by Marcus Sloss
“Everly, are you okay staying here to win this? Or assigning another Crixxi to ensure it is won?” I paused as a new concern threatened to derail my idea. “Do sellers have the ability to drive up the price?” I asked. Better to double-check before giving a needless order.
“There are loopholes. A few thousand Pandarin are not the contracts I would expect a bidding war on. If you get caught, you get blacklisted by most species. Personally, I do not think many species find a blacklist that big of a threat. There are few repercussions to prevent sellers trying to up the bid beyond the ten percent entry fee. Buy-it-now prices have no such fee. So,” she continued, “a winning bid by a seller pretending to be a buyer to push up the price runs the risk of costing them the ten percent fee for nothing.” She smiled at me, “I don’t mind staying until after the Mounamine, Human, and Crixxi purchases. These bids will be done in ten hours; this is around the time when most of these auctions complete, mainly to allow people time to get home with their new contracts.”
I pulled her in for another long hug to reward her patience.
“I can shop while we wait,” she continued with a blush, noticing the irritated glances by some aliens in our direction. “I need to buy some Crixxi-related things anyway. Oh, and our Mozala will need customized vegetation processing stations, as well. If we win this auction, it is for 3,617 Pandarin, so about perfect for what we need.” Everly smiled, reflecting her joy at getting ‘trapped’ shopping. “And now this auction is saved to my translator, so I can access it from any species’ interface station.” She pulled us further down the row. “Now let’s see, Mounamine are taller than Pandarin, but shorter than Humans … and then we can look for the Crixxi.”
“Great, that will give us time to walk them home. It should only be a few hours’ walk. Unless…” I said, pausing.
“Torrez, I need a hauling vehicle capable of stuffing large numbers of prisoners into. If we go raiding, I need something to haul back our gains with. Oh, and it will come in handy for our current purchases, too.” - Cap
“Let me ask Blob. I may have overspent already.” - Torrez
“We will toss in more electric vehicles if we have to. Get me the hauler. Coordinate with Jevon if necessary.” - Cap
I looked up from my Gpad to see Perci with a hand out, waiting to pull me after our Crixxi wife. I grinned at the wonder she was, and noted, “I want to avoid final-hour purchases, because the last thing we need is to have our new residents out in the open when the blue flares. Torrez is working on our transportation problem. See, I just got an alert.”
“I can buy a flying hovercraft with huge storage bays. This is by far the best option. It is expensive, though, and will not go through blue portals unless the control tower is removed, then tipped on its side and pushed in. We would need three more giant robot guys. But…” - Torrez
I dialed into the command net.
“Priority access is going to be able to move large amounts of personnel in and out of blue portals. Also, those robot guys are called Goliaths. Toss in more vehicles, and tighten spending if you can.” - Cap
“Thanks. Umm… I already bought them.” - Torrez
“Damnit, he dipped into our funds. I unclutter the money clusterfuck and then…” Perci banged her thigh with a clenched fist. “I will hold a three-hour-long meeting the next time we get a lull in combat. No!” Perci stuck a finger in the air with an imperious wave. “A five-hour-long meeting, at least … With PowerPoint!”
Her evil chuckle amused and frightened me.
“How does this leave us long term, financially? Are we going to have enough to win the auctions?” I asked, hands held out in concern.
“Well, we had the most reserves. I guess it depends on how many vehicles Jevon throws into the grinder. I have no idea about the cost of these automated vegetation producers. If we weren’t so close to the other species, I would deviate and focus on that,” Perci said in a huff.
Everly laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Daphne, this is Everly,” Everly said into her Gpad.
A new communication device was needed to replace the Gpad. However, it worked in our community so well, I kept them in stock. There were a bunch of Gpad stores we had yet to raid, too, which meant free Gpads would save neilspar.
“Go for Daphne.”
“I am assigning you a new task. Check your instructions,” Everly said and closed the connection. She turned to Perci. “Add funds to Daphne’s account while we wait. If we stick to the auctions, we will be able to adjust while others complete their required purchases. We Crixxi eat flowers and a few other vegetables. I know you humans do as well. I assigned Daphne to buying a dozen processors.”
“But the fields …” I said, thinking on all the hard work that had gone into our farms.
“The fields are how it is done by the underdeveloped. Let the current crop mature, and we can harvest it before converting primarily to automated production. It still requires labor,” Everly said with a firm tone. “The goal is survival. Those fields will transition into something far greater, and we can continue to grow food underground.”
“Norm, Tina, and the farmers will not complain.” Perci patted my bottom and smiled. “We are adding more livestock anyway. We regressed pretty intensely when the Xgates arrived. We went back to shitting in the woods, planting fields tilled by hand, and living in shelters without walls. I’m not opposed to climbing our way back up the technological ladder, dear.”
We passed creatures who were up to my belly button now. I saw a character in a comic book series or one with a close resemblance. A round slimy eyeball with tiny legs. Gross. I wondered where these damn Mounamine were.
“Almost there. They are a little over five feet tall. They are not crossbreed-compatible with many other species. I know Crixxi cannot. We have sold some into the deeper, larger tribes a few times. They are great for panning rivers for materials. We find they’re easier to maintain, since they are omnivores,” Everly started to explain, but paused. “Their sheet will have most of this information.”
“Well, we have a few more minutes before we even get to creatures who are five feet tall. I need to get back to Jevon, so I will probably leave after this and have you ladies update me on the Humans from Earth,” I said, feeling guilty about leaving Jevon in charge of the chaos while I enjoyed my time browsing in the market.
The stroll down the line of aliens was a unique experience. I was having a great time not just because I got to see the universe on display. Okay, that bear with the tusks and wings was epic.
I had been so stressed about today, and still was. To the point that I felt bad not stressing more.
“Eric, I rarely put my foot down. In this case, I am,” Perci said with a determined glare and a small foot stomp. While she was cute when determined, my mind had gone to focusing on the fact that they really needed some sort of speed system in here. She saw me evading her gaze. “Actually, Jevon should be in here too. Ulanda and Mitchell are more than capable. Hell, even Eddy is. The point is, you’re not a task manager at the ground level. You are the boss and you need to make decisions on a strategic scale, much higher than the tactical ‘move this here’, and ‘tow that there’ level.”
I grunted, frowned, and finally grimaced. “I’m here, aren’t I? How about I let you win this round? The reality is, we have a very long time to get all this sorted. I want to start practicing battle drills, but we need to learn to operate the equipment first. A lot of how well we do in battle depends on how well we shop today.” I took several slow, deep breaths. “I will be patient. I will find my calm.”
“Well said, tribe master,” Everly mentioned, pulling us to a stop and pointing at a creature.
I let out a rude noise at the sight of the ugly ratfolk. Long noses, curved buck teeth, a skinny frame, with a face you wanted to smash with a fist. I just really wanted to boot stomp the chest and crush the skull of this sapient species. Oh, hey, my calm arrived in the veiled excitement of violence.
“They are horrendously lazy, hard to bathe, and are not ideal. They are kept in mines as slave labor. We can use them, but be prepared for some backlash,” Everly said with a warning face. Crixxi had the best expressions. I preferred her O-face to this one, but it sent a clear signal. “Mainly because they shit where they want, are very rude, and refuse to go into the mines unless it’s detailed specifically in their contract.”
“Fine, keep going,” I muttered, not concerned in the slightest as we bypassed the ugly rats on two legs. “I was warned to be cautious of bringing home strays.”
“Ha! I rock your world, lover of mine,” Everly sang out. “As for mining, we have the machines. They will do fine, and Crixxi are not bothered by mining tunnels like other species. Generally, ratkin are only purchased for dangerous mining. You force them to live where they work and bribe them with a really short contract of freedom. You hope they mine enough to cover their costs before some raiding party kills them,” Everly said assertively.
“I am starting to think most species hide their true operations. If this has been going on for millions of years, then operations well out of Xgate range are probably common,” I said, contemplating the various raiding scenarios we had come up with. “We were scared to keep stealing Yexin, and those were close. But they literally helped us so much.”
“Yes, there is much to consider,” Everly nodded, “Mansion and Aspen are neither close nor far from Xgate 232. It may be a problem, but one we can adjust to once we are established.”
“That is why Jacky picked up the two extra underway transport gates. So we can eventually pick out an isolated backup base, or long-term home,” I said, giving her ear a loving scratch while we continued down the line. “Please tell me we are close.”
“The Mounamine are not far. They will cycle children every three months with three or four young per cycle. Generally speaking, they are another successful subspecies, so don’t be surprised if the prices are a bit higher. A Crixxi costs less than a Mounamine does,” Everly said, and I raised a questioning eyebrow she noticed from the corner of her eye. She snorted, “Crixxi are assholes. We demand a tribal structure even when bound in servitude contracts. We will kill each other until the appropriate pecking order is established, if there is not a smooth transition.” She grunted, “The best way to utilize Crixxi is to demand a clause be inserted in their contracts for them to be used as combat troops, but most Crixxi will not do this.” She rolled her eyes. “Honestly,” she sighed, “controlling captured creatures of any species is a huge pain.”
“So if a Mounamine refuses to work, then what?” Perci asked.
“You are required to provide the terms of your contract. Everything is in that contract. Ours to Eric Yang, is blank. You have to remember, the initial contract matters. Those seventy-two Pandarin we purchased are loosely bound with only eight hours of work required from those above maturity ages. I will enforce ten after they get a tour of our facilities and tell those who balk at the extra hours in a nonthreatening manner that otherwise they will go back on sale to a far less awesome protector.”
Perci frowned.
“Basically,” Everly explained, “we cannot make the contract longer, but we can adjust the terms. Most species are amendable to a give-and-take type of trade. Thirty years reduced to one for combat defense will generally have Crixxi racing to snatch up a deal. In our case, we lost our home. There were no open vacant spots for our tribe to shift into,” she sighed, “the Lurrol saw to that. We lost a few hundred fighters, meaning there were no new battles we could easily win to lay claim to the lands of another tribe. Coming to Earth has been a very wise decision so far. My Crixxi are happy as development has progressed and we are more secure, so we do not need such things in our contracts.”
I grinned at her, pulled her close and breathed into her sensitive ears, “Do you truly need your contracts?”
“Yes, Eric,” a red blush spread up her neck, “though I will welcome the day when we do not, wait a good while to release us. You could reset our terms to two years, including military service, and that would probably erase any resentment from our defeat and the loss of our home,” Everly said, stopping us in front of a Mounamine.
How did I know it was one? The five-foot-tall humanoid with whiskers, a small nose, large, dimpled cheeks, and extra-wide, round ears was not so different from our species at all. Their tail was more like a bunny’s nub.
“Huh, you cannot mate with these?” I said, asking with a tilted head. They were adorable.
“Oh, they make fantastic sex toys. But Crixxi will not reproduce with them,” Everly said, pulling up the interface. She went through the information about the species. “Humans do not openly share data that is compiled. They tend to be a savage species. Time will tell, I guess. There is zero chance these short little maids do not end up bent over some piece of furniture they are dusting and dripping seed from some human stud down their inner thigh.”
Perci snickered, chortled, then burst into a laugh. She high-fived Everly.
“The Mounamine are cute little monster girls. The men are flimsy, though; I doubt many human women end up shacking up with these,” Perci said, and Everly shrugged.
“The males are compassionate, understanding, great listeners, and eager to please. Oh, and they are excellent caregivers,” she said, opening the widescreen to start shopping. “You might be surprised.”
I watched over their shoulders. Everly set the search parameters to auction sale, a higher female to male ratio, with at least a thousand Mounamine, and sorted by price from lowest to highest. She checked the boxes beside three of the available listings, and after reading the additional information, tossed aside two of the listings.
She presented the last listing to us. “This auction is for twenty-two hundred Mounamine, three quarters females, at a reasonable, though elevated price.” She paused and growled. “Before we bid, I need to know why the price is a bit higher and the ratio so skewed,” Everly muttered, her tail whipping around behind her in agitation. “The previous owners were an aquatic species …” She clicked through a few screens. “Oh, here is a note. The dome of the males’ sleeping quarters, which kept them dry and provided them oxygen, burst. Most of the males drowned.” She frowned. “Well, that is not good. Do we take on the downtrodden at a discount or keep looking?”
“And this is why you are here with us, Eric,” Perci breathed in a sad, soft voice, “you get to decide the fate of such unfortunates.”
“Your assessment?” I asked my Crixxi lover.
“This is not a scenario, as one might think, where you can simply buy a large number of available women as replacement lovers. These Mounamine females will struggle—some have undoubtedly committed suicide with the loss of their mates.” The red-head shook her fiery mane. “This looks like a breeding farm gone bad ... Yes, the number of adolescents and young adults is abnormally high.” She frowned, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the owners flooded the males’ compartment on purpose to try to sell the females at a higher rate as unattached nubiles. To an Eerania clan—a species of … I guess ‘rat-ogres’ would be a fitting description—these would make great lower wives. Yes, we would pay through the nose for these mouse-women and they come with emotional baggage,” Everly said with an sharp exhale and a sad frown. She pointed to the auction interface, where I noticed there were already forty-two bids. “I would avoid this one, Eric. For a few reasons.” She winced and threw an apologetic look at Perci. “We can’t save everyone.”
“I agree,” I nodded, “find me another option, please. And we can use more males to help build. It is not like we are seeking lower wives,” I said sternly.
“Adjusting search parameters for a bala
nced female to male ration… Okay, there are a few auctions where we can save a lot of neilspar by bidding on them. If we win a few of the smaller auctions, we should be just fine. I bid on and have saved eight listings to stay on top of any alerts.” She grinned, the hint of an extra canine peeking from her smile. “Please lead the way, Eric,” Everly said, confident in her selections. We continued marching down the line. “I will have to watch the timers closely, though, and may need either Perci’s or Willow’s assistance to keep track of everything.”
“I am going to shift personal purchase requests over to Nancy and Jacky, then. We still have a huge list of things to buy once the main chunk of personnel shopping is done,” Perci said, reminding me of something.
“What about crafters?” I asked, “You know … like, seamstress and tailor stuff? I enjoy having clothes that fit,” I said. The remark came out with more snark and in a more sarcastic tone than intended. I apologized and shrugged; my irritation was not aimed at her.
“Of course, that’s part of it, and apparently we are going to need maid outfits and butler attire. I mean, those Mounamine were too cute. You’re not jealous, are you, Eric?” Perci asked.
“So … this may sound odd,” my brows drew down as I tried to put my feelings into words, “but I am more jealous of the Mounamine than the Crixxi,” I admitted. Everly sputtered, tried to hold in her laughter, and failed.
“What?” I grumbled, “A guy can have certain insecurities. Not ten minutes ago, I didn’t realize human women would have to give birth to multiple preemies.” I shrugged. “I am not a father. I have not been around many kids. My limited leadership training relied on yelling and punishment. I am not going soft, I am just saying, I have shortcomings,” I said, defensively hunching my shoulders as we walked past taller species, their heights approaching five foot nine. “I am not jealous of either species. I just have more to learn from a docile, domesticated male. Maybe I am father nesting, if that is a thing.”
