“Cool hover-cab, mate. Are they hard to drive?” I asked him.
“It’s not hovering. It’s magnetic,” he replied shortly, then continued to ignore me the rest of the way.
I looked out the window, marveling at the planet we were on. It was all built-up and the whole place had a smooth, flowing design to it. Everything seemed to be constructed from metal and glass, even the roads and sidewalks. Lots of other vehicles travelled the roads, and there were lots of the small, hairy aliens mooching around.
There were also quite a few tall, grey-colored aliens walking around. They were willowy, and seemed to move in an elegant, flowing way, which almost reminded me of the architecture. These were the only two types of aliens I saw on planet D-10 – whatever the fuck.
I wanted to ask questions, but I held my tongue until we got out of the cab. Then, I attacked Calegg with everything I’d bottled up, “So, why are there only two types of aliens? Which ones are the Hixus? I hope it's not the furry ones. They seem like ignorant, little pricks, whether they’re Hixus or not.”
Calegg sighed, “The tall, grey aliens are the Hixus. The smaller aliens are Tantaloes. They became the servants of the Hixus after they were conquered. I believe it has been that way for thousands of years.”
“That might explain why they’re such pricks. Or maybe they were always pricks, and that’s why the Hixus conquered them,” I mused.
“I’d imagine it’s the forced-servitude that has affected their personalities, Shaun. Now, stop being a childish jackass and let's go find our new ship,” Ember said, in a slightly irritated tone.
Once we were inside the ship-dealers, it was a truly amazing experience walking among all the new and shiny ships. Some looked awesome, others not so much.
We spoke to a salesman, who was not only the first different alien race we’d seen, yet also managed to fit all the stereotypes of the car salesmen on earth. Even if he did have green, fleshy dreadlocks, was inhumanely thin, and about seven-foot tall. I instantly found myself no longer wanting to buy a ship, in a purely responsive reaction to the salesman spiel.
He tried to sell us everything under the sun - sorry, in the galaxy.
“No!” Calegg explained, loudly and impatiently. “We want to look at the Guegumar Star.”
“We have better ships than that. Come and look over here.”
“If you don’t have one, stop wasting our time,” Ember snapped. “I’ll give you an arlar if you tell me where to get one.”
The salesman put on a pose of fake defeat. “Five, and you got a deal. Don’t blame kyou either if you’ve got the money. By far the best ship there is in that class, or any other,” he said under his breath.
Ember handed over five arlars, to give the guy his due. He gave us detailed directions and he called us another cab.
When we got out at the next spaceship dealership, it looked to be a step-up in class. That also led to a feeling of being scrutinized more closely. The salesman who greeted us was one of the Hixus, and while his voice was smooth and melodic, there was an air of superiority about him and his words, “Welcome to Alpha Flight. The first choice for luxury, premium-class space vessels. I will warn you; we sell only the finest models for the more discerning customer. I would, however, be happy to direct you to a more modest dealership.”
“Do you have the Guegumar Star in stock?” Ember asked, with a real snap in her voice.
The salesman looked mildly taken aback, “Yes. We do have one in stock. You do understand the price bracket you’re looking at here. There is only one ship of this class more expensive, though to be honest you’re paying more for a fashion accessory. The price of the Guegumar Star is all about the specs. The folding drive is revolutionary! There’s nothing like it in the entire galaxy.”
“How much is it, exactly?” I asked.
“One million senlar,” he replied, smugly.
I felt a brief flash of terror, but managed to calm myself. Elyek was paying after all, and Elyek suggested this ship. So, fuck it.
“Sounds perfect. It’s what we came here for, and we fully intend to buy it. Can you take us to see the ship, please?” I asked.
He reluctantly led us through the dealership entrance, which was filled with smaller landing craft options, into a massive open topped warehouse. We passed a number of clearly top-spec ships. When I turned to talk to Calegg, I found the mad bastard glowing brightly.
“Shit,” I hissed, and dragged him off to the side. “For fuck sake, Calegg. You’re glowing, mate. You look like you’re going to explode. Don’t explode. These are very expensive-looking ships,” I whispered violently.
“Sorry, sorry. I won’t. It’s just so exciting for me. I can’t believe that I’m going to fly a million-senlar ship.”
“Well, it’s going to be yours to fly soon so calm the fuck down, Calegg. Okay? If you explode, it’s game over for us all. Except you, obviously. Though I don't think you’d last long afterwards.” I was brought away from my Calegg-scolding by the salesdick.
“Here we are, The Guegumar Star! “He announced proudly.
When I looked up, I knew we were looking at absolute spaceship royalty. I hadn’t even thought to ask how big this baby was, but it must’ve been at least as big as the Thoth.
“How many people fit on this baby?” I asked in awe.
He gave me an odd look, “You want to buy a million-senlar ship, yet you don’t know its capacity?”
I felt a surge of irritation, “I know it’s big, it’s fast, and has the best folding drive in the galaxy! Those are the reasons I’m buying it. Now, if you can't answer my questions, please go and get a competent salesman for me to talk to.”
“I apologize, sir. You’re quite right, and I was remiss in my duties. There are exactly one-hundred crew rooms
