Chapter 10 chapter Ten

Soapy didn't make it as assistant junior fire controller.Jerry was promoted to astronaut cadet, starboard to Marta, and Soapy was promoted from assistant junior fire controller to starboard junior fire controller.It can be said that the life and death of the people on board fell on his index finger.But Soapy himself didn't know whether he liked the job or not. But it didn't take long for this arrangement to be overturned. Lothian is a "safe" planet populated by civilized non-human inhabitants, a port that is safe from ground attack.So there is no need for security surveillance work.The men could get off the ship and have fun, and so could the women (some of whom hadn't been off the ship since they came in exchange for girls at Brothers Reunion).

Soapy only remembered Jubul, and Lothian was the first alien he had seen, so he wanted to see this place very much.But before disembarking, the new job came.After he was confirmed as a fire controller, his position on the ship was also changed from the original nutrient solution cultivation officer to the junior cargo clerk.In this way, the status is improved, because it is better to do business work than to do housework.Theoretically, he is now qualified to inspect the goods, but in reality another senior security officer is doing that job, and Thorby is only doing some with his lower-ranking male relatives from various departments. coolie.The cargo was carried by the entire crew, because the Sisu never allowed local stevedores to board the ship, and even if they had to pay overtime, they had to carry it by themselves.

Lothian has been free of tariffs, and crated bags of verga leaves are delivered to buyers alongside trading ships.Despite the fan blowing, the cargo hold was filled with a strong, sleep-inducing aroma.This reminded Soapy of the scene a few months ago in a place countless light-years away.He had been a desperado, smuggled out of the Sargon police by a kind stranger in a crate hole. In retrospect, that kind of thing really seemed like a dream, and now the Sisu has become his home.It's incredible.Even if Soapy is meditating on something silently, the language of the Xisu family is still in his mind.

Soapy realized with sudden guilt that he hadn't thought of Papa much lately.Has he been forgotten?No, not at all!It was impossible for him to forget Dad, and he would never forget anything—the tone of voice when he spoke, the detached expression when he expressed his opinions, the creaking of his artificial legs in the cold morning, the patience he always maintained under any circumstances.Only once did Dad really get angry: "I'm not your master!" Soapy was taken aback by Daddy's anger that time, but at that time he didn't know why Daddy was so angry. But now, after a long time and a journey through infinite space, Soapy understands that there is only one thing that can make old man angry, and that is someone who thinks that Baslim the cripple is a master of slaves. It was a great insult, so he got angry.Pop always thought that smart people couldn't feel insulted because truth couldn't be insulted, and if insult itself was a fallacy, it wouldn't be worth getting angry about.But that time, he lost his temper.

For it was the truth that had insulted Pop—that he had indeed bought Thorby the slave off the auction block, and had become his master.No, that is an illusion!Because Soapy had never been his slave, he had always been Papa's son... and Papa had never been his master, Papa was just "Papa." Soapy then understood one thing, and that was that Pop hated slavery. Soapy didn't know why he was so sure, but he still believed in his opinion.He couldn't remember what his father had said about slavery, he only remembered that his father said that a person's heart only needs freedom.

"Hi!" Soapy found the clerk staring at him. "Sir, what's the matter?" "Are you moving that crate, or are you trying to use it as your bed?" Three days later local time, he had showered and was about to leave the boat with Fritz and go out for a stroll.At this moment, the deck master poked his head into the lavatory, found Soapy, and said, "The captain has something to say, and sent the clerk Soapy Baslim Krause to see him." "Yes, deck master." Soapy replied, cursing a few words silently, dressed hurriedly, stuck his head into the bedroom, said a few words of apology to Fritz, and hurried towards the captain's office Go, hoping that the deck master has told the captain he is in the bath.

The door to the captain's office was open.Soapy was about to report in properly, when the captain suddenly raised his head and said, "Good day, son, come in." Soapy was going to call him "Captain," but now he said, "Yes, Daddy." "I was just thinking of going out for a walk, would you like to come with me?" "Sir? I mean, yes, Dad! Great!" "Very good. I think you're ready, let's go." He opened the drawer, took out a few squiggly wires and handed them to Soapy. "This is pocket money. You can buy some souvenirs."

Soapy looked at it carefully, and said, "How much is it worth, Papa?" "Once you leave Lothian, it is worthless. After you leave here, give me the rest, and I can let the financial department store it. These things can be exchanged for thorium and other goods." "Okay, but how do I know how much I'm going to pay for something?" "Give them what they want. They don't cheat, and they never haggle. They're weird people, nothing like Madame Lotta... In Lottaf, it doesn't take an hour to buy a beer." You will definitely be taken advantage of by bargaining.”

Thorby felt he knew Lotaf better than Lothian.It is really unreasonable to do business without normal haggling.But Flaki was a savage anyway, and could only adapt to their customs.The Sisu had never had a fight with Frakki, and everyone was proud of it. "Come on, let's talk while walking." After disembarking, Thorby's eyes fixed on the closest ship to them: the Garcia Family El Ned Free Trade Ship. "Dad, shall we go and see them?" "No, I already visited the port on the first day." "That's not what I mean. I mean, has there been a gathering of fellow countrymen lately?"

"Oh, Captain Garcia and I both agreed to cancel this party. He is in a hurry and is ready to leave here. But from the perspective of duty, you should really visit their equipment." Krausa added, "Forget it, their ship is similar to our Sisu, but it's not as advanced as ours." "I thought I could see their computer room." They stepped onto the ground and walked forward together. "I'm not sure if they'll let you in and have a look. Their family is very superstitious." The two of them avoided the crane. At this time, a little Rothian ran over and circled them, sniffing their hair from time to time. leg.Captain Kraussar let the little fellow look at himself as much as he could, then said a mild "almost" and pushed him away gently.The mother whistled and called the child back, picked him up and spanked him.Captain Krause waved to her and called, "Hello, friend!"

"Hello, Trader!" the mother responded in high-pitched, hissing Interlingua.She was only two-thirds Soapy's height, and walked on four legs with raised forelimbs, while the little doll walked on all two hands and four feet.The two were very handsome and had very sharp eyes.Soapy was amused by their appearance, but a little disappointed by the two mouths in the face.They have one mouth for eating and the other for breathing and talking. Captain Krause continued what he said earlier: "You hit the Rothian spaceship last time, and you hit it very accurately." Soapy said, blushing, "You know about that too, Dad?" "If I'm in the dark, what kind of captain am I? Oh, I understand what you're worried about. Don't worry, I want you to hit whatever target you want. If it turns out to be a friendly ship, I will Shut down your control system. If I flip that 'thank God' switch off, your computer won't be able to issue a fire command, the missile will shut down, the launcher will lock up, and the chief engineer won't be able to pull the kill switch. So, you hear It doesn't matter if I cancel the order to move, or I'm too excited to hear it, it doesn't matter. Just keep fighting, this is a good opportunity for practice." "Oh, I don't know any of these things, Dad." "Didn't Jerry tell you? You must have noticed the switch. It's a big red switch under my right hand." "Well, I've never been in the control room, Dad." "Ah? You have to go and have a look. One day in the future, maybe it will be yours. When I'm free...you remind me, let's take a good look." "I will, Dad." Soapy was very happy to hear that he had the hope of entering that mysterious "sacred place".He was sure that half of the relatives on board had never been there.But at the same time, his father's prophecy surprised him.Could an old Vlaky be in command of the ship?In fact, it is also legal for an adopted son to take over this life-and-death position. Some captains do not have biological sons.But as an ex-Flakey, can there be such an opportunity? At this time, Captain Kraussar said: "I don't care enough about you, my son... I didn't take good care of Baslim's son. But we are a big family and there are many things, so I have been busy. They How are you?" "Oh, good, Dad!" "Well... glad to hear that. Well, you know, you didn't grow up with them." "I know all about it. But everybody treats me well." "Excellent. They all tell me you're very good. You seem to be a quick learner, and for a—well, you've got a good brain." Dissatisfied, Soapy made up half of what the captain had swallowed in his head.The captain continued: "Have you been to the engine room?" "No, sir. I've only been to their training room once." "Now that we've landed, it's a good opportunity, and it's safer. Besides, the prayer ceremony and cleaning work on the ship won't take long." Klausar paused and said, "No, we'd better wait until your identity is clear. Go and visit. The chief engineer has been hinting at me very bluntly that his department needs someone like you. He has a stupid idea that you will never have children anyway. He might jump at the chance to visit Hook your heart. These engineers!" Soapy understood the meaning of these words, even the meaning of the last sentence.To outsiders, the engineers seem a little odd.It was believed that the radiation from the sphere that animated the Sisu had burned the engineers' brain tissue.I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it’s said that the engineers who commit the most serious crimes will be safe because of the “insanity” caused by the long-term exposure to radiation, but no one has said this line of defense, and everyone agrees.The chief engineer even dared to talk back to the old lady. Junior engineers, however, were not allowed to be on duty in the power room until they had no more children.They are only in charge of auxiliary machines, or train in mock powerhouses. The "brethren" take radiation-induced aberrations very seriously, as they face far more radiation hazards than the planet's inhabitants.On the face of it alone, it was never possible to see anyone with obvious deformities, and the treatment of deformed babies was the highest taboo, so secret that Soapy had no idea that such a thing existed.All he knew was that the men on duty in the engine room were old men. Besides, Soapy had no interest in things like having children. He just caught a message from the captain's words, that is, the chief engineer thought that he, Soapy, might soon become a very high-ranking watchman in the engine room.He was swooning with excitement.Those who fight the plague of nuclear physics are second only to spaceship astronauts... In the eyes of engineers themselves, their status is even higher.It can be seen that their point of view is correct, and the official title does not explain much.Even the vice-captain, as long as he dares to show his prestige in front of the engineer on duty in the engine room, he may end up going to the cargo hold for inspection in the end, while the engineer who conflicted with him only needs to avoid the limelight for a few days in the ship's infirmary, and then He can continue to do what he wants to do.The question is, is it possible for a former Flaki to achieve such high status?After entering the power room, maybe one day I can become the chief engineer myself, and I can confront the patriarch face to face.Thinking of this, Soapy said impatiently: "Father, the chief engineer thinks I can work in the power room?" "Didn't I just tell you?" "Yes, sir. Well... how could he think that?" "Are you stupid? Or overly modest? Anyone who knows the math of fire control can learn nuclear engineering, or master astronomy. Astronautics is just as important." The engineers never moved the goods, and the only job after arriving at the port was to load tritium and deuterium, or do something closely related to them.They don't do logistics.They... "Dad, I think, I might like being an engineer." "Huh? Thoughts like that? Forget about it." "but--" "'but what?" "Nothing, sir. At your command, sir." Clauser sighed and said, "Son, I have an obligation to you, and I must do my best to fulfill it." Clauser considered how much to tell the boy.Mother had said that if Baslim had wanted the child to know the meaning of the message, he would have translated it into Interlingua.On the other hand, since the child now understands their language, perhaps he already understood the meaning of the message.No, he may have completely forgotten the message. "Soapy, do you know who your family is?" Soapy was taken aback, and said, "Sir? My home is Sisu." "Of course! I mean your former home." "You mean old man? Lame Baslim?" "No, it's not! He's your stepfather, like me now. Do you know the family you were born into?" Soapy said sadly: "I don't think I have a home." Klausar realized that he had stabbed his scar, and immediately changed his words: "Son, the way the crew look, you don't have to learn everything. Hey, if there is no Flacky, who do we do business with? How do our countrymen live?" Go on? It's a blessing to be born one of your kind. But there's nothing shameful about being born a Vlakki. Every atom has its use." "I'm not ashamed!" "Don't be so aggressive, don't get excited." "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not at all ashamed of my ancestors, I just don't know who they were. Well, for all I know, maybe they were 'brothers' too." Clauser was taken aback. "Well, it's possible," he said slowly.The vast majority of slaves were originally bought from planets that had never been visited by decent traders, or were born in the homes of their masters...but sadly, "brethren" also made up a significant proportion of slaves, both was taken by looters.This child... During a certain period of time, has any compatriot spaceship been lost?At the next meeting, shouldn't we check the records of the Merchant Marine to see if there is any relevant birth certificate? Even if no relevant materials were found, the possibility that Soapy was born in a trading compatriot family cannot be ruled out, because some patriarchs were careless and did not submit the birth certificate, and some had to wait until the party to submit the certificate——with Krause’s Mother is different.The old man never complained about the cost of going to a remote place to register. She hoped that the child would be recorded as soon as it was born——the Sisu never procrastinated. What if the boy Soapy was really their "countryman" and his files were never handed over to the Merchant Navy?It would be wrong if he lost his birth certificate! Somehow, an idea popped into the captain's mind: there are many ways to make up for a mistake.Could it be that one of the Free Trade ships had been lost—but he couldn't remember.These thoughts the captain could not speak of.However, if you can find an ancestor for your child, that would be a great thing!if he can... The captain changed the subject: "Son, in a sense, you have long been a member of your compatriots." "Huh? What, Dad?" "Son, Baslim the Cripple is an honorary citizen among his countrymen." "What? What's the matter, Dad? What ship?" "Of all ships. He was elected at a fellowship. Son, a long time ago, there was a shameful incident, and Baslim settled that, so all fellowship owes him A love. I've said enough. Tell me, have you thought about marriage?" In Soapy's mind, marriage was clearly the last place in the list.He really wanted to hear what his father had done to become a great member of his compatriots.But Soapy recognized the captain's tone, the tone that elders always use when they keep their mouths shut on a taboo subject. "Oh no, Dad." "Your grandma thinks you're starting to really pay attention to girls." "Well, sir, grandma can never be wrong . . . but I haven't realized that yet." "A man is incomplete without a wife. You are young indeed, but you must not forget our customs," thought Krause, and Baslim wanted him to seek the help of the Allies to find out where the child was born.It would be difficult if Soapy was married before the birth certificate was found.During the few months on board the Sisu, the child had grown considerably, which aggravated Krause's hidden annoyance: he hoped to find (or fake) a home for Soapy among his fellows, but this The wish contradicts the obligation to Baslim. At this moment, he thought of a thought, which made him much happier. "Son, I tell you! The girl you're looking for may not be on board, because after all, there are only so many people in the port cabin, and getting a wife is a big deal. Women can make you happy, or they can ruin you. So, we Why don't you put this aside for a while and you'll meet hundreds of other suitable girls at the big party. By then, if you find someone you love and she loves you, I Just talk to your grandma. If she agrees, we can make a deal and get her back. We won't object. Is that okay?" In this way, this difficult problem can be safely put to a later date. "Very good, Dad!" "I've said enough." Krause thought happily of what was to come: Soapy was seeing "hundreds of suitable girls," and he was looking through the files.Before that, he didn't have to think about how to fulfill his obligations to Baslim.The child may be one of his fellow countrymen.In fact, Soapy's many obvious virtues make it almost impossible for him to be the real Flaky.If that were the case, then he would have fulfilled Baslim's wishes not just literally, but fundamentally.In the meantime—forget it! They walked a mile to a neighborhood in Lothian.Soapy stared intently at the elegant Lothian ships, and thought with uneasiness that in space he had once thought of destroying one of these beautiful ships.Then, he remembered his father's words: A fire controller doesn't have to worry about what target he is hitting. After entering the downtown area, Soapy had no time to think about these things.The Rohian do not have buses, nor do they use elegant sedan chairs.They generally sprint on foot, twice as fast as running alone.If they wanted to go any faster, they would ride in a car that looked like a jet propulsion to others.Their limbs, sometimes six limbs, are tucked into several "sleeves" with what look like roller skates attached to the sleeves.Their bodies were embedded in a frame, the protruding part of which was the power unit (what kind of power Thorby could not imagine).Once inside this clown suit-like mechanical device, the Rothian became a homing missile, crazily and carelessly accelerating at any time, spewing sparks all the way, making bursts of crackling noise, turning almost It is to challenge the principles of physics such as friction, inertia and centrifugal force.Weaving back and forth, overtaking other vehicles, or pulling out of the lane suddenly, the brakes are never needed until the destination is reached. People on foot and "lunatics" equipped with powered equipment mingle very democratically, and no traffic rules can be seen.There is no age limit for driving license women here.The younger you are, the crazier and reckless you are. Walking in such a place, Soapy really didn't know if he would make it back to the spaceship alive. Those Rothian people often rush towards Soby (it is not clear whether it is right or wrong, there seems to be no regulation on the direction of driving here), and they will stop in front of Soby with a crunch, and then make a sharp turn and move forward Running away, Soapy felt a gust of wind on his face, and his heart was about to jump out of his mouth.But those Rothian didn't even wipe him.When encountering this situation at first, Soapy could only dodge quickly.After hiding a dozen times, he wanted to learn how his stepfather handled it.No matter how others rushed towards him, Captain Clauser just kept going straight forward, looking quite confident in those savage "pilots".Soapy had a hard time maintaining that confidence, but the fact was there, he hadn't been hit. Thorby didn't know how the city was run.Motor vehicles and pedestrians rush out of various intersections at any time, as if there is no boundary between private activity sites and public streets.They first passed what Soapy thought was a shopping district, then climbed an incline, passed through a building with no obvious boundaries-no delimiting walls and roofs-and came out and walked down, passed An arch used to decorate a cave.Soapy was lost. Once it occurred to Soapy that they must have entered a private home.They pushed and shoved their way through what was supposed to be a party.But those people shrank their feet and made way for them. Kraussar stopped and said, "We're almost there, son, and we're going to meet the Fraggie who bought our wares. This meeting will heal the rift we had with our last sale. He wants to pay Give me, so offend me. Now, we have to be friends again." "We sell them stuff and don't take money?" "What would your grandma say if that was the case? Of course we took the money. Now I'm going to send him a shipment for free and he'll give me thorium, not money, just because he likes my pretty blue eyes. They The customs of the world forbid such a ruthless thing as buying and selling." "Don't they do business with each other?" "Of course they also do business. But it's always said that some Vladimir gave him something that the other party needed, and the other party happened to have money, and he wanted the other party to accept it as a gift. In this way, two pieces Everything's a present, and they're balanced. They're smart in business, son, and we never get an extra here." "Son, if you're going to study why Flaki does what he does, you'll go crazy yourself. When you're on their planet, it's wisest to do as the Romans do. Now listen to me , we'll have a friendly meal from them...not really a meal for us, but they'd be rude if we didn't invite. There'll be a curtain between us. You'll have to be there because the Rothian sons will be there too - daughters actually. The Vlakki I'm going to meet is a mother, not a father. The men are hiding in boudoirs. But beware, when I talk through an interpreter I use masculine words every now and then.” "why?" "Because they know our habits well and know that a man is the head of the family. When you think about it that way, you feel like there's something in their thinking." Soapy felt strange, who is the master of the family?Father?Or grandma?Of course, when the patriarch gave orders, she always wrote "by order of the captain," but only because... it wasn't right.Ok.Anyway - Soapy suddenly suspected that, in some respects, it might be their own family customs that were paradoxical.At this time, the captain said: "Actually, we are not eating with them, just pretending. They will hand you a kind of green slime. You just need to bring it to your mouth. If you really want to drink it, it will choke your throat." Burnt. Other than that you just listen and don't talk so next time you'll know what to do. Oh and one more thing! When I asked the owner how old his son was, the owner asked How old are you. You answer '40'." "why?" "Because people in this age group are respected, the reason is that they can already be father's assistants." They arrived, but still seemed to be in public.The two squatted down opposite the two Rothian men, and at this time, the third Rohian man was also squatting nearby.A curtain the size of a kerchief hung between them and the Rothian, from above which Soapy could see them.He wanted to see, listen, and learn, but there was a constant stream of people running around, laughing and shouting, and weaving among them. The homeowner initially accused Krause of luring him into doing a wrong thing.I can't understand the translation, but what I can understand is the curse words in Interlingua.Soapy could hardly believe what he was hearing.He thought that his father would either walk away, or there would be a big fight. However, Captain Krause listened quietly, and then lashed out at him, from the illegal behavior of Captain Lothian and crew on space travel, to all illegal behaviors including drug addiction.In short, all kinds of ugly phenomena to Losian.Captain Kraussar strongly condemned both. Instead, the argument set the stage for a friendly reunion between them.The Rothian gave them the thorium, and offered to give the captain his son and everything else. After Captain Clausa "accepted", he gave the Sisu and all the goods on board to the other party. Then both sides generously returned each other's gifts.In the end it was barter, and each side took something as a mere token of friendship: the Rothian took a few hundred pounds of Verga leaves, and the merchant ship took a few thoriums from the other side.Both parties think that the gifts they give are worthless, but after all, gifts are light and affection is important.Impulsively, the Rothian gave away his son, and Krausa gave Soapy back to him, and then began to inquire, only to find that the two of them were too young to leave his own son. Home. then what should we do?So they used the method of name swap to solve this problem.Soapy thought he didn't like the new name because he couldn't pronounce it.The next step is to "eat". Not only was the hideous green liquid undrinkable, but Soapy burned his nostrils just by sniffing it, and choked on it for a long time.The captain gave him a reproachful look. Afterwards, they left there without a word of farewell, just walking straight away.As the two walked through the bustling and noisy streets like sleepwalkers, Krause said thoughtfully: "For Vlaky, these people are really good. They never do black business and are absolutely loyal and reliable. I often think, what if I do take something that one of them gives me? Probably have to pay for it.” "Will not!" "Don't be so sure. At that time, I'm afraid I can only hand you over in exchange for that half-grown Rothian." Soapy kept his mouth shut. After the business was done, Captain Clauser accompanied Soapy to go shopping and take a look at the city by the way.Soapy felt relieved, because without the captain, Soapy would have no idea what to buy, and he didn't even know the way home.The adoptive father took him to a shop that understood Interlingua.The Rothian can make all kinds of extremely complex things, none of which Thorby can understand.Following Krause's suggestion, Soapy chose a polished cube-shaped bauble that, when shaken, revealed endless pictures of Rothian landscapes in the center.Soapy gave the token to the shopkeeper, and the shopkeeper gave Soapy the change from a string of money.Then he said he was going to give Thorby the store and everything in it. Instead of Thorby, Kraussar expressed regret that he had nothing to give but to serve the shopkeeper for the rest of his life.And just like that, they left the embarrassing store with apologies. After returning to the spaceport, Soapy's mood was completely relieved—he saw the simple, familiar, and friendly lines of the Sisu again. When Soapy went into his bedroom, he saw Jerry kicking his feet up in the chair, with his hands on the back of his head.Jerry looked up, without a smile on his face. "Hello, Jerry!" "Hi, Soapy." "Go shopping?" "No." "I'm going. Look what I bought!" Soapy took out the Rubik's Cube to show him, "Shake it, and every picture displayed in it is different." Jerry returned Soapy after seeing only one painting. "very good." "Jerry, why are you so sullen? Have you eaten?" "No." "What's the matter with you? Tell me." Jerry put his feet on the floor, looked at Soapy and said, "I'm back in the computer room." "what?" "Oh, I'm not relegated, just here to train another guy." Soapy felt bad and said, "You mean I got kicked out?" "No." "Then what do you mean?" "Marta was swapped."