I was thinking of ships when I saw another memory.
Siasch, a friend of Berto’s, was planning to trade for a mine on Elshar Mashai. Later, he would trade for a world, Samar Thaae. A shudder went down me. This place became a healer colony, after some misadventures. He had grave injuries from a Zbbat’s attack!
First they would have to defeat slavers who had Zbbat to defend them! But, Taredias has been a slave and knew how slavers usually operate. He would alter the Zbbat enough to make them loyal to him. In the other future, his first attempt was not completely successful!
Taredias Gupa, Elder of Bisillipia, wanted to help him provide for his family by trading for this worthless mine. He had ideas to make the mine productive, after all. And the output? Tessite, that golden mineral made into expensive jewelry. Jewelry that gives a person strength. Chairs made of it sat in the Trade Office of Prov One, Elshar Mashai, when Ryee sent his young traders there to be tested.
Taredias cloned Zbbat who hated slavery and healed slaves. Enough of them to affect the hive mind that all Zbbat shared. But, Liz Fenig, Healer Of Earth, will influence Lyyyrah, King Of Esteerr, to give up slavery, and the Zbbat king will follow. Large network slavery will end!
These two species are the source of all the slaver herbs from higher tech levels. Clones of Ryee and I will visit Esteerr. Pirad, a Bisillip Elder like Taredias, heard me and got in his ship. He never leaves Bisillipia! He will make our clones! Taredias Gupa used a deep blue portal to port to Elshar Mashai. They are coming from the First Galaxy?
Berto listened to my memory. How does my friend expect to become a minelord? Prov One will take any profit he makes.
He plans to fake their deaths—
Habis ha! Berto left the link. Maybe he will try to talk him out of it. Should he?
Vonn went over to Citsa’s area and ran a prog— “Miss Wilnes, what were you doing all day? What are these progs I see here?”
She laughed at him. “Wouldn’t you like to know? I can do some things without help.”
“I cannot fire you, but I can move you to another department. Would you like to do your work in Eicken Library? Or, perhaps, Shipbuilding? Or even Waste Processing—”
“I will work!” She waved up the Hub and studied research reports.
He shook his head as he walked back to our area. I do not trust her. Those progs look the same as the ones she ran to steal research. Where does she get those kind of skills?
Ryee looked up. If she has them from Kajarians, I fear for us.
Vonn stood and looked towards Citsa’s area. Maybe Derees is right.
Ryee shook his head. I think is better to let her work. Later you can run analyses while she sleeps. I can write more. We need to find the source of this expertise.
Derees put a hand on Vonn’s arm. I apologize for my anger. She makes me crazy!
Oh, I am sorry also. You sound so much like your old self, happy that we disagree more. We are friends, and I want to be, always.
They shook hands, then we all went back to work.
Citsa did send a few research reports to each of us. But most of her time, she spent with progs.
Discreetly, Ryee wrote many progs to track what she was doing. Holos to the Sixth Galaxy. To the Eighth. To the Ninth. Trade on the Areon Net. Did she think that would not show on our terminals? Eicken Security tracked any trading in any net.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Ryee frowned at it. She contacts many slavers. Be~saech watches. Limar Nir wishes to port her to prison now, but Cevit Ion warned him that we try to see the source. Some members of Areon’s Council help her. We gather evidence against the Rads.
I worried that all this slaver activity would attract the wrong kind of attention to Areon!
Citsa is doomed, and she only increases her trouble. I felt sad for her. For her family.
My work had very promising results that night.
Memories came of other things, that were also disturbing. But, dreams of the DF interrupted my sleep, often, over these days since I had the Diplomatic Link. I could identify more of the faces of those who used the metal arms as whips against EDs and the silver poles of Therapy Square.
I shuddered. Tomorrow, it happens. Tomorrow is the 13th Day of our work together. My people will be free. Tanda’s discovery already gives us plenty of nitrogen. Everything in my life will change. And I see it before it happens. Will I ever know what is giving me this Gift, and why?
I noticed Citsa staring at Derees again. He was working. Suddenly, he rubbed his forehead. Vonn looked up at him, and then at her. Stood. “You have work. Go. I shall speak to Director—”
Citsa leaned close. “And I shall tell him about your friendship with the King. Did you explain DF to him?”
“I warn you, Citsa, you already have five yellow marks. Even Governor Schwer cannot remove one.”
“Ossy’s father can remove you.”
Vonn paled, but kept pointing to her station. Citsa went to it. Then, he grabbed Derees' arm. He trembled as he got up.
They came to our area. “Ryee, can you heal Derees?” His voice wavered.
“I'm all right, Vonn.” Derees held a hand at his forehead. Staggered!
Ryee gasped and put down the cylinders in his hand. Took Derees off his feet! “He needs rest.” What happened, Vonn? Do not speak aloud. Speak enough that she thinks we use speech.
“These headaches are getting worse.” I think Citsa did this! My brother had headaches until he had a stroke! He worked with Ossy's uncle on the Council. Pragate returned today. Kol is with him now, to tell him about all that happened. He gave him yllis, but he is in bad condition.
Ryee laid him on a cot. Touched his head. Orange eyes opened past wide! “You need a healer!”
“Oh, we never needed one, except when my wife had children. She had terrible pain!”
I touched his arm. “Did the DF come?” I could not swallow.
“No! When a woman has a baby, she goes to the hospital. They did not want me to stay with my wife. I sat in the waiting room and refused to leave, each time. There are no EDs in the hospital because dying people stay there, and people who cannot recover. Many of them sat by me. Begged me to take them out!”
Vonn gripped his arm. “My friend, we should not speak of this.”
Let us speak here, Friends, in my Outer Circle. She did not hear your words. I wish you to speak freely. We appeared in Vonn’s office. Vonn changed it to a festival in Kleideu, and Derees smiled.
In Stuttgart, there is a garden for children to lie in. Vonn pictured him there with his boys. But, the happy scene kept fading to the yellow walls and hard wooden bench of the hospital. People in long, white gowns kept wandering around. A few came to him and grabbed his arms. Cried.
Ryee continued moving his hands back on Derees' dark head. They shook as he went on. “I know a little healing.” But, I can touch Pas' mind and bring him.
These people cried, and I cried also. One of the healers told me if I did not stop listening to them, they would make me leave. Reminded me that the moment I stepped outside, EDs would hear me.
The hospital is a terrible place! I wanted to be with my wife because she was so scared. I asked where our baby was. They sent him to school. All of our children are raised by simulants in the Eicken School until age 5. They let me take her home. She was asleep.
This is terrible! Vonn kept his hand on his friend. Our government should not do this!
I wish we could move to Kleideu, but I am Lilmerican so it is forbidden. He trembled. They wanted to give me an herb to make me forget my children. Until they were five. We only have my son, Wisper, week before last. Tears filled his brown eyes. He fears school now, and we must send him daily.
I thought, perhaps, you sent him to be with a relative! It is evil, to take children from good parents!
I am evil because I did not leave Tasia! My poor boys!
You love her, Derees. She is ill, and would not survive without you. You are not evil, my friend. It is an impossible situation. I shall trade very hard to get Sia for her. Surely Ossy trained her, and maybe he trained her to be cruel to your children, for revenge!