Chapter 6

I told Matt that I needed to discuss my trading trip with him, Alan, Sue’s boss, Bill, and Sue. The six of us were in one of HS’s meeting rooms. Sue’s boss had been introduced to me, and he told me to call him Charlie.

“To start out with, I owe all of you an apology. I don’t think that anything I said to you was an outright lie, but I have not been fully truthful with you about the situation. Therefore, I apologize for what I have done, and for what I need to do in the future.

“It could take days to explain everything in detail. For now, I will give you the basics. We can discuss my situation in-depth at a later time; assuming of course you will talk to me in the future and want to know the details.

“What I need to explain is complicated, so just hear me out for I may not put things in the best sequence and it may seem like I’m jumping around in my explanation.

“I told you I was a D-Hopper and that D-Hopping was my profession. That is true, and being a trader is part of that profession. The part of that profession that I didn’t explain to you is that D-Hoppers are explorers. The D-Hopping Guild and D-Hoppers do not work directly for the Multiverse Government, but we report the worlds that we discover to the Government. Most of the worlds we find are uninhabited and thus not suitable for us to open. If the worlds are useful to the Government, then the Government uses them for the wellbeing of the Multiverse.”

Charles interrupted me and asked, “What does it mean to open a world?”

I replied, “That is complicated, Charles. Basically, it means establishing trade between the world and the Multiverse. It also means, establishing a political relationship between the Multiverse Government and the world’s government. In the case of Earth, there are multiple governments, which makes that part of the task more difficult.

“The part you need to understand now is the Multiverse is driven by commerce. In order to remain healthy, the Multiverse must continually expand its commercial markets. That means that the Multiverse needs to open new planets, and that function is performed by the D-Hopping Guild. When a D-Hopper says they are opening up a planet, it usually means that the D-Hopper has discovered a planet that has something worth trading for and they are opening the planet to trade with the Multiverse.

“What I and other D-Hoppers look for is a world that’s inhabited by a peaceful populace, has a developed commercial infrastructure, and has or needs one or more marketable products that the Multiverse has or wants. Earth is an extremely valuable find for it has several marketable items that can be sold in the Multiverse at a large profit and it needs items that are inexpensive in the Multiverse.

“When a D-Hopper finds a planet like Earth, they typically start opening the planet to trade without registering it with the Multiverse Government. This situation is ideal for the trader for they have a monopoly on the trade and do not have to provide any support to the planet and its people. Unfortunately, the situation doesn’t last. What normally happens in this type of situation is, the D-Hopper begins to establish trade and is noticed by his competition.

“There are D-Hoppers that have the ability to follow another D-Hopper through the Fourth Dimension, and this ability is called Link Hopping. Many Link Hoppers do not respect the law, and form groups that look for a D-Hopper that’s opening a new planet. When they find such a D-Hopper, they follow him back to the planet that he is opening. Once the Link Hoppers are in the unexplored parts of the Multiverse, they can do almost anything they want, without being caught and charged with the crimes they commit. Those crimes often include the murder of the D-Hopper who discovered the planet.

“Link Hoppers are interested in making a profit, and they have no concern as to what happens to the people of the planet that’s being opened. One of the worst crimes that a D-Hopper can commit is selling advanced technology to a planet that’s not sufficiently advanced to cope with the technology. Advanced technology is usually the type of merchandise that the people of the planet being opened want to buy. The most common items the Link Hoppers sell are advanced weapons, which the locals use in wars of aggression against their neighbors. The Link Hoppers also sell extremely large amounts of merchandise that’s rare on the planet, and this usually destabilizes the planet’s economy. They then use their proceeds to buy cheap merchandise that can be sold at high prices in the Multiverse. So between supporting war and destabilizing the planet’s economy, they do extreme harm to the planet and its people. Then they move on before the Multiverse Law Enforcement Agency learns of their crimes. That can take years if they are careful, and most of the time their actions go undiscovered.

“The decision to register a planet, or to not register it, is a very important decision. Not registering a planet is the easier of the two choices for the D-Hopper. By not registering the planet, he doesn’t have to provide the planet with any support and is not accountable for what happens to the planet. However, this choice is dangerous for both the D-Hopper and the people of the planet.

“Not registering a planet is the first way that a D-Hopper can open a planet. As a D-Hopper, I know what would happen to Earth if I didn’t register it with the Multiverse. Yes, it’s true that D-Hoppers who go into exploration want to make a profit. However, most of us have a conscience and do not want to bring harm to the people of the planets we visit.

“Registering a planet in the Multiverse is the second way that a D-Hopper can open a planet. What registration means is, the D-Hopper is informing the Multiverse Government that there is a planet at a specified location in the Multiverse that is a viable candidate for membership in the Multiverse, a potential Member Planet.

“However, the planet being opened must meet certain criteria for the Multiverse to accept a D-Hopper’s application to register the planet. History has shown the Government that most new planets are not ready for full membership as a Member Planet. In accepting the registration of a new planet, the Multiverse Government is accepting responsibility for protecting the planet from the less scrupulous members of Multiverse society.

“When I registered Earth with the Multiverse Government, I learned that the D-Hopper who registers the planet is the Government’s first choice for the position of Ambassador. If the D-Hopper declines the position, an alternate is appointed. The Ambassador’s job is to act as the planet’s intermediary with the Multiverse Government. In that capacity, the Ambassador decides the planet’s technological level and promotes trade in merchandise that conforms to the planet’s level of technology. What that means in practical terms is, the Ambassador is responsible for detecting traders that would violate the Multiverse’s laws of commerce and seeing that they are prevented from harming the planet.

“That’s what registration in the Multiverse means for Earth, but that’s not the entire reason I registered Earth with the Multiverse. I like Earth and its people. I plan to retire here and raise a family. When I die, I want to leave the Earth a better place for my descendants than it was when I arrived here.

“One advantage of being the Ambassador to Earth is that I can use my position to provide Earth with what it needs to survive the culture shock of its relationship with the Multiverse.

“In my professional opinion, Earth needs the Multiverse as much as the Multiverse needs Earth, so the only viable option for Earth’s survival was for me to register Earth with the D-Hopping Guild. However, there are rules and guidelines that must be complied with in registering a planet and its universe with the Guild. If a D-Hopper decides to register a planet, he must first determine if its inhabitants are compatible with Multiverse humanity and capable of adapting to the Multiverse’s culture. If they are compatible and can adapt, then the D-Hopper can register the universe and planet with the D-Hopping Guild. The D-Hopper that registers a planet is required by Multiverse Law to guide the planet and its peoples until an Ambassador has been appointed and the Ambassador is available to take over the job of guiding the planet toward membership in the Multiverse.

“Do you understand me so far, and do you have any questions regarding what I said?”

Everyone was nodding in agreement.

Sue said, “It sounds to me as if the Multiverse is taking on the role of a Protector. I don’t think that Earth needs to be protected by a group that has no idea of our social structure and culture. Why do you think we need the Multiverse to protect us?”

“Sue, you were trained on, and are familiar with, the energy rifle that you carried on our return trip. There are larger versions of that rifle that are called energy cannons. You may not like it, but we all know that the people of Earth are prone to violence. There are many third world countries on Earth that do not care for the United States and other major countries. Can you imagine what would happen if a third world country’s army had energy weapons like the one you carried, plus hundreds of energy cannons?”

“My God, they would walk over anyone that got in their path. It would be disastrous for everyone on the planet.”

“That’s right, Sue. You also need to think about what would happen to Earth’s economy. What would happen if, once a month, a D-Hopper were to sell a hundred tons each of gold, silver, and platinum here on Earth?”

“It would destroy our economy.”

“Yes, it would, Sue. I registered Earth to prevent things like that from happening to Earth. I also believe that Earth needs to apply for membership in the Multiverse, and my registering Earth was the first step in the process of Earth joining the Multiverse. However, it will be many years before Earth is ready and interested in applying for membership in the Multiverse.

“I don’t want you to think that I just randomly decided to do what I thought was best for Earth. I gave serious consideration to both the advantages and disadvantages of registration. In making my decision, I knew that I needed to determine several things before I could register Earth.

“Now as I said earlier, the Multiverse is driven by commerce. Therefore, the key factor in whether Earth is suitable for being registered in the Multiverse is, whether Earth has any commodities that are worth establishing trade to acquire, or needs commodities that we have to sell. I believe Earth has many of those commodities, and obviously the Multiverse has commodities Earth needs. Thus I took the next step in the process. That step is to determine if Earth’s people were compatible with the Multiverse’s humans and society. That step is done by introducing a sample group of people to the Multiverse, so their DNA can be tested. Then the sample group’s ability to adapt to the Multiverse’s culture is evaluated.

“That, Sue, is where you and Bill became part of the process. If you recall, I took the two of you to a medical facility when we first arrived to have you splintered. I told you that there were foods and beverages in the Multiverse that were not compatible to all of the Multiverse’s citizens, and getting splintered would ensure that you didn’t eat or drink something that would be harmful to you.”

Bill and Sue nodded their heads to indicate they recalled the event.

“Well, that’s true. However, the medical tests the medical center ran determined more than just your potential food allergies. The tests also examined your DNA to determine your physical compatibility with the rest of Multiverse’s population. In order for Earth to join the Multiverse there has to be at least an eighty-five percent compatibility match, and your DNA was ninety-eight percent compatible.

“The one thing remaining for me to determine was could the two of you adapt to the Multiverse’s culture. I did that by exposing you to aspects of the Multiverse culture that are alien to your native culture. I monitored your reactions and evaluated your attitudes.

“When I showed you the Companion Menu, which is actually called a Pleasure Companion Menu, at our hotel, you weren’t interested in having a Pleasure Companion join you in bed. However, you were not totally disgusted by or opposed to the idea. To me, Slave World was to be the main test of your adaptability. The people of Earth have a very strong aversion to slavery. I explained the primary rationale behind slavery in the Multiverse to you. You didn’t agree with everything I said, but you at least accepted it as part of life in the Multiverse. Our visit didn’t go as I intended, but it turned out that the circumstances made a better test than I had hoped for.”

Bill and Sue were both blushing at the recollection of their experiences on Slave World. Matt, Alan, and Charlie were looking at them and me with curious expressions on their faces. I wasn’t sure what there was about that experience that would cause them to blush. Maybe they had turned their experience into some type of sex game.

“Our experiences during our trip indicated to me that given time, the people of Earth would be able to adapt to the Multiverse’s culture. If you recall, I left you with my parents for a while when we got back to Vora. While I was gone, I went to the D-Hopping Guild and filled out the paperwork to register Earth and its universe with the Guild. I then took the papers to the Guild Master. I talked with him about the planet and my rationale for registering Earth with the Guild. After answering many questions, the Guild Master decided that registering Earth was appropriate, and he accepted the registration papers on behalf of the Multiverse Government.

“Before he accepted the registration papers, he told me that Earth was not ready for Provisional Multiverse Membership. He told me that Earth would only be granted Limited Provisional Multiverse Membership at this time. We then discussed my guiding Earth so it would be able to attain full Multiverse Membership. When I agreed to do so, he declared me to be the Multiverse’s Ambassador to Earth with all the responsibilities, powers, and privileges that go with the appointment. I knew that an Ambassador would be appointed, but I had not expected that Ambassador to be me.”

I stopped my explanation at that point and waited for a response. Bill and Sue had been the most involved with me of the five, and took the longest to evaluate what I said. Charlie had no prior knowledge of me, so he didn’t know what to think. Alan had a confused look on his face, and kept his mouth shut. Matt recovered the quickest.

Matt looked at the other four, and then said, “You confused me, Doug. You said that registration is not an application for membership, but you also said the Guild Master gave us Limited Provisional Multiverse Membership. It sounds as if you already committed Earth to joining the Multiverse even if we don’t want to join.”

“No, Matt. The title is what we assign a potential Member Planet before it applies for membership. It gives the planet a legal standing, and a recognizable place in our hierarchy of planets that equates to potential member that is to be accorded protection and support.”