She Bleeds for Us: The Galactic Consortium 3

Chapter 46

Devaki walked slowly through the marketplace. Zie made a show of inspecting some fruit, though in truth zie was only half paying attention.

Zie would eventually have to pick out a few good pieces of fruit and head back to base to prepare them for supper. But zie wasn't ready and zie was waiting for a message anyway. A message zie didn't want to take on base, just in case.

The locals watched hir, and zie watched them back out of the corner of hir eyes. Their reaction was mixed, as always. To some, zie was simply consortium, one of those newcomers from the sky. And mostly they looked at the newcomers with hope, hope for a better life for themselves and their families.

Increasingly the locals knew enough about the Consortium to see Devaki as a kuragara. Their order had been involved in a some major raids and military actions. Their role as warriors fighting for peace had made them famous.

But not all of the locals were so positive, zie thought as zie caught a man scowling at hir. They had peculiar ideas about how men and women should behave and about sexuality on this planet. Ideas that the kuragara didn't fit into. These beliefs were based on "ancient" religious and cultural traditions that went back centuries. Devaki bit back a snort. In the old galaxy history was discussed in millennia or epochs. The Vatari, the longest live race measured their own lives in millennia and their history in Yuiga, divine years based on the rotation of the entire galaxy. The kuragara order had been formed in the last Yuiga, over forty thousand years ago now. But this planet wanted to insist that it's traditions were old and must be respected?

Devaki shook hir head to clear it. Zie was not upset that a few locals gave hir strange, disapproving looks. Zie was upset about hir contact. He should have checked in an hour ago. He was officially late. Not just distracted-by-something late, which had happened more than once, but officially, something-went-wrong late.

But what could zie do about it? Nothing. He was miles away and zie couldn't do much to help him.

A young woman came over and said something.

"Sorry, I was a bit distracted," Devaki said. Zie waited as hir collar translated. Zie had thought about learning the local language, but zie couldn't decide which one. The English language that was spoken commonly elsewhere on this planet? The French language used frequently on this continent? Or one of the many truly local language?

"Do you need help?" the girl repeated.

Devaki realised suddenly zie had been standing there, holding the same piece of fruit for several minutes while zie worried about Gabriel. Zie shook hir head and sat the fruit, a papaya, down. "Just trying to find the best for dinner," zie said.

"If you are going to eat them tonight," the girl said. "These are quite ripe." She held up another papaya from the stack.

Zie nodded and took three. "Yes, thank you. Coin or...?"

"I have an account," the girl said, holding up her hand to complete the transaction. Exchanging money was still a problem in many parts of this planet. But here, near the Bamako base and station more and more merchants were establishing accounts with the Consortium, so they could buy and sell in credits. In fact that was creating a new set of problems as local currencies became devalued and merchants started preferring credits.

Devaki paid for the fruit and headed back to base. Zie had to face the facts, something had happened and zie would just have to wait and hope that Gabriel checked in soon.