Chapter 7: Market Day

A’Udree and T’Bwinkel joining Caleb’s Grand Tour added more than one new dimension. The young AI keyed in on the youngsters aboard Cheval Jaune – predictable – but T’Bwinkel’s long experience as a trader put her right in Rust Bucket’s wheelhouse. Before leaving Rukbat, she and R’Stbkt spent hours reminiscing and telling of their adventures. Though entertaining, their long discussions had a purpose, a goal. For the AI, her experience in trade was far more significant than that of a politician, and during one late-night session, he proclaimed, <The Market Place; definitely the Market Place!>

In the morning, Michael had boarded Cheval Jaune with T’Bwinkel and two of Caleb’s mothers. The quartet made its way to the wardroom where the entire ship’s contingent waited. After the usual greetings, the gathering took seats as T’Bwinkel walked to the front. She nodded to Michael and began, “Your son took your advice and asked me to confer with R’Stbkt to develop an itinerary for his Grand Tour. We’ve decided on the first stop, all others will develop from there.”

“While Helva and Bunte Kuh were involved in extractions from a place called Vietnam, S’Rndult T’Blssut and Captain Vivie teleported me aboard what is known as a dragon boat. As a trader, I am most grateful for the experience of seeing a human’s floating market. That brought back pleasant memories of one of the Confederacy’s stellar markets. We call it Trd’Ya. I recommend it will be our first stop.”

“Why a market you might ask?” she queried rhetorically. “Most of the Confederacy members are paranoid about contact with other species, while others who are more adventurous are nevertheless fearful and don’t want their home worlds’ location known. These fearful beings still need the benefits of trade, hence there’s a floating market where we won’t stick out like a wounded digit. Did I say that right? Sore thumb? At Trd’Ya, we can get a feel for our possible receptions elsewhere, and maybe be invited somewhere.”

“A market? We have a lot to trade,” Dora chimed in over a speaker. “Physical samples, templates, music, art ... Lots!”

“Indeed,” T’Bwinkel responded. “and don’t forget kittens...”

Hobbes was a unique cat, but then they all are. Just ask any individual of the feline persuasion. BUT, Hobbes was a budded AI from Dora who wanted to reward R’Stbkt with a companion for looking after her family, her son, so she budded a piece of herself – her programming.

It could be debated if Hobbes was ‘born’ wakened. Dora had close experience with several cats, but because her sister-wife’s cat was her first, she chose the personality of Baby. Hobbes was a gift to Rust Bucket, so the software was embedded in that entity’s mobile unit, but had access to Cheval Jaune’s systems.

Hobbes soon established himself as a ‘he.’ Unlike the hologram images of other AIs, Hobbes didn’t pop in and out of existence. He consistently maintained his persona, but admitted to no barriers or other limitations. Bright blue eyes would look out of bulkheads followed by his bright tiger-striped head as he entered a cabin, announcing himself with “blert!”

Pixel, Cheval Jaune’s ship’s cat, might have been jealous. Instead, the two became a pair, strutting through the ship together, playing chase – cat things. Then, based on Marcie’s request, Dora created virtual butterflies for Hobbes and Pixel to chase.

Hobbes delighted all aboard Cheval Jaune and it was quickly recognized that virtual cats and kittens would likely make excellent trade goods. But, there was a dilemma. Full Tu’ull AIs could not be sold or traded, especially one that was wakened or possibly could be. Caleb suggested a solution that was quickly adopted, and Dora quickly repurposed a series of buds from the limited capacity AIs used to ‘drive’ food replicators. These were given randomly generated cat and kitten personalities and stored until needed.

Trd’Ya was a sphere something over two (Earth measurement) AUs in diameter. It had no sun, no planets, and minimal debris. It was a locus in nothing-space agreed to by Confederacy traders. Most traders tended to cluster ‘near’ a small wheel-spoked station in the center.

Over generations of use, a lattice sphere of portals and control nexuses evolved to facilitate the equivalent of shallow port lightering anchorages. Twelve ‘docking points,’ each with a nexus, were located at the maximum portal functioning distance of 402,000 km from the station and any other. A nexus could serve any number of satellite portals. Physical objects could be traded from one linked portal to another, or (for a fee) from a portal to the station and then on to another portal. From the sphere of nexuses, another sphere of portals extended an additional 402,000 km from the station.

Other trader’s paired portals, for a variety of reasons, were scattered throughout Trd’Ya’s volume – some even farther outside – some linked to the lattice.

To facilitate communications and trade, repeaters hooked to transporters were located out to fifty AUs. In its beginning, each trader was required to bring and install at least a control nexus and two portals as part of the initial cost of trading there. Most traders parked near their own portals and traded using the transporters. In this way, physical contact or proximity could be avoided by the shy and the xenophobic. With the coming of replicators, trade of physical objects greatly diminished, and were replaced by replicator templates

Cheval Jaune’s quiet arrival at Trd’Ya caused no ripples of concern, apparently because of the broadcast Tu’ull identifier and the known trader AI, R’Stbkt. Similarly, Pink Panther, ‘captained’ by the renowned Bb’Str T’Bwinkel made a peaceful approach. This latter might not have been so smooth had not the Tu’ull convinced Norma Bates that a stranger blasting out music might not be the best way to inspire trust and confidence among the traders present.

Aboard both arriving ships, everyone was awake and watching, first the sensors, and then as they approached the gathering of traders, the view screens.

<You will note, > R’Stbkt pointed out, <there’s only a small station at the center. Most traders are reluctant to leave their ships for any length of time, and accommodating the variety of environmental needs would require a larger facility than is economically justified. Trades are typically templates, small physical quantities, or intellectual property. Replicators definitely changed trading in the Confederacy.>

“So why is the station even there?” Shellie asked aloud.

<Those abominable slavers!> R’Stbkt was clearly agitated by the idea. <The Krathees’ economy is based on enslaving other species. They call it indentures, but any being coming out on the back end of a Krathees’ contract is, to all practical purposes, a slave. Many years ago, when trade diminished because of replicators, only one species was interested in operating Trd’Ya. The Krathees bought the Trd’Ya contract and took over the station, ostensibly to run as a small repair and refueling facility, which they do, using their indentures. They also collect a fee in ‘credits’ for any trades conducted using their transporter system. BUT the real reason they have the station is to trade their slaves!>

“That’s awful!” Shellie exclaimed. “Why does the Confederacy permit that travesty?”

<There isn’t much we can do except refuse to enter into their contracts and advise the unwary not to contract with them, > T’Bwinkel responded. <A high number of the local indentures were forced to deal with them when they ran short of fuel or consumables – sometimes they had mechanical problems. Occasionally, some accumulate too many ‘credits’ that they can’t pay. The Krathees’ system works because stocking provisions for every contingency isn’t economically feasible outside the station, and no member of the Confederacy can use violence to revolt or escape.>

<Towards the last half of my trading career, it became a bigger problem, because owning ‘foreign’ indentures became a Krathees status symbol as well as an economic advantage, > R’Stbkt explained.

“And contracts being sacred,” T’Bwinkel added. “The Krathees were the worst of the unresolved headaches during my tenure on the Tu’ull ruling council. At least until the arrival of the Dangerous Ones.”

Shellie burst out, “You surely recognize that the Darjee are slavers, too. What’s the difference between Krathees’ indefinite indentures and Darjee’s required human concubines?” She muttered, “There’s gotta be a way!” and began humming Battle Hymn of the Republic.

<Incoming message for her highness, C’Strtd T’Bwinkel, > A’Udree made known throughout both ships. <A P’Ukerrchp named F’Kduvr on the ship Sulf’ubuze wants to offer a trade. Its speech is so slow, I’ll put it on a screen and speed it up for you.>

After a short interval, screens on both ships showed an orange and green striped Earthat sloth, or so it appeared. “Greetings, C’Strtd T’Bwinkel. We have kittens to trade. You have cats?” F’Kduvr inquired.

“I’m no longer C’Strtd,” T’Bwinkel answered, “I’m now a simple Bb’Str. Unfortunately, we have no cats to trade and no way to get any acquired kittens to customers before they mature.” She switched into high-octane trader mode and dangled her bait, “We do have authentic feline simulations, but they have no substance – no warmth – so I fear they have no interest for the P’Ukerrchp. But you took some samples of the human music when you were last in the Tu’ullat system. We have more and a wider variety...”

It seemed to take forever for a response from F’Kduvr. The P’Ukerrchps’ mental process was very fast, but their bodies moved slowly. T’Bwinkel waited patiently for its reply. “Yes, some of that music stuff met with a little success. Perhaps I could take more and see if it sells. If the price were right, I might accept a few of your feline simulations. You are quite right, warm is important to most P’Ukerrchp, but there are a fastidious few – very few – who might find unique simulations preferable.”