Tuxiang Market

The moment my nose got the whiff of the Tuxiang Market, it couldn’t decide what it smelled like. It was a blend of sweet, sour and pungent. I could smell the sea, ones back on earth, the fresh saltiness but I could also smell something I couldn’t put my finger on. It smelled sickly sweet yet also bitter, I scrunched up my nose at the unexpected blend of aromas.

“Too much for you?” Wu Xing, spoke looking at me with a grin. He, too, had taken off his space helmet. Luckily the whole market was indoors and supplied its own blend of oxygen rich air as most around the universe could endure it. It wasn’t the best for human lungs but it wouldn't have any long-term setbacks. So, I took mine off, the moment we walked down the stairs that led to the universe's famous market. Wu Xing had been appointed at the Tuxiax’s Earth Headquarters over four years then. His family had been in the country, China back on Earth. He knew the place and the life forms on this planet pretty well. He was always good at adapting quickly, always the ideal ranger. He even seemed to have made quite a few close buddies with the planet’s native inhabitants.

“It’s not that.” I said looking around ignoring that particular unsettling stench. I had just come down to Tuxiax, a week ago as a stand-in for a crew member who got sick. Therefore, Wu Xiang was my guide and was in-charge of me while I got accustomed to the new planet. The market was colourful with stalls that stretched out on either side of the metallic road. The stalls and shops stretched out as far as I could see, it seemed never-ending. I looked around some more as we walked. There were food stalls, decorated with hung native and foreign water species, ground beings and assortments of birds and sky habitants too. “Ah, Look!” I said with a smile as I pointed at a hung-up fish, an Earth one. He nodded and smiled back teasingly “Still have eyes for familiar things? That won’t do if you want to be a successful space ranger.”

I smiled back at him rubbing my neck “Well, it's just a human tendency, isn’t it?”. I felt the air getting colder the further we went, that unfamiliar stench got stronger. “Don’t worry, I was just pulling your leg Miss Serious. It, in fact, is not just a human tendency; Sixty-five percent of the known intellectual species around the universe would look for familiarity.”

“That’s indeed quite interesting but also very obvious.” He just hummed in agreement. We kept walking further in silence, not that I minded the silence much. I was too engrossed in the sights around me. There were many stalls owned by the Tuxiaxans, the planet's native beings; they were distinguishable from the other species in the market. They were larger than humans and some of the other onlookers. They had remarkable, pretty blue pearl-ish scales that mapped their whole body. In human terms, they looked like big octopuses. Apart from the round head, their body consisted of ten tentacles, interchangeably used for hands and legs. Our silent walk was interrupted by a shop owner as it handed out flyers. It seemed like it was some sort of ornament or decoration store. I was startled as the species that I clearly did not recognise halted me, as it held out the flyer in front of my face with his slippery tail. After all, the market was known as the welcoming hub of diverse species to mingle together. Some even trekked from far away planets to solely visit the market. The shop- keeper spoke in an unfamiliar language, I struggled to get out my compact translation device as I was holding my helmet with one hand. “Homo sapiens?” The creature spoke up before I could pull out my device. His voice made the words sound strange, very snake-like. The Creature grinned “No need to fret, friend. I worked on earth for 6 years as a youngling. I have picked up over five thousand…no, five thousand and fifty-six languages from there to be exact. Is English fine or would you prefer the whistle language, I learned from a remote island on your planet. Honestly, it was my favourite. So much simpler and alike to my own.” He chatted away and I smiled and thanked him, taking the flyers. I wanted to keep going but Xing seemed to be interested in the objects inside the small shack-like shop. It was made with material identical to wood but much harder and darker. I ran my hands over the closest windowsill.

“Come in! come in! I am starving!” He shouted back at me from the inside of the store. I followed his lead with a bit of surprise. “We can get food here?” Even if it was for someone, everything seemed too hard and glossy to seem edible by the weak human jaw and teeth.   “I got this, don’t worry about it. I have dealt with many Sublabor intergalactic dealers.” I nod listening, “Oh...that’s what the species are called? It's my first time seeing one or closely contacting one. I am short on info.” He grabbed me by my sleeve and sat me down next to him on the tall stool made with similar material like the whole exterior and interior of the shop. It was dimly lit but the pearl like spheres that hung all around the walls reflected back sharp light. Illuminating the inside of the small restaurant, mystically. “Their food is one of my favourite things to have on any coming day. Although, you can't consume more than twice a week or it might be fatal for humans. It’s worth it though, give it a try.” He smiled and pointed at the two pinkish glowing spheres that hung on the wall, just beside our table. “Those two please sire!” he ordered smiling. I looked around, it was empty, apart from us and the creature who was now fiddling behind the tall counter. I could not see what or how it was preparing the supposed delicacies. Its tail was busy tossing in some ingredients into something the high counter hid. The height was explainable though, it was about nine feet, bulky, almost like the old mythical dragons, I saw illustrated in one of the scriptures, in the museums back on earth. Although, unlike those scriptures, its skin seemed smooth like gelatine. The ends of its paws, feet and tail had a blue padding-like surface that enabled it to have firm grip. Even though the space was humble, the roof was pretty high up.

“Say, I was wondering. Are they plant based or…?” He grinned again and leaned on the table. “Nope, plant, It's almost like the equivalent of a seed from back home.”

“Gigantic and hard as hell one, at that.” he laughed at my dry humour as I took in the pristine beauty around me. Outside the small shop windows, I could see and hear the jostling of the crowd, filled with different colours, hands, tails, twines….

“...And here is your order!” The creature boomed as he placed the plates on the table. “Uhm. Sorry to bother you but what should we call you?” Wu Xing tapped on the table twice with his knuckle and I realised, I shouldn't have asked. “Well, you see. They don't use names like us.” He chimed in smiling his usual toothy grin. “No, no, call me Mr. Slither! That’s what the humans I worked with usually called me. Honestly I have taken a liking to it.”

“Thank you for the meal, Mr. Slither.” I smiled, not bringing up the odd nickname again. Then again, what wasn't odd in the century? I touched the sphere on my plate with the long two-pronged fork, I was given. I expected it to be hard but as soon as my odd cutlery touched it, it created a ripple on the surface. I gasped. “Told you, amazing isn't it? Once you boil it in herex juice, it does this to the hard shell. Inside it's juicy.” I cut apart the soft almost water- like covering from it. A gooey jelly like liquid poured out onto the plate. I took a whiff. “Say, is it sweet?”. He cuts his. “That's the catch, it tastes different to everyone, every time.” Awestruck, I looked at it, ready to take the first bite. Even though I had travelled quite a lot, I haven't eaten such a thing before. It explained why that market was so famous among the spacemen and beings. Even though I expected it to slip right through the dual pronged fork like someone trying to drink soup with a lousy fork, it didn’t. It wrapped around it like sticky noodles. I brought it up to my mouth and took a bite. It tasted like blood. Ever been punched in the jaw before? The same metallic taste.

“You know…” He spoke with mouthful, “It's supposed to taste like what the person most craves at the present moment.” He took another mouthful “...Mine tastes like earth’s egg pudding, what about yours?” I smiled at him and replied. “Cake.” I should have taken the antidote before it spread further, I thought as I hungrily gobbled down the rest.