Trade World Saga

by Ken Pence

  ***

  It probably wants to find out how tender I am before trying to feed me to its young, Rett thought. At least, this native has learned a healthy respect for the field it cannot see and knows it surrounds my entire body. Well, maybe this being is somewhat intelligent because it seems to have noticed my stressed space field belt.

  Andrew saw no symbols, artifacts, or pockets in the alien's clothing but then he noticed a thick, wide gray belt built into the jumpsuit. The belt appeared to be slick with a shiny texture with two slight oval projections near the front center. As he looked closer, he noticed a distortion of one of the wide oval projections. The oval had a vertical crack across its center. Andrew could see sections of fine metal strands, several of them were broken at the crack in the material which appeared to be like ceramic but the inside components were not embedded in the ceramic, just were inside a ceramic case.

  This must be the problem, since everything appears symmetrical... except this situation, Andrew mused. That crack near a control might mean that the on-off switch or adjustment is broken. If I could short circuit that field, I'm sure that the alien would be released. Since it isn't wearing a head covering, our atmosphere must be tolerable so the cut-off of that field wouldn't kill it and it can breathe through the field. The alien must be paralyzed or something by that field; it probably is some type of defensive device that malfunctioned.

  Andrew slowly pulled out his hunting knife that he always carried on his weekly hikes. The alien saw what he was doing and began to thresh in front of him.

  Rett saw the primitive bringing out a sharpened implement after it had squatted motionless for a long time next to him. Rett's one concern of a preemptive passing was that some native would get a hard, sharp object and force it slowly through his stressed space field into an exposed part of his body. Rett couldn't retreat. Maybe this native was intelligent and had malevolent intentions. As the native brought the implement closer, Rett flung his arms about and finally decided to cover his exposed face.

  Andrew held the knife out by the blade for the alien to see but by this time, the alien had put both arms across its face. Andrew shrugged and carefully grasped the knife so its blade could be used to short the exposed wires in the alien's belt. Holding the knife by the back of the non-metallic hilt so his hand would not enter the field, he edged the tip toward the exposed crack. As the blade got near the belt, it entered the field and had to be forcefully pushed forward. Andrew let out a yelp and dropped the knife off to the side.

  This really isn't my day. Damn. Now I've burned my fingers too, Andrew thought.

  Andrew caressed his throbbing hands and the alien appeared to calm down somewhat, and dropped his arms. Andrew thought, Boy that knife got hot fast. The metal must have set up eddy currents that heated the blade. That field must have affected circulation in my fingers when my hand got too close. Now, how am I going to short out that belt device and eliminate that field? Hell. What produces that much energy?

  As Andrew sat down near the alien, Rett decided he would attempt to get up once more.

  Andrew had no sooner sat down than the alien began thrashing around in an obvious attempt to get upright. It appeared to Andrew as if the being was intoxicated because of the seemingly uncoordinated movements. Then as the alien began hitting and straining to remove his belt, Andrew fully realized that not only was the belt control the problem, the belt device was causing a complete lack of friction.

  Andrew took a drink of water from his canteen absentmindedly, looked at his canteen as if it were alien too, and jumped to his feet. Andrew's body had given him the solution to the problem. Taking the plastic liter-sized canteen in his hands, Andrew gulped down the last of the water – about third of the contents. Facing away from the alien, Andrew urinated into the canteen. Then holding the canteen, Andrew knelt next to the alien. Pouring the slightly salty solution carefully, Andrew attempted to pour into the broken control on the alien's belt.

  Rett realized what Andrew had done only when Andrew began pouring. Rett was shocked. Why should this native defile my body with his fluid wastes? To make matters worse, the fluid was just now getting to Rett's body. It did not flow linearly through the field but tended to flatten from the first point of contact with the field and spread equally to cover the surface of the field. It extended a good 6cm away from Rett’s body…and was running all over his clothing rather than the belt. Oops, he thought.

  Probably the native is performing some powerful tribal rite, Rett thought as he resigned himself to death far from his colleagues and his home soil. How horrible to die while some primitive chants religious rites over me, Rett thought with disgust.

  With alarm, Andrew watched the fluid spread and wondered what this glaring alien thought of him. Probably not thinking any kind thoughts, Andrew wagered. I doubt I’d be thrilled if someone poured piss all over me.

  Rett lay still and gazed up at the tall pink creature above him. It may be attempting to help me in its own primitive manner, Rett thought, but it can only conjure up native rituals. A Tros would have already released the field, killed the interloper and added booty to his collection.

  Andrew grasped the canteen by the base with his least injured hand and placed a wadded piece of paper he found in his pocket into the canteen mouth. He then inverted the canteen carefully and noticed the slow dripping. Andrew then slowly pushed the plastic canteen down through the field so the canteen neck was directly over the crack in the belt control on the alien's waist. No sooner had several drops of fluid dripped or spread into the crack in the belt control than the field surged. The shock made Andrew rigid, and he was unconscious before his body realized it had slammed into the ground.

  ANDREW LEARNS TRADE

  Between moments of blackness, Andrew realized the alien was carrying him like a child might carry a rag doll under one of its arms.

  This native may actually be quite intelligent yet somewhat backward technologically, thought Rett. My associates would be fascinated by how the native used its body's saline solution to make the water conductive. My examination should prove interesting.

  Rett proceeded to critically examine Andrew's still unconscious form as he laid him on a long table in Rett's ship:

  1) The native, though not familiar with a stressed space field, quickly deduced the cause of the problem and then tried to deal with it.

  2) The native showed little fear of my body structure though it was radically different from its own.

  3) The native correctly reasoned that ferrous materials get hot when placed in a stressed space field, though it should have realized it immediately…inferior, like other races were typically.

  4) The native's liquid in the artificial container was too pure to be a good conductor to flow-magnetism. The native knew this and also knew how to make the container's fluid more conductive by adding its own body's saline waste fluid.

  Rett began to painstakingly examine Andrew's clothing. Rett started at the shoes on Andrew's feet. Soft, synthetic bottoms with simulated animal skin upper parts. Woven fibrous sheaths over the feet under the coverings... Curious... Must be to protect the native's unusually soft skin... Then using synthetic, long fasteners to hold the coverings to the feet...

  This native seems to have vestigial manipulative digits under the coverings, he thought. It's amazing that such a puny creature could have any knowledge of flow-magnetism. Hair on its head and underarms...ahh...friction reduction and cooling by evaporation or scent distribution...

  I chose this planet because it was remote and was not listed on any survey charts. There was little likelihood I would come in contact with an intelligent race nor any Exploration Service ship that could claim the discovery. No rules to obey when no one knows. Knowledge is for the ablest species, he thought in the tried and true mantras of the Tros.

  These natives are so thin and weak. Even the clothing they wear serves little purpose in this arid climate. Porous (non-seamed?) covering for its lower body half with a thin secti
on or loop of animal skin at the top to hold the bottom covering to the body…Quite an interesting fastening under the bottom covering. Here the native wore a blue, absorbent covering under the bottom covering with a stretchy band at the top. That stretchy stuff is interesting, probably some weird plant material native to this environment.

  ...hair between its legs too...these must be the reproductive organs, Rett noted...definitely the fur served for friction reduction since the legs would rug against each other and these reproductive organs…Strange that they are so exposed and outside of the body. It probably wouldn't be worth the effort to dissect this native since I'm not specialized in off-world biology...not worth cleaning up afterward. It wears thin, porous upper body coverings that extend over the arms almost to the five manipulative digits. Its hands are exceedingly fine and supple, probably capable of great detail.

  It seems to have a short layer of facial hair. It has a thin and long neck. The eyes, blue colored, are disturbingly close together. The eyes…fixed in the front of the head…the head would have to be mobile to change viewing angle…predator ...inefficient design...these eyes can change direction only when the head stem turns. The nose appears too long for preheating air in this area of the planet. A broader, flatter nose is dictated for this area's climate. It could mean these natives are or were migratory.

  A heavy growth of black hair growing on the top, back, and sides of the head…Ears are small and stationary…Teeth are frightening; omnivorous by the looks of them…Manipulative digits have vestigial claws; odd that I didn't notice that before, Rett thought...omnivore…possibly some survival adaptation. Body structure is taller and thinner than mine. Weak, but well adapted to this planet's light gravity.

  Too bad I can't take this native back with me, Rett considered. He'd probably die and spoil and I would have to stop and repressurize after a jettison…not worth the trouble.

  Now I should continue with my examination. This container of synthetic material is used to carry water. The sharpened implement found near the native's body fits into a simulated animal skin carrier attached to the waist strap. The sharp implement has a non-corrosive, ceramic handle, amazingly hard, sharp edge. The handle seems rather awkward, Rett thought, it seems to be made of some type of ceramic material…at least they have some rudimentary knowledge of ceramics. I shall not return without some trophies to present to my associates, Rett mused while examining Andrew's knife.

  Well, I might as well get rid of this interloper, Rett decided.

  What’s this? Rett spoke to himself unwittingly in his language as he pondered the device on the native's thin arm. It was uncharacteristic of a Tros to make verbal utterances when surprised. It appeared to be a device though it seemed to be almost molded to the native's arm and it was the same color as the skin. The device appeared synthetic; the width of the arm and almost three times that long with a dark, rectangular discoloration on top, covering the entire face. The device was about as thick as one half of one of the native's manipulative digits. As Rett picked up and turned Andrew's arm, he inadvertently touched the discoloration part and a small “colored,” illuminated square which activated the world financial section.

  In one of the odd-colored rectangles of the device, queer symbols began to flash. The symbols changed constantly until Rett hastily lowered the arm.

  This must be similar to the new electric timers I've heard about. This device looks large compared to what I've heard. The casing looks well worn with many small, fine scratches on its slick surface but the little pictures light up well. Must be some light source in the back that shines through glass…clever.

  In further examination of the wrist unit, Rett touched one of the discolored rectangles at the top of the unit...

  "Pulse rate sixty - Respiration twelve," said the device on Andrew's wrist in a crisp, distinct voice.

  Rett jerked his finger back but forgetting the light gravity on Earth, jumped backward a meter from Andrew's prostrate form.

  This was Rett's first experience with a solid-state, ionization effect speaker. Even though the device's speech was unintelligible in content to Rett, he knew that the device had spoken. Rett saw that the native had not moved its mouth when he heard the voice in a language foreign to him. Not having any experience with speaking computers, Rett erroneously assumed that this device was a radio. The alien assumed it was a receiver, similar but smaller than any device, he had known.

  Maybe this race isn't so backward technologically as I originally thought, Rett surmised. This race can boast this compact receiver! Rett was now confident that he had correctly puzzled out the device's function. He asked himself, What button should I touch next? These natives are clever to make these switches so pressure sensitive. These other discolored dots probably signify other preset frequencies.

  Rett took the native's knife and touched the dot just to the side of the spot he had touched before. The device did nothing. He touched another with the knife…nothing happened. He used his ‘strenking’ finger and the device responded.

  "Temperature-thirty three degrees Celsius.”

  Winds are fifteen kilometers per hour from the northwest...

  Barometric pressure-seventy six point five centimeters of mercury and steady," said the device in English. “Login to secure services.”

  Rett felt satisfied that this was simply a radio receiver. Being so confident, he pressed the larger, bright red spot on the receiver.

  "SECURE LOGIN," said the device.

  Silence from Rett.

  "State logon authorization and the information required," said the device.

  Silence from Rett, who was amused by this...radio... listening to the device, Rett thought how odd this method of transmission sounded--more like a personal conversation.

  "Are you drunk?" asked the device after another long silence.

  "Repeat the following digital sequence - (pause) seven-four-three-two-ten-six-six.

  Silence from Rett who was not aware his sobriety was even being tested.

  "Shutdown - alternate sequence in one hour," said the device.

  Though Rett tried, he could now only get a visible readout of the strange symbols (time probably). Nothing Rett did evoked any additional response from the device...probably about out of power since it was too small to have a fusion power source. Even his new small one wouldn’t fit inside this device…all that lighting and sound had probably used up its power source…clever but extremely limited usefulness.

  Obviously, this device is more than a simple receiver and merits my attention even though it must have run out of power now. It could even be almost as advanced as the mobile stressed space-field unit I constructed. How silly that thought was…clever in new ways but weak in function like the natives and the gravity. Since I have no desire to stay on this planet with its light gravity and thin atmosphere, I must not dispose of this native now. I'll learn how to operate its device first; this native is intelligent enough to know how it operates…probably… Rett thought.

  I suppose I shall need to teach the native the basic language so I may question him, Rett thought. I hope the strain of learning Trade does not drive it insane like other races do when they are placed in a restrain field and force-learned Trade. It could probably learn to understand Tros instead of Trade since Tros was a more developed language even if it couldn't speak it well. Rett proceeded to adjust the field that kept Andrew unconscious and then began to feed several of the long memory cylinders through the learning machine attached to Andrew's head.

  Rett thought, this is like the pioneers of my planet, who went out by themselves and contacted other races. Rett did not consider the captured technological 'discoveries' that had enabled his race to make a preemptive leap into space millennia ago. Nor did Rett consider the advance granted by the development of recorded speed-learning/teaching equipment that the Tros had used for the past five generations - again after learning that usage from another of those inferior races.

  Rett futilely attempted to
repair his stressed space-field control unit between cylinder changes on the learning machine. Rett finally decided he did not have the correct equipment to do the fine repair on the control device that had been damaged. Rett put his belt unit off to the side with a snort. He then proceeded to do what the Tros used for sleep, standing with eyes closed and ear twitching.

  Shortly after the learning machine switched off, Rett adjusted the restrain field so Andrew would regain consciousness.

  As the room swam into view, Andrew blinked his vision into focus and became aware of the cool metal under him. The lighting was orange tinted and oddly subdued…used a different spectrum of sunlight he guessed. Andrew turned his head to look around but from the shoulders down, his body felt like a lump of wood. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement and suddenly a face came into view.