothing…”
“Is there anything else I can help you with today, Mr Seede?”
“No, thank you.”
“Please proceed to the security gate, and have a pleasant journey.”
“Skin surface, nose, underwear…” said Sirena. “All negative.”
“I’m sure I will.” Seede smiled at the assistantand walked away. His suitcase bumped out of sight on the conveyor belt.
“I’ll have to risk direct contact,” said Sirena. “If he’s got the Venom, finding it will need a high-intensity probe.”
“Be careful!” warned Nero.
Sirena landed delicately on the back of Seede’s jacket. Nero and Morph kept up with them, scuttling along underneath a line of luggage trolleys. Sirena recalibrated her sensors to take readings of everything from the chemical compounds in the gel on Seede’s hair to the fibres in the cotton and wool mix of his socks.
“You say he lost part of his left hand in an accident?” said Nero. “I can see his left hand from here, and it doesn’t appear to be damaged.”
Sirena moved to the back of Seede’s left arm.
“Refocusing high-res imaging… He has a prosthetic section attached to his hand!” she said. “The last two fingers, and a small section of his palm. It’s designed to look natural.”
“Didn’t you spot it earlier?” said Nero.
“Even now, I can only detect it at the far range of my sensors. It seems to be shielded with afake chemical signature that reads as normal flesh. Even the most sophisticated airport or other security scanners wouldn’t pick it up… There’s a shape lodged inside his little finger! The missing phial! He’s carrying the Venom!”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Seede suddenly swatted at his left arm and frowned at the butterfly that had brushed past him.
“I’ve been seen!” transmitted Sirena. “Withdrawing to safe distance!”
“Send a full report to SWARM headquarters,” said Nero. “Morph and I will stay with him.”
At that moment, a female voice echoed through the airport concourse. “Last call for Flight AW91 Air Weihan to Shaghai, boarding at Gate 12. Last call for Flight AW91.”
Peter Seede walked calmly but quickly over tothe security checkpoint. A sour-faced guard ran an electronic wand around him, then ushered him into the arched X-ray detector. No alarms were triggered and the guard motioned for Seede to continue on to the gate.
Nero and Morph followed, scuttling along the corridor. Morph kept to the thinly carpeted floor, while Nero moved along the high ceiling, the two of them staying apart in case one of them was spotted as Sirena had been.
“Once Seede is on the aircraft,” said Nero, “SWARM headquarters should be able to stop it leaving by raising an official alert. Seede will be trapped and the police can arrest him. Until then, we must keep track of his movements.”
They shadowed Seede into the departure lounge. It was almost empty, as most of the passengers had already boarded the flight. The Air Weihan jet, a huge Boeing 767-300, could be seen through the enormous windows that formed one wall of the lounge. A steward was stationed at the metal tunnel which led out to the plane, hurrying the last few passengers through and collecting up their boarding passes with a wearysmile. He beckoned to Seede.
“Should we follow him on to the aircraft?” said Morph.
“It shouldn’t be necessary,” said Nero. “He won’t be able to escape once he’s aboard.”
“I’ll signal headquarters,” said Morph.
Moments later, Queen Bee cut in on the robots’ communications network. “Nero! Morph! How long before that flight takes off?”
“Eight minutes until the plane proceeds to the runway for take-off,” transmitted Nero.
Queen Bee
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