by Ken Pence
"Why should I give you information? I owe you nothing. What benefit can I derive from giving you information? You have nothing I want," Rett stated.
"Why did you run from the other ship? Do you want us to take you back to them? Do you want us to turn you back to the soldiers below? It is stupid to think we could not aid you but we will do no more for you without your cooperation."
"That is reasonable. If you take me to the planet of my choice I will tell you what I can," Rett said.
"That is not a bargain. You may not have any information we can use and the planet may be too far for us to travel conveniently," Andrew said.
"My information will tell you the exact purpose and plans of the downed ship and if you show me the star maps of this spiral arm I will show you the star I seek. It is not far, even for the smaller ship you first saw, and it is a trading center for many races. On the way I will give you information on galactic history if you desire," Rett said.
"Very well," Andrew said and keyed the computer console in the lounge next to him and activated the three-dimensional viewscreen in the lounge while darkening the lounge lights. Andrew couldn't see the alien's face in the dark but if he had, he would have seen an almost human look of amazement. "We are here," Andrew indicated, "Tell me which direction we would travel and I will display it."
Rett indicated a direction toward galactic center and sat up erect as the view began to move in the direction he had shown. He indicated faster and the view speeded up. This was incredible, Rett thought; just like actually traveling. This race was talented in certain fields but Rett still had his racial superiority.
"There is the system I seek," Rett pointed.
"Hmm, about ten parsecs away," Andrew said relieved it was so close considering the top speed of this vessel. "It is agreed. We will take you to that planet if you fulfill your part of the bargain."
Rett suddenly began spewing out information concerning Exploration Service history and his involvement with them after leaving Earth. Andrew could tell the prejudice in the story by the Tros, but realized enough was truth to make the information worthwhile. When Rett related the talk he had had with the E. S. officer about their designs for Earth, Andrew was amazed at the audacity of the alien race. Thinking more, though, he realized how helpless Earth would have been without this ship, they had built. The Exploration Service could have demanded anything it wanted in trade concessions. If one country wouldn’t trade, they would have just gone somewhere else.
"We are having a compartment prepared for you. You may come and go as you wish but a crewmember must accompany you wherever you go. Should you wish to leave your area, an assigned crewmember will be outside your door. After our dealings with these Exploration Service officials, you will be allowed full freedom within the ship subject to orders from any crewmember. You will follow my second-in-command to your cabin. She will familiarize you with your facilities. Do you understand and comply?" Andrew said in the alien language.
"Yes. That is fair," Rett said but he was not thinking in those terms. I have given them the information they need to destroy the Exploration Service ship. They cannot believe I am so uncivilized to believe that since my usefulness is over, that they will let me live. This offer of my own compartment must be to allay my suspicions so I can be killed easier. Assigning a female to lead me to my room is one step too far. Surely, they cannot believe I would accept the story that a female is second-in-command on a starship.
"Susan, you show him his room and then let him tour the ship. Brad, you stay by a monitor and have the computer check his every footstep," Andrew said in English into the intercom.
Susan came in, nodded to Andrew and she asked Rett, in his language, to follow her. If he was surprised that she could speak his language even awkwardly – he didn’t show it.
He followed her but did not notice her tension. On the walk to his compartment, Rett noticed the soft floor and soft, strange yet calming patterns of sound, which played throughout the ship. Rett would not let himself be beguiled so easily. He decided to test her reactions by stopping as if to inquire about an adjoining corridor. She then stated she must show him to his compartment first. Just as he thought… She was only leading him to his death. The best time to attempt escape then would be at the last moment.
When they finally came to his room, she showed him how to key open the door and told him that this would be his room until he left the ship. As the door slid open and the female stepped forward, he knew, it was time to act. He grabbed her around the neck with his left arm so he could use her as a shield and still fight with his free hand. Then things became a trifle confusing to him.
As Susan stepped into the room, she felt the rock hard arm of the alien slide under her chin. She had felt the growing tension from him as they had walked. Entering the room slightly ahead of Rett, she had kept an eye for anything like this in the mirror opposite the door. She was mentally prepared where Rett did not expect resistance from a female. He was doubly shocked when she grabbed his arms around her neck, squatted down and thrust her hip against and under his waist. As she pulled the arm across and straightened her knees as she bent forward at the waist, his forward momentum carried him sailing over her shoulder in an arc that would have made any Judo instructor proud.
It was surprise and not pain in this light gravity that kept Rett lying on his back for a few seconds after he hit the deck.
Then he rolled over, jumped to his feet, and lunged at Susan with both arms out to grab her. He thought he'd simply tripped and could not comprehend that this small, pink-fleshed female had tossed him, a Tros, over her shoulder.
Susan used the heel of her hand and hit Rett over his nose slits, between his eyes, and kicked him in the area between his legs that was sensitive, even for a Tros. As he dropped down on his knee joints and clutched himself, he let out a piteous groan. Susan pulled her razor sharp, pointed knife out of her leg pouch with her right hand and put her left hand behind Rett's head. She then took the tip of the knife under Rett's left eye that was swiveled toward her and pressed it in so it almost cut through the soft skin under the eye.
Breathing slowly and deeply to counteract the flow of adrenaline, she said in Rett's language, "You will consider this your last warning. If you cause any trouble, you will be dealt with in such a manner that you would wish to die but we would not let you. Do not think that because we are fair with you that we are weak." Susan then jabbed him again to get her idea across to him. "I will not tell any other member of the crew about this but you had better know that we will all be watching you and the rest of the crew is much more savage than me. We are most dangerous when we are very polite and cordial acting. That is when anything can set us off. If you try hard to please us we will even fulfill our bargain with you."
Susan then briefly walked around the room and demonstrated the purpose and function of lighting, entertainment, refreshments, and sanitation controls trying to act nonchalant.
"This black button, here, will shut and lock your door and can only be unlocked by you or by order of the ship's Captain," Susan said as she prepared to leave. "When you are ready to tour the ship or need any assistance, simply push this orange button."
As the door slid shut behind the female, Rett hobbled over to the wall, pressed the lock button, and then went to lie down on the bed. Besides being in pain, Rett had had a severe blow to his ego and was in no condition to face more of those deceptively soft creatures. Just thinking about the female, Susan, made him shudder. And she said the others were worse! For the first time in his life, Rett had a new emotion: fear.
RETT AND ANDREW BACK TOGETHER
Andrew gathered most of the crew together and announced that they were going to try to contact the downed alien ship again. Steve reset for the frequency of the last contact they had had and prepared the communications equipment. The crew went to battle stations as the ship maneuvered about 35 kilometers above the alien ship.
"This is Captain Andrew Williams of the Earth
ship above you. Due to a misunderstanding, we engaged each other in combat. Since the damage is already done, we should go on to matters that are mutually beneficial. It is our understanding that you are empowered to negotiate a trade agreement with your authorities. That is also our wish. Please respond on this frequency so we can choose an area for the discussions. Please respond on this frequency," Andrew said in the alien language knowing that by the time Earth officials had deciphered its meaning, the crisis would have passed. Steve set the message for repetitious broadcast and waited almost an hour before he received an answer.
"Whatever your planet of origin, we will talk with you. A suitable place must be chosen for these talks," said the E. S. officer with some misgivings about the ship above then but as he reasoned; he was not negotiating from a position of strength.
"We will land near you," Andrew stated and then turned to talk with his crew. "Tod, land near them and cut the screen down to 0.70. Align the lasers to hit at the weapon ports on the other ship.” He then resumed talking over the comm., “We will meet with you tomorrow at this time."
The ship landed effortlessly about one hundred meters from the alien ship and Andrew and Brad prepared to embark for the negotiations.
The E. S. officer watched the ship land. A day later, he watched the two beings step out. The ship was an odd design. Why, they were flying to the entry port of my ship. Whoever they were, they had valuable technological information. He had ruled out that this ship could belong to the native race since there was no evidence of any other devices capable of producing fields on the planet. Maybe this will prove interesting... at least, it would be a good diversion from repair of this downed ship.
NEGOTIATIONS
Brad and Andrew had not been idle in preparation for these negotiations. They arranged for some information to be gathered and sent to the worldwide news agencies who were clamoring for any news release. Brad also had gotten Steve to cross connect the ship computer to a Net, law database across the continent via satellite and linked those to the Mem-Dexs they wore on their wrists.
The night before they left, Steve had linked the ship's computer to a linguistics complex at a large Southwestern, electronics corporation laboratory. Rett's cooperation and near-perfect memory enabled him to put down the written form of Trade that had become the standard between all trading planets generations ago. His printing was exquisite. The language structure was brilliantly logical and had few confusing quirks in verb and modifier agreement. Prefixes were neutral and there were few synonyms. Most of all Trade was brilliant for its flexibility and pronunciation ease.
After flying gracefully to the alien airlock, Andrew and Brad prepared to board the alien ship. Both were equipped with the latest printer accessory to tie into their Mem-Dexs so they could have written accounts in both languages. Only years of advance programming at the linguistic computer complex along with an intimate knowledge of Trade (by Rett) could have provided the means for these computers to accomplish man-years of work, literally overnight. Brad carried the printer under on arm that they had removed from Desiree's lab.
They were met at the alien's airlock by three large humanoids whose most notable feature was their leveled hand weapons. Red tinged aliens in stark black uniforms standing two and a half meters tall with questionable intent would have intimidated most men but Andrew was doing his best to act unperturbed. The aliens had visible musculature and had, humanlike features, but the combination of small differences made them obviously alien.
"Captain Williams, a representative of the World Government, wishes permission to board your vessel." Andrew said to the aliens who could not have been anything but crewmen.
"You will not bring any weapons on board. Please give me any weapons you possess," said the alien closest to them who seemed as interested in them as they were in him.
"We will only give up our weapons to the ship Commander or some other higher ranking personnel. It is not fitting to meet the representatives of an entire planet with only crewmembers or guards," Andrew said surprising Brad who had begun to reach to his belt to give up his sidearm.
Andrew knew he had hit a weak spot as all three stood up straight and their weapons wavered slightly but did not lower. "Very well," said the same alien, "I have contacted the Officer-In-Charge and he will be here in a few minutes."
After about two minutes, another being came hurrying down the corridor. He was slightly shorter, but still taller than Andrew, and had bright, black lidless eyes with no trace of body hair, unlike the other hairy armed crewman. The new alien barked an order in some dialect and the crewmen put up their weapons. He then turned to Andrew and began to look over Andrew and Brad's white garments with their chrome like metal attachments and white belts that allowed these natives to fly.
"Is the meeting to be held in this corridor?" Andrew said trying to spark the other to action.
Appearing to ignore the sarcasm, the alien said, "You will be permitted to retain your personal weapons. What is the device under that one arm?" the alien asked pointing to the printer under Brad's arm.
"That is simply a device to print any agreement we may reach so we may have a permanent, written copy," Andrew said knowing he had sparked interest.
"I do not believe it necessary. Leave it here and take it with you when you leave," compromised the alien.
"No, but I will prove its function for you. If I prove its function, will you not hinder us further?" Andrew said using Rett's hints as a clue to the officer's behavior. Act superior or they will treat you as an inferior was what Rett implied and so far, it had worked.
Andrew had Brad synchronized the printer to his Mem-Dex and after Brad had keyed his unit he had Brad extend the arm toward the alien. The alien crewmen muttered and partially drew their weapons but the leader motioned them to cease.
"Speak into this after I say 'activate'," Andrew said indicating Brad's Mem-Dex. "Say anything you want in Trade."
"Activate," Andrew said and Brad held the printer so the alien could see it.
"This sun is cold and my home is far, far away," the alien said and stopped as the printer spewed out the printout to display in writing what he had just said. He held the sheet in his trembling hands and then turned back and said something in some other language.
"This will only work on Trade and our own languages," Andrew explained.
The alien looked at the printout he held in his near-human hand and then said, "Follow me."
As they walked into the bright interior of the ship, the other three crewmen fell in step behind them.
The procession soon came into a large room where their guide hastily conferred with the two aliens who were standing and then, in turn, bent to talk to the remaining alien who was already seated. This one could only be their commander, Andrew thought. Brad noticed an interesting point that the commander was almost of a different race as the remainder of crew with his unlined skin and graceful jutting cheekbones. Andrew saw those perceptive eyes boring through him and realized that this one was not to be trifled with.
"Will you sit down?" The alien commander said indicating some soft-topped squares in front of him.
"Thank you," Andrew said not realizing he had lapsed into English.
"What planet are you from? What is your claim to this planet?" the commander asked.
Andrew was stunned. They didn't believe he was even from Earth. This guy is really confused, thought Andrew. I had better set him straight, he thought and also realized how he could do so.
"I was born on this planet and the ship outside was built on this planet. All my crew were born on this planet. We are authorized to negotiate a trade agreement with responsible authorities. I will prove my claims if you can receive our visual broadcasts on the following frequencies," Andrew said showing him the frequency conversions that the printer had typed earlier.
The commander handed these to his Chief Technician who hastened away and returned shortly with a wheeled carrier with a small video screen. The screen
looked like an old cathode ray tube device Andrew had only heard about in history books and only then because he was into trivia. Andrew sent a message to the ship to relay to the news media. The media had received material from the university where Susan had had the foresight to have visual recordings and crew biographies put together that formed an earlier documentary on the building of Earth's first starship. This documentary had been shown many times after Ling's broadcast before they had left for Tau Ceti but had the biographical part lengthened for this showing. Andrew hadn't anticipated that the aliens would not believe they were natives but had thought that the documentary would show the aliens that Andrew and his crew were actual representatives for Earth. In any case, the documentary should convince the aliens.
The Chief Technician turned on the videoscreen and adjusted the frequency until he picked up a broadcast. The screen showed a slightly distorted picture in two-dimensional black and white. He then sat down to await the broadcast that would soon replace the regular schedule.
Andrew asked the commander for permission to inspect the video receiver. The Chief Technician assisted and took off an inspection plate so Andrew could view the workings.
These people had never heard of miniaturization or anything more than the most rudimentary semi-conductor components. This receiver was a behemoth. The idea hit him suddenly and Andrew spoke quietly into his Mem-Dex to Susan on their ship. He then turned to the assembled, high-ranking alien officers.
"It seems that your receiver cannot take advantage of several aspects of our broadcasts so I have sent to my ship for one of our receivers," Andrew said. Seeing the translation, the alien Chief Technician rankled at the suggestion that his equipment was inferior to native products even if it wasn't as compact, Andrew continued. "I will need the assistance of your Chief Technician to provide a power source for our receiver because it isn't self-contained like this unit," Andrew said trying to be placating.