Jack's Snow Day

"Not intelligent then? No sentience?" he asked.

"No measurable levels. Creatures of instinct, hunger and killing." Tanz said.

Jack felt a little better with the idea of wearing the coat of another creature. He pulled his on and found it to be very warm. A little too warm maybe. He had to leave the front open.

"You look like one of us! Almost." Tanz gasped happily.

"I need to thank the Queen for these lovely, warm coats."

"I'll pass along the message," the Facilitator said with a smile.

"If there are no plans for us this afternoon I'd love to do a little shopping in those shops by the palace for gifts for my family back home," Jack asked.

"The only plan I have is to invite you to an informal dinner with some of the senior council and their spouses. You met a few last night," she replied. "I have an apartment in the palace as well. I'm throwing the dinner party at my place. You're all invited."

When Jack heard the senior council would be there he saw an opportunity to fish for information on the unrest. His work ethic was kicking him in the ass for not addressing the issue Queen Elissa had specifically sent him here to look into. Instead he'd been playing! Now was his chance to finally begin his assignment! He nodded enthusiastically and Tanz gave him a dazzling smile.

They went back to the cart and this time Jack got to ride up in the front passenger seat as Gee and Bal were toasty and warm in their new coats. Tanz was pleased to have company up on the front seat too.

"Is there anything you need for the party?" Jack asked her as the cart zipped along the smooth roadway.

"Need? No, just your attendance!" she grinned.

He smiled and nodded back to her and got another of her whole body smiles. He wasn't sure how she did that but that's what it felt like to Jack.

They went their separate ways in the shopping district, Jack promising to be ready for dinner at 8:30PM, and she said she'd send a guide.

Jack didn't have any particular gifts in mind or people he needed to buy something for as they really had everything they needed, but he'd passed through the shopping district several times and it's energy, colors, and textures drew him. He'd spent so long reviewing products for importing to Altaria he was interested to see what the Shreen were capable of.

He wandered down the lanes looking into the windows, seeing what kinds of products each store was selling. When something caught his eye he made his way inside.

The first store to do this was a textile shop. One of the bolts of cloth shimmered iridescently and Jack walked in to take a closer look. The shop owner walked up to greet him as he touched the smooth fabric. Deepest blue, bordering on ultra-violet, it caught the ambient light and shimmered. As he moved it with his fingers the fabric appeared to ripple and flow like oil. It was mesmerizing!

"You have a keen eye!" the male said with a grin. "Reaver silk of the finest quality. Strong and beautiful!"

"What's a Reaver?" Jack asked.

Eyebrows rose. "Oh, well... it's a small creature that lives in the lowest levels of the natural caves. Very difficult to locate but their by-product is a strong thread which does peculiar things to light. We collected and wove the thread into these amazing fabrics. Are you thinking of making..." he looked at the shirt Jack was wearing under the coat. "One of those with this fabric?"

Jack smiled as he imagined how incredible Diana would look in a gown made of this. Oh! SennLann, Eve, and Diana! Maybe Elissa, Karrel and Leffera as well! Gee and Bal only wore their super tough gossamer combat gowns. "No... but I do have some ideas. How difficult is it to work with the fabric?"

"A very hot blade will cut it without risk of unraveling the weave. It can also be sealed with a very hot seam press. Did I mention the fabric won't stain, shrink, and is easily cleaned," the proprietor said eagerly. He could taste the sale. He was sure he would be able to get him to buy at least 4 spans.

"I assume this fabric is not... inexpensive," Jack said with a slight smile.

The shop keep pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Astute as well as a keen eye. Made from a rare substance it is highly prized... and valued.

"How much?"

The male pretended to consider the fabric but the tips of his ears were vibrating, giving away his excitement. "You'd need how much? We sell by the span," he said holding his arms outstretched.

"No. How much for the entire bolt?"

The male's face froze. His eyes slowly widened as he took in Jack's calm expression.

"I- the entire bolt?"

"Yes, how much," Jack asked again.

"Let me work that out for you," he replied. He looked at the bolt, confirming it was full and moved off to get his com. He punched in the number of spans on a full bolt then hesitated. He glanced at Jack and licked his lips. Jack raised an eyebrow and the male seemed to reconsider and punched in a unit cost per span. He pulled his shoulders back and turned the com towards Jack.

It was Jack's turn to freeze but he did so with no outward signs. He'd had years of practice with keeping his reactions contained in business deals. He seemed to be considering the number. "May I?" he said holding out his hand for the com. The shop keeper passed it over. Jack punched in a number to reduce the daunting figure by and handed it back. "I was thinking more along the lines of this?"

The male's eyes went to the new number and his surprise at it's not being reduced dramatically leaked out, just a little. He covered this up by rubbing his jaw with his hand like he was struggling to accept the number. He raised his finger and tapped another amount to add to Jack's number and passed it back.

Jack saw the proprietor had dropped his initial price, but not by much. Cocky. He sighed and the male's ears visibly twitched.

"No, that's just too dear. Shame." Jack said and handed the com back.

"You- you could always reduce the number of spans!" the shop keeper said earnestly to salvage the deal. The huge profit he was going for was slipping away!

"No, the spans are required for the project I have in mind. The Altarian Queen would have looked splendid in that material too." He sighed again.

"Queen Elissa?" the male squeaked.

Jack blinked at him. "Yes, I'm her consort."

"Oh! Yes! Of course you are!"

"It wasn't meant to be." Jack nodded to him and turned to leave.

"As it's for the Queen I suppose I could take a harsh discount on the unit cost," the male asserted.

Jack turned back with a concerned expression. "No, I wouldn't want you to sell it to me at a loss!"

The thought obviously hadn't occurred to him but now he felt like he'd been out manoeuvered. He'd made an overture on behalf of the Altarian Queen and if he didn't appear to be actually discounting his price significantly for her it might be seen as an insult. Going after the huge profit he'd originally set his price for was now too dangerous. He went back to the original equation and punched in the number of spans once more and multiplied this by... cost plus twenty five percent. It wasn't the extreme profit he'd lusted after but he certainly wouldn't be suffering. It was still a large sum. He showed Jack the number as his ear tips trembled.

"Oh! Are you sure?" Jack said, still containing his gasp. There went most of his savings. This was the most expensive thing he'd ever purchased!

The shop keeper smiled magnanimously. "Of course! For the Queen and yourself!"

"Thank you very much! I will ensure the Queen is informed of your generosity and I'm sure she will love the gift I intend for her," Jack said graciously as he transferred the credits from his com to the shop keeper's com.

The male smiled as he saw this quarter's budget and most of the next made in one transaction. Knowing the Queen would be aware of this shop was a huge bonus.

"Could you package it up so I can ship it home?" Jack asked.

"Of course sir. One moment!" he said and off he went to get some packing materials.

Gee was wondering what was taking so long so she came into the store and saw Jack touching the gorgeous fabric. She frowned as she smacked his hand away to touch the material herself.

"This- This is pure Reaver silk!" Gee whispered in shock.

He grinned back at her. "My Reaver silk," Jack said feeling oh so satisfied with his purchase now.

Gee faced him. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think I mean? I bought it," his smile beginning to be strained.

"Bought it? What do you mean, you bought it? How much of it did you buy?" she hissed looking around. Now Jack was frowning back at her but they went to neutral expressions when the shop keeper returned with a large tube.

"You're in luck! I still have the shipping tube the bolt will fit in. You can take it in that," he said watching the odd expression on the Altarian's face.

"Perfect! Thanks!" Jack picked up the bolt which was surprisingly heavy for such a thin and light material. He held it up while the male positioned the packing tube under it. Jack gently lowered it all the way in then they sealed the tube.

Gee's stare was making Jack uncomfortable. He thanked the shop keeper and lifted his purchase to his shoulder. He'd have to find a shipping office soon as this was too heavy to carry for long.

He saw a bench and made his way over to it and sat down. Gee was immediately at his side and Bal was standing before them with a concerned expression.

"What did he do?" Bal asked.

"What the hell?!? What do you mean by that? I just bought a bolt of fabric! I thought it would make some really pretty gowns! Why are you making such a big deal of this?" Jack growled quietly.

Gee looked up at Bal who looked back at her in question.

"Tell her what kind of fabric it is," Gee said, keeping her eyes on her partner.

"Reaver silkmmph-" Jack choked to a stop as Bal's hand covered his mouth as she looked at Gee with wide eyes.

"What percentage?" Bal asked.

"Pure."

Bal's eyes went to the tube. "How much on the bolt?"

Jack was seriously getting bugged by all this cloak and dagger behavior and pulled Bal's hand from his mouth. "Fifty spans or so! Would one of you please tell me what's going on?"

"Jack, I must confiscate this bolt." Gee said sternly. "For Altarian national security."

"Like hell! I just spent a small fortune on this. I'm having some gowns made!" Jack exclaimed.

The two agents shared a look.

"You know I hate it when you do that!" Jack grumbled.

"How much did you spend?" Gee asked.

Scowling at them Jack took his com out and showed them the transaction. Gee felt better when she saw it simply said 'a bolt of fabric'. The amount was staggering and they shared another look while Jack just clenched his jaw.

"Jack, the Altarian Security Ministry will pay you a thousand times this much for the bolt. It's basically priceless."

He shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

They were alone and Bal nodded to her so Gee opened her fur coat and pulled some of her black combat gown out through the opening. She looked Jack straight in the eye. "Ten percent Reaver Silk."

Jack looked at the incredibly strong, protective material she was tucking back beneath her fur coat. "Oh!"

They nodded, relieved he understood at last.

"I don't get it."

They groaned.

He scowled. "No, I get it's a national security issue now but how can it be such a secret and so rare if this guy is selling an enormous bolt of the stuff?"

Gee looked at Bal who nodded and slipped away to speak to the shop owner. When they were alone Gee spoke softly to Jack. "I've never seen so much in one place and I have never seen it pure. Woven into a composite of other materials it is incredible protection against most hand held weapons from projectile to energy based while still being lightweight. Our supply is... very limited and we've never been able to synthesize it successfully." She looked into his eyes. "You understand we wouldn't normally share this information but you have a very close relationship with our Queen and we know you can be discreet."

Bal returned. Gee nodded to her.

"There is no more. He indicated his nephew came upon a large old nest and they spent the better part of six years pulling the nest apart one strand at a time. His nephew has never found another nest and is an avid cave traveler."

"A Spelunker," Jack said.

They stared at him.

"It's another name for someone who explores caves."

They went back to ignoring him.

"We must take this back to the Security Ministry directly. It cannot be shipped." Gee said.

"Can you two carry it?" Jack asked.

"What? Why?" Gee asked.

"Because I have a dinner party to attend tonight. I still have a diplomatic mission to accomplish and I've made no progress at all so far. Tonight I get to feel out the senior council members." They stared at him in shock. "'Feel out' as in pick their brains! I didn't mean it the other way!" he growled.

"I'm not pleased with the idea of leaving you here on your own but Chrystan is as safe a planet as Altaria for you. Could you at least help us carry it to the Gate Terminal?" Gee asked.

"How do we get there?"

"We use the cart. It's self-driven. You tell it 'Gate Terminal' to go there and 'Marketplace' to get back. We will call for a lift when we get back which should be soon.

Jack stood and hoisted his soon to be confiscated fabric for his presents onto his shoulder and followed the two agents out of the shopping district, through the marketplace and out to the cart. He gratefully put it down on the back and strapped it down. Gee made to get in the driver's seat.

"No, let me as I'll need to make sure it listens to me so I can get back," Jack explained. Gee nodded to him and moved to the passenger seat. Jack got in the driver's position and pressed his finger to the spot he saw Tanz touch.

"Authorizing. Ambassador Jack Danner. Do you require assistance?" a voice said out of the speaker.

"No, I just need to drive to the Gate Terminal and back. Is that ok?" he responded.

"Authorized. State the Destination."

Jack realized he was talking to a machine. "Gate Terminal."

The cart powered up and got them on their way. Jack looked over at Gee. "It looks like this will be fine. I can try to send the cart back to the Gate Terminal for you if you like."

"Yes, please. That will expedite our return," she stated.

They rode on in silence and the cart dutifully parked in the lot. Jack carried the package up the ramp into the Gate Terminal. Then he waited for them to arrange for a Gate. When they were ready they stood before him.

"We are going to have to make a report to Hellna. This means we will not be back until late tonight or maybe early tomorrow morning," Gee explained.

"Do not do anything you think we would disapprove of," Bal said seriously.

Jack sighed and lifted the package one more time. The agents braced themselves and he gently placed it on their shoulders. They wobbled a little but managed to stay upright. Without a glance backwards they stiffly marched towards the Gate and stepped through.

And Jack was alone.

He had to admit that being without his Altarian companions for the first time since he was rescued from the Allsa Komanae made him... a little nervous. Then he thought back to the years he spent on Earth after his parents passed. The years he spent largely alone. Moving from one job opportunity to another. From one city to another. He didn't have anyone he could rely on and he'd survived on a world far more hostile to Humans than Chrystan.

His unease faded and some of the old Jack resurfaced. He had a job to do.

He made his way back to the cart and went through the authorization routine once more but got the cart to take him back to the marketplace. He even managed to get it to go back to the Gate Terminal on its own. He felt pretty pleased with himself about that!

The marketplace was still hopping and he paused a moment to breathe in the interesting and subtle scents from the produce on sale. He really wasn't sure which foods would agree with him so he didn't purchase any but the shapes, colors, textures, and scents were a feast for the senses. He was gathering attention as well so he moved on.

Walking back into the shopping district he realized he still had quite a bit of time before the party. He went back to mooching around in a few stores that sold toys and found small gifts for Emily and Joseph. He was struggling to find something the twins would enjoy. Their ravenous minds were advancing at a breathtaking rate, leaving their siblings behind.

He was passing a store which sold puzzles and toys when he saw the perfect gift for them. Grinning, he immediately bought a few in case they broke, damaged, or lost the toy. He couldn't wait to see them put their active little minds to work on these.

Moving on he looked for something for the ladies as his dress idea seemed like it was going to be a bust. Jack found a jewellery store which had lovely and unique bracelets and bangles. He picked out a few items and noticed the three clerks were all smiling at him strangely.

"This certainly seems like a happy shop," he said to the clerk completing his transaction.

"Thank you," she said unable to contain her glee.

"Really, everyone is so happy!" Jack said indicating her grinning coworkers. Jack thought back to his little walk through the marketplace and shopping district and considering the rumors of unrest he realized there hadn't been any sign of seething hostility, discontent, despair, or even boredom. Especially not in this store.

They giggled.

"We're just so thrilled to have you in our shop!" one gushed to him.

Jack blinked at her in surprise. "Really? Why?" Jack asked.

"You're the sex specialist!" the quiet one blurted and the group burst into giggles once more.

Jack's face must have shown his shock well as all three giggled harder.

"Who called me that?" Jack gasped.

"They call you that on the Entertainment channels," the clerk who finished his transaction said as she handed him his purchases. He stuffed the small bag in with the toys.

"Sex Specialist? I don't think I'm comfortable with that. It sounds too much like an official title, like something you'd give someone who went through years of advanced educations to become a doctor not a love doctor," he groaned.

"LOVE DOCTOR!" the quiet one moaned excitedly and the three began trilling. Loudly.

Jack nodded to them and hastily retreated from the shop. Hiding in his room until the party seemed like a good idea suddenly.

Spotting a shop that sold something he wanted to bring to the party he ducked in and purchased a large bottle of Lussht. It was the only beverage he recognized.

As he made his way back to the palace he began to notice he was being noticed more than before. They smiled. They nodded. They giggled and trilled. He smiled and nodded back but it was a little unnerving.

Finally he slipped inside the palace doors and made his way to his room. He only spotted a few Shreen on the way and none did more than nod in his direction so he felt a little better by the time he was behind his door. He draped the fur coat over the couch and dropped onto the cushions to relax a moment. He peeked into his shopping bag and grinned at the items he had thinking of the smiles they would make.

Seeing the time he realized he had plenty of time to freshen up. He pushed himself to his feet and went into the bedroom to select an outfit for the party. He took out some fresh clothes, his dark blue silk shirt and black dress slacks as he wanted to look nice for the party. It was casual but soft.

He went into the bathroom and had a nice long hot shower. He cleaned himself thoroughly and washed his long hair. He wished he'd remembered to bring a rubber band to tie it back or even a ribbon.