“What is this place?” Nathan asked.
“Home,” Tug laughed.
“No, I mean how did it get this way?”
“As best I can tell, it’s a large sinkhole.”
“You’re kidding?”
“There are quite a few of them scattered all over this moon,” Tug told him. “Most people think it has something to do with the way this moon was reformed. In order to thicken the atmosphere, they pulled a lot of moisture out of subsurface aquifers, many of which were originally frozen. A few people have even put a roof over the smaller ones and created their own little habitats inside. But mine is a bit large for that.”
They drove down into the sinkhole along a road cut into one side. There were long greenhouses built along each side, with small storage buildings in between each one. As they made their way through the middle of the compound, they could see stacks of molo, all cut and bailed, ready to be sold at market.
“Is that all molo?” Nathan asked.
“Yes. Fate smiled on us both this day. This was all due to be delivered to another buyer. But they backed out at the last moment. Had you not come along, I would’ve had to prep and dehydrate all of this in order to preserve it. To avoid all of that extra work, I am willing to give you an excellent deal on this batch.”
“Where did you grow all of this?”
“Here, before the harvest, the molo covered the ground from wall to wall. The bottom of this sinkhole has a higher moisture content than the ground above. The molo grows denser and more quickly here than in most places.”
“How long does it take to grow?”
“Only a few weeks.”
“Damn,” Jessica exclaimed. “It’s a fungus factory.”
The vehicle pulled to the far end of the sinkhole, coming to a stop in front of a large building situated in the middle of the back wall. The building, which Nathan assumed was the main residence, was connected to another building directly behind it, which in turn was connected via tunnels on either side to the rows of greenhouses wrapping around the compound. From the looks of the layout, Nathan figured the residents could probably go the entire dark season without ever going outside.
“This is it,” Tug announced as the vehicle stopped.
As they climbed down off the vehicle, a young girl and a woman several years younger than Tug came out of the main house to greet them. The woman looked wary of the strangers, the young girl only curious. The woman squinted, trying to see the faces of the strangers that had come home with her husband.
“It’s okay, Ranni. These people have come to buy our molo.”
Jessica’s hand immediately moved inside her cloak to grab her sidearm, as light reflected off something along side of the woman.
Nathan noticed Jessica’s reaction. “What is it?” he whispered.
“She’s armed.”
“Wait,” Nathan warned. “Maybe she’s just being cautious.”
Nathan watched as Tug approached his wife, followed by Jalea. After a few steps, both of them came out of the amber glare of the low afternoon sun and into the cleaner illumination cast by the house lights, making her better able to see their faces. The woman suddenly began to relax, laying a large energy weapon against the wall behind her as her daughter left her side and ran to her approaching father. Jessica’s hand eased off her hidden sidearm, withdrawing her empty hand from her cloak.
“Papa!” the girl squealed as she jumped into his outstretched arms. He scooped her up and hugged her, kissing her cheek repeatedly. “What did you bring me, Papa?”
He set her back down and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small piece of candy. “Your favorite,” he said, handing her the candy.
“Thank you, Papa,” the little girl said as she took the candy.
“Now go back inside, sweetie. Papa still has work to do.” Tug turned back to Nathan and the others. “If you would like to inspect the molo, to determine if it is to your liking, I will rejoin you shortly.” Tug bowed slightly as he turned to follow his wife inside.
“Thanks for not shooting her, Jess,” Nathan said.
“Good she didn’t raise that thing,” Jessica replied. “I would’ve dropped her without a thought.”
“I do not believe these people pose any threat to you,” Jalea scolded.
“I’m sure you’re right,” Nathan answered. “Shall we inspect the molo?” he asked, gesturing for Jalea to lead the way.
Jalea walked past them toward the stacks of bailed molo, casting a disapproving gaze toward Jessica as she and Nathan turned to follow.
“Yeah, let’s go look at the pretty mushrooms,” Jessica mumbled as she passed.
“Some fun, eh, my friend?” Vladimir mused.
As they walked away, Nathan could hear an argument arising between Tug and his wife from inside the house. They were using their native tongue, so Nathan couldn’t understand them. But he was pretty sure that Tug’s wife was not happy about her husband’s surprise guests. A quick glance at Vladimir told Nathan his friend had come to the same conclusion.
Tobin sat down at his usual table in the small cafe near Haven spaceport. Having just returned from delivering the work crew to the Aurora, it was his first opportunity to partake in more familiar cuisine. As he began his meal, a nefarious looking man sat down at the table behind him, his back facing Tobin’s.
“I trust our guests have arrived?” The stranger sitting behind him spoke softly, as if to himself, barely loud enough for Tobin to hear over the noise of the cafe.
“They have,” Tobin responded between bites. “And my payment?”
“Already in your account.”
Tobin pulled a mini data pad out of his pocket and checked his account balance, the sum of which drew a smile on his face. “Excellent,” he mumbled to himself as he placed the pad on the table and continued his meal.
“It was a large sum to provide on such short notice. You’re lucky we have assets in the system,” the man said.
“Please,” Tobin scoffed. “Do not insult me with your lies.”
“We grow impatient, Tobin. What is their location?”
“Patience. You will know soon enough.”
“I will know now, worm,” the man insisted, his still low voice taking a threatening tone.
“They are not currently accessible,” Tobin lied. The truth was he hadn’t spoken with them in several hours and did not in fact know their current whereabouts.
“Stick to the plan, my friend. Just be at my berth with your people at the proper time.”
The man grumbled. “You’d better be right about this one, Tobin.” The man finished his drink in one long gulp and departed without saying another word. Tobin continued eating his meal, an almost giddy look of anticipation of things to come on his face.
“I trust the molo meets with your approval?” Tug asked as he approached.
“Yes, I’m sure it will be fine,” Nathan said.
“How much are you asking?” It was obvious that Jalea did not think it wise for Nathan to do the negotiating.
“I’d say ten standard credits per kilogram is a fair price.”
“And there are fifty kilos per bail?” Jalea asked.
“That is correct. You can have all twenty bails, if you like.”
Jalea turned to Nathan. “It is a fair deal. I doubt you will find better.”
“How much should we buy?” Nathan had no idea how many meals that amount of Molo would provide for his crew. Nor did he have any idea how much revenue their harvesting operation would bring. He was forced to place his trust in Jalea’s understanding of the matter.
