»What happens to the goods you offered as collateral?« Pi inquired.
»They’re being transferred to the Guild’s central stores as we speak. Before we leave Lottruun, we can spend the remaining balance on other items, minus the obligatory trading fees.«
»Good to know how it all works,« Arkroid asserted. He nodded at Pi, acknowledging that Pi’s theories had been dead on.
»Enough!« Scorge ended the discussion. »We need to go to the Questioning session, then the dealing can begin.«
Without another word, Scorge turned around and crawled away.
A possible reward
Shug-har was now certain that something was wrong about these strangers. For one, they were similar in stature but they seemed to belong to different peoples. One of them didn’t have hair on his head and his skin was slightly. The female had long dark hair, glowing eyes and was wearing a golden shield. Then there was the tall humanoid, who was apparently the leader, and very suspicious.
Shug-har had studied all the information at hand about the Shwakan Scorge, and it all agreed that he was a loner, like all the other traders from Hexaquotl’. However, this time he wasn’t – Why? The Myzellans’ data included nothing about people who called themselves Humans. The Guild inspector didn’t believe what Arkroid had to say. It seemed more likely that his people were located within this very sector, but why then did nobody know them? Shwakans didn’t venture too far out into the galaxy, let alone into unknown sectors or beyond the galactic center. There was no information on file about the far side of the galaxy. Shug-har could only enter the new information into his personal data bank, and keep digging through the Myzellan data banks, searching for more. To his surprise, he found some startling information about the female humanoid after he had entered her profile.
The data was heavily coded so he had to use his highest access level to read it. When the holo stabilized and details emerged, his skin turned dark red in excitement. He copied the data and transferred them to his superiors. He was certain they would reward him for his efforts.
Gnorrbarrt
The contact hall was similar to the reception hall, tall walls of water reaching twenty meters high into the ceiling. Arkroid felt dwarfed as he stopped before the masses of water held back by energy fields. Scorge had briefed them in the meantime about the construction and nature of Lottruun and Arkroid had learned that the halls were divided into 50 % water and 50% dry areas. The Myzellans lived exclusively in the water. Arkroid waited eagerly to meet one of these beings. Every visitor was questioned on an individual basis; Arkroid was assigned a pre-determined nook.
Again, Arkroid, tried to see something in the milky water, but could only make out small details. Suddenly, shadows appeared from the darkness of the watery depths, turned into silver sparkling schemes and vanished again.
Arkroid was used to the oceans on Earth and had to suppress the urge to just enter the Myzellans’ watery abode through the energy shield. He knew that his personal defense shield would protect him from the water and the pressure and deliver the necessary oxygen to his lungs, but he didn’t let himself follow his natural impulses. The Myzellans might see it as an invasion … and react accordingly.
A couple of meters to the left he saw Vasina and Pi who also staring into the water wall. Arkroid called Vasina, but she didn’t react. Startled, he called her again, but his voice didn’t reach her.
»The questioning period is absolutely private. You’re shielded from the outside world, so nobody can follow our conversation. This also applies to your companions,« a voice sounded via his translation device.
Arkroid quickly turned toward the water wall again where he suddenly saw a clear silhouette, swimming up and down in the water.
»I understand,« he replied mutedly, »you came to ask your questions?«
The shadow came closer and Arkroid saw more details of this strange being. It seemed larger than it probably was due to the water’s magnification effect. Arkroid was amazed to see how the ocean dweller swam with a silver shimmering skin before him. Arkroid saw a resemblance to terrestrial seahorses, but this one was without doubt an intelligent being.
»You can call me Gnorrbarrt,« the Myzellan continued, »although we live in different environments, I can understand you well.«
»Yes, I can see that,« Arkroid acknowledged. »My name is Toiber Arkroid, I am a Human and I am grateful for your hospitality on Lottruun.«
»Please, allow me the privilege of a dialogue with you, so I may learn more about your people,« Gnorrbarrt inquired in friendly tones.
Arkroid looked around insecurely.
»I have no objections to a small chat. Tell me, please, why do you conduct these question periods?«
Gnorrbarrt was silent for a moment while he swam up and down in front of Arkroid using his head fins, which looked like little fans.
»We Myzellans live in Coip-Pertyl’s oceans. We do not possess vehicles to venture into space. We have no need for them, as we don’t want to leave this place anyway. Instead, we’re gathering all the information we can from our visitors about the nature of the cosmos.«
Arkroid smiled softly, understanding.
If Gnorrbarrt’s statements were true, they want to get a picture of the universe beyond their maritime world. They offer their moon as a trading place in exchange for information. A fascinating symbiosis!
Arkroid cleared his throat before he continued.
»What can I do for you?« he signaled his readiness to answer Gnorrbarrt’s questions.
Arkroid estimated Gnorrbarrt’s height to about two meters. His slim, pencil-like, sectional body with a curled tail was swimming upright in the water. His head possessed an elongated snout, with large, intelligent looking eyes at the sides.
»I’ve never met people like you. What region of the galaxy do you call home? I would like to know what life is like on your home-world.«
Arkroid gnawed on his lower lip. Those were exactly the kind of questions he was hoping to avoid answering.
»Our planet is almost like your moon. We have large continents but also very large oceans filled with life. As all lifeforms on our planet, we came from the oceans and moved onto dry land. In the meantime we have moved beyond our home-world and settled on different planets. It seems ironic, but at this stage we understand the mistakes our forefathers made. One of them was the neglect of our living environment which caused environmental catastrophes, threatening to kill our planet. We have returned to the oceans to seek refuge in great underwater cities, because many regions on our continents are no longer habitable. It will still take a long time until the damage is undone and our world can recover from the mistakes of the past.«
Gnorrbarrt had listened attentively without interrupting.
»You were able to prevent the ultimate catastrophe and saved your planet, obviously,« Gnorrbarrt commented.
»I think we’re on the right path,« Arkroid added quickly. »The future will tell if Humanity will survive any other challenges ahead of us.«
»You’re referring to dangers of the cosmos?« Gnorrbarrt asked.
Arkroid was surprised how well Gnorrbarrt had adjusted to him in understanding Humanity’s struggle, especially since Gnorrbarrt had never left his home-world.
»Exactly, Gnorrbarrt,« Arkroid replied truthfully. »We never dreamed that the cosmos is so filled with life. We’ve just begun to research and understand the cosmos around us. Since we’ve just entered the cosmic stage, I won’t be able to tell you very much.«
Cautiously, Arkroid touched the water wall, penetrating the energy field with his hand. He didn’t feel any resistance but saw that circular waves emerged from his hand, and Gnorrbarrt was nervously swimming more rapidly back and forth.
»That’s exactly what I want to know,« Gnorrbarrt continued, »how do people feel when they make the first step into space? How did the people of your home-world react on their first encounter with alien beings? What did you learn from such encounters?«
Arkroid nodded.
»I’ll gladly discuss that with you, but … allow me a question first?«
Gnorrbarrt stopped his swimming movements briefly.
»Visitors don’t often want to ask any questions. I might not even have the right answers for you,« Gnorrbarrt replied cautiously.
»Well, why don’t we try it?« encouraged Arkroid. He looked at Gnorrbarrt and asked his first question.
»Do you get from your world to this station via the long transfer routes?«
Gnorrbarrt unrolled his tail a couple of times, which seemed like a gesture to Arkroid.
»Yes, we use the planetary lifts to travel between our world and the space stations. It is very convenient for us.«
»Did you design and build the lifts?« Arkroid asked.
»No, they were gifted to us by the Guild. We just use them,« replied Gnorrbarrt.
»This Guild … how is it structured?« Arkroid wanted to know. He didn’t get an answer.
Instead, Gnorrbarrt asked, »Where is your home-world located? Is it far away?«
»I cannot give you an exact location, but our system is, relatively speaking, far away from Lottruun.«
»I understand. Do you have any ongoing contacts with other species?«
»We’ve met the Shwakans and the Techno-Clerics and we’ve had our … experiences with Rexas,« Arkroid explained truthfully.
»Shwakans are known to fly throughout the galaxy, making contact with all kinds of people, but they have never mentioned Humans,« Gnorrbarrt remarked.
Arkroid pondered for a moment, then, »We also know the Progonauts, an ancient culture who are similar to us in many respects. They used to live near the galactic center. Some of them were stranded on my home-world.«
Suddenly, Gnorrbarrt changed his skin color from silver to pink and came very close to the energy field. It almost looked like he wanted to transfer from the wet into the dry.
»We have fragments of knowledge about the Progonaut people. It is contradictory and sketchy at best. If you can tell us about them and how they are connected to your people we may be able to fill the gaps. I’d like to take a break for the moment, but I’d like to talk to you again at a later time. Is that agreeable with you? I need to retreat for a while.«
Arkroid acknowledged and Gnorrbarrt vanished from sight. Moments later, Arkroid felt as if he were awakening from a dream, a fog around his mind lifted and he looked into the familiar faces of his companions.
»You were zoned out,« Pi remarked.
»… a shield around us!« Arkroid interrupted. The Myzellans value everyone’s privacy. I like that. How did it go with you?«
»I supplied my partner with Buddhist philosophies,« Pi smirked. »I think he was really impressed. At least I didn’t say anything about Earth.«
»Vasina?« he directed his question at the Progonaut queen.
»As you’ve already mentioned, Arkroid. The Myzellans value privacy … you should do the same. I revealed nothing that would jeopardize Humanity’s safety.«
Arkroid frowned for a moment. It was never easy with Vasina.
»You don’t have to explain. I trust you!«
One day
Shug-har’s colors continually changed in excitement, shivering over his entire body. The question period of the humanoids had just finished and he noted obvious nervousness among the Myzellans. He returned into the wet abode and detected with his fine senses the minute electrical fields emitted by the Myzellans – Fields that reflected the moods of the seahorse-like beings.
Whatever they learned, they’re almost in ecstasy! Shug-har thought as he swam with powerful strokes. He cut through the water, passing several comm-interface terminals that the Myzellans used to communicate with the traders. He swam around but could not find any of their hosts on Lottruun anymore.
They must have used the lifts to return to Coip-Pertyl, he thought surprised. They probably returned to Coip-Pertyl to consult the Myzel. Each one of these Humans had told a separate story, fragments that the Myzellans could put together to form a bigger picture. Whenever this had happened in the past, the results were unexpected! he thought feverishly.
Nobody knew exactly how the Myzel reacted to such stimulation.
Shug-har swam to one of the planetary transfer lifts and checked the indicators. Yes! There was a lot of traffic going on between Coip-Pertyl and Lottruun. All lifts were in use! The Myzellans were transported to their world inside large water bubbles. The transport itself was fast, the Myzellans protected by the bubbles. When Shug-har had asked for permission to use these elevators he was always flatly denied.
One day I will see the Myzel with my own eyes, he thought defiantly.
He remained in the wet zone for a while until he decided to transfer to the dry zone at one of the contact nooks. He wanted to contact with the humanoids again.
Things are getting out of control
Lottruun possessed several market places as well as auction halls where especially interesting goods were offered by the Guild. Scorge had led the crew into one of the hopelessly crowded auction halls. A very large holo displayed the goods to be sold. Scorge had made it clear to Arkroid and his group that he had come to Lottruun to make some deals while they gathered information in the meantime. Vasina appeared to have her own agenda as well. She used every opportunity to find information about her people. Arkroid decided to keep an eye on her. Lottruun appeared to be a safe trading place, but there could still be lurking dangers in the background. Worst case, their unknown adversaries could be called in, which Arkroid determined to prevent at all cost.
Scorge held up his holozygraph and was permitted to enter the big hall. It was almost overwhelming for Arkroid and Pi as they watched the controlled chaos inside the auction hall. There were at least two hundred traders in the room by Arkroid’s estimate. The hall seemed to boil over as the individual trades jostled for the best positions. Even the walls were occupied with amphibian beings hanging from their arms and legs head down who occasionally just darted into the actions on the floor. It was an impressive picture – all these different species trading in peace with each other. Humanity still had so much to learn if they wanted to trade with alien peoples throughout the galaxy.
»The amphibians on the walls are Pleunatans,« Scorge explained to Arkroid. »They’re very friendly beings.«
»What is everybody bidding for?« Arkroid wanted to know, looking around with interest.
»The auctioneer will introduce it in a moment,« Scorge replied rapidly. »Only rare artifacts and art pieces are offered in this hall. They come from forgotten worlds or extinct cultures. I come here always when I’m on Lottruun.«
Arkroid knew that Scorge possessed many rare artifacts which he displayed on his ship. It seemed that Scorge was not only a trader but also a collector, always on the hunt for the extraordinary.
A muted chime sounded in the background and a bizarre-looking being entered the auctioneer’s stage. Then a loud fanfare sounded, causing the walls to vibrate.
»Yow!« Pi remarked over the noise. »He’s got everybody’s attention!«
The auctioneer waited patiently until quiet resumed in the big hall. Arkroid studied him closely. His skin was transparent, showing his pulsing interior organs. Different-colored liquids circulated through his veins, pumped by several heart-like organs. The head, also transparent, appeared insectoid. A nerve center, possibly the brain, was clearly visible.
»Unbelievable,« Arkroid whispered. »Did you ever expect to see such exotic beings here, Pi?«
Pi didn’t answer, he only shook his head. He had apparently become inured to his surroundings and the alien people.
»It’s a vast universe, Toiber,« he answered simply. »Wonder what else we’ll discover?«
»That’s a Tolmekan,« Vasina explained, »a Trade Guardian.«
»You know his people from your past?« Arkroid inquired.
»No, but Scorge mentioned it before … and look … see the other Tolmekans, moving
around among the people there? They’re carrying those strange looking sticks. Every time they get near a holozygraph with their sticks, the sphere flashes briefly. They’re transferring the credits after a deal has been reached …«
»… or after they check the buyer’s credit,« Pi mocked.
Arkroid nodded understanding. Vasina was right. Now, he also saw the other Tolmekans. A glance to the side convinced Arkroid that he could not count on Scorge for a while. The Shwakan was waiting anxiously for the auction to start. Arkroid touched Vasina’s arm and whispered, »I didn’t mean to embarrass you after the question period. I trust you fully, Vasina. I hope you believe me and you’re not angry at me.«
Vasina looked at Arkroid for a moment, her golden eyes sparkling like fiery stars.
»I had a very interesting conversation,« she replied. »It seems that the Myzellans do have some information about my people, although the one I was talking to was very vague.«
»Did you tell them you’re a Progonaut?« Arkroid asked, shocked.
»No, I didn’t,« she explained and looked on the floor, »really, but I surrendered some information.«
»That could prove dangerous to all of us,« Arkroid warned. »Wasn’t it you who told us to be cautious?«
Again, a fanfare sounded. Pi covered his ears and smiled painfully.
»It’s starting!«
The Tolmekan on the stage had maintained what would have been a praying position in a Human with four of his arms, while a pair of transparent wings unfolded on his back. He looked up and looked down at the crowd with his faceted eyes. His voice was as loud as the fanfares.
»Today, the Guild offers a special rarity! I hope you brought enough credits, because some among you would betray their home-worlds for this object!«
»Pathetic!« Pi grinned who couldn’t believe his ears.
Scorge paid no attention to Pi’s remark. He was fully immersed in the auction process.
NEBULAR Collection 2 - The Expedition: NEBULAR Episodes 6 - 11 Page 36