Imagine Aliens need a Substance (like Salt, etc...) so Bad. -Mike666
"Limestone," said the Human with a raised eyebrow. "You guys need calcium carbonate? For reals?"
"The calcium carbonate is an essential mineral for us, yes. For reals."
The Human shrugged, "Well, we need sodium chloride in special amounts, so yeah. I'll try to see if we have the pure stuff for you." There was some significant rummaging about in the storage boxes. "Yeah. I usually have these for baby carvers, but I got you some of the more manufactured stuff. How much by weight are you looking for?"
"Oh," said the customer. "My crew and I will need a total of twenty Siwus[1] for the entire journey plus contingency[2]."
"You got a personal lifting capacity?" An important question in Galactic trade. It was all very well trading for fifty Siwus of food, but if the purchaser's lifting capacity was less than the containing unit's weight, they'd need extra equipment to store it all.
"Two Siwu units should be fine."
"Right, I'm going to have to cut these. There's going to be a short wait." The Human lifted one block from their boxes, then another. "Ten Siwus each, these." Next, they carried the blocks into a rear workshop with paranoid sound baffling. Deathworlder Heavy Equipment never messed about.
After a handful of minutes, the Human returned with small stacks of two-Siwu blocks of their limestone. The customer, having already transferred payment, ferried the blocks into their cargo cart.
This was yet another reason why condiments in restaurants have long since become Bring Your Own.
[1] Standard Weight Units - roughly equivalent to a kilogram.
[2] A trip to any given destination may take an allotted time, but experienced travellers know that no journey ever takes exactly as long as it's supposed to. That's what 'contingency' supplies are for.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / fffranz]
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