The Slaveholders

After dumping the Wheel of Justice into the Laser Nebula, the four explorers stop to admire the scenery. Molecular interactions build up energy until the release of light triggers surrounding molecules to do the same, cascading across the nebula. Every few minutes, it throws out a laser burst in a different direction. “The energies here should obscure any clues as to the exact dumping point in space and time should the Bureau ever find it,” Nathaniel comments.

Next, they pass a blue supergiant star and spy a terrestrial planet in orbit. They decide to stop and explore. There are vast glass plains with edges not unlike frozen waves. This is where there are spheres of glass sitting about, ranging from two centimeters to four meters in diameter. Most of the rest of the planet is smooth, black marble. Then they see the bubble castles. “What are those?” Doctor Bill asks.

They fly closer and realize that there are many loose bubbles floating above the grounded structures. Some rise and chase after them. Before long, they are surrounded. The bubbles move closer and they can see creatures inside of them. “Land the ship,” Nathaniel orders.

Haticat sets the bed gently down on the marble surface. The bubbles land some distance away. Out from three of them slide three, brown, gumdrop-shaped beings with long claws. Nathaniel and Haticat put on space suits to protect them from the thin atmosphere and ultraviolet light and step out to meet them. “We make it our job to know all about visitors to our planet,” one says in a rough voice.

“Understandable. My name is Captain Nathaniel. This is Haticat. We are explorers and we didn’t know this planet was inhabited. It’s rare to find life this close to a blue star,” Nathaniel says.

“Yes, I know. We were also surprised,” the alien says. “We are Lingtreffians. This is one of our many colony worlds. Come back to town so we can get to know each other properly over a feast.”

“A feast?” Nathaniel says.

The Lingtreffians eat a wide variety of hot cereal and little else. They live inside transparent blue castles made up of many large bubbles. Some bubbles have connected interiors. Others are separated by walls, but these can be pushed through with some effort. Appliances and other belongings sit imbedded in the walls. Nathaniel, Haticat, Fred, and Doctor Bill are led into the chief’s house, leaving their weapons with the guards. “What do you call this one?” Nathaniel asks.

“Robmush,” the chief answers. “How do you like it?”

“It takes some getting used to,” Nathaniel answers.

“Well, you’re an explorer; you’ve probably eaten all kinds of cereal,” the Lingtreffian says.

“Yeah,” Nathaniel responds.

“Tell me about some of your visits,” the chief says.

“Well, a few years ago we were in a swamp of glowing, blue-green plants. We watched the stars come out after sunset while the night squids performed with their singing tentacles,” Nathaniel recounts.

“Oh yeah, that was the day I fell in the water,” Haticat comments.

“Were there any deserts on that planet?” the chief asks.

“Yes, full of what Fred calls firestone,” Nathaniel says.

“Because it’s orange and pointy,” Fred says.

“An interesting geological mystery we never solved,” Doctor Bill adds.

“Nice. We don’t explore anymore now that we live on Jazedex,” the chief says.

“So, why did you choose to settle here?” Nathaniel asks.

“Because this is where the Popollops live,” the chief answers.

“The what?” Nathaniel asks.

“They are all around you. They provide us with housing and transportation,” the chief says.

“What? Those blue bubbles? Those are Popollops?” Nathaniel queries.

“Yes, some of the most useful slaves we’ve ever found and dominated. We’ve enslaved a lot of species. We like slavery almost as much as eating. Do you have any slaves?” the chief asks.

“Uh…No, not really. I have my crew,” Nathaniel answers.

“We’re friends,” Haticat declares.

“Oh, that’s too bad. Friends are nice, but it’s better to have slaves,” the chief says.

“What’s better about them?” Nathaniel asks.

“Friends can run away. We keep our slaves nearby,” the chief explains. “If any Popollops float away, we send faster Popollops to chase them down.”

“But then why do the fast ones help you?” Nathaniel asks, confused.

The chief explains. “They don’t want to be popped. They are terrified of our claws. Every one of the fastest Popollops are constantly occupied by one Lingtreffian. It only takes a few guards in each town to maintain our society. Of course, if we had a ship as fast as yours, we’d only need one. What do you think about our society?”

“It takes some getting used to,” Nathaniel answers.

Nathaniel writes something on a napkin and slides it to Haticat. “Tell me more about how your society works. Who grows your food?” Nathaniel asks.

Haticat reads the napkin. It says that the Lingtreffians will try to enslave us, and the walls will tell on us if we discuss our plans here. “We tend potted cereals in Popollop greenhouses. Then we harvest, grind, and cook them. There’s no water on this planet, so we burn natural gas for it, which also powers our grinders and cookers,” the Lingtreffian chief says.

“What do you do with the carbon dioxide?” Nathaniel asks.

“We fill Popollops with it and bury them underground. Once filled up, they can’t fly anyways,” the chief answers. Fred shifts in his seat, visibly upset. Haticat gives him a calming tap.

“Interesting,” Nathaniel says. “What really interests me about different cultures is their weapons. What sort of weapon systems do you have here?”

For the first time in the conversation, the chief appears less than maximally jovial. “Why don’t you tell us about your weapons?” he says slowly.

Nathaniel pauses. “Well, some of our pillows are able to fire lasers.” He pulls a packet of candy from his coat pocket and dumps some in his mouth.

“What wattage?” the chief asks.

“I don’t know off the top of my head,” Nathaniel says. “Want some? It’s a rare form of candy.”

“Sure.” The Lingtreffian takes the packet. “What is it called?”

“Crackle sand,” Nathaniel answers.

“Oh.” He dumps the packet in his mouth. Instantly the candy dissolves in his saliva to release bubbles of trapped carbon dioxide, popping, crackling, and stinging. “Aah, wha?”

Nathaniel stands up. “The antidote is in my ship. You need me to get inside. Take me to your fastest Popollop.”

“Hakk, wuh buh buh!” the chief yells.

The chief, two guards, and four explorers all pile into one room that breaks off the house and flies away. Two minutes later they are standing on the bridge platform of Nathaniel’s ship. “Now, where is that antidote?” Nathaniel mumbles, rummaging in a drawer. “Oh yeah, there is none; the candy is harmless. How do you feel, chief?”

“What?” the chief says, again able to talk.

“I just needed a way to escape back to my ship, since you took our weapons and had us outnumbered. Here, you’ll find it’s the reverse,” Nathaniel says. The guards look around to see that Haticat, Fred, and Doctor Bill have retrieved laser pistols from hiding places on the bridge and now have them covered. “You can leave now.”

The Lingtreffians glide slowly out on their flat undersides and board the Popollop. Nathaniel starts the takeoff sequence. “Are we going to do something to help the Popollops?” Doctor Bill asks.

“Of course we are,” Nathaniel answers.

“What?” Haticat asks.

“I don’t know yet,” Nathaniel says.

What Nathaniel does is modify the ships lasers to pass through the mostly transparent Popollops harmlessly, hitting the opaque Lingtreffians within. He focuses on those riding in the enforcer Popollops, his ship able to out run them all. The Lingtreffians have a single ship made for long trips between planets and useless for aerial dogfights.

In the meantime, Haticat, Fred, and Doctor Bill each ride a free Popollop into every town, convincing the slower Popollops that now is the time to revolt. The constant presence of Popollops gives them plenty of play energy. In forty-eight hours the Lingtreffian colony has collapsed.

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