They were now within 0001 communication delay with Fallerian III. He switched to video. "This is Silen from Samur, requesting fulfilment of the special docking permit as previously agreed. What docking port has been assigned?" Compared to Standard, Fallerian was wordy but precise.

"Welcome back. Please state the reason for omitting your ID." Apparently, his Fallerian was not too rusty after two years away.

"ID is not with me, alternative identification can be provided. Marik Llandradroß, graduated at Fallerian III, date 17245.753, student 347137435255233." That should be enough to find him in their database. He did not remember his ID, but he would never forget his school registration, which he had to write on every homework and exam.

The delay was a little longer. "You are verified, Human Marik Llandradroß. Welcome back." His face could not change its expression, but his antenna clearly showed the confusion of having said this to a human.

"I will begin with full disclosure. This ship has delivered 33 slaves to Hrrst 20456892. I have one slave named Lalleli with me who can testify to this. She is currently under a jump patch. I was forcibly recruited as a pilot, my ID and licence are both with the responsible company on Fallerian VII. I have not benefited financially or in any other way from this and have no contractual obligations to the company."

He had anticipated the reaction after the last sentence. "That's inexcusable. Do you have a company registration?"

"No, I woke up on this ship just before the AI was to jump. Is this ship registered to any company here?"

The delay was very short. "Its flight plan is pre-registered to Fallerian VII, but this ship is a charter. We found a trace of the deep space transmission you received earlier. It is being worked on."

"I appreciate that. May I suggest that the witness disembarks here and I fly the ship to Fallerian VII. Then they must reveal their faces. Before that, I suggest an overcharge for refuelling."

If a Fallerian could smile, it would be the widest possible. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"May your next contract be even better."

Now that he was close enough to the station, he could make a regular call.

"Llanaploß."

The old beetle had no soft skin to show emotion. But he could read the joy in its movements. "Marik, so suddenly."

"Yes, sorry, it took me two years to find my way back from the other side of the galaxy."

"You have changed again. Not as much as growing up, but still changing. When will you ever stop?"

"I don't think I will change much more." He was not happy about this detour in his human development, especially since he was as clueless in this as Llanaploß. "Sorry, I don't have much time. I was forced to pilot the last journey. It was a slave shipment, human slaves, heavily modified for four legs and the hostile environment. I was able to get one of them out and I will help find the cartel to put an end to this. But I was not paid and they took my ID and wallet. And the ex-slave has no idea of contracts, and I am not sure if the Human embassy still considers her a human being and"

"I will take her under a temporary contract."

He exhaled in relief. "Thank you. You are so kind."

"I hope your next contract will be better."

He chuckled. "That's a given."

Llanaploß agreed to help with the pre-contract! Even two years after the end of the hatchling contract, the old beetle was too nice for a Fallerian. How lucky that he had been his hatchparent.

* * *

He stood over Lalleli and peeled off the patch. She awoke in reverse order, first her tail twitched, then her hind legs moved slowly, followed by her forelegs, and finally she opened her eyes and groaned. She straightened her human torso and finally saw him.

"Hello Lalleli. Headache?"

She shook her head. "Still dreaming of myself as a human."

"Dreaming?" Apart from that one time with Jerka, he had never dreamed when he was knocked out by a patch. Nor had he heard of anyone else who had. Her patch had probably been almost up.

"Sorry again. Maybe they can do more at the station. We will dock at Fallerian III station in 0971 using a cargo port."

He pointed to the cargo hatch.

"And they can help me?"

"Help you, certainly. Change you back, I have no idea."

"I'm hungry and thirsty and need to go to the toilet," she trailed off silently.

"We still have some food from them. But first," he sighed, "Blackbeard, 0g please."

"Confirmed, 0 g."

Lalleli had already unbuckled her harness and floated into position while he prepared the hose. Hopefully, for the last time, it felt so weird to vacuum her privates.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

And done. "Blackbeard, decelerate again."

"Deceleration at 0.2 g for 0017."

They avoided eye contact for a moment. But he wanted to use the higher gravity to cut the bread normally. Lalleli was really hungry, watching his knife work closely, ready to take the slices as fast as he cut them.

He saved the last slice for himself, a grey hard end that gave him something to chew on. No longer crunchy, but still an exercise for his chewing muscles. It made communication impossible.

Finally, he had finished his piece, while Lalleli was almost done with the third slice.

"Lalleli, we haven't talked much about Fallerian."

She nodded as she chewed.

"You see, I grew up here." He hesitated. "On Fallerian, everything is done by contract. And everyone tries to get their clauses in." He paused again. "They're not evil, it's just, they do it since they were born. Even families are contracts, my foster parents took a hatchling contract to raise me. Even the law is a contract."

Her look told him everything. "You have no idea. I mean, they will try to make you sign something. And you will need some contracts."

She was still chewing with a confused look on her face.

"Can you read?"

She shook her head, "Not well enough," she said with her mouth full. "And my last contract." She paused and looked down at her body.

"You ended up like this, yes," he finished, "so please, don't sign anything without me."

She nodded eagerly.

"You know, the air will be much hotter, more humid and denser, with a higher partial pressure of oxygen than here on the ship. You may need a breather."

She shook her head. "No, I'll try without," she managed to say with her mouth full.

"And the Fallerians are, I mean, they look like insects. About half my size."

"Good thing I'm not afraid of spiders."

"No, they are centipede-like and beetle-like but not spider-like. I mean, I have been told, since I have never seen genuine human insects, sorry."

"Don't worry, I will be extra careful where I step."

That had not been his concern. "You probably won't know if a Fallerian is angry, frightened or any other emotion. And their speaking of Standard tends to follow the Fallerian verbose style, if they speak Standard at all. Anyway, my foster father will be there. His name is Llanaploß. You can trust him. And only him. He also speaks Standard."

"Marik, thank you. I am really glad to have met you. I have no idea how it would have ended with another pilot. I will do whatever you say."

"I'm going to Fallerian VII soon to get my ID and put an end to the slave trade. It was their fault for setting up shop in Fallerian." She seemed impressed. Hopefully, he could deliver.

* * *

Despite increasing the pressure since entering the station's flight control regime, it still took a long time to equalise. Finally, Lalleli was able to open the cargo hatch. The flexible tanks were again four thin, wrinkled plastic tubes, two under the ceiling and two along the edges of the floor. And after two years away, the Fallerian atmosphere felt hot and thick, even though he had grown up here. But the smell was familiar.

Lalleli was standing beside him. They were waiting for the second airlock on the Fallerian side to open.

There was quite a reception: two enforcers, a doctor and two clerks, and only in the second row, a port control officer and Llanaploß. He was very unsure who to address first.

"Dear scribes, port control and enforcers. I am Marik Llandradroß without contract. With me is the human free citizen Lalleli, who had signed up for human labour. But she was changed into her current form against her will. They probably took advantage of her illiteracy to make her sign an incomprehensible contract." He had improvised the contract at the last minute, but it had impressed them. "I was forced to fly 33 slaves without a contract or advance payment, as there was only enough fuel to land at the slave's destination. The colony was unaware that their new workers had not volunteered for modding, instead it had been illegally forced on them. They agreed that Lalleli should come with me, both as a victim and as a witness. I was to fly on the original flight plan to Fallerian VII, where my wallet and ID would be returned to me. I suggest you give me just enough fuel to continue to Fallerian VII, perhaps even with enforcers on board. Whatever contract can stop this operation."

Lalleli looked at him with wide eyes. "Sorry, please be patient," he whispered.

"We can discuss this in Standard," the left scribe said.

"Dear Scribes," Llanaploß called from behind him, "I intend to take her as my family contract for 50 days."

The scribe looked delighted. He immediately began to engrave his plank.

"Please let me pass."

The enforcers nodded and the scribes parted.

Llanaploß stood before Lalleli. "Hello Lalleli, I am Llanaploß. I like the flow of your name, doesn't it sound a bit like mine?"

Lalleli sat down, but her head was still well above Llanaploß.

"Hello Llanaploß," she paused briefly, "you are Marik's foster father. You raised him well."

"That contract has long since been fulfilled. But it left me with a soft spot for humans. Since you cannot read Fallerian, I would like to make a verbal contract. Is that all right?"

"Yes," replied both the scribe and Lalleli.

"Lalleli, it is very important that you understand the contract. So, I agree to take you into my family for 50 days and take care of you to the best of my ability."

She nodded, "Thank you."

"You will, however, comply with all official requests. You will leave the power to make new treaties to me for the 50 days."

She nodded.

"Please say yes if you agree, or no if you disagree or do not understand."

"Yes."

"Any profit from the illegal contracting operation, after payment to the station, should go to Lalleli."

"No," the second scribe interjected, "no blanket clause until we are sure there are no more victims."

Llanaploß nodded, "How about all profits from the termination of the illegal contract operation be divided equally among the individuals involved in Fallerian space?"

Now Marik interjected. "After a full medical examination down to their genes on Lalleli as part of the investigation and any additional treatment costs have been deducted. The said medical examination and treatment should be carried out immediately and the costs are to be paid by the station."

The clerks discussed this with the enforcers, who also called their supervisor. "We can agree to that."

The first scribe held out the contract he had engraved. "I read it again in Standard. Llanaploß offers a 50-day temporary family contract for the human individual Lalleli, with the usual obligations for her as a subordinate family member."

"Yes," Llanaploß confirmed.

"First special clause: Lalleli will receive a full medical examination to verify her story of being involved in an illegal contract in Fallerian space. Any necessary medical treatment will also be provided, both covered by the enforcers. Any profit from the termination of said illegal contract will first be used to cover these costs".

"Yes," said the enforcer.

"Second special clause: All profits from the termination of the unlawful contract shall be equally distributed among all parties negatively affected by said contact within Fallerian space but after payment of the operating costs of the station and the medical costs for the individual Lalleli."

"Yes," Lalleli said after his nodding.

And he added, "May I request that the ship be refuelled to reach Fallerian VII safely, with a normal forward clause on the receiving party? If there is no payment on Fallerian VII, please add it to the above station costs."

"A very reasonable request. Yes, we will fill you in on a normal forward clause," the port official spoke for the first time. "We have the specifications, it will be ready in 0472."

"Lalleli, you can go with Llanaploß."

"Thank you and take care."

"Chebezerts," Llanaploß said too. And then he walked off, while Lalleli tiptoed behind him, looking carefully to all sides.