The Shopping Trip

"John," said Helen, in her most sweet voice.

"What is it?" John asked without looking up from his palmtop.

"I want to go on a shopping trip."

"So?" He kept his eyes firmly on the market prices.

"I want to go with you."

"What? With me?" John was fairly surprised.

"Yes, when your next vacation comes up."

"In my vacation? And what is it that you want to shop, my dear wife?" he put on his mildly sarcastic tone.

"Oh darling!" Helen now sat almost in his lap. "So many things! I want to get sparkling jewelry from Alhem. You know- the one that changes color depending on the weather and the lighting. And I want to go to Markhans for those light and cool trankskin coats--"

"Trankskin?"

"Yes. Tranks are those furry little native animals on Markhans. In fact, I have made the whole list-" She quickly produced it, as if magically.

"Yes. A red dolkis dress like Martha - from Jorham, a molloc leather silver purse from Virtak - the one that your sister Suzan has, and --"

"And what about the vacation? My vacation? " John went full steam.

"Of course! You will have it! And you will love it! Look, Lollast is on my list, too. There you will have plenty of chance to play low-gravity golf and airspeed aided snooker. What's more, they have these giant swimming pools with wave machines that can take you under the waves for 45 seconds!"

"And how do you know that I want to do exactly that? My dear?" John took time to angrily glance at Helen.

"You will, I am sure. Once we go there, you will fall in love with the leisure center. You won't realize how the month will pass there-"

" And what will you do while I indulge in those activities, my doll?"

" I will shop of course. This is a shopping trip, remember?"

"Shop for one whole month?"

"Yes! Lollast is where you get all the designer clothes at knock-down prices. Imagine those monster malls and clothes and accessories. Umm…"

" I have only 3 months. Have you thought about how to get there?"

" Oh yes! We can get these latest super-hyper-drive ships that can take us to those far off exotic places …"

"No! They will cost too much!"

"Darling! Do you want to waste your trading days? Sitting in an old junk ship?" She exactly knew what carrots to dangle to John.

" Well…"

" Oh! I am dying to go there! I can have the pink dress just like Sally and that red jacket like Freda! " She was ecstatic, "And yes, don't forget the holiday footage. Green Sun on Pranista and sand castles on Markhans….."

So John and Helen went on the vacation, about which Helen was least bothered, that combined with the shopping trip, which obviously was her main interest. She chose her items carefully. All that her friends possessed - and much more. Something trendy for those mall-strolling days back home on earth. Something chic for the lunches. Something conservative for John's business parties. Something smashing for her own parties…

John began reluctantly. He was first not sure if the expenses were justified. But as he went along, he started enjoying the planet-hopping and the leisure-center novelties. He took video footage everywhere, knowing its enormous worth in improving his business associations. He kept in touch with market fluctuations and traded passionately.

On the golf course in Lilast, he sold more profitably. On the floating squash court on Hardkal, he made half a million in half a second. He soon relaxed, and the more relaxed he became, the more sharply his mind worked. And the more sharply he judged, the more money he made.

"Darling, do you think I should sell Rockheart?" One day he asked Helen, on the planet of Dardy.

She was a little surprised. But she knew that once in a while he acknowledged her presence this way.

"I am sure you will make the right decision, sweetheart," she gave the usual reply. "I must now rush to the shops-"

"Wait - if I sell, it means that we have to first go to the nearest listed market. Dardy is a small place and it is not listed-"

"Then don't sell!" Helen said authoritatively. " I think it is not the best move. Maybe you should wait a couple of days."

"Alright," he nodded absent-mindedly. "Where are you off to?"

"To the shoe stores. Do you want to come? They sell in the most dramatic colors and they are a real steal!"

"How much have you spent so far?" Suddenly he was interested.

"Don't worry. I keep under the limits."

"Still! I mean, must you have all of that?" He at once became aware of the packages scattered in the hotel room.

She gave a frozen glance.

"Why don't you buy something exclusive and extraordinary that, that will …" His voice trailed off.

A shocked look spread over her face.

"I mean, don't you have something special and good and nice-" He searched for words.

"Of course I have picked up only the most exclusive and most extraordinary items. Even then I want to have more. Why not? What else is the use of money? The money that you make-and the money that you just made here."

"Hmm…" He had to pause and think over that consumerist wisdom.

"It's only one more week. Then we are off to Earth. You can sell Rockheart once we go there. What is the hurry?" She closed the topic and dashed out.

On the last day, John and Helen loaded their luggage in their smart ship. John set the destination - Earth. The computer sprung into action. He dreamily watched the checking sequences and dazzling displays.

LOAD EXCEEDS THE LIMIT. CANNOT GO SUPER-HYPER-DRIVE.

"What's that?" John did a double-take. "Cannot go - means what?"

The display continued to blink. With a shrill noise.

"Get a few thing off , Helen dear." He jerked.

"NO!" She said vehemently. "Why should I? Do you want to throw off your holiday footage? And that huge database? " She pointed at the leisure-center leaflets.

"That is for business. For making more money."

"NO. I have toiled for all this. I didn't even relax during the vacation. All the time I was

walking, bargaining, calculating - why, at times I even carried these heavy bags myself!"

"My things hardly weigh anything. Your coats and shoes and purses - they are heavy."

"So they are! And what this stupid ship means - cannot go super-hyper-drive? We have paid for that!"

"It means that we will have to go slower."

"How much slower?" Helen demanded.

"Well, I don't know."

"Then let us find out, darling."

John fumbled at the keyboard. " Look, it says that super-hyper-drive will take five days, where as only hyper-drive will take much more time."

"Much more does not mean anything to me. I want the number of days." Helen snapped.

"No, it cannot calculate the exact number of days. It says that it depends upon a number of factors, such as fuel-"

"Well, let us not waste any more time then, dear." Helen prided herself to be a practical woman and pressed the GO button.

As it happened, they traveled in the space extremely slowly. Also they happened to be low on fuel for such a prolonged journey. So the computer had to work real hard and at every step carry out thousands of calculations to save the fuel. At one point it cleverly used gravitational force of a nearby planet to propel them further. Once it shrewdly hooked the ship to another ship's force field. That kept them going for a while without spending any fuel, but soon they were caught.

Once it had a brilliant idea and managed to grab a wandering asteroid for fuel. For a few days again they did well, but the poor computer had to perform this feat again and again. Luckily, the computer was from the top of the line. Had to be - for that kind of expensive drive, and at least it did not crash!

John and Helen were in hyper-sleep till they reached the solar system. Then they woke up and learned about their amazing journey. The illegal tagging with another ship and the asteroid part. It was fascinating enough for them to forget that they took five years in place of five days!

So they were back to Earth five years and three months later.

Suddenly they were in news. For such a long and troubled and thrilling journey. In fact, the folks back home had long given up on them. But now they were back. In flesh and blood. Lived to tell the tale. The most adventurous tale!

They did tens of magazine interviews, hundreds of chat shows and thousands of radio phone-ins. It was a magical experience, full of excitement, a little heady.

On the financial front John had done wonderfully. The Rockheart share had climbed steeply and his stock now valued multifold. John was extremely happy that Helen had advised against selling them then. He adored her and loved her even more.

When all the hubbub died down, Helen sat with John one quiet evening. He was relaxed and totally content.

"Darling-" Helen said gently.

"Huh?"

"I have been thinking-"

"Yes-"

"All that we brought back from the shopping trip-"

"Yes-"

"It has become kind of passe, dear. I mean I have used everything once, with the TV appearances and all that… but you know - I mean Linda has a new Partaskin jacket that-"

"NO. No Helen-"

"YES. Yes John, It has been five years after all. Five years! I have not shopped for five years! I am wearing things five years old!"

"NO! "John got on his feet.

"Yes dear, I want to go on a shopping trip. Again. When your next vacation comes up…"

Meghasri Dalvi is a well-established science fiction writer in India. Her stories are published in Marathi, a regional language of India, and translated in English / other regional languages. Her short stories have won numerous prizes. She is engineer by profession and enjoys popular science writing, too. Her first book about machines and their history has won her accolades. "The Shopping Trip" and "The Space Child" show her in the light science fiction mood where she very often excels. Address: A-202 Madhu Milan, Eksar Road, Borivli (W), Mumbai 400 103, INDIA Tel no: +91-22-891 5070

Email: Meghasri Dalvi

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