Clues in the Ferengi market: Part 1, A latinum connection?

Posted on Sat Oct 7th, 2023 @ 8:06am by Commander Chalan Kendri

1,552 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Grabok Settlement, Campor III
Timeline: MD C11 1300 hours (After Science Tackles)

As the city began to get busier with notably more people, specifically curious Ferengi with little concept of personal space, Commander Chalan stopped the group to lay out some ground rules. "Alright everyone, let's use a buddy system, stick with your partner, no one should be out alone. Commander Tomm, you are with Nurse Kerr. Commander Lyngstrad, Ensign bet Ira will be with you. Ensign Ivitha, you're with me."

Ahead was a large golden archway, with large posts on either side topped with globes in varying shades of marbled purple. "Let's plan to reconvene there in two hours unless anyone has a reason for us to all meet sooner."

Sarah opened her mouth to protest. She didn't know this Johanna Lyngstad. What if she were a serial killer or something?! *Sarah, you're being dumb* She looked around, and then thought better of asking questions of Commander Chalan. She just nodded. "Yes, ma'am," she said, quietly, shrinking back behind the group.

As the away team entered into the market it had the vague semblance of a market one might find in a Turkish bazaar on ancient earth, with some modifications. It was open air, but the different shop owners had lavish store fronts, clearly distinguishing one shop from the next, and each store had a 1.5 meter tall wall separating it from the next store over. Each shop seemed to have at least two Ferengi in its employ. Additionally, there was often a third employee, usually a female, scantily clad and from some other world serving as a hostess, offering tea and samples of the product to those who walked in.

The team would also find themselves approached by store associates meandering the bazaar, out to solicit paying customers toward a specific shop.

A voice rang out from deep within the market complex. "Look.. It's the Federation!" The crowd's collective gasp was clearly audible.

"Hey Starfleet! Check out my wares," called a voice behind a carved, wooden stall. Orange, brown and maroon cloth hung from ornate frames alongside the booth's countertop.

"What do I have, you ask? Wonders from a dozen stars... Across.. Several galaxies."

Another voice called out from the opposite side of the pathway crowded with vendors. "You there! Yes, you. Why I didn't know Orion females served in the Federation." A heavyset Ferengi sounded genuinely surprised as he called to Lissa.

"I'm sure there's a lot you don't know, buster," Lissa called back haughtily, her face bearing an amused you-can't-touch-me look, as she strode through the market with ease next to Commander Tomm.

"You simply must try some local, fresh produce.. You just must!" He kept speaking as a second Ferengi ran towards baskets of fresh fruit displayed in front of him. The younger Ferengi sprinted towards the away team with samples of fruit.

Lissa ignored the Ferengi after shouting back at the one who had called her out. She looked at Tomm, "They have this nonsense in Orion. We need to get out of this mess at the beginning, and deeper in. Animals and beverages are what I'm looking for. Let's go," she said, quickening the pace. Tomm followed and the pair quickly got ahead of the rest of the group and into the heart of the market.

More voices called to the others as Ferengi turned to stare.

Sarah felt a little overwhelmed as they moved through the market. "What are we looking for? It seems odd to have an organized outing to the Bazaar," she said, in her thickly accented Standard. "Besides, if we were here for R and R, I'd have rather come with my boyfriend," she said.

"I don't like it either, Ensign." answered Johanna. "I have heard stories about Ferengi. Bartering, haggling, giving you what they want to sell you rather than what you want to buy. We are here to gather samples of the merchandise and maybe some fresh food ourselves. Once we determined what is contaminated and what is not."

"I know that the Moonberries are toxic to Vulcans," she said, absently, not realizing what she'd just said. "Alright. Let's start with some small things. Perhaps a pretty fan or a compact? What do men like?" She asked the other woman.

"Beats me." Johanna had never really thought about what men liked. Generally, men liked her. "Sports, naked women."

Sarah shrugged. "I don't think Vulcans even play sports, do they? And I don't think I can purchase a naked woman," she said. "But I'll keep it in mind," she said.

The Ferengi assistant watched the dismissive Orion as she walked deeper into the market with another officer. He didn't dwell on the pair, instead approaching the other officers. Rain fell around the officers, light enough that it only dampened their clothing.

Looking up into Johanna's eyes with amber irises, the Ferengi assistant lifted three pieces of fruit "Surely you will sample our wares... This fruit is grown fresh from our soil. Kissed by the waters of our gentle rains and underground springs.. This beats any of the replicated mush Starfleet feeds you."

The Ferengi shook his hand to advertise the fruit, looking to Sarah and the others.

Sarah stopped. The fruit here was good, or at least, the small amounts she'd had were. She looked to the Science officer. "Do you think it's safe?" She asked. Still, she stepped forward. "Can I sample it first?" She asked. "Us humans have a strange palate, you understand," she said. "Do you have any Moonberries, as well?" She inquired. Some humans found the Ferengi to be odd or maybe even annoying. She just found them to be different. She was different, so who was she to judge?! Her distant relations had been nomadic people themselves, selling wares in markets like this. She took a small sample.

"Sure.. Sure.. Sample away", he said as he led Sarah and Johanna towards the other Ferengi behind the stall.

Johanna said, "These Ferengi seem healthy. Let me give it the once-over with my tricorder." Johanna scanned the fruit.

Sarah took a bite, and smiled. "Thank you. I'll take a whole one," she said, holding up the large melon-like fruit. "Moonberries?" She reminded the seller.

"Right this way", the bolder farmer said from behind the stall. His assistant stood next to the fruit, ready to tuck it into covered baskets. "I believe these are the berries you seek."

The crescent shaped berries Sarah and Sar had discovered alongside the Romulan trail sat in a large, open-air container.

"Do you recommend a stall? A friend of yours, perhaps? Looking for a gift for a...special friend," she said. "And perhaps a snack. Do you have any water? Potable, I mean!" She said. She was embarrassing herself.

"Uh, water?" The merchant took a look at the water tower. "I could uh, sell you access to our water. Sure! All you can drink." it sounded as if the Ferengi was trying to swindle Sarah into paying to use the water tower.

Sarah smiled lightly. "On second thought, just the fruit. Thank you." Sarah was sharp-she wouldn't fall for the Ferengi's dealings. "Maybe a Synthale."

"I'm not getting anything from the fruit, other than it is fruit. Looks edible as well. Whatever it is, it didn't come from the fruit."

The Ferengi assistant offered Sarah a basket of moonberries, having readied it himself. "That will be two strips of latinum, please".

The other Ferengi spoke as his staff negotiated the trade. "If you want a special gift, check out my buddy Tozak's shop. He has odds and ends from all over the galaxy. Tell him Groos sent you." Groos pointed towards a wide tent a few hundred meters away.

Sarah nodded. "Thank you," she said. She handed over her Latinum. "Lyngstad? You ready?" She moved on. "Do you want some of these berries to study? I won't eat them all..." she said. And couldn't share them with Sar, obviously.

"Yes, I think we should acquire some of the berries to study. I might sample a couple of them as well. As long as they are safe." answered Johanna. "Ensign, we should call each other by our ranks."

While Johanna and Sarah were buying fruit on one side of the market, Kendri veered Ivitha toward the other. The crowd was still bustling around them, and it was difficult to make out what they Ferengi were saying at times, there were so many of them talking. Kendri leaned closed to Ivitha, "Where do you want to start? see anything of interest?" she asked. "The people here seem healthy," she noted. "I wonder why..."

"They're better fed, obviously, more well to do. Maybe they're drinking some kind of fancy water that differs in source from the rest of the population," Ivitha suggested. "Perhaps they have different diets from the lower income population - many reasons."

"Do you want to see if they will start answering some questions?" Kendri asked. "Maybe they know some people who are sick. We can start putting some pieces together."

Commander Chalan Kendri
First Officer
USS Columbia

Lt. Commander Johanna Lyngstad
Chief Science Officer
USS Columbia

Lt. Commander Kobi Tomm
Chief Security Officer
USS Columbia

Ensign Sarah bet Ira
Operations Officer
USS Columbia

Ensign Ivitha
Science Officer
USS Columbia

Ensign Daisheliss Kerr
Nurse
USS Columbia

and Rhyl Th'Zheles as the Ferengi Market

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