by Ken Pence
The Captain stood up tall and then named himself and his crewmates.
The chief said he was pleased to meet XXXBXBNO, NOHJGLO, and KOKOKNONOINOI, in a repeat of their names – but he couldn’t have done it on a bet without his MemDex. He put on his helmet and moved to the airlock – working the controls like he had done them all his life but really at the direction and guesswork of his MemDex. The door opened and he stepped inside. When he saw they were watching through the tiny viewport he turned on his suit camouflage. He knew they wouldn’t believe it as the outside airlock door opened and closed on its own. The Earth soldier had become invisible.
The Captain turned to his two crewmembers and said, “He turned invisible. We must talk this over on the way back to the trading port. We have to find a way to trade with these beings,” he said and tossed the glossy catalog on the table, the cups that would dissolve, the bottles of wonderful wine with twist off tops, the marvelous calculators, the smart little lights, and the unbelievable window displays that show scenes from their home planet. He flipped through the beautiful brochures and the catalog. Merchandise for just making recommendations...superb accommodations in a secure port...lists of wanted items...amazing...a warrior race trained to instantly respond to attack yet they want to trade. He must let the port know before others try to take advantage of these beings.”
Captain Shuler, Admiral Kyger, Captain Williams and spouse Susan, Desiree, LeiLei, Shiv, Tech Peters, Ling Tanaka, and Senior Chief Watanabe were debriefing.
“I pulled every psych ploy I knew, to act like a regular guy. Their captain will pick up on all the things I gave him and warn the base not to screw with us. How did you know they were pirates and not legit Captain Shuler?” the Senior Chief asked.
“I reviewed the interviews we had had with Captain UmBllatt. These guys said the same lines, positioned themselves in the same general area as UmBllatt said. I liked your line that we are conditioned to respond instantly to attacks but we’d rather trade. That was great timing. The use of the calculator and drinking wine with them were good signs. They couldn’t know that your suit would respond and the field protect you even with the helmet off.
“I noticed they were suitably impressed by the execution of Sergeant Myzhewski. He could have killed everyone on the Junior and taken a shuttle or taken over one of these ships if he gotten loose,” Admiral Kyger said. “I am uncomfortable with the fact of his death and it falls on my shoulders as senior military on site. I feel slightly better since Lieutenant Faulkner has found a great deal of incriminating evidence, mainly encrypted files detailing plans to transmit technologies to the Unaligned nations with the help of Phillips contacts. I promised him a trip down with us and so I will but I want to be able to hear him blink if he does anything. Network MemDexs for communications and position. I want Victoria down with trade goods in the mid-morning two days from now. Senior Chief. I think you have the aerial views we made and descriptions from UmBllatt and Captain whatever his name you met with.”
“Sir, here’s what we’ve got. The areas in green are solid, yellow are shaky and red areas will try to take you. The black areas we don’t know about or it’s too dangerous. We walk everywhere with helmets on...Helmets off only with a covered partner...No solo shopping. Go in pairs. Everyone clear? Make sure your gear is ready and trade goods loaded. Get some rest.”
***
Master Traders had gathered at the Hall to talk about the beings from Earth. They had questioned the crew of the erstwhile pirates turned merchants and decided their information was worth their release.
“But we have only just heard about these beings. I know the entry into the Uoott Culture Manual but I didn’t think it was true. Now we hear they are all trained as warriors but prefer to trade?” the old trader said.
“So they destroyed three pirate ships. So what? They weren’t powerful ships,” the younger one said.
“Maybe so but they each had powerful screens and fairly heavy weaponry. Those that survived said one ship threw one of their own crew out of their lock alive and then vaporized him. Then they cut up the ships with powerful beams of coherent light,” the older one said.
“Wouldn’t they say that to protect themselves to show they were not cowards? Who knows how powerful these beings are? They do intend to trade – that much is clear,” said the young one. “I think that we have been listening to tales and then think those tales are real.”
“They did say they drank beverages with the alien and he repeated their names flawlessly when they had said it once. They said he opened their cranky old airlock controls like he was born to it. The Captain said he saw the being vanish in the airlock,” said the old trader.
“See. They were probably drugged and would believe any fiction,” said the young one.
“Their artifacts are real. The catalogs were printed on Riz and they had color photographs. The calculators are real – I have seen one before. The little lights are real and I have never seen them before. The wine was real and not drugged. I had the last bit tested and how about the way the bottle was sealed. Have you ever seen anything as simple and elegant as that before? How about that window display thing? I have never seen anything like that anywhere. Have you seen anything like it? I want one for every back window in my house. You should see the view of slums I have. What about the story that they instantly respond to attack?” said the grizzled, old trader.
“We’ll soon see,” said the young one. “Let’s see if there is profit to be made from trading with these beings.”
The old trader showed acceptance and hoped that it was the young one who found out if it was true these beings responded instantly to attacks. He didn’t want his people to find out about that – better someone else. They sounded far too real.
68 Eridani
The Victoria landed in an area off the main thoroughfare and Andrew, Susan, Ling, Phillips all stepped out into the bright sunlight of the F2V star. The planet was temperate with an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. Phillips was really enjoying it. They had five armored units walking with them. Ling hung back behind the group in her bright white suit, newly upgraded. She had one camouflaged soldier doing a covert rear (very rear) guard. They wanted Ling to be attacked as the smallest but they weren’t willing to let her have no protection – hence the rear guard.
They had just entered the outskirts of the market street, when two large beings rushed out behind her with the intent to club her and carry her off in a big cloth sack. Her suit recognized the threat and it warned her with a tone and lashed out with her heel which it drove into the chest of the first attacker. Ling, or Ling’s suit if you want to be more correct, grabbed the second assailant’s arms. It simply squeezed until the snap of bones could be heard. Ling said in Trade, “We are from Earth. We are happy to trade but will never turn away from a fight even if it means our death. Trade with us and we will make you rich. Fight with us and we will trade with your enemies.”
Ling then calmly hurriedly walked to catch up with her friends. They had stopped momentarily. They had not gone another fifty meters when Andrew’s suit drew his laser and fired at the top of a building nearby. His gun was back in its holster before you could blink. He had to have his MemDex replay the threat before he realized why his suit had reacted. The video showed a change in the outline of a building as a head had aligned a rifle with him and the high resolution had shown the being was preparing to fire. The one next to him had a rifle pointed but he had not aimed yet. He noticed the smoking hole between the eyes of his friend and decided to leave the gun and ease away from the edge. Who were these beings that he had been commissioned to attack? He was going to make his employer unhappy.
The new trader ran up to the old trader and said, “I have confirmed that we should not attack these beings directly. I hired two to attack the smallest, one is in critical condition and the second had both of its arms crushed. I had two more try to shoot another from a long distance. One is dead. The other demanded double payment and threatene
d me.”
“Why is the second one alive?” the old trader asked.
“He did not begin to fire his weapon,” said the young trader.
“Thank you for confirming the story from the survivors. I hope they are as good to trade with as they are bad to fight,” the old trader said. “Let us go meet them.”
The Earth group had not walked another 100 meters looking at shop windows like at home. Everything was interesting and odd. It was like home but the goods were so weird. There were everything from knives to plasma guns on display. Two dark robed beings walked up to them, vaguely humanoid biped monks except they had huge heads and a heavy ridge down their backs.
The first one pushed back his hood, as did the second to show the vaguely reptilian visage with large green eyes. Andrew took off his helmet, as did Susan.
“I am Liszt. This is Residu,” he said and Susan laughed and turned her head trying to hide her mirth.
Andrew frowned at Susan and that made her start laughing all over again. “I am Andrew and this is my mate, Susan.”
Liszt turned toward Susan and then said to Andrew, “Why does your mate make those sounds?”
“Forgive her manners but your name is similar to a famous music composer on our planet and your friend’s name means – residue or scum. You can dress her up but you can not take her out,” he said and Susan started laughing again. Even the soldiers started chuckling. Andrew shook his head at his laughing mate and said, “See.”
All that did was make everyone start laughing more. The old trader knew about laughter and this did not seem malicious though he didn’t know how his young partner would take to being called scum – it was appropriate though and he felt the surge of mirth flow through him. His species did not show it outwardly. He immediately liked these beings.
“I want you to explore our trading post and please accept dinner with me this evening for you and all your people. I will send a messenger to you as evening nears to show you the way. Is that acceptable?” Liszt asked.
“Thank you. We’d be honored,” Andrew said and bowed slightly.
“Do you greet each other with a bow? Races vary widely in greeting,” said the old trader.
“Yes. That is fine. We bow to show respect to another in greeting and in leaving usually. Thank you for noticing,” Andrew said and Liszt bowed in a perfect copy of Andrew’s bow. Residu sort of nodded.
Andrew and his troupe continued walking down the broad sidewalk in front of the elaborate storefronts. The old trader turned to the young trader and ordered him to send assistants to find out where they stopped and any trade that happened. Residu hurried off.
Phillips was walking and they came up to a storefront that advertised medical treatments and surgeries. It advertised long life treatments for any humanoid species. He indicated he wanted to stop and they were curious so they stopped. He took off his helmet – hell – Andrew and Susan had so why not him. “I wish to purchase a life extension treatment,” Phillips said to the being at the front who looked similar in species to the old trader they had just met.
“What species are you?” the man asked. “I have not seen it before. It will cost you extra,” he said.
“I am from Earth,” Phillips said.
“Ah. The new culture I read about in the Uoott Manual. What have you for trade?” asked the being.
Phillips had been given a calculator and a disposable color video player with twenty - 3D movies. “I have a calculator.”
“I have seen one of these but it is only enough for an examination...nothing more,” said the being and Phillips started to turn away. The proprietor knew that the records from a thorough examination of an earthling would be worth 100 lifetimes of riches. “Wait. Wait. Surely, you can come up with something else to pay for a treatment...”
Phillips thought this guy would do the job for pocket lint now that he had a chance to examine a real, live Earthling. “I have something else but it is worth many times more than any treatment,” he said knowing the things were meant to be plugged in and reloaded with new movies. Hell – they were disposable or rechargeable at home. Good luck trying to examine one of these puppies he thought. With great showmanship, he slid the 3D player out of his pocket, bowed deeply at the waist and handed it to the man with both hands. The being took it and turned it over looking at it.
“What does it do?” he said looking at it oddly.
Phillips leaned over and pointed to one of the small buttons. “This contains twenty – three dimensional moving pictures from home. Some depict reality and some are fictional. Some are very old classics. Try it. I think this one is about an semi-arid region on my home planet.”
The alien touched the button and one of the documentaries in Trade starting playing. The Rimloff ionization speakers worked very well across a range of frequencies. There was a close-up of a lion killing a wildebeest and then the lion roared and the being almost dropped the player. “How long does it work?”
“This one is guaranteed for a year – about the ¾ of this planet’s revolution around your sun but the power usually lasts a lot longer than that.”
“What does guaranteed mean?” the being asked.
“Most Earth products are guaranteed. That means they work as promised or they will be replaced free. That also means if it stops working because of a flaw or defect – not from you spilling a drink on it or sitting on it or dropping it – then we will replace it free. Most products are guaranteed for one Earth year – about ¾ of this planet’s year.”
“We can do the treatment today though we have to take fluid samples – blood too. It will take most of the day. Do not eat much tonight as your body will feel some pain due to the changes. Come with me. You will need to take off your clothes,” said the being.
Phillips started to walk in but Ling stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “You sure you want to do this?” she asked.
“I’m 90. I don’t think I’ll have that many chances otherwise. What could go wrong with an alien who has never seen our species before anyway?” he said and Ling couldn’t help but laugh. This guy might be a sociopath but he could be fun when he wanted to be. The soldier accompanied him inside and gathered his suit for him. He was standing in the one-piece jump suit when the proprietor came in. He ushered the soldier out just like any doctor anywhere on any other planet and asked his patient to lie down on the table. He swung some type of apparatus over him and said, “This will not hurt a bit – just going to take some scans.” The alien then progressed to the “My assistant has to take some samples. You will just feel like a little pinch stage.” They then took respiratory intake – output samples – urine, feces, saliva, and mucous, along with cerebral and spinal fluid samples before taking vials of blood placed in what looked just like normal test tubes.
I guess, form follows function...Phillips thought...no matter what planet you’re on. The tests took about three hours – not to mention the skin and hair samples. This fellow would know what one healthy but decrepit Earth male was like – that was sure. They added something through the little mask he breathed through and he was out.
The Earth team had progressed down the street and were intrigued by the weapons shops though they were listed in yellow on their charts. They acquired a plasma gun, an ultrasonic weapon for use in an atmosphere, a gun that shot poison darts a good distance, a lightweight machete that could slice through anything (supposedly), and a stress field neutralizer. The proprietor asked to see their payment and they had presented the usual calculator and video player. That had gotten them two of the items but the stress field neutralizer was, supposedly an order of magnitude more expensive. They offered several video players and still had no luck. Finally, Andrew pulled out a lamlee and the man started to waver. Two lamlee caused the man to be ecstatic.
They had lunch at a little section of restaurants and sampled a wide variety of foods and drinks. They took off helmets in pairs so only two would be uncovered at any time. There was a food and drink section t
hat was quite extensive. Andrew and Susan ordered several tons of fresh foods and paid for them with a five pocket video games he had with him. They were good for years on their internal power supplies and the proprietor loved the noises and high definition graphics. He loved killing a bunch of invading aliens in the games. He said, “I can see why all of your people are warriors if this is what you do for fun. It is fun in a twisted sort of way but I can sell these for huge prices.”
The food proprietor asked where he was to deliver all the goods and Andrew described the location where their ship had landed. He promised he’d have it all there by close of business today. Andrew also gave him a couple of catalogs and brochures as he had done to shop owners all day throughout the port.
Other purchases included a nice disposal device using a molecular disruptor that captured the hydrogen. Andrew just had to get the disposal because it reminded him, he said, of the disposal in the movie, Forbidden Planet, that was made way back in 1956. The women found some really nice bolts of cloth and jewels. The trades required were calculators and two video games. The big find of the day was one of the bookstores. Books still evidently counted as merchandise and not just intellectual property but they purchased many books that looked interesting even if not all had pictures. Some were in languages other than Trade. There were quite a few that were service manuals for ships, weapons, and communications that had been sold to the store after being stolen from their ships. There were medical procedure books with color photos but many of these were in poor condition where the bindings were about to fall apart. Andrew had to request a soldier go the shuttle to swap guard duty so that replacement soldier could bring us a sled for transport. The proprietor was blown away by the catalogs on Riz and the brochures in color. The bookstore owner traded everything for two catalogs, a stack of brochures, and we gave him the formulas for adapting Riz so you could print on it in color. When we threw that last manufacturing formula in and he went nuts – happy nuts.