Gater’s personal log 3015.7.10.0300ST(Ship Time):
I'm in-system for Mystique. It's been a long trip but I'm here at last.
There wasn't any info on this system and not more than a sentence on Mystique itself, something about 100% cloud cover, a small outpost of unfriendly folks that mined gems. I see a medium small yellow star without too much radiation, a couple of gas giant planets further out and just one small planet close in which happens to be habitable. And it has a couple of asteroid rings. Well soon we'll know if Jason Thurston was on the up and up.
The "Slow Boat to China", for so she had been christened, made here way to Mystique and landed on the outskirts of town. As he entered orbit Steve noticed a small fighter come up and shadow him down. Once on the ground the fighter disappereared.
It was mid morning and the air was cool and moist. Strange that there wasn't more plant life, perhaps the lack of direct sunlight contributed to this. At least the food part of his trade goods should do well. He walked briskly into town.
In town he saw just a few people on the streets, mostly women and children. When he spotted a man he approached him and asked if there was a trade center here. The man didn't understand him and he didn't understand the reply. It sounded like a cross of English and German. Steve asked again speaking slowly and enunciating his words carefully, this time in German. This time the man seemed to understand and pointed up the street.
"Two corners, left, one corner, second on right." At least that's what he seemed to say.
When he finally made the last turn the street looked like the business district. Inside the second building on the right Steve was carefully redirected back out to the street and back to the second door on the street which happened to be in the first building. Undaunted he went in. It was a general purpose store. Seemed to have a little of everything from food to clothing to tools. There was only one other customer in the store, an elderly woman looking at clothing, so he went to the counter.
"I am a trader with goods to sell and I would like to buy some gem stones."
The elderly man at the counter didn't seem surprised to see him, of course in a small place like this as soon as the fighter was dispatched to follow him probably everyone knew a stranger was in town. "What do you have to sell?"
Steve got out his inventory and handed it to the man. After considering it for some time and looking some of his own files the man wrote prices next to each item. Most of them seemed to be very good, but surprisingly he would have to sell the mining tools he brought at a slight loss. Steve tried to barter the prices up to no avail. But all in all it was a good profit, but it wouldn't cover the long flight time and fuel. The return trip would have to make it up.
At last Steve noded. A young man was summoned from the back of the store who soon reappeared out front with a tranport vehicle. They unloaded the goods from the ship and returned to the store. After inspecting some of the goods the shopkeeper paid the agreed credits. When he turned around another man was waiting for him at the door.
"Mr. Gruder says you want to buy gems, yes?"
"Yes" Steve replied. "Do you have some for sail?"
"Oh yes I have all you want, come."
Steve followed the man across the street and into a storage room in the back of the building. It was filled with storage racks which in turn were filled to overflowing with gems. All had been carefully cleaned and were sorted on the shelves. The man handed Steve an inspection lens and the tour began.