Chapter Forty-Four

Station Gossip

“Taking Liberties, stand to and await scan,” the Imperial Line patrol ship called, and Crush had Tri hold their position and drop shields—or appear to, anyway. Small scattering field generators were activated over the weapons. To the inspector, they should look like shielded containers, but this was their first chance to find out if it would work.

Crush sat and did his best not to fidget while they waited their turn. The Imperial Line had established a checkpoint at each jump point in the system, and they were scanning every ship.

When their turn came, they were scanned twice, and then the comm line lit again. This time for visual as well. The image that popped up was of an officious-looking man with a sweaty and anxious-looking assistant hovering behind them.

“Merchant Captain Cross, at your service, gentlemen,” Crush said in a friendly tone, “How can we profit each other?”

“You are carrying barrels on board; we will board and verify they do not contain contraband,” The Line captain said with a quick wave of his hand.

“Standard penalties apply,” Berenice whispered, and Crush parroted the words, seeing the Line captain blanche a little. While their merchant prompted him, Crush repeated it all, hoping she knew what she was doing.

“One merchant to another, you know the cost of these inspections. Unsealed cargo can not be sold, wear and tear on the hatches and walkways. It all eats into profits, which must be offset with penalties on all damaged cargo,” Crush said with a smile. “You understand, I am sure. As long as you are content with that, we have no objection to a search. Be thorough; we could use the extra credits!” Crush laughed.

“Look, is it alcohol or not?” The captain growled.

Ahh, they were bored and thought they had found a drink…

“A non-alcoholic beverage popular with dock workers,” Crush said with a shrug. “To each their own, I suppose.”

“With dock workers?” The Line captain sighed. “I will not sully my pallet with it then.”

Berenice prompted again.

“Say, should I obtain any alcoholic beverages….”

“We’ll pay top dollar,” The Line captain smiled. “And you won’t find a problem with scans in the future.”

“Well, a trip to the station is on our itinerary,” Crush said with a smile. “Perhaps a second scan in, oh, eight hours?”

The Line captain winked and cleared them to pass.

“Is it okay to supply the enemy?” Prim asked as they turned on a course to the large station orbiting the fifth planet in the system.

“Getting the enemy drunk is always okay,” Berenice said with a laugh. “It makes it easier to cut their throats.”

Crush just chuckled.

She wasn’t wrong.

The Sagacity ruled this system, and their station was a sight to behold. It was a literal tier system, with a large domed top and a spiral below that held several different levels complete with docks and entire systems, as the crew discovered when they were presented with, of all things, a docking exam.

Furthermore, it was not just for the pilot or captain but also for each member of their crew.

“Is this…” Berenice frowned. “This is not normal, right? Is someone making a joke, or what?”

“Just complete it as quickly as possible,” Crush sighed. “Whatever this is, we don’t want attention.”

“Fine!” Berenice huffed.

“Done!” Each of the cents called quickly, followed by Crush and then Andy. Cara and Berenice glowered at each other, clicking furiously.

They submitted the answers, Cara a little smug at having beaten the merchant by a second.

The screen went green, and they were assigned a docking bay a couple of levels below the dome.

Despite the weirdness of the test, the docking seemed perfectly normal, at least until they had locked in place and disembarked. Their docking agent this time was significantly different from the usual.

For a start, several other people were waiting behind them, making the crew exchange glances before approaching with Berenice once more in the lead.

“Welcome to the Sagacity,” The woman bowed slightly and pulled out a datapad.

“We have the results of your exams.”

“Uh,” Berenice started.

“Captain Cross?” The woman called.

Crush nodded.

“You excel in spatial awareness, cognitive agility, strategic thinking, and pattern recognition. However, your knowledge of local procedures is somewhat lacking. Is this your first time here?”

“Yes,” Crush nodded.

“Excellent. Have you considered the benefits of allowing higher learning into your life?” The agent beamed.

“I certainly consider knowledge an essential in life,” Crush replied slowly. “However, I do not have the privilege of a dedicated study at this time.”

“Such is often the way,” The agent nodded thoughtfully. “We would encourage you to consider our distance learning options while here.”

“I will look into that; thank you.” Crush nodded.

“No thanks necessary; spreading the word about higher learning is all the reward we need,” The agent said, eyes shining with the light of a fanatic. “Also consider the acceptance of learning stations into your ship and life!”

“Learning stations?”

“We supply complete training packages for the further improvement of all people,” The agent had a misty-eyed look as they spoke.

“I’d very much like to hear about that,” Crush nodded encouragingly.

“It might take a while,” the agent warned. “I understand you are a trader and will accept if that takes priority.”

“That is no problem,” Crush smiled. “I must admit that my colleague is more suited to the trade than I am.”

“Ah, yes,” the agent sighed. “Her test results did show a strong bias toward mathematics and appraisal.”

“Specialist knowledge,” Crush nodded. “Specialization is necessary to excel.”

“True, true. Such a waste of a life, but to each their own.”

“Hey!” Berenice snapped.

“My apologies,” the agent beamed at Berenice. “We here at Sagacity acknowledge the need for such base pursuits as interest you. You are not judged by your narrow-minded ignorance.”

“And I’ll just help you back into the ship, Berenice,” Cara said, hand gripping the merchant like iron as she let the red-faced woman away.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Your passes.”

Each of them got a badge to wear on their jumpsuits. Crush, the cents, and Andy all got a silver one, while Cara got a burnished bronze, and Berenice had a plain iron.

The assembled people were there as their ‘escorts,’ who would ensure that they stayed out of trouble. Crush almost pitied the ones eagerly trying to encourage the Four Cents to attend a lecture or two while the ship was docked. They never got past an offered tour of the lecture halls before the cents lost interest and returned inside the ship.

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Crush allowed himself to be led away by the eager agent to discuss the learning machines, while Berenice was finally released by Cara after, Crush was sure, being reminded that beating someone to death for rudeness was an overreaction.

===<<<>>>>===

Berenice glowered at Crush’s back as he went off to talk to the vile harpy of a docking agent. The stuck-up cow seemed to think commerce was beneath the dignity of refined people. The cheek!

Berenice had not seen all that much in her short life so far but could already teach that toffee-nosed cow an essential truth of life. The clothes she wore, the food she ate, the station she stood on? None of that was the product of higher learning. It was the product of commerce.

In the ranking of skills needed to get ahead in life, commerce was the undisputed king for one simple reason.

It was the one that could buy all the others.

“Please forgive the professor,” her guide said quietly, “she does not mean offense.” The man was thin, the too-thin look you got for doing lots of thankless work with little in the way of reward. Or respect if this interaction and his iron badge were any judge.

“Your name?” Berenice asked.

“Bryant,” The man nodded his head in a symbolic bow.

“Bryant, can I teach you something?” Berenice asked.

“I’d be delighted,” Bryant said. “Achieving knowledge is the goal of every citizen in Sagacity.”

“First lesson, Bryant,” Berenice said, glaring at the distant form. “She meant every acidic little comment and jibe. That woman, Bryant, is a bitch.”

“I see.” Bryant tried very hard not to laugh. “Thank you for the lesson, Miss.”

“Berenice,” She offered her hand. “Second lesson, Bryant. Merchants shake hands and use our names. It shows we can be trusted and is almost always a lie.”

“It is?” Bryant asked.

“Of course it is,” Berenice smiled. “The person on the other end of a deal is your enemy, Bryant. Always.”

“I-uh,” Bryant stammered. “That is not our way.”

“Really?” Berenice asked with a huge smile. “I’m delighted to hear that!”

“You are?” Bryant asked.

“Absolutely, Bryant,” Berenice nodded. “The unaware enemy is the best kind to have.”

“Uh,” He stammered again.

“Stick with me, Bryant,” Berenice laughed in delight. “I’ll have you owning this station before you know it!”

“Madam!” Bryant looked horrified. “Avarice is not the path to enlightenment!”

“That’s what someone told you,” Berenice grinned. “Yet the path to knowledge is tread one experiment at a time, is it not?”

“That is true,” Bryant hesitated.

“Then allow me a few experiments to prove my point?” Berenice asked

“Very well, but I must confess I am biased against your point,” Bryant told her gravely. “The proof will have to be strong.”

“And so it shall be,” Berenice laughed. “So, shall we begin?”

The importance of that heavy iron pass on her suit was immediately evident to Berenice. It governed not only the places she could go but the attitude of those around her. A bronze badge would most often be open, while a silver was derisive, and the two gold badges would not even deign to engage her in conversation.

It went so far as to control how one moved about the station. Banks of lift tubes, here called elevation tunnels, lined the central core. Each one had doors of the color of the badge allowed on them. Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Iron used ladders and stairs.

Bryant informed her that the higher your test scores, the more important your time was deemed to be. Hence, Irons had time to walk, and Golds rode the express.

A ranking that was ostensibly based not on income or on profession but on academic achievement.

“So you say, Bryant,” Berenice said as they strolled down a winding stair toward the iron badge’s most popular market, “Yet I bet you will not find a single gold rank cleaner or an iron rank professor.”

“Of course not,” Bryant said. “Someone with the scores of a Gold would not waste their time cleaning.”

“A pity, don’t you think? Imagine the benefits a truly genius-level cleaner might bestow on society.” Berenice grinned at his dumbfounded expression.

It turned out, of course, that Berenice was completely correct. The jobs were very much locked behind the proper rank of badge. A Silver would never hire an iron badge as an assistant, even if they had an unusual aptitude for the subject.

It just was not done.

And therein, she found her first deal.

A small man in threadbare clothes was selling an incredible little gizmo that adjusted itself on the fly to create a multitude of tools. It was a work of genius that was completely wasted in a market catering to people who barely had three different tools to use.

Berenice spent a third of her funds buying the entire stock at barely above cost. The man was delighted to have finally sold them, and Berenice was delighted with the cost.

Everyone was happy.

Especially Bryant, who was convinced she had made a terrible mistake and proved his point in the process.

“You see, a silver would have realized they could never sell the items either, and so your deal is doomed to failure.” Bryant beamed.

“Unless I simply sold them outside the Sagacity, where people wouldn’t care who made it and simply love the versatile tool,” Berenice shrugged. “But doing so would not prove my point or disprove yours. So I will sell them here.”

“It won’t work,” Bryant laughed but led her on.

“Ingenious little device,” the shopkeeper said, the silver badge on their lapel gleaming brightly in the light from his magnifying glass. “And very nice work.”

“That is what my master thought as well,” Berenice said brightly. “He said it was only suited to this level and to try here first.”

“He’s not some Iron Badge, is he?” The shopkeeper asked suspiciously.

“Why would you buy from an Iron Badge?” Berenice asked, feigning confusion. “Oh, would you prefer that? I mean, I could go and look…”

“No! I would never. Very well, what is your price?” He looked over his counter at her.

She told him. He attempted to haggle, and Berenice said sorry, but an Iron Badge can’t afford to haggle with a silver. He beamed and paid her on the spot. The stuffy old bastard even said it was nice when people knew their place in the world.

Once outside and around the corner, Bryant exploded.

“That was an outright lie!”

“When?” Berenice asked with complete indifference.

“You said it wasn’t from an Iron Badge maker!” Bryant huffed in outrage. “And you said your Master sent you!”

“I never actually said it wasn’t. I just asked him a question.” Berenice replied calmly. “He merely assumed an answer, as did you, it seems. As for a Master, I never said I wasn’t my own Master. It was an assumption on his part.”

“That is not…” Bryant stopped. “Actually, you have a point.”

“Not just a point, but a profit!” Berenice laughed. “Come on, there are more experiments to be done. First, we will replicate the results of this one.”

To Bryant’s mounting horror and awe, Berenice did. Twice.

In a scant five hours, Bryant was not only convinced but also an avid student. He made his first profit within the following hour and had an agreement with Berenice by the next hour.

“This will be an excellent basis for further development,” Bryant said as he showed her the finished product. “Of course, we will also make a superb amount of money.”

“That’s my boy!” Berenice laughed as she looked over the small pamphlet she had quickly written, with Bryant adding examples and such to illustrate points taken from their day together.

The Merchant’s Guide to Commerce

Ten rules, with examples, to guarantee success as a trader.

By Berenice.

For sale to Iron Rank Only.

“That last bit was pure genius!” Bryant laughed. “The first-ever exclusively Iron Rank product.”

“Rule One,” Berenice grinned. “All trade starts with knowing your market.”

“Just so!” Bryant said, “I dare say I also make a decent marketing example.” He smoothed his new suit. “A year’s wages in profit in an hour. Remarkable.”

“The sky’s the limit, Merchant Bryant,” Berenice laughed.

“But only until we buy it!” They clinked glasses.

“Now, we better get you back to your ship. The deliveries will be arriving soon.” Bryant sighed. “Rule Three, a merchant is always early, never late, for a deal.”

“We still have to settle our question,” Berenice said as they walked. “Can money buy enlightenment?”

“I am convinced,” Bryant said, leading her over to a lift tube with bronze doors. He slipped the operator a large credit chip, and they rode up together. Each wearing matching grins.

Once back at the ship, Bryant bid her a good journey and high profits—the guy was a fast learner—and they parted ways. If the Imperium survived all of this, she might make a pretty cred or two off the pamphlet over time.

The booze and several other purchases arrived, and three loads were collected. In all, Berenice had once more tripled their money.

More importantly, she had established a trading connection or two at this station.

Crush returned with the bitchy dock agent, who sneered at Berenice as they approached.

“Perhaps you should consider upgrading your less intelligent crew,” the woman sighed. “Then you wouldn’t find them hanging around the docks, making the ship look bad.”

Berenice opened her mouth to argue, but Crush cut her off.

“Now, now, Berenice, don’t argue with the silvers. Inside with you, shoo.” Crush said and turned to the woman, allowing her to ignore Berenice’s protests as large crates were put in HER HOLDS.

The moment the hatch closed, she snarled at Crush, demanding an explanation.

“Sorry, Berenice, but you taught me never to let a great deal get away because the seller is a piece of shit,” Crush laughed.

“What deal?” Berenice asked, narrowing her eyes at Crush for making a deal without her.

“That ever-so-nasty piece of work is a true believer in the idea of education,” Crush explained with a lazy smile. “They seem to consider it much like a religion here, and she is keen to spread the gospel. So keen she gifted us thirty of their learning machines, complete with their entire course list up to silver level.”

Berenice paused. “Gifted?”

“Completely free.” Crush laughed. “To enlighten our poor population.”

“Thirty?” Berenice asked.

“Thirty top-of-the-line virtual learning machines. The best technology in the Sagacity.” Crush chuckled.

“We could probably learn quite a bit from that,” Berenice sighed. “Still, I wish I could have wiped the smug smile from her face.”

“Well, take one of the machines, give Paren ten minutes with it, and then sell the improved version.” Crush shrugged. “Nothing says revenge like breaking a monopoly.”

“Ooh, that’s devious,” Berenice laughed, delighted with the idea. “But we should make a really cheap knock-off as well. Sell that one to all the iron badge holders. They would love a decent stab at life.”

“See, Merchant,” Crush grinned. “Now you are thinking like a Marshall.”