The sweat made the shopkeepers head shiny underneath the lamp as he tried to explain his situation.

Nuuuuuuuel, the tall emaciated Fandangan was not particularly understanding. His huge ears swished back and forth in annoyance.

Caissa gestured to the swirly, turquoise potion, "This will work fine, we gather it from mussels, they in turn gather it from the things that die in the sea. Its second hand, but the mind essence works fine."

Nuuuuuuuel's lantern-like eyes showed his incredulity.

"My hunters will be back today I'm sure, they are both overdue. We can have a new batch processed in ten hours... half a sol..." He corrected himself on the time measurements used on this planet, he was still an earthman and used their archaic divisions which had no context on this planet.

Nuuuuuuuel finally spoke. He did not like speaking because this particular language was difficult on his tongue.

"The Cheshire will not be pleased. The contract is exact." He should have said specific, but the word was a tongue twister for him.

"There's no reason to get the Cheshire involved in this. Here take this sample... its complimentary." He proffered the turquoise bottle and willed his hands to stop shaking.

Nuuuuuuel took the bottle and left without a word.

Vana had been on the first Earth colony planet now for just over a year. Life had become a little easier now, as more people were arriving from Earth and helping establish the outposts and provide help with the economy, but it had been a tough year. Tough, but exhilarating, and more rewarding as an experience than she had hoped. It had toughened her up too, learning how to survive here. Sure the atmosphere and gravity were very similar to Earth's own, and the colonists had mostly managed to deal with the threat of alien viruses and diseases, but they had not really been well prepared to cope with the ferocity and resilience of some of the large predatory creatures on this planet. The Calypsan rules that attempted to ensure the survival of all the alien species made defending yourself against them quite troublesome, and with the watchers in the sky orbitting constantly overhead, you couldn't always just hope to get away with not filling in the required reports of your conflicts.
But nevertheless, Vana had managed to earn some cash for herself by hunting and selling valuable creature parts. She had bought some upgrades to her protective armour, and got herself a better laser gun, and established regular trade deals with several merchants in various outposts around the planet.
Today she was delivering a shipment of sweat to Caissa, one of the men who processed it and sold it onto ... well, Vana didn't really ask questions about who he sold it to. It was better not to ask too many questions sometimes. The native Calypsan predators weren't always the most dangerous beings on the planet.
Someone else had just left the shop when Vana arrived.
"Hello again, special delivery for you, Caissa," she said, as she entered. She put the large case down on his counter, and took off her helmet and shook out her long blonde hair over her shoulders. Sometimes it helped to negotiate a better price for goods when the guy with the money saw her beauty rather his own cold reflection in her visor. The earth colonists tended mainly to be young and fit, and so often good looking too, but being so few people spread over a whole planet life here could get lonely too.

Caissa beamed. "So good to see you again Vana. I was beginning to worry. We've had a lot of inquiries for the mind essence, I can use all i can get right now." He continued chatting while he took out a device and drew a sample to test the quality of the sweat.

The reading was very high, much better quality than Caissa had seen in a long time, but he did not comment on this except to say, "everything is in order." He weighed the sweat and the container, removing the weight of the container itself and pressed some buttons on his console.

"72,300 credits, that's quite a haul you have there, Vana. Will that be cash or trade? I've got a few new things that I think you'll like." He spoke causing a wall to retract revealing magnificent imported clothes. He had weapons and survival equipment too, but he hoped to entice Vana first with the garments, particularly the finer ones. How he enjoyed seeing her face light up when she found something truly beautiful. When it came down to it, Caissa was in this business because he liked seeing people happy with their treasures, especially the ones he had provided.

Vana cast her eyes over the goods Caissa reserved for certain special clients. There were some interesting weapons, but they probably needed higher maintenance costs and more expensive ammo. And Vana hadn't had her latest laser rifle for all that long and was still happy with it. What really caught her eye were the clothes, as Caissa probably knew they would.
Fashions here on Calypso were less conservative than back on Earth, partly because some of the old religions had declared that Earth was the only true place for humanity, and had become more conservative as a reaction to the excitement generated by media coverage of the 'sinful goings on' on Calypso. There were missionaries here, but they were not having much success at converting the mainly practical and scientific types of people who had risked the long space voyage to come and live here. But some of the creatures here provided such fine wool and silk-like materials, that the weavers and tailors, equipped with the latest in crafting technology, were able to make the most beautiful garments you could ever imagine. With miners on Calpyso being easily able to find gems and ores that were rare on Earth, and with fewer goods for people here to buy, the economy was quite strange, and luxury garments cost a lot. But then back on earth, such fine material and workmanship would cost a lot too.
"I could quibble about how many credits this batch of sweat is worth, Caissa, because it's not from your ordinary daikibas and combibos, this is high quality stuff. But then you'd just start at a higher price for those things, wouldn't you? So how about you tell me what you think that gold embroidered purplish kaftan style dress should cost first for example?"
The material was so fine it was almost clear, except for the shimmer as the smooth silk reflected the light, moved by the slightest breeze.
Having to wear protective armour for her job each day, Vana liked to indulge in some luxury in her choice of garments for other times, as Caissa probably realised.
"Is that made from sabakuma silk?" she asked him.

I could quibble about how many credits this batch of sweat is worth, Caissa, because it's not from your ordinary daikibas and combibos, this is high quality stuff. But then you'd just start at a higher price for those things, wouldn't you?

At Vana's words, Caissa's mouth drops open just a bit in shock and his hand went to his heart as if she had wounded him there with her accusation.

So how about you tell me what you think that gold embroidered purplish kaftan style dress should cost first for example?"

At this, Caissa presses some buttons on his console bringing up the dress on the big screen. It is listed at 2295 credits. He lets the retail price sit there without comment while he calls up Vana's file and then merges the dress with the file giving Vana an excellent idea how she would look in the new outfit. He matches a few accessories with the dress making them go on and off the main image.


"Is that made from sabakuma silk?" she asked him.

"Oh yes, its sabakuma silk, we don't even bother getting the silk from earth in here, you know they make it from worms?!" He gives a chuckle. "And the buttons on that number are each laser cut from a single amethyst." The image gives a close up of a button.

Caissa continues his fashion show of accessories, rotating the image of Vana in the dress on the big screen to show angles. Caissa is not about to admit to lowballing Vana on the sweat, so he resolves to go with offering a discount on the dress.

"That dress is perfect for you, no one on this planet could wear it as well. It would be quite an advertisement for my shop if you were to be seen in it at the Meteor concert tonight I think it would be good for business if I let you have it for say... 1200?"

Vana had to smile at Caissa's feigned shock at her comment on his offer of credits for the sweat. But she knew it was easier for him to give a discount on his goods than offer more credits directly. She smiled again at his comment about earth silk being made from worms, as if sabakuma weren't just huge creepy crawlies themselves.
But twelve hundred is not a bad price at all, thought Vana to herself. And the gold embroidery does seem as if it would look pretty nice with my hair colour.
"I hadn't really noticed the buttons," she said, "Only small amethysts are they? Well, anyway, I'd prefer to try it on for real. I don't trust clever imagery unless I have no choice. But I'm not dressed properly to try anything on at the moment, in this armour. How about if I come back in a while, could I try it on then? I have some animal oils to deliver to someone else around here too, and I could go freshen up after that.
"I didn't realise there was a concert tonight. I've been out alone in the wild for quite a while, and I didn't check on the entertainment news. Do you think I could still get a ticket or would they all be sold out by now? Ah, let me guess, you just happen to have one for sale?
"Oh, and I'll be needing some new cartridges for my Breer laser rifle. Perhaps you could work out what your best price for those might be for when I come back please?"
She wasn't quite sure what made her ask her next question, because she knew she shouldn't really get involved in that. "Say, was the Fandangan I saw leaving here another of your suppliers, or a customer? I've heard other merchants say that the Fandangans are involved in some pretty shady deals."

Vana slipped the concert ticket into a small pouch on her utility belt and thanked Caissa. Before leaving to deliver her animal oils, she said, "Is it worth that risk for gold? I know that credits suffer quite a lot from inflation here, but I'm sure you've heard some of the same scary rumours that I have about Fandangans and the mind essence trade. It doesn't have the same effect on them as it does on humans."
And that's probably why they pay a lot more for it, she thought to herself.
"Anyway, I'll be back in about an hour or so to pick up my payment and ammo and to try on that dress. See you, Caissa."
Vana had done enough business with him before to be able to trust him like this. Caissa was basically an honest businessman, which is why she was rather surprised to realise he was involved in the Fandangan mind essence trade. Trade in it wasn't illegal on Calypso, but for the Fandangans to import or use it was. Perhaps Caissa felt safe from prosecution here, but prosecution wasn't the most scary kind of trouble there could be.
Vana left the store and walked over to a shimmering energy dome covering a circular platform on the ground known as a hovard. She pressed a button on her cuff and the energy dome vanished to reveal a crate on the platform, which then rose up into the air a short way. Next to the crate on the hovering disc was a rope. Vana took the loose end of it and went over to her exarosaur, which was lying down nearby. She tied the rope to the whippletree at the back of the beast's harness before climbing up into its saddle to ride away, towing the hovard and its load behind her.

Caissa and his assistant started the process of making a new batch of mind essence. It would be ready first thing in the morning. He got out the typical supplies Vana normally ordered and tucked in ten of the laser cartridges. He made out a list for her with prices next to each item. Even with the dress though, she would be owed a substantial number of credits.

Heart pounding, Escher dashes through the streets with the wide-eyed look of a stoner. Sweat beads on Escher's forehead and her hands shake terribly. Every time she promises herself that it would be the last, but every time, after the euphoria fades, she would be found doing whatever she could to afford the next fix. She is often confused and most would say that she is always lost, but one place she can always find. It calls to her with it's sweet siren song and the promise of a much needed oblivion.

After an eternity, she reaches the place and remembers just in time to lower her visor. No-one must ever find out that she is here, nor what she is buying. It would mean the end for her, as well as some others best not mentioned. Looking around her cautiously, she enters and waits for the proprietor to notice her. As she waits she is noticably uneasy, shifting her weight from foot to foot and looking around her nervously. There is a dangerous and desperate look about her that would advise most people to proceed with caution around her. She does not see this effect she has on people, all she ever sees is her all consuming need.

At the other end of the outpost, Vana went to make her other delivery. On earth, to make a living from killing wild animals would make her a criminal in most countries now, with so many strict policies to conserve nature and wildlife. But here on Calypso there were huge herds of animals, and the authorities here were not yet concerned about their survival, only about the threat they created to humanity's second planetary home. There were quite few people here still, compared to the number this planet could ultimately support and you didn't even need a licence to be a hunter yet. Even so, a watch was kept on progress, with observation satellites always overhead, also providing location and communication facilities.
Many animal parts were still being tested for any possible uses to manufacture new drugs for humans too, but that was a specialist trade, requiring more knowledge of what had already been discovered than Vana possessed. The alien genomes on this planet were the cause of a large scare back on Earth, with many concerned that humans would be changed for the worse, or die of nasty new incurable diseases. But in fact, so far the benefits had outweighed those risks and made some colonists very wealthy. Vana was not of the opinion that earth DNA was the most suitable for humans on all planets anyway. Although she felt that some of the experiments people performed here, using alien genetic mutation for cosmetic purposes for example, was probably going too far. Though the wings and horns some people had now were rather cute.
Her delivery went without a hitch, and she didn't need to haggle to get the price she wanted. So, with new credits on her personalised card, she went to the stables to see to her exarosaur's needs before she headed to a local tavern for a drink and to freshen herself up.

Caissa returns to the front to wait on Escher. He knows the look, and the tension in her body. He doesn't really need to ask what she wants, but he is just a little concerned about whether she has the credits. With a hand on the tiny stungun at the small of his back, he greets the customer with a cheery smile and a 'What can I do for you?"

Escher whirls around at the sound of his voice.

"Greetings"

She bows low, hoping to compensate for her twitchiness and nearly overbalances. Recovering herself she looks at him, then down at the ground.

"You know why I am here, my credit is good."

With her visor down he cannot see her eyes, but she knows that he can hear the tension in her voice. She holds up a credit chip to him and hopes that he isn't too fussy about whether or not she is the "official" or rightful possessor of it.

"This should pay for what I need, and I am also prepared to take on any service you may require"

Often she has been able to purchase her fix by acting as bounty hunter or by acquiring rare items on request. Her sense of personal risk is nothing compared to the overwhelming need for her next high.