Space Odyssey: Spectre

Chapter 610: Nervous Merchant

[System Update: 42.07%. Time Left: 1 Month 2 Weeks 5 Days.]

"Umm sir? Mister Gladiator?" Jace looked at the merchant he just finished a transaction with. He had come to Mars to acquire more food and organic materials for the food printers. For this trip he specifically acquired seeds so they could create a Hydroponic farm.

It was an idea that Liz specifically came up with so they did not have to keep having to buy organic material to feed into their food printers. The various seeds were for them to figure out which type would grow best. Apparently Liz and Jamal had the best experience with this stuff. Jamal has a farm back in their galaxy and Liz grew her own fruits, vegetables, and grains on occasion.

He had to spend time finding a decent style of seed so he would not have to get more. Because some of the seeds were genetically altered so they could not create seeds of their own. But Jace had gotten some help from Oni, the NeoYakuzi AI, on that front.

The merchant that was speaking to him now was an honest one, one that was part of a group that was making massive profit off the war through rations. Yet they turned around and were selling seeds and other goods to ensure that groups could grow their own crops. Even setting up food banks to help the needy and war ravaged areas. All of which would eventually cut into their costs, but that was not for Jace to worry about.

What he did worry about was what to trade the man. He did not have much he could trade in terms of knowledge to a food and seed merchant. In fact he did not have anything he could trade. But Oni was the gift that kept on giving. Literally.

Oni was paying for some of their goods while Jace did trade some precious metals that they had no use for. Although at the moment the merchant looked pale and worried. Jace understood why when he glanced just past the merchant who was significantly smaller than Jace who was much taller than the average human. Although he would be taller if he had his armor on. He opted for a friendlier face rather than the motionless mask of his armor. Which might have been a mistake.

"These people wish to speak to you." The merchant explained. "I could not really stop them." The merchant glanced nervously up and to the side. Revealing his discomfort was because of the presence of a sniper that Jace had noticed earlier but ignored.

Jace let out a breath of air as he tried to ignore the growing headache he was starting to get. "Hello, Gladiator is it? A unique name to be sure. I am-"

"I do not care. Merchant, is everything packed away?" Jace interrupted the man standing behind the merchant as he turned his attention back to the merchant. The man behind the merchant was probably a military officer or politician from some nation or militia. Either way it would be annoying to deal with the man.

Jace could see the man’s eye twitch and mouth frown in annoyance as his lip tightened when Jace dismissed him. He could already tell that it would be annoying to deal with. "Umm, yeah. I just finished the paperwork. All of the seeds are by your ship. Should we head over so you can pack it in and depart?"

Jace nodded. "Sounds good to me. Lead the way." Jace waved the merchant forward and then followed him as they started walking toward the private hangar where Jace’s fighter was currently located and being protected by the merchants hired guards. He could feel the other people begin following him as well. Jace ignored him until they arrived at the door to the hangar. Then he spun around and looked down at them. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I am following you until you speak to me. Because I-"

"I thought I made it clear before. I do not want to be bothered." Jace told him and went to close the door to the hangar when the man raised a hand and made a signal. Jace had barely a moment to tilt his head to the side and dodge as a bullet missed him and ricocheted off the ground in the hangar and caused the merchant to yelp in surprise. "Okay... that bought you exactly thirty seconds but will cost you your life if it is not worth it. Go." Jace instructed as he glanced at the sniper that was in the distance. He could even see the sniper flinch for a moment.

The man frowned before starting. "My nation is being overwhelmed by a disease. We were hoping you might have some form of medical technology that might be of help. We have it contained but we are failing in stopping it and unable to figure out the cause."

Well that was worth stopping and listening to. But before Jace could complete his thought he received a message and pulled out a communication device after it started beeping. When he pulled it out he looked at the contents of the message. It was a short but sweet message from Oni, who explained what this man was talking about.

The man was from the nation called the Great Circle of Uros. As for the cause of the disease he mentioned, it was a genetic assassination weapon they were using that grew out of control. Meaning the disease was the result of their own hubris and meddling in weaponizing something they barely understood at all.

"The cause of the disease was created by your own nation. So no, I will not help you." Jace told him before forcefully closing the door on the stunned man. Jace could tell the man would go back and report what Jace said.

"Did the Great Circle really release a disease upon themself?" The merchant asked.

"Yes, apparently a politician assassinated a rival with a genetically programmed disease that would slowly kill them. Then it mutated and slowly killed the politician’s family and extended family and they started killing everyone else." Jace explained to the merchant. "Is the disease in the Great Circle well known?"

"Very, it has been a quarantine zone for several years. The amount of wealth, resources, and donations going to the Great Circle to help is enough to fund several nations throughout the galaxy. But this information that it was caused by themselves will be enough to have them put under control of the Milky Way International Treaty. Looks like the Great Circle will soon cease to exist." The merchant switched from a nervous wreck to a calculative person as he rolled this information over in his mind. "This alone will be enough to pay for any more dealings we have. Please come to me again if you need anything I might have."

Then there was his generosity and salesman pitch. Jace smirked as he remotely opened his fighter’s storage compartment with his mind and the manipulation of electricity in his fighter. Once he did he looked at the various boxes and packets of seeds. Then he started moving them in, being cautious about how he was packing the items because he needed to be careful of how he packed them.

Jace began moving everything when the merchant came racing back into the hangar after confidently walking out a few minutes before. "Is there something wrong?" Jace asked as he moved a soft container into the storage compartment. Pushing it deeper inside.

"Other groups and nations are demanding access to you. What should I do?" The merchant asked in panic.

"How can you go from calm and confident about a trade route change that would cost thousands of people their lives, but panic and sweat like a faucet when someone approaches and threatens you?" Jace asked with a chuckle as he remotely interfaced with the space ports network.

The group representing the Great Circle left already with their sniper. But now there were several formal and nice looking vehicles waiting at the gate to the space port and not being let in. While several people in various different outfits with guards moved about the spaceport, both the private and public areas, seemingly looking for something. The outfits were either a formal suit, military garb, or even some outfits that looked luxurious and were probably noble or royal in nature.

"Lock the door, I will head out of here immediately." Jace ordered, then turned and mumbled to himself. "This is why I did not want to give any of them the time of the day. Once you give one of them some time, all of them will want some. I should just kill them."

He started quickening his pace. He did not want to get bogged down here, especially since his business was already done. He did not have anything else to do but planned to spend some time relaxing. He had to balance work and life after all, even if he was in the wrong galaxy.