The Space Merchants

by Wendie Nordgren

  "I have missed you and have so much to tell you. First, please allow me to introduce Mary and Paul. Mary was my only true friend until I joined Tora." Felicia and Mary shook hands. "This is Mary's husband, Paul." Paul bowed to Felicia.

  "Teagan, what is your name now? Do you have access to a vid-screen, so we can talk?" Mary asked. Mary and I had a hold of each other’s hands and were both crying again.

  I nodded, "Yes, I have one in my quarters."

  "You have your own vid-screen?"

  Paul said, "Wait. You're the lady who pulled up in that transport? You can drive?"

  I laughed. "Yes, to you both. My husband bought me the transport. He didn't want me walking alone on Malta. My name just got much more complicated though. My name was Teagan Lee until a week ago on Arachne."

  Alarmed, Felicia said, "You are still married to Yukihyo?"

  "Oh, yes! His name changed, too. Because of my being able to talk to Thunderdrop, people got suspicious and decided to run all sorts of genetic tests on me. Mary, I have real family. I 'm not all alone anymore. I'm related to really nice people and they like me."

  Paul asked, "Teagan, who are you related to?"

  "That would be me," a deep sultry male voice answered.

  Paul came to attention and gave the Galaxic Militia salute. Mary blushed. I turned and looked up into ice blue eyes framed with black lashes in an incredibly handsome face. Eric Alaric's shoulders were more heavily muscled than Eliot's, and Eric could make any woman blush. Eric took the hand Mary didn't hold and bowed over it placing a kiss on my knuckles.

  "Dear sweet, cousin, I finally have you all to myself. Simon and my brother have been selfish."

  "Hello, Eric. I never thought the first time we met that I could ever be related to the brave Captain Alaric of the Hadrian."

  Taking notice of Paul, Eric said, "At ease, ensign." Paul change his stance and placed his hands behind his back, but he continued to stare straight forward. "Tell me you don't have any plans for today," Eric said.

  "Chirp!"

  "My only plan was to shop here with my friend Felicia." My eyes teared up. "Eric, this is Mary." I didn't want to embarrass either of us by bringing up the housing community. "Mary and I were friends on Earth, but I thought I had lost her." Thunderdrop jumped to Eric as Mary and I hugged and cried some more.

  "I've missed you so much," Mary said.

  "I've missed you, too. I didn't know Paul's last name or where you had been sent," I said. We pulled away from each other. Mary laughed.

  "You're all red and splotchy now," Mary said.

  "You look all adorable and helpless when you cry. It's not fair."

  "So how do I contact you now?" Mary asked.

  "I will program my cousin's information into your vid-screen, so you may contact each other whenever you wish," Eric grinned showing a dimple. Mary blushed. I turned to Eric. Understanding what my look meant, he said, "Your quarters will have one within the hour, Mary."

  Mary curtsied, "Thank you, Captain Alaric."

  Surprised I said, "Do you know Mary and Paul?"

  Eric nodded, "Ensign Lunders is a new member of my crew. Crewmen are encouraged to bring their families with them." Relief flooded through me.

  "Eric, I'm so glad my friends are safe with you on the Hadrian." I took Mary's hand again. "I didn't think I would ever see you again. I see Paul is taking very good care of you. You look beautiful." Mary teared up again.

  "Neither of us ever dreamed up lives like we have now. All you ever wanted was to get up into the stars once, and now you've been everywhere," Mary said.

  I smiled. "I get to fall asleep watching them and look." I showed her my wedding ring. "My husband had it made for me out of asteroids he collected while we were in space on my first trip to Malta." Mary looked into my eyes.

  "That is so romantic." I nodded vigorously in agreement. Mary glanced at Paul. "Teagan, we have to get back." Mary and I hugged again. Paul bowed low to me and escorted his wife out of the shop.

  Felicia wrapped me in one of her hugs. When she let me go, she said, "That was the girl you thought you would never see again? See, sweet baby? Everything is okay."

  "I'm okay. It was just a huge surprise," I said. Eric handed me a silk square. I took it and laughed. "Have you been talking to Simon?" Eric showed me dimples, and I heard Felicia's intake of breath. "Felicia, this is my cousin, Captain Eric Alaric." Eric bowed to her without taking his eyes from hers. She blushed and curtsied.

  Eric said, "Please allow me to simply sit and watch you shop."

  "Eric, it's okay. I can do this tomorrow."

  "No, please. I'm a very patient man and excellent at loading shopping bags into transports. You can ask my mother." I laughed at him.

  "Okay, then." I gave Felicia my attention. Thunderdrop jumped onto my head. I rubbed one of his legs. "Well, they loved everything I brought to Malta. Everything I brought from you sold out in two days!" Felicia clapped her hands.

  "That is great news. I have racks all ready for you to see in the back." Felicia cast her eyes back upon my dashing cousin. "Captain Alaric, please come with us. I have very comfortable chairs and shall make you a cup of tea." Eric gave Felicia what Phillip would probably describe as a shark grin. Felicia blushed and patted at her hair.

  "Felicia, I almost forgot." I noticed I still held Eric's silk square and handed it back to him. "Thank you, Eric." He inclined his head. "I got you a little present when my other cousin, Simon, took me shopping on Arachne." I handed her the silk bag. She opened it and pulled out the hand carved hair combs.

  "Oh, Teagan! These are divine." She smelled them. "What a beautiful scent the wood has." Thunderdrop chirped in agreement. "You are so kind to think of me," she said.

  "I think of you quite often and also of what pretty things I think you have most likely selected," I said. An hour and four thousand credits later and Eric was loading my transport full of bags. We had said our goodbyes to Felicia inside.

  Eric closed the back of my transport and came to my side under the flowered trellis. His eyes fell to my neck. "That is a beautiful necklace," he said. I reached up to touch it.

  "Simon gave it to me. He had it made to match the bracelet from Gram and my necklace from Yukihyo."

  "I hear my brother has given you a gift as well." My face lit up.

  "He gave me family pictures, even one of the three of you as little boys. ZeeZee was the size Thunderdrop is now." I teared up a bit at the thought that I had family pictures.

  "I have been jealous of them. Now, I finally have a chance to get to know you. Come back to the landing port with me. I would love to give you a tour of the Hadrian." My eyes grew wide, and my heart thumped in excitement.

  "Really? You'll let me see inside? I would love to see it. When can we go? Are we taking my transport? What do you want to do?" Eric gave a hearty laugh and his eyes glittered.

  "Drive to your ship and leave your transport there. I'll follow you and drive you to my ship."

  Thunderdrop and I drove into Tora. I asked my spider, "How do I close the ramp from outside?" I walked down the ramp with Thunderdrop on my shoulder, a frown on my face, and a wrinkled brow. Eric waited against the side of his sleek black transport.

  "What's wrong?" I looked back at Tora, and then I looked to Eric.

  "I don't know how to close the ramp. I guess I need to leave my transport out here, so I can close it with the button." Eric strode forward. "If you close it, how will I get back in later?"

  "Give me one moment," he said with a wink. Eric went up the ramp, opened my transport, and pulled out a small device. He closed my transport, walked back down to me, and clicked the device. The ramp closed. "This is your remote entry device for situations just like this." Eric handed it to me.

  "I've never seen this before. I don't have a pocket in this dress."

  "I'll hold it for you." Eric placed it in a front pocket of his uniform. He flashed a smile at me. "Are you ready?" he asked.

  "Definitely," I sai
d.

  Eric drove farther down the land port docking area and past a few other ships. Then, the Hadrian came into view. I drew in a breath. "She's beautiful, Eric." The Hadrian looked sleek, black, dangerous, and massive. "She must be at least six times the size of Tora," I said in awe. I recognized the pride in Eric's expression.

  "She is a fine ship with a dedicated crew." When Eric drove his transport into the Hadrian, a soldier opened his door and saluted. Eric opened my door and offered me his hand. Once I stood free with Thunderdrop perched on my shoulder, Eric placed my hand on his arm and escorted me to a lift. As we passed soldiers stopped working on transports to salute Eric. I stopped. I stood riveted. Shiny black fighter ships lined the forward and back sections of the bay. There were eight of them.

  "Eric, can we look at one of the fighters? Have you ever gotten to ride in one?" He led me toward one. A soldier came forward and saluted.

  "Yes and yes. Would you like to sit inside of one?"

  "Really?" I squealed in delight. The soldier opened a side of the fighter, and thin steep steps were on the inside of it. Eric held my hand and kept his other hand on my back while I climbed inside and sat in the contoured seat. I kept my hands away from everything, but I was mesmerized by all of the vid-control panels and the view port. It was magnificent. Other than the panel lights, everything was solid black. I wondered what it would be like to fly it through space. Thunderdrop danced on my head. Eric held his hand up to help me down. His eyes sparkled with amusement at my excitement. "I can't believe I just got to do that! I can't wait to tell Gram." Eric kissed my hand.

  "I very much enjoy seeing a smile on your face," he said. Soldiers had stopped their work on the deck as we walked to the lift. They stood rigid until the lift doors closed.

  "You've flown a fighter ship?" I asked Eric.

  "Yes, it is exhilarating. I see you have become a proficient operator of your transport."

  "Phillip taught me how to drive. He made me a program with driving simulations." I turned to Eric. "I want to learn to fly a fighter ship." Eric smiled down at me from his vastly superior height.

  "I don't think my mother or Gram would like that at all." I raised my eyebrows at him.

  "Fine, so we don't tell," I suggested.

  "I'll think about it," Eric said. The lift opened onto the bridge. Someone announced Eric's presence. Eric made a response, but I couldn't pay attention to them when the bridge had arrested all of it. Vibrant vid-screen displays, officers working at different stations, and one man in a jumper who had removed a floor panel and used a tool with some kind of light on the end of it had my attention scattered everywhere at once. When I looked back up, Eric stood smiling with his hand extended to me.

  I whispered, "I get to walk onto the bridge?" I gave him my hand.

  "I want you to meet my first officer," Eric said. Eric led me over to a man of average height with short blonde hair cut in the same way as every other Galaxic Militia officer I had ever seen. The man's eyes were such a dark brown that they were almost black. "Commander Bosh, please allow me to introduce my cousin, the Lady Teagan Alaric Montgomery Lee." Commander Bosh took my hand and kissed it.

  Then he said, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

  "It's nice to meet you, too," I said. Commander Bosh released my hand.

  Eric said, "There is only one thing I thought you should do while on the bridge." I thought not touching anything would be a good idea. Eric held my hand and walked me over to the captain's chair and gestured with a grin for me to sit in it. My heart pounded and my palms began to sweat. It was a very serious looking chair, an intimidating one.

  "Oh, Eric. I couldn't."

  "Teagan, you know you want to."

  I whispered, "What if I touch something and blow up the land port?"

  Eric said, "That won't happen. Sit." I blushed, ran my hands down my dress, and raised up on my toes to get into Eric's chair. Once my rear was on the seat, my feet didn't touch. Commander Bosh and someone else chuckled. Eric joined them. "You are adorable sitting there, in a pretty dress, with an Arachnean Silk spider on your head, with your little feet dangling above the floor," Eric said.

  "Chirp chirp."

  "Hiroshi has never let me sit anywhere on his bridge, not even the floor. Wait until I tell him about this," I said smugly.

  Eric helped me from his chair, and I followed him off of his bridge and down a short corridor. It only had three doors. The door to the right opened onto Eric's office. It had a small couch against the wall to the left upon entering. To the right an expensive silk rug had been placed under a chair that faced a large vid-screen. The corner opposite the couch, that shared the wall with the door, had a corner desk similar to the one I often used in Tora's kitchen. The next rooms Eric showed me, opposite his office, were his living quarters. The first thing I noticed was a neat living area. A couch rested against the wall with a table in front of it. A second couch had been placed sideways next to the first and served as a kind of partition in the open space. The first couch faced a large vid-screen. The left side of the room contained Eric's bed, covered in the finest Arachnean silk bedding I had ever seen, a large storage unit like mine, and a door leading to his bathroom. All of the furniture in the room was made of black fabric. All of the pillows, rugs, and bedding were in cream and soft silver. "This is beautiful, Eric. No offense, but did Sydney decorate your quarters? It reminds me of her house." A gentle expression came over Eric's features at the mention of his mother.

  "Yes, mother selected all of my furnishings. She was not pleased when I joined the militia. However, I feel this is what I was meant to do."

  "I agree. You make a dashing captain. Seriously, I completely understand. After I made it to Union Port City, I wanted to join. However, I didn't score high enough to get accepted. I was very jealous of Paul for getting in." I walked around Eric's quarters. I felt one of the pillows. When I turned toward the vid-screen, I noticed the table under it and the pictures on its surface. There was a picture of Ethan and Sydney with Eliot, Eric, and ZeeZee. There was a picture of Gram hold a baby Eric with a toddler Eliot sitting next to them. Then, there was the one with Eliot, Simon, and me with our spiders. It made me cry.

  "Hey, why the tears? Don't cry, please." Eric patted me awkwardly. I laughed at him.

  "I'm sorry. It's just so kind and unexpected of you to be displaying that picture. It means a lot to me. Thank you."

  "May I hug you?" Eric asked.

  "If you want to." Eric gave me a careful hug and another pat on the back. Then, he took a half step back and handed me his silk square.

  "Shall we call my mother? I'm sure seeing us together on my ship would make her happy."

  "Chirp!" Thunderdrop jumped down from me to inspect Eric's quarters.

  "It would be nice to see Sydney," I said. A moment later and Ethan appeared on the vid-screen.

  "Father, look who has decided to pay me a visit."

  "It is always good to see you, son, and it is even better to see that you are watching over your cousin while she is so far from home." I thought about what Ethan had done.

  "Ethan, thank you," I said as I looked down at my shoes and back up at him. "That was really nice of you to put the bench there for me."

  "You are very welcome. Is my youngest son paying you enough attention?"

  "Eric let me sit in his captain's chair! He even let me sit in a real fighter ship! Also, he waited for me to shop and then put all of my bags in my transport for me."

  "Eric's mother will be glad to know he is well-mannered and entertaining."

  "Is mother there?"

  "No, the ladies have gone off somewhere to have lunch, but I will tell her that the two of you called. Both of you should come home soon."

  "I will speak to you later, father." Eric ended the transmission. Thunderdrop examined the top of Eric's storage unit.

  "Will you join me for lunch, Teagan?"

  "Yes, that sounds like a good idea." Eric walked toward his door. "Thunderdrop,
come on, baby." Thunderdrop moved his legs so gracefully now, that he appeared to float across the floor to me. He climbed my skirt and stopped at my back. I followed Eric down his short corridor, and through another one that had five doors on each side, and then into a large sitting area. "Where do all of those doors go?"

  "Those are the quarters of my bridge officers. This is our off duty lounge, and the next area is our private dining room. Each of the lower habitation decks has its own cafeteria and recreational spaces.

  "How many living quarters are on each deck?"

  "That depends on the deck. Higher ranking officers have earned more space. Don't worry though, low ranking ensigns with wives living on board get enough space to be comfortable." Eric flashed his smile at me.

  "You have no idea how happy it made me to see Mary. I'm so glad she and Paul are here. I didn't think I'd ever see her again."

  We had entered a dining room that could pass for a nice restaurant. The tables were covered in white clothes. Plates, silverware, and glasses had been placed with care on each of the ten tables. Eric pulled out a chair for me and then sat across from me. A man in a waiter's uniform brought us chilled water and tea. Then, he brought us bread and a seafood chowder. Next, the waiter brought out plates with fish and fried potatoes. It was fabulous. "I can't eat another bite. Do you eat like this every day?" He winked.

  "The Hadrian's chef is the best in the fleet. It may hurt his feelings if you don't have dessert." I knew there was no way I could eat anymore.

  "Well, I might manage one bite, but then you'll have to finish it for me along with your own. I can sip coffee while you hide it all." I lifted my eyebrows and smiled. "It's a good plan, right?" Eric shook his head.

  "I can't eat two desserts." He instructed the waiter to bring me coffee. I wondered if I could unobtrusively loosen the sides of my dress, while he enjoyed his piece of lemon pie. Eric asked, "Are you ready to continue your tour?"

  "I think a walk would be a good idea."

  As we walked through the lounge, I noticed four officers playing cards. One of them was a woman. I also noticed restrooms. "Eric, do you mind if I tour over there for a moment?"