by Ivan Kal
According to what Gotu had managed to find out, they wouldn’t be on board long. The shuttle approached and passed through a field that held the atmosphere inside; the Erasi station had the same air composition as what humans and Nel needed. And as it turned out, most of life had similar needs, which wasn’t such a mystery to the Empire, as they knew the reason. The People had been responsible for guiding and pushing forward life on many worlds, and they’d chosen life most similar to their own.
The shuttle landed and the five people inside slowly exited. Inside the clean-looking hangar, they were met with three aliens. One was a Sorvani; the other two were new to Gotu, but he had read up on them. One was a slim red-and-black-colored alien looking similar to snakes, which he’d seen on the old vids from Earth, only it had arms on its upper body, while its lower part slithered on the ground. They were another member of the Erasi and called themselves Ssarath. The other alien was a fur-covered biped with a large, hulking torso, but about as tall as Gotu himself. Also a member of the Erasi, they were called Bomtu. All the aliens had some kinds of clothes on, and they approached as Gotu and the rest of his people exited the shuttle.
The three adepts had their heads covered, while Gotu and Björn went forward with theirs still visible. As they approached, Bomtu—the hulking alien—offered them an open package with five devices on it. Gotu had already been told about how their meeting would go about, and had provided the Erasi with images of the Nel so that they could build the devices. One of the adepts stepped forward and took the package, then offered it to Gotu and Björn, who each took one and placed the small, round part on their temples. The devices were very small, about a size of a small coin, slim, and they stuck to their heads.
The leading alien, the Sorvani, spoke first. “Do you understand me?”
“Yes, I understand you,” Gotu said, impressed. He’d been under the impression that calibration of some kind would be necessary. He glanced to the Bomtu and noticed him looking at the device in his hands.
“That was unexpected,” the Sorvani said.
“What do you mean?” Gotu asked.
The Ssarath on the right slithered a bit closer. “The devices need calibration when they are used for new species, and yet they have adapted to your brainwaves immediately.” It angled its head and looked from Björn to Gotu. Then it glanced at Gotu’s tail.
“The two of you are not the same species?” it asked.
Gotu hesitated; he didn’t want to give away too much at their first meeting. “No, but we are both a part of the Empire.”
“You closely resemble each other. And you also look surprisingly similar to a race we are familiar with. Your brainwaves are almost exactly like theirs, only slightly off,” the hulking alien said. “But you are different. They are larger than you, their skin is of a different color, and their eyes are different.”
“Really?” Gotu said slowly, but already he could see Björn stiffen. “How much different are they?”
“Their skin is black across their entire bodies, even the eyes. And they have several pupils that move constantly,” the Sorvani said, and Gotu knew who they were. The third descendant race of Axull Darr. His eyes were the same, or rather, his secondary eyelids were. He didn’t have them closed now, as he didn’t need them, so his eyes looked similar to those of a human—a single pupil and iris.
“We are not aware of any other race that looks like us. We were very surprised when we encountered each other,” Björn interjected. “What is the name of this race?”
“They are called the Shara Daim,” the Sorvani answered.
“Are there any here? We would be very much interested in talking to them; our scientists have several theories about why humans and Nel look so much alike. They might provide more insight into the topic,” Gotu suggested.
“No, the Shara Daim do not do trade with the Erasi in this sector. They rarely interact with most races peacefully, and only tolerate others if they are strong,” the alien on the left said.
“We would be interested in anything you can share about them,” Björn persisted.
“There is some data on them on the net, but if you want to know more, you will need to purchase that information,” the Ssarath said.
“Of course,” Gotu said.
“Now, if you will follow me, we will take you to the information center, where we will make a record of your people,” the Sorvani said as it gestured towards the hallway leading deeper into the station.
***
Veritas
“Shara Daim?” Adrian asked.
“Yes, Lord Sentinel,” Björn answered.
“And how sure are you that they are the third race?” Adrian asked.
“Very,” Gotu answered. “We checked the net and got images. There is no doubt. They have the same features that the both the Nel and humans inherited from the People.”
“Do we know anything else about them?” Adrian asked.
“The public nets don’t have comprehensive data; we would need to go to an information broker for more in-depth data. But we know that their territory is some seven hundred light years from here, that they hold a large area of territory, almost the size of the Erasi, and that other races stay out of their way,” Björn answered.
“So we have finally found our last siblings,” Adrian commented.
“Should we try and make contact?” Aileen asked.
“Yes, but not yet. We need to let the Emperor know, and let him decide when and how to approach them. In the meantime, we have a different task: finding the Ra’a’zani,” Adrian said. “Any news on that front?”
“Sadly, no. There is no mention of them in the net. But the net holds information only about races that have dealings with the Erasi. Our best bet is to deal with the information brokers,” Björn said. “The only problem is getting to them. They don’t just allow anyone to come and seek information. You need to either pay an incredible amount, or have something to offer them in return.”
“Hm...I think that we need to learn a bit more about how things work here,” Adrian said, a plan forming in his mind. He turned to look at Gotu. “Do we know where we are most likely to get what we need?”
“There are several information-dealing brokers. Most contend with matters inside the Erasi and concerning their trading partners. The ones that would be able to help us are those large enough to have nets all over, and who look beyond the Erasi borders, which means we need to go to the largest information brokers. On Tarabat, that means Loksi Corporation; they are the largest in this system. But I doubt that the funds we’ll get from what we sell will be enough to get us inside.”
“Then we will need to improvise,” Adrian said. “For when did you schedule the meetings with the trading guilds?”
“We are scheduled to meet at their guild in about four hours,” Gotu said.
“Then that is our next move. We get funds, then we will start setting up connections. See if there is something we can offer them that will get us enough funds to get an audience with the brokers. If not, we will need to grab their attention in other ways,” Adrian said.
“As you say, Lord Sentinel. Björn and I will go down to the planet and set everything up,” Gotu said.
“Aileen and I will accompany you,” Adrian added.
“Uh...Lord Sentinel, I don’t think that would be wise,” Björn said slowly.
“I don’t need to be protected, Björn, and neither does Aileen. If anything, we will be protecting you. I want to see how things work down there with my own eyes. In the future, this will be the job that Sentinels will carry out. And we were given five translators, right? We have enough for the four of us and one for study,” Adrian said.
Gotu, knowing that there wasn’t anything he could say to change Adrian’s mind, agreed. “As you wish, Lord Sentinel.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Tarabat
Aileen walked down the streets of an alien world. All around her walked strange creatures, and her senses of smell and
sound were bombarded with unfamiliar things. They were several levels above ground level, on streets connecting the buildings. Above them flew small shuttles or transport vehicles. It was a strange sight.
She wore her Sentinel suit, though not in the battle mode; she only had the plate over her chest and the leg parts. The rest of her was covered with her skin-suit. Beside her walked Björn wearing his Warpath suit, and in front of her were Adrian in his own Sentinel suit, his two wolions, and Gotu.
They had landed on the planet in a dropship—Adrian didn’t want to use the shuttle, as it wasn’t as armored—and their landing place was close to where they needed to be. And after a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at their destination.
“This should be it,” Gotu said.
As they approached the tall building, an alien standing in front of it noticed them.
“Ah, you must be the newcomers. Come, we have been expecting you,” it said. It glanced at the wolions but didn’t comment, and then it led them inside.
They were shown into a big room and asked to take seats on strange but useful chairs that had no backs and stood on five legs. The chairs would grow or shrink, depending on the need, in order accomodate the size of the person sitting on it. As they took their seats, the doors on the other side of the room opened and three new aliens entered. One was a Ssarath, and the other two Sorvani.
“Welcome. I am Trader Reshe. I will be conducting business with you today,” the Ssarath said.
“It is a pleasure meeting you, I am called Adrian. I hope that we can do some business today,” Adrian said.
“Your people said that you wish to trade? Materials for credits, yes?” Reshe said.
“That is correct,” Adrian said.
“I assume that you have brought a list of things you have available?”
Adrian glanced at Gotu, and he took out a small datachip from his pocket. The Erasi had provided them with the software that allowed them to convert Empire means of data storage to that of the Erasi, which used the same system based on zeros and ones, only in a different “language”.
Reshe took the small datachip, studied it for a moment, then placed it in a round box-like device that one of the Sorvani had placed on the table. After about a moment, data from the chip was read and it appeared above the table, translated into their language as a hologram, in a similar manner as what the Empire used.
Reshe studied the list for a few long minutes before speaking. “These materials are very common in here. I am afraid that they will not get you anything more than a couple hundred credits, at least in these quantities.”
Aileen glanced at Adrian. One hundred Erasi credits was very little, not enough to even get them lodging on the planet. But they had already known that their materials wouldn’t get them anything more. The list was mostly of metals that the Veritas carried for fabricating repairs. But they had decided to start with something small and build up.
“My ship doesn’t carry big quantities of those materials,” Adrian said. “I am sure that you have had the chance to take a look at it; you should know that it is not a cargo ship,” he added pointedly.
“Yes, yes...” Reshe said. “It is an impressive vessel. One built for war, if I am correct.”
“It has weapons, if that is what you are asking about,” Adrian said deftly.
“Perhaps you can trade in some technologies?” Reshe suggested. “We are always looking for new and interesting things.”
Adrian paused and pretended to think. “We don’t generally trade our technologies to people we have only just met. I don’t have a good enough grasp of your own technology in order to offer you something, and I don’t feel comfortable with giving you the data on what we possess.”
“Understandable, of course,” Reshe said evenly. “Although, it is said that you encountered a research station before you came here. Sorvani, yes?”
“That is correct. I am surprised that you know of that,” Adrian said.
“Information is a resource to the Erasi,” Reshe said. “It is also rumored that you made an in-system jump, from within the hyperspace barrier to its edge.”
Adrian looked at the Ssarath but didn’t respond. Aileen could see him thinking. Ever since they’d arrived and started studying the Erasi net, they’d known that it was likely that the knowledge about that ability would spread to the rest of Erasi. The only thing they hadn’t been sure about was how long it would take. Them knowing about it meant that they had interstellar FTL comms, not just in-system.
Adrian had already known that them skimming in that system had been a mistake; they had been in a hurry to get here and they’d revealed more than they would have liked.
“That is an interesting rumor,” Adrian said evenly, neither denying nor confirming it.
“And we would be interested in attaining that technology,” Reshe said eagerly.
“I am sure you would,” Adrian said, and smiled, a gesture that was probably lost on the aliens. “But as I said, we don’t trade technology with people we don’t know well.”
Reshe started to speak, but Adrian continued before he could, “Although,” Adrian started, “there might be something else that you will find acceptable.”
Reshe tilted his head. “And what is that?”
“We have done a fair bit of research before we decided which guild to contact. We chose this one because you trade in large amounts of materials my people have abundance of, mainly metals and alloys,” Adrian said.
“That is true, but you sadly don’t have those amounts available now,” Reshe said.
“No, but I can offer you a onetime deal, right now, for exclusivity. Our Empire will trade these materials with your guild exclusively for the next fifty years. And yes, we have checked the numbers you are dealing in, and we can double them,” Adrian said. They had programmed Empire’s measuring units into the translators so that the Erasi heard the measures converted into their own.
Reshe remained silent, and Aileen knew that he was thinking about it. His guild was a relatively small one, dealing in materials that the more advanced races didn’t use, which meant that they needed large quantities in order to remain relevant. “That would be a good deal—if you could deliver on it.”
“The Erasi know how to use trans-space for travel, correct?” Adrian asked.
“We do.”
“If you are willing to explore the lanes to our Empire and back to here on your own expense, we will be able to get resources to you much faster than your current suppliers in the heart of the Erasi territory. With our in-system jump technology, we can move from one trans point to another far quicker. It would not take more than a couple of days for us to deliver goods here to you from our territory.”
The alien remained quiet, and Aileen couldn’t tell if he was intrigued or not, but after about a minute, he spoke again, “And in return for this deal, you would want credits now?”
“Yes. You pay us five thousand credits now, and we will sign a contract that gives you exclusivity in trading with the materials we showed you earlier with the entire Empire,” Adrian said. “I am a...ruler of a system in which we are mining these resources. I can guarantee to you that you will have them.”
“If we make an agreement, and you then don’t fulfill the bargain, Erasi fleets will get involved,” the alien threatened, which told Aileen that they had him. He was already worried about the Empire fulfilling the bargain, which meant that he was interested. From everything that they had learned of this guild, they knew that it needed this desperately if it was to survive and grow amongst its competition.
“We understand,” Adrian said.
***
“This is still not enough to get us to see a broker,” Gotu said once they left the guild.
“It is not, but it is enough to help us get established here. Get us lodging, and allow us to hire guides. Then we slowly start dropping hints that while we might be new, we have things to offer,” Adrian said.
“Why can’t we
just go and offer the information to the brokers in return for what we want?” Aileen asked.
“It isn’t that simple,” Björn said. “They have a far greater network than we do. What could we offer them? We don’t know anything about this area, nor about what they want to know. We need to find out what they want, find out how much it is worth, and then intrigue them enough for them reach out and offer a trade.”
“And how will we do that?” Aileen asked.
“By letting it be known that we are looking for the Ra’a’zani,” Adrian answered. “We try to get the information out of the other traders, perhaps we even get lucky and someone will know something. But it will also put us on the radar of the information brokers. They will try to learn more about us. In doing that, they might get intrigued enough to reach out and offer us information about the Ra’a’zani in exchange for something about us. They will know that we don’t have credits to pay them, but their currency isn’t just credits and information. They might want to trade future favors from us in return for what they know.”
“And we know all this how?” Aileen asked.
“Their net is full of people that have had dealings with the information brokers before. Iris managed to piece together their practices,” Adrian said.
“And what do we do until they decide to reach out?” Aileen asked.
Adrian gestured around them. “We watch and learn more about our neighbors.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
July; Year 54 of the Empire – Sanctuary
Tomas read through the message from Adrian, then scrolled all the way to the beginning and read it again. After he was finished, he reached up with his hands and rubbed his palms over his eyes. They had found the third race that Axull Darr had engineered. Shara Daim, he thought. And apparently they held a territory that was at least 7000 light years in diameter, dwarfing the Empire, which had around 1000 at its two furthest points, and that was with them having colonized systems dispersed in order to take a large territory. There were gaping holes between the systems he controlled. Eventually, he wanted to make the Empire dense, with most systems populated, but for now he was in expansion mode, grabbing as much territory as he could until they ran into something that stopped them. Like the Shara Daim and the Erasi.
