It was still three days before they would reach Sagittarius Prime at the center of the Milky Way. According to Mr. Piff, that was where GTC headquarters lay; it was also home to the Interstellar Bank and all its bureaucracy. Lissa was more than a little apprehensive about reaching their destination as it would mean taking up her role as ambassador for Earth.
Ambassador of Earth ... Lissa took a deep breath. It sounded so formidable in her head, like something a regal, slightly chubby old guy would do, not her. Not a skinny teenager from the West Coast who was playing hooky from boarding school in Switzerland right now. If anything, they ought to have chosen the school president, or one of those kids who always won in debate class! Not her.
She sighed again. Their first stop on the way to the center of the galaxy was a port known as Jeropul. It did little for Lissa’s peace of mind to know that her first alien planet would be the home world of the pirates who had attempted to enslave her. But it was known as a busy marketplace and a thriving spot for commerce in all trades. And slaves or no slaves, they needed supplies.
They had traveled for a day on autopilot before Octi scuttled over to the helm and decided to give Lissa a lesson in astronavigation. Lissa, who had sailed every summer with her mother on the North American Great Lakes, had now learned how to match her savvy of water sports with modern galactic astronomy. Space travel was much more nautical than she had supposed, but there were challenges to traveling in three dimensions that water-based vessels never faced. Now, with hours under Octi’s tutelage, she had begun to understand them—although it wasn’t so easy at first.
“The first step toward conquering spatial navigation is to understand the principles of astronomy,” Octi had begun. “You must know how distance and size are calculated. Otherwise, how will you plan a trip if you cannot tell how far you must go?” Octi gave a shrug of all eight tentacles, a very human gesture he had picked up. “You say you were attending a school on Earth?”
Lissa nodded.
“Have you studied yet the mathematics known on your planet as trigonometry?”
“Only a little,” she admitted. “I mean, I'm top of my class, but probably not compared to you guys.”
“Well, let me teach you a simple trick we use to calculate distances in space. It’s called the Tentacular Rule—similar to a ‘rule of thumb’ on Earth...”
Octi proceeded to show Lissa, and Ash who sat beside her, how to measure the size of an object in space by comparison to the angular size of a closer object of known value, such as the degree her thumb subtended at arm’s length. Octi used the width of a single tentacle to approximate the distance of the Forty-Five from a star they passed close to on their way to Jeropul. When he pulled up the ship’s computer, the distance he had measured with one tentacle was only a few meters off.
“Amazing! You could practically navigate through space without a computer at all!”
“Well,” Octi said, emitting a series of bubbles in an octopus laugh, “there is a lot more to astronavigation than knowing the distance between stars! But it’s a start.”
They talked long. Lissa was fascinated by his breadth of knowledge of science and mathematics. She had never really felt the two subjects had much use. But now they were infinitely important to their group’s survival out here in space. She recognized that if anything happened to Octi, they would never reach their destination. Nor if he decided not to continue on to GTC with them, they would have to find another navigator or be stranded. Lissa had been determined to learn everything she could about how to fly this new contraption of hers ... just in case.
Now, with Lollipop tucked under one arm for reassurance, she watched the stars fly by as they zoomed through space.
***
When they neared the Nebula of Lyra, Octi scuttled over to perch on Lissa’s shoulder, offering his support and instruction on navigating the star cluster in which the star Vega was located and shown bright enough to be seen on Earth.
Orbiting Vega, as her ninth satellite, sat Jeropul. A fat planet one and a half times the size of Earth, it was nearly one hundred times farther from its primary, but still hot enough, thanks to Vega’s fierce heat, that the entire surface was a sandy desert. An old, old civilization had lived, thrived, and died there millennia ago, wiped from Jeropul’s face by scorching winds that left few remains except for strange temple ruins. Perched on top of these in sacrilegious defiance was Jeropul Bazaar.
Lissa watched the bright dot grow huge on the horizon as the Forty-Five slowed and the autopilot disengaged the steam drive. Soot-bots scurried about, releasing the pent-up heat as Octi directed. Lissa stood watching the deck tilt beneath her feet as the sunsails caught the solar rays of Vega and her telltales began to fly. Leaning against the wheel, just as Octi had taught, she swung them wide of the solar wind until the sails ceased to turn the ship and held her course steady for Jeropul, which loomed over the port bow. The desert planet was almost as bright as a second star when Vega’s rays hit the shining sands. They sailed into orbit smoothly as a hot knife through butter, and Lissa smiled, pleased at her first attempt at astral piloting.
“Well done,” Octi said quietly on her shoulder. “You’ve got a knack for it, Captain.”
Lissa held her smile in place, never taking her eyes off the course she had laid until they were matching speed with the planetary rotation, in orbit above the day line. Dawn was breaking over Jeropul Bazaar, and a few clouds sat in soft layers below them. Lissa drew her ship down to hover amongst these and hit the cloud-shield button so that steam poured out to cloak them from view.
“Mr. Stubergott, assemble the crew,” Lissa said formally, standing up and letting go of the wheel. Octi Stubergott obeyed, sending their butler-like translator bot around to gather up the others. There was a shrill whistle and Shika, Ash, Shiro, and Stephanie boiled onto deck.
Stephanie leaned over the rail in time to see the desert before the cloud-shield obscured her view. “Wow,” she whistled. “Do you think they’ll have good shopping down there?”
“The bazaar is an appropriate place to find clothes of all types, Ms. Wu,” the translator bot informed her. “And shoes, which I understand are vital to your species’ morale.”
“Oh, shoe shopping!” Stephanie crowed.
“We’ve got more important things to shop for,” Lissa reminded her.
Stephanie looked affronted. “There is nothing more important than shoe shopping.” “Girls,” Ash rolled his eyes.
Stephanie stuck her tongue out at him but subsided.
For an instant, Lissa was reminded of how very young each of them was. Three teenagers off to save the world ... She almost laughed.
“We’ve got two missions down there,” Lissa began once she had their attention. “We need to trade enough of our cargo for credits to bribe the GTC high-ups. And we need supplies. Food, air, water—”
“Both potable and for fuel,” Ash chimed in.
“Potable?” Shika asked. Her English was still shaky, although both she and Shiro now spoke it with regularity, thanks to daily sessions with Lollipop.
“It means you can drink it,” Stephanie said.
“Oh, thanks,” Shika smiled at her.
“And we need new clothes.” Lissa finished. She glanced down at the school uniform she still wore, much the worse for wear after six days aboard the Forty-Five. The girls had located a laundry mechanism in the crew quarters, but showering and washing their clothes every day or two had not changed the fact that they had now been kidnapped, fought, slept and sailed in the same outfits for nearly a week.
“We should try to blend in,” Ash said, thinking like the safari hunter he was.
“Actually, I would recommend a wardrobe that sets off your particular Earth cultures,” the butler bot suggested. “You are meant to be an ambassador, after all,” he reminded Lissa. “You and your group should look the part.”
“We don’t want to come across as primitive,” Shika began, thinking of the close call they’d had
with Captain Nask.
“No, but we do want to stand out,” Lissa agreed. “Look original. Maybe we can even find a custom tailor down there who will make us ‘space clothes’ with Earth motifs.”
“Like armor with a helmet shaped like a lion!” Ash said, posing with his chest puffed out.
“Or a spacesuit with an obi sash,” Stephanie added.
“Okay, mates,” Lissa told them. “Time to beam down. Octi, you have the con.”
They had agreed earlier that he would remain aboard and monitor them from above in hiding in case they needed to make a quick getaway. Shika, Ash, and Shiro armed themselves with ray pistols, and Stephanie tucked a hand knife she had found into her skirt pocket. Lissa was unarmed but she stood in between the others. Everyone had an MTrans tracker around their neck, held there by a piece of wire Shika had fashioned into five necklaces, and wore a breath-mask over their nose and mouth, with the translator on.
A pop mixed with a fizzle, and the five friends winked away from the ship.
***
They blinked their eyes rapidly to combat the desert wind that blew the sands of Jeropul over them. Before them lay the entrance to the Bazaar, a tall gate wrought into the force field that enclosed the marketplace like a bubble. Octi had told them it was protection against pirate raids. They stepped up to the guard box beside the gate and Ash identified them to the fat alien there.
“Ambassador Lissa of Earth and her attendants.”
“Business or pleasure?” the bored guard asked.
“Business,” Ash told him. “We are here to do trade.”
“Welcome,” he replied, in a thoroughly unwelcoming tone of voice. Five cards slid out of a machine beside him and he handed them to Ash. “Don’t lose these.”
Ash nodded his thanks, acting the part of a stone-faced bodyguard, and turned to hand one to each of them. A whirring noise came from the gate, and it opened to a loud scene within.
Their first sight of the bazaar struck the five dumb with sensory overload. Lissa’s mind, previously awhirl with thoughts and worry over their plans to market blueberry produce, froze at the sight of maybe ten thousand sentient beings come to haggle and trade in this desert market.
The design of the breath mask they each wore, while filtering out all elements hazardous to the wearer’s biological makeup, yet carried the aroma of the market into their noses to entice their senses.
As the gated entrance whooshed shut behind them, a thousand different smells barraged them. Lissa’s nostrils flared, filling with the sweet spice of burning incense. The desert wind carried the savory smell of roasted meat, sizzling slowly on a spit before an open flame, and the harsh tang of raw gold, heated in a crucible and poured in a stream of liquid greed over a jeweler’s mold. The twang of alien music wafted over the makeshift awnings, a haunting wail through the dusty streets.
Lissa took a step forward involuntarily, caught herself, and then said, “I think we should look around, get a feel for the place.”
They headed into the bazaar—a teenaged invasion force determined to do their consumer duty.
Lissa picked up several pairs of leggings in different colors, a couple of white blouses, with and without ruffles, and a black corset top. At the next stall, she found knee-high lace-up boots equipped with both magnetic and suction grip soles. For space safety, the proprietor assured her. A gadgety top hat that struck her fancy completed her new wardrobe and she glanced about for the others.
They made their purchases—which included an armored helmet for Ash, with gold filigree so that a lion appeared to stare out over his brow, and several fancy “toff” dresses for Stephanie—floor-length in back but just brushing the top of her knees in the front. One in particular, scarlet with hints of black lace, made Shiro look hungrily at her. She twirled once, watching him out of the corner of her eye, and then pronounced to the stall keeper that she would take one in every color he had in stock.
Spending Captain Nask’s ill-gotten credits felt particularly satisfying to Lissa. They would use the late pirate’s gold to free Earth in the height of fashion.
“Holy cow!” Ash breathed, staring past her shoulder as they made their way out of the tent where Stephanie was accessorizing. “Look at that!”
Green sparks flashed over an anvil as the alien smith pounded glowing sheet metal. Finished pieces of his craft lay nearby, where a second one used an awl to carve delicate patterns. A third smith hawked their wares to the passersby, his translator bot shouting each sentence in several languages.
Lissa saw what had caught Ash’s eye. An enormous rack of weaponry stood just within the awning of the smith’s tent. Spears of all sizes, shapes, and colors were mounted there, and as they watched, a prospective customer lifted one up, pressed a button and an arc spat from the razor sharp edge, turning it from a simple metal spike into a laser blade. The third merchant threw a piece of wood into the air and with a practiced swoop, the customer sliced it in two. He nodded appreciatively as both pieces fell to the street and turned to haggle with the trader who gestured enthusiastically.
Ash turned greedy eyes on Lissa, who poked him undiplomatically in the side. “Stop ogling,” she admonished him. “We’re here to sell, not to buy new toys.” “But I could protect you so much better with a forceblade!” he whined.
“You already have four weapons,” she pointed out.
“Boys and their toys!” Shika teased.
“Just wait until she gets to the jewelry shop,” Ash said. “She’ll come back with her own weight in twenty-four-carat gold!”
They walked a little ways further into the bazaar, each carrying their purchases, until they came to a barricade with aliens of all forms lining up to cross through the single small gate. Heavily armed guards stood at intervals along the wall that separated this part of the bazaar from whatever lay on the other side, and Lissa eyed the enclosure with misgivings.
“What’s on the other side, I wonder?”
None of them knew.
They approached the line warily, paying close attention to the armed guards on either side of the entrance. Lissa noticed that Ash and Shiro positioned themselves so that they were on the outside of their small group, with the three girls ensconced within. Nudging her translator bot, Lissa cleared her throat in what she hoped was a polite noise and asked the alien just in front of them, “What is this line for, please?”
The alien turned to face them, revealing a squashed face over four sets of breasts covered in a large sleeveless dress. “That’s the slave auction, miss. New shipment’s just come in. I’m looking for a little errand girl, cute but sturdy.”
The others all exchanged glances. Did they want to see the place where they had nearly been consigned to? Stephanie thought not.
“Let’s go the other way, Lis,” she whispered.
But Ash looked stubborn. “Don’t you think we’d better know what we’re up against?” Lissa asked the alien woman, “Any idea what sort of planets the last batch came in from?”
“Mixed bag, I heard,” the woman responded willingly enough. By now, the line had moved several yards and they were only three away from the entrance. With a polite little curtsy, the woman turned away just in time to present herself to the guard who scanned her up and down carefully and then waved her through.
“I think we should look for humans,” Shika said, craning her neck to see inside. Lissa was of two minds about this, but a glance inside the doorway as they approached the guard decided her. Row upon row of chained slaves stood like parked cars outside a building that must have been the auction house. If there were any humans in there, they would not be sold today, she considered.
“Ash and I will go inside; you three wait here,” she told the others.
The two submitted themselves for the scanner. The guard confiscated Ash’s weapons, and handed them tags they could use to retrieve them on the way out, before the humans made their way into the slave auctions.
The stench of unwashed bodies penetrate
d through the breathing mask. The downtrodden stares and hungry faces—even the pathetic feeling of desperate fingers brushing against their clothes as they walked down the rows of chained slaves, all laid out like cars in a dealership for consumers to see—none of it haunted Lissa as much as the sounds that emanated from the auction house.
There were moans of pain and of despair; screams as children were ripped from their mothers’ arms, more screams as potential buyers mauled their choices about—smelling, feeling, sometimes even tasting them before making a purchase. Lissa saw sights in that auction hall that went beyond the worst she had ever imagined. Was this what slavery on Earth had once compared to? Her stomach lurched at the sounds coming at her from every side. It was horrific.
“No sign of humans anywhere,” Ash reported to her. His face was pinched tight in spite of the relief in his voice.
“Let’s get out of here,” Lissa whispered. She slipped her hand into his and felt strengthened by the quiet squeeze he gave her fingers. Silently, they made their way back down the rows of slaves to the exit.
“Nothing?” Stephanie asked the moment they emerged. Lissa shook her head, and then bent over and lost control of her stomach.
She heaved for several minutes while Stephanie held her hair and patted her soothingly. Ash filled the others in on the gist of what they had seen.
“That’s horrible!” Shika cried. She was imagining what could have happened to Ash had she not jumped into the helicopter after him. And if she had not rescued Lissa with that breathing mask, they would all be in those rows right now, chained together, waiting to be sold to the highest bidder in that tiny piece of hell.
“Thank goodness there were no humans in there,” Stephanie said, shaking her head. “Even if there were, how would we ever get them out?” Shika said.
Lissa was no longer paying attention. As she wiped her mouth and stood up from her crouched position, she saw a glimpse of blue flesh, a pair of pointed ears, and she snapped, “Look!”
Space Patrol! Page 9