Becky's Gift

Trading In Rahn Estar

The artisans went away happy, and we went on with the tour. I mentally went through items—I had a full trash can of used tissues from my room and started to vaporize 'em, when a notice popped up. If I share memories of how I used the item in great detail, and describe what it is and how to use it, a trader can trade it.

A lot of traders are going to Earth, and the UN voted to accept Provisional membership in the Alliance until the vote Monday, and it's Thursday on Earth. Every person on Earth can trade! I'd done a little trading in those future memories, but never made much. Lots of mistakes cost me all the profits. But, I didn't have the advice of a trader with TS status.

One of those traders from Esta Faho stood with us. Bowed. He was an Elshar with cobalt blue robes. A master trader! "Yea Becky, I am Faris Mai, Trade Minister Of Esta Faho. May I serve you?"

I bowed and showed him my memories of how sick I was, and how many tissues I went through. Expected him to be grossed out, but he showed me how many historians were interested in records from worlds without tech! So I thought of all the things I did to try to feel better, including what over-the-counter remedies we used. Cough drops, cough medicine, nausea remedies—we had five different ones, but my favorite was ginger pills.

And, that gel bag Elsie heated up in the microwave. You'd think heat would make my fever go up, but it helped my headache a little and made my sinuses feel better. All of it went into a holo of me on my bed, but a shared memory of how bad I felt, all my fears that I might have to go to the hospital.

And, I shared my last hospital visit, because when we knew Myrillis wasn't coming back, I went into shock. Mama had been a nurse's aide at one time, so she called an ambulance. I remembered details about the inside of that ambulance, the EMT starting an IV and joking about it to make me laugh. Their faces, everything they said, the voice from the hospital and what they told 'em to do, I remembered every detail with Rasanos' help.

The wait in the huge waiting room at Piedmont Hospital. All the medical equipment like the cuff they put on my arm to see my blood pressure. I explained everything I could. They kept me overnight, but it was an hour in a room in Emergency, then a private room. They had a sofa and Mama slept on it. Daddy slept in a recliner.

We ate lunch from a nearby cafe' as a special treat, they delivered it to my room, and mine was lasagna. I even remembered how we waited for the nurse to get me checked out, her removing my IV and how my skin was all broken out.

We talked about maybe Myrillis would be waiting at home as Daddy drove us there, and there were Christmas lights out already, in October. But, we came home to that empty house and had a good cry. We all piled into Myrillis' king sized bed. The only time we all slept together. It was embarrassing to share all these very personal memories, but the trader set me at ease. The emotion in my description is just the kind of thing people want.

He put the trash can and all the tissues into a jeweled terminal with my memories. "I will trade this, and put the trade in your account at sunset. Do you have other items you wish to trade?"

I found a lot, like all of my clothes. Who needs 'em, when you have clothing formers with copies? I kept a few things, like my baby swimsuit and my first set of shoes. But, I didn't want all of the baby clothes that I put on my dolls, so I remembered every detail from wearing each item. Amazed that Rasanos could help me remember things from when I was a baby! But, I remembered it all when I shared my life to that cylinder because that man helped me. Didn't have anything to remind me of my long hospital stay, and I really didn't want to share any memories of that! Though, I felt guilty, if that might help someone.

We went through a lot of my things, and there were so many things I didn't need or want! I'm a pack-rat, so I expected to have a lot of hard decisions. Easy, to find 15 things for him to trade. The moment he finished, he ported to the blue building to do group trading.

Rasanos ported us to their blue building so I could watch traders at work here in Rahn Estar, and he described what was going on.

About 25 traders stood in a big room, far apart. One was starting another session. He was Elshar. Had a row of 10 items. He waved the first one to float in front of him, and holos of traders of all kinds appeared. He looked at a Zheien. "How much for this?"

"300trade. This is an artwork from Torumah, a Pottery Maker. He copied the design from a database of Micas, Of Zhea~."

The Zheien took the pot and turned it in his hands, to see all of the design. "Torumah's work is very well! I trade."

"Eae yeo! May you enjoy it."

Another item was a pot that was melted on one side. "Pah! Was your artisan dropped on his head, to make this?" The Elshar smoothed gaudy decorations on his sash that tinkled.

"Show some respect! This artisan died with this pot in his hand, and it was a Mashai who killed him, on Rahn Estar in Veteas Fae, when it was taken! This trade goes to his widow, to feed her children. Esta, it has damage, but you can see fine details of his work."

That Elshar made me feel funny, but nothing came that would let me report him. I just watched. He insulted the poor trader, but another Elshar came who was polite, and gave him the trade he asked.

Most of the traders were rude to this one, and everything he traded was an artwork for another artisan.

I watched several traders. One waved down his items and sat harshly on the floor! An Ishah healer ran to him. He cried. "I lost trade!"

The Ishah held him, an Elshar. "Oh, you still have items to trade. All traders lose some trade when they are new. Rest. Tomorrow you will—"

"I lost my ferhahie's fine tirasie! How will I face my fahie?"

An Elshar with dark curls ported in. "Bahie, what is wrong?"

He told him, but he just hugged him. Then, he stood him up. "Remember the last time we saw a TS Inspector? Be calm, but show him as you showed me."

A man in black robes came and they faded out.

We went in the other part of the blue building, and spoke with some diplomats in a big room.

The green building next door had various ministers who talked about the government of Rahn Estar. It was interesting, but I didn't find any spies.

The yellow building had a group of traders who were talking about a small trade treaty.

The orange building had the Science Council Of Rahn Estar. Scientists told me about mining, weapons and shipbuilding research. Also farming research. They had scientists visiting from all 5 cities, and told me details about moving mines to Esta Faho, and part of our weapons facility to Rahn Estar, the world that still had the gigantic shipbuilding facility. Part of ours was now about a third of it.

I saw the square parks and how people enjoyed them, a holo of people doing that now, since many of them were leaving work for home.

They were mostly Ishah. I enjoyed the discussion. One scientist was Xchou. "Will you travel to Esta Faho? The weapons facility they could nae move has one family who refused to leave. I worry for them. We spoke by holo, and they said they can nae have contact! Can they be well, for they went into isolation 20 years past when there was an explosion!"

Rasanos frowned. "They discovered new poisons on Esta Faho. I cannot risk any but the ScSv Team we sent. They are trained in methods we nae know, with protections and equipment. We on the council are also worried for them, and we had them set their ship outside the facility. If one will speak with them, they have protections to offer them."

"But, surely they will listen to our Yea!"

"I will nae risk her, and Wasa Mai entrusted me with her safety! I will nae allow anyone on our worlds. All is automated, and I can only keep our people safe if they stay on Elshar Zheiea! Or, other worlds of Alb, with a diplomat beside them. Escet Vu nae lets any on their mining and farming worlds even though they are in Alb, and we follow their example. They also separated their mining facilities, now that we know combinations of substances we thought harmless create harms! Perhaps we created some of these new harms in moving our mines, but all who have mining worlds did so when we did, and is done!" His upset rumbled on us.

The scientist bowed. "I see your way, Rasanos."