Pirad and Via had a heated discussion going on what to do about people from all five worlds of Rahn Estar. Which herbs might work better for their upsets. Via found something wrong with every herb he created to treat them with.

Via sighed. “Pirad, you think like a Bisillipian, and you need to think like a Zheien! No matter what you give them, they will never be happy with sleeping more than their five hours. If you slow the perception of time, they notice.”

“If they gain health, they can stand the shock of noticing.”

“Why do you think people die in every colony start, with no causes? I and my scientists have studied this from the founding of Ishah, when Zhea~ began sending many more colonies. Once they had nesfa for travel, they easily found suitable worlds, and when colonists arrived, the worlds had more problems than they anticipated. The fear that they could not solve these problems quickly threatened to kill all of them!”

“It is useless to argue this. If we simply write progs, you may choose which herbs you feel will help them. Time is limited.” He got his smug expression and crossed his arms.

Via didn’t look happy. But, he took my hand and I didn’t stumble on the way into the yellow building. Pirad ported. Now I noticed that he didn’t just vanish, but there was a tiny bit of white light that swirled around his outline. A white portal, like Farley took from Esta Faho to Earth? That might not have hurt him, but it must have been scary!

At times, I had to port between worlds to give parts of treaty provisions. Discussions of things we thought would balance the trade for that provision. Endless lists of herbs, minerals, animals, plants, all surpluses of more than the planet could use, or sometimes, just to store. Alt storage and stasis has costs. Even empty space for buildings has value to offset the cost of building and maintaining a facility and energy. I was always scared of falling out of a portal, and in space, you die instantly.

Via heard my memories and listened. “You mostly had ideas that pleased them.”

“How can you tell? All I remember is endless arguments about every idea I had and why it wouldn’t work! If only I could keep all the trades in my head long enough to prove things!”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

The old healer held my head. “I have help for you. Do you know of basperi?”

Of all the herbs I studied, that’s one I always wanted! It increases your memory many times! “It works for us Earthans?” For Elshars, a miracle. All the Elshar Elders and a lot of council members swore by it. But, only council members had enough trade to get a leaf! You could buy a bag of 30 yllis leaves for one. Or a prime colony world, near Elshar Mashai, with established farms, mines and maybe a shipbuilding facility! If you could find one.

“Oh, I think it would work better on an Earthan than an Elshar or Ishah! You remember certain Earthans that Ahstam gave it, to help their Gifts work better. Maybe you have a Gift, Child.”

I waved a hand down. “I’m just a garden-variety programmer. Dr. Apfelbaum thinks of me as a daughter, so he tells me I’m special, but I don’t believe him. He wants grandchildren and all his sons’ wives want careers.” I sighed. Would I want to bring a child into the world here, with my dysfunctional family? Through the clear wall I saw them walk by, and Zheien frowned at the way Daddy carried on with Mama! How can anyone argue when we live in a Zheien colony and have everything an Earthan could possibly want?

Via put a triangular leaf in my hand. Ahstam waved up a little containment to hold the dust in so no Zheien got any. He pressed on it to crush it, and waved a bit of the dust around to Farley’s family on the bed. Their sleep got limper.

But I smelled a very spicy-sweet smell, and suddenly, my telepathy found all the programmers in the room! And, none of them liked the touch of my clumsy mind!

I tried to pull back, but like a hologram, I saw colored lines connecting people with my mind!

Via held my mind so I couldn’t pull back. His excitement tingled on me! “What do you see? Show me!”

“But, people don’t like—” He explained to the Zheien healers and server instructors near the Earthans, and they dropped their indignation. Just that fast!

We formed a very big mindlink. A server instructor mindlink. Somehow, Via led me down the colored lines, and I saw the progs everyone was writing, who was affected more by this mine poison and more by that one--

“Look for asferas—”

“They all have asferas, Via!” But, I saw vials of it in all the healers’ holdings. He waved to take them all. Vials of that and five other mine poisons, that they mixed with the umar seg and carried, with diff symbols on each cap. The most concentration of it was in Nitomahan’s, his son Antomias’, Nathanhai’s and Farley’s! I saw Mican with Farley.