Chapter 15: Sodoby, the First Merchant

We approached the Asteroid base of the Golden. Wrecks and heavily damaged ships of various sizes and types floated all around us.

To Elfi the chatter on the various channels was overwhelming and only with SHIP’s help was she able to filter through them. Narth and Shea were busy taking scans and making image recordings, as there were ships no one of us had seen before. Well almost, Har Hi proved that the Dai indeed had a deep knowledge of areas and species unknown to the Union.

As big as the Asteroid was, actual landing was not possible for ships of the size of the Tigershark and every possible landing spot was taken anyhow, but the bazaar featured several long mooring arms against we could dock. I didn’t want anyone to have the chance to get a real close look. Not that I didn’t trust the Narth technology, but I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks, either.

Shaka had no problem to guide our disguised ship towards the outmost tip of one of these mooring arms. Magnetic clamps engaged and Circuit powered the engines down and put them on standby.

I got up from the Command seat and took a deep breath. “Well let’s hope we don’t start a war. Hans, Har-Hi, Shea, Elfi, Narth and Krabbel you are with me.

To the Y’All I said.” Put up a guard inside and outside of the Mooring arm. I don’t want anyone to get to close to the ship or attach anything to our hull.”

He acknowledged and stomped of the bridge.

To Mao I said. “You have the Conn. If anything happens and we are not coming back, you are under no circumstance come after us. You are to take the ship back to Richter and report to Cherubim or the Admiral.”

Mao took the command seat and said. “Do you expect something like this to happen?”

I shrugged and said. “At this point I am expecting anything and nothing, I just want our bases covered as much as possible.”

We left the bridge and Narth said following me. “Don’t you think the Fleet does a good job, covering our bases? How could we possibly cover all bases the fleet has?”

Shea said to him, as I was trying to formulate thoughts to explain my expression. “It is a reference to an old Terran sports activity, where points in the playing field are covered by players to perform ritualistic and strictly regulated activities with a little ball and bats.”

I wondered if there was anything she didn’t know. Even I had no idea where that expression originated.

Wearing our dress Uniforms we went through the Mooring Arm tunnel and into the main body of the Asteroid that had a radius of roughly 78 kilometers.

I wasn’t prepared for what we were seeing now. The Asteroid was hollowed out and from what it looked like most of it, forming one gigantic cavern. Terrace style levels circled the walls as far up as I could see. Each terrace had stalls, shops and merchant booths. There had to be thousands.

Narth shook his hooded head and responded to my thoughts out loud as he said. “No there are two million three hundred and forty thousand shops, stalls and booths.”

I looked at him. “Lucky for you someone was just thinking about how many there were and you overheard it; otherwise you wouldn’t know how many shops there are.”

Narth held up a little colorful flyer. “No I have not done so, but you can read this fact in this information pamphlet I pulled from a slot at the entrance.”

I had no other reaction but to gently elbow him in the side and saying. “Smart-ass.”

Narth objected that his smarts were not located in his behind and I wondered if it would be possible for me to talk to Narth without using any acronyms, synonyms or words that could have different meanings and I decided that this would be impossible and not much fun either.

The Ground Level was one huge open space, and here too merchants had set up shop. A ship dealer occupied a sizeable area to our right displaying a row of used and new civilian space ships mostly of Kartanian origin, but also a few civilian Union models.

Towards the left, another merchant selling Skimmers and landing tanks. Further to the back, cages and tanks holding live animals including the most bizarre life forms I had ever seen.

The bazaar was not very busy as I assumed most customers had fled. I could see repair crews flying with their material loaded skimmers in every direction.

A group of four beings dressed in shinny golden metal floor length robes approached. Two of them at first appeared to be children, but seeing their wrinkled faces and bald heads, dispelled this notion very quickly. Behind them the other two were very tall, carrying spear like weapons and wore shiny helmets with mirrored visors hiding anything but their chins and mouth. The small ones reminded me of the Kermac I had met on Alvor’s Cove, however these beings did not have the characteristic white skin but had a deep gold bronze skin and were only about 80 centimeters tall and did not have the glued on ceremonial beards, all Kermacs had.

The smaller ones, like their brethren appeared to be completely hairless, had big round eyes and small noses and little mouths. The left one managed to look down on us in a very arrogant manner, even though he had to look up to us. He greeted us saying.

“He, the all powerful and richest in all the galaxies; he who carries the exalted name of Sobody, and the most sacred title of Merchant Eldest of the Golden, the Keeper of the consecrated laws of profit and guarantor of wealth has in his great wisdom requested that you in all haste be brought before him. You must know of the rarest privilege to be in his presence, but few lower life forms were ever allowed to gaze upon the being most perfect.

You will kneel at all times and crawl to the throne circle and only if you are commanded to do so you may come closer. It is at no point permitted to lift your eyes at him without permission, your presence soils the palace as it is, do not add to the contamination by speaking or gazing. If you do all this I think we manage to get this audience over with to every ones satisfaction.”

I wanted to say something but he put his finger on his lips.

“Hush, hush be quiet and follow me. Lower life forms must not speak when in the presence of the True Golden. Leave the blabbering to the sales floors.”

I took a deep breath, remembering the words of McElligott and with much effort I swallowed my pride and anger. They took Kermac arrogance to new heights.

I even managed to give my friends a nod to play along.

A shimmering slide walk made of pink, purple and golden translucent moving segments silently lowered behind those four Golden beings to the ground and carried us moments later up in a spiraling way upwards to a sphere like construct hanging without any visible supports in the upper middle of the hollowed asteroid. The sphere was made of diamond shaped plates of gold and glass of various sizes. The Slide way terminated at a guarded double door that led inside this diamond shaped floating building.

The arrogant Golden that had spoken to us said. “Once through that door you are in the sanctum Regalis and in the very presence of he who is Sobody Merchant Eldest of the Golden. You are then to lower yourself to the floor and do not look up.” He looked at Krabbel and Hans.” Those brutish things shall remain outside.”

The door opened but I did not go.

I said “If my crew and friends are not welcome then I am not welcome. Tell that Majesty of your, that it was him who invited us and it was us who saved this place.”

Diplomacy went only so far. I turned and said. “Let’s go guys.”

A voice from inside the door called. “Most gallant Captain Doe. Please all of you come in.

My chamberlain was more than un-polite. Please forgive us and come on in.”

The Chamberlain bowed deeply: “Wisdom incarnate, those life forms are neither cleansed nor properly searched and undressed.”

The same voice snarled. “Be silent, you are dismissed. The times of isolation have ended for more than just the Narth.”

Sobody looked very much like his Chamberlain only much older and while his face clearly reflected the knowledge of power he did not have the same arrogant quality. I even noticed he had craw feet around his eyes, giving testimony that he liked to laugh and smile.

We entered the floating diamond shaped building. The floor was a white polished stone, curved Columns of the same white material in equal distances all around the curved walls. Mountains of silken cushions and pillows between them, Low tables held fruits and food delicacies from all over the Galaxy and perhaps beyond. Sobody the Golden Merchant made a dismissive gesture.

And with it he dismissed the guards and he waited till the doors were closed. Then he said. “Welcome indeed and thank you for your help. There is no question; you have saved this Bazaar and the many lives in it, including mine.”

He stopped as his eyes fell on Elfi and he bowed deeply.”Had I know such a royal visitor of utmost importance walked among you I would have prepared for a more formal reception. Your Majesty it is an honor to greet thee in my humble surroundings.”

I learned then that Elfi could stare and make a face just as arrogant as they and then some. She said with a razor sharp edge in her voice “She who is the Princess travels incognito and wishes not to make an issue of her stand and position. However your Chamberlain’s manners were insulting in the highest.”

He bowed again and said.

“I planned to punish him for his ill manners indeed, but you will have his head on a plate before you leave.”

He bowed again this time before Narth. “It is almost 6,000 years since I had the privilege to greet a Narth in person.”

Narth did not bow and said. “You shield your thoughts well but your reputation that you are immune to psionics and the Golden cannot be sensed is not accurate.”

The Golden answered. “We are an old species but what are we compared to the Narth? Since you can sense me you know I mean you no harm.

No shield can keep out the probing mind of Narth this is a fact, I will however lower all barriers to freely allow you access, so you know I am truthful and I will come to the real reason I have asked you here.” He gestured. “Please make yourself comfortable I have a selection of delicacies and refreshments that might delight you.”

We sat down on the pillows across him but no one took anything. I didn’t trust the Golden and I didn’t really like him or his haughty, insulting officials at all, but Narth send me a thought that he was honest, at least so far.

The Golden looked straight at me. “I can sense you do not like me, perhaps it is because of our relationship with the Kermac, perhaps it was my doomed Chamberlain and his bad manners and I can’t blame you for it, but I hope I can change your mind before this day is over.”

“High merchant I am here because I was ordered to be here. I am here because I represent the United Stars of the Galaxies and you are an important representative of another culture and civilization.

However I feel there are other reasons why you wanted us here in person, other reasons than to thank us, that is.”

He declined his head, smiled and his smile did reach his eyes, then he said. “Indeed this is quite so my young and beautiful Captain Doe.”

He gestured around him and said. “I am the absolute ruler of those known to you as the Golden. You know we are relatives of the Kermac and given the history between the Union, especially the Terrans and our distant relatives it has always strained relationships between us the Golden and the Union for quite some time.But please consider, your fabulous Union also includes the Blue. Who are just as related to us.”

He pointed to Narth and said. “The Narth know our true history and I am sure your hooded friend can, if he consults the Narth Supreme, confirm that we suffered much from our so called relatives. We were treated much like the Blue by the Ker and the Mac and had to fight in order to survive the genocide efforts of the Ker.”

Narth nodded slightly and in my mind I heard him say.”He does speak the truth.”

The old merchant took a fruit from a side table but did not eat it and continued.

“The Union did not like the Blue at first, but you embraced them after they decided to join the Union and I am sure you know there isn’t a Union Member who dislikes the Kermac more than the Blue.”

Even I had to agree with that, I didn’t know any Blue personally but learned about them in Union class.

He was still talking.

“When the Narth abandoned their age old policy of isolation and become more active members of the Union, it gave me to think as well.”

He now popped the little blue fruit in his mouth chewed and again focused his eyes on me as he said. “You see, we Golden built our business on the reputation of our neutrality and by keeping the secrets and details of ourselves closely guarded.

We are not immortals but enjoy a long live span.

My own aging process was completely halted now for over 12,000 years now and I have seen empires rise and fall. Civilizations appear on the galactic stage and disapear.

We travel to galaxies and places no one in this galaxy has ever even heard off and we do business with civilizations not known to anyone here.

But then something happened that caught my interest, a species of Humans were uplifted by the Sarans and they arrived on the galactic stage not meekly like other new civilizations do, but with a thunderclap eradicating the relentless Xunx completely.

Form then on I could not keep my eyes off them and to put it in Terran words. I became the Terrans biggest fan.”

He again motioned to Narth. “As promised I opened my shields and you are welcome to monitor my thoughts to see that I am indeed truthful.”

Narth simple and dryly delivered statement was perhaps the ultimate arrogance, but I had to concentrate not to grin as my friend said. “Your shield was not very effective, the impotent attempt to use childish Kermac devices and techniques, but I appreciate the gesture and I concur your intentions are of great benefit to us. I shall however leave you the decision to reveal it all.”

The old merchant bowed his head. “Thank you. I am thankful you let me tell it.”

Narth Voice in my head said. “He can be trusted, but what he has in mind might cause some turmoil. I let him reveal it unless you insist.”

I simply shook my head and thought back. “As long as this is no trap and he gets to the point I agree.”

Sobody moved his head and said. “Amazing it seems you communicate telepathically with your captain and I can’t detect a thing. Seeing a Narth act almost like a human is perhaps the greatest wonder I have yet witnessed.”

Narth surprised me as he said.

“Narth Supreme considers the discoveries I made through my friendship and service the highest achievement we Narth attained in millennia. It fills me with personal pride if I am considered to have human qualities. I further like to add the advice not to underestimate any of my crew mates and espeially not our Captain.”

Sobody sipped from a glass.”Underestimating the Union has been the doom of many indeed.”

I nodded to Krabbel. “Go ahead, Narth thinks he is trustworthy.”

Krabbel shrieked and took an already melting ice cream cone from a platter close to him.

The golden Merchant laughed. “Yes I heard of the addictions Archas have for ice cream. When I saw one to be part of your crew I knew I had to have some here.”

“Yet your officials considered him not fit to be in your presence.”

“We do business with life forms of all shapes and forms. It is old encrusted traditions that govern some behavior. I intend to change that.”

I thanked him acknowleding his exlanation and said. “Please continue and come to the point why we are here. We learned much but still nothing of the real reason and I am in a bit of a hurry.”

He slowly shook his head and he had a wide smile on his lips. “Forceful, a little impatient, Easy to anger, full of pride and never to be underestimated, Captain Doe you are a refreshing example of the exact qualities I admire so much in these evolved primates of Terra. Please believe me when I say I love your species. There is none quite like it in the Universe I have seen so far.”

He took another fruit and looked at it then he said. “I want you to tell your superiors, we the Golden will ask to join the Union and give you unlimited access to all our files, technology and allow you to set up research posts on all our bases and reveal to you the secret of the ancient gates and how they can be used to travel to other Galaxies. All this we offer under one condition.”

I was quite shocked by his revelation but said. “High Merchant I am only a Starship Captain. I cannot make decisions for my government and grant or negotiate any deals or conditions.

If you are indeed the informed leader you are, you must know that there are no officials that can grand your request. Even the Golden must apply and it is the citizens through the Assembly that grand membership. However I am sure my superiors have influence in this. In will contact them immideatley.”

He seemed pleased as he said. “I am certain you can call your ship and have a connection made. Call that Old Man of yours, McElligott and tell him I would like to talk to him.”

Elfi made the connection linking Tigershark’s Comm. System with my Wrist-PDD.

The Admiral’s Holo-image appeared immediately as if he had waited right by his terminal for this call. Before I could even brief him he snapped.

“How did it go? What happened? What did he want?”

Sobody got up walked over and placed himself inside the visual pick up sensor of my PDD and said “I am right here Admiral. We are still in my sanctum and I asked your young Captain to make this connection.”

I extended the wide angle receiver so McElligott could see all we did and projected a field screen so Sobody could see the Admiral better.

McElligott slightly bowed to the Old Merchant. “Your Eminence, It is an Honor to talk to you in person. I hope my young Captain has represented the Union well.”

The Merchant said. “She has indeed Sir. Let me come to the reason for this call and I will offer you a proposal.” The Golden repeated the offer.

McElligott wiped his mouth in an involuntary gesture. “My captain was quite correct in stating the mechanics of membership, but I am sure these are just formalities in your case. I gladly be an advocate in that process, but what would that condition be?”

“I want to join this young crew and go on whatever mission they are on. I won’t ask for any privileges and be treated like any other crewmember, but I want to be there. I lived a very long time and I feel old despite my bodies eternal youth. I want to soak and sponge up some of that vitality and energy, to be on a Union ship and on real missions.

My Council of Elders is fully instructed and ready to travel to Pluribus and do all what is necessary to integrate the Golden into the Union. We will accept Union Law, participate with funds and recruits to your fleet. Give you unlimited access to all our files on alien species and technology. Our Intelligence Service has much to share as well. It will be good business in the long run too, as I am certain.”

The Admiral said. “A Battle group is already dispatched and will arrive soon. I will order the USS Sansibar to take you aboard as a passenger for a grand tour of Union Space. It is one of our newest dreadnoughts.”

Sobody’s voice became stronger. “No Admiral. I was not talking about being a safe guarded VIP guest and being flown along safe space lines for a few weeks. I am offering you and the Union a great opportunity and I think you understood what I have asked. I want to go with the Crew of the USS Enigma and on whatever mission they have. Don’t take me for a fool or lightly. Don’t change their mission to suit me. My side of the deal is of tremendous benefit to the Union. My request should be little compared to that.”

McElligott wrung his hands as he said. “Sir, this Crew is on a long and dangerous mission. I could not possibly guarantee your safety.”

Sobody sounded pleased. “Now we understand each other and that is exactly what I want. I don’t want my safety guaranteed. The deal will be complete and unchangeable regardless if I get injured or die in the course of that mission, ask your Narth. I have no hidden agenda, no alternate motives. It is simply the dream of an old and very rich man, to once more do something meaningful something daring and perhaps dangerous. I want to share a cabin with another crewmate, scramble at alarm or die in the heat of battle or perhaps simply out of excitement.

Again I am not asking for any special treatment, in fact I do not want any. I might not be a trained officer from your Academies but I am traveling this universe longer than you and that iron hero Stahl together and that should count for something. Besides I am giving you a choice. You do not have to agree. But then as long as I live the Golden shall remain as they were.”

“Why now? It seems almost as if you have planned this.”

Sobody shook his head vehemently. “No Admiral I have not planned for those little Humans to attack us. Even we had no idea of their existence until they attacked. Our own battle fleet was too far out to arrive in time, but as I told your Captain I am a fan of the Union so to speak and I am playing with this idea ever since I watched you grow as a civilization. I made definite preparations ever since the Narth have eased their Isolation and came to the conclusion my people need to do the same. It was coincidence that brought this Captain and her Crew here but I would have asked for this eventually.”

McElligott said. “Union membership and the joining of an entire civilization, is not exactly fleet business and I too must follow orders. I will address the Assembly and I will call you back within the hour. Mr. Narth are you convinced he speaks the truth?”

Narth answered. “Yes Sir, his mind is open and it is indeed his wish.”

It didn’t take him an hour to call back. The Speaker of the Assembly himself was present and it was something else to see these VIPs, beamed as Holos from my Wrist Com. The Speaker welcomed the old merchant.”While it is a process, your Eminence. The news of the Golden considering Union membership has taken the Assembly by surprise, but a very positive surprise. I see no complications to put your application on fast track and thus welcome the Golden into the Union.With great pride do I extend an invitation for a delegation of yours to come to Pluribus to make it official.”

“And my request to become a member of the USS Enigma and experience a real mission?”

“The Assembly has heard it and sees no issues with that, but the saefty concerns of our Fleet Admiral are valid.”

Sobody called in a group of old looking Goldens who confirmed it all and also signed a contract to the effect that whatever would happen to the Old Merchant while aboard my ship would not affect the new relations in any shape or form.

It was also agreed to send for a mobile extended reach GalNet terminal. Until now these unusual and historical talks were made via my wrist com.

I asked to have one brought up from my ship to ease further communication.

The Assembly was hearing and seeing what the Speaker was seeing. It was decided that the delegation of Elders would leave right away as soon as the Sansibar arrived.

The Golden leader was quite pleased after the Assembly ordered McElligott to make the neccessary arrangements.

After the Assembly and the Spesker were disconnected McElligott spoke directly to me.

“We had no other choice really and I did give him my word not to alter your mission and so you are stuck with that Merchant. I wish I would see another solution. But I can’t go against an Assembly decission. However this is the Navy and he is to be aboard your ship as a specialist without special duty.

You are the Captain and the ship comes first, but if you can try to bring him back alive.

Wait for the battle group to arrive. I am sending additional units and a Mobile Ship Yard to secure that Rock and help with the damaged civilians.”

I said with a sigh. “Just lovely, Sir. Bring him back alive, yes Sir.”

McElligott shrugged with his shoulders, rolled his eyes and disconnected. I looked at the Golden and said. “You are serious, right?”

He nodded. “I just ordered my entire civilization to basically abandon our way of life and you ask me if I am serious?”

“Yes Sir, because I find your offer is so far out of proportion to your single request. I am sure the Assembly would have granted you your own ship, even built you one and given you a crew of Terrans.”

He still smiled and said.”You are very sharp and very intuitive indeed. To be honest, not that I wasn’t before, but my Elders and I prepared this step for quite a while.

We would have asked for membership anyway, within the next few month. Your Union is growing and it is not doing so by conquering others.

I seen other Empires and I studied them all, not even the most totalitarian society manages to keep such a high satisfaction and level of content among its citizens. I am not talking about the Klack or the X101, but about empires and cultures that incorporate many different ones.”

He made a gesture around him. “You noticed my chamberlain encrusted in age old forms and outdated views of the universe.

I am not exalted just because I am rich and in charge of my people. I am not wiser than others just because I was born under the shining diamond or because my father ruled before me.

But changing these things is not easy and takes time. Being members of the Union will give the 175 Billion Goldens not only a stable market to deal and prosper, but it gives each Golden the very chance I am taking now and maybe become something else than a merchant. Maybe a doctor, an engineer or maybe one of my subjects wants to reject it all and join the GalDrifts. He or she now has this choice.”

He spread his short arms.”Well soon they will, as I said changes take time, but a society not willing to chance and advance is a society that is doomed. But I wouldn’t be the ruler of a society of merchants and dealers if I couldn’t use this to fulfill a dream of mine, now what is so bad about this?”

Somehow I couldn’t really be mad at the Golden anymore. Narth told me that he was genuine and I sensed Narth still trusting his words.

What he said made sense and while it was a little beyond my expertise, I could not find anything to object to his reasoning. If he wanted his own people to be free and if he wanted to be judged on his own merits rather than on titles and positions, then he hit the right buttons with me. I said to him. “Because you are a VIP, the leader of a society and I am new to this captain business and I am on a very unusual mission with very unusual parameters and having someone along who hasn’t finished the Academy, who should not be put in harm’s way is not exactly something I am looking forward to. Maybe your wish is genuine but as a Leader you claim to be you see my dilemma, I am certain.”

“Captain Doe. I do understand that I basically blackmailed myself into your crew and under your command, but I assure you I am under your command and while I have not completed that marvelous and quite legendary Union Academy training, I am traveling this Universe for a very long time and have experience in all matters of space travel. I don’t claim to know it all and I don’t know much about the details being a crew member on a Union ship. I do claim to be a willing learner and to proof to you that I am really serious about all this.”

He sighed deeply and stood before me almost as if in attention.

“I hereby ask you, without any conditions to conscribe me into your crew. If you say no, I travel with the old ones to Pluribus and do what I promised to do and step down as the First Merchant afterwards. If you say yes I give you my word I will do whatever you ask me to do, I follow your orders and I do not want any special treatment.”

I looked to Har-Hi and he nodded. Elfi and Shea also declined their heads and Narth said in my mind. “He has the capacity of deceit and is, because of his race and occupation a master in manipulation. However at the moment he is truthful as a being can be and he really means what he says.”

Now it was my turn to sigh. “And by asking this way, giving me no real alternative.” I got up and said. “By the powers invested in me I hereby conscript you, Sobody of the Golden to the services of the United Stars Navy and as a crew member of my ship.”

For an old man as he claimed to be, he jumped in the air as if hit by a jolt of electricity and saluted actually quite properly. “Yes Ma’am. Thank you Captain. I accept your conscription.”

I sighed and put my hand on the little man’s shoulder. “Let us go to the ship so we can fill you in what we are doing and maybe you regret your decision after all.”

We went back to the ship and Sobody was following us. As he saw the Y’All behind the Airlock holding four TKU’s he shrunk back for a moment in something like fear and then whistled.