“It depends on how many bidders are still looking for work today,” he explained. “This late in the day, however, I expect our choices to be few.”
“Don’t you love how he answers a question without actually answering it?” Jessica muttered to Nathan under her breath, raising a slight smile on his face. It was something he had already noticed about the man during their first meeting.
“Okay,” Jessica spoke up, turning to face Enrique and the others. “We’re going inside this big ugly building here. Should be a hoot. You four take a look around out here. But stay close, and keep your ears on. I have no idea how long we’ll be, or how quickly we’ll be looking to move out when we’re done. So stay flexed and ready.”
“You got it, Jess,” Enrique answered. Vladimir and Danik had already headed away toward the nearest shop that appeared to deal in some type of technology. Enrique turned to follow, gesturing for Sergeant Weatherly to join him.
“Lead the way,” Nathan told Tobin.
Tobin turned and headed up the steps to the building, with Jalea, Nathan, and Jessica following. He entered the hall, removing his hood on the way in, and bowed to the gruff-looking man behind the front counter. After a brief exchange with the clerk, Tobin gestured for them to follow him deeper into the hall. “I informed the clerk that we were looking to hire a harvesting crew. He informed me that there are a few crews still available, so the bidding should be quick.”
They followed Tobin into the main hall. The room was large and open, with high-beamed ceilings. There were large heavy wooden tables and benches lined up throughout the room. It looked as if it could accommodate hundreds of workers when filled to capacity. At the moment, there were only a half-dozen teams remaining, each represented by at least two leaders.
The clerk delivered a small electronic tablet to a man sitting behind a large desk on a raised platform at one corner of the room. Nathan assumed it was a data device similar to the ones they used on the Aurora. He watched as the man read the small pad, preparing to perform his part of the hiring ritual. About the room, the various team leaders noticed their entrance, as well as the arrival of the clerk. Nathan realized these events had alerted them to the presence of a new employment opportunity, and each of them appeared to be preparing themselves to bid.
The large man behind the desk gestured for Tobin to approach, exchanging words with him. A moment later, the man spoke through the loudspeaker. “The Volonese cargo ship Volander wishes to hire a harvesting crew,” the man announced. “Expected quota is three hundred kilotons. Completion time is two days. Payment desired is ten percent minus fees and expenses.” The man paused, giving the team leaders a chance to crunch their numbers and prepare their bids. After a minute, he continued. “The bidding is open.”
“Twenty-five! Plus fees and expenses!” the first team leader called out. Tobin’s face crinkled, his brow furrowed in disgust at the first offer.
“Twenty-two, plus!” the second team countered. Tobin’s expression failed to change.
“Twenty, plus!” the third team chimed in turn. Nathan was struck at the order in which they were bidding, wondering how it had been decided.
“Eighteen, plus!” the fourth team announced. Still Tobin’s expression remained unchanged. There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for the fifth and final team to announce their bid. But the fifth team leader simply waived his hand, indicating a pass on his turn to bid. He appeared either uninterested or unwilling to commit to a bid so early in the process.
“Sixteen, plus!” the first team re-bid.
“Fifteen, plus!”
“Thirteen, plus!”
Again, the bidding got to the fifth team, and again they waived their turn. The turn then went to back to the first team, who paused, and then indicated that they were no longer interested in the job, the bid having gone below what they were prepared to work for. In a show of solidarity, the other teams also indicated they were done bidding. Tobin shook his head and returned to the side of the room to rejoin Nathan and the others.
“What happened?” Nathan asked, confused. “I thought we needed to hire a crew?”
“Patience, Captain,” Tobin smiled as he strolled past them and headed towards the exit. “The negotiations have not yet concluded.”
Nathan turned to follow Tobin, still unsure of what was going on. He looked at Jalea, who remained stone-faced as usual as she walked away.
Moments later, they found themselves outside the labor hall, walking down the steps.
“What the hell was all that for?” Nathan inquired, hoping for more of an explanation now that they were outside and away from the locals.
“It is all part of the ritual, Captain. Each of us must play our role in the ceremony,” Tobin assured him.
“So, you’re saying that-”
“You don’t look Volonese,” a voice called from behind him.
Nathan turned to see a small man, barely twenty years of age. His hair was shaggy, with most of it tied back in a pony tail. He wore the customary cloak and was preparing to pull the hood up over his head to protect himself against the Haven sun’s unusual radiation.
Nathan recognized the man as having been in the hall earlier, sitting near the leader of the fifth team. “We don’t?” Nathan responded. Tobin flashed Nathan a stern look as a caution against conversing.
“You’re too clean,” the man continued as he came out of the shadow cast by the building. “Volonese almost never shave. And their women are usually fat and ugly,” he added, eyeing Jessica as he spoke.
“We’re going for a new look,” Nathan joked, ignoring Tobin’s warning.
“Is there something we can do for you?” Tobin interjected, hoping to take over the exchange to prevent Nathan from saying something unwise.
“We’ll take the job,” the man announced.
“At eight percent? Minus fees and expenses?”
“I believe your price was ten?”
“Ah, but you seek to circumvent payment to the labor hall, do you not?” Tobin countered.
“As do you,” the little man pointed out. “And I am the only one out here offering to take the job, sans the labor hall’s fee.” It was obvious that the young man was not new at this type of wheeling and dealing. Nathan found the process intriguing.
“My mistake. Ten it was,” Tobin conceded. “And you can meet the terms of delivery? It is a rather fast job, considering the quota.”
“It will not be a problem. We’ve got the best harvester pilot on all of Haven,” the man boasted.
“Forgive me, I do not intend offense. But you seem a bit young for this job.”
“Possibly, but maybe that’s why we’re willing to take the job for the measly rate you’re offering,” the man smiled. He obviously didn’t care if he was being offensive, which made Nathan want to hire him all the more.
Tobin bowed his head in deference, refusing to take offense at the man’s rebut. “Perhaps. Then it is agreed. I assume your crew is ready to begin work immediately?”
“No choice, not if we wanna complete the job in two days.”
“Then have one of your representatives join me at berth four-thirteen for the ride up,” Tobin explained.
“You people aren’t going?” the young man asked, as he circled slowly around them, paying particular attention to Jessica as he passed.
“They have other business to conduct before returning to their ship.”
“Uh huh.” The man smiled as he passed Jessica. “Shame. You definitely ain’t from Volon,” he grinned.
Nathan smiled. He definitely liked this guy.
“Find anything interesting?” Nathan asked his friend as they returned to Tobin’s vehicle.
“Interesting, yes. But not useful,” Vladimir said. “But the day is still young, and Danik tells me there is very large open market where they sell used components for small spacecraft. It is on the other side of the spaceport.”
“Captain,” Tobin called. He had finished making plans with the young man representing the harvesting team and had rejoined them. “I must return to my ship and escort the harvesting crew and their ships back to yours.”