All That Glitters Ch. 44

"We can place you in the next conference room over, François. It belongs to the Byandi, but they are happy to help you under the circumstance," Fiona explained.

"That would be ideal, Dir. Marsh. I will see the delegates in alphabetical order then, modified by the fact that Kumar-Pair is here," François said.

A Byandi spokesperson came to show him the way and the Asoc was called not long after.

"Mr. Pallanders, your licencing fees are very favourable to us," the Asoc mentioned.

"They need to be, Asoc," François stated. "We do not have the workforce nor facilities to build all the ships you might need, never mind the ships required by the other members of the Greater Community.

"Our new station, Pallanders Six, is being built in orbit around Liramor Prime, our home planet. It is being built with Jump-grid technology, so we will be able to move the station here in the Piscium system after its construction is finished.

"To this end, the techniques for building large ships and space stations is similar, so if you wish to send technicians to learn these techniques during the construction of Pallanders Six, we can teach them our techniques and employ them after in the construction of the new station and even large ships on other Pallanders stations. This will give your technicians a jump on their learning curve that they then can assist your people with when Pallanders Six comes to this system," François explained.

"That would be useful," the Asost nodded. "Though we are reluctant to send our people so deep into human space without knowing what they would be involved with."

"Then why don't you visit Pallanders at Liramor Prime?" François suggested. "I am sure it could be arranged."

The pair looked at each other then nodded to François. "We will look into coming to see your facilities then," the Asoc said.

"Should we decide to allow our technicians to participate in this venture, how do we go about arranging for our people to get to Liramor Prime?"

"We would need to know the numbers you are sending," François indicated. "Until Pallanders Six is secure enough to house workers, we can billet them on our other orbiting shipyards. They can learn the techniques there and then be employed on the construction of Pallanders Six or on large ships at the other four shipyards.

"Though all new ships and stations are being constructed with it, large ships with the new jump-grid technology are still rare. For this reason, getting to Liramor Prime from here will not be as fast as coming here from Asocan space."

"Interesting, that speaks volumes for the access that the owners of The Wanderer have within your system," the Asost speculated, giving the Asoc a significant look.

"Yes, well Raymond is a retired Navy Captain," François explained. "The Union owes him a great deal for his work and support in the first contact of and his efforts to bring the Pod-Drran to the negotiating table and his support of the first contact of the Interspecies Community. Not to mention his recent exploits in the peace negotiations with the Alliance.

"The Union has greatly benefited from Raymond Clark's contributions both as a Navy Captain and as a civilian," François told them.

"How is it that Raymond makes his home base here in Liramor-23?" the Asost asked.

"This is where Raymond made his fortune. He was working as a Rockhound here and found a massive piece of core rock that provided him a huge fortune. He still has many friends here at Liramor-23, not the least of which is Dir. Marsh herself.

"He will be working with the Pod-Drran for the upcoming first contact with the Maha-Rrin, their species cousins. These two factions have been separated for many millennia. Bringing them together will be a major challenge," François informed them.

"You seem to be remarkably well-informed, Mr. Pallanders?" the Asoc inquired.

"I keep my ear to the deck at all times, Asoc. One never knows when information gained by doing so will bring one profits in the way of new ships or modifications to old ones," François replied. "However, despite my curiosity, you can count on my discretion. The TGA and the Navy do not appreciate loose lips from any of those who supply them. I know when to keep my mouth shut."

"That is appreciated, Mr. Pallanders. Had you said anything else, your rivals would likely be getting my business," the Asoc stated firmly.

After signing the contracts, the Asoc returned to the main conference room, noting a steady stream of senior ministers moving in and out of the room that Pallanders was situated in. She was sure that he was making a serious killing. Then, if you thought of it, all of the member races other than the Djinaëte would be interested in having their own FTL ships. The Djinaëte were not interested in providing the blueprints for their ships, while the humans were. She wondered how she might add Pallanders stock to her private portfolio.

The Piscium Family Apartment, Lima Deck, Liramor-23, The Piscium System

The children were playing together on a blanket on the floor, Urano supervising them, while Hanalei and Junelliya made supper. Violletiya was on the couch watching the group, entranced by the play of the children.

Ikekia was showing her sister words from different languages using the alphabet blocks of the respective languages.

"See, Zawwy. Huwl< ana," Ikekia showed her. Urano stifled a smile when Zarrenia tried to say the words and couldn't.

Oh, my! The look of sadness on Zarrenia's little face is just precious. Violletiya thought.

"OK, Zawwy. You tawk soon," Ikekia reassured her, bringing a smile and a knowing look between Urano and Violletiya.

"Hawwadi say, Azni," Ikekia explained to her sister the difference between Asocan and Harradi greetings. She pulled several Harradi blocks together but could not find the block with the Z-H sound.

Zarrenia pulled the Standard alphabet block for Z and placed it into the right location in the unfamiliar word. While it wasn't quite correct, it did fit. Urano and Violletiya both looked at each other expressing shock on their faces.

Both Zarrenia and Ikekia caught the look of surprise on the two grown-ups faces and smiled. Zarrenia leaned over and touched her sister's arm. Ikekia looked at her sister and then burst out laughing.

"Zawwy say you funny face!" Ikekia smiled. Both children were laughing so much they toppled over on the blanket.

Suddenly Junelliya was there. She looked at both of the adults and gave them an imperceptible shake of her head, pointing to her mouth and making a smile motion with her finger.

"Are you two having fun?" Junelliya asked.

"Zawwy make word!" Ikekia excitedly told her Mommy, pointing at the word.

"She did? Well done Zarrenia. And you, Ikekia, helping teach your little sister. Hugs for both of you," Junelliya said, getting hugs and kisses from her daughters.

Later, when the children were down for a nap, Junelliya, Hanalei, Urano, and Violletiya held a discussion.

"I don't know exactly what you saw, but I did feel complete surprise from both of you. Can you tell us what happened?" Junelliya asked.

"The children were playing, Ikekia making words with the blocks for Zarrenia to see," Urano explained. "Ikekia has a challenging time saying some words but Zarrenia has no problem understanding her intent. On top of that, when Ikekia couldn't find the right letter block for the Harradi word, Zarrenia substituted it with the Z from the Standard alphabet blocks. While the sound isn't quite the same, it is not far off. Ikekia is an intelligent little girl but Zarrenia is having no problem keeping up with her."

"Yes, but this isn't the first time that Zarrenia has reached out to touch Ikekia and pass her thoughts along to her sister," Violletiya stated. "She is unable to form many words verbally, but Ikekia understands her completely when she touches her sister. It was a shock for me to see they have such a close bond with each other that they can communicate as effectively as they appear to do.

The door chimed. Hanalei found Dr. Maya, Dr. Heyya, Tougrate, and Malnad at the door.

"Violletiya called us? She said it was something about the children?" Heyya explained their presence.

Hanalei brought them into the apartment and explained what had happened.

"Is this the first time you have noted this?" Maya asked of Urano and Violletiya.

"When you ask it like that, these thoughts have been forming at the back of my mind for a couple of days now. I have seen things like this but never put them together in such a way until Zarrenia showed her obvious intelligence. Then she touched Ikekia in response to our looks of surprise and Ikekia agreed with her silent pronouncement. It is the only way I can describe what happened," Violletiya explained. Urano agreed with her assessment.

"What is your assessment of their mental capabilities?" Maya asked Urano.

"Ikekia is just eleven months old, Zarrenia six and a half," Urano began. "Ikekia is at least six to eight months ahead of children her age when you look at children speaking a single language. Add in the multiple languages she is showing and her intelligence is remarkable. It is not unusual for children of her age to express complex views verbally in one language, let alone in multiple languages. Add to that what she does with alphabet blocks in multiple languages...

"Ikekia is showing competence in spelling in at least five separate non-human languages; Asocan, Byandi, Harradi, Pod-Drran, and Toolend. They are the five species that are most frequently here.

"Add to that, she is speaking in Anuuran, French, High Andanii, and Standard in human languages and she is showing genius level speaking and spelling capabilities in all of those languages for her age. Her language skill for spelling is near to that of a three year old in any one of those languages. The only thing holding her back is her palate is not yet formed enough for her to say certain words. That is a little frustrating to our little star.

"That Zarrenia is able to keep up with her sister's mental abilities without being able to communicate verbally is amazing. There is some form of communication between them, what exactly, I do not know. However, it is not something that Ikekia is playing at, pretending her little sister is speaking to her. When Zarrenia touches Ikekia, there is definite communication," Urano finished.

"Tougrate?" Junelliya asked.

"Sometimes, Toolend children will come into their telepathy early. It is very special as, unlike adults, the children cannot form a mental bond without touching another person. I believe this is what is happening to Zarrenia. She is in constant touch with her sister. They play together and Urano teaches them together. As well, when we are here teaching them our language, they are together even though we are only apparently teaching Ikekia. Zarrenia has fooled us all...she has been listening and learning along with her older sibling. That she is not yet forming words verbally, is the only reason we were not aware of this."

"Tougrate is correct," Malnad interjected. "Zarrenia has almost always been with her sister and from what Urano has described, Ikekia is coaching Zarrenia in order to help her to keep up with the lessons."

"I think we need the help of Clarrisiya now, rather than in six months," Violletiya said.

Maya opened a link with Cnslr. Petronellaya's office and waiting for a connection. It took under five minutes.

Offices of The Council of Empaths, Scherm's City, Hollander's World, Sullivan System

Petronellaya was in her office with Cnslr. Deriya, and Cnslr. Shylmiya when she got an urgent request from Dr. Maya on Liramor-23. She called in her aide, opened the link, and waited with the group in high tension. The image that opened showed Hanalei, Junelliya, Dr. Maya, Dr. Heyya, Urano, Violletiya, and two Toolend.

"What has happened?" Petronellaya asked without preamble.

"It appears we will need the presence of GME specialist Clarrisiya sooner rather than later, Counsellor," Maya stated.

"You haven't answered the question," Petronellaya noted.

"Our little Ikekia and Zarrenia have indeed teamed up," Urano interjected. "Ikekia is displaying amazing levels of word association skills. She is displaying an ability to spell words, proper words for the context, in the alphabet blocks of nine different languages, five of which are non-human. She is apparently tutoring her little sister.

"Today, Ikekia was showing her sister how to spell welcome in Asoc and Harradi. Only, she couldn't find the proper ZH sound alphabet block for Harradi letters. Zarrenia substituted a letter from another language, this time the Z from the Standard alphabet and placed it in the proper position," Urano explained.

"What has that to do with Clarrisiya?" Petronellaya asked.

"Both children are hampered by the fact that their soft palates are not developed yet, thus making it difficult to say words," Urano continued. "They tend to spell them out to one another. Ikekia is expressing herself at a level that is consistent with a three-year-old in a specific language. Add eight other languages and she becomes one remarkable little girl.

"The problem is with Zarrenia. She is unable to say even basic words, like Momma, Mommy, or Dada. However, there is definite communication between the two sisters," Urano finished.

"Councillor, it is Tougrate and Malnad. "We believe that Zarrenia is displaying contact telepathy," Tougrate told them.

"Sorry? That's a new one for me." Petronellaya said.

"Forgive me," Tougrate replied, chagrined. "The brain of a young Toolend is very flexible. But there are certain physical rules associated with the development of telepathy. One of them is the strength of the brain to broadcast its telepathy.

"Sometimes a Toolend child forms telepathy before it is capable of projecting it. The only means it has of passing its thoughts is with physical contact with a more developed telepathic mind. This seems to be what has happened with Zarrenia."

"Wait a moment," Hanalei interrupted. "Ikekia has not displayed any empathic nor telepathic abilities."

"She is able to understand her sibling. She must have them, even if she is unable to consciously use them," Malnad stated simply.

That got everybody's attention.

"I will speak with Clarrisiya today and ask her if she can travel," Petronellaya said. "I will let you know when we can send her."

"If there is a question of finding a ship, we can pick her up," Hanalei offered.

That got a smile from Petronellaya.

The Concourse, Liramor-23, The Piscium System

The Asoc and her smaller retinue were walking around the Concourse, taking in the sights of new and interesting items in the different stores, especially the store that sold bolts of cloth. While the Asocans did not normally clothe themselves, they did wear different cloaks of office/guilds/status. The Asoc was enamored of silk, after having touched the material of the dresses that Hanalei and Junelliya had worn. She was now running some different kinds of silk through her thumbs, feeling the distinction in the quality of various types. She literally purred at the feel of some of the material.

"How much to buy this material?" the Asoc demanded.

"This particular material is our finest quality silk and is ninety-two credits per meter," the proprietor told her. "For a person of your size, you would need seven meters to make a gown to cover you. If you are going to use it to make the type of gown you are currently wearing (he was referring to her cloak of office), you might use three meters per layer."

The Asoc gave a look to one of her bodyguards, who smiled back at her. She too was enamored of silk. "The price is worth it, Asoc," the bodyguard suggested.

"How much do you have available?" the Asoc demanded.

"At the moment, we only have three bolts of this particular quality of silk, around one hundred meters per bolt. We can order more in, but it would take two weeks to get here and I have no idea how long it would require to get it to Asocar."

"We will take these three bolts," the Asoc said, eyeing one that was in a violet, her favourite colour. "We will order twenty more of the most vibrant colours you can find."

The Asoc tapped her comp to the proprietors to pay for the three bolts. She really enjoyed the convenience of the device on her wrist and wondered if it would be compatible with her planet's internet system. Not for the first time that day, she looked at the shiny comp on her wrist, pleased with her purchase. As a piece of jewelry, it was exquisite, as a comp, it was indispensable.

They ran into the Kumar-Pair and her bodyguards as they came out of the shop. The Kumaraie noted the bolts of silk the aide held and laughed.

"We Pod-Drran like silk, too," she told the Asoc. "Ah, I note a new purchase on your wrist."

"I like it both as a device and as a piece of jewelry," the Asoc stated.

The Kumaraie held up her own wrist, showing her equally blinged comp.

"We just had a new planetary comms system installed to be compatible with the comps. They are just too damn useful not to have.

"How much did that cost you?" the Asoc wondered.

"Surprisingly, it was rather inexpensive, only twenty million credits for the system itself, including four mini-frames that act as servers for the system and the comms satellites."

"That sounds rather inexpensive?" the Asoc staid. "How did you manage that?"

"We gave the company that put the system in the exclusive rights to sell comps on Pod-Saar," the Kumaraie explained. "They made no money on the base system, but they make ten percent over the price of comps on Liramor-23, which will eventually bring them a considerable fortune considering that everyone on Poda-Saar wants one of these."

The Asoc could see the advantage that created for the company. The comps were addictive. They were small, lightweight, durable, could connect to and use the programming from multiple devices so that you did not have to carry those devices around, and they could be made into bling at the right price.

That was another key feature, the base price was cheap considering what the devices did, while the more expensive the device, the more capable it was, the base model was more than worth the purchase. The Asoc could see the appeal to the consumer. It was already a hit with most of her entourage of ministers, their mates, and their staff. Almost every Asocan arm on the Platform was wearing one. Their ability to connect to the internet and local comms system was a bonus that allowed the staff to contact each other anywhere in local space, and even contact people on other planets. The privacy setting of the device was a miracle of technology. The Asoc had already used her comp to contact the >Clott< on Asocar to get her regular morning brief using that very setting.

As if she could read her mind, the Kumaraie told her that she would put her in contact with the people who had installed the system on Pod-Saar.

Just then, the most delightful smell wafted to her nose as they approached the open area over what was the food court. They were one level up from it, but the smells were incredible.

"OH! The BBQ Shack must have just finished making ribs!" the Kumaraie gushed.

The Kumaroe and the Kumar-Rai/Ro all laughed. With her being pregnant, food was constantly on the Kumaraie's mind, and stomach.

The group moved over to the ramp going down and made their way to the lower floor, the Kumaraie eagerly leading the way, the Asoc laughingly remembering that only a few weeks ago, that was her own reaction to food in that manner.

The closer they got to the food stall that the Kumar-Pair was headed to, the more intense the smells became. The Asoc, her mate, and her staff, were literally salivating by the time they arrived in front of the stall.