by Ken Pence
“You will be tested everywhere you go. You need to be strong and rude like a parent with a rich son.”
Brad and Andrew both laughed. That was a good analogy. “We understand. What should we bring to trade?” Andrew asked.
“Bring some of the same things you trade with me except do not show how to make things. Use little quantities at first. This where you should go,” UmBllatt said and pointed at the chart.
“What are other places nearly as good or have items you like but rarely go there?” Andrew said.
“Now you are thinking like a trader. Gud. Always consider two trades later. I can get this for that and trade it for other things. Always study the manuals you got when you signed the treaty also. Never carry things not allowed. You are a self enforcing member of the Confederation...am I right?”
“Yes,” Brad said.
“Never let ES inspect your ship. Again, I say this. You can allow them on board but never for inspection...it is not in the regulations though they will say it is. Also never give in to pirates or your ships will always be prey for them. Rumor is very fast on that topic,” UmBllatt said.
“How can we make enough profit trading to pay for larger fleet and enforcement?” Brad said.
“Ah. You now ask the crucial question on where a cub is formed. You have pressure from your government to pay for this,” UmBllatt said and pointed around the room.
Brad paused but realized an honest answer was called for...”Yes. Exactly. How is it done?”
UmBllatt snorted and expelled a little gas. “You need to study histories. I think you,” he indicated Andrew. “...gamble you have already used history cylinder.”
Andrew blushed because he had done it when the first opportunity had given him a few minutes. “Yes,” Andrew said and Brad looked a little surprised.
“Study the histories,” UmBllatt said. “You must have multiple trading bases on your planet. One base has never worked in the past for anyone. You build this one and can build others. You must build others. The government always tries to control all the trade but you must allow all to trade. Give them training or certification. I am a Master Trader. I gave you an old trader manual. Learn and teach like that. Make your own certification. Tax business, make them report cargo (though they all will lie), and scan for harmful animal or plant life, bacteria could be a problem, and heavily patrol your own system. You are too easy on those trading on Earth. It can be dangerous and you are losing much in finances.”
“We will talk to you more on this topic after I have learned from your histories. Would you please point out other places we should visit and why? We also need to know dangers,” Brad stated.
“Okay. I like this word...much meaning and saves many other words. Here are places you should go when you have more ships,” UmBllatt said and quickly pointed out twenty points they should visit.
“We are going to go to Bellatrix then. Where should we stop along the way?”
Captain UmBllatt pointed to three stars in rapid succession and the computer translated their names from Trade into English for the viewers and through the eartabs of Brad and Andrew. Sirius 2, 68 Eridani, and Vega – “these three offer some opportunity,” he said but the navigator chimed in.
“This one,” he said indicating that 68 Eridani is good trade but dangerous. “They have good weapons and biologicals for trade plus some electrical devices almost as good as yours. There are many pirate ships near there and there is slavery for non-payment. Everything is something for something – nothing for knowledge. They want payment quickly too. The weather changes rapidly there too. Make sure you have a strong suit to wear. Body armor is a good idea,” the navigator finally wound down.
When UmBllatt saw Andrew was shocked – he was beginning to read these beings – he said, “He is mostly correct. He had a bad time there once but my first officer and other crew members returned him safely to the ship and only had to slay a few.”
“Slay a few?” Andrew said.
“Now I can travel there more easily since they know I can provide my own security.”
“You broke no laws?” Brad asked.
“It was only a matter of a business misunderstanding. The tavern owner, who turned him in, thought the jewels in trade were fake emerald. They were of high quality. When he was presented with proof, at weaponpoint, he decided their quality was genuine,” UmBllatt said.
This tale gave them an eye opening insight into the trader’s mores. It was not very reassuring.
“What do you trade for here? What is it like?” quizzed Andrew and they went on like that for several hours until Andrew simply was too frazzled to continue. “Shall we stop to eat?” he asked.
“Yes. I am curious,” UmBllatt asked with a slight vinegary smell emanating from him. “You both never repeated a question at any star and you often stopped like you were listening. Why?” he asked and smell got a little stronger. “Is this more of your computer aid?”
Brad didn’t want to give away all but he said. “Remember the camera system we traded you? We had cameras recording the whole session and staff watching us. They would ask questions and we would hear them through these,” he said and indicated the eartabs they wore behind the ear.
“I have seen ear speakers before. I am widely traveled but I did not hear anything and Ullumff have excellent hearing in this atmosphere,” he stated.
Not to mention you are smart and observant as hell, Andrew thought.
“The device uses bone conduction – the bones vibrating near the ear to transmit sound,” he said, “yet leaves the opening of the ear clear so the eartab does not block local sound.”
“Do you have a device I could have in trade? This would be particularly useful on my planet and would give me an advantage,” UmBllatt asked and pulled out a small bag. “I have personal items I can use to trade that do not have to be split with my crew.” He opened the bag and lifted out the most beautiful diamond and ruby necklace they had both ever seen.
“I think we can arrange that,” Brad said quickly before Andrew could say the same thing.
“I have two,” he said and pulled out a duplicate.
Brad ordered two small eartab systems and extra power sources for them as well as ordering dinner. He thought it would be a good idea if they had some wine with dinner so he ordered several bottles of that too.
They sat and had a large vegan dinner. The navigator pulled out some brownish orbs. The navigator pulled a knife out of somewhere and started pealing off the brown skin. He then placed one each on their plates. The flesh of whatever it was pinkish orange with red streaks. “What is this?” they asked.
“It is kavv. It is what you would call a fruit. I think you can eat it safely,” he said.
“You think it is safe, to eat? How reassuring?” Brad said. “...in for a penny in for a pound...” he said with some archaic saying.
Andrew held his kavv suspiciously waiting for Brad’s reaction. This way both of them wouldn’t die on the spot.
Brad bit into the object, “My God!” he exclaimed. “This is delicious.” He rapidly disposed of the remainder leaving a large seed. “Do you have more of this?”
Andrew tentatively bit into his. It was exactly as described. “This is great. Sweet. Tart. Spicy.”
UmBllatt spoke up. “We thought you would like it but you should never eat more than one until you are used to it. It contains a light intoxicant. I can handle many but you should not eat more now.”
Sure enough, both Brad and Andrew began experiencing a very mild buzz. This stuff was wild. Yumm. He was certainly ready for dinner now. He was starving.
The dinner arrived with several bottles of chilled German white wine. The tomato sandwiches were a hit as was the fried eggplant. The aliens looked dubious at the green bottle of wine. Brad twisted off the top and poured two hefty glasses for his guests. “This is a German Kabinett wine. The lowest quality wine made from the grapes you like so much. This is fermented grape juice. You like the grape juice s
o much we thought you’d like the fermented juice as well. This is what they call the lowest quality wine made from grapes that are selected later in the season when the natural sugar sweetening has begun to take place. Let me know how you like it. It is under 13% alcohol,” realizing that Ullumff had direct correlations of percentage and alcohol.
UmBllatt and the navigator both gave off that acrid smell as they obviously enjoyed the wine. UmBllatt held up his glass for the third refill from the second bottle and said, “It think we have something to trade for the kavv do we not. Kabinett is what I think you said. We are DEFINITELY going to be repeat customers. Cheer,” he said and raised his glass.
Andrew raised he glass and said, “Uffa,” in the ancient Ullumff toast.
UmBllatt and the navigator began snorting and farting in obvious merriment at the toast. The aliens both gulped down another glass. They were the through the fourth bottle before Andrew and Brad could take an anti-alc pill or they would never have been able to keep up.
UmBllatt showed up the next day ready for the questioning over the charts but was curious when no charts were evident. The sulfur smell began in earnest. Brad walked up the large white table they had been using and reached under the edge. Suddenly a star chart was displayed one the table in its farthest, zoomed out resolution showing the widest view of stars.
UmBllatt asked. “What is this? Do you already have charts like we gave you?” he felt his pride sinking.
“No, Captain. This is a scanned copy of your chart. Watch. Point to a sector where you had another map showing greater detail. Point to a star and tap the surface twice,” Brad said.
UmBllatt cautiously tapped the surface twice. Nothing happened.
“Faster,” Brad said.
UmBllatt tapped the surface in rapid succession. The field of view zoomed in. The acrid smell filled the room.
“Again,” Brad said. “Somewhere else.”
UmBllatt double tapped somewhere else. He tapped again and zoomed in further. “How is this possible? Some of this is not on my charts.”
“We have blended our astronomical data with what you gave us. We scanned your charts and made electronic copies. The computer overlapped your data with ours. We now have copies of everything you brought us. You will always have trade here with charts of different areas of space and we will pay you handsomely for them. We will trade for personal knowledge of any areas we do not have. You will always have favored status with us,” Brad said.
Andrew was thinking – Don’t let your mouth write checks your body can’t cash Brad. Andrew was thinking about UmBllatt response to the merchants on 68 Eridani. UmBllatt was not all spice and all things nice, Andrew thought. UmBllatt had recommended some odd places to stop but he insisted they were profitable and educational – why had he said educational?
They questioning went well and UmBllatt and the station staff had a huge going away party. There were quite a few of those unauthorized trades. Andrew saw a crewman coming down the corridor playing a very odd wind instrument. “What is that and what did you trade for it?”
“Sir, I traded a copy of a katana sword I had for it. I also got this too and pulled out a square of crystalline material that cleared up in a few seconds and starting displaying pictures of alien landscapes.”
“How long will that thing work?” Andrew asked.
“It’s powered by body heat. The guy I traded with said it’d last as long as you had body heat warmer than the outside temperature. The sword was a good copy - sharp as hell. He really liked it. Sir,” The crewman added.
“Carry on,” Andrew said and kept walking. He had a box of those kavv and it was hard not to eat them all at one sitting. Susan had felt the same way. They were not addictive but they were damn good. They had saved the seeds as the Captain said they would germinate if given light and good soil.
The entire on-duty, station staff came to see the Ullumff off. Again, the station personnel gave them going away presents of various knickknacks, spices and foods. A few of the Ullumff left kavv and other trinkets and crystals and art work behind. It was a very emotional parting.
UmBllatt, the navigator and first officer met with Susan and Andrew, Brad, Fran and Ling. Everyone else hung back to see them off.
“Captain UmBllatt, we never learned where you were going next or when you’d be back,” Andrew said.
“Bellatrix as you call it and back within two of your years if I live. I am getting old. I will be back or you will see others. Make sure you heed my warnings about freeing up the commerce with multiple trading ports on your planet. It is the only way to make the finances you need even though you have the right to stop anyone from landing. Be hard or they will go around you,” UmBllatt said. “Your planned trade route will harvest great wealth and experience...much experience.”
“We will listen to your advice. We look forward to your return. Good commerce friend,” Brad said realizing that the alien Captain’s assessment was probably correct.
***
UmBlatt’s ship closed up and left port quietly.
Lieutenant Atassi approached General Kyger and whispered in his ear. “How long ‘til they enter atmosphere. Get the Ares over close and offer a challenge. I understand the Odin just left dock. Good. Keep me informed. I don’t want any more interlopers on Earth ‘til we are prepared to handle the influx.”
Brad realized that the chances for invasive species of insects, plants or animals was higher with multiple ports in the future but it looked like that was how it would have to be. The lunar port was not drawing in the trade needed to sustain it or the cost of construction but the ripples from the last trading session were already being felt. Lieutenant General Sykes had already called to congratulate him on the data he had collected. The Riz was fantastic and the genetics information might end a plethora of diseases and arrest aging. Most of the new, teaching machines had been transported to Earth and were being used 24X7 in accelerated time differentials to get as many through the process as possible. Already thousands had been through the process in days. It was being run on a very tight schedule in a small enclosure.
Three ships in the same class as the Odin were under construction. Sykes had given Kyger orders to expand the trade and see where the closest trading alliances could be established. The World Council was a bit slow on the uptake but when they saw some of the trading materials, they too pushed for trade expansion. They were talking seriously about licensing trading concessions – takers would have to pay heavily for them of course. Sykes had had experts who saw Tod and Steve’s quantum communication system as a way to put transponders on all Earth ships. That way we would have better control and know friend from foe. Development of the transponder units and trade certification were given top priority. All alien technical procedures and designs were licensed for manufacture through the World Government. There was an outcry from commercial interests but few had the clout to make their complaints stick.
The comm center was filling as senior staff came in to view the interception. The Ares had already moved to position and the Odin had left the lunar base and was almost ready to intercept. There had been no replies to the hails from the ERF Ares.
***
Captain UmUff, UmBllatt’s brother saw the small ship blocking his path. So far the information he had purchased to avoid the Earth patrols had been accurate. This should not have happened. He did know that he was not going to stop after coming this far. His brother should not restrict himself to the sole trading station on this world’s moon. How silly to have one trading station when there was a world to exploit. So far, the blocking ship had just transmitted the challenges outlined in the manuals. Big deal...they hadn’t done anything to stop him. All the other traders had said they had just rushed in and ran them off. He expected the same.
As he prepared to order his navigator to move around the ship blocking their path, a grunt attracted his attention. His crew at the sensor station said, “Captain. There is a large ship approaching us very fast. It l
ooks much larger than the Earth ship in front of us.”
“Where did it come from? What is it doing?” Captain UmUff asked.
The communications officer spoke up. “Captain, the vessel has identified itself as the Earth Regulatory Force Odin. It did not issue the challenges. It has skipped to Stage 3 of the manual warnings and says it is prepared to fire.”
“How large is this vessel?” Captain UmUff said releasing the sulfurous smell of fear.
“It is four times our size, at least...it also appears to be a military vessel. It is continuing the warning in Trade.”
“Communications, respond in Tros and say we did not understand. I want them to think we are some species that doesn’t know Trade. Navigator. Hold our position over the planet. Weapons. Prepare to fire,” the Captain ordered. The sulfurous smell of fear was growing stronger.
“Captain, they have responded with the same warning in Tros,” the communications officer reported.
“Change to Ullumff. Tell them we thought they were Tros. Have they hardened their shields?” he asked.
“Captain, they Odin has moved in front of us and the smaller ship is moving to our rear,” the sensor station reported.
“Captain, they have responded in Ullumff. They are telling us to drop shields and prepare to be boarded,” the communications officer reported.
***
Captain Xu looked at Commander Shuler across the bridge of the Odin and then ordered the weapons officer, “Take out the rear of their ship,” he ordered.
***
“Weapons. All weapons fire,” the Captain UmUff ordered and the smell of sulfur reeked in the bridge. The ship rocked. “What effect?”
“No effect,” stated the weapons officer.
“Captain,” the first officer spoke up. “We have damage reports aft. We can not contact anyone rear of cargo deck two,” he said, and paused as he listened to his intercom feed. “We are venting atmosphere.”