Chapter 2

“First of the morning to you, Relpt. I see that once again we are having Thelpt and Chort for First Meal.”

“Yeah, we always have Thelpt and Chort for First Meal, Vert. I wish they would add a bit of Delve to it occasionally for some variation.”

“True, but I happen to like my Thelpt and Chort plain. What Explorer Leader Thelt says is also true. It’s nutritious, filling, and cheap. You know how Delve makes me bloat. We girls can’t have our figures bulge like that or the men won’t be interested in us.”

“I know and agree, Vert, but I get tired of plain Thelpt and Chort.”

“Relpt, do you recall the conversation we had a while back about Explorer Gletb being found guilty of negligence and inexcusable loss of ship’s property.”

“Yeah, the last I heard the Exploration Council and Supreme Commander Klatht were trying to decide how to punish him. Did they reach a decision?”

“Sort of, Relpt. He has to be the luckiest Explorer in Altair’s Exploration Force. Supreme Planetary Leader Hardt was reviewing his case, when his Zldat intervened.”

“That’s unusual. The Sticks don’t normally interfere in matters related to us People.”

“I know, Relpt, that’s why Gletb is so lucky. Hardt’s Zldat is a detached member of the Royal Zldat Council. When Hardt was reviewing Gletb’s memory scan, his Zldat demanded that Gletb and Ship Commander Shimlt be brought to it immediately so it could confirm what it saw in the memory scan.

“One other thing, Relpt, stop calling them Sticks around me. Zldats can’t help being rigid and stick-like. If I was a Zldat, I’d use my persuasive powers to get a biological person to be my Bearer. Besides, from what I’ve heard, they take very good care of the people who agree to serve them as Bearers.”

“I know. You’ve asked me that before, but it just seems to occasionally slip out. However, you have to admit that Zldats being the only non-biological race in the Empire is very strange. And don’t forget that many of us don’t see much difference between a Zldat using its persuasive powers to get us People to voluntarily do something and a Zldat forcing us to serve them.

“But, I promise I’ll try to remember to not call them Sticks around you, Vert. Hardt’s Zldat becoming interested in Gletb doesn’t sound like good news to me. I know you said he was lucky, but it sounds as if Gletb is really in trouble now.”

“Actually, the opposite is true, Relpt. When Hardt’s Zldat looked at Gletb’s memory scan, it found that the Zldat that he took with him and lost had actually compelled him to take it off the ship. His memory of losing the Zldat was a false memory that the Zldat placed in his mind. Hardt’s Zldat looked at Commander Shimlt’s memory scan also. It discovered that she didn’t forget to conduct the ship’s property inventory, either. The Zldat compelled her to not conduct the survey.”

“That is crazy, Vert. Why would a Zldat do something like that?”

“You know Zldats. They only tell you what they want you to know, and when they want something, everyone does the best they can to satisfy the Zldats. That includes people who are not under their influence.

“Now, if rumor is correct, Relpt, the Zldat that Gletb took off the ship is the First Offspring of the Supreme Royal Zldat. Hardt’s Zldat recognized the First Offspring from Gletb’s memories. Although, they all look just about the same to me. I need to see them side-by-side to see any differences. Anyway, Hardt’s Zldat sent word of what had happened to the Supreme Royal Zldat’s First Minister.

“All of the charges have been dropped. Everyone will know that Gletb is not responsible for losing the Zldat and Ship Commander Shimlt is not to blame for not conducting the inventory; but, it’s still viewed as a mark on her record. According to the Rumor Conduit, Supreme Commander Klatht has decided that Shimlt should be given the opportunity to remove that stain from her record by allowing her to retrieve the First Offspring from the world Gletb left her on.”

“Oh hell, Vert, I don’t like Time Distortion. It makes me sick; and the further back we Time Distort, the sicker I get. Our last trip to that planet made me sick for almost three days.”

“I know, Relpt. It affects me the same way and I was sick even longer than you were. However, the good thing about the Mission is that we don’t have to make as large of a Time Distortion. The Supreme Royal Zldat decided that maybe his First Offspring will learn a lesson if she has to spend a long time alone on a planet like that one.

“We are to proceed to that galaxy and return with the First Offspring without the use of large Time Distortion shift. It’s going to be a long, boring Mission, Relpt.”

“That may be true, Vert, but with Commander Shimlt being returned to command, we don’t have to break in a new Commander.”

“I agree, Relpt, that is a relief. But, there is one thing that’s bothering me about all of this. Does anyone know why the First Offspring stowed away on our ship, as if she was just a common Zldat?”

“Why ask me that, Vert? I didn’t know anything about this situation, until you told me about it. Besides, why does it matter?”

“Well, you know how stubborn an average Zldat can be, Relpt. The First Offspring may have had what she felt were good reasons for going with us and for staying on that planet. If the First Offspring still feels that her reasons are valid, she may not want to come back with us. If that happens, what are we going to do? Reasoning with a stubborn Zldat is useless, and using force against a Royal Zldat is not conducive to a long career or a pleasant life. And, don’t forget that the Rumor Conduit has it that she is an exceptionally stubborn Zldat.”

A loud buzz causes the two Explorers to check their communications tablets. After acknowledging receipt of the message, they learn they had to immediately report to the Patrol Group’s briefing room.

Vert says, “Well, it looks like Ship Commander Shimlt is wasting no time. Explorer Leader Thelt wants us in the Patrol Group’s briefing room now.

“I hate rushing through my Thelpt and Chort, Relpt. I almost always get indigestion when I do that. But, it’s a long time until Second Meal. Let’s eat and run. Maybe the others will be even later than we are.”