The tall man looked at me and said, "that's a nice cloak you have there. But I think you need to wear it inside-out, unless you need not to be seen."
I took the cloak off and turn it inside-out, then put it back on again; it had a silver look to it this way.
The man said, "that's better. A cloak like that should be a secret, someone may think you are up to no good."
Then he asked what he could do for us today. And Owsee told him we were trying to teach a translator to read and write in my language.
"Read and write," he said, "do you know how long it took me just to teach it the 10 primaries?"
Owsee, "we have already started, but we just need some help with the programming changes."
He said, "let's see what you have."
I gave him the translator as he opened a rolled up flat screen computer. Then he put the translator on one corner of it, and the computer came to life. He gave it a tap, and the menu of what I had programmed came up.
He looked through my work quickly and said, "so this is your alphabet, there is some good work here. So what is the problem?"
I said, "there are five letters that do not always sound the same. We call them vowels. They are, a, e, i, o, and u. Out of 26 letters, only these have the ability to some different ways."
"I see," he said, "your translator was not built for this kind of work. I can put an extra trip in it for more memory, and a learning program that should do the trick."
Owsee asked how much it would cost.
The storekeepers said, "I'll take the download of information as payment. And I'll give you the view-mat for free."
Owsee, "toss in an ear-monitor, with extended range, and it’s a deal."
Storekeeper, "you're a good negotiator, it's a deal. But I want an example of the vowel sounds before you leave."
Owsee said it was a deal.
I walked down the showcase and looked at all the things on display, while they talked and worked on the device. One thing that caught my eye was a ring. It had a round cut gem, that was attached to a 2 inch round disc that had a Velcro strap on it. I stared at it for a time, the gem seemed to glow a bit. I don't know how long I was looking at it, but the next thing I knew the storekeeper was standing in front of me putting the translator down.
He said, "is there something I can show you?"
I looked down and pointed.
"ah-yes, that," he said, "you have a keen eye for the unusual."
He reached down, and pulling it out said, "a telekinetic enhancer. It also can be used to open electronically sealed doors. Come with me to the back room, I'll show you how it works."
The three of us went to the back room with him. There were racks on both sides of the room, but it was open in the middle. At the end of the room were some blue barrels, that looked as if they had been hit by something many times. Owsee stood by the door as we went to the middle of the room. The storekeeper then took my right hand and slipped the ring on my middle finger, with the disc on the back of my hand, and the strap around my wrist. He then told me to turn the diamond like gem, clockwise, until it glows red. Then to reach out toward the barrels with the palm of my hand.
I turn the gem until it made a click and turn red. Then I extended my arm out with my palm facing the barrels, nothing happened.
Owsee yelled out, "the spice dew worked on him."
The storekeeper said, "pretend the barrel is right in front of you and hit the air between you."
So I pulled my arm back and trusted it forward, toward the wall. There was a shock wave that moved two of the barrels a few feet.
"Good, good," said the storekeeper, "now I want you to just stand there, with your palms facing the barrels. But I want you to be calm, at peace with yourself. Very relaxed and just breathing in the air. Very good. Now look at your hand, make sure you’re aiming at just one barrel. Feel the power inside you come from your toes, through your body, up your arm, and with a mighty blast out your --."
And with that a wave of energy came out of my hand, and hit the barrel so hard that it shattered into many small pieces. The wall itself had a buckle in it.
Owsee, "very good, he's a natural."
Storekeeper, "all right, that is enough of that, now let me show you the rest. Come over to the door."
So we went over to the door as he shut and locked it. Then said to pass the back-side of my hand over the lock. I did it and the door opened. Owsee said I was a natural at it, and the storekeeper said I had some latent telekinetic abilities. Then he reached down to my hand and turned the stone until it was off again.
We then walked toward the front of the store as he said, "in the seven years I have had this store I have only sold two others. If I sell this to you, I would hope you fair better than the others did."
I said, "why, what happened to them?"
Storekeeper, "they were unwise, foolish, and un-careful."
Owsee, "they are dead."
Storekeeper, "yes, well when someone walks around bragging about something, it does come to that from time to time."
Owsee, "how much will you sell this one for?"
Storekeeper, "500 credits, no less."
Owsee, "that a lot of credits. Can’t we do better?"
Storekeeper, "it is not just the merchandise, it’s the responsibility. 500, no less."
Owsee, "well, it's up to you. But 500 credits are a lot I think. If you come back another day maybe you pay less."
I said, "it's not about money, Owsee, it's about respect and that's something I would not wish to cheapen, 500 will do fine."
And I handed him my credit chip. He smiled and nodded at me, as to say, thank you. We finish the vowel program, and he downloaded his copy. Then he handed me the rolled up monitor, and the earpiece which felt surprisingly comfortable.
As we were leaving he said, "you may wish to get a pair of gloves. They can have more than one use."
I smiled and nodded as we left.
“A visit to med lab”
After we went out the door, Owsee said, "I think you want to get some gloves now."
I said yes, and Owsee said, "okay, but first we need to go to the med lab and get you scanned. We have one of the best med lab's on this side of the galaxy. If anything happens to you, they can put you back together. But only if they have a scan on the file; they can't fix you if they don't know what you looked like before."
I said, "all right, let's go to get me scanned."
Owsee, "besides, I need to check on my arms."
I said, "are you having problems with your arms?"
He said, "no, not with these, my other arms. You see, when I first came here, over 35 years ago, I was working on the docks. There was so much work that I wanted another set of arms. So they cut off my old arms and put them in cryo, then gave me these. Once I got used to the claws, instead of the hands, I was able to work faster than ever; made a lot of money that way. But I do not want to go back to my home without my arms and hands. How about you? Would you like to have a set of claws? I'll give them to you at no cost."
I said, "no thank you, I like it the way I am."
So we went to the med lab. Owsee walked over to someone and started talking to him, or her, as I stood in the doorway.
He then turned to me and said, "come over here, don't be shy."
So I walked over to where he was and said hello to something in a tall black cloak, with a deep hood pulled over its head; I could see two glowing eyes under the hood, but nothing more.
It said, "take all your clothes, Jewelry, weapons or devices, off and stand by the wall."
I took everything off, leaving it on the floor by Owsee, and stood by the wall. A green light came down from the ceiling, then there were three bright flashes that came from three different directions. I could not see anything for a few moments.
Then Owsee brought my translator over and hung it around my neck.
He said, "it's all over, they got a good scan. You can get dressed now."
S
o I put my things back on, and Owsee said, "they told me my arms are still in good condition. There has been no interruption in the cryo chamber. They can put them back on anytime I like, they just need a few hours to prepare them for reattachment. He gave me a list of drugs I should take to make the process go easier."
I said, "so are you going to do it now?"
Owsee, "I'm going to do it, but I’ll need some help. All the drugs on this list are mind altering and powerful. When the time comes, to be back here, I need to get past the guards. Maybe they will be understanding and bring me here, but I don't know. One thing is sure, I will be out of my head. And if I don't get here own time, I will lose my arms for good, they will not keep."
I said, "I'll make sure you get back on time."
He said, "thank you for being a friend."
The doctor came out with a bag full of things, and they talked for a short time, then we left.
“New gloves”
Owsee, "I told them to find me at the Drink Drunk. Why don't you shop for your gloves and I'll meet you there."
I said, "okay, I'll meet you there." And I went to the clothing store.
I told the woman that I needed a pair of gloves.
She said, "you mean you didn't come just to see me?"
I said, "I came to see you, and a pair of gloves."
She said, "well here I am, and here are the gloves we have. Anything special in that mine?"
I said, "why, what have you got?"
"I always have something special," she said, "how about some Stillis, fire and heat resistant, gloves with built-in climbing grip abilities?"
I said, "that sounds interesting, tell me more about them."
She said, "well, you can dip your hands in liquid metal or o2 and not feel any change in temperature, and nothing will stick to them. But if you want them to stick, you just slap your hands on something, and it will not let go unless you push your hand forward and up. You can climb glass, metal, rock, wood, anything. They have micro suction cups and grip-hairs. They are also on sale."
I asked how much and she said, "well now, that depends on whether or not I'm going to see you again, and when. I get lonely for humanoid companionship."
I said, "I need to help Owsee for a few hours, but then I can be back."
She said, "sounds purr--fect to me," and I again asked how much for the gloves. She said, "50 credits, marked down from 150. That is to say, you pay full price now, and get a hundred back when you come back. Any problem with that?"
I said, "how do I know you've give the 100 back?"
She said, "I have never broken a verbal contract, you will just have to trust me."
So I let her scan my chip. She then handed me my chip back, and the gloves.
I said, "I'll see you later," and started to walk out. Then I turned and said, "is there any way to cut a small hole in the finger of the glove, without damaging it?"
She said, "a hole? You want to cut a hole in a brand-new pair of gloves? You will need a very hot laser to do that to those gloves."
I nodded my head in agreement and gave a small wave goodbye.
“Too many drugs”
Then I went to the Drink Drunk bar. There were no guards outside. The door opened just as I stepped in front of it, but no one was being thrown out. I walk right in and to the table in the back where Owsee was sitting, the same one we were in before. It seemed a bit brighter than the last time I was there, and there was no background music or noise. I sat down and showed Owsee the new gloves.
He asked, "how much did she charged you for them? I hope it was not too much over 100."
I said, "only 50."
Owsee, "50, only 50 for that kind of glove, I think she likes you."
I said, "I'm sure she does. I plan to see her again after I take you to the med lab."
Owsee, "good, good, you should get together and have some fun. But right now, I am trying to figure out what to drink with the meds they gave me. The instructions say it should be 25 to 50% alcohol, to speed the meds along. This is the first time I have ever been told, by a doctor, to get totally smashed."
I looked over to the bar, and caught the eye of the tall yellow-skinned fellow working there tonight. He came over and said his name was, "Yo," and asked what he could do for us. We told him we needed something with a lot of alcohol in it. He said there was not much call for that around here, but that he would take his scanner and look in the back.
While he was gone, Owsee started to take out his meds and put them on the table.
"Look at this," he said, "they gave me too much. This bag of white powder, do you know what it is used for? This is what they use to make firewater with, taste it."
I dipped my finger into the bag and tasted it. My lips and tongue went num.
Owsee, "I have at least a pound of it here. You could keep the whole station up for a week with that much."
I said, "well, look at it this way, you can make your own firewater for a long -- time now."
Owsee, "the instructions say I can eat it, inject it, smoke it or put it up my nose."
I said, "it sounds a lot like something we head back on Earth."
We were looking at all the other meds he had been given, when the bar keeper came back with a 5 gallon barrel. He put it on a bench near us and said, "I don't know what it is called, but the scan came up with 40% alcohol, and the rest is a mix of water, fruit juice and trace elements."
He filled a small picture, and set it on the table with 2 cups. I poured myself a little and took a sniff, it smelled like orange. I then took a sip, as they both looked on for my opinion. After swallowing, and a brief exhale, I said, "rum, it's orange rum by God, 80 proof rum."
"Is it good?" Asked the bar keeper.
"Very good, I'll take the whole barrel if we can come to an arrangement on the price."
"No, no," Owsee said, "put it down on my tab and we will negotiate price with the owner at a later time."
Yo said, "is there anything else I may get you gentlemen?"
I said, "yes, a large picture of ale and a couple straws, if you have them."
Yo, "straws? I do not know what this is."
I said, "a small tube you can sip your drink through."
Yo, "oh yes, jumbo sticks, we have them. I shall bring you some."
"Jumbo sticks?" I said to Owsee.
Owsee, "jumbo sticks, made from the secretion of a sap bearing tree, and ground up grain. You can sip your drink from it then eat them, very tasty, you will like them."
Yo brought back a large picture of ale and a handful of jumbo sticks, then said, "will there be anything else?"
Owsee, "yes, give me control over the security screen for this table."
Yo, "of course sir." And he pulled out a chip from his pocket, and inserted it into a slot on the side of the table. Then he went back to his other customers.
Owsee, "now let me show you why I liked this table so much."
He then reached over and pushed a button where the chip was put into the table, and a force field went up.
Owsee, "now no one gets close to us unless we want them to."
He took a sip of the rum he had poured for himself and said, "not bad." Then he reached into the big bag of powder, and pulled out what he could get from the sides of his claws, and said, "I miss my fingers."
I said, "let me help," and I grabbed a good three-fingered pinch then sprinkled it in his rum. He stirred it around with a jumbo stick and drank it right down.
Then I said, "let me show you another way to do this stuff." And I took a pinch of powder and put it on the table. With the edge of a jumbo stick I made two lines. Then I put the stick to my nose and inhaled a line. He did the same and said, "that's good, I can breathe better on that side now, let's do the other side."
So I got another pinch and made two more lines for us.
"Very good," he said, "just the thing after all that dust from the ship."
"What's this bag of green stuff?" I asked.
Owsee, "that's a plant that grows on the fourth planet. Some people like to eat it, and you can smoke it when it's dry enough; this looks very dry. I have a pipe in my bag. It will make you very mellow, just the opposite of the firewater. Yes, here is my pipe, and a fire stick."
TheTraveler - book 1 Page 4