Earthbound by DM Arnold (read book .TXT) 📕

rarely get to Queens. Let's continue the briefing.” He handed Nyk a black device. “This is a laptop computer. It may be primitive by Floran standards, but these do work, most of the time. They get the job done, and we can eliminate the risk of assigning you Floran communications devices. These have revolutionized the way we do our jobs. Even five years ago, you wouldn't believe the worry I had when one of our agents needed contact with the homeworld. With these, we've eliminated the need to issue homeworld technology into the field, except under special circumstances.

“When connected to any data port in the world, you may use it to communicate with myself or other ExoAgents via Earth Internet email. You all have coded identifiers. If you or another agent is off-planet, messages are routed and sent via GravNet for delivery on Floran or any colony planet.

“This computer can also access the Floran TachNet. I'll show you how. Maybe you'd like to speak to your lovely wife. If you would like for her to see you on her end, you must attach this miniature camera, which clips to the top of the display panel.” Seymor manipulated the keyboard and a blue window appeared on the screen, then an image. It was Senta.

“Hi korlyta. I made it to Earth.” Nyk exchanged small talk with her.

Seymor interrupted him, “We must go to the lab. I'll introduce you to the college brass as FloranCo's new botanist. As long as they can keep cashing our checks they'll leave you alone. Are you hungry?” Nyk said he was. “Good. As part of the deal with the school they issue us a university staff card. It is useful as it allows you to take meals at the university union, which is a short distance from the lab, quite convenient. The food is not very good, but it is expensive.”

Seymor escorted Nyk to the campus offices and obtained keys to the lab and Nyk's staff card. “You'll be fine, lad. If you need anything, you can call me or send me an email message. It's all in your training packet. Well, I'm off to New York. Enjoy!” He picked up the sack of raw diamonds and left.

3 -- Sukiko

Nykkyo unlocked the door to the Chem Annex building, entered the lab and looked around. Old laboratory benches were covered in years' worth of dust and grime. Seymor had told him the structure's history. Built in the mid 1970s, the wood-frame building had provided a temporary home for the Chemistry Department's graduate school. When the Science Center opened in 1990, the university abandoned the annex as a research facility. He walked along the concrete floor, assessing the effort required to make the place usable. Seymor had hired a cleaning crew and Nyk awaited their arrival.

He was regarding some circa 1950 electrochemistry equipment when a knock at the door interrupted his survey. The cleaning crew arrived and Nyk began directing their efforts.

He had found some empty filing cabinets and discovered they would accommodate his stasis equipment. He asked one of the cleaning crew to help him move the cabinets into position underneath a lab bench.

“I clean, I don't move,” the worker replied.

Nyk recalled a lesson from his Agency training. He reached into his pocket and produced a twenty-dollar bill. The worker snatched it, winked at him, and the heavy steel cabinets were in place.

The crew left and Nyk began installing the first piece of Floran equipment, a power converter. He snaked the power cord through an opening in the rear of the filing cabinet. The plug wouldn't fit the power sockets. Perhaps, he thought, he'd done enough work for one day.

He walked toward the house, passing the university union. Students were coming and going, some talking boisterously and engaging in rowdy horseplay. Nyk shook his head and continued on his way. By now he was quite hungry and he knew the cabinets at the house were empty. He stopped at a small grocery along his route.

His ExoAgency training course on Earth food came into his mind. “Earth people are, by and large, flesh-eaters. This is a difficult concept for a Floran to comprehend ... while we will not discourage an ExoAgent on assignment from experiencing Earth meat products, we do advise caution...

“...the approach we recommend toward Earth food is simply not to think about its origin. Many Earth natives employ this approach as well. Those who wish not to consume flesh products should seek items labeled 'vegetarian'...”

He passed the meat counter and lost his appetite. He saw a section labeled Health Foods, and there he found a can of vegetarian lentil soup. The picture on the label looked like a package meal from the homeworld. He bought it, trudged home and ate the soup cold, straight from the can.

“It sounds like we shipped you the wrong power converter -- probably one for Europe,” Seymor said over the phone. “I'll send you a new one via overnight express tomorrow. You'll have it the day after that.”

Nyk snapped open the laptop computer and clipped on the digital camera. The vidphone program activated and he selected Senta's locator code. She answered and he saw her image on the screen. “Hello again korlyta.”

“How was the first day of your assignment?”

“I'm cold, tired and discouraged. I hadn't realized adjusting to the time difference would be so difficult. The Earth population doesn't appear as Koichi described it. The students here are loud and rowdy, and most of what's in the food store is stuff I wouldn't dream of eating.”

“Now aren't you happy you refused to forget this ExoAgency nonsense and sign onto a scout cruiser? That would've been more like an extended vacation.”

“Zander told me Agency assignments are the most rewarding in the Service.”

“You're getting exactly what you deserve for believing one of your friends instead of me.”

“Veska says life aboard a scout's tougher than you might imagine.”

“Think what you want.”

Nyk terminated the call and flopped on his bed.

The replacement power converter arrived and the stasis canisters were working, concealed in the locked filing cabinets. Nyk tested the equipment by placing a strawberry from the grocery into a stasis capsule. He placed another in a petri dish sitting on the lab bench. Now, a week later, the berry in the dish was moldy and grotty while the one in the capsule was as fresh as the day he bought it.

He had produced cultures of some vegetables by isolating individual plant cells and putting them into a nutrient broth. After a few days he had little plantlets. He could create an entire living plant from the smallest cell sample.

It was now noon and he decided to dine at the union. He flashed his staff card at the door, stood in line and bought a bowl of vegetarian chili. His scan of the dining room found a single empty table near the rear door. He scooped a spoonful of chili and reacted with pleasure and pain to the mix of flavors.

A woman's voice startled him. “Do you mind if I join you? I think this is the only empty seat.”

“Please do.”

She sat across from him and began eating her lunch, fixing her eyes on her tray. Nyk compared her appearance to his memory of Koichi. She had the same black hair and yellow-brown complexion. Her face was an oval with prominent cheekbones and full lips. She was petite, with a well-proportioned figure. Her eyes were deep brown and had a pronounced epicanthic fold, more so than Koichi's. She was beautiful, and Nyk couldn't avoid staring at her.

“Excuse me -- are you a Japanese?” he asked.

“No. I'm an American.” He made eye contact, and then she looked down. “My mother is Japanese. My father's family came from Japan at the turn of the century.” She took a bite from a tuna salad sandwich.

Nyk scooped another spoonful and gazed at her. “You have the most beautiful eyes. I've never seen eyes so dark.”

She glanced up, looked down, gulped her mouthful and grasped her tray. “If you'll excuse me, I have a class.”

Nyk watched as she stood, dumped her tray and walked out. He followed her to the door and observed her proceed into a classroom building. He estimated she was about his age, maybe slightly older. Nyk was 31 Floran years old, about 25 Earth years. She's not likely a student, he figured, perhaps an assistant professor.

Nyk had tried to maneuver himself close enough to the Japanese-American woman to start a conversation, but she always seemed just out of reach or headed the wrong way. Now he sat in the union dining room and saw her enter carrying a tray. She walked toward his table, stopped, turned and stood waiting for another to empty.

He picked up his tray and carried it to her table. “May I please join you?” She made a hand gesture that said, do what you want. “I've been looking for you for the past two weeks. I suspect you've been avoiding me. I wanted to speak with you.”

She looked up at him. “Why do you want to speak with me?”

“I've so wanted to meet a Japanese. I was hoping you could answer some questions.”

She glanced at the clock. “I don't have time. I teach two classes and I only have fifteen minutes for lunch.”

“I work in the Chem Annex building. Could you come over after class?”

Her eyes narrowed. “If I come and answer your questions, will you quit bothering me?”

“I promise.”

“My last class is over at 3:30. I'll come after then.” She picked up her tray and left.

Nyk returned to the lab and tended his cultures. He watched the clock. At 3:45 he heard someone open the door to the lab.

She walked in. “I thought this building was abandoned. Okay, I'm here, but I'm warning you. I don't take funny stuff. I'm from New York.” She held up her bag. “I have pepper spray and I'm not afraid to use it. So let's have your questions.”

“What is miso soup?”

The woman looked at him for several moments. She started to giggle, and then she put her hand over her mouth. “I'm not laughing at you. It's just ... I didn't expect ... well, I don't know what I expected. It certainly wasn't for some guy to practically stalk me for two weeks, lure me into a creepy deserted building and then ask about miso soup!” She began to regain her composure.

“I'm terribly sorry. I had no idea miso soup was funny stuff. I meant no offense.”

She giggled again. “There's nothing funny about miso. It's fermented soybean paste. It comes in a variety of flavors and colors and it's used to make a lot of Japanese foods.”

“What does it taste like?”

“Awful. But I don't like Japanese food. It's so fishy and smoky and salty. Do you have a lot more questions?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Okay, I'll answer them, but not here. This gloomy old barn gives me the creeps. I'll make a deal with you. We'll walk over to the union and you can buy me a coffee. For as long as that coffee lasts, I'll answer your questions. Is it a deal?”

Nyk walked with her toward the union. It was a cool, late October afternoon and dried leaves crunched underfoot. “If you don't like Japanese food, what do you like?”

“No fair. I won't answer any more questions until I have my coffee. We have a deal.”

“I'm sorry.” Nyk