by Troy Osgood
On one hand, it’s somewhat amazing that after all that these beings had seen, as wide and varied as the small part of the known galaxy was, there were still things that surprised everyone. But I was starting to feel bad for the Europan. They were a gentle and non-violent species. The sights and sounds of a busy and crowded place like Corric Station were always overwhelming even to a jaded flyer like me. I couldn’t imagine how worse it could be to someone like a Europan experiencing it for the first time.
The Pierd was more than half the Europans size, but it wasn’t backing down. If anything, the timidness of the Europan as well as the gathering crowd was pushing the Pierd to yell louder and make a bigger scene. Only four feet tall, two feet wide, covered in a light brown fur and a head like a block, the Pierd was definitely playing to the audience. It was gesturing wildly, fingers pointing at the taller Europan. One finger poked into the Europans chest and it took a step back.
From here I couldn’t make out what was being said.
I turned back to the game. Whatever was going on, none of my concern.
“I give up,” I told Hert pointing at the board. “You win.”
“Of course,” he said, his gravelly voice chuckling. “So you know what the grak that thing is?” He hit a button on the side of the table and the game board flickered. All the pieces disappeared and came back but in their original locations.
“A Europan,” I replied studying the board and planning my moves. Savik was a game of strategy and thinking multiple moves ahead while anticipating your opponents gambits. I’d lost the last round so I started this round. “From Sol.”
“Ain’t that your home system,” Hert asked watching as I moved my first piece. He studied the board, hand on one piece before changing his mind and moving another.
Inwardly I smiled, that was precisely what I wanted him to do. He was playing into my hand. Or was I playing into his by what I was going to do next, reacting to his move in a predictable way? It was very easy to lose Savik by overthinking it. Thesans reacted on instinct and the game was based on that. It was meant to be played instinctively, making moves quickly but in a strategic manner.
“Yep,” I replied. “Europa’s a moon, one of our colonies.”
I moved another piece and Hert quickly moved one of his. No thinking. Dammit.
He lifted his head up higher, looking past me. There was still a commotion going on at the shop.
“Poor thing,” Hert said shaking his head. “I don’t know what he did but no one deserves the beating the Pierd is giving him.”
I fought the urge to look. I knew I’d get involved if I looked. I didn’t want to get involved. I tried to concentrate on the game board.
Dammit.
I stood up, turned around and headed for the shop.
I can’t stand bullies.
*****
“Is there a problem,” I asked pushing my way through the gathering crowd.
They stepped aside, not that they wanted to. I made them. Not the biggest guy around, six foot and two hundred pounds, but I have a presence. Or so I’ve been told. Apparently I’m just naturally intimidating. It comes in handy. More often than I would like.
The crowd was a mix of everything. There were a couple of Dyer, a Thesan or two, another couple Pierd, a Kern, a group of Kry and even a couple more humans. They all watched me step into the clear circle that had formed around the Europan and the Pierd. It wasn’t every day that you got to see something like this.
The stall was a general goods shop. A mix of different things; food; clothing and trinkets that appealed to a wide variety of beings. Three walls and an open front. A small space, shelves and displays close, I could immediately see what the problem was. On the floor near the front opening was something broken. Lots of little pieces, looked like some kind of metal, scattered across the floor of the shop.
All this over some broken piece of crap?
The Europan looked at me and it looked like it’s eyes lit up. Probably happy to see a friendly face. Us humans have a good relationship with the Europans. Surprisingly, considering our history and how we treat the natives in our colonies. A friend of mine, a xenobiologist, said this was in part due to the Europans looking like giant otters. It created a kind of familiarity for us. Same as Thesans and looking like humanoid cats.
I’m not an xenobiologist. I don’t know if I bought into that theory or not. I just knew the Europans were innocents. Not jaded by life in the galaxy.
The Pierd ignored me. Just continued to angrily berate the Europan in the Pierd’s native language. It was a series of squeaks and chirps. They can’t speak Tradelan, the common language and their language is hard for almost any other species to speak but somehow they are among the galaxy’s best business people. Not sure how that one worked.
“I asked if there was a problem.”
The Pierd finally turned to look at me, probably because I stepped directly in front of him. He paused for a second, looked me up and down and continued but in a somewhat gentler but still angry tone.
“Slow down,” I told him.
It was pretty obvious what happened. The Europan accidently hit the shelf, the item fell down and broke. Pretty simple and should have been handled as such. Was this a language barrier issue?
The squeaks and chirps did slow down and the Pierd started controlling it’s gesturing. He pointed at the Europan, who I could feel looming over my shoulder, and then at the broken whatever on the floor.
“He hit the thing and broke it?” I asked pointing at the Europan and then at the pieces. I was speaking Tradelan which the Pierd understood even if couldn’t speak it.
The Pierd nodded and held up the palm of his hand. He pointed at it empathically.
He wanted to get paid.
Understandable.
I turned to the Europan, having to look up. It was awkward because the big guy was so close to me and the way his head bent down I really needed to take a step back but the Pierd was in the way. Why do I always involve myself in crap like this?
Most Europans understand english, which the Pierd most likely did not, so I switched to that. It’s the main language of Earth, my first language, but I spent so much time speaking Tradelan that it felt odd to be speaking english.
“Was it an accident?”
The Europan nodded, it’s fur shifting and rustling with the motion. It made a moaning sound, different pitches and undulations. I didn’t speak Europan. I knew people back on earth and the Sol Station that understood it, but like the Pierd’s language it wasn’t speakable by other species.
“Can you pay for it?”
A pause, long and drawn out, and a shake of it’s head. Dammit.
He hung his head even lower.
I studied the Europan. I was no expert on the race but I knew enough. This one was young. Had decided to go out and explore the wild galaxy. Now in way over his head. Not an uncommon story. Sadly. Not just Europans either. So many of the races, spacefaring and grounders, would go out to explore and wind up in the same spot. Or worse.
It was pure luck that any of us managed to survive, let alone thrive, out here.
I turned back to the Pierd, looking past and down at the broken piece of whatever. The material wasn’t exactly metal. It looked like it, but it was shiny and had a glow that refracted the light hitting it. Some alien material that I didn’t know. Didn’t matter. It was probably expensive.
As an independent freighter I wasn’t rolling in credits. Most times I had just enough to keep my ship, the Nomad’s Wind, flying and buy the important things. Like ale.
“How much,” I asked the Pierd with a sigh. I saw his eyes light up. “The real price,” I said putting some threat into my voice.
The Pierd made a motion with it’s blocky body, some kind of shrug, and went back into the shop. He didn’t go far, keeping an eye on me and the Europan the whole time. Coming back out he handed me a tablet. I glanced at the screen and cursed.
Yep, it was expensive.
&
nbsp; Taking out a credit chip I inserted it into the tablet. The Pierd hit a key and I was a whole lot poorer. Smiling, at least I think it was a smile, the Pierd walked back into the shop as if nothing had ever happened. Seeing that there was no more excitement the crowd began to fade away. The Europan just stood there looking at me.
“Follow me,” I told it and walked back towards the bar where Hert was watching and laughing.
He walked away from the table, meeting me halfway, still laughing. An Engyn’s laugh is not a nice sound. It’s like two rocks grinding against each other.
“Arek Lancer, the hard ass,” Hert chuckled. “You’re just a big softie.”
“Shut up.”
That just made Hert laugh harder.
Hert walked around the Europan, studying it. As he was same height as me, the Europan’s bent head was still higher than Hert was.
“What are you going to do with him now?”
Good question.
“What’s your story,” I asked the Europan.
It was meant to be rhetorical, neither Hert or I could understand him, but he started talking anyways. The hoots, moans and undulations went on for awhile. His whole life story and I didn’t understand a word of it. He spoke with his hands as well, moving them up and down, around. One hand reached into his fur across his body and scratched before rejoining the other in the odd movements that accompanied the hooting.
The Europan spoke for almost a minute before stopping.
“I have no idea what you’re saying,” I told him with a sigh, glad the story was finished.
“His name is Eretut,” a voice said from off to the side.
I turned and saw two women walking towards us, about ten feet away. Human, pretty. Both had auburn hair, one was long and the other was cut short. They looked alike, sisters. The one with short hair was the older and taller. Probably about my age, low thirties. I pegged the other in her mid twenties. And the prettier of the two. Both wore form fitting pants, shirts and jackets. They looked good.
Both were armed, weapons strapped to their legs. Each had the same weapon, some kind of blaster in a low slung holster. I couldn’t make out the make and model of their weapons.
I was also armed. My trusty Sig Sauer T1700 in my low slung holster strapped to my right leg. Hert was armed as well. And pretty much everyone else on the Station. The only one that wasn’t armed was the Europan.
“Came in on a shuttle earlier,” the one with short hair said. Not the one that spoke first. “Credits for the flight here and back with a little left over but sounds like he got cheated at a shop and lost all of the extra.”
“He’s on some kind of rite of passage,” the one with long hair continued. “Not something I’d heard Europans were doing.”
“Me either,” I said glancing at Eretut. He was nodding that wide head as the women talked. Smiling, his mouth revealing some sharp looking teeth.
He spoke some more and I glanced at the women who were now right next to me. They were prettier than I had first thought. Striking green eyes on both of them. The older looked more jaded, a little harder. She was an inch or two shorter than I was and the younger was another inch or so shorter than that.
“Says thank you,” the older one translated.
“You’re welcome,” I told Eretut with a nod of my head. He returned the nod. “Arek Lancer,” I said turning to the two sisters.
“Jada Welker,” the older replied.
“Tani Welker,” the younger added.
“Hert,” he interjected but wasn’t smiling. He was studying the two women, not the same way I was. They were almost completely ignoring him. Which was a bit odd.
“From Titan?” I asked the sisters.
One of Earth’s colonies, neighbor to Europa.
“Yes,” Jada replied. She didn’t seem as happy as Tani did.
“What did you say your name was,” Hert asked.
Jada shot him an annoyed look but Tani answered.
“Welker,” she replied and turned her attention to me. “We saw you intervene and thought we could help.”
“I appreciate it.” I gave her my best smile, which she returned.
“So big guy,” I said turning to look up at Eretut. “When is the shuttle heading back to Sol Station?”
He moaned some and we both looked to the sisters.
“An hour or so,” Tani replied. She paused as Eretut spoke some more. “Europans don’t travel much outside the system but it’s starting to become a thing for the young to leave Sol. A way of showing they are more adventurous than their elders. They normally only go a hop or two beyond. He says he’s gotten further than anyone else from his tribe.”
Eretut stood straighter, puffing himself up, proud.
“Your rite of passage cost me a lot of creds.”
He instantly deflated and sagged. I felt bad for the kid. I could understand what he was trying to prove but this was still not a good place for him.
“Don’t worry about it,” I told him and he nodded, moaning something quietly.
“He says that he owes you a debt now,” Tani translated taking a step closer to me. “Debts of honor are important to Europans,” she added.
Eretut nodded. Very enthusiastically.
“He can pay that debt by getting on that shuttle and going home.”
He deflated again. Did he really expect me to bring him along until he repaid this debt? Not that I needed it repaid but I know how some of these cultures could be about things like debts of honor. I had no desire to have anyone following me around. My ship was a Castellan F497 Light Freighter and was designed for a crew of six but as small as three. I’d rigged mine to be flown by a crew of one. Me. No one else.
“Look,” I started taking a step back so I could see Eretut’s eyes that were on either side of the flat head. “You’re not ready to travel in space. Spend some time on Sol Station. Learn how to interact and communicate with other species. It takes awhile to get it.” I pointed at Hert and chuckled. “Hell, some like him never get it.”
“Hirek,” Hert replied with that stone on stone grating chuckle.
Eretut started to speak but I held up a hand to stop him.
“Don’t bother. If you really want to repay this debt, you’ll head home. The galaxy is not a nice place.”
He looked like he was going to say something else but stopped, sagging. Without another word, Eretut turned and walked away. His shoulders drooped, his head hung lower.
Dammit. I felt like a jerk.
But the kid needed it. He was out of his element in so many ways. My advice was good. Hang out on Sol Station for awhile. It was no Corric Station but there was a good mix of species there. And it was close to Europa, with some others of his kind on the station. A good place to get his feet wet before venturing into the wider galaxy.
Watching the kid walk off, even though I was right, I still felt like crap.
“Eretut,” I called out. He stopped and turned. “Just remember, you got further than anyone else.”
That seemed to perk him up. The shoulders didn’t droop, head was lifted, and he walked away with some pride to his step.
We watched him go long enough to make sure he was going to the right place, down the connecting corridor to the docking bay. He received lots of stares but that was it. I was half afraid I’d need to go through the whole thing again before he got to the shuttle.
“Come on Arek,” Hert said heading back to the bar. “We have a game to finish and more drinks that need drinking.”
He was right. Maybe I’d manage to win a hand or two before having to leave.
“Ladies,” I prompted. “Would you care to join us.”
I liked Hert, but having two good looking woman around would make losing more bearable. I was starting to think that Tani might be interested in me as well.
“Sorry but we have things we need to do before we leave the Station,” Jada answered.
Tani looked disappointed.
“It was nice meeting yo
u Arek,” she said, lagging a little behind as her sister walked towards the connecting corridor. “Maybe we’ll see you around.”
I nodded as they disappeared into the crowd. Turning I went back to the bar and Hert.
“The old Lancer charm failed I see,” he said as I took my seat and looked down at the gameboard. He’d cleared it and started a new game.
As I studied the board to make my first move Hert looked towards where the sisters had walked away. He tapped at his chin, making a small thunking noise. He only did that when he was thinking. Which wasn’t often for Hert.
“What did they say their names were?”
“Jada and Tani Welker,” I answered as the server put a new plasbottle of ale down in front of me. It wasn’t exactly ale, not like on Earth, but it was close enough. And it was good. That was the important part.
“Yeah, it sounded like something I’d heard before,” he said. “But not sure.”
I finally made my first move and leaned back, waiting for Hert to make his. But he wasn’t paying attention to the game board. He had leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping on the table, eyes staring at the metal ceiling and lights above.
“Not the name,” he said. “But who they are. Two Terran sisters.”
“What are you talking about,” I asked.
“A couple months ago, on Dynuit Station, I was talking to a Curdo who mentioned something about two Terran sisters and to avoid them.”
He paused, leaning forward, eyes closed in thought.
“What was it he said?”
The tapping on the table increased as he thought back.
The eyes opened, gained focus as Hert looked up and stared at me. He’d remembered and it wasn’t good.
“Slavers?”
*****
The galaxy is a huge place and with all the trillions of people alive, why would there be a need for slavery? There’s no lack of beings and they all need work of some kind.