Chapter 18
"The minerial Ccchai gave you. We dissscccovered only by acccident really. Yes we mine sssmall amountsss, but we have found a placcce near by which is full of Quasssimite. We wisssh to offer the Federation an excccellend deal."
"You mean you wish to trade the deposits?" Said the Vulcan.
"Yesss. I believe you will find this an excccellent opportunity. Asss it isss ssso rare I think the United Federation of Planetsss will ccconsider it a great missss if they passss this offer by."
"I am not the person who you should be speaking too. I suggest contacting the trading commission of the Federation on Beita III."
"Yesss that would be a good idea," proclaimed Chai.
"In return I only asssk for medicccal suppliesss," said Droah.
"Again sir, you would have to discuss this with the Federation itself."
"I don't think you underssstand Emissssary. It is cccrucccial we get the medicccal sssuppliesss," she said. "You sssee my people are dying from an unknown cccondition whiccch is rendering the male population infertile. Our raccce is dying out and thossse ccchildren who are hatccched male are incccapable of ssseeding. Thossse ccchildren who do develop normally are ssso weak that they are lucccky to reaccch their firssst cccelebratttion of life."
"The Federation will indeed help you without encumbrance. Why did you not say so in the first place?" Said the Vulcan if not a little annoyed.
"We sssimply thought that our cccossst was too great."
"I shall then contact Starfleet for you. You can then explain the position. I am sure you will have no problems."
"Are you sssure?" Said Droah. Spock nodded. "And the mineral?"
"You will still have to contact the trading commission." The aliens smiled.
"Will you ccontact them for usss?"
"If you wish, but I will have to establish communications with Starfleet command on Earth. I am afraid the decision is out of my control."
"Thank you. I am sssure the Federation will consssider the mineral an excccellent offer. Pleassse obssserve." Droah took a handful of the small gems out of the pocket in his cloak and dropped them into a bowel of water positioned on the table.
"Ccchai?" She placed a bare featureless finger into the liquid. When she withdrew it her finger was emobile. "You sssee the mineral dissssolvesss in water and when in cccontaccct with living tissssue it numbsss it quite effeccctively. Of cccourssse depending on how muccch Quasssimite is usssed the resultsss are quite harmlessss. Ssshe will regain feeling in her finger in matter of minutesss."
"I am well aware of the result it has on tissue," Spock said.
"Ah, you do?"
"Yes I was once a scientist." Both aliens bowed.
"Of courssse."
"If you let me proceed I will contact my superiors in the Federation." He waited. "Is there a communications terminal here?"
"Yesss," said Chai pointing in the direction of a red curtain in the corner. "I cccan ssshow you if you like."
"That is not necessary. And the Federation citizenship. We have yet discussed it?" They both smiled. Chai raised her beautiful wings and lowered them again before folding her arms. She bowed.
"We accccept."
Spock turned and headed for the curtain. There is something strange about this, he thought. Odd. Why do these people seem almost to good to be true? He almost expected something to happen, but the two bird people simply remained at their position.
Spock opened the curtain. There was a communications terminal. He accessed his personal number and prepared for the retina scan. A message flashed across the screen. 'Please stand by.'
Soon enough a small beam of bluish light was discharged from the side of the screen. It touched his right eye and an internal picture of his eye was displayed on the screen. After a moment the screen went blank. "Permission granted," said the computer in a friendly feminine voice.
This far away from the galaxy centre the communication establishment would take a few moments longer before the link was intercepted by someone at the Command central on Earth.
Spock waited. Then the screen blinked twice before another message was displayed. 'Please hold.' Finally the transmission was intercepted and an image of a middle age handsome Deltan male who appeared on the screen. He did not wear the typical earpiece that had been so common in Starfleet before. Those devices were now replaced by a much more sophisticated gadget.
Near his ear was positioned a small electronic tab. It was rigged up to the ear through a tiny almost invisible tube running into the ear cannel.
The Deltan was completely bald like the females of the same species. His purple eyes opened wide in surprise when he saw Spock. He smiled pleasantly and showed a perfect set of pearly teeth.
"Captain Spock I am Heihali Komalii. It is a pleasure. What may I do for you?" The officer's general good manners and high spirits surprised Spock himself. Over the years he had discovered that most communication's personal were usually either short-tempered or half a sleep. Except for Nyotta Uhura. He had the utmost respect for her.
"Yes. I wish to speak to Admiral Chahoti," he said. The Deltan nodded.
"Please hold on. Putting you through." He looked up at the Vulcan. "Live long and prosper Captain," he said before there was a momentary blank of the screen.
Admiral Chahoti was sat at his desk. He was quite young for an admiral. Even younger than James Kirk had been when he had been promoted from captain. The man's black platted hair briefly caught the light from the window. Spock realised he was sitting in Nogura's old office. In fact the Native American Indian had just replaced the previous commanding Admiral after Nogura had retired from service years before.
"Hello Spock," he said in complete non-Federation terms. "What do you have for me?"
Spock swallowed. "The Anagosians have agreed to Federation protection and citizenship. There is one problem though," he said. The Indian raised both brows.
"Name it." Spock noticed the elaborate tattoo on the right side of the man's forehead.
"These people are dying from an unknown condition which renders the males infertile. I promised their leader that the Federation would help them."
"Yes of course. I'll send out for medics and scientists right now. They will get in contact with the Anagosians." The admiral judging by Spock's expression knew there was something else. He folded his arms." And what else?"
"They wish to trade a mineral substance called Quasimite." The admiral's brows bristled.
"Isn't that stuff rare?" Spock nodded.
"They have led me to believe that they are mining the substance in great quantities."
"It sounds good to me. The stuff may be beneficial to the Federation. I'll have to go and check with my superiors though."
"How long?"
The man shrugged. "A few days maybe. Anyway where can I contact you?"
"Here."
"Can I have the terminal identification number?" He said. Spock nodded.
"Three four zero two c alpha nine," Spock said as he read the access code off the computer. The Native Indian jotted the number down on his stylus pad.
"Okay. I'll get back three days time at sixteen hundred. Earth time?"
"That will be adequate sir."
"Good then." He smiled one last time. "Peace and long life and may your spirit be blessed and kept safe by the animal guides wherever you go." Spock returned the traditional Vulcan greeting.
"Live long and prosper." The screen blanked. Spock stepped back and parted the curtain. "The Federation are making the necessary arrangements. They will send a medical team here as soon as possible."
"And the Quasssimite?"
"Admiral Chahoti explained to me that he would make the necessary appointment with Trading Commission."
"Excccellent," said the Anagosians in unison. "And the Federation will sssend usss the necccessssary medicccal equipment to help usss?"
"As I said the Federation will offer you independent medical equipment and send physicians once membership has been submitted."
"We ssstill wisssh to trade the mineral," said Chai as the three left the room and entered out side.
"If the commission think it is of any value they will let you know."
