Tramp Wars: The Enemy

by Larry Roberts

  The bald headed guy raised the bid another thousand credits. Marks mouth dropped open as he starred at the guy. Then another beat that bid by 500. And another by a couple hundred more. The bald guy got in another thousand. Mark could not help himself and stood up. “My Godstar people it is a disposable through away car.” Mark said out load for all to hear. As he raised his hand. The bald guy upped it again a thousand to beat him. “The planet makes a hundred million of these a year with no competition.” and raised his hand to bid. And some one upped it again. “They don’t even have dealers because they sell them in department stores.” And raised his hand again. And again he was out bid. With a bunch out biding the previous bidder in succession as other dealers got into the game. “You can only choose your color as the only option.” And again Mark was outbid. “People; the fans are guaranteed for the life of the car because they are heavy monsters.” Another round of bidding. “The seats are as hard as soft plastic boards so they don’t wear out.” And trying again. “The damn thing is built like a fricking tank for Christ sake. “ And Mark gave up after another round of bids left him shaking his head as the gavel finally dropped.

  Several more cars did not make low bid without anyone even looking as the gavel dropped and then the big red sports car that Mark had fallen in love with when he first saw it years ago came up and did not have any takers for the card bid so taking a deep breath and still not sure, he raised his hand just before the gavel. The auctioneer took his bid before he even had his hand half way up while everyone was still talking and looking at the next one being brought up. With a quick one, two, three Mark waited holding his breath waiting for someone to finally show some interest in it and up the bid. The shiny red sports car was his for a faction of what he tried to get the owner to raise his minimum to but then he did not believe it would have any problems selling for a fortune. “Why did no one bid on this one Mark asked Mickey baffled. I thought it would go for at least 30 thousand and I got it for a thousand?”

  “In the sports car book it is listed as the most dangerous and mechanically unreliable and expensive piece of junk to run in the universe but also the fastest and most dangerous. Even outlawed on some planets.”

  “Ya I know so you would think someone would jump at it. At least I thought so. Didn’t they notice that it is completely rebuilt inside with the best equipment money could buy. Heck the guy just had it rebuilt again last month while we were on Whindimear and added a longer nose section full of sensors and a tail section with rocket drives. Unless the low card price had them fooled into not even checking.” Suddenly smiling as he starred at his dream car Mark did not feel so bad about losing his old car. Though why anyone would want to put a rocket on a fan car was beyond him. But then the owner had always been a bit strange when it came to the Mustang. Always keeping it covered and if anyone was around when he came down to fly or showed up before he could fly out of the hold he would get out and leave. Fact is he had only seen it run from a distance as it was leaving or a few times when it landed and coasted on its cushion into its parking spot behind Chet's families Maxi Container. Mark smiled; it was probably the mystery about the car that made him raise his hand.

  “Ahh Mark. They did scan it and there are many parts on it that are not on a normal sports car that probably registered as unidentified junk. Little on the car matches the equipment list on the car as it was originally sold.”

  Feeling good about the big red sports car Mark went back to helping the other cars sell for the best they could and then during a break Tom found him. "Mark! What have you been doing? You most have pissed off everyone at this auction including half the ship watching you on the screens. Why you making such an ass of yourself?"

  "Just for the fun of it. You pissed off too?"

  "Me? No. I have been looking for my car. I can't find it anywhere. I parked it next to the berm last night."

  "Sorry old buddy." Mark frowned trying to figure out how to tell him while feeling sorry for him. "Dirk stole it and tried to ram me with it over on the other side of the port a couple hours ago."

  "What? You’re kidding. Why? Where is it?" Tom said hopefully looking around again.

  "Ah. It is part of a burnt scar on the side of a ship and scattered in a thousand pieces across the pit on the other side of the port. Sorry."

  Tom looked at Mark shocked for a few seconds. "Why that ass hole. I am going to kill him this time. Where is he?"

  Mark chuckled. "The port police have him. He felt like confessing to them about everything so I don't think we will be seeing him soon. Sorry about your car.”

  As the break ended Mickey spoke up. “You know this is border line illegal don’t you Mark. You have no intentions of buying any of these cars.”

  “Mickey. I tried to buy my car and did buy the sports car even if it was an accident. How can you say that about me?” Mark looked up as Chet's monster fan airtruck came up on the block.

  “I even let several go to individuals here buying for themselves, a little cheap. I have been concentrating on the collectors and dealers.” and raised his hand without really thinking. Figuring that at the low price it was starting at, it still had a long way to go. And the gavel dropped and Mark had a truck. “Ok what happened here Mickey? Why didn’t you tell me? Why did that guy not raise or someone else bid on it.”

  “I did not understand his wife was part of the equation. She grabbed his arm after your bid not letting him bid even though he tried to make her let go. They are even arguing about it know with him saying it had plenty of room for the kids. And they are leaving.”

  “Shit I thought he was a dealer Mickey. I would have let him have it if I knew he was a family man. Can you stop him, and tell him I will resell it to him cheap? But why didn't the others let it go so cheap? That does not make sense.”

  “Actually Mark, the Air truck is little better than junk. Every lift fan motor is almost burned out with several of the fans out of balance with several more showing signs of fatigue from over speeding and the sonic explosion on their surfaces from supersonic stalls. No dealer in his right mind would even think about buying it and was not on any of the dealers lists.” Mickey paused for a second seaming to take a breath. “And Mark, reselling at the auction is not permitted Mark. This dealer on the far right is… Bid on this now!”

  Mark raised his hand on a car that had no one seemingly interested in even meeting the card price just before the last gavel. The dealer Mickey had been talking about looked at Mark puzzled and bid. Another dealer bid and then another. Soon the car was up to several thousand above the card price. “You can stop bidding now. The dealer seemed interested in it but could not make up his mind even though it is not on the dealer lists to buy. His hate for you just gave him an incentive to bid is all and the other dealers jumped in not wanting to miss a perceived deal after you steeling the red sports car under their noses.”

  “What?”

  “Evidentially someone finely read the fine print on the car description and decided that it was a good buy after all and talked to a few other dealers during the last break. The big red sports car and you getting it for the card price has become the talk of the auction and when you fail to bid on Chet's truck at first everyone quickly lost interest in the truck. You just happened to bid after everyone else's attention but the couple's had gone on to other cars.”

  “Now that is interesting.” Mark raised his card starting another wave of bidding.” We can use that to our advantage as you just did. Good thinking Mickey.”

  The rest of the main auction passed with the auctioneers truly amazed at some of the prices the cars were going for; as well as this crazy man that went out of his way to piss off the competition during the breaks and yet he did not seem to pay that much for the few items he did buy while everyone else was paying out their teeth. Fact is, if it wasn’t for the few Items he did buy they would have kicked Mark out of the auction long ago as a shill. But in this case they just labeled him as a fool. After all they got a percentag
e of the gross take on top of their set fees.

  With the main auction complete, the remaining cars where put back up in groups of 2 to 4 for any bids they could get with no minimums since the crew did not have the option of removing their cars from the auction at Captains orders. The second round did not go good and Mark wound up with several more cars when his efforts to generate the interest failed on a group of them when no other bidder seemed interested.

  With the Auction over Tom left to file a theft report on his car still fuming about it being stolen. Especially with only liability insurance, he could not recover any of the money he had into it unless he could prove Dirk had stolen it and had the credits for restitution. He had already decided what he wanted to buy with the money from the sale of the car and more than a little disappointed at having to miss out on what he had dreamed up.

  Getting up to pay for the cars that he had bought, Mark realized that he was broke with all the money he had sitting above the Chief's nose. With payday a week away, he was thinking of going for a payroll draft since payday was close after liftoff and then realizing that his paycheck would not even come close to paying for everything. Asking the clerk to give him a couple of hours to get a loan with the ships bank the clerk told him that he had enough to pay for everything with money back, a lot of money back from the sales of his car. Feeling like a moron and relieved, Mark took the money and titles and headed for his new red sports car. Getting more excited by the second to fly it. Walking past a couple of uniformed English officers still sitting in the back row even though the auction was long done. The English woman Captain smiled at Mark as he walked by without even getting noticed by Mark.

  “Mark, I am sorry but I do not understand why you were so upset when you went to the auction truck counter to collect the money for your car and pay for your purchased cars? You acted like you were surprised how much your car sold for. Actually, I would say that you forgot how much it sold for.”

  “Yes Mickey I forgot or missed hearing since I was a bit upset at being told I could not buy it back. Though I did forget that I was broke at the time. I still cannot believe someone bought that piece of junk let alone paid what they paid for it. Besides I guise I was so excited to fly the Mustang that I forgot a lot of things.”

  “What else did you forget Mark?”

  “I am not aware of anything. But maybe like where do I park them on the ship? Got any ideas?” Cleaning out his old car he threw all the stuff into the truck, changed his shirt putting his uniform back on and headed for the Mustang.

  A big man walked up as he was leaving; red faced, his fists balled up and ready to kick ass. “You cheated me ass hole. I want my money back and fast!”

  Still thinking about the red Mustang Mark looked at the man and finely realized that he was upset about something. “I am sorry sir. Can I help you?”

  “You can give me my money back and take your piece of junk back .There are not two pieces of anything on that car that are from the same manufacturer lit alone the Same planet. How the hell do you put a ford transmission on a Chevy engine and fans from a ken worth truck? Hell, the body is just as bad. I want my money back.”

  “Ok sir, if that will make you happy but could you tell me why you bought it in the first place?”

  “You know damn well why! That little demonstration you gave before the auction. I thought that any car that can do that has got to be damn good and then I looked under the hood.”

  “Well then I don’t see what the problem is sir." Mark started rubbing his back as he stretched from side to side. “Oww I sat to long my butt and back hurts. Anyway I was just having fun before I said good bye to my pride and joy." Twisting back and forth stretching his legs he could see the big red Mustang off to the side of the parking area as limos started leaving. The last thing he wanted to be doing was talking to this oaf.

  "That guy told me that you shafted me with a piece of junk with a paintjob from a bunch of rattle cans and now that I look at it he is wright about that so the rest of the car must be shit too."

  “Some guy told you?” Mark saw one of Chet’s Goons not far away smiling from ear to ear. “Oh, I see you are worried about the mechanical side of the car.” Leaning down rubbing his upper leg, Mark looked around for some easy escape.

  "Mark calm down. Someone has told him a bunch of lies trying to get you into trouble or beat up."

  "No Daa. Alice. You have a rabbit hole I can jump down in sight. It looks like he could do a good job of it as well."

  "Remember what I said in the cargo hold and on the mess deck earlier in the week. Stay calm and I will not let any harm come to you as long as you follow my training and directions."

  "I don't think we have time to do that little hypnotism thing here Mickey."

  "You don't need to. You can take care of this guy without that. You are already starting to loosen up your muscles, start stretching your legs and arms like you have been doing with your back. It will buy you time and sidetrack and confuse this guy making you look like you do not care while getting your muscles ready to act. Keeping him talking will also buy you time."

  “Damn cramps." Mark said as he stretched his arms up over his head. "Well now, I think someone has told you a story trying to get this sweet thing for themselves at a steal sir." Mark smiled at the man who was definitely looking a bit baffled at Mark's stretching and then his statement. "The Plasma power bottle is the most powerful and most reliable in the universe for its weight and size and only produced on Beta Zeta 5. The power transmission module is the most efficient and reliable in the universe with the motors second to none able to produced twice as much power per weight than any others on the Market and produced only on Bernadine Planet a good thousand light years from here and worth the price you paid for the car all by themselves. Look it up if you can read." The man started to turn red at Mark's insult until Mark started stretching his legs with deep knee bends bringing the puzzled look back to his face as Mark whispered to Mickey. "You did say on the mess deck to get him pissed at me right?"

  "Yes, but this is not one of those circumstances Mark. All you need to do is keep him off balance until why he wants his money back is no longer top of his thoughts allowing doubt to creep in and he will lose interest. Especially with you telling him the good points of the car like you are doing. You do not need to insult him."

  Mark smiled. "The fans are the most powerful by weight and size, reliable and are stall proof and will eat anything thrown into them as well as being reversible. Made by the most famous and well known truck manufacturer in the Empire and if you have not herd of them then you must be one fucking damn back woods hick." Mark turned his back on the man as he did a couple of twists. Mark whispered to Mickey again. "My old man has said a number of times that sometimes you have to accentuate statements and claims to get the clients attention. Insults are the easiest way to back up your claims. Few people will worry about or question the truth of statements and facts when faced with a personal insult. Especially when they do not have time to check the validity of the claim. Which he doesn’t at this time even if it is the truth."

  "Damn few sports cars can fly upside down.” Mark continued. “Of course you already know that shit fans are what kills most acrobatic flyers." Glancing over his shoulder at the man before looking back at the big red Mustang he had bought and was itching to get ahold of. "On top of that I have rebuilt and upgrading every component on that car to at least 50% above the manufacturer’s specs.”

  Mark turned back from looking at the speeder to the man with a stubbornly pissed look on his face about ready to pop. “My humble apologies sir if I have said anything to upset you. I can show you stunts in that car that will spin your head that I doubt if anyone on this planet have ever seen let alone done. You can look them up on the flight recorder and see if you can do them when you get good enough." The man was suddenly listening to Mark starting to show interested as Mark’s apology sank in. "So. Please: if you are going to do maneuvers better than anyone e
lse on this planet you had better keep the car.” Shaking his head with a frown as he studied the man narrowing his eyes. “That is unless you really don’t know how to do acrobatic maneuvers after all.” The man was twice Marks size as he suddenly remembered that one punch from the man could land him in the hospital.

  Suddenly worried, he could not believe what came out of his mouth next. “Or Are you just a rubber wheel car driver too stupid to see what true quality is, let alone fly?” Mark swallowed as he called himself stupid for not shutting up. But his mouth kept going. "No, you don't look like you could even do a fricking simple loop." The man had no right to demand his money back as all sales were buyer beware final and posted on everything around them including the sales receipt. But that would not stop this monster from pounding him into the ground. Looking around he realized again that he had nowhere to run with the crowd of people surrounding them including a news camera waiting for a fight. Cursing himself for not shutting up. But then his mouth was what usually got him hurt worse most of the times he was attacked.