Habitats (an Ell Donsaii story #7) by Laurence Dahners Read Free Book Online

his HUD, lay taped to a piece of cardboard. Another electronic device was taped next to it. He wiped his palm, then holding the box cutter only by its plastic handle, he cut the wire that attached the port to its electronics.
    Nothing happened , except for his sudden, raging, need to pee.
     
    In Atlanta, John Smith of 121 Malette Avenue woke to the sound of pounding on his door. He slowly shuffled to the door and peered through the eye hole. A group of men wearing body armor labeled “SWAT” and “POLICE” were on his porch. Suddenly glad he hadn’t gotten his gun he tried to say, “Hello,” but produced an unrecognizable croak. He cleared his throat, “Hello. What do you want?”
    “Police. Open up. We have a warrant to search the premises.”
    He looked out the eye hole again. There was a police truck in the street with a strobing light. He said, “OK,” and opened the door slowly. Shuffling back he said, “I think you have the wrong John Smith.”
     
    The SWAT team leader swore. The man behind the door had to have at least the 87 years that their AI had told them to expect. The living room looked like an old man’s house would be expected to look. He said, “Sorry sir. I think it’s a mistake too, but we’ve got to come in and look around.”
     
    ***
     
    Abbas cursed. “The GPS says the package is still in Memphis at the FedEx hub! They probably have some kind of process to inspect packages to the White House. I told you we should have put the port inside of something that they might expect to be sent to the White House!”
    Farshid frowned, “Like what? We don’t know what’s normally delivered to the Social Secretary!”
    “She arranges receptions for important people.” Abbas said impatiently, “They must have to buy gifts to give those people all the time. I told you we could just get a metal vase and put the port in it. The metal would block x-ray scans too.”
    Farshid scowled, “But why would they stop delivery of a port? It isn’t dangerous.”
    “Maybe the FBI has already thought of sending dangerous stuff through them after they arrive.”
    Farshid said, “Well, let’s do some damage to FedEx then. After all, it’s just another part of the Great Satan’s establishment.” He turned to the propane tank they’d purchased. Not having the correct fitting to connect the tank to the port, they’d heavily duct taped the two together. He opened the valve. The tape tightened ominously, but held, so he opened the valve the rest of the way. He studied the connection a moment. He worried about using tape, but really, there shouldn’t be any resistance to the flow of the propane out of the tank into the FedEx facility so there wouldn’t be much pressure for the tape to resist. He turned to Abbas and Reza, “It will take time to empty the tank into the FedEx facility. Let us pray.” They all moved into the next room where they kept their prayer rugs.
    Behind them the pressure from the tank built against the port that had been closed by the cutting of the wire in Memphis. After another minute the pressure pulled the taped junction loose and propane began pouring into the room. The heavy gas sank to the floor and spread outward.
    Finishing their prayers , the three men stood and started back toward the living room of their house. Reza turned the corner first and smelled the propane. Then he saw the port dangling from the tape on the nozzle. “No!” he shouted, just as the propane reached the pilot light of the water heater. With an enormous “whumpf,” the gas flashed into flame, blowing out all the windows and tossing the flaming Reza back across the prayer room to crash bonelessly into the back wall.
    A few minutes later Farshid and Abbas staggered out to their car dragging Reza’s limp body. They sped away just before the arrival of the fire trucks.
    Chapter Two

 
    Ben Stavos and Rob Braun saw Ell walking into the ET Resources area of the D5R research facility. “Hey guys,” she