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Thursday, January 03, 2008

THE HERODOTUS COMPLEX: NOTES BY P'OILGOF LIVY

Chapter 2; Cultural Trade:

Aliens are, by their very nature, alien. Fatuous as this statement sounds, it is one of the strengths of the Gallimaufry. There are ideas, indeed, entire basic concepts that we take for granted; such as, say, representational art. In many cases, these concepts may simply never have occurred to another race that has, throughout its entire existence, felt a deep-seated need for a picture of its mother, only without those annoying tendrils that no polite person ever mentioned anyway.

Ostensibly the Gallimaufry serves as a trading center for concrete goods and services. Even so, one of the real reasons races stay is the realization that there are wonderful things to be learned from those other races, even those annoying fellows with entirely too many ears. Things that, once explained, one can do ones self for free. To be sure, this annoys some of the races that have brought some of these wonderful ideas to the Galaxy's notice; such as the Choaten, who tried and failed to patent the concept of blue as a source of nutrition. Happily, most races realize that since there are more of "Them" throwing ideas around than there are of "Us", you tend to get more out of it than you brought into it. This is a universal concept that appeals to everybody.

When Humanity joined the Gallimaufry, the first impressions of established idea sifters were rather disappointing. Yes, they were entertainingly crazy, but their quirks were mere amplifications of other neuroses and psychoses that had been in and out of vogue for millennia.

Then it was revealed that humans froze liquids. No big news there. The concept that electrified the Gallimaufry was that Humans stuck a handle into the frozen liquid and ate it! Still frozen!

Shockwaves of tsunami-like proportion ran through the culinary schools of the galaxy. Entire industries were spawned and fought over, and at least two desert dwelling races were saved from extinction.

And most important of all, when Humanity threw a party with refreshments, everybody came.

The First Short StoryMega-Joy Juice for cheap (an 8 page story)X-Tel Receives the RatOn New Hong KongA Job for BuckFirst - to Find ItA Clever PlanChat at Club AntwerpenBack at X-TelPSmIth BeginsDrinks on the HouseTottering Drunkard - with Gun!And He's BackGrispfat's OfferThe Medic ArrivesA Chat With the LawGuns and MirrorsThe Sleep RoomSophisticated Genetics ExperimentGrispfat ReturnsAl and Tal Talk It OverThank Prime!The Transmat BeamDer Rock Comes for the DeviceThe Gallimaufry BeginsHerodotus Chapter 1A Rude AwakeningAsteroid Al'sVisiting the Law MachineTal on the RoofThe Velvet FistBuck Takes the JobLearning About Slag-BlahSecured for Lift-OffHerodotus Chapter 2First Glimpse of the GallimaufryGreetings at the GateParty at the Human EmbassyBuck Places a BidRescue By ForkThe Prime Mover Opens the SessionThe Big RevealHerodotus Chapter 3Parahexavoctal ActsOn Display at the Hall of IconsPog Ambassador KidnappedStrange Doings at The Velvet FistWhat's Up With Weapons?Contract Broken!Four Tins of Poiled SlurgsClass 4 Med AlertHerodotus Chapter 4Another Ninja or SomethingBuck Goes for a StrollAn Embassy is Opened (to Space)How About Garbage Barges?Station MaintenanceAbout that VirusDrastic ActionsHerodotus Chapter 5Rowan and MartinAnother Ninja AttackDust SculptingEstablish Who's in ChargeVoices in the DarkHis Own Little WorldHyraxx AgainDirective Minus OneHerodotus Chapter 6Par to the RescueThad's Hormone LogsBuck Makes a DealChat with the Prime MoverJ-Bod AttackNot Safe for WorkOort Knows Too MuchHerodotus Chapter 7Klegs Under ArrestSaying Goodbye