Alcantaran 1: Alien Abduction

by Terry Compton

  The next morning they were up extra early. Dolores had their breakfast ready shortly after they got up and hovered over them like a nervous hen watching her new chicks. They were delighted with the meal and planned their day as they ate. Tik instructed Auntie to help Dolores plan menus and make a list of all the supplies that would be needed for a year. She told her to plan at least a 25% overage in case of guests.

  The trio went to the cargo bay to practice with edged weapons for an hour before they met Fu. They were introduced to a new weapon. It was a sonic blade. It operated off of high frequency, high energy sound waves. The blade was adjustable from four inches to twelve inches long. When it was set on high, it could cut through 1/4-inch steel. It would slice a person's arm off with one swipe. There were three different sizes that fit all of their hands. When Ron's blade was in the handle, the unit was only about 5 inches long and 1-1/4 inches square. It was very light weight and it could be set to only operate to his touch. If he dropped it and someone else picked it up, the blade retracted. No one else could use it. They decided they weren't ready to carry that weapon yet, so they returned them to the armory. They headed to the upper level to meet Fu and start their day.

  Fu greeted them, "Greetings, space travelers. I hope you had a good nights rest."

  The trio replied in the affirmative and Fu asked, "Did you try out the robot chef? How did she work?"

  Gus answered, "Last nights meal was the best meal we've had in years. Dolores, that's what we call her, did an amazing job. She had several gibberish incidents but Tik will work more on that later."

  "I'm glad to hear she worked out so well for you."

  Ron continued, "I think we're ready to start making some purchases. How do most space travelers make their purchases?"

  "Most of the space travelers go to the brokers down the road to the east. If you go there, you wouldn't really need my services. I did get it set up for you to visit my sons' school sometime around 10:00, if you still want to go," Fu replied.

  Gus replied for the group, "We definitely want to see their school and we don't want to disappoint your boys."

  Ron commented, "Maybe we could go see the driver's friend about some of the robots. How far is the school from his place?"

  "It's only about 20 minutes away," Fu answered.

  "Good. That should give us time to look the robots over and start haggling a little. After we finish at the school, we need to come back here to pick up Dolores. She is going to be shopping for our food supplies. Are you ready?" Ron asked.

  They climbed in the vehicle and Ron asked the driver, "We're off to see your friend's robots this morning. We also are going to Fu's sons' school and afterwards, we will be coming back here. If we need to haul the robot chef, do you have a way to do it?"

  The driver responded, "Oh, sure. The rear of the vehicle has a special platform which folds out of the trunk. I can haul one robot at a time of her size."

  While they were in route to the robots, Auntie called and told them the space ship coming in was not the one that had been near the asteroid. She was still monitoring to try to identify it. This took a lot of pressure off of the trio but they still wanted to get groceries and supplies loaded so they would be ready to take off quickly, if the need arose. The trio started asking Fu and the driver about other space travelers who traded here on Europaische. They found out that there was usually only one to three space ships a month that called here. They discussed some of the different things Fu had seen hauled out to the space ships.

  Ron casually commented, "We ran into some queer little characters in robes that seemed like they were awfully sharp in their dealings. We didn't trade with them but just watched some of their trades. Have you ever had anyone like that here?"

  Fu and the driver both started muttering vehemently. Fu finally disgustedly answered, "We had some like that. If they are the same ones, they are the Challekan Traders of Elgebar V. They pulled some very shady trades here and then stole some of our processes and tooling for making robots. They also stirred up the trouble with our neighboring country that started our war. There was other trouble but no one could ever prove they had any thing to do with it. Stay away from them because they are bad news! The Charter Alliance Navy started nosing around here and the Bugs, as they are called, left suddenly. They have some allies that still trade around here occasionally but most reputable firms want nothing to do with them."

  The driver added ominously, "If they park next to you, put up a shield around any goods that are delivered to your space ship and definitely keep your space ship locked. They have a habit of dropping in and looking around, if you know what I mean."

  "Yeah, we've seen some like that. Auntie has a pretty good locking and alarm system," Tik said.

  The trio broadcast the thought, "Could the incoming ship be one of their associates?" They hated to seem too nosey about the Bugs, so they just let it ride.

  Gus said, "We heard a rumor about a race called the Alcantarans a while ago. Have you ever had any of them land here?"

  The driver said he had never heard of them but Fu hesitated for a bit before saying, "I don't think they have landed around here. I know they haven't in the ten years I have worked at the space port. I have heard some of the space travelers mention the name. They talk about them as though they are a lost race that doesn't exist any more. I heard one traveler say that she would like to find an Alcantaran relic, because she could retire as a rich space ship owner instead of flying for wages. I don't know if that is just a space tale or if there is any truth to it. If you like, I could check the computers at work to see if they have any listings for Alcantarans landing here in the past."

  "Naw, it was just some rumors we heard and whenever we land on a new planet, we like to check some of them out and to check out our competition. That's why we're interested in who has landed here and what they bought. Maybe they have a secret item that would make us a little more money," Gus dismissed the offer.

  They arrived at the robot lot and everybody climbed out of the vehicle. The driver introduced them to his friend and the trio started looking around. The man had about 30 robots sitting there. There were ones to act as laborers moving heavy items around, ones like the Ag workers they had just bought and several other categories. All of these robots were much more refined than the two they had appropriated from the Bugs. Those two might have been some the Bugs had tried to make off of the process they had stolen. Gus found two that were more suited for helping refuel and loading goods. He checked and they could also be programmed to secure items on the space ship. Several of the robots had interchangeable arms or other equipment to make them multi-faceted. Five of the robots were almost new and most of them had manuals with them. The newer robots could take several different accessories but the owner didn't have any of the accessories on hand. Ron asked the owner about spare parts, as well as the accessories, and he replied that he had some spare parts and could get more in just a short time. The accessories would all be new and would take two days.

  Tik looked in an open door of a building that sat on the lot with the robots. She saw several robots in there with parts missing. She asked about them and the owner said two were being repaired and the others were damaged or too old to be repaired, consequently they were using them for parts. Tik asked if he needed any specialty tools to work on the robots. The owner told her about the tools she would need to work on the robots. Gus went to the two that he was interested in and asked what parts usually wore out on them and how often. The owner showed him a couple of parts that would wear with heavy use and explained some maintenance procedures to help extend the robot's useful life. Gus asked if he had replacement parts and the owner said it would take two days to get them here. Ron asked for the price and then pointed out two or three more and asked for their price. The owner gave him the prices and Ron started dickering to see how firm he was. They worked back and forth and the owner dropped his price a little and said he would give a 90 day guarantee. The owner was seeing
a good day for sales when Ron dropped the bombshell.

  "I don’t think a guarantee will do us any good. If we are on another planet, I assume you won't fly there to make good on your guarantee. How much do you want for all of the robots on the lot with spare parts and accessories? Also we would need ten sets of the specialty tools."

  The owner's mouth dropped open and he looked at the driver to see if this was a practical joke. The driver was grinning but indicated that it was no joke. The owner had to excuse himself to go check how much he had in the robots, and how much the accessories and tools would cost. He came back in just a few minutes and said it would take him an hour or so to check on the tools and accessories. Ron told him they had another stop to make and would return later. They loaded into the vehicle and took off for the school.

  Fu had cautioned his sons about telling anyone the space travelers were coming. The principal had told the teacher but the teacher hadn't told the students yet. When the vehicle pulled up to the school, the students were outside on recess. One of the kids spotted the trio and soon all of the students were rushing to the fence to get a better look. The bell rang for them to return to class and the students hurried to the door to return to their classes. The trio, Fu and the driver checked in at the office and the principal gladly led them on a quick tour of the school. The driver said he would wait in the vehicle but Ron could see that he was dying to hear some of the stories of the space travelers, so he insisted the driver accompany them. After the quick tour, the principal took them to Fu's youngest son's class. The principal let Fu's son introduce the guests and the young boy almost popped his buttons, he was so proud. The teacher asked the travelers to tell where they were from and a little about their home planet. Each of the trio did their little spiel and then some of the students started asking questions.

  Fu's son asked if they could tell some of the stories that he had heard the other evening. Ron was picked to tell a story and he told about Joe Meek, the mountain man, and his two companions who fought and killed three grizzly bears in one day. Ron described the grizzly bears and how ferocious they were. Ron happened to glance out of the corner of his eye and saw that Gus and Tik were as engrossed in the story as the students. Ron explained about the grizzlies having great big, long claws and they were very strong. The students' mouths were hanging open as well as the adults in the room. He had to explain what hibernation meant and about the bears sleeping in caves all winter. Ron had to describe the weapons the men used and that they only fired one projectile before they had to be reloaded. Ron built up the story of the men hunting all day and not finding anything. Then Joe Meek spotted the cave. He left his companions outside while he crept inside. Everyone in the classroom was holding their breath to find out what happened next. Then Ron told about Joe finding the grizzly bear. He was getting ready to shoot the bear when he spotted another one. He looked some more and there was a third, very large grizzly bear. He was a little perplexed about what to do but decided to shoot one of them and then stand very still. Maybe his friends outside could shoot the other two. He shot his target but it didn't kill it. It was wounded and very dangerous but it ran outside with the other two bears following. His friends were so surprised at seeing three bears run out that they only killed the one that was wounded. The other two ran back inside the cave with Joe Meek.

  Everyone in the school room gasped in shock. Ron continued his story by describing how Joe had time to reload while they were outside, so he killed the first bear that came back into the cave. The other bear ran into a corner of the cave and was getting ready to charge him. Joe quickly reloaded and fired just as the big bear started to run at him. Ron paused for dramatic effect and the principal excitedly asked, "What happened?" Ron said that Joe Meek fired again and the bear dropped at his feet. His friends came in and helped pull the two bears outside. They took the bears back to their camp and had meat for a long time; plus they had three warm bearskin coats.

  The class erupted in a cheer and a clamor for more stories but the trio told them they had to go to another class. They went to the oldest son's class and Gus told an exciting story of capturing wild kamaals and breaking them to ride. Everybody wanted them to stay longer but the trio had shopping to do. The principal invited them back any time they could make it. They said they might try another time if they finished with their business. When they got back in the vehicle, Fu and the driver wanted to know if the stories were true. Ron and Gus swore that it was the gospel truth.

  When they got back to the robot dealer, he was ready with figures. He told them he would take 50,000 rudia for all of the robots. Ron asked Gus for a silver ingot and told the dealer he would give him the silver ingot for them. The dealer calculated in his head what he could get for the ingot and said that wasn't quite enough. Ron pulled out one of the silver trinkets and asked if that would be an even trade. The dealer's eyes bulged out and Ron could see he wanted that trinket. The dealer finally agreed. Ron said he would add a second trinket if the dealer threw in the parts robots in his building and delivered everything by the day after tomorrow. The dealer could hardly wait to close the deal. He said it would take some time to fill out the paper work but he could have it ready later that afternoon. The dealer asked what name they wanted to use for the purchase and they told him just to put it under RTG Traders. They had talked a little about a name but really hadn't decided for sure. The dealer started to head into the building to start the paperwork but Ron stopped him. He handed him the ingot and the two trinkets. The dealer couldn't believe that Ron would do something like that. Normally he would be paid upon delivery. Ron said the driver had proven to be very honest and had recommended him so he would rather pay now. Ron told him to have the ingot checked to make sure it was pure silver and they would stop by late in the afternoon to finish the paperwork. Ron could see that they had moved up another step in the eyes of Fu and the driver.

  They returned to the space ship to pick up Dolores and several more ingots. They had stocked up on trinkets before they had left that morning so they were set with them. They headed back to a grocery wholesaler. At the wholesaler they told him what they wanted and that Dolores would be supplying the list. She would also be inspecting the fresh fruits and vegetables. The wholesaler had no objections since he was used to robot chefs coming in. Ron showed him an ingot and asked if he would take that in payment or if he preferred rudia. The wholesaler said he could take the silver. Ron said that he should figure a delivery charge to the space ship also. When they came back they would pay. As they left, they could see that Dolores had already given them the list and was inspecting the food stocks.

  They walked out of the wholesalers and told Fu that they wanted to buy some cloth. He took them to a large store and they looked at cloth. They selected a large amount of different colors and types of material. They also picked up thread, buttons and a material like Velcro that would work in place of zippers. They bought such a large quantity that the store agreed to deliver the items the next morning. They paid and then Tik wanted to visit a nursery or plant store. Fu took them there and they shopped for plants for the conservatory. They were looking for young plants to raise hydroponically, as well as plants to put in the dirt. They were consulting with Auntie to make sure there wouldn't be a conflict. Tik and Auntie had an idea designed previously but as they saw new plants, the design evolved. Auntie said there were other plants they needed in the conservatory that weren't available here. Auntie told them that they needed some composted soil to reestablish bacteria in the conservatory. The long period without energy had wiped everything out and it was now sterile. They bought trees, bushes and seeds to start. Tik arranged to have everything delivered in three days. The nursery gladly accepted their silver ingots as payment.

  By this time, they figured they needed to go back to the robot dealer to finish the paper work. When they pulled up, the dealer had everything ready and they went in the building to sign everything. When they were finished, the dealer handed them a large stack
of papers. Ron asked for an envelope or something to put all of them in and the dealer gladly accommodated them. The dealer had taken the silver ingot to another friend to have it checked. The friend told him how pure it was and that he had made a good deal. The dealer said he would start delivering the robots first thing in the morning. He apologized for not having all of the robots fully fueled but his ration just wouldn't allow it. Ron assured him that they would make out.

  They returned to the grocery wholesaler to pick up Dolores and settle up. The wholesaler had most of the items that Dolores ordered but it would be two days before he had the rest of it. They told him to start delivery in two days and finish whatever he needed the next day. By this time, they felt like it was time for supper. They wanted just a quick bite and then to head back to the space ship. The driver knew of a place that wasn't too far away. Dolores stayed in the vehicle while they went in to eat.

  After they finished eating, the five of them were walking outside to head to the vehicle. It was parked at the far end of the parking lot because it was so large. They were about half way to the vehicle when three young men jumped from behind another vehicle in the parking lot. All three had stingerray guns like the Bugs carried. This was strange because the shape of the men put them from Europaische. They were thinner than Fu but had the same build. They gruffly ordered them to hand over all of their valuables and to be quick about it. Gus and Ron quietly stepped in front of Fu and the driver. Tik dropped to all four legs, her tail went straight up in the air with a small curl on the end and her ears were plastered flat against her skull.

  Gus groaned, "Oh Lord, help us. Somebody over there is going to get hurt."