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management would not be around. Such political complications flitted through Ryder’s head as he concentrated on the technician.
    “My hand passes through the chevron logo with no effect. I’m going to lift the case...It’s about ten kilograms. There doesn’t appear to be a seam or a handle. I can’t feel any lumps.”
    Ryder was surprised at the speed the technician was handling and manipulating the case. It struck him that the idiot was either an exasperated maverick or being paid by an outside agency to get a quick result. He had to wake Teresa. If anything was going to happen, it would happen soon.
    “This had better be worth it,” she said.
    They both returned in time to see the technician remove his gloves.
    “No. The idiot,” Teresa said.
    “It had to happen sooner or later,” said Ryder, excited and defensive at the same time.
    Teresa banged the table. “But there could be contaminants.”
    “All the tests have been done. Anyway, there might have been a time limit of some sort. What’s he saying?”
    “There is a vibration when I stroke my finger on the case. It feels warmer yet we know the temperature is the same as the air in here.”
    Teresa’s hand covered her mouth. “My God, he’s handling it with no gloves.”
    “I’m curious about the vibration, so I’m putting the movement sensor back on the case. No...Like before, it’s not picking up anything even though I can sense it with my hand. What does that mean, guys?”
    “Who’s he talking to, Ryder?”
    “Other techies, I suppose. Do you think the vibration is generated somehow in his hand because he’s organic unlike the movement sensor?”
    “What? Ryder, he’s going to pass his hand through the logo. Ah, that did it. A seam has appeared in a red colour.”
    “Shush.”
    “The vibrations have increased and a dark orange medial line has appeared around the sides of the case. I’m going to lift my hand. Yes, the line disappears. I’m putting it back. Yes, the line has reappeared. I’m putting my fingers on either side of the case to see if it will lift—hey!”
    And so, at last, the case split. It appeared to be animated, opening as if triggered and now under its own volition.
    The mouths of Teresa and Ryder opened in time with the case.
    The technician had taken his hand away and stepped back, but the case continued to open. The screen opened another window displaying digital readouts, but none of them indicated any emissions from the case.
    The technician manoeuvred. “There are solid blocks...green-lilac colour...Trying to remember where I’ve seen a colour like it. I know, it’s like the supernumerary rainbow colours you sometimes get inside a primary bow. I’m going to pass the mobile sensor array over them.”
    “At least the idiot’s not going to grab them with his bare hands,” said Teresa, clenching her fist.
    “Give him another minute and he will,” said Ryder, alarmed but pleased that the quarantine period had been circumvented.
    “No reaction,” reported the technician. It wasn’t quite accurate: a suited security man appeared on-screen and manhandled him away.
    Teresa slumped back in a chair. “Well, that’s that.”
    “The case is still open. Ah.”
    The security man reappeared then closed the case.
    After another hour, the screen went blank.

Saturday 18 April 2015:
    London.
     
     
    M ANUEL ’ S ID SHOWED ON R YDER ’ S SCREEN .”Are we connected again, buddy?”
    “So relieved to be in touch, Manny. What happened?” Ryder tweaked to transmute the screen snow to a meaningful image.
    “You weren’t the only one watching our renegade techie unwrapping the present.”
    “Stop teasing. I guessed he wasn’t doing it just out of scientific curiosity.”
    “The man, Second Engineer Tipless, had a supplementary income from The New Fortean Times , and he’s still being debriefed.”
    “I bet he is. I’m not getting a picture, Manuel.”
    “Well, this Tipless guy infringed a billion procedural