Chapter 15

I was waiting anxiously with my phone. I had received a message via the FTL communicator asking that I be prepared to communicate with an Ambassador. A Scout was waiting at the edge of the galaxy for a ship to arrive carrying the Trade Federation Ambassador. The Scout would provide updated navigation data, as trying to jump from outside the galaxy into a region of space with new neutron stars was potentially deadly.

It rang and I picked it up, “Hello.”

“Admiral, Commander Tyr. The Ambassador has arrived, and we have transmitted the destination coordinates. They will be there in 8 hours.”

“Good work Tyr,” I told him.

I was waiting for him at a space station newly built for this meeting. I had decided not to risk having the Ambassador meet at a Hub, but rather inside a star’s gravity well. The Ambassadorial ship must be powerful if it could make a trip into the inner system in just 8 hours, instead of the normal week.

The Ambassadorial ship arrived right on time in orbit around the Jupiter analog two planets out from the g type star we were orbiting. It was well inside the habitability zone, and would be the location of my next planet forge.

I greeted Bokork as he drove thru the airlock between the shuttle and station. “Scout Commander, welcome home,” I said.

We shook, hand to tentacle, his acidic nature having no effect on my enhanced biology. “Admiral,” he began, “This is Ambassador Tin, of the Trade Federation.”

The Ambassador reminded me of a slug, only half as beautiful. “Ambassador,” I greeted, “Welcome to Bubbler’s Paradise.”

“Greetings Admiral. I am Ambassador Tin of the Trade Federation,” said the low rumbly voice, ever so slowly.

I looked at Bokork, who gave me the wiggle of a squid shrug. “Please, there is a table and refreshments waiting. I’m very interested in hearing the acknowledgment of my complaint against the Trade Federation, and whether we can have peace, or if you wish to attempt to take this galaxy back by force of arms.”

“Yes. Let us discuss your complaint and whether we can have peace while enjoying refreshments,” replied the Ambassador.

A Pooh and Wolf security guard stood on either side of the conference room door, and Tigress waited inside with refreshments. The station was empty other than us, just in case a sneak attack was planned. I sat at one end, and the slug, moving about on a single pseudopod lifted himself up onto the backless seat.

His pale brown flesh was dry, despite looking wet, and his two arms rode high on his chest, where I would expect nipples on a mammal. The four antennae were in a constant state of motion, waving back and forth like a mohawk in a stiff breeze. His one large green eye was surrounded by four much smaller red eyes. I wondered at the adaptation, was the big one for distance or close up?

Poolnar had identified the Ambassador’s race and provided information on acceptable local food and drink. I had opted for a collection of items that would be hopefully delicious, and intoxicating. I wondered about how slow he was speaking, and wondered if he would mind if I put him in an accelerated time field to make it go faster. I was feeling very, very impatient.

Ambassador Tin nibbled at the food stuffs, primarily various fungi from around the galaxy, a few that were even highly prized imports to his home system. I was finding that trade between the systems and galaxies was much more extensive than the examination of Poolnar Hub had initially revealed.

Finally I couldn’t take the silence, so I popped him in a time field and fast forwarded. His voice became squeaky, but he was the first to speak, giving me the advantage.

“The Trade Federation welcomes the Poseidon System as a full member. We have not had contact with a newborn Kempu for more than 50,000 of your years.”

“Really? What was the last one like?” I asked.

“He only wished to travel the galaxies mating with as many females as he could convince to join his harem. I don’t know where he is now, he set out to explore beyond the Federation many, many years ago.”

I smiled, wondering if being highly sexed was part of the species type. “As a full member? Did I request that? Would you relegate the Dominion to a single star system?”

“Oh, no,” the squeaky voice responded, “Kempu always receive special privileges when they join the Federation. Your privileges don’t require a request, they are grandfathered in, so to speak. They are the founding species after all.”

“That is a bit of history I’d be interested in reading about,” I told him.

“Certainly, I’ll provide you with a concise historical record. But first, it’s my duty to give you this invitation,” he said, pulling a small black box from somewhere, and setting it on the table.

My power scanned it, wondering what it was. It had been neatly tucked inside a lower orifice, where it had been shielded from scans by my power. He was clearly using a Kempu shield on his person, but I couldn’t tell where he was keeping that either.

I gazed up at the massive gas planet visible thru the clear diamondillium ceiling of the room. The item on the table had shocked me, and I needed a moment to gather myself. Inside the polished box was a pearl, about 3cm on the outside, with an internal size larger than I could sense, which was over 60 million km.

“What is this an invitation to or from?” I asked, trying to comprehend the shock I felt, the energy involved in the creation of something so huge was beyond astronomical.

“The ancient Kempu wish to meet you. Whenever you are ready, just travel thru the small sphere in the box,” he paused, looking thoughtful, “I assume you can do that?”

“I can do that,” I assured him, as I stored the box.

“Excellent. Now we have a few things to discuss. We have heard that you intend to offer the Bubblers a new colony world?”

“Yes, right here in this system. They’ve provided me with a detailed list of environmental requirements, and I’ll be putting it in orbit of the same planet we are orbiting now.”

“Excellent! As a Trade Federation member I hope you will be willing to sell your services. The ancient Kempu rarely take part in any trade activities, though one does produce the most exquisite AI systems. They are practically alive. Unfortunately he doesn’t make many, only one every few thousand years.”

“I’ll consider it. I have been planning massive terraforming projects here and elsewhere. I could offer new systems to those species that needed the space, or lived in difficult to find environments.”

“Good! With you here, this backwater galaxy will soon become a major center of trade.”

His voice turned serious, an artifact of Poolnar’s instant translation, I was sure. “This transfer system you have created is very similar to one that links the core galaxies. If you are willing to produce additional connection points then you will have a lovely trade item that beings from the civilized universe will flock to buy.”

“We will see, I do find the process very energy intensive.”

“So I’ve gathered from studying the accounts of the two Kempu that constructed the ancient trade route. They absorbed a lifeless dwarf galaxy to build it,” he said.