Jack's Righteous Gig

It was such a clumsy attempt at extortion, Jessa had to disconnect the line before her rage got the best of her, and she said something that put the two worlds at war. Instead, she sent the recording to the Minister of Security on Altaria and the Queen's office as well.

She had six teams of Altarian security officers trying to kill anything that moved under the sand. The ship that crash-landed split open in multiple places, so there was no way to contain the fully awake livestock.

In fact, against all convention, there were no stasis chambers inside the ship at all. The gasses the ship vented on its way down were probably what kept the beasts in a docile state. Free of the gas, then given a rough shaking, the creatures headed outside as quickly as they could slither and scramble.

On the bridge of the ship, the security officers found a section of the controls slagged by a thermal charge. With the flight controls and navigation stations destroyed, there was no way to prove the ship's instructions were to crash land. However, highlighting the dim wit of the perpetrators, it also provided evidence of their true intent, as the vessel could not have behaved as it did with a slagged control center. The damage had to have occurred after it landed. The hard jostling severed the connections to the other thermal charges in the chain, preventing them from destroying the rest of the bridge. Oh, and they were Sanosian thermal charges.

The evidence was carefully recorded and sent to the Ministry of Security, who would use it in their case against the Sanosians before the other Gate Network members.

Hopefully, this would keep the Sanosians off Jessa's back for a while. She still had to deal with the invaders. The security officers weren't proving too successful in finding the elusive beasts. Thankfully only minor injuries were being reported by the colonists so far, but there were some larger creatures under the sand now.

Milli burst into her office, making her jump. "Apologies, Jessa, but we have another incoming ship!"

"WHAT?!?"

"It's Sanosian, and its registry indicates it's from the Sanosian Regent's hunting team!"

Jessa changed her display to show the incoming ship's track. The hunters! "I never accepted the Regent's offer!" Jessa snapped.

Milli looked at her with big eyes. "Did you refuse it?"

The new leader looked at Milli in silence as she recalled disconnecting the call before she screamed. "No."

They looked at the dot moving on the screen. It indicated it would land well away from the Altarians. That's where the Sanosian hunters would set up a base, which they would eventually call their own colony.

"I- I have to speak to the Queen," Jessa muttered, distraught she'd messed up so badly so early in her service as colony leader.

Milli slipped out and closed the door to let Jessa cry in privacy.

Chapter 12

Jack knocked on the door jamb as he watched Wazzan tinkering with one of the tools in his lab. The older Chuuruthian wore an abundance of gold rings in his mobile ears. Jack could hear their gentle chiming. The botanist turned his head and smiled widely at the new arrival.

"Jack! Come in! Exciting news!"

Jack stepped inside. Once he was past the repulsion field on the doorway, he was immersed in the scents of the plant life inside the lab. He barely managed not to sneeze.

"Come! Come! Look at what our genius has created!" Wazzan exclaimed.

Now Jack was unable to stop his laughter. He followed the smaller being to the back of the lab where the freezers were located. Wazzan pulled a tub of white paste from the first one.

"Here is the pure plant extract. Its properties are wonderful!"

"Is it biologically inert? Can it be eaten?" Jack asked.

The Botanist nodded excitedly and dipped a sterile stirring stick into the paste. He then proceeded to stick it into his mouth. Whiskers trembling, Wazzan grinned at Jack, who repeated the actions with a stir stick of his own.

When the cold substance hit Jack's tongue, his brain yelled, "ICE CREAM!" A second or two later, when the lack of flavor became apparent, his mind gave a confused "ice cream?" Jack looked to Wazzan whose whiskers were still trembling.

"It's good! Creamy and cold, but will it support flavoring?" he asked.

"YES!" the Chuuruthian yelped happily and bounced on his toes, whiskers trembling. It scrambled to the last freezer at the far right and pulled out three tubs. It lifted the lid on the first to show a creamy yellow substance that looked nothing like paste. It looked like-

"Vanilla ice cream!" Wazzan cheered as he enjoyed Jack's expression of wonder.

"How?" Jack managed.

"The flavoring came from the extract you provided. The texture was just a matter of trial and error to find the proper balance of paste to ice. Oh! And it must be pure ice!" he rambled quickly then handed Jack a stick. "Try it. I have no frame of reference."

Jack took a scoop and dropped it on his tongue. His eyes closed in bliss. It triggered memories of his childhood, the rarest of moments when they'd found an opportunity to enjoy the treat. He opened his eyes to see whiskers trembling so hard it was like Wassan was trying to get airborne.

"It's perfect. Absolutely perfect," Jack sighed.

The botanist was delighted but gave a dismissive wave. "I would reserve the term perfect for a product made from a vanilla plant instead of the extract you provided."

"Yeah, importing a live plant is no simple task," Jack said with a shake of his head.

"Which brings me to my second flavor test." Wazzan closed the vanilla tub and opened the second, which contained pink ice cream.

"Strawberry?" Jack grinned.

Wassan made a shrugging motion. "I didn't like the extract you provided, so I found a true fruit that closely matched the flavor. This is Silioberry ice cream, made with real fruit from Chuuruthia."

Jack tried some and found it to be a little more tart than strawberries. Still, it was delicious. He gave Wassan a smile and a nod.

The botanist put the second tub away and pulled out a third. Lifting the lid, he glanced at Jack, who froze when he saw the rich brown color.

Jack looked to Wazzan as he remembered the disdain the scientist had for artificial ingredients when natural ones existed. The trouble was, the source plant for this ingredient was exceptionally rare, intensely protected, and strictly prohibited from being removed from Earth. "Tell me this was made from a flavor extract."

"Try it first."

Using a fresh stick, Jack collected a scoop and put it in his mouth.

Jack's frame of reference for chocolate was artificial flavoring. Cocoa plants had disappeared from public access well before he'd been born. This scoop tasted nothing like artificial.

Jack's Mom once gave him a spoonful of natural but highly contraband chocolate ice cream. She'd received it from a neighbor for some minor surgery she'd done for their only son. At the time, he was too young to understand how illegal it was to have the plants or perform surgery outside of a hospital. He remembered gazing at his mother in amazement that she'd shared this unexpected treat with him. It was just another example of the strength of the woman's love for him.

That spoonful set the bar for best chocolate he'd ever tasted... until today.

"How did you get your hands on a cocoa plant?" Jack asked softly as the memories faded.

"I know a guy who knows a guy."

Jack burst into a delighted laugh as he watched the Chuuruthian preen its facial fur with his nimble fingers. Wazzan was visibly pleased with the reaction he got from Jack.

The Chuuruthian suddenly turned to Jack. "Did you sign a distribution contract with the Orellians?"

Jack wiped the happy tears from his eyes as he smiled at the botanist. "Yes, it's a done deal, and I have the bruises to prove it. We're the exclusive distributor of all Muul Weed from Orellia. They thought I was mad that I wanted to set up a distribution deal with them for something they cut down and discard as a nuisance weed. We just have to give them the word, and they start shipping."

Wazzan rubbed his hands together eagerly. "My brother is setting up the processing plant. I told him to begin last night when I finalized the formula. We should be able to produce 10,000 tubs this size a day initially. Ramping up the production will depend upon the supply of Muul Weed. I want to start experimenting with different flavors. Where are we going to distribute the product?"

"Chuuruthia and Altaria initially. There's a huge market on Earth too. But we couldn't sell your chocolate there without the authorities discovering it's real Earth cocoa. That would lead to bloodshed, if not outright war."

Wazzan looked at Jack nervously. "I'll make a note not to make chocolate for Earth. Wait! Don't they already have a similar product there?"

"This is non-dairy. No lactose, so the lactose intolerant humans will be able to enjoy great-tasting ice cream at last! There are also groups of people who refuse to consume products from animals. This lets them enjoy the dessert, too," Jack explained.

"That's certainly a consideration for us as well," the Chuuruthian replied, and Jack nodded.

"I'm going to Chrystan today. Do you have a sample I could share with their King and Queen?" Jack asked.

"Taking ice cream to an ice planet. Only you could make that work," Wazzan teased. "Hang on, give me a moment."

The botanist hustled away and returned with a cooler. He pulled six tubs of ice cream, two of each flavor, and sealed them in the cooler. He looked at Jack. "What are we going to call this product?"

Jack grinned. "I thought we should call it Botany Ice Cream."

Whiskers trembled with amusement. "Clever! A marketing tag right in its name! Yes, that would work well!"

"Can you bring five tubs of each flavor to the party tomorrow night?" Jack asked.

"Yes, certainly! The Queen will be there?" Wazzan asked.

"Yes, she will," Jack replied with a grin as he knew the botanist was also a monarchist and quite taken with Elissa.

Jack hoisted the cooler, which wasn't uncomfortably heavy, but he was also carrying his overnight duffle, so it made for an awkward load. He finally put the duffle on his back and carried the cooler before him.

Wazzan ordered him a taxi, which took him to the Gate Terminal. He managed his load through the check-in process and was soon stepping through the mirror surface onto Chrystan. As he walked towards the customs agent, Jack saw a smile on his face. Jack had become something of a celebrity here because of the radio interviews he'd done with King Tyg's father and, more recently, with Tyg himself. The Shreen had no interest in broadcasting visuals but preferred the more intimate nature of radio.

"Mr. Danner, welcome back to Chrystan! Should I contact Tanz for you?" the clerk asked, and Jack finally recognized the pattern of stripes and rosettes on his fur from his previous visits.

"Thanks, Gelane! Please call me, Jack. I mean, we see each other so frequently!" Jack said with a grin.

The Shreen was delighted and flashed him a smile as well as he made a quick call to the palace. "This is true. Any more frequent, the Queen will make you an honorary citizen!"

Jack chuckled and set down the cooler.

"What are you bringing to Chrystan this time?" Gelane asked with interest.

"Dessert for tonight's dinner with the royal couple. It's called ice cream."

Gelane froze for a second then began laughing. Jack just watched him struggling to get control over himself. Finally, he caught his breath. "Ahhh... you are a treasure! Only Jack Danner would bring a frozen dessert to a frozen planet! I look forward to hearing the broadcast tonight to hear their impression."

Jack looked around and figured he still had a few minutes before Tanz arrived. "Would you like to try some? To be the first Shreen to sample it?"

Gelane's eyes widened with delight. "Are you sure? Wait, what's in it? There's meat in it, isn't there!"

It was Jack's turn to laugh. "No! No meat or animal products at all. Purely plant-sourced! Do you have a spoon?"

Gelane was getting excited now. The lunch hour had just passed, and he recalled seeing a spoon in his bag. He dug it out and handed it to Jack.

Opening the cooler, Jack picked a Silioberry tub and used the spoon to scoop some out. He closed up the container and cooler, then handed the spoon back to the clerk.

Gelane looked at it carefully and took a sniff. He looked at Jack in surprise. "I smell some kind of berry!"

Jack grinned and nodded, so the clerk put the spoon in his mouth, and once more, he froze as his eyes widened. He pulled the spoon out, and the ice cream was gone. "Well?"

The Shreen shivered then swallowed. "It's cold and sweet and tastes like berries! It's delicious and surprising!"

Jack nodded. "Thank you for your feedback! I'm using this visit as an unofficial marketing test to see if this product would be suitable for this market."

"I'd love to get it for my family. I think my children would especially like it. What's it going to be called?" Gelane asked as the lower doors in the hallway opened up to show Tanz making her way towards them.

"Botany Ice Cream," Jack said, then gestured for Gelane to keep it a secret. The Shreen looked at him in confusion then caught on. "Thank you for letting me try it! Now I have a story of my own!"

Tanz arrived and pulled Jack into a warm hug as Gelane watched with a grin. Jack could tell the male was delighted to have a secret which he'd blab to one of their radio shows the moment he got off work.

"What's in the box? Tanz asked when she pulled back from the hug.

Jack just picked it up with an enigmatic smile and began walking down the hall towards the waiting cart. Tanz hustled to catch up and grinned at him.

"Is it a surprise?" she asked excitedly.

"It is indeed! It's for after dinner. Uh, who's coming- I mean, how many guests?" Jack was worried he didn't have enough for everyone.

"There's you and me, the Queen and King, Minister Berris and her husband Hahn, Minister Mirs and his wife Geng, Ministers Phan and Julli, Minister Wenns and her husband Dane, and Minister Terk and her husband, Vinn. There's also several Tik and three special guests who are looking forward to meeting you. They arrived yesterday and spent hours and hours talking with the Tik. Today we all talked about you!"

When Jack looked at her questioningly, she grinned in return. "What? I'm not allowed to have a surprise too?" She giggled and got him and his gear into the cart.

Before she got it moving, she turned to him and pulled his lips to hers. Tanz was an excellent kisser then Jack recalled she was seeing someone. He pulled back gently, and she sighed happily.

"Uh, what happened to Stiiv?" Jack asked, looking into her eyes.

She shrugged and looked away. "He needed to go back to the ridge. He couldn't stay, and I don't want to leave the capital. It didn't work out."

Jack nodded with a little smile. "Sometimes, it doesn't."

"It would have been nice to start a family. I think about that a lot. Geng's daycare has proven to be a perfect solution for socializing the children of city dwellers without having to send them home to the villages. She's opened a huge center just off Market Square, and there are so many children there." Tanz stopped as she realized she was babbling. She looked at Jack in embarrassment. He just leaned forward and kissed her tenderly until she relaxed.

"You'll be an amazing mother. I know it," he said.

She smiled and cuddled against him. Then she sighed. "I'm being selfish when people are waiting to meet you. We'd better get moving!"

He gave her another curious look, and she just giggled at him then got the cart rushing back to the Market Square parking lot.

It didn't take long to reach the destination then Tanz helped him carry the cooler through the crowded shopping district. Jack got as many smiles and waves as Tanz did.

When they left the shoppers and shopkeepers behind, they crossed the wide circular courtyard to enter the massive doors of the Palace.

"Can we put the cooler in the freezer where the Skrahak steaks are kept? The dessert must be kept cold until after dinner," Jack asked.

"It's dessert, and it's cold? Strange clues!" Tanz said with a smile then nodded.

They went to the kitchen, and the chief cook let them into the freezer to store the cooler.

Next, Tanz took him to her apartment to drop off his duffle bag. She also took another kiss from him then moaned. "I'm procrastinating! Trying to keep you all to myself!"

Jack chuckled. "Let's go see the gang. There will be time for fun later."

"Promise?" she asked with a grin as she led him back down through the palace halls to the meeting room wing.

"Unless your surprise has other ideas," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"No fair! I was told to keep it a secret," she whined.

She opened the door, and a wave of hot air washed out, catching Jack by surprise. Tanz grinned at him as she pulled him into the room and closed the door. Then she led him forward to meet beings he'd never encountered before. He saw Tyg and Lyn, looking a little limp from the heat. Tanz immediately led them from the room to cool off.

Once the door closed, Jack looked to the five Tik, which ranged from brand new to the oldest- Socrates and Plato! Jack suddenly recognized the two elder Tik and wondered at their presence.

Facing the remaining three, he realized this was a new experience for him. The details of their physical states flashed into his mind before anyone had a chance to ruin the moment with careless words.

There were two males and a female. None wore any clothes though the female seemed to have some delicate gold chains worn across her torso. All three were wearing translation devices of Tik design, so they were a new race to the Gate Network with no training in Universal.

The female also had no breasts, so the species wasn't mammalian. While she was physically larger than either of the males, the larger of the males seemed to have bulkier muscles than she did.

The scales on their bodies were beautiful. There were distinct colors and patterns to identify individuals.

The female had large gold eyes, the merest suggestion of a nose, and a lipless mouth. With such minimal features, her eyes took on more significance, so it was fortunate they were so expressive and lovely.

The males were not unattractive, but they seemed to be restricting their emotive states while in the presence of the female. He wondered if that was purely a physical response or was driven by some social code that defined appropriate behavior.

When she moved towards him, Jack noted these were the first beings he'd met that used the same undulatory locomotion snakes used, which considering their body shape was inevitable. They also had two arms, which ended in tentacle type fingers.

"I am Sultessa Sahhahr, last ruler of the Ishilon. Our homeworld and colony were lost due to a war orchestrated by the Mahrell Drun."

Jack's entire body spasmed in shock, and he looked to Socrates. "THERE'S MORE!?! YOU SAID THEY WERE ALL DEAD!"

Sahhahr watched Jack very carefully as he exhibited clear signs of panic: trembling, rapid breathing, elevated heart rate, and widened eyes.

"I'm sorry, I should have begun with the fact that we've been trapped in a state of suspended animation for almost five thousand of your years. The Mahrell Drun, which led to the fall of our civilization, has since been eradicated. We're told you played a significant role in that effort."

Jack struggled to get his breathing back to normal. His hands were shaking, and his knees felt weak. "I need to sit down," he said quietly and moved to the table to pull out a chair. He dropped himself into it and rubbed his face with his hands. He was suddenly feeling wrung out, but he looked up to see the female, uh, the Sultessa, was standing before him, very close.