Rhataloo — Kerry Nietz

My name is Sedrick. I'm a man-size, space-faring rhat. I'm also executive officer for an interstellar cargo ship-the Granum. My captain and I are in a wee bit of trouble. We've been summoned by the Emperor's auditors. Now, That doesn't sound ominous. But, believe me, it is. These aren't your typical bean-counters. These guys will extract a nose or a tail if you mess up. And we messed up. It was a simple job. Deliver a hold packed with cheese and spirits to a backwater planet in the Orion spur. Things didn't go as planned. They never do on a ship full of buffoons and malcontents. Chief among my problems were those two scientists Dontel and Uzel. Their spectacular bungle landed us on Earth, an even more backwater world than the one we were headed for. No starships, no flight-not even a lightbulb! I did my executive level best-threatening, bargaining, and stunning to get the job done. To get the hold filled. The Granum was safe and secure. Nestled within a forest in northeastern France. I made connections with the locals. I had a plan! Then the soldiers arrived. All sorts of soldiers. It was an absolute mess. A scheduling nightmare! How was I to gauge the long-term effects? The galactic repercussions? And now our lives and livelihoods are at stake again. The best I can hope for? This memory machine the auditors have me connected to will cook my brain.