D'mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology Read online

  Mencari couldn’t help his snorted laugh. But apparently his reaction offended Bob’s sensors; the bug’s tone was less cheerful as it continued. “It is also common for independent solicitors to frequent the common areas with unlisted jobs. To this, our policy is ‘Buyer Beware’ and caveat emptor, and so on, and so forth.”

  Yellow sensors along Bob’s back flashed, then turned blue.

  Its voice noticeably cooler, Bob said, “A weapon has been detected on your person. All such devices must remain in a cool, inactive state. Any violation will result in armed expulsion from the station.”

  “Wasn’t planning on using it,” Mencari said, impressed at the detection of the device on his hand.

  “Very good. May I be of additional service today?”

  “No. Thanks.”

  “You’re very welcome! Have a beneficial and profitable visit! The Commerce Federation of the Be’Inaxi welcomes you again to the trading post. To obtain further help at any time, simply call out. Good day!”

  The bug-bot scuttled away, disappearing back around the corner. Mencari found the mentioned lift, entered and pressed the Derator Deck button. Even in artificial gravity, his stomach went to his throat at the speed of its descent.

  As the doors opened he saw hordes of aliens waiting in lines before a bank of consoles. Above the wall was a large sign that read, “Add-Ur-Skills.” A cheery voice filled his ears when he stepped out of the lift.

  “Welcome, Rhysus Mencari. You’ve reached the Derator Deck. Here you can find the Wanted Boards, where galactic citizens just like you have posted items they’re looking for. In the last five minutes, there have been 230 new postings, totaling over 50 hecta-coins to be earned! Or, add your own solicitations for items.”

  He scowled and touched his ear, and groaned. Free advertising with the ear-buds? Some gift, he thought.

  “And don’t forget to check out the Add-Ur-Skills Board,” the voice continued. “There, for a reasonably small fee, you can advertise your skills for potential employers to see. If you are an employer seeking specific skills or experts, we welcome you to search our vast, ready-to-hire resources—for free!”

  The Wanted Boards seemed like a good place to start. He peered over the shoulder of an alien using it and watched listings of data scroll across the display. Stopping on an entry of interest, the alien pushed a thin plastic card into the machine.

  What’s that card? Mencari wondered. I don’t have one of those.

  The display went blank again as the creature pulled out its card, turned and shuffled away. Mencari stepped up to the display.

  “How do I do this?” he muttered.

  A familiar voice rang out. “Greetings, Coalition visitor! You have called for assistance?”

  He looked around the floor for Bob somewhere underfoot, but didn’t see him. Then he noticed a small image of Bob in the corner of the display.

  “Uh, yeah, I could use some help.”

  “From your previous request, you were interested in money acquisition strategies. We have over 672,000 short-term postings requesting services for compensation.”

  Listings began to madly scroll across the display, far too fast to read. “Hey, slow down!”

  The scrolling slowed, and Bob’s voice said, “It would help to provide more concise search terms.”

  “How about the greatest value for the least amount of work?” he said half joking.

  The display flashed as a shorter listing appeared. “Due to your time constraints, I have found the top five entries estimated as best compensation for least effort. Of these, only the first one appears not to have a Statement of Intent required.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A Statement of Intent is provided from a prospective service provider, such as yourself, to the posting party informing of your willingness to fulfill their prospect.”

  Mencari nodded. “Like a job application. Got it.” He glanced at the first listing. “Fire marbles? What are those?”

  Bob’s voice turned cool again. “I’m sorry, you will need to visit an encyclopedic inquiry station for that answer. Would you like me to remember this inquiry for future use?”

  “Yeah. Do that.”

  “The nearest inquiry station is one deck above, Ein Level.”

  Mencari reviewed the posting, shaking his head at what seemed a lot of money being offered for a handful of “fire marbles,” whatever they were. He glanced to see who had posted the ad. “A gemologist from here?” he muttered under his breath.

  “Antar Deck, five levels up from your current position.”

  “Thanks, Bob. You’ve been very helpful.”

  The bug-bot happily chirped in response. He turned to leave, and Bob inquired, “Would you like me to remember the current listings so you can review them again later?”

  Mencari grinned. “Yes. Thanks. And nice meeting ya, Bob, you’re pretty handy.”

  “I am here to serve! But human pleasantry accepted. And the same to you!”

  * * * * *

  He slowed his pace, eavesdropping on passing conversations for anything that might be of use. If he hadn’t, he may not have noticed out of the corner of his eye the dark figure keeping pace with him. But when he turned his head to get a better look, the figure had disappeared.

  A cloaked alien stood at the doors to the lift, nervously shifting from side-to-side. The doors opened, the alien entered, closing the doors before he could get there.

  While he waited for the next lift, he looked over the crowd. He’d never seen so many species in one place. Makes the Coalition’s Plutaran colony seem homogenous in comparison, he thought. Yet even with all this diversity, everyone seemed to get along. He wondered if this was just a good area of the station, or if it was this way throughout.

  Sudden yells drew his attention to a group quarrelling by an Add-Ur-Skills station. Something about the exchange was reassuring somehow; that everything wasn’t perfect here made him feel more comfortable.

  A uniformed attendant emerged from the crowd and engaged the aliens. In moments, the fighting pair were escorted away.

  “Sorry for the delay.”

  Hearing Bob’s voice, Mencari looked around expecting to see the bug-bot, but realized the voice was used for more than just the bot; the lift had returned. He entered and pressed the Antar Deck button, then squinted at the odd halo around the lettering. Curious, he rubbed the button’s surface, revealing an inscription different from what he first saw.

  Bob said things would be translated for him. In the same instant of awe, he recalled what his drill instructor used to say: “Always be aware and on guard.”

  His stomach fluttered as the lift sped upward, this time from speed and the anxiety welling inside him.

  The roar of the crowds flooded in as the doors opened. Hordes moved busily about, scouring for bargains. In contrast to the openness of the other deck, this one’s ceiling was much lower. Shops, booths and kiosks created a series of bottlenecks along the narrow corridor. He stepped out of the lift and looked for the location of the gemologist’s booth that had advertised on the jobs board. He groaned. He didn’t think it would be so different here. He should’ve asked Bob for more detailed directions.

  “Welcome to the Antar Deck,” the voice suddenly said. “Here you can find a host of shops and markets. Don’t forget to check the cultural repository for information on worlds in our sector, and the communication gallery for the latest language updates!”

  Mencari’s nose wrinkled. Hope it’s not gonna do that every time I stop on a deck.

  A strange feeling began to gnaw at him. He tried to dismiss it, but it persisted. Across the corridor, he saw the cloaked alien again, and recognized its form as female—or at least, similar to a human female’s. The stream of traffic broke around her like a boulder in a shallow stream, but this time, piercing violet eyes fixed on him with stunning intensity.

  Maybe she worked for the Pleasure Deck, or Pleasure District, or whatever Bob had called it. For an
alien, she was beautiful, even with the thumbnail-sized lavender scales that outlined her face. The colored scales bent slightly as she smiled—was that at him? Mencari began heading toward her, but she was gone in that instant, swallowed into the flowing crowd.

  He looked about confused. Too many foreign shapes to pick her out. But those eyes! She wanted something.

  People on this deck were rude and pushy. Concerned about pickpockets, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets to protect his few valuables. Finally, after wandering aimlessly for nearly a half hour, in the distance across many aisles of the bazaar, he saw a large sign on a pole, flashing as it rotated with sparkling gems of brilliant hues.

  “That’s gotta be it,” he muttered. “Finally. This place is crazy.”

  * * * * *

  “Thanks for waiting,” the attendant said. “Can I help you?”

  A smile crossed his face when he saw the teddy bear of a figure struggling to provide attentive service. The one alien cheerfully juggled numerous customers. Finally it was his turn.

  “Yes,” he said. “Do you know where I can find Andus Wedor?”

  This brought a smile and, “That’s me.”

  “I’m here about the, uh, ‘fire marble’ posting?”

  The gemologist’s eyes widened. “Really? You’re the first!”

  Mencari found that hard to believe. Why was he the first? He tried to exude as much competence as he could muster despite his general confusion. “Could you tell me more about these stones? These fire marbles?”

  Andus held up a fuzzy finger; the rest of his body folded and disappeared behind the counter. When he reemerged, he looked keenly around, seeming to make sure no one else was watching. Then, he held out his cloak to partially hide what he had in his enormous hand. It was a container, flat on the bottom, rounded on top, almost as big as his paw, that pulsed with a red light. When he touched a button on it, it opened like a tiny planetarium to show two red spheres inside. Both radiated a powerful glow.

  The gemologist looked nervously up and down the corridor. No one seemed to be paying any attention. “These are fire marbles,” Andus said. “I have no idea what they’re really called--got them in a trade long ago. Very rare. I paid a small fortune for them. Haven’t had the time to track down more. But I certainly want to.”

  Mencari tried to keep his eyes on the spheres; they were beautiful and intense, the light captivating. He found a warmth of happiness spreading through his whole body.

  “Do you know where they’re from?” he asked.

  Andus gave a sad shake of his head. “The trader didn’t know himself. Got them in trade from another source. I’ve tried every info station here to find out more about them or their origin. Came up with nothing. Nothing similar described anywhere. That’s what I’m willing to pay someone to find out.”

  Andus pushed the container’s button again, and the top closed. Both Mencari and the gem dealer stood there silent for a long time, each breathing deeply, perfectly relaxed.

  After a long while, Andus spoke again. “When the gems are apart there’s no glow, and you don’t feel that amazing warmth. I need more of these! Tell me where I can find them. Bring me more. And I’ll pay you very well.”

  Mencari nodded. “I can try.”

  Andus held out his free hand. “Give me your credit stick. I’ll upload all the data I’ve pulled together on the gems, along with setting up the transactions ahead of time. As soon as you give me the location—and have physical proof—I’ll transfer the first payment. When you arrive and give me the stones, you’ll get the second.”

  “Credit stick? Uh, I’m new here—”

  Mencari felt a sudden motion at his feet, as Bob skittered up to the gemologist and presented him with an object, one Mencari recognized as the card used by the alien at the Wanted Boards. Andus looked at the bug-bot, surprised, then turned guarded eyes on Mencari as Bob disappeared into the crowd. “You’re new here?”

  “Yeah. That stick free too?”

  Andus thought a moment, his expression growing slightly suspicious. “And the bug talked to you when you arrived?”

  Mencari nodded.

  A long moment later, Andus said, “Tell Tenrl hi for me. . .”

  “Who? You mean Bob?”

  Andus seemed surprised at Mencari’s response.

  “Never mind,” Andus said hastily, and swiped the memory stick through a small device.

  Bob’s voice immediately chirped from it, “Transaction events are ready. They will occur upon approval of GemScape Enterprises.”

  He handed the accessory to Mencari. “It’s all set. Good luck now.”

  * * * * *

  Mencari walked in the stream of people toward the lifts. His mind spun, trying to develop a strategy for what to do next, how to begin a search for the elusive gems. With a jolt, he noticed familiar violet eyes, even more striking up close, peering from a break in the traffic before him.

  He expected her to disappear into the crowds again. Instead, she approached. A chill wrapped around his spine when a silky voice streamed through the translator. “Coalition visitor. You are new here, yes?”

  He nodded.

  “Looking for profit?”

  “Yes,” he replied, noting her clipped, sophisticated accent. “I saw you before. Who are you?”

  “I am Eyani. And I’ve made you uncomfortable. My apology. It’s my job to find those that could aid us. You must be a warrior . . . from your armament.” She nodded toward his hand-phaser. “That would make you a potential candidate.”

  With narrowed eyes, Mencari said, “For what?”

  A sigh escaped her tiny, scale-shrouded mouth. “I represent those that manage the query stations here at the trading post. We seek . . .” she paused. Was she looking for the right word? Or reluctant to say what she was looking for?

  “We seek,” she continued, “information. I overheard you speaking to that gem vendor. Perhaps you will be going . . . in search of something he wants? If you are interested, I have a lucrative proposition for you.”

  A sudden surge in the crowd pushed them together and against the wall. When he steadied himself and they separated, Mencari realized he was indeed interested in what this strange woman wanted. “Go on.”

  Eyani nodded. “We have a growing need for additional information concerning wild and rare creatures in this region of space. A warrior such as you is sure to encounter such beings on your explorations. The collecting of the information will not be a heavy burden. I can provide a small device that will record any information and transmit it back to our data collection center. You need only take it with you.”

  She looked at him carefully. “Concurrently, I can offer excellent compensation for the information. The funds are universal. They will be instantly available for your use.”

  He considered this. Mencari wondered how much she knew about him, about what he was doing here, and about what he was really seeking.

  She took his silence as reluctance. “Of course, if the gem merchant’s offer is enough, and you don’t want any more income—”

  “No, no,” he said quickly. “I was just thinking. What information are you looking for?”

  “The device will collect basic statistics of any creature you encounter. Weight, size, general composition, even an image in its habitat. If you battle, then it can also capture any exposed weaknesses, strengths, or behavioral traits. The instrument will, of course, automatically scan and securely transmit all information.”

  Mencari met those violet eyes with confidence he couldn’t feel. Actually, he had no idea what he’d do beyond returning to the asteroid base. He might just resume his training and not leave again for a long time. But—she implied the job paid well.

  “This device?" Mencari asked, “Can I shut it off whenever I want? And if I encounter any creature, the gizmo will record the information you want. And I’ll get paid?”

  “Yes. Are you interested?”

  He shrugged. Seems harmless enough. �
�Okay.”

  She pulled a small black pin from a concealed pocket of her robe. “Then we accept your entry as an information seeker. On behalf of my employers and myself, I thank you.”

  He took it, momentarily staring at the dull, innocuous surface, before pinning it on his chest. It blended well against the color and texture of his shirt. He waited for her to explain, but she paused awkwardly and said, “Well, Mr. Mencari, everything has been set up.”

  “How many, ah, information seekers are there? Besides me, I mean.”

  “A few dozen.” She gave him a small smile. “Some never encounter new creatures. And some don’t survive if they do. As you can imagine, there’s a certain amount of risk, anytime you meet a potentially wild, and therefore dangerous creature. You appear . . . more than capable of handling such situations.”

  He blushed, but just grunted in agreement. She reached out and showed him how to deactivate it. “But remember, your payment will be based on the amount of information collected by the device. The longer you leave it on, the better for you.”

  He tucked it away. “How do I contact you . . . Eyani?”

  She smiled. “I will be here. Safe hunting, Mr. Mencari.” She bowed, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

  It took him a few moments to recall what he was doing before meeting her.

  The fire marbles, yes. But where do I even start? Andus said not to bother with the information stations here, he had already searched their records and found nothing.

  Osuto would have some suggestions.

  Mencari looked around, then reached into his inner pocket and switched off the recording device.

  * * * * *

  It didn’t take long for Osuto to find a reference in the asteroid base’s vast archives similar to Andus’s mysterious glowing stones. Indeed, he found three such references, all of which named one world: a planet named Aeun. Specifically, a town called Buri.

  As he transmitted the information to Mencari, Osuto said, “I’m not thrilled about delaying your training, you know. And we really need to find a qualified technician as soon as possible. And so many things have to be done to the station’s physical structure. But it’s potentially worth the detour to Aeun.”