Snail.odt



–CHAPTER 2 -



Michael invited the neatly dressed man into the living room of his farm house. “Please come in, my wife is preparing dinner. We don't use a foot printer but I promise you a treat. She is famous in the entire colony for her cooking.”

“I have no doubt, Mr. Horlik. As a argi-product buyer I prefer to taste real food, natural sourced. The galaxy is a hungry place and the demand for natural sourced food is growing every year.”

“I am, well we all of this colony are banking on this fact. The local herbs and grasses are well accepted for our Terran sourced goats and they are thriving. I was selling my products at the Xchange but I have to admit, Sir a contract with Silver Hawk Emporium sure sounds very attractive.”

“That is why I am here, we purchased your goat cheese from the Xchange and like the quality. Of course a contract with us would mean you need to expand, bigger herds. Tending bots and the lot.”

There is plenty room for expansion. We are only 20,000 and this is a big planet. However, I spent the entire BoCA grant already and a single John Deere Herd Bot costs over 20,000 credits.” “Mr. Horlik,I am not taking about a few 100 kilos of Cheese every year, but a few thousand tons, along with goat milk, goat meat, hides even manure has value. We are of course willing to invest a few million to get you started. It is more or less a done deal,pending on your conditions. There is just one thing of course, we heard that there is some sort of monster and we wanted to make sure it won't be a factor that could disturb such an investment, you understand.”

“Yes Sir, of course. It was us, well me and my son that encountered the thing in the first place. I reported it to the Science Council.” Michael wrinkled his forehead. “Come to think of, I expected the Science Council to send someone, how did you come to hear about it?” “Before I cam to you, I heard locals in that Tavern by the landing field talk about it. “ The man lied. “Where exactly did you encounter the thing?”

Michael was a goat farmer now, but he had been a science corps officer and was far from naïve. “I nevet told aanyone local about the slug. Who are you exactly again?”

“Well I told you that I am a Agri Product purchasing agent for Silver Hawk Emporium, but I see you are a bit smarter than I anticipated. Silly me, equating a farmer with a simpleton. Let's just say I am someone who is interested in finding out more about that flying slug.”

“And I think you need to leave now, and you better be gone before the Ranger comes.” The man pulled a slick looking device. “This is a Kermac Neuro Ripper, the Kermacare gone, their things are not, Mr. Horlik. The people I represent don't take no for an answer.You will cooperate, one way or the other.” Something hard and round pressed against the neck of the man. “And you will leave now,without your toy and on foot, Mister. This is just an ordinary TKU nothing very fancy but Terran made, it might nit do all those fancy things your Neuro Ripper does, but I assure you not even Med Central can put your head back if I use it.” Yvonne Horlik stood behind the man and held a recent Marine TKU with bith hands.

The man had no illusions to survive a blast of that weapon. He dropped the Neuro Ripper.

“Very good Mister, now get up and get out. We just decorated the living room and I hate to make a mess and before you decide to do anything stupid let me tell you I did not serve with the Science Corps but spend a considerable time with the Union Navy.”

The man cursed his own stupidity silently but did get up. If she was a Union Fleet Officer she was well trained and not afraid to use the gun.

“You both make a terrible mistake.” “You made it, Mister. Now get out and get walking. It's a long way to town.”