Dean was stunned. He hadn’t come across any mention of forced slavery during his research.
Without noticing Deans change in demeanor, Quinsil asked, “Would you be interested in purchasing her services for the night? Her species is very rare, but no one here would be interested in her.”
“What do you mean?” Dean asked.
“Many mammalian species engage in reproductive activities for recreation. I was inquiring if you would like to purchase such an activity with Meriyl.”
Disgusted at the request, Dean shook his head and said, “No, thank you. I can’t believe you would force a person to have sex for money.”
Giving the alien equivalent of a shrug, Quinsil replied, “It is a very common practice among the many worlds. It is fine if you are not interested. I was merely attempting to help her earn her way to freedom a little sooner.” Finally sensing Dean’s discomfort, he quickly changed the conversation. “Would you like to order now?”
“I think I’ve lost my appetite,” Dean replied angrily.
Chapter 25
The next two weeks went by in a blur. Dean and Quillitonoxic spent every waking hour setting up their factory for producing ice cream. At Dean’s urging, Quillitonoxic had been convinced to pay a little extra to lease factory space close to the building that housed The Path, and also where Dean continued to reside.
The factory space was on the bottom floor of a ten story building just one block away from where Dean resided. The building was colored a bright white, just as all the buildings surrounding it. Once Dean got a close up look, he could see it was constructed of some form of stone.
The space Quillitonoxic had leased was massive, and took up half the ground floor of the building. Each day saw the space becoming more and more full as large machines were maneuvered into place. Quillitonoxic had explained that there were easily programmable machines available which could perform every function of the manufacturing process. They would only need to hire a few employees to monitor the machines.
Dean spent his nights studying the operating manuals to the various machines. He found the programming to be really straightforward, and was able to master the task quickly. Once he knew what he was doing, he began assembling and programming equipment like a man possessed.
Dean worked feverishly to get everything set up, but his mind continued to dwell on the attractive, human-like female he had seen at the restaurant. He just couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind. And, every time he thought of her living in slavery, and being offered for sex, his anger flared brightly. Once he realized he would not be able to get her out of his head, he resolved to do whatever he could to help her, once his business began to show profits. This only motivated him to work harder.
Once the factory had been readied for production, Quillitonoxic took dean to an office building on the other side of the city. There he met another Gorroshtic, named Hueristerylic, who would be servicing their marketing account. Hueristerylic explained they would need to come up with a brand name, and then discuss if they wanted to market the product themselves, or negotiate with an existing retailer.
Creating a brand name that would appeal to most Gorroshtic turned out to be extremely difficult. After several hours of debate, they decided to brand it as “DDQ Ice Cream”; the DD representing Dean Danforth, and the Q for Quillitonoxic. Nobody was really happy with it, but it was better than any of the others they had proposed. Besides, Dean liked that it reminded him of Dairy Queen, colloquially known as DQ, back on earth.
After settling on a name, they began a long winded debate regarding how the product was to be sold. Quillitonoxic wanted to open stores under their own brand, but Dean finally convinced him that the costs would become overwhelming. In the end, it was decided that they would seek out existing retailers and hope for a favorable deal.
With that part settled, Dean and Quillitonoxic spent the next five days meeting with various retailers. Every meeting seemed to go the same way. They were initially met with severe doubt, or even outright disdain. The executives at each company would openly scoff when Quillitonoxic stated how much they wanted for their product. They would be not so politely informed that the company would not offer even a tenth of the requested price, no matter how good the product was.
At that point, Dean would produce a cooler he kept between his feet, and pass out small samples of ice cream to each of the executives. They would look at the small container in front of them with obvious doubt. Then, there was always one brave individual that would take the first taste. Seeing the look of pure joy on that individuals face was usually enough to get the others to try it.
The negotiations would then begin in earnest. Once Dean and Quillitonoxic were able to get the executives to agree to as high a price as possible, Dean would produce a second sample covered in a sweet berry sauce and some locally grown nuts. After that, they were usually able to secure an agreement for more than they had originally asked for. Dean figured that if he could recreate chocolate, he would probably end up the richest person in the universe.
The pair ended up being extremely lucky they had insisted on a ten day cancellation clause allowing them to cancel all previous contracts. The fifth company they visited, which also happened to be one of the largest, offered a sum twice that of all the previous contracts put together, if they were given exclusive rights to the product. They had even provided a five million credit advance, which covered all of the initial costs Quillitonoxic had paid to get their factory up and running, paid Quillitonoxic back what he had loaned Dean, and still left a sizable amount in each of their accounts. Dean and Quillitonoxic both left that meeting smiling wildly.
Chapter 26
With their business set up and running, with virtually no input needed from him, Dean’s next task was to figure out how to help Meriyl. He knew he would need to research the laws regarding indentured servitude on this world. From there, he hoped he would be able to help her.
Dean spent the better part of a week locked up in his room while he went about his research. He discovered that Gorrosh, along with many of the planets Gorrosh traded with, had laws forcing slavery on those possessing a debt they could not repay. If the debt was a loan that couldn’t be repaid in accordance with the terms set forth in the contract, the lender could either renegotiate the terms, or they could impose slavery on the debtor until the debt, plus interest, was repaid. Someone forced into this type of slavery was generally still respected and treated fairly. They even got to keep half the money they earned while working for the lender.
If, like in Meriyl’s case, the debt was the result of a theft, the value of the stolen goods was multiplied by one hundred, and the debtor was automatically deemed to be the property of the individual they had stolen from. That would remain the case until the value of the stolen goods, times one hundred, had been paid back. The slave did not get to keep any earnings. The slave’s owner had to feed, clothe, and house the slave, but they could also charge the slave for those services. Those slave owners with a particularly cruel personality could find ways to charge up to ninety-nine percent of the slaves’ earnings. This meant that it could take years for a slave to work off even a low valued stolen item.
The worst part was that these slaves were not treated with any respect whatsoever. The owner could make them do just about anything, as long as they could show the slave was earning money doing it. They were not supposed to be physically harmed, but that appeared to be somewhat of a grey area. From what Dean could tell, nobody much cared what happened to this type of slave.
Dean’s research had shown two ways he could help Meriyl. The first was he could negotiate with Quinsil to purchase her, but that would still leave her owing the debt. She would be Dean’s legal property until her debt was repaid. He didn’t think he could live with himself if he owned another person.
The second method was to offer Quinsil money for Meriyl’s services. By law, Quinsil could not work her more than one half of a standard day. But, he could get
around that by letting her work for others during the other half. This work could be in the form of labor, or more distasteful means. Dean knew he would never want to pay to have sex with Meriyl. Nobody deserved to be treated like that.
After a great deal of thought, he figured he could possibly find some work for her to do. According to the law, he could pay her up to three times the prevailing wage normally associated with any type of work he had her perform. Unfortunately, using a slave for sex was the highest paying job a slave could do.
Meriyl’s crime was public record, and Dean had no trouble getting the computer to show him what she had done. According to the computer, she had stolen six items, each valued at one hundred fifty credits, totaling nine hundred credits. That meant that Meriyl had to pay back nine thousand credits.
Dean could easily pay that amount with just a few months interest on the money he now had. However, he had to work within the law, and within his own conscience. During his research of occupations, he found that an educational tutor normally made around twenty-five credits per hour. This meant he could pay her up to seventy-five credits per hour. He figured he would need to know more about other planets he may visit, so having a tutor made great sense. And, at seventy-five credits per hour, he would be able to help her secure her freedom pretty quickly.
Making up his mind, Dean headed for the restaurant to see Quinsil.
Chapter 27
The next evening, Dean was reviewing the initial results from his companies’ ice cream sales. The retailer had offered small free samples for one week, and had then quickly sold out in every store. They were demanding more ice cream. They went so far as to place an additional ten million credit order, on top of what they had already paid for. And, they had even offered to finance a second factory. Business was good!
Dean heard the chime indicating someone was at his door. He was suddenly overcome with nervousness. His stomach felt queasy and his head was starting to spin. He knew it had to be Meriyl at the door. He had worked out a deal with Quinsil the day before. Although he didn’t get to offer as much money as he wanted to. Apparently, Quinsil was quite fond of owning a slave, and didn’t want to part with her too soon. They settled on fifty-five credits per hour. Quinsil wanted much less, but Dean convinced him that Dean’s newfound money would be spent lavishly at Quinsil’s restaurant if he cooperated.
Pushing aside his nerves, Dean walked over to the door and activated the opening mechanism. The door slid swiftly into the wall, and Dean came face to face with an obviously angry female. She immediately stuck out her index finger and poked Dean in the chest.
“I don’t know what kind of deal you worked out with Quinsil, but I will not have sex with you. I don’t care if they triple my debt; it is not happening!”
“But, but,” Dean Stammered. “But I don’t want to have sex with you.”
Instead of calming the situation, this only seemed to make her even angrier. “What do you mean you don’t want to? Are you saying I’m ugly?!”
“Well no,” a shocked Dean replied. He stumbled for words for a few seconds before finally pronouncing, much to his later embarrassment, “I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
Meriyl seemed to freeze for a moment as she considered his statement. “I thought you had arranged to buy me into your bed for the night? She asked.
Dean, slowly regaining his composure replied, “No; I purchased your services as an educational tutor.”
“Tutor? I am not a teacher. Why would you want me as a tutor?”
“I uh…I am new to traveling The Path, and I needed someone who could teach me of other worlds. I just wanted to help you.”
Meriyl’s face turned stormy again as she said, “I didn’t ask for your help, and I don’t want it.”
Dean’s confusion grew to monumental heights. “But, I thought you’d be happy to earn your freedom sooner.”
Meriyl pushed past Dean and walked into the room, allowing the door to shut behind her. She turned back to him and said, “I don’t care what you thought. You already paid for my time for this evening, so I have no choice but to stay. However, I don’t want you to do this again. Do you understand?”
“Uh, sure, I guess,” he replied uncertainly.
Cocking her right eyebrow up, she asked him, “Are you sure you didn’t have sex on your mind? Quinsil led me to believe you were planning to use me in such a fashion.”
“I swear,” he said quickly, “I only payed for tutoring services. I think it is wrong to force someone to have sex against their will.”
“Well,” she said with doubt clouding her features, “I’m sure you’re working some angle. I just haven’t figured it out yet.”
“I am not working an angle,” Dean replied almost angrily. “I just wanted to help you.”
“If you wanted to help so badly, why didn’t you just buy me outright? I’ve heard you and Quillitonoxic have made quite a bit of money selling some new food item.”
“I just wouldn’t feel right owning another person. I want you to be free, not traded into new ownership. Paying for tutoring was the best I could come up with to help you.”
“Wow, you really expect me to believe that,” she replied snidely. “What kind of backward planet do you come from anyways?”
He hung his head sadly and said, “It doesn’t matter; I can never go back.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. She still looked doubtful, but he could see some genuine curiosity peeking through.
Dean walked over to the bed and sat on its edge. He then proceeded to tell her his entire story. He started with the fact that most of his world believed they were alone in the universe, then moved on to the essay contest, followed by his trip to mars, and then his clumsiness that resulted in him falling through the arch. He skipped over the part about his training. He saw no reason to brag about an accomplishment that didn’t matter in the least now.
When he had finished, he looked up at her face. He was still stricken with her beauty. With the exception of her eyes, she looked completely human. She had eyebrows just a shade lighter than her dark flowing hair. A cute nose, with just the tiniest curve upward at the tip, sat above a small mouth framed with full lips that were the lightest shade of pink. He couldn’t tell if that was their natural color, or the result of makeup. He wanted to continue his examination in areas below her slim neck, but he could already feel the blush creeping up his face.
He could still see some lingering doubt traced across her delicate features. He could also see that her expression had softened as he told his story. “So,” he said, “that is how I came to be here. And, you see I can’t go back home. Setting up a business with Quillitonoxic has just been a means to support myself. I had no idea it would be as successful as it has been. Regardless though, I know I don’t want to stay here. I have no idea where I could, or should, go. That’s why I wanted your help.”
Dean saw her deliberate momentarily, obviously making a decision. She walked over to his small bed and perched on the edge, leaving as much space between them as possible.
“I’ll tell you what,” she began, “I will let you purchase my services for no more than one hour each week. I will tell you all I can about the worlds I have visited, and what I know of the universe at large. But, if you try to touch me, I will break off whatever body part you touched me with!”
Completely ignoring the threat, Dean smiled broadly and said, “Deal”.
Chapter 28
The next day, Dean was out with Quillitonoxic scouting for additional factory space. With each place they visited, Dean tried hard to pay attention, but his mind kept going back to the previous evening.
Meriyl had stayed for the entire three hours Dean had paid for. She had spent most of that time telling him of her homeworld. From her description, it sounded a lot like Earth, only a little more advanced. She described towering skyscrapers that reached hundreds of stories, and vehicles that traveled through the air on what she called skylanes.
She told him of beautiful beaches and expansive forests. She reminisced fondly of her time in school.
When Dean had mentioned he would love to see her world, a dark cloud passed over her face. She then explained that her world no longer existed. She told him how The Path had been designed to allow only one transport at a time, with a delay between one and the next. Whatever could fit through The Path at one time could be transported. This meant that no more than two average size beings, or one really large being, could transport at once. This was thought to have been set up so that an army would have difficulty invading another world.
She explained that her world had an exotic spice that was quite popular on many planets. One world, called Xindoot, had decided that they should have exclusive rights to sell the spice. Her world declined to provide those rights. They’d even went one step further by refusing to sell the spice to Xindoot at all, after they had been threatened with violence if they failed to comply. The government of Xindoot was not happy.
They tried to send military forces through The Path, but like on most worlds, hers had forces of their own stationed near The Path, and easily captured each soldier that came through. Absolutely irate that they had not only failed to capture her world, but had also lost many soldiers, Xindoot decided that if they couldn’t have the spice, then nobody could. They sent a bomb through The Path. After that, all contact with her homeworld had been lost. Most people believe that it is impossible to destroy The Path device, so the prevailing theory is that her world was completely destroyed.
She told him that while most worlds would not care if someone tried to invade another world, mostly because it usually fails, sending a bomb through The Path was considered taboo. Once word had spread about what Xindoot had done, world after world began programming their individual arches to refuse connection with Xindoot. Basically, Xindoot was cut off from the rest of the universe.