Opening Earth Part 1
Chapter 2

Copyright© 2014 by REP

Science Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 2 - I didn't start out to create a harem, but I soon had more pretty, sexually needy, young women in my home than I could handle. I was a Multiverse Trader who was opening Earth to trade with the Multiverse. The people of Earth would say I was plundering Earth. They would be right by Earth standards. Homeland Security arrested me and learned I was from another planet. The US Government decided to use me for their purposes; I decided to use the government for my purposes.

Caution: This Science Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa   Ma/ft   Consensual   Romantic   Slavery   Heterosexual   Fiction   Science Fiction   Space   MaleDom   Group Sex   Orgy   Polygamy/Polyamory   Interracial   White Male   First   Safe Sex   Oral Sex   Anal Sex   Masturbation   Petting   Slow  

One of the biggest problems that a D-Hopper has when he opens a new planet is his competition. ’Link-Hoppers’ are one of the risks that successful, independent D-Hoppers have to deal with. They can follow you when you hop, and you won’t know they are following you until you get to where you are going. Then it’s too late to lose them.

When I became an independent D-Hopper, I made a series of rules for myself to prevent my competition from finding a planet that I was opening. These rules are standard policy for most D-Hoppers that go exploring.

The first rule is to always travel through Home Universe when going from the object planet, to another destination, or returning to the planet. With the number of D-Hoppers resident on the planets of Home Universe, I can easily lose myself in the crowd before hopping to my next destination.

The remaining rules are to approach Home Universe from different vectors, leave Home Universe on different vectors, and arrive at different planets within Home Universe. In other words, avoid creating departure and arrival patterns. By following these rules, any Link-Hopper that monitors me, will not be able to determine even the general direction in which my destination is located.

I also had several evasive diversions that I used during my early trips between Earth and the Multiverse. I created these diversions myself, and may need to use them in the future, so I will not describe them.

When I first arrived on Earth, I happened to select an arrival location in the United States. The main problems I faced were I could not speak any of Earth’s languages, I had no local currency, and I knew no one who could help me become established.

A D-Hopper expects these problems when they first arrive on a new planet, and the D-Hopping University trained us to cope with them. I experienced these types of difficulties on the planets that I had visited in the past, so I had some experience in overcoming them.

D-Hoppers, who go into exploration, prepare and carry an ’explorer’s backpack’. At the start of a trip, my backpack contained a twelve-week supply of concentrated foods. It wasn’t haute cuisine, but it would sustain life. There was also a selection of merchandise that could be sold in local markets, once I could speak a little of the language. Learning the language was the first thing I needed to do, but in order to do that, I needed a friend.

I located a place where I could sit and observe Earth’s inhabitants, and listen to their speech. You can learn a lot about how people communicate just by watching their body language. I learned the basic body motions for ’Yes’ and ’No’, and I learned the words that went with the motions. From there, I learned a little bit of the language by making brief contacts with people until I located Slim.

I suppose you could say Slim was my first friend on Earth. He helped me to learn English, mostly basic words and phrases that would enable me to get a room and a meal. Slim also helped me to sell some of the trade items that I had in my backpack. I think my trade goods supported Slim and me for almost six months, while I learned the English language.

I was only on Earth for about a week when I made a very serious mistake. Slim offered me a can of soda pop. I swallowed one mouthful and promptly passed out. When I woke up, I was disoriented and Slim had me sip more of that drink and I passed out again. When I woke up again, Slim gave me water to drink. When my head cleared, I talked with Slim and realized that he had given me a drink that was very high in sugar, and that I was now a sugar addict.

One of the first things I learned about Earth’s people is, they are all full-blown sugar addicts. It took me over two months of trial and error to condition my body to tolerate sugar. I should mention that when I say sugar, I am referring to sucrose, which is the common form of sugar on Earth. The other forms of sugar do not bother the people of the Multiverse.

The average Multiverse citizen can only tolerate extremely weak sucrose solutions. Ingesting pure sugar, or something with a high concentration of sugar, will turn the person into a sugar addict. Sugar addicts require a continual supply of sucrose, but that form of sugar is rare in the Multiverse. Because of that, it’s extremely expensive. Sugar addicts cannot be cured, and they suffer side effects from their addiction. If they do not receive a supply of sucrose, their body deteriorates and they die. The sugar substitute that they give addicts only delays the inevitable.

I was getting low on trade goods and had an idea of what was valuable on Earth. I made a trip back to Home Universe to resupply myself with suitable trade goods. That trip was the first trading hop I made from Earth. I carried eight ten-pound bags of granulated sugar in my backpack.

My first order of business on my arrival on Vora was to visit my parents and pay my respects. Stan and Marsha are close representations of their actual names.

When I first got home, the first thing I heard was my Dad shouting, “Doug! When did you get back?”

“I just arrived, Dad. Where’s Mom?”

“She’s at the office. I came home to pick up some papers that I need for a client. Drop your things in your room, and come down to the office with me. Your Mom will never let me hear the end of it, if she doesn’t get to see you right away.”

“Sure. Just give me a few minutes to freshen up, and I’ll be ready to go.”

I dropped my backpack in my room and locked the door. Then I made a quick trip to the bathroom, and took a moment to comb my hair. That was all I needed. We went out and got into the hover car, and Dad headed to the office.

I should explain that the office was actually part of the warehouse where we stored specialty woods before shipping them to our customers. Our warehouse was just one of the locations on Vora where the family stored the wood we ordered for a customer until it could be shipped to the customer.

Dad said, “I noticed you locked the bedroom door. Is there anything I need to know about the contents of your backpack?”

“Not really, Dad. I found an extremely valuable planet that I am going to open. One of its very common and inexpensive commodities is sugar. I brought about eighty pounds of sugar home with me. I would not want someone to be accidentally exposed to it, and become a sugar addict.”

“You left eighty pounds of sugar in our house! My god, that’s a fortune! Aren’t you afraid someone might break in and steal it?”

“No. First of all, no one but you knows it’s there. If some unauthorized person enters the house, they deserve whatever happens to them.

“Secondly, it only cost me seventy two dollars to buy it. You have to remember, I’m a D-Hopper now. I buy low and sell high. I should net over a million dollars for that seventy two dollars of sugar. Before I go back, I’ll buy eighty pounds of platinum for about eleven grand. On Earth, I’ll get about one-point-six million for it.”

Dad was landing in the parking lot when he said, “It sounds as if my son is making progress in his new profession. I hope you know the family misses you. We were looking forward to working with you; but I guess you’re going to make out better, financially, as a D-Hopper.”

Dad slipped me into the office and over to Mom’s desk without her seeing me. He stepped up beside her and motioning to me, he said, “Marsha, you have a visitor.”

“Doug! Oh my god! It’s been so long that we were worried something had happened to you. Let me look at you. You look pale and skinny. How’s your health? Why didn’t you come home and visit sooner?”

Dad interrupted, “Marsha, give the boy a chance. He can’t answer you if you keep asking questions.”

Mom looked back at me and I said, “Everything is fine, Mom, and I’m in good health. I found a new planet, and I found a friend. It’s taken me a long time to learn enough of the language to get around.”

Mom’s smile lit up the room, “How long can you stay?”

“Well, I don’t have to be back by any specific time. My friend Slim said he would be at our hotel for at least a month, so I’m not in a hurry. I have some trade goods that I want to sell, and I need to take care of some banking and investment business. Other than that, I’m all yours for a week.”

My brothers and sisters were serving their apprenticeship in a neighboring town under an uncle, so I didn’t get to see them that night. I spent the night with my parents and we talked late into the evening catching up on what we had been doing since my last visit.

I told my parents that I had located and was opening a new planet and it had several very valuable commodities. I let Mom know that I was carrying sugar to sell. I would have given my parents several pounds for their personal use, but uncut sugar is highly addictive in the Multiverse. While it’s not exceptionally dangerous, unless ingested, special handling is required until the sugar is properly diluted.

The next day I made an appointment to meet an independent trade agent. My parents had recommended that I use Carol Matts. She was a reasonably attractive woman in her early fifties.

I walked into her office and said, “Missus Matts, I am Doug Smith. My parents, Stan and Marsha Smith, recommended you to me. I am a D-Hopper and in need of an Independent Trade Agent.”

Author’s Note: Yes, I know Smith is not their name, but using my assumed name makes sense, since you can’t pronounce their real name or read Trade Speak.

“Oh, yes. Stan commed me yesterday to find out if I would be interested in a new client, and he told me a bit about you.”

“Yes, he mentioned that to me. Before we get into the specifics of what I have to trade, I would like to go over your fee structure.”

Carol handed me a printout that defined her services, and the fee for each service. After looking it over, I decided her fees were reasonable. She agreed to represent me, and we entered into a long-term confidentiality agreement.

“Now that the formalities are out of the way, Doug, what can I do for you today?”

“I am in the process of opening a new planet. Today I have eighty pounds of pure uncut sugar that I would like to sell. I would like to obtain a Letter of Introduction to a local sugar trader. I would also like to purchase some platinum, so I want a Letter of Introduction to a local metals trader, also.”

Author’s Note: In the Multiverse, a Letter of Introduction is a legal document, which states that the issuing agent is placing their customer in the hands of a specified trade agent. It also establishes a legal agreement between the two agents. If the specified agent accepts the Letter, they are agreeing to treat that customer in a fair and honest manner. The penalty for failing to fulfill the agreement can be as severe as a fine, plus banishment from the Trading Guild. All reputable trading agents in the Multiverse belong to the Trading Guild and the majority of the Multiverse’s trade goes through the hands of Guild members. Loss of Guild membership can financially destroy the trade agent and possibly his trade agency and the reputation of its other agents, as well!

“That’s no problem, Doug. You do realize that you can get better prices by hopping to Spice World and Metal World.”

“Yes, but I would prefer to not have to spend the additional time that that would require.”

Carol excused herself so she could prepare my Letters of Introduction. Before she started that, I also asked her if she could provide me with a list of readily available, inexpensive trade goods that could be easily carried in a backpack.

Author’s Note: At the university, we had been taught that we could get in trouble by making bulk sales of merchandise, if the sale destabilized the marketplace. The recommended procedure was to keep the amount of rare merchandise small until you could determine how much could be sold at one time without adversely affecting the market. The suggested amount to sell was no more than you could carry on your person.

After giving me two data chips containing the Letters I requested, we discussed the general types of merchandise I was willing to handle, and she cut a data chip that provided me with a listing of valuable merchandise, its grading criteria, and the average approved price quoted by the respective trade guilds during the past three months.

Author’s Note: In the Multiverse, each Trade Guild is responsible for one or more types of merchandise. The Trade Guild defines the grading criteria of the merchandise and sets the approved price for each grade. Trade Agents and their customers use the Guild’s approved prices as a guide when buying and selling merchandise.

Sugar is classified as a seasoning in the Multiverse, so Carol contacted a local Spice and Herb Guild agent. She described the merchandise I had for sale and indicated the quantity to the agent. They negotiated a price of 1.43 million for the sugar, assuming the weight was accurate and the sugar was 99.999% pure. She also arranged for her commission to be paid directly to her by the agent from my sale price. Carol set up an appointment for me for just before lunch. She contacted a local metals trade agent letting them know that I wanted to purchase about eighty pounds of platinum, and negotiated a price for me. We left the time of the appointment open, since I wasn’t certain when I would be able to meet with the agent.

When my business with her was complete, I gave Carol my financial data chip and we transferred her transaction fees to her financial data chip. Her commissions would be paid to her by the Trade Agents. Carol was quite willing to go the extra mile, as the Earth saying goes, to have me as a satisfied customer. Very large fortunes can be made by those who are involved in opening a new planet, and her future commissions on my trades could be sizable. As I departed Carol’s office, I let her know that if my business went smoothly I planned to use her for all of my future trading ventures.

Note: An Independent Trade Agent’s commission is the sum of the standard commission and a ‘bonus commission’. For the standard commission, the agent and customer agree upon a percentage of the actual sale or purchase price. They also agree on the percentage rate of the ‘bonus commission’. The bonus commission is only paid when selling, if the negotiated sale price is above the price recommended by the guild; or when buying, if the purchase price is less than that recommended by the guild.

I left Carol’s office and went directly to the sugar agent’s office. I had to wait for him to finish with another client, but once I was seated in his office, our business went smoothly and quickly. We took the sugar to his lab where it was weighed and tested for quality. Within an hour of my arrival, I was headed to my bank with a guaranteed funds data chip containing 1.2 million dollars. The quality was slightly lower than expected, but the weight was slightly higher than I estimated.

At my bank, I deposited all of the chip’s funds into my bank account, and obtained enough cash to pay for my day-to-day expenses for the next week. I stopped at the bank’s accounting department to let them know the financial details of the sugar sale and give them my copy of the sale’s paperwork.

I had been dealing with this bank for several years and had found that their accounting group saved me more money when it came time to pay my planetary taxes than a commercial tax accountant. At my request, the accounting department recommended an investment counselor and they made an appointment for me.

I had enough time for lunch before my appointment at the investment counselor’s office. I found a sandwich bar near the counselor’s office and ordered the daily special, which turned out to be a bowl of soup and a sandwich.

I arrived at the counselor’s office a little early and relaxed in his waiting room until he returned from his lunch. After completing a confidentiality agreement, I told the counselor that I was a D-Hopper, and we discussed the types of investments that I would be interested in making. I gave my financial data chip to him and we decided on how much money I should invest in each of the investments he recommended. We transferred the money I wanted to invest from my bank to his company’s bank.

Before leaving his office, I completed the paperwork necessary for appointing my parents to act as my agents. My parents and I anticipated that they would need to expend a significant amount of time tracking my investments, so I had made a financial arrangement with them for handling my investments.

My day had been a bit tiring, so I decided to defer purchasing the platinum until later. I decided to do a bit of personal shopping instead of going directly to my parent’s home. I had decided that the persona I wanted to project on Earth was one of wealth and power. Gold and diamonds are very plentiful and cheap in the Multiverse, but expensive on Earth, so I decided that I would buy myself several elaborate gold chains to wear around my neck and several diamond rings for my hands.

I wandered through the commercial district looking for a jewelry store that handled high quality costume jewelry. I finally found one that stocked mass produced jewelry. I located three heavy gold chains that complimented each other and almost exactly the type of ring that I wanted. I wasn’t very happy with the ring’s style, but I would become accustomed to it in time. The stone was a clear, flawless, rectangular, 12-carat diamond that gave off lots of sparkle. I liked it, and for mass produced jewelry, the workmanship was excellent. I was almost ready to leave when I saw a second ring that really grabbed my attention. It had a brilliant red, 3-carat, faceted rectangular stone, mounted in a platinum setting. On each side of the red stone was a similarly shaped and faceted clear bluish green stone of about 2-carats. The light scintillating off the three stones really grabbed your attention. My total cost for the five items was under a hundred dollars.

It was the busy time of the year for my parents, so we weren’t able to visit during the day. My parents had arranged with my uncle for my siblings to visit, so a couple of days later I had the chance to visit with them. I told them about some of my D-Hopping experiences and opening up a new world; and they were enthusiastic over their new professions. They told me a great deal about the different woods that they were buying and selling. I told them that I would bring them some sample chips of the common and exotic woods of Earth the next time I visited.

My week at home was over, so I let my parents know that I would stop in the next time I hopped into the neighborhood and we said our goodbyes. I had stored my costume jewelry in my backpack when I had returned home. I didn’t want to be seen in the Multiverse wearing cheap costume jewelry.

I was ready to return to Earth, so I went straight to the office of the metals trade agent. I caught him at a good time, so we were able to conclude my business, quickly. I left with eighty pounds of platinum in my backpack.

The next day, I said goodbye to my parents and returned to Earth.


After reaching Earth, I discussed selling the platinum with Slim. The amount that I had to sell surprised him, and it took him awhile to recover.

“Doug, me boy, you have a veritable fortune in that backpack of yours. We need to do two things. First of all, you need to open a bank account, and secondly you need to sell the platinum.

“To open a bank account requires an ID. If we try to get you ID through the normal channels, the government will get involved. For people like us, that would be a disaster. I know a man who can get you a driver’s license and a Social Security card. You will also want to sell off your bullion through several different dealers, in small amounts. They and banks are required to report large transactions to the government.”

“Thanks, Slim. I want you to have a share of my profits for helping me.”

Slim helped me sell a small amount of platinum, and I took the proceeds in cash. I used the cash to pay for the driver’s license and SSA card that Slim’s friend had gotten for me. From what I know now, I suspect Slim’s friend was a forger who made the license and card for me. With those documents, I went to a bank and opened a checking and savings account. Slim told me that we would go to several banks and open at least a checking and savings account at each bank.

“Slim, why do I need so many accounts?”

“Doug, you need to stay off of the government’s radar. They have many different ways of finding people like you and me. If they find you or get on your trail, they will be a major pain in the ass for you.

“Banks are required to report transactions of ten thousand dollars or more. If you keep each transaction to about eight or nine grand, they won’t have to file a mandatory report. We will need to devise a way to explain your income to your bullion buyers and the banks.”

Over the next ten days, Slim and I opened bank accounts at fifteen different banks.

We told the bullion buyers that we had located an old wooden sailing ship off the New Jersey shore, and when we explored it, we found a large amount of bullion. We informed them the ship was in deep water, so our dive time was limited, and we could only bring up a small amount of bullion every few days. We made sure that we let them know that we were trying to keep the government from learning about our discovery, because they might finagle some way to claim our find.

“Doug, I had some trouble with the government a while back with some of their financial laws. I’m not what you would call a very honest man. I can smell a crooked dealer a mile away, and the bullion dealers we are dealing with are crooks. However, they are our kind of crooks. They know there is something wrong with our story, so they are giving us less than full value for the bullion. But in exchange, they are not reporting us to the government.”

Selling eighty pounds of bullion in small amounts and depositing the proceeds is not as easy as it sounds. Slim and I were both selling the bullion. I gave him a cut of the profits, and deposited my checks in my different bank accounts. Slim advised me to use their automatic teller machines so my face wasn’t well known around the bank.

“Doug, I was thinking about things the other day. The banks are going to question you making so many large deposits over time. I believe you need a cover story to explain these deposits. I decided that you should create the persona of a bullion buyer who purchases bullion from private sellers.

“We will call your business Smith’s Bullion Buyers. Use your main account for most of the business deposits and withdrawals. Periodically go to the bank and withdraw a large amount of cash. Talk with the teller during the transaction, and let them know that your customers prefer to be paid in cash for the bullion they sell you, but don’t make them suspicious by being too obvious about it.

“We can use the cash for living expenses and you can give me my share in cash.”

I was able to sell the platinum for a net profit of one point seven million dollars. I would have to pay taxes here on Earth, but at least I would not be double taxed. In the Multiverse, you always pay taxes on the planet where you sell the merchandise.

Slim and I had been selling bullion for almost six months and I had completed twelve trading trips. Every time I sold bullion to a dealer, I got a bank check. I felt very uncomfortable with all that money on nothing more than a flimsy piece of paper. It could easily be lost, stolen, or destroyed. I prefer the security and simplicity of financial and guaranteed funds data chips.

Note: In the Multiverse, except for small cash purchases, financial data chips are used for all financial transactions, and there are three types of financial data chips.

A bank data chip, which is issued by a bank, is the most commonly used data chip. This type of data chip contains the owner’s banking information. It is used to transfer money between two bank accounts and identification of the individuals involved in a transaction is required.

A second type of financial data chip is the general funds data chip. This data chip is normally used like cash or a credit card for making purchases of merchandise. Funds are transferred between the two data chips, and identification of the individuals involved in the transaction is not required.

The guaranteed funds data chip is normally used for high value transactions. The funds can only be transferred between two guaranteed funds data chips and the identity of the buyer and seller must to be confirmed. It can also be used whenever the identity of the individuals involved in a transaction is required.

The user of the data chips is responsible for ensuring that there is an adequate balance in their bank account to complete transactions. They are also responsible for periodically visiting a branch office of their bank and ensuring their data chips are updated with the bank’s current financial data. The process used to update the data chip is not described here.

To make a transaction, the seller and buyer insert their data chips in the respective data chip reader ports, and enter the amount of the transaction using the keypad. The data reader checks that the buyer’s data chip has adequate funds for the transaction.

For a transaction between two general funds data chips, when the Transaction Approved light comes on, the buyer and seller press and hold their respective Transact buttons. The Transaction Complete light comes on to signify that the funds were transferred between the two data chips and the transaction is complete.

For a transaction between two bank data chips or between two guaranteed funds data chips, when the Transaction Approved light comes on, the individuals involved in the transaction ensure that their splinters are within range of the splinter readers, and then press and hold their respective Transact buttons. When the Transaction Complete light comes on, the transaction details and identity of the individuals involved in the transaction have been stored on both data chips. For a bank data chip, the funds are withdrawn from or deposited to the account balance stored on the data chip. For a guaranteed funds data chip, the funds are transferred between the data chips. When the transaction is complete, the data chips can be removed from the readers.

A splinter is an identification device that is embedded in a child’s body shortly after its birth. It contains the child’s Citizen Identification Number, their genetic data, and other pertinent information. When a splinter is within reading distance of a splinter reader, the person’s Citizen Identification Number can be read, and information can be written to the splinter.

I returned from my thirteenth trading trip and went to the hotel where Slim and I were staying. He wasn’t there and the hotel clerk told me he left several days ago. Slim told the clerk said that he had called his sister and she had an emergency. He had to go there to help her, and he said he would call me in a month. The hotel agreed to store my personal belongings until I returned.

I rented a room for a week and collected my stored belongings. I then began selling off the bullion. I made six more trading trips and disposed of the bullion from those trips. Slim had not called and it had been over four months since he left. I was worried and feared that something had happened to Slim. I kept hoping that I would hear from him, but I never did.

In retrospect, I think Slim believed that the government was close to learning of our bullion selling operation. I think he was afraid we were going to be caught, and he decided to leave while he still had a good chance of getting clear of the operation without having to answer any questions that the authorities might ask him. Slim had always been paranoid about the government and very superstitious; perhaps he feared the thirteenth trip would be bad luck.

I finally gave up hope of Slim returning and I decided to find a place where I might like to live when I retired on Earth. As a sugar addict, I had to remain close to my supply of sugar, but I didn’t care for the East Coast. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say, I didn’t like Boston. I decided that Southern California or Colorado might be more to my liking. Vora was mostly flat land and I thought something different might be nice. The mountains of Colorado appealed to me, so I decided a trip to Colorado would be appropriate. For the next few days, I spent most of my time in a library researching Colorado and its cities. I eventually settled on Denver. When I asked the best way to get there, the hotel clerk suggested that I fly. I thought it would be a novel way to travel, and decided to try it.

I decided to close all of my bank accounts, so I transferred all of my money into my main checking account. I withdrew a large amount of cash and accepted a cashier’s check for the remaining balance.

The following morning, I checked out of the hotel and caught a cab to the airport. The young lady selling me a ticket wanted to see my ID. I reached for my wallet, but it was not in my pocket where I carried it. Fortunately, the majority of my cash and the cashier’s check were in my bag. However, the young lady told me she could not sell me a ticket without ID, and I had no ID. She wouldn’t accept the name on the check as identification, although she was shocked by the amount of the check. Somehow, the Transportation Security Administration got involved.

I gave them my name, and they asked me to come with them, so I did. They started asking me questions about who I was and where I came from. I answered them as truthfully as I could. They didn’t believe me. In fact, they told me that they would hold me until I told them the truth. No matter how I tried, I could not change their minds. They refused to accept that I was from another planet.

Finally, I decided that enough was enough. I told them that since they wouldn’t believe the truth, I would leave. They told me that they suspected me of being a terrorist and would not release me until I convinced them otherwise.

Now I was angry. I am a law-abiding person and have a great deal of respect for the police. However, as I said, enough is enough. I picked up my backpack and hopped to Denver. To hell with airplanes, hopping is easier and faster. I didn’t know it, but I’d just made it to the top of Homeland Security’s most wanted list.

A taxi driver took me to a nice hotel in downtown Denver, and I got a room for a month. The next day, I went to a local bank and tried to open a bank account. I explained that my wallet had been lost or stolen yesterday and I had to get new ID. When I showed them the cashier’s check I wanted to deposit for opening the account, they became very helpful.

I guess Earth is similar to the Multiverse. Money greases the skids. Slim loved that saying and tried to explain grease and skids to me. I got the general idea of what he meant, but didn’t really understand the specific references. I knew grease was that slick stuff that comes off bacon when it’s cooked. I knew a skid was what a car did when the driver slammed on the brakes. I told him I didn’t understand why a driver would use money to spread bacon grease on the road for a skid when the idea was to stop the car. Slim just shook his head and said he would explain it to me later; a future friend eventually explained to me what the phrase meant.

They created an account for me and the bank manager said he would have one of his people help me get identification and a replacement Social Security card. That proved to be more trouble than he expected.

The manager had a nice lady assist me. She took to me to the Motor Vehicle Department. They refused to give me an identification card since I didn’t have identification to prove who I was. There is something inherently wrong in expecting a person to provide identification of who they are in order to get identification that proves who they are.

She also took me to the Social Security Administration’s office to get an application form for a replacement card. We filled out the form for getting a replacement card, but the clerk told me that the government wouldn’t give me a replacement card without identification.

My new bank was just down the street from my hotel. I rode back to the bank with the lady who had done her best to help me. On the way, I bought her lunch to thank her for all her assistance. When we got to the bank, we went in to explain our lack of progress to the manager.

The next day everything was going fine until the middle of the morning. I answered a knock on my hotel door, and I found myself looking into the barrels of two revolvers. The men holding the revolvers were shouting Homeland Security (HS) and ordering me to get on the floor. Therefore, I laid down on the floor. I later learned that the TSA agents had reported me to HS.

When I had tried to use my cashier’s check as identification at the airport, the lady noticed the bank that issued it. The lady told HS the bank that issued it, and that’s how they traced me to my bank in Boston. When I deposited the check at my Denver bank, HS got my address from the Denver bank and showed up at my hotel room.

Once they had me in handcuffs, the HS agents relaxed. They helped me to my feet and had me sit on the bed. They introduced themselves as Agents Alan Thompson and Bill Hendricks.

Agent Hendricks said, “Mister Smith, your escaping from TSA custody has caused everyone a great deal of trouble. We read the transcript of your interview by the TSA. We don’t believe your story and we need you to give us truthful answers.”

The handcuffs were uncomfortable, but I decided to cooperate. “Well, Agents, I am not sure I can tell you anything different. What I told the TSA Agents was the truth.”

They proceeded to ask me the same questions, and I gave them the same answers. They also asked how I just disappeared out of the room with the TSA agents watching. They didn’t believe what I told them. They decided that we were getting nowhere, so they took me down to their local headquarters.

When we arrived there, they took me to an interview room, and handcuffed me to a table. They said they would be right back.

A short while later, Agents Thompson and Hendricks returned with their supervisor, who introduced himself as Agent Mathew Crane. Overall, they had treated me more respectfully than the TSA agents had, so I treated them with respect and didn’t just hop out of the room.

While the HS agents were getting their supervisor, I was thinking. I wasn’t going to be able to live on this world without identification and that Social Security thing. I needed to be truthful with them and prove the truth of what I was telling them in order to get them to cooperate with me.

Once they returned, they started questioning me again. Instead of answering their first question, I suggested that they allow me to tell them my story. They agreed. I started telling them about the Multiverse and D-Hopping, but they didn’t believe me. They said that they knew I was lying for no one had ever visited Earth from another planet. Since that was true, I had to be lying. I offered to prove that I was telling the truth, if they would take off the handcuffs. They accepted. I had them stand and hold hands with each other and I grasped Agent Hendricks’ hand. I focused and hopped to the planet in a neighboring universe, where I stored my traveling equipment between trading trips. Holding hands wasn’t necessary, but being in contact does make it a bit easier for me.

I had three very shocked and frightened men to deal with when we arrived. I calmed them down, and asked if they now believed me. They were reluctant to believe their senses, but agreed that I must have been telling the truth. Being in an unfamiliar situation made them very nervous, and they wanted to go right back to Earth. I explained that I would need at least an hour to recover before I could hop us back to Earth. They didn’t like it, but they accepted what I said.

While we waited, I told them about how my friend Slim had gotten my ID. They told me the license and card were undoubtedly forgeries and not valid. I also talked with them about getting the necessary papers that would let me live in the United States.

“Agent Crane, I am hoping to stay in the United States. However, that won’t be possible without my getting identification and several other things that the bank said I would need.”

Agent Crane spoke for the three of them, “Mister Smith, I can’t make any promises. However, I think my superiors will be very interested in having you remain in the country as the government’s guest. If I’m right, they will be falling all over themselves to get you anything you want. At least, they will once they realize you actually come from another world.”

“What will I have to do to prove that to them?”

“Well, the three of us will file a report on what happened today. Of course, they won’t believe us. Then they will call our boss, who will call us into his office. We will have to convince him and his bosses that we weren’t drunk or out of our minds. Eventually, someone will agree to talk with you, and you will have to prove the truth of what you say to them. Bringing them and their companions to this planet will probably suffice as proof.”

We talked some more, but it was mostly small talk. When I was rested, I hopped us back to their interview room at HS Headquarters. I was tired and told them that I wanted to return to my room for the night, and that they could contact me there when they were ready to talk further. Having experienced a hop, they knew there was no way they could hold me somewhere if I wanted to leave.

They said they would help me if they could, but the whole situation was above their pay grade. Then they had to explain to me what that meant. Before I left and took a taxi back to my room, they told me to not talk to anyone about my coming from another world. For some reason, they didn’t want the news of my presence on Earth to become common knowledge. Slim had told me the same thing.

It was late afternoon by the time I got back to the hotel. I had an early dinner in the hotel restaurant, went up to my room, and went to bed.

I didn’t hear from Agent Crane for two days. Late in the afternoon of the third day, he called me.

“Mister Smith, this is Agent Crane. Things went pretty much the way I told you they would. A group of senior government personnel will be arriving late tonight from Washington, DC. I was asked to set up a meeting with you for tomorrow morning. Would ten o’clock be okay with you?”

“Sure, that would be fine.”

“All right, I will have a car pick you up at the hotel at nine. Please don’t do that teleport thing to get here.”

“All right, I’ll be in the hotel lobby at nine.”

I had a restful night, and was in the lobby at five minutes to nine. My driver was already there, so we left. The driver was quiet on the way to HS Headquarters. I tried to start a conversation with him. He apologized and informed me that he was under orders to not talk with me. When we arrived at Headquarters, he escorted me to Agent Crane’s office and left.

“Mister Smith, thank you for coming in this morning. I hope you will overlook our getting off on the wrong foot the other day, and please call me Matt.”

“All right, Matt, call me Doug. I am really trying to work with you and your people. Please understand that I don’t speak English very well. Many of the things people say to me make no sense. What does ‘get off on the wrong foot’ mean?”

I had caught him off guard and he chuckled. “Hmm, that’s a phrase that may be difficult to explain. For now, let’s just say that it means we misunderstood each other.”

Agents Thompson and Hendricks had joined us while Matt was talking, and they got a chuckle out of my not understanding the phrase, or perhaps they felt Matt’s comment was an understatement.

Matt said, “Doug, you met these two gentlemen the other day. They generally go by Alan and Bill. I talked with the leader of this Washington group last night. If I understand the way he is thinking, we will see a lot of each other, so it will be easier if the four of us are on a first name basis.”

Alan said, “We saw the delegation arriving while on the way up. They should be in the meeting room by now, so perhaps we should join them.”

With that, we all headed to the meeting room. When we entered, everyone stopped talking and looked at me. As the host of the meeting, Matt sat at the head of the table with me to his right. Alan and Bill sat in the chairs that were set up along the wall. Most of the committee was seated at the table, but a few were sitting along the wall with Alan and Bill.

Matt introduced me to the room, and then had the committee members introduce themselves. Their titles didn’t mean anything to me, but I got the impression that they were important people in the government.

Some fat guy whose name and title I had difficulty remembering said, “Agent Crane tells us that you come from another world. Is that true, and why should we believe you?”

In a respectful manner, I said, “Sir, you will have to excuse me. My English is not good, and I am not able to recall all of your names from when you introduced yourselves. Would you refresh my memory as to your name and title?”

“I am Senator John Belton, and I am the Chairman of this Committee.”

“Thank you, Mister Belton. I was born on a planet called Vora in the Home Universe. As to why you should believe me, I suspect you are aware of Alan, Bill, and Matt’s reports, so I would have to ask, “Why shouldn’t you believe me? If you need proof, I can hop you to the planet I took them to. However, I will need to rest there for an hour or so before we return. Would you like me to take you there, Mister Belton?”

Senator Belton went a little pale in the face and he replied, “The proper mode of address is Senator Belton, and no, that won’t be necessary at this time.”

My Cultural Diplomacy class had taught me that Senator Belton was most likely a coward and a bully. He appeared to be trying to put me on the defensive by taking control of the meeting and impressing me with his importance. I needed to take an offensive position to counter his tactic.

I looked around the room, and then said, “Gentlemen, if you didn’t believe what Alan, Bill, and Matt said about me, you wouldn’t be here. Now we can waste each other’s time or we can get down to business. Why did you come here to meet with me?”

I could tell that that one simple question disrupted the Senator’s game plan. I have to give him credit though, he recovered quickly.

“All right, Mister Smith, Agent Crane tells us that you would like to live here with us. If we agree to your remaining here, what will you do for us?”

“I can do many things for your government, Sir. However, keep in mind that I am a citizen of the Multiverse, and I must comply with their laws. One of those laws deals with trade between planets that have different technology levels. If you have in mind my providing you with superior technology, it isn’t going to happen. Other than that, what did you have in mind?”

“Technology is our primary interest. We will need to have you meet with our people to determine what you have that we would be interested in acquiring. That of course is predicated on us agreeing to enter into a treaty with your Multiverse.”

“Sir, it’s evident to me that you do not understand the current situation.

“I am a private citizen. I do not represent the Multiverse Government. As the first person to contact Earth, I do have a small degree of authority, but it doesn’t include things like treaties and committing the Multiverse Government to any agreements.”

That comment left the Senator confused, “If you don’t represent your government, why are you here?”

I wasn’t going to give him information that could be used to his advantage, so I said, “I’m a trader. I’m looking to establish trade with some of your planet’s traders. Of course, that assumes that Earth has anything worth trading for.”

“A trader? You mean the only reason you are here is to trade?”

“Yes. Senator, I am what the Multiverse calls an Exploratory D-Hopper. In my profession, I travel to other worlds to find commodities that I can sell in the Multiverse for a profit.

“As far as the Multiverse Government goes, they don’t know that I am here, and they are not aware of Earth’s existence.

“Senator, I am actually a bit more than just a simple trader. The Multiverse Government recognizes that D-Hoppers like me are the ones who make first contact with new worlds. They expect us to evaluate the new world and to bring it to their attention if it’s worthy of engaging in commerce with the Multiverse. The government views D-Hoppers as temporary intermediaries between these new worlds and the Multiverse. They grant us a degree of power for establishing contact with new worlds. You can think of me as the Multiverse’s unofficial Ambassador to Earth, but I have no power to act on the behalf of the Multiverse Government.”

The Senator just sat there looking at me, and I could see the wheels turning in his mind. I had undercut his position and he didn’t know what to make of me, which was exactly what I wanted. He had arrived ready to deal with a lion and found what appeared to be a mouse. Then the mouse roared at him like a lion. I think he was trying to figure out if I was a mouse or a lion.

After looking around the room, I turned to Matt and said, “Matt, I think I could use a break. Shall the four of us adjourn to your office, so these gentlemen can talk about whatever it is they need to discuss?”

Matt looked over at the Senator who nodded his head in agreement. Matt said, “Gentleman, I suggest we reconvene in an hour.”

Once we were in Matt’s office, Matt said, “Doug, Senator Belton is the key person on the committee and you gave him a hard time. You may have a problem if he feels that he has lost face with his associates.”

“That may be, Matt, but if I hadn’t put him in his place, then I would have had an even bigger problem. I believe he came here with the intent of forcing me to comply with what he wants. I would rather have him view me as someone who is hard to get along with, than let him walk all over me.”

During the remainder of our break, Alan, Bill, and Matt briefly explained the structure of the US Government. They also told me where Senator Belton fit in the power structure. At the end of the break, we rejoined the committee in the meeting room.

The Senator started with, “Mister Smith, to clarify our understanding of your position, you are simply a Multiverse citizen who deals in commerce and not a part of your government’s structure.”

“Yes, that’s correct, Senator.”

“All right. First explain to us, what Earth has to gain by associating with the Multiverse; and second, what do we have to gain by allowing you to reside here on Earth.”

“The answer to your first question is complex, Sir, but I will try to give you a simplified answer.

“To start out with, Earth has a great deal to gain by becoming a member of the Multiverse. If Earth becomes a Multiverse Member World, it will have access to advanced technology that cannot be provided to Earth at this time. It will also be able to trade with other worlds and gain commodities that are rare on Earth, but are sold at very reasonable prices, elsewhere. Earth will also be able to sell its commodities to the other Multiverse worlds at a significant profit.

“As to why you should allow me to remain on Earth, the answer is fairly simple. My presence is not harming the people of Earth. If Earth decides to pursue membership in the Multiverse, I am the contact person. You will need me to coordinate with and gain membership in the Multiverse.

“You are not aware of it, but the Multiverse has a protocol for a new planet to join them as a Member World. The first step in the protocol is for the D-Hopper to report the existence of the planet to the D-Hopping Guild. When the Multiverse learns of Earth, part of my obligation as a D-Hopper will be to guide Earth through that protocol, until such time as an Ambassador is assigned to Earth. As I said, I am a bit more than just a trader.”

I could tell that the Senator was giving my words a great deal of consideration. I thought he might wish to discuss this with his associates. I said, “Senator, if you need time to discuss this with your committee, we could take a long lunch break. If you wish to take a lunch break at this time, are there any questions that I can answer before we break?”

“Yes, a long lunch break would be a good idea.” He looked around and asked, “Does anyone have a question for Mister Smith?”

One man in what I recognized as a military uniform said, “Yes, Senator, I would like to know about the Multiverse’s military organizations.”

The Senator looked to me and cocked his head to the side, and said, “General Mosby would like to know about your military forces.”

Turning to the General, I replied, “General, the Multiverse is very different from Earth. As I said earlier, I have only been on this planet a short time. I don’t fully understand the structure and purpose of your military. In the Multiverse, organized military forces are rare. Generally, our worlds are not divided into multiple countries, which means our worlds are each ruled by a single government. Our worlds are spaced far apart, so we generally don’t have conflict between governments that would require a military force. We do have conflicts between worlds, but those conflicts are settled by our courts. Furthermore, due to the limitations of D-Hopping, it’s extremely difficult for one world to attack another. A permanent military force is not necessary.

“However, we do have a unified police force. We call it the Multiverse Law Enforcement Agency. This agency enforces the laws on each of the Multiverse’s planets and it enforces the laws that apply to the relationships between planets and universes. It’s the closest thing that the Multiverse has to a military structure.

“If you are curious as to our police force’s effectiveness in relationship to Earth’s military forces, I can assure you that our police force’s armaments are far superior to those your military forces use.”

I think I dented the General’s pride for he said, “With all due respect, Mister Smith, you are not familiar with the capabilities of our military forces.”

I said, “To start with, I will say the Multiverse is not interested in engaging in hostilities with anyone. With that understood, I agree with you that I am not familiar with all of your military’s capabilities and weapon systems. However, I do know that your military does not have the wherewithal to engage in hostilities off Earth’s surface. The Multiverse, on the other hand, could have a police spacecraft in your solar system in less than a week. If necessary, that one single spacecraft could stand off in an orbit around your moon, and turn this planet into a smoking cinder.”

I could see the General’s eyes open wide at my comment. He was not familiar with our police force’s capabilities, and he had equated their capabilities and function with those of the Earth police.

The Senator looked around to see if anyone had further questions.

“Mister Smith, I am Bill Thomas with the Commerce Department. You mentioned the profits that could be made in trade with the Multiverse. Could you give us an example?”

The Senator looked to me as I said, “I have recently completed a trading trip. Using Earth currency, I purchased seventy-two dollars of an Earth commodity. I sold it in the Multiverse for about one-point-three million. I then purchased thirty-seven hundred dollars of a Multiverse commodity, and sold it on Earth for about one-point-seven million; and, yes, I will be paying taxes on my profits.”

The Commerce Department representative sounded like he was upset when he replied, “It sounds as if you are doing a bit of price gouging, Mister Smith.”

I looked him in the eye and said, “When I bought the commodities, the seller set the price. He was happy with the transaction. When I sold the commodities, the buyer set the price, and he was happy with the transaction. Are you telling me that the seller and buyer took advantage of me?”

“Er, no, but your profit margin seems awfully high.”

“You’re correct, Mister Thomas, it is high. However, D-Hopping is dangerous and there are many hazards in the Multiverse that make my profession even more dangerous. For example, my class at the D-Hopping University started out with two hundred and fifty-eight students, but only ninety one students graduated. Of those who failed to graduate, sixty-four died in training accidents. I graduated about six years ago, and the last time I checked, an additional twenty three of my ninety one classmates have disappeared and they are presumed dead. As far as I’m concerned, if the profits are high, so are the risks!”

No one had further questions, so Matt declared a three-hour lunch break. The four of us returned to Matt’s office. When we were seated, I said to Matt, “I don’t like your Senator Belton. He feels that he is better than the rest of us, and I think he gets his pleasure from pushing people around.”

“Whoa, Doug, he is not my Senator. I don’t care for him, either. He’s an arrogant ass, but he has been in office for many years, and he has many supporters in his home state.”

Bill added, “This is the first time that I have met the man. Before this, I saw him on TV, but never had the opportunity to observe him personally. I agree with you. It appears that he is going to let you stay here, but he is going to push you around until he has you in a position that he is happy with.”

I looked at my three new friends and said, “That’s not going to happen. I will let him think that I will be cowed into complying with his ego’s requirements. Tell me, are your leaders allowed to accept expensive gifts?”

Matt said, “No. Absolutely not! They can get into a great deal of trouble if they do so.”

“That’s nice to know. I noticed that the Senator kept looking at the rings I am wearing. I think he wishes they were his.”

Alan had a thoughtful look on his face and said, “You seem to have something in mind, Doug. Would you care to share it with us?”

“Let’s just say that I don’t like the man, and wouldn’t mind teaching him a lesson. Is there anywhere close that could tell me how much my rings are worth?”

Bill said, “Yeah, there’s an American Gem Registry store not far away. Sue and I bought our wedding rings there. I could run you over there if you like.”

After a bit more talk, Bill and I left to go to the jewelry store, and arrived during their lunch hour. When the clerk finished helping the customer in front of us, Bill showed his identification and told him that Homeland Security was handling a confidential matter. He said HS needed to know if the two rings I was wearing were valuable, and if so, what their approximate values were. I handed my two rings to him and he took them into their back room.

He returned and told me that the gemologist was going to take a quick look at the stones. About twenty minutes later, the gemologist came out and asked us if we could wait a few minutes until the owner could confirm his analysis, for he believed the rings were extraordinary, and very valuable. He said the owner was eating lunch down the block, and he had called him as soon as he realized what he was looking at. The owner was on the way now and should arrive in a few minutes. Then it would take about fifteen minutes to repeat the analysis.

Bill said, “We can wait that long, but could you give us a rough estimate of the rings’ values?”

The gemologist handed one ring to me and said, “The stone in this ring is a diamond. It’s a colorless, radiant cut stone with no occlusions. I would say its color is Grade D or E and the clarity is Grade F. I would have to remove the stone from the mounting to get an accurate measurement of size and weight, but it’s about ten carats. Stones of this size and quality are rare, so I would estimate that based on the gem’s size, color, and clarity the ring is worth at least eight hundred and eighty thousand dollars. I am reluctant to say anything about the second ring, until I talk with the owner.”

A tall, slender man came in the door and went behind the counter. The gemologist handed my second ring to the man and spoke with him briefly, then introduced him to us as the owner. The owner said, “I’m Tom Andersen. John tells me that you have two unusual rings. Could I see the ring he returned to you so I can assess the rings myself?”

I handed the ring to him, and they went into the back room together, to jointly run the analysis. They returned twenty-five minutes later and the owner handed my rings to me.

He said, “These are truly unique rings.

“I agree with John’s assessment of the single stone ring. The second ring is even more unique. In that ring, all three stones are of the highest quality. The red center stone is a Princess cut Red Diamond, and its size is at least three carats. The two side stones are Cushion cut Jadeite, and each is around two carats. As John told you, we would have to remove the stones to get an accurate measurement of size. Based on a quick assessment, I would say that the ring is worth about eleven million dollars. If you wish, I would be pleased to do an appraisal of the rings for you.”

Bill said, “Thank you for your help. At the moment, we don’t have the time and I can’t leave the rings for they don’t belong to me.”

I thanked the owner for his time and said, “I’m not sure how things are to be settled, but I will be happy to do business with you in the future.”

We stopped for lunch on the way back to the HS Headquarters building, and Bill and I talked. He had trouble believing that in the Multiverse, these rings were costume jewelry and I had paid about thirty five dollars for each of them. I asked Bill to not say anything to anyone about the actual value of the rings, until I decided what I would do.

When we got back to Matt’s office, they asked about the rings’ values. I told them that they were just costume jewelry. The Senator had let Matt know that the committee was ready to reconvene if we were, so we headed for the meeting room.

The Senator started with, “Mister Smith, we have decided that we should allow you a temporary visa to remain in the United States. I will monitor your activities to determine if a permanent visa is warranted. However, I do not believe that it’s in the best interests of the United States for it to be publicly announced that you come from another planet. I am declaring that information to be classified Top Secret. Those of us here in this room are the only ones who are to know this fact, and they know the penalties associated with unauthorized disclosure.”

Since I had taken my seat, I had been moving my hands in a way that kept drawing the Senator’s eyes back to my rings. In response to the Senator’s proclamation, I said, “Thank you, Senator, however I will need certain documentation in order to live and do business here on Earth. How am I to obtain that documentation?”

With his eyes frequently drifting to my rings, the Senator replied, “Agent Crane will be your point of contact with me, and the US Government. He will make any arrangements necessary for you.”

“Thank you, Senator. Ah, at a personal level, I can’t help but notice you have been glancing at my hands all day.”

“Yes, I like jewelry and the red and green stones in that one ring fascinate me.”

I took the ring off my finger and had his associates pass it to him to look at. While he was examining it, I said, “I picked it up in a costume jewelry shop on Vora. It didn’t cost me very much, and it would please me if you would accept it as a gift in appreciation of my gratitude for your support.”

Matt and Alan didn’t respond in any unusual way, but Bill’s eyes flew open, and I could tell that he wanted to say something. I gave him a look and slowly shook my head sideways to stop him from commenting.

“Thank you, Doug, I accept. It may be just costume jewelry, but it looks very nice. I suppose I don’t have to tell anyone that it’s costume jewelry. I can let them think it’s real.”

“That’s true, Senator. I suppose you could say it’s real – real costume jewelry. I hope you enjoy it.”

Since the meeting was almost over, Matt said, “Senator. If I recall correctly, we earlier talked about Mister Smith being an unofficial Ambassador to Earth from the Multiverse. As he said, he will need documentation that will allow him to live here on Earth. Homeland Security cannot issue that type of documentation. Is it possible for the State Department or another agency to issue Mister Smith with identification and other documents that will allow him to exist within our society?”

Senator Belton thought about it for a moment then looked to a man halfway down the table.

“Well, Mister Undersecretary, it appears to me that State should be able to provide Mister Smith with the appropriate documentation. What do you think?”

A rather uncomfortable looking gentleman said, “Yes, I agree, Senator. I think my colleagues will concur if you will authorize my discussing Mister Smith’s place of birth and the other classified matters with my superiors.”

The Senator nodded agreement and told Matt that the gentleman, Under Secretary Ken Smythe, should have my papers ready shortly. My meeting with the committee was at an end, and the four of us returned to Matt’s office to discuss the documentation that I would need. The Senator (wearing his new ring on his little finger), and his committee, left to return to the East Coast.

Matt later told me that he had learned that the Senator had discussed my papers with the Undersecretary. He made it clear that it was critical that I be made welcome in the United States, and that I make the United States my home. He made his position clear by asking the Undersecretary what would happen if I were to decide to settle in Russia or China instead of the United States.

Once we were in Matt’s office, Bill could no longer contain himself.

“I don’t know how you did that,” he screamed. “You just gave that ring away as if it were nothing. You’re insane.”

Not knowing what was going on, Matt and Alan just stared at Bill. Matt interrupted Bill’s tirade with, “What are you talking about, Bill?”

“That ring he just gave the Senator is worth a fortune.”

Matt looked at me to explain Bill’s comments, so I said, “I’m a trader. In my profession, you quickly learn that value is relative. To a Multiverse citizen like myself, that ring is nothing but cheap costume jewelry that looks nice. I place no significant value on it. To Bill, it’s a piece of fine jewelry and very expensive.”

Matt looked at me and asked what it was worth on Earth, so I said, “Eleven million dollars.”

Matt and Alan were stunned. Finally, Alan said, “Do you know what you just did?”

Looking over at Alan, I smiled and said, “Yes, I think so. I just gave a ring, which is very expensive on your world, to a man that I don’t really like or trust.

“The Senator likes the ring and will probably wear it a lot, to impress people. There are people out there who will recognize the ring is valuable, here on Earth, and will ask the Senator were he got it. He will probably tell them that it was a gift to him in appreciation for him doing someone a favor. I think the ring is going to cause him all sorts of problems. What do you think will happen?”

My three new friends just sat there looking at each other and thinking. Bill was the first to comment, “Doug, I still can’t believe that you would give a valuable ring like that one to someone.”

“Remember, Bill; to me, its value is relative. That ring cost me less than forty dollars on the world where I bought it. To me, it’s nothing but a cheap piece of costume jewelry, which I can replace any time I want to. When the time is right, I will get far more than forty dollars worth of pleasure out of watching the Senator try to explain accepting a valuable piece of jewelry for doing someone a favor ... especially as it’s an official favor. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Senator ends up in serious trouble.”

After a few moments of thinking and head shaking, the three of them started laughing at the image of the Senator explaining the situation to a Senate Ethics Committee, especially in light of his declaring my presence to be a secret.

Before I left for the day, Matt assigned Bill to be my liaison with HS. For the next month or so, he was to assist me in finding a place to live and in helping me adapt to life on Earth. Matt made it clear that I needed to maintain a low profile for the next few months, at least until we were prepared for the eventual discovery of my existence here on Earth. Bill drove me back to my hotel and we arranged to meet the next day. We were going to look for a place for me to live.

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