"How long have you owned this ship?" I asked.
He said, "Oh, about 30 of your years. The creature that landed it here had a malfunction in its guidance controls to deal with, and the parts took about 20 years to get here. Of course, he didn't want to wait that long, so I traded him my ship for his. A real bargain for someone with my patients. It's been repaired and ready to go for about 10 years now, I just need enough stories to go home with. And if I'm right about you, story writer, I will be able to put my whole world at your feet."
I said, "Well, I don't think I’m that good."
He said, "If you can teach my race to write their stories down, you can be very rich. And if you can make new stories, there will be nothing on my planet that will be denied to you. How about a ship like this? Teach my people to write, and I will be glad to give it to you myself."
I said, "It's going to take a bit for all this to sink in. I came here with just about nothing, and now you're telling me I can have a whole world at my feet. It's all just a bit much for me to believe right now."
He said, "Let's start with food, anything you want. Better yet, let me have my ship prepare a feast, a dozen different delicacies from across the galaxy. I have a fully automated kitchen system, nothing takes more than a few minutes."
He spoke to the ship through a patch on his shoulder and the floor began to move. It took us to a great hall where hundreds could be seated for a meal. He spoke to the computer again and dozens of trays, of different things, came out of the walls. We ate and drank until we could eat and drink no more.
Then he took me on a grand tour of the ship, until we came to an observation deck with a great view of the Station.
He said, "I have been here more than 35 years. I've learned many stories in all that time, but now it is time for a story from you. Let me see what kind of a storyteller you are. Make me feel as if I was there."
I said, "I'm not sure I’m that good, but I will tell you a story. Let me start with telling you the story of how I got here. This is a favorite pastime of my race, sharing stories about our adventures, with one another."
And so I told him the story of how I sailed for three weeks to get here. How I was almost out of o2 by the time I got here. Meeting him, going to the Drink Drunk, seeing his ship and how it all seemed like a dream.
After about an hour to tell the story, I said to him, "well, what do you think of this type of storytelling?"
"Excellent," he said, "Excellent. This will be a story I can sell over and over again many times. You not only make me feel as if I was there, but help me to understand how you felt. To think about those three weeks you spent in space, sailing here on the solar winds. If there had been a large solar flare, well, you would not be here to tell the story. It was a brave trip you made, that made it even more exciting. And how you felt when the guards grabbed you outside of the Drink Drunk, it was good you had that slap on translator."
I said, "yes, and I appreciate this fancy translator you gave me. But what shall I call you, other than story buyer or dock negotiator?"
He said, "I can tell you my name, but it is hard to repeat, and the translator is of little help." He said, in his language, "Owsee wa sphere." The translator said, "One of 300 days in the Crublar calendar."
I said, "You're named after a day in your calendar?"
He said, "Yes, we all are. There are 300 days in our year, and we are named after the day we were born on. On the whole planet there are only 300 names for all of us. It is only in the pronunciation that we fine difference. We often add to our names something that makes us different, like the town we’re from or what job we do. Here I am mostly known as the dock negotiator or the Crubularing. But what shall I call you, other than human or earthly?"
I said, "I am called Mr. Nibor Suneiram Rellim."
"Does it have a meaning?" He asked.
I said, "Well, the last name, Rellim, is my family name. All the men from my family line are Rellim's. The women are also name Rellim, but only until they taken a mate; then they adopt their husbands family name."
He said, "So, you're from the family of Rellim."
I said, "Yes, at one time people were named for what they did for a living. I guess at one time, maybe hundreds of years ago, my family worked as rellim's".
Owsee, "What is a rellim?"
I said, "A rellim was a person that would grind grain into flour; a person of some importance to farmers."
Owsee, "And your other names?"
I said, "My middle name, Suneiram, was my grandmother's first name. We often honor family members by naming our children after them, I think it means of the sea. And my first name, Nibor, is the name of a bird that flies north at the first sign of spring. I was born in the month of March, and my mother was looking forward to seeing the first sign of spring, the nibor; so she named me after it."
Owsee, "You have a very rich name, but how do you wish for me to address you?"
I said, "You can call me Mr. Nibor, or human if you like."
Owsee, "As you wish. But in private I think I shall call you a storyteller, storywriter or teacher."
I said, "Teacher, I kind of like the sound of that."
Owsee, "Tell me, what other ways dose your race tell stories?"
I said, "Well, we sing songs and recite poems."
Owsee, "Poems, what is a poem?"
I said, "A poem is a short story that has a rhythm or rhyme to it."
Owsee, "Can you recite one for me?"
I said, "Sure, now let me see, oh yes."
"Oh times of times, ye men of men; I've come to speak with you again. But answers do you give to me, of questions I've yet to perceive. And thus a fortune in my hand, I cannot see nor understand. It bothers me that life would rhyme, with facts that leave holes in my mind".
"Excellent!" Owsee said, "Is this a school lesson that was taught to you?"
I said, "it’s just one of the poems I have written."
Owsee, "You wrote this?"
I said yes, and he asked if I had others. I told him that I had at least 50 or so more that I may be able to remember.
He said, "I must hear them all."
I said, “it will take many days for me to remember most of them.”
Owsee, "Of course, of course, you must be tired. Feel free to rest here, I must go out to do some negotiating on the docks. There is a chip in the back of your translator was an additional 500 credits, and it will let you in or out of my ship."
I said, "Won't it be somewhat dangerous to walk around with such a flashy translator and so many credits?"
Owsee, "Oh no, there are monitors all over this station. No one may commit a crime on the station without immediate punishment. Except at the Drink Drunk place, there is no law there. You can do anything you like there, even kill without permission, that's what makes it such a dangerous place."
I said, "I'll keep that in mind."
Owsee, "There are many other shops here that you may wish to visit, perhaps they will inspire your next story."
I said, "Yes, I do want to see more of the station. But for now, I need to take a nap."
Owsee, "Yes, yes, rest well. I will see you later."
Owsee left the room and I quickly fell asleep on the sofa like furniture I was sitting on; I swear it was humming something as I fell asleep. Living furniture was something new to me. I guess I'll just have to get used to it.
Day 2: Chapter 2 ?
I don't know how long I slept; there was no night or day here, just one long twilight. I was lucky to remember my way to the hatch that led outside. Owsee had said there was a number of small shops on the station, I figured I would look them over. The air seemed a bit thin until I got inside the station. Then it was much fresher and easier for me to breathe. I was looking forward to going to the Drink Drunk again, but one look at the guards nearby made be put that on my list as the last -- place to stop.
I was looking through the window, of what seemed to be a closing shop. When two very tall hairless
aliens in white robes, put their hands on my shoulders. They told me they were the sanitation police, and that I needed to come with them. I was shocked, I mean, it's not like I just pissed on the floor or something. I asked them what I had done, and they told me that my clothes were illegal on this station.
I said, "Others are wearing clothes, even you."
They said, "Yes, but we do not allow clothing made from animals or plants. They have too high of a risk of transmitting diseases."
So they took me down the hall to a place where they asked me to take off my clothes. Then they put them in a metal box which was inserted into the wall. A small chip was given to me, and they said, "You may have these things back when you leave the station."
I said, "Now I understand why most of the aliens are walking around naked."
He said, "Be glad we no longer incinerate clothes, just sterilize and store."
As I was walking out the door, I turned my head and said, "Are you sure you're not getting kick-backs from the clothing store?"
I could see that pissed him off. He said, “Just a minute.” And while one of them stepped in front of me to block my way, the other walked over to the wall where my box of clothes were. Looking at me, he pushed the black button. I heard a whoosh sound as he said, "Oh my, looks like your things did not survive the sterilization process, sorry about that."
I said, "Yeah, I bet you are." And I threw the chip he had given me on the floor. Then I gave the the one in my way a look that needed no translation. He stepped out of the way and I walk out the door. I stopped for a moment and began to turn around to say something, like us naked aliens would like to buy you a drink sometime. But I held my tongue. No need to piss these guys off anymore than they already were. After all, I didn't know how long I would be on this station.
So I just headed down the hallway for the clothing store.
Just before I got there I heard a guard from across the hall yell out something that my translator picked up as, “I told you to change your clothes.”
Now I understood. He was not telling me that I stank, he was trying to warn me that this would happen.
I walked into the store; with nothing but the fancy translator around my neck. The beautiful, light-green-skinned, woman that was working there turned toward me. After looking me over, up and down, she said, "another victim of the sanitation police I presume?"
She was wearing a rather translucent fish net, kind of, bodysuit. And it was hard for me to conceal the fact that my, feelings, were definitely aroused.
I said, "Yeah, now I know why there are so many naked aliens around here."
"Oh," She said, "Most of them just like it that way. It’s easier if you want to breed."
Then she touched me on the shoulder and ran her fingers down my arm as she said, "I have never, had a humanoid, here before."
She then stepped back a foot and raised her hands in a grand gesture, saying, "What can I show you?"
I wanted to say you and me in one of the positions of the Kama-sutra. However, my lips said, "A cloak with a hood, I believe."
The first thing she pulled off the rack was transparent. I just said, "I think not."
I finally settled on a chameleon cloak. She said it would change to match anything around it, and that it was a one-of-a-kind. She also said she had never seen another like it, and that's why it cost 300 credits. If it could do all she said it could, it was a bargain. The fit was just right, it came down to my feet. With the hood up my face was in shadow and not seen. It had a sash in the middle and deep pockets inside. She even tossed in a pair of boots that fit great. She said the boots would mold themselves to my feet, and that they would last a lifetime. I would have paid 300 credits just for such great boots.
As I was leaving she said, "feel free to come by anytime, I never close."
I had the feeling, I would be seeing her again soon.
“blue goo”
As I walked down the hall, in my new boots and cloak, I saw Owsee outside of the bar talking to a guard. I walked over and said hello.
"Hello my new friend," he said, "I hear you had a run-in with our sanitation police. I'm sorry I didn't warn you, it slipped my mind. But I must say, that is a very nice cloak you have. You have been shopping. What do you think of the woman that runs the shop? Not bad aye?"
I said, "not bad at all."
Owsee, "I have some business in here. Do you want to join me for a drink?"
I said sure and we went inside. We walked straight past the bar to a table in the back corner.
He said, "I like to keep my back to the wall and my eye on the door, in a place like this, if you know what I mean."
The bartender brought over a short bottle and two shot glasses. Owsee pointed toward the little orange man and said to me, "he knows me, I only drink spice dew."
To which the man replied, "and you are the only one that can afford it."
Then he looked at me and asked if I would like some Go-Joe Juice. At which Owsee said, "no, he does not want any of your Go-Joe juice. I am going to teach him to drink spice dew."
And with that he poured a shot for both of us and said, "now the trick to drinking this stuff is to hold onto the table with one hand, keep your eyes open, and drink the whole shot at once."
I asked why I should hold onto the table.
"For balance," he replied, "this stuff has a good kick to it."
He did his shot, leaned forward and back again, and a moment later said, "oh yeah, that's the stuff, now you."
And so, with one hand on the table, I put the glass to my lips and downed the liquid in one gulp. All of the sudden, I could feel my whole body fly across the room. I could see the front door just inches away from my face. Then I was pulled back, across the room to my seat, and saw sparks of light dancing all around me.
I said, "wow! I have never had anything like that before."
Owsee, "did you fly across the room?"
I said, "yes."
He said, "good, I was not sure if it would be the same for a human."
I said, "I can see why it cost so much."
He said, "you don't know the half of it. The more you drink the farther you go, and the bigger the light show afterwards."
He then poured another drink for both of us. We raised our glasses to each other, and downed them at the same time. I went right through the door, in my mind, and into the hall beyond. I looked back and could see the two guards outside of the Drink Drunk. Then I was pulled back to my chair and enjoyed a short light show.
I said, "is what I saw real?"
He asked how far I went and I said, "outside and down the hall, I could look back on the door and the guards."
Owsee, "good, good. It works on the part of the brain that controls psychic ability."
He poured another round for us and said, "let's see if we can make it to the docks this time."
We both downed the dew at the same time, and off I went. Before I knew it, I was on the docks by my ship. The door was opened, and a reptile looking thing in a green loincloth was looking inside. I was about to shout at him when I felt myself being pulled back to my body. There was an explosion of color and my body felt as if it was still floating, then the feeling was gone.
Owsee said, "did you make it all the way to the docks this time?"
I replied, "yes, and there is someone poking around my ship."
Owsee pulled out a flat screen monitor from the bag on his side, and with a few keystrokes had a view of my ship on it.
"That's him," I said.
"That's her," he said. "I talked to her a few hours ago about the ship. But I did not give her permission to open it. Watch the screen as my clicks do their magic."
Lights started to flash and an alarm started screaming; the reptile ran away. Owsee began laughing, and a few more clicks later he turned it all off. He then tapped his communicator, on his shoulder, and told someone to close and lock the hatch to my ship.
I asked him if he thought she might still want
to buy the ship.
He said, "I'm not sure. I don't think she has the credits anyway. Besides, there is no place to fly it around here, because there is only one sun. Now my system has three suns. Oh, they are far away from each other, but a person could still fly in circles in a system like that. You know, the more I think about it the better it sounds to me. I'll buy your ship."
I said, "what would you do with such a small ship?"
He said, "I'll just throw it in the back of my big ship. When I get back to my planet I'll have no problem selling it, to someone that wants to do some planet hopping."
TheTraveler - book 1 Page 2