Chapter 10
The trio arrived back at the space port and went through the doors to get to Auntie. They walked up the stairs and stepped into the airlock. Auntie had opened the airlock and they didn't have to wait. The faint metal odor struck them as they stepped in the door. Auntie had been changing the air inside but it still hadn't erased the older odor from long ages of sitting empty. It wasn't a terrible odor but after the freshness of open air, it was hard to go back inside.
"Ugh… I was just getting used to fresh air and sunshine," Tik said.
"I know. The smell of those flowers was delightful," Ron quickly agreed. "It's hard to go back inside. When I was on Earth, we used to camp out under the stars but I'll bet they would frown on that here at the space port."
"Too bad Auntie couldn't pull in some of this air and direct it to our sleeping quarters. It'd be nice if she could vary the lighting during the day too. Maybe we should add some UV lights in the places where we spend a lot of time to mimic sunshine," Gus stated.
"Oh, but I can do that. I did that long ago with some of my other crews," Auntie broadcast. "I just didn't realize that you wanted something like that."
"Well, for tonight pipe, the outside air into here and when we get ready for bed, dim the lights. Tomorrow you can wake us to simulated sunshine," Gus ordered.
"Yeah, too bad we couldn't hire that chef from tonight to be out here in the morning to cook our breakfast. You know, that it's going to be really tough to choke down our usual breakfast after that scrumptious meal we had tonight!" Ron dreamed out loud.
Both of the others agreed. They sat down at the galley table to recount what they had learned that day. They made a plan of what they wanted for tomorrow as well. Ron brought up that the small trinkets had been such a hit that they might have to make more of them tomorrow. Gus said he would set things up with Auntie right away. He asked how many trinkets Ron wanted and which ones. Ron said he would have to look at what they had again and they all decided to go look at them right then. None of them were really sleepy and besides, it was earlier than they had normally been going to bed.
They went to the storeroom and looked the shelves over carefully. They discovered ten more molds of different figures of the trinket size. They picked up the ones they had used before and decided to make at least five of each of those and the new ones. They laid all of the molds on a bench beside the door. Auntie acknowledged that she understood and she would direct the robots tomorrow. They told her to use the ingots that had zinc mixed in with the silver first and then start with the larger ingots. Auntie replied that the mixed ingots would be more than enough to do the figures they wanted.
Since they weren't sleepy, they had a shooting competition. They moved the miners out on the cargo deck and set the targets for only about four inches in diameter. They directed Auntie to move the targets in and around the miners and other items in the cargo bay. They decided to walk to the rear of the bay and back to the front as they shot at targets. Auntie suggested that she make one target a deep blue and they would lose points if they hit it. The trio agreed and they started their competition. The competition was spirited and lively. They all hit some of the blue targets at first but by the time they walked back, they didn't fire at them. Tik won by two points, so she was really rubbing it in. They decided they had better go to bed because they wanted to be fresh in the morning. Auntie put the targets away and reminded the trio to check the charge on their weapons. They were a little over half and thought that would be enough but Auntie insisted they completely recharge them. They followed her advice and went to bed.
The next morning they got up and could only eat about half of what they normally did. The meal last night had ruined them. They rounded up some more trinkets and two more ingots of silver. They were early for their appointment with Fu but they just walked around outside basking in the fresh air and sunshine. It seemed they had landed in the middle of summer and the weather was pure joy for someone who had been cooped up in an unchanging climate for two or three years.
Fu arrived a few minutes before their hired vehicle. He asked what they wanted to see today and the trio told him they would like to see some of the country and the business district where goods were sold. They said they might spot something they might want to trade for when their permit came through.
The driver pulled up and asked where they wanted to head today. Fu told him they were going to tour some of the country and then back into the city. Ron saw the driver hesitate and ask Fu how far into the country. The driver and Fu had a short conversation and Ron could see there was a problem.
Fu approached the trio and said, "The driver says he has a problem if we need to travel very far into the country. He has used his fuel allotment and won't get another for six more days. He suggested we look around the city today and he could take you into the country after he gets his fuel allotment."
"Does this have to do with the war your country is involved in right now? What sort of fuel does he use?" Ron asked.
"Yes, because of the war, some items are rationed and fuel is one of them. His vehicle uses fusionable material which is in very short supply." Fu answered.
"Here is where you earn your consulting fee. By the way, we haven't discussed how much it should be. Would 10,000 rudia be enough for the next week?" Ron asked.
The trio thought poor Fu was going to drop to the ground. He looked like Ron had hit him right in the solar plexus. He turned pale, his eyes widened and he was gasping for breath.
"What's the matter? Isn't that enough?" Ron asked with great concern.
"No, No, that's not it. I thought the little silver image you gave me last night was my fee. You are offering me more than my annual salary and I couldn't take that for just a week's work," Fu gasped.
"Nonsense! Just look, you've already saved us from making a mistake and spending way more than we need to. The silver image was a gift and doesn't count as any part of your fee." Ron snorted. "Now, a question for you, Mr. Consultant. Can we get this vehicle out near our space ship? Can we legally and morally give this driver some of our fuel?"
"Yes, we can get the vehicle out there. We have vehicles deliver goods to space ships all the time. I don't know about giving him fuel. I don't know how that will affect his allotment. Let me go inside to my computer to check," Fu stammered.
He rushed into the building and was gone about 10 minutes. He came back outside and told Ron that the driver would keep his allotment and would actually be awarded a cash bonus for conserving fuel. Ron told him to direct the driver to their space ship and they would meet them there. He broadcast what was going on to the other two and they headed for Auntie.
The driver pulled up next to Auntie and they asked him to show them how he fueled his vehicle. He showed them the fitting and Gus said he could make their fuel transfer system work with his vehicle. Gus made the transfer, giving the driver about the same amount of fuel that he gave the robots. They closed everything up and climbed into the vehicle. The driver climbed in and suddenly he had the same shocked look that Fu had earlier. It seems Gus had given him a six month supply of fuel.
They were ready to tour the country and Fu directed the driver. He took them out to where fields of grain were growing. They drove past orchards with fruit and other fields with all sorts of vegetables. Fu and the driver explained some of the history of the countryside and told about the different uses for a lot of the food. They saw some animals at a distance and the two Europaischens told how they were raised and used. About noon they came to a small diner beside the road. Gus said that his breakfast hadn't lasted and wondered if they could stop to eat. At first the driver wasn't going to go in but the trio insisted, so they all went in to eat. They had to have the two Europaischens explain the menu again. They picked out some different dishes and loved what they were eating. Gus broadcast that they were eating in town tonight. He wasn't eating any more on the space
ship until he had to.
After lunch they headed back into town. As they were going down the road, Fu got a call on his phone. He reported that he had just received word that their permit had been issued and they could trade now at any time. Ron broadcast to Tik and Gus, "See, I told you it would help our cause to be nice to Fu." They hadn't traveled very far when they saw a crowd of people at a farm house. The trio asked the driver to slow down and they asked Fu what was going on. He said that it was a sale. He said some of the families had sales like this to get rid of excess equipment and to make a little money for the household. He mentioned that sometimes you found real bargains at these sales.
The trio asked the driver to stop and they all climbed out. As they walked up to the sale, the trio could see they were generating some excitement among the other shoppers. There were rows of items under a canopy that was set in the yard. Some of the items were on tables and some just stood by themselves. They looked at some of the clothing lying on one of the tables but knew that none of it would fit Ron and Gus. Some of it might be altered for Tik but she didn't think it would be worth the effort. Ron and Gus liked the feel of the material and said they needed to get some of the material for Auntie to make clothes for them.
Suddenly Gus spotted some robots and pointed them out to the others. They walked over to examine them. Two of them were some sort of agriculture workers. They had arms that were detachable and there was a bunch of arms lying on the grass beside them. Gus examined the different arms and asked about their uses. Neither Fu nor the driver was sure what they were used for. Fu went to find someone from the family to give an explanation. He returned shortly with the man of the house. The man explained that these were agriculture helpers. The interchangeable arms allowed the robots to till the soil, plant things, tend to them, and harvest the vegetables. There were also arms there for working with fruit trees and they could keep the grass down in the orchards. He had just bought two newer models and the dealer wouldn't give him even scrap prices for these. Tik asked for a demonstration and the man said it would have to be limited because they had removed most of the fuel. He did show them how to change arms and said the robots could change their own arms if they were programmed right. Tik asked several technical questions and then looked at Gus. They both broadcast to Ron, "BUY THESE! We need them in the conservatory." Ron was grinning because he could also see the possibilities.
There was another robot standing beside the Ag workers and they asked about it. This robot was six and a half feet tall and sat on a set of tracks. The body could rotate 360 degrees on the tracks. The man said that the body would also pivot on the tracks to keep it vertical, even if going up stairs or an incline. The lower body was cone shaped and tapered to a cylinder shape about where the waist should be. The bottom of the cone was around three feet in diameter and tapered to two feet in diameter at the cylinder. The cone was 3 1/2 feet high and the cylinder was about 18 inches high. There was storage space in the cone where the robot kept a short broom and mop. There was also storage for kitchen utensils like spatulas, spoons, measuring cups and knives. The upper cylinder was flexible, allowing the robot to twist and bend. The robot had four arms, two of which were telescopic. They could extend out to reach things in high or low places and were used with the short broom and mop. The body was topped with a very small head that sat on a short neck. This allowed the head to swivel just like a human head. The robot had two eyes and a mouth. The man of the house explained that this robot was a chef and housekeeper. He explained about the meals the robot could cook and the trio's mouths started watering at just the description of the meals. The man said that the robot could even make up its own menus and would purchase all the ingredients. The man talked at length so long about all of the robot's qualities and abilities that the trio started to suspect all was not right with the robot. Finally the man got around to that part. The robot was fairly new but had one glaring flaw. It would be talking and then, all of the sudden, it would start talking gibberish. As soon as it was through with the gibberish, it would continue the conversation. He had taken it back to the dealer until the dealer refused to do any more with it. The man said they had finally bought another used chef, because they needed help around the house when they got busy with the farm and the gibberish was driving them crazy. He said the local stores sometimes got upset because the robot would start talking gibberish when it was purchasing food. Tik asked if he had all of the manuals for this robot and the two Ag workers. He said he did and Tik asked how much he wanted for the three robots. He said he wanted 200 rudia for each of the Ag workers and would like to get 100 rudia for the chef. They thanked the man and said they needed to talk to their consultant. The man walked away and the trio turned to Fu.
The trio looked at him and asked, "Are these prices within reason?"
Fu replied, "I really don't know. I've never invested in anything like this."
The driver piped up, "I have a friend that sometimes deals in used robots. I'll call him to check."
He called his friend and described the three robots. He told him about the defect and waited while his friend did some figuring. He listened for a little bit and then told them that his friend said all three together were only worth about 350 rudia. He said the chef model was one that had a history of problems. Not all of that model had problems but when they did, the factory had not figured out how to fix it. One of the other problems they had was that the robot became overly protective. Sometimes the robot would not let what it considered 'questionable characters' near the owners.
The trio was in unison when they broadcast, "BUY". They asked Fu to bargain for them and said they would pay the suggested 350 rudia. Fu asked how they were going to get the robots back to the space ship. Ron asked him if they could fly a small fliter out here to pick them up. Fu asked what a fliter was and Ron explained. Fu said it would be acceptable. He called the man back over and they haggled for a few minutes. The man finally accepted their offer and Tik paid out of her money since she hadn't bought anything yet. The man gave her the manuals and the trio arranged to pick up the robots later that afternoon. Ron broadcast to Auntie to see if she could hear and she answered loud and clear. He told her to mark the coordinates where they were currently at because they needed to return there later today. Auntie said it was done.
They walked around a little more but didn't see anything they wanted so they decided to move on. They climbed into the vehicle and headed into the city. They hadn't traveled very far before it hit Ron that they were a lot further than 10 miles from the space port.
He looked at his pals and asked, "How far do you think we are from the space port?"
Gus guessed, "I'd say about 60 or 70 miles. Why?"
"I just talked to Auntie and I could hear her loud and clear. When she first started communicating with us, she told me her range was 5 or 6 miles with an occasional 10 miles if everything was just right. Sixty or seventy miles is way beyond that range. How in the world is she doing it?"
Tik suggested, "Why don't you just ask?"
Ron broadcast to Auntie and the other two, "Auntie, by the way, we're 60 or 70 miles from the space port…"
"67.8 miles to be exact and you're moving closer," Auntie interrupted.
"If it's that far, how in the world are we communicating?" Ron demanded.
"I just followed standard procedure with my former crew and launched a couple of remote sensors when you left yesterday and again this morning. I can use them for relays to extend my range. It also gives me a real-time position if you should run into trouble," Auntie responded to the trio.
"Thanks, Auntie," Ron said as he looked at the other two. What had her former crew been up to that they wanted someone to know where they were all the time?
They didn't have much time to delve into the question as they were approaching the area of the space port. They were concentrating on the different businesses and what they dea
lt in. Some of them were bars and neither Fu nor the driver had any good thing to say about them. It seems a lot of the space travelers frequented those places when they landed. Tik noticed a grocery store and made a comment about it. Fu and the driver responded that most of their merchandise was all right but, since they dealt with the space travelers so much, their prices were higher than most of the other grocery stores in town. They continued on to the business district and the trio sent messages back for Auntie to make note about the different opportunities they saw. Later, when they were back in the ship, they would check those items against items traded to other planets. They drove by the driver's friend's place and saw that he had several used robots at the present time. By the time they reached the end of the business district, the trio was getting antsy. They had several ideas and they kept thinking about the robots they had purchased. They were getting more and more anxious to get back there to bring them to the space ship. Finally, they told Fu and the driver they should go pick up the robots. They thanked them for the wonderful day and said they would continue tomorrow. The driver dropped Fu and the trio off at the space port. He was anxious to get home to tell his family that he now had a six month fuel supply and he was chauffeuring space travelers around the countryside. Fu was anxious to get home to tell his family how much he would be making for his week of consulting. He was also going to tell the story of the space travelers buying the broken robot.
The trio rushed through the space port terminal and into Auntie. They told Auntie to be ready to open the rear door as soon as they had the fliter fueled up. It didn't take Gus long to get the fuel in and Ron jumped into the pilot's seat. The other two climbed onto the platform in the rear and hung on. Ron lifted off and flew out the door. Gus glanced back and saw that Auntie had closed the door as soon as they were clear. They were almost at the farm house when the alarm came.
Auntie let them know that the remote detector had picked up a space ship on the way in to the planet. It was still too far away to identify any details so she would keep them informed. Tik asked how long before the space ship would reach the planet. Auntie told her that it would be about seven days at the present speed.
The trio was kicking ideas around the entire time that it took to complete the trip and land. They dropped the discussion as they concentrated on loading the robots and accessories. The man of the house came out to give them a hand. He was eyeing the fliter because he had never seen anything like it. He asked how much it would haul and what it would cost. The trio got the distinct feeling that he would buy it if it were for sale and in his price range. They told him that the fliter came with the space ship and they really didn't know how much it would cost. They told him the fliter would lift more than they could stack on the platform. They explained that it was mainly used to move cargo between space ships while they were in space. The man of the house apologized for not leaving more fuel in the robots but Ron assured him that they would get by. The man told them that the housekeeper robot was a Dolores model. He said the Ag workers were FarmerDell types. He told them some tips on maintaining the Ag workers but said the Dolores model was pretty self-sufficient. The trio thanked him and piled onto the fliter. They were more anxious than ever to get back to the ship and to get these robots refueled. In a short while they were flying in the rear door of Auntie. For the time being, they secured the fliter and accessories where they were. Auntie had reminded them to secure everything as they flew in. Her warning brought back the threat that was coming. They asked if she had any new updates and Auntie replied, "No." There was just enough fuel to get the robots to the fueling station on that level. Gus fueled them and Tik started checking out their programming. She was concentrating on Dolores first. She found out it was pretty simple and with Auntie's help she soon had Dolores turned on. Gus secured the Ag workers while Ron and Tik took Dolores to the upper galley. Tik walked her through the workings of the kitchen and showed her their store of supplies. Dolores used one of her hands to reach inside each container and put a little of the ingredients in her mouth. She would hum for just a little bit and then go to the next container. When she had sampled everything they had, she stopped and quietly hummed for several minutes.
Suddenly she announced, "If I had dslj;dfaslkj spices and two other ingredients, I could fix Wuensche Impossible Pie. Would you oeirurep like me to purchase these ingredients?"
Tik was ready to tear into her right then but Ron answered, "Wait a minute. Dolores, why don't you prepare menus for three meals a day for the three of us? Figure the meals for five days and then explain what you would fix."
"How many calories will each of you need? Do you have preferences?"
Ron told her a couple of the dishes they had eaten so far. He looked at Tik to see if she knew how many calories they were eating. Tik told Dolores how many they had been consuming and Dolores started her quiet hum. Gus walked into the galley as she was figuring and stood waiting to see what would happen next. Soon Dolores announced her menus and Ron asked her to explain what they were made of. Dolores explained what the meals were and the trio thought they sounded good. Ron asked for a list of groceries and Dolores rattled them off with only one spell of gibberish. Ron looked at the other two and they were nodding 'yes' and waving toward the door. Ron instructed Dolores to go purchase the groceries. He told her to get whatever spices or other ingredients she needed to fix the meals. The trio decided they would all accompany Dolores on her first buying trip. They all wanted to see how she did it and how she would pick out ingredients. Ron asked Auntie if she could interface with Dolores and Auntie said Dolores would have to have a couple of modifications first. Tik made a note of it and said she would do it later tonight. Dolores and the trio headed out the rear door and to the grocery store that they had seen just down the road. Ron had Auntie send up the small grav-sled they had used to move the smelting equipment around with. He figured they would need something to pack the groceries back to the ship.
Dolores traveled to and fro in the store picking out different items. Soon she had a shopping cart full. The trio was amazed at her dexterity when she picked the choicest fresh fruits and vegetables. Tik picked up one of the fruits out of the basket and declared it was firm to the touch but had a wonderful aroma. When Dolores was through, she pushed the cart to the checkout line. When everything was rung up, Dolores held her arm under the scanner. She was used to the store reading her scanner and then debiting her owner's account. Ron told her he would pay this time. He took out the money and paid.
They loaded the groceries onto the grav-sled and headed back to the ship. As they headed back to the ship, the trio started discussing storage of the groceries and decided they needed to move to the larger galley on the lower level. The storage area was much larger and they were doing a lot more on the lower level. They decided to move to the living quarters down there also. For appearances, they still entered the upper door of the space ship but they went directly to the lower galley. Tik showed Dolores around and programmed her to use that galley. Dolores started stowing all of the groceries and asked if they wanted her to start the evening meal. Ron said that would be all right. While she was making supper, they all went to the upper living quarters and grabbed their stuff to move below.
They picked the living quarters that Ron and Gus had first checked out. They each took a separate bedroom. Ron didn't know if they would be able to sleep that night because they had been together so long. They moved into the living room and started discussing what trade items they wanted to look for. Auntie pulled up information about other planets and they tried to match what they could buy here to needs on other planets. They finally had a list and then started adding personal things they wanted. Gus wanted another robot that could handle the refueling and could make sure that items they brought in were securely stowed. Ron wanted some of the cloth like they had seen at the sale today and Tik added a couple of things for the conservato
ry. The thought came up that this all depended on the incoming space ship. Their first priority was getting a stock of food. Tik said she would make the modifications right after supper and Auntie could help Dolores figure menus and supplies they would need to have in stock. They all agreed that they should stock a year's worth of food supplies. Auntie informed them that Dolores had supper ready and they headed to the galley.
Before they even got close, they could smell a tantalizing aroma. Their mouths started to water at the thought of good food. They sat down and Dolores served each one of them. Each plate had portions according to the calories that Tik had given her. The trio started tasting the food. They thought they had died and gone to heaven. The food was superb! Dolores hovered around, asking if the food was too spicy or not spicy enough. She wanted to know if the portions were all right or if she needed to adjust them. She was as fussy and nervous as a new human chef and it amused the trio watching her antics. There were several times that the gibberish popped up; however, they knew they had found a super bargain that day. Even with the gibberish that popped out, they knew they would not get rid of Dolores now. They slowly savored the meal and then had to go back to work. Gus wanted to move the Ag workers and their accessories down by the conservatory and start the other robots making more of the silver trinkets. Tik wanted to make the modifications to Dolores and Ron wanted to check a few more ideas he had about trade. They all did their thing until about an hour before bed time. They met in the lower cargo bay for another round of shooting competition. Gus won that night and they recharged their weapons before they headed to bed.
The next morning they were up extra early. Dolores had their breakfast ready shortly after they got up and hovered over them like a nervous hen watching her new chicks. They were delighted with the meal and planned their day as they ate. Tik instructed Auntie to help Dolores plan menus and make a list of all the supplies that would be needed for a year. She told her to plan at least a 25% overage in case of guests.
The trio went to the cargo bay to practice with edged weapons for an hour before they met Fu. They were introduced to a new weapon. It was a sonic blade. It operated off of high frequency, high energy sound waves. The blade was adjustable from four inches to twelve inches long. When it was set on high, it could cut through 1/4-inch steel. It would slice a person's arm off with one swipe. There were three different sizes that fit all of their hands. When Ron's blade was in the handle, the unit was only about 5 inches long and 1-1/4 inches square. It was very light weight and it could be set to only operate to his touch. If he dropped it and someone else picked it up, the blade retracted. No one else could use it. They decided they weren't ready to carry that weapon yet, so they returned them to the armory. They headed to the upper level to meet Fu and start their day.
Fu greeted them, "Greetings, space travelers. I hope you had a good nights rest."
The trio replied in the affirmative and Fu asked, "Did you try out the robot chef? How did she work?"
Gus answered, "Last nights meal was the best meal we've had in years. Dolores, that's what we call her, did an amazing job. She had several gibberish incidents but Tik will work more on that later."
"I'm glad to hear she worked out so well for you."
Ron continued, "I think we're ready to start making some purchases. How do most space travelers make their purchases?"
"Most of the space travelers go to the brokers down the road to the east. If you go there, you wouldn't really need my services. I did get it set up for you to visit my sons' school sometime around 10:00, if you still want to go," Fu replied.
Gus replied for the group, "We definitely want to see their school and we don't want to disappoint your boys."
Ron commented, "Maybe we could go see the driver's friend about some of the robots. How far is the school from his place?"
"It's only about 20 minutes away," Fu answered.
"Good. That should give us time to look the robots over and start haggling a little. After we finish at the school, we need to come back here to pick up Dolores. She is going to be shopping for our food supplies. Are you ready?" Ron asked.
They climbed in the vehicle and Ron asked the driver, "We're off to see your friend's robots this morning. We also are going to Fu's sons' school and afterwards, we will be coming back here. If we need to haul the robot chef, do you have a way to do it?"
The driver responded, "Oh, sure. The rear of the vehicle has a special platform which folds out of the trunk. I can haul one robot at a time of her size."
While they were in route to the robots, Auntie called and told them the space ship coming in was not the one that had been near the asteroid. She was still monitoring to try to identify it. This took a lot of pressure off of the trio but they still wanted to get groceries and supplies loaded so they would be ready to take off quickly, if the need arose. The trio started asking Fu and the driver about other space travelers who traded here on Europaische. They found out that there was usually only one to three space ships a month that called here. They discussed some of the different things Fu had seen hauled out to the space ships.
Ron casually commented, "We ran into some queer little characters in robes that seemed like they were awfully sharp in their dealings. We didn't trade with them but just watched some of their trades. Have you ever had anyone like that here?"
Fu and the driver both started muttering vehemently. Fu finally disgustedly answered, "We had some like that. If they are the same ones, they are the Challekan Traders of Elgebar V. They pulled some very shady trades here and then stole some of our processes and tooling for making robots. They also stirred up the trouble with our neighboring country that started our war. There was other trouble but no one could ever prove they had any thing to do with it. Stay away from them because they are bad news! The Charter Alliance Navy started nosing around here and the Bugs, as they are called, left suddenly. They have some allies that still trade around here occasionally but most reputable firms want nothing to do with them."
The driver added ominously, "If they park next to you, put up a shield around any goods that are delivered to your space ship and definitely keep your space ship locked. They have a habit of dropping in and looking around, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, we've seen some like that. Auntie has a pretty good locking and alarm system," Tik said.
The trio broadcast the thought, "Could the incoming ship be one of their associates?" They hated to seem too nosey about the Bugs, so they just let it ride.
Gus said, "We heard a rumor about a race called the Alcantarans a while ago. Have you ever had any of them land here?"
The driver said he had never heard of them but Fu hesitated for a bit before saying, "I don't think they have landed around here. I know they haven't in the ten years I have worked at the space port. I have heard some of the space travelers mention the name. They talk about them as though they are a lost race that doesn't exist any more. I heard one traveler say that she would like to find an Alcantaran relic, because she could retire as a rich space ship owner instead of flying for wages. I don't know if that is just a space tale or if there is any truth to it. If you like, I could check the computers at work to see if they have any listings for Alcantarans landing here in the past."
"Naw, it was just some rumors we heard and whenever we land on a new planet, we like to check some of them out and to check out our competition. That's why we're interested in who has landed here and what they bought. Maybe they have a secret item that would make us a little more money," Gus dismissed the offer.
They arrived at the robot lot and everybody climbed out of the vehicle. The driver introduced them to his friend and the trio started looking around. The man had about 30 robots sitting there. There were ones to act as laborers moving heavy items around, ones like the Ag workers they had just bought and several other categories. All of these robots were much more refined than the two they had appr
opriated from the Bugs. Those two might have been some the Bugs had tried to make off of the process they had stolen. Gus found two that were more suited for helping refuel and loading goods. He checked and they could also be programmed to secure items on the space ship. Several of the robots had interchangeable arms or other equipment to make them multi-faceted. Five of the robots were almost new and most of them had manuals with them. The newer robots could take several different accessories but the owner didn't have any of the accessories on hand. Ron asked the owner about spare parts, as well as the accessories, and he replied that he had some spare parts and could get more in just a short time. The accessories would all be new and would take two days.
Tik looked in an open door of a building that sat on the lot with the robots. She saw several robots in there with parts missing. She asked about them and the owner said two were being repaired and the others were damaged or too old to be repaired, consequently they were using them for parts. Tik asked if he needed any specialty tools to work on the robots. The owner told her about the tools she would need to work on the robots. Gus went to the two that he was interested in and asked what parts usually wore out on them and how often. The owner showed him a couple of parts that would wear with heavy use and explained some maintenance procedures to help extend the robot's useful life. Gus asked if he had replacement parts and the owner said it would take two days to get them here. Ron asked for the price and then pointed out two or three more and asked for their price. The owner gave him the prices and Ron started dickering to see how firm he was. They worked back and forth and the owner dropped his price a little and said he would give a 90 day guarantee. The owner was seeing a good day for sales when Ron dropped the bombshell.
"I don’t think a guarantee will do us any good. If we are on another planet, I assume you won't fly there to make good on your guarantee. How much do you want for all of the robots on the lot with spare parts and accessories? Also we would need ten sets of the specialty tools."
The owner's mouth dropped open and he looked at the driver to see if this was a practical joke. The driver was grinning but indicated that it was no joke. The owner had to excuse himself to go check how much he had in the robots, and how much the accessories and tools would cost. He came back in just a few minutes and said it would take him an hour or so to check on the tools and accessories. Ron told him they had another stop to make and would return later. They loaded into the vehicle and took off for the school.
Fu had cautioned his sons about telling anyone the space travelers were coming. The principal had told the teacher but the teacher hadn't told the students yet. When the vehicle pulled up to the school, the students were outside on recess. One of the kids spotted the trio and soon all of the students were rushing to the fence to get a better look. The bell rang for them to return to class and the students hurried to the door to return to their classes. The trio, Fu and the driver checked in at the office and the principal gladly led them on a quick tour of the school. The driver said he would wait in the vehicle but Ron could see that he was dying to hear some of the stories of the space travelers, so he insisted the driver accompany them. After the quick tour, the principal took them to Fu's youngest son's class. The principal let Fu's son introduce the guests and the young boy almost popped his buttons, he was so proud. The teacher asked the travelers to tell where they were from and a little about their home planet. Each of the trio did their little spiel and then some of the students started asking questions.
Fu's son asked if they could tell some of the stories that he had heard the other evening. Ron was picked to tell a story and he told about Joe Meek, the mountain man, and his two companions who fought and killed three grizzly bears in one day. Ron described the grizzly bears and how ferocious they were. Ron happened to glance out of the corner of his eye and saw that Gus and Tik were as engrossed in the story as the students. Ron explained about the grizzlies having great big, long claws and they were very strong. The students' mouths were hanging open as well as the adults in the room. He had to explain what hibernation meant and about the bears sleeping in caves all winter. Ron had to describe the weapons the men used and that they only fired one projectile before they had to be reloaded. Ron built up the story of the men hunting all day and not finding anything. Then Joe Meek spotted the cave. He left his companions outside while he crept inside. Everyone in the classroom was holding their breath to find out what happened next. Then Ron told about Joe finding the grizzly bear. He was getting ready to shoot the bear when he spotted another one. He looked some more and there was a third, very large grizzly bear. He was a little perplexed about what to do but decided to shoot one of them and then stand very still. Maybe his friends outside could shoot the other two. He shot his target but it didn't kill it. It was wounded and very dangerous but it ran outside with the other two bears following. His friends were so surprised at seeing three bears run out that they only killed the one that was wounded. The other two ran back inside the cave with Joe Meek.
Everyone in the school room gasped in shock. Ron continued his story by describing how Joe had time to reload while they were outside, so he killed the first bear that came back into the cave. The other bear ran into a corner of the cave and was getting ready to charge him. Joe quickly reloaded and fired just as the big bear started to run at him. Ron paused for dramatic effect and the principal excitedly asked, "What happened?" Ron said that Joe Meek fired again and the bear dropped at his feet. His friends came in and helped pull the two bears outside. They took the bears back to their camp and had meat for a long time; plus they had three warm bearskin coats.
The class erupted in a cheer and a clamor for more stories but the trio told them they had to go to another class. They went to the oldest son's class and Gus told an exciting story of capturing wild kamaals and breaking them to ride. Everybody wanted them to stay longer but the trio had shopping to do. The principal invited them back any time they could make it. They said they might try another time if they finished with their business. When they got back in the vehicle, Fu and the driver wanted to know if the stories were true. Ron and Gus swore that it was the gospel truth.
When they got back to the robot dealer, he was ready with figures. He told them he would take 50,000 rudia for all of the robots. Ron asked Gus for a silver ingot and told the dealer he would give him the silver ingot for them. The dealer calculated in his head what he could get for the ingot and said that wasn't quite enough. Ron pulled out one of the silver trinkets and asked if that would be an even trade. The dealer's eyes bulged out and Ron could see he wanted that trinket. The dealer finally agreed. Ron said he would add a second trinket if the dealer threw in the parts robots in his building and delivered everything by the day after tomorrow. The dealer could hardly wait to close the deal. He said it would take some time to fill out the paper work but he could have it ready later that afternoon. The dealer asked what name they wanted to use for the purchase and they told him just to put it under RTG Traders. They had talked a little about a name but really hadn't decided for sure. The dealer started to head into the building to start the paperwork but Ron stopped him. He handed him the ingot and the two trinkets. The dealer couldn't believe that Ron would do something like that. Normally he would be paid upon delivery. Ron said the driver had proven to be very honest and had recommended him so he would rather pay now. Ron told him to have the ingot checked to make sure it was pure silver and they would stop by late in the afternoon to finish the paperwork. Ron could see that they had moved up another step in the eyes of Fu and the driver.
They returned to the space ship to pick up Dolores and several more ingots. They had stocked up on trinkets before they had left that morning so they were set with them. They headed back to a grocery wholesaler. At the wholesaler they told him what they wanted and that Dolores would be supplying the list. She would also be inspecting the fresh fruits and vegetables. The wholesal
er had no objections since he was used to robot chefs coming in. Ron showed him an ingot and asked if he would take that in payment or if he preferred rudia. The wholesaler said he could take the silver. Ron said that he should figure a delivery charge to the space ship also. When they came back they would pay. As they left, they could see that Dolores had already given them the list and was inspecting the food stocks.
They walked out of the wholesalers and told Fu that they wanted to buy some cloth. He took them to a large store and they looked at cloth. They selected a large amount of different colors and types of material. They also picked up thread, buttons and a material like Velcro that would work in place of zippers. They bought such a large quantity that the store agreed to deliver the items the next morning. They paid and then Tik wanted to visit a nursery or plant store. Fu took them there and they shopped for plants for the conservatory. They were looking for young plants to raise hydroponically, as well as plants to put in the dirt. They were consulting with Auntie to make sure there wouldn't be a conflict. Tik and Auntie had an idea designed previously but as they saw new plants, the design evolved. Auntie said there were other plants they needed in the conservatory that weren't available here. Auntie told them that they needed some composted soil to reestablish bacteria in the conservatory. The long period without energy had wiped everything out and it was now sterile. They bought trees, bushes and seeds to start. Tik arranged to have everything delivered in three days. The nursery gladly accepted their silver ingots as payment.
By this time, they figured they needed to go back to the robot dealer to finish the paper work. When they pulled up, the dealer had everything ready and they went in the building to sign everything. When they were finished, the dealer handed them a large stack of papers. Ron asked for an envelope or something to put all of them in and the dealer gladly accommodated them. The dealer had taken the silver ingot to another friend to have it checked. The friend told him how pure it was and that he had made a good deal. The dealer said he would start delivering the robots first thing in the morning. He apologized for not having all of the robots fully fueled but his ration just wouldn't allow it. Ron assured him that they would make out.
They returned to the grocery wholesaler to pick up Dolores and settle up. The wholesaler had most of the items that Dolores ordered but it would be two days before he had the rest of it. They told him to start delivery in two days and finish whatever he needed the next day. By this time, they felt like it was time for supper. They wanted just a quick bite and then to head back to the space ship. The driver knew of a place that wasn't too far away. Dolores stayed in the vehicle while they went in to eat.
After they finished eating, the five of them were walking outside to head to the vehicle. It was parked at the far end of the parking lot because it was so large. They were about half way to the vehicle when three young men jumped from behind another vehicle in the parking lot. All three had stingerray guns like the Bugs carried. This was strange because the shape of the men put them from Europaische. They were thinner than Fu but had the same build. They gruffly ordered them to hand over all of their valuables and to be quick about it. Gus and Ron quietly stepped in front of Fu and the driver. Tik dropped to all four legs, her tail went straight up in the air with a small curl on the end and her ears were plastered flat against her skull.
Gus groaned, "Oh Lord, help us. Somebody over there is going to get hurt."
Ron asked, "What do you mean?"
"When she looks like that, with her tail straight up and her ears laid back, she is in full fight mode. Those chumps over there won't even have a chance to move before she'll have pieces of them flying. Remember the Bug arms she had in her bag? She looked just like that and she was so sick she could hardly move and the Bug had a stingerray in his hand."
The thugs had just started to swagger forward and Tik was set to launch an attack, when out of nowhere, Dolores came flying with a broom in one hand and a mop in the other. The handles on both were telescoped to full length and she was holding them close to the broom and mop head. She was moving so swiftly and silently that the thugs had no idea anybody was even close. She whacked both handles right across both sides of the middle ones head. He dropped like a rock, screaming in pain. In almost the same motion, she whacked the thugs' arms that were holding the guns. They screamed in pain and surprise as they dropped the weapons. She started whacking them across the back with the handles and the thugs shrieked in agony and started running. The middle one that had hit the ground stirred and started to get up. She lit into him with both handles and he started shrieking as he was trying to crawl away. It was more than Tik could handle to stand back and just watch. She rushed in and bit the thug right on the rear while grabbing him with open claws. She bit hard enough to draw blood and tear his trousers, while her claws had left bloody gouges and more slashes. It was amazing! The thug had been struggling to get up under Dolores's whacks but now leaped to his feet and quickly overtook the other two as they ran away. Dolores and Tik were right on his heels. Tik's claws took small bloody chunks out of the backside of the other two thugs as she ran behind them. All of the thugs were shrieking like teeny-boppers on a scary roller coaster ride. Tik slowed after she mangled all of them a bit more but Dolores kept after them. She switched to just the broom with the broom head to the outside. She was pounding away on all three of them. Ron thought it looked like the farmer's wife chasing three rats out of the house. He and Gus hurried the driver and Fu to the vehicle and got it started. Tik stopped to grab the weapons and leaped into the vehicle as it was heading out of the parking lot to follow Dolores. The driver sped down the street in the direction Dolores and the thugs had taken. They spotted her about six blocks ahead with the thugs still running at top speed as they were shrieking at the top of their lungs. One of the thugs tried to duck down an alley but Dolores turned her full fury on him and he quickly decided to pass his companions.
They had run three more blocks when Fu shouted, "There's a police station three blocks to the right." They didn't know if Dolores heard or already knew of the police station but she turned the thugs down the street and kept them moving at high speed. People were leaping off the sidewalk to get out of their way as they ran shrieking and screaming. The driver kept just a little behind them and everyone inside had a good view of the happenings. The police station was in the middle of the block and Dolores herded the thugs into it just like a cutting horse herding cattle. Her broom was flailing with every step the thugs took. They ran up the steps and crashed through the door. Dolores didn't even slow down. Her broom didn't stop until they were inside and several policemen came around to see what the ruckus was. The thugs were so out of breath that they couldn't even talk.
Dolores calmly announced, "These young thugs threatened to use stingerrays on my owners and their friends. I have escorted them here for appropriate official action. I simply can not tolerate such rude behavior."
The thug who had been hit first was wheezing, "She tried to kill us. We wusn't doin' nothin'!"
Fu, Ron, Tik, Gus and the driver rushed in just at that moment. Tik held up the stingerrays and handed them to one of the policemen. She declared loudly, "These gentlemen dropped these when Dolores kept them from using them on us." The policeman took the weapons and handled them like they were snakes. The weapons were banned because of the atrocities the Bugs had committed with them. The other thugs were starting to whine now about being attacked for no reason and those things didn't belong to them. Ron and Tik started to disagree and bedlam broke out. Dolores rolled forward and raised her broom. The thugs fell silent and one of the policemen who had recognized Fu asked what had happened.
Fu conveyed the answer in a very official voice, "My friends and I have been shopping all day and had stopped for a bite to eat. As we were leaving, these young thugs leaped from behind a parked vehicle and demanded all of our valuables. They were carrying those wea
pons and I feel they were just about to use them on us. My friends, Ron and Gus, stepped between them and the two of us. Their new robot chef came flying to their rescue. She disarmed all three of them and then proceeded to chase them down the street right here to your station. I must say that I have never heard such shrieking and screaming in all my life. When the tables are turned, those three showed their true, very cowardly character."
The policemen all laughed at the story and the thugs hung their head in embarrassment. The policeman turned to the thugs and told them to tell their side of the story. They maintained their innocence. They claimed that they had never seen the weapons and the crazy robot attacked for no reason. The policeman believed Fu but still hesitated to arrest the three.
Ron suddenly suggested, "If they are so innocent, you should turn them loose. Dolores would be happy to escort them home to make sure they get there safely."
Dolores piped right up, "Oh yes. It would be my delight to escort these gentlemen all the way home."
The thugs turned pale and their eyes got very big. They looked from Ron, to Dolores, to the policemen. Suddenly they confessed to the attempted robbery, carrying the weapons and even started confessing other crimes. Three of the policemen led them away and took their confessions. The policeman who knew Fu exclaimed with a big grin, "Would you like to sell that robot? We could use her to get a few more confessions and make the crime rate drop considerably around here."
Ron declined the offer and said they needed her around the space ship too much. He said rats and other vermin were afraid to even come close to their space ship now. Everybody laughed and the policeman said they were free to go. If they had any questions, he would get in touch with Fu. Fu continued to talk as the others started out the door. Fu quietly said, "I think those thugs are very lucky. The three star travelers were getting ready to go into action when that robot attacked. I overheard the biggest one saying that the little one was ready to fight and he had seen her tear arms off of someone. I know Ron and Gus stood between me and those thugs. They were protecting us but they were also reaching for weapons. I think you would have been picking up body parts if they had defended themselves." The policeman had a thoughtful look in his eye as Fu turned to catch up with the rest of the group.
Fu and the driver were very thoughtful on the way back to the space port. They both realized there was a lot more to these space travelers than met the eye. Honest citizens like themselves were very safe with them but law breakers accosted them at their own risk.