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I could use a little help getting him moving.”
    Lazily, Crigo rose and stalked into the jungle. A few seconds later, he let out a roar from right behind Junior that had the dragon birds swooping and fluttering in panic. It also served my purpose, since Junior launched himself a foot into the air at the sound. I used his forward momentum to drag him to the cargo bay while he was still looking apprehensively over his shoulder.
    Amazingly enough, it didn’t take him long to figure out that I wanted help loading boxes onto the antigrav sled, and he set to work with such enthusiasm that I suspected he’d been bored. Either that, or he was afraid of what Crigo would do if he didn’t cooperate.
    While we worked, I checked in with Max, using my chip so the conversation wouldn’t disturb Junior. “Did you have a chance to scan Dynatec’s ship?”
    “Yes.” Max’s voice vibrated in my ear. “It’s in good condition, but it’s a much older model with a conventional computer. I made sure we’re out of its scanner and weapon range.”
    Odd. Dynatec was a huge company. They could afford the most up-to-date ships and equipment available. So why use such an old one, especially when there was always a danger of pirates targeting lone ships? “What weapons are they carrying?”
    “Standard, old-fashioned laser rays, and a few projectile cannons. The type that fires laser-guided missiles.”
    I nodded, although still puzzled at their use of outdated weapons. Projectile cannons could be devastating when used dirt side, but Max would know the instant their system locked on to a target. Using our orbiting satellites and weapons based on his surge crystal, he could strike with pinpoint accuracy to take out a single weapon, or destroy their entire camp if necessary.
    The satellites also allowed Max to record any activity on the planet’s surface. And once Max recorded something, it was a permanent part of the ship’s log. No tampering could destroy his records, because they weren’t stored physically on board. They were beamed directly to a special storage unit in the Alpha Centauri system, where Alien Affairs had its headquarters. Only Max or the boss could access the files, and even they couldn’t erase them.
    After the mission was completed and the fate of the Buri decided, all the recordings would be released to the Federation Library and Archives to be studied by sociologists and other scientists. They would forever be part of Federation history.
    “Set up the usual perimeter,” I instructed Max. “If anyone from the Dynatec crew broaches it, let me know immediately. If I’m not here and one of them shows up, use the static shield. I don’t want them getting within fifty feet of you or the camp unless I’m aware they’re here.”
    “What about the Buri?”
    I shrugged. “I don’t think they’re capable of hurting you. Just don’t let them on board unless it’s with me. Other than that, don’t interfere with them. The more they hang around the camp, the easier it will be to gather info on them.” I paused. “You might want to let me know if Brownie is lurking in the bushes, though. I don’t think he likes me much.”
    “Probably with good reason,” Max replied. “There’s an area of new skin growth on his left hip. From a close scan of the scar, it would appear to be the remnants of a laser burn.”
    I mulled that over for a second. So much for Redfield’s assertion about not wanting to stun the Buri. Apparently they’d rather kill them. Unless Redfield didn’t know everything that was going on. With Frisk’s reputation for hating GEPs, it wouldn’t surprise me to discover he was withholding info from the doctor.
    Well, there was nothing I could do about it right this minute, and I still had a lot of work to complete.
    Once the antigrav sled was loaded, we tugged it to the clearing I’d made, and I set the huts to work erecting themselves. The process clearly fascinated Junior, and he watched them