by M. D. Cooper
The guards were spilling out onto the docks, unable to find any sign of Sera in the warehouse. The dockhands, and the captain with which they were arguing, reported that they hadn’t seen anyone, and most of the guards returned to the warehouse to sweep it again.
The captain strengthened his argument that the docks were clear, and, given their own admission that they had not seen anything, the dockhands had no choice but to resume loading the ship. Sera’s pallet was last and Helen gently woke her before it began moving. It wouldn’t do to have Sera startled awake and give away her location.
As the pallet was crawling up the ramp, a shout came over the docks.
“Stop that! What do you think you’re doing?” The voice was Rebecca’s.
“Loading my ship,” the captain responded.
“We’re not loading ships; we’re looking for a fugitive.”
“You’ve got a thousand people who can hunt for one person. I’ve got a schedule to keep.”
“How do you know she hasn’t gotten onto your ship?”
“Because I’ve been standing here the whole time arguing with these dockhands to get the thing loaded up. I’m already half an hour behind. This stuff sells for a lot more when it’s fresh, you know.”
Rebecca and the captain yelled at one another for several minutes. Eventually, the new Mark leader succumbed to the captain’s increasing ire after he had the ship’s AI do a full scan of the vessel, which showed no one on board but his crew.
Sera’s pallet was finally stowed in a hold, which, by the smell of it, contained a veritable cornucopia of produce. At least she wasn’t going to starve.
The ship spent an agonizing ten minutes going through pre-flight checks and reactor power up.
Minutes later, the station’s grav fields backed the ship out of its docking slot and into the dark layer. Not long after, Sera felt the vessel transition into normal space and then begin to accelerate for an eventual transition to FTL.
Sera pushed the crates over her head aside, and pulled herself up. She covered the hole back up, carefully moving the crates to their former positions. It wouldn’t do to have anyone find the CriEn module she had worked so hard to retrieve.
She slipped down to the deck and wobbled slightly. Then, waves of dizziness and nausea washed over her body. She fell to the ground, ignoring the tingling sensations her new skin sent through her body.
Sera eyed the crates filling the compartment. Food to be sure, but likely no water, and she was feeling a powerful thirst.
She sighed and ran a hand down her black, gleaming thigh.
FAIR TRADE
STELLAR DATE: 07.15.8927 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Sabrina, PeterSil EK Belt Mining Platform
REGION: Silstrand System, Silstrand Alliance Space
At the outer rim of the system’s Kuiper Belt, the PeterSil EK mining platform whipped around its host star at just over twenty thousand kilometers per hour. Cheeky carefully guided Sabrina across several million kilometers of the Silstrand system until the ship’s velocity was perfectly matched to the platform’s.
Tanis couldn’t help but be impressed by the skill Cheeky displayed.
Many pilots needed to resort to hard burns or corrections to make their final approaches, but Sabrina’s pilot eased her starship through the system like it was a dance to which she knew all the moves.
When they got close, the station focused a gravity wave on the ship and gently pulled it in, before securing it with a physical grapple.
Cargo informed the station that they were interested in making a purchase from S&H Defensive Armaments. Station control passed the message along, and, when pressures were matched and the cargo hatch opened, representatives from the firm were waiting to meet them.
Tanis stepped onto the merchant dock with Cargo, soaking in the station’s vibrant atmosphere as freight haulers, passenger cars, and foot traffic moved past their berth in a chaotic cacophony.
It was a shock after the days spent on the relative quiet of Sabrina. She realized that, though the Victorian stations and platforms had become crowded in their later years, she hadn’t seen this type of bustling commerce since the Intrepid’s final days on the Cho, in orbit around Jupiter.
Despite the fact that the platform had the word ‘mining’ in its name, little of the freight she saw looked to have anything to do with extracting or refining ore. From what she could tell, much of the trade here was in defensive or offensive armament.
From her research, she knew that S&H Defensive Armaments had been doing business in the Silstrand Alliance for several centuries and was highly respected. The elder of the two representatives looked as though he may have been with them that entire time.
“Pleased to meet you,” the elderly man said as they approached, and extended a wrinkly hand. Cargo shook it firmly, followed by Tanis—who was surprised at how paper-thin the man’s skin felt.
“My name is Smithers,” the man said. “I represent S&H Defensive Armaments. Welcome to the PeterSil Mining Platform.”
“I’m Cargo and this is Tanis, thank you for taking the time to meet us here,” Cargo said with a warm smile.
“This is my associate, Ginia,” Smithers gestured to the much younger woman accompanying him. She smiled warmly as she shook their hands.
“If you’ll step this way, we have transportation ready to take you to our showroom.” Ginia led them to a dock car and they settled within its cabin. She gave it verbal instruction as to their destination and the car took off, weaving through the dock traffic, its dampeners creating a perfectly smooth ride for its passengers.
“We’re grateful for the dockside greeting and transportation,” Tanis said. “Do you treat all of your clients with such hospitality?”
“We have various levels for various classes of clientele,” Smithers said. “There was mention in your message to the station’s docking control regarding interest in trading nano technology for weaponry. Typically, only a higher level of clientele is interested in such transactions.”
Verbally, they spoke of pleasantries. Smithers and Ginia made observations about the local economy and the upcoming elections for the Silstrand Alliances Senate later in the year. Tanis listened intently while Cargo stared out the windows, apparently un-interested in the star cluster’s politics.
“So, are you in favor of Silstrand increasing its territory then?” Tanis asked, after Smithers indicated approval of a politician who was running on a campaign platform of adding new worlds to the Alliance.
“Purely from a trade and economy standpoint,” he replied. “If we increase our territory, then we will have more tariff-free trading partners. Alliance organizations will also be favored in bids for the supply and construction of any government facilities in new member systems.”
Tanis knew what that meant; more defense contracts for S&H to land. The small-talk continued for several more minutes until they arrived at S&H’s section of the station. They stepped out of the transport and into the lobby of what seemed more like an upscale banking establishment than a weapons supplier. High-quality holos showed rotating images of various products, from personal armor to orbital defense emplacements.
Smithers and Ginia led them through the lobby and down a hall to a private showroom with low couches surrounding a holo tank. The room was dimly lit, with glass and steel artwork perched on the tables. Several small serving trays hovered around the room, offering assorted finger foods.
Smithers beckoned one with his finger and it floated over to him. He selected some cheeses before leaning back in his chair.
“Please,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Help yourself. Would you like anything to drink? Ginia will have someone fetch it for us.”
Tanis signaled one of the platforms to float her way. Outside of FTL and gravity drives, this was the first piece of impressive technology she had seen in the ninetieth century. She hadn’t expected anti-gravity generators to be so small.
“I’ll have a glass of white wine, something light,” she said after selecting some crackers and fruit. Cargo requested a mixed drink with liquors Tanis had never heard of. The drinks arrived within moments, carried by a slender woman dressed in only a thin gauze outfit.
Angela sighed.
“…so as you can see we are able to offer the latest in several defensive and offensive technologies to suit your needs. What were you specifically interested in?”
During their flight across the system, Tanis had accessed several resources and catalogs to gain a better understanding of ninetieth century weaponry capability. She had a shopping list ready to go. Cargo had checked it and added a few suggestions of his own to fill it out. Surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly, Flaherty had also offered advice on what would be useful, as well.
“We’re interested in your ER71 Defensive Suite, for starters.” Tanis leaned back with a slice of apple and what she hoped was cheese. “We’re going to want a dedicated gravity generator to go with it and the ten centimeter defensive lasers.”
She could tell that she had Smithers’ attention. Ginia tilted her head and manipulated the readouts, bringing capabilities and prices up on the holo.
“Would you like the GE-875 or the GE-885 grav generator with the suite?” She asked.
“I was hoping we could get the GE-960,” Tanis replied. “From what I understand, it’s smaller and has a higher output; space is an important consideration on our ship.”
Ginia’s eyes widened. The GE-960 was three times the price of either of the other gravity generators.
“We’re also going to need to replace our current SC Batteries with the SC-R 911s. I understand they have roughly three times the capacity of our current SC-R 790s?”
Smithers nodded, his eyes dancing as the tally on the holo increased. “Yes, they are the best we have in this corner of space. You said you were considering offensive armament, too?”
Cargo’s eyes were glazed with incredulity as he looked at the price.
“Yes,” Tanis answered. “We’re interested in the thirty-centimeter laser system. I believe our ship’s layout will require us to mount ten of them for full coverage. I’d also like to get fore and aft AR-17 missile tubes, the four-centimeter rail guns, and fore and aft RM launchers.”
Smithers’ previous look of pleasure turned to one of skepticism. The tally was easily four times the value of Sabrina. Ginia was also eyeing the total with a smile, but where Smithers looked like he was considering charging them for the food and seeing them out, she looked very excited.
“And how will you be paying for this?” Smithers asked.
“We will provide full documentation and disclosure of a valuable nano tech which no one within a hundred light-years even dreams of possessing. We will also disclose our source for this tech as well as documentation indicating our license to distribute both the source technology and sell development and distribution licenses.”
Smithers’ expression shifted. He still didn’t appear completely mollified, but neither was he going to end the discussion.
Tech was one thing; the ability to develop and distribute products based on that Tech was something else entirely. Tanis smiled and reached for her wine glass and drained its contents. Taking the glass in her hand, she repeated the act of absorbing its matter and fabricating a small handgun.
Smithers’ expression shifted to one of almost pure joy, and Ginia’s face was now rapt with amazement. With a cough, the older man recovered his composure—a bit quicker than Tanis would have liked.
“That looked truly amazing, would it be possible to see it again, and then be able to test the results for any signs of trickery?”
Tanis nodded. “I understand your skepticism. If you’ll provide another glass, I’ll give you a matched pair.”
“Actually,” Smithers said. “Please make a…replica of a six-chamber projectile weapon from the nineteenth century. That way we can be assured there is no sleight of hand occurring.”
“Based on the size, I’ll need two glasses.”
Ginia nodded, and a minute later, the servant came in with a tray of empty wine glasses. Angela suggested she use three, and Tanis activated the field in the palm of her hand, dissolving each glass into it. She then added a silver fork, two deviled eggs, and salt to her palm. Moments later, she produced a gun, and then six bullets, which she slipped into the chambers. Handing it to Smithers she said, “Be careful. It’s loaded and functional.”
The old man whistled in appreciation. “I assume the technology includes not only the nano, but the information on such rapid reorganization of the molecules?”
“You’ll get everything required to repeat such a feat, except for the power source.”
Smithers nodded. “I assume you won’t object if I have our technicians examine these articles.” He indicated the guns.
“Be my guest,” Tanis replied.
From there they got down to ‘brass tacks’, as Smithers put it.
Cargo demanded that the work be done in under forty-eight hours; a timeframe which Smithers claimed was not possible. Ginia proceeded to draw up a work schedule, which showed the work would take two weeks.
“I don’t see how it is impossible,” Tanis said. “This station surely has all of the tech
nical ability to do the installation. The technologies I have to offer will more than offset any costs, probably a thousand-fold.”
Smithers was a top-notch negotiator. Despite his awe over Tanis’s tech, he was still haggling over every point of the contract they were drawing up. “I believe I’ll need to see the documentation on your license to distribute the source tech with ability to develop and redistribute before I can negotiate further. I’ve never seen anything like this before, but I don’t want to commit to this only to hear it announced on the Link tomorrow as something that another firm has developed with licenses prohibiting us from using it.”
Tanis nodded and transmitted a full non-disclosure to Smithers over S&H’s secure net. “I’ll need you to physically and digitally sign this NDA before I can discuss the source of the license.”
The NDA was very strict and binding in every system that S&H did business—and most they didn’t. Smithers frowned as he reviewed it and sent it off to his legal team for further examination. They discussed minor points regarding the install while they waited. Legal had a few revisions, one that Tanis agreed to and several she refused. In the end, they had an agreement and Tanis disclosed where her nano came from.
Smithers really did lose his composure this time. “God damn it! That explains where you got this tech! But why are you on that crummy little yacht?”
Cargo bristled at that, but Smithers hardly noticed.
“It belongs to a friend who has been having…pirate troubles. The weaponry we’re getting from you will be used to fix some of those troubles and get her out of a jam.”
Smithers nodded. “That explains why you need the tech, but why are you interested in this, and where is your ship?”
Cargo laughed. “Isn’t that the hundred trillion dollar question?”
“The work in two days and I’ll speak highly of S&H to my superiors when it comes to future trading. If I have to wait longer than, that I’ll let them know transactions with your firm were difficult.”
Smithers sighed. “That’s one hell of a bargaining chip. Very well, forty-eight hours and you’ll be decked out in the best S&H has to offer.”
