Planet Broker 3

by Eric Vall

  “I am here, Colby,” the AI responded.

  “We have a situation,” I muttered as I looked around at the sickness that seemed to loom closer and closer now. “The Gelm are ill.”

  “Yes, I gathered as much,” Omni drawled, always the smart ass. “Would you like me to run a scan and see what I can detect?”

  “Yes,” I said, “and check if this thing is transmittable across species.”

  “Of course,” the AI replied.

  I listened to Sef’sla and the male Gelm as I waited for Omni to finish his diagnostics, and Akela and Neka stood off to the side and eyed me with concern. I knew they’d heard my conversation with Omni over our comm system, and I could see the fear in their eyes, but there was also a level of trust there as they looked at me with small smiles.

  After a moment, Sef’sla turned to the three of us, and her bioluminescent skin seemed a bit duller, though the flower crown Neka had made for her still sat atop her head.

  “They are very sick,” the princess said with a frown.

  Her words made my skin grow that much colder, and my heart rate picked up once more.

  “Colby,” O’s mechanical voice came through my ear comm not a moment too soon.

  “Thank God,” I sighed. “What do you have for us, O?”

  “The good news is the sickness only affects the Gelm,” the AI announced, and I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

  I looked to Sef’sla, Neka, and Akela and saw relief spread across each of their faces, too. I admired each of the beautiful women and then took my own sigh of relief, since we were all safe from whatever afflicted the Gelm.

  “What else you got?” I asked O, and I was a little more confident now that I knew we were safe.

  “The virus is called the ‘Drim’ in their native language,” Omni said, “which loosely translates to ‘The Gray Cough.’”

  “Right,” I said. “Got that. What else?”

  “Why is it called that, though?” Neka asked, and her orange eyebrows pulled together in thought.

  “It seems the Gelm blood is a bright silvery color when healthy,” the AI responded, “but this virus causes the sheen to dissipate, and the blood turns a deep gray color.”

  “He described the other symptoms,” Akela said, “but he didn’t know the scientific name for anything.”

  “Yes,” Sef’sla agreed. “Can you tell us please what the other symptoms are?”

  I smiled at Sef’sla’s politeness toward the AI, and I knew he’d quickly grown to like her because of it.

  “The symptoms are fever, delirium, aggression, and finally, organ failure,” Omni recited. “And, of course, the coughing up of gray blood.”

  “What is the mortality rate among those afflicted?” Sef’sla asked.

  “Around sixty percent, it seems,” the AI answered. “Our records indicate there has been a significant dip in the projected population growth since Terra Nebula’s last encounter here.”

  “Thanks, O,” I replied, and I looked around to the Gelm once more.

  The male we’d spoken to regarded us cautiously since we’d all turned away to speak privately about their illness. So, I faced the male again and gave him a soft smile.

  “I apologize for our rudeness,” I said. “We were discussing ways we can help your people.”

  “What makes you think you can help us?” the male asked, and his eyes narrowed.

  “Sef’sla is a doctor,” I repeated with a gesture at the Almort princess. “She helps to heal people.”

  “She knows nothing of the Gelm,” the male spat, and I assumed that must be the sickness fueled aggression we just witnessed.

  I opened my mouth to defend the brilliant woman next to me, but she placed a cool hand on my arm and stepped forward.

  Like myself, the Almort woman towered over the small stature of the Gelm, but her beautiful thin body and calm demeanor made her appear captivating instead of intimidating.

  The Gelm male’s eyes widened as Sef’sla came closer to him and bent down gently so they could be face to face. Then the male’s eyes shone with interest and awe, but no longer the anger we’d seen just a moment before.

  “We truly wish to help you,” Sef’sla said in a series of beautiful clicks before the translator crackled out her meaning.

  “She is right,” I added as I made my way up beside her. “We have medicine and supplies we can provide to you and your people.”

  The Gelm male narrowed his eyes and leaned back as he took us in once more.

  “You are not from here,” he said matter-of-factly. “You do not know our people. Why would you help us?”

  “That’s just what we do,” Neka said from beside me, and her voice was chipper as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

  “How do we know we can trust you?” the male asked.

  I could see in his eyes he was desperate, and that he wanted to say yes immediately. He wanted help for himself and his people. I couldn’t imagine how many friends and family he’d lost in a three-year span, but I also knew he was the leader of this small group, and he could not simply accept our offering of help without some form of interrogation. So, he had to be cautious for the sake of his people.

  I thought about his question for a moment. There was never a great way to answer this, and I didn’t want to back the Gelm into a corner by saying I was their only hope at curing this virus, though I thought that was probably the case with how primitive their technology was.

  Before I could formulate an appropriate response, though, Neka pranced up next to me, wrapped her orange tail around my wrist, and gave me a sweet grin before she turned to the Gelm male.

  “I have something that could help,” the cat-girl said, and her eyes closed with delight. She was obviously proud of herself for whatever she’d come up with.

  Sef’sla and the Gelm male turned to look at her, and Neka gave them a bright smile as she pulled out an inhaler from the pocket of her flight suit.

  I saw Akela’s mouth widen into a grin as she saw what the cat-girl revealed, and I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.

  Years ago, Neka had required an inhaler because her creators refused to fix the actual problems in her lungs, problems they’d created when they made her with shabby technology with the intention to use her only as a sex doll. The thought still made me shudder, but after our visit to Proxima V, where the Desert Tribe almost lost their prince to lung mites, the cat-girl had asked Akela to make her an inhaler once more. Now, she carried it with her in case she encountered someone who she thought could use it.

  I knew Neka understood what it was like to not be able to breathe properly, and our experience with the Almort prince had only solidified her desire to make sure nobody else had to experience something so dreadful.

  “That’s a great idea,” I told Neka with a soft smile.

  “It is,” Sef’sla clicked, and her opalescent teeth shone as she grinned.

  “What is that?” the Gelm male asked before he coughed hard once more, and I saw his palm fill with dull gray blood.

  “It’s mostly oxygen,” Akela said with a shrug, “but it has a little booster in it to help you breathe better.”

  I knew the booster she referred to was a steroid that opened the lungs and allowed them to take in more oxygen, but I smiled at her simple explanation.

  “There is air around us,” the Gelm said, and he hesitantly leaned away from the cat-girl when she extended the inhaler toward him.

  “Yes,” I agreed, and I gave him my best broker smile, “but this will allow you to take in more oxygen at once. It will make your lungs breathe better.”

  I knew the Gelm would not understand our scientific explanations, so it was better to keep things in simple terms. Hopefully, they would trust the medicine we provided this way.

  Neka pushed the inhaler out further, but the Gelm male backed away again, and his eyes were wide with fear.

  The Gelm truly did not have any reason to trust us yet, since
all we’d done was offer to help, and we hadn’t delivered on that promise yet.

  Neka looked at me with pinched together eyebrows, and her head cocked to the side as her tail tightened around my wrist. She was obviously distressed the Gelm seemed hesitant to take her offering, but I gave her a soft, reassuring smile right before her expression changed to one of realization.

  The cat-girl quickly pulled the inhaler back to her, breathed sharply as she puffed the top piece to release the aerosolized medicine, and held her breath for a second before she let out a long sigh.

  “See?” she said with a wide smile, and she extended the inhaler back out.

  The Gelm male now looked curious instead of fearful. Then he slowly reached out to touch the inhaler, and Neka immediately shoved it further into his hand.

  “Take it,” she purred.

  “Breathe in as you push the top down,” Akela instructed. “It might taste a bit strange, but that’s normal.”

  The male looked around to his people, but they watched him with intent eyes as they held back coughs. Then the leader turned back to me, and his eyes were fierce and determined as he put the inhaler up to his mouth and did just as Akela had instructed.

  A few seconds later, he released his breath, and then he took in a long draw of air, then another, and another. It was clear his breathing had improved, and I smiled at the cat-girl and gave her a quick kiss on the top of the head.

  My crew never ceased to amaze or surprise me.

  The Gelm gathered around us gasped in shock as they took in the sight of their leader breathing so freely.

  “I … feel better,” the male announced, and he turned to smile in surprise at his people.

  “I’m glad,” I chuckled.

  The other Gelm looked expectantly at us, and it took me a moment to understand why. Once it dawned on me, though, I immediately gestured all around.

  “Please,” I said, “share this medicine with your people. We have more to provide for you.”

  The Gelm male nodded and gave me what I thought was a small smile before he passed the inhaler to the Gelm on his left, then he took several steps forward and looked up at my crew and me.

  “I am Lorn,” he said with a small bow. “You have helped us, stranger. We thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I smiled. “And we hope to help you further. You are not out of danger yet. This medicine will not cure you, but it will help some.”

  “We will try to find a cure for your illness,” Sef’sla said with a small dip of her chin, which was a typical Almort show of respect.

  “You have helped us already,” Lorn said and bowed again. “We will provide you with whatever we can so you will continue your assistance.”

  “That’s okay.” I waved him off. “We don’t want anything from you in return. We will want to talk to whoever is in charge soon, but for now, we just want to help your people.”

  After all, the Gelm couldn’t give us any mior if they were all dead, so it was imperative we helped them first. It was also the moral thing to do.

  “You have given us a miracle,” Lorn intoned, and his eyes were awed.

  I forced a smile and reached up to rub at the back of my neck. Primitive societies made me somewhat uncomfortable, especially when it came to healing. They were often so far behind the rest of the universe medically that a simple fix like an inhaler would cause them to view you as a miracle worker. They always had such little knowledge of science, especially medical science, that it was always difficult to explain how the cure was not magic or the work of some deity, it was just simple science.

  I sighed and shook my head. We would get into all of that later, but in the meantime, we needed to address the virus that afflicted these people before we could get down to business.

  “Sef’sla,” I said as I turned to the beautiful Almort female beside me. “If Lorn can take us to his people, what would you need in order to diagnose and assess them?”

  “Samples of their blood and tissue would be ideal,” the princess replied. “If we can figure out what causes this virus and how to defeat it, then I am sure we will be able to create a cure.”

  I looked to Neka and Akela, and between the three of them, plus Omni, I knew they were capable of anything. Not only was Sef’sla a well-versed doctor, but she was compassionate and caring, and I knew she was already attached to these small, strange goat-like people. Neka had also taken a serious interest in the medicinal plants from Sef’sla’s home planet, and she’d already used her knowledge to help us more than once on Proxima V, so I was sure Zalia would be no different. Akela, my beautiful mechanic, was also an engineer, a true jack of all trades. She could create anything her mind dreamt up, and I had utter faith in all of them.

  Omni’s super computer brain didn’t hurt to have around, either.

  “Lorn,” I said as I looked down to address the small, gray Gelm, who now stared at my crew and me with hopeful yellow eyes. “Would it be acceptable for you to take us to your people?”

  “Most certainly,” he replied with a small bow and a smile. “Will you treat them as well?”

  “Yes,” I said, “but as I said before, the medicine we have given you is only temporary.”

  “We wish to work on a cure that will rid your people of this virus,” Sef’sla interjected.

  Lorn’s eyes widened hopefully, and he let out a small, happy baa that didn’t translate to anything, so I assumed it was a show of joy and not an actual word.

  “In order to help you, my team will need to collect some samples, though,” I added hesitantly.

  The Gelm male’s face changed to one of curiosity. I knew he’d heard us speak a moment ago about taking blood and tissue, but I was unsure if he knew what that meant.

  “What samples?” he asked, and his head cocked to the side in confusion.

  “We will need to take some of your blood and skin,” Sef’sla said, and Lorn’s eyes widened.

  “You wish to cut us?” he asked with horror, and he took a step back.

  “No, no,” I chuckled, and his expression softened slightly. “We will need some blood to examine, but we do not need to cut you to get it.”

  “Ah.” The Gelm gave an understanding nod. “It is another one of your miracles.”

  “No, I … ” I started to try and explain the process, but I sighed instead and dropped the subject. “Will you allow us to come to your home and collect samples so we may try to cure you?”

  “Most certainly.” Lorn dipped his head. “You may collect samples and cure us with your miracles.”

  “Thank you.” I stifled a laugh and extended my hand to the male instead.

  The Gelm male looked at my hand for a moment, and then he placed his deep gray palm against mine. I squeezed his hand, and he looked at me with surprise before he squeezed back.

  “Thank you, miracle healer,” he said. “Right this way to our village.”

  I shook my head and followed the male, but not before I heard Akela snicker behind me.

  I was definitely going to be teased about that nickname later on.

  Chapter 3

  We followed Lorn and the rest of the Gelm a few kilometers north toward the village. The walk there was beautiful, with a bright sun ahead of us that cast the dull gray land in a new light. The ground appeared to almost shimmer as we walked, and the greens and blues of the foliage looked even more vibrant against the deep color of the dirt.

  Akela regarded the new surroundings with curiosity, and I could practically see the gears turn in her head as she took in the different plants and things around her. I knew she was already thinking of new and exciting ways to use the natural resources on this planet, and I turned away so she wouldn’t see me smirk.

  Neka pranced next to me, and her orange tail wrapped loosely around my wrist as her bright yellow eyes darted from flower to flower and insect to insect. I knew there were a few large bugs she would have chased, but I gently nudged her with my shoulder to remind her to keep her feline instin
cts in check.

  Even though I enjoyed watching all the women take in our new planet, I watched Sef’sla in particular. The princess tried to keep her excitement at bay, especially under the circumstances, but I watched her eyes light up and her mouth part in awe as she stared at the natural landforms and plants around us. The Almort used plants to create medicine on their home planet, and I knew she had to wonder how she could use these plants in a similar way.

  “We are nearly there,” Lorn announced as he turned to look back at our group.

  “O,” I whispered into my comm.

  “I’m here, Colby,” the AI responded.

  “Can you give me a reading of the number of people in the village?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Omni said, and his mechanical voice sounded almost smug.

  “Can you scan to see how many are affected by the virus, too?” Akela added.

  “Already on it,” O replied.

  Suddenly, the plants parted into an open area, and I realized we’d reached the village. There were small huts, much too small for someone my size to live in, made from stone and mud, and a rudimentary water well sat in the center of the village.

  I already knew the Gelm were not technologically advanced, but I was surprised by just how far behind they were. They didn’t even have indoor plumbing or an irrigation system to get water for themselves or crops. It was good we showed up when we did. If one of the Corporations saw this, they would see these people as an easy target. Corporations would give these people the most minimal, primitive technology they had to offer, then they would drain the Gelm dry for billions upon billions of Universal Credits by harvesting every last bit of mior that hid inside the planet.

  “Colby,” Omni’s mechanical voice cut through my musings.

  “Go ahead, O,” I said into my earpiece.

  “I calculate two hundred and twelve Gelm in the area,” he said. “Ninety-four percent are afflicted with the virus, and it appears to have a sixty percent mortality rate, based on the number of bodies buried beneath the surface that also scan positive for the virus.”

  “You can see those who have died?” Sef’sla asked with wide, curious eyes.