Free The Rings of Haven by Ryk Brown

quick.”
    They followed Tobin into the main hall. The room was large and open, with high-beamed ceilings. There were large heavy wooden tables and benches lined up throughout the room. It looked as if it could accommodate hundreds of workers when filled to capacity. At the moment, there were only a half-dozen teams remaining, each represented by at least two leaders.
    The clerk delivered a small electronic tablet to a man sitting behind a large desk on a raised platform at one corner of the room. Nathan assumed it was a data device similar to the ones they used on the Aurora. He watched as the man read the small pad, preparing to perform his part of the hiring ritual. About the room, the various team leaders noticed their entrance, as well as the arrival of the clerk. Nathan realized these events had alerted them to the presence of a new employment opportunity, and each of them appeared to be preparing themselves to bid.
    The large man behind the desk gestured for Tobin to approach, exchanging words with him. A moment later, the man spoke through the loudspeaker. “The Volonese cargo ship Volander wishes to hire a harvesting crew,” the man announced. “Expected quota is three hundred kilotons. Completion time is two days. Payment desired is ten percent minus fees and expenses.” The man paused, giving the team leaders a chance to crunch their numbers and prepare their bids. After a minute, he continued. “The bidding is open.”
    “Twenty-five! Plus fees and expenses!” the first team leader called out. Tobin’s face crinkled, his brow furrowed in disgust at the first offer.
    “Twenty-two, plus!” the second team countered. Tobin’s expression failed to change.
    “Twenty, plus!” the third team chimed in turn. Nathan was struck at the order in which they were bidding, wondering how it had been decided.
    “Eighteen, plus!” the fourth team announced. Still Tobin’s expression remained unchanged. There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for the fifth and final team to announce their bid. But the fifth team leader simply waived his hand, indicating a pass on his turn to bid. He appeared either uninterested or unwilling to commit to a bid so early in the process.
    “Sixteen, plus!” the first team re-bid.
    “Fifteen, plus!”
    “Thirteen, plus!”
    Again, the bidding got to the fifth team, and again they waived their turn. The turn then went to back to the first team, who paused, and then indicated that they were no longer interested in the job, the bid having gone below what they were prepared to work for. In a show of solidarity, the other teams also indicated they were done bidding. Tobin shook his head and returned to the side of the room to rejoin Nathan and the others.
    “What happened?” Nathan asked, confused. “I thought we needed to hire a crew?”
    “Patience, Captain,” Tobin smiled as he strolled past them and headed towards the exit. “The negotiations have not yet concluded.”
    Nathan turned to follow Tobin, still unsure of what was going on. He looked at Jalea, who remained stone-faced as usual as she walked away.
    Moments later, they found themselves outside the labor hall, walking down the steps.
    “What the hell was all that for?” Nathan inquired, hoping for more of an explanation now that they were outside and away from the locals.
    “It is all part of the ritual, Captain. Each of us must play our role in the ceremony,” Tobin assured him.
    “So, you’re saying that—”
    “You don’t look Volonese,” a voice called from behind him.
    Nathan turned to see a small man, barely twenty years of age. His hair was shaggy, with most of it tied back in a pony tail. He wore the customary cloak and was preparing to pull the hood up over his head to protect himself against the Haven sun’s unusual radiation.
    Nathan recognized the man as having been in the hall earlier, sitting near the leader of the fifth team. “We don’t?” Nathan responded. Tobin flashed Nathan a