I ate and went to bed as usual but barely got any sleep as my mind was far too occupied with the impending end of my search functions cooldown. When I awoke to a knocking on my door I knew I had ended up sleeping in longer than I usually would and quickly sorted myself out before going downstairs to eat breakfast. It was a simple meal of scrambled eggs and sausage with toast before I headed back to my room. I watched the timer tick down the seconds until the search function lit up from it's greyed out state.-
{Search function activated.... searching.... searching.... searching.... Target locked. Initiating trade window with target: Edmund Rockwell, World : Ark}
'Rockwell huh? Gonna need to stay on my toes for this one.' I thought as the world around me greyed and a screen appeared in mid air.
There on it a pale man with muttonchops and round spectacles wearing a rough leather set of clothes stood. He looked at the screen and me by extension with a critical eye and even tried moving his hand through the screen as a test.-
"Either I am hallucinating due to the heat or the ark is behaving abnormally." he said eventually.
"Neither actually. My name is Alexander Drake, the multiversal merchant. And you sir have the privilege of being chosen as a customer!" I say with a smile as I bow grandly.
"An amusing hallucination at least it seems." he said clearly unconvinced.
"No hallucination I assure you but of course a scientist like you requires proof no? As a show of faith take this potion." I said sending him one of the wiggenweld potions I had stocked up for just such a purpose with my last trip to diagon alley.
"Impossible!" he yelled in disbelief when he found the vial of green liquid very much solid and real.
"Why is it? You yourself have been cast far into the future have you not?" I asked calmly.
"You know of my situation?" he asked with a sharp stare.
"Indeed I do. Edmund Rockwell, once an early nineteenth century english scientist but suddenly found yourself upon a savage land with prehistoric beasts roaming it. You learned of these beasts and tamed them while studying to understand the new world you found yourself in. Judging from your comment on the heat I assume you are at the part of your life that you find yourself studying element in the ark known as "scorched earth", a desert ark." I said with a smile.
"Lets assume for the sake of argument that I believe you are not a hallucination. What comes next? Also assuming you know all about these arks you should be aware I have little to trade for anything." he said now more interested than disbelieving.
"Ah but that is where you are wrong! Not only do you have a plethora of trading materials available to you but I also have plenty that you would find invaluable. My world is after all nearly identical to the version of Earth you come from with a key difference, magic is very real here but has been hidden away from the nonmagical side of humanity. This means all the creature comforts you've no doubt dearly missed and more I can easily acquire for you in exchange for the things on your side!" I said smiling widely.-
He did look sorely tempted but cautious still "You say I have a plethora of things to trade but if that is true why don't I know about it?" he asked seriously.
"Because it's a matter of perspective really. To you these things are common and everywhere you look but across the multiverse? Valuable and rare. For example the vast variety of beasts that roam the lands you are in. There is the element as well but that is more limited in it's uses outside of your world. One thing I know for certain that I possess that you will want is knowledge about the arks true purpose. About what element is and can do and on a personal note the future that awaited you should you not have been contacted by me here and now." I said knowing from his expression of greed that I had him hook, line and sinker.-
"You certainly know how to draw one in with your words if nothing else. I will not mince words then. I want that knowledge and will go to any length to get it. I won't deny desiring some comforts of home either." he said seriously.
"Fantastic! To start with I'd like a Pulmonoscorpius, Raptor and Dimorphodon egg, fertilized of course. What would you like in exchange, don't be greedy though. I know the value of what I can offer you against what you can offer me." I say seriously.
"You are surprisingly well spoken for one so young. Is this some sort of magic?" he asked curiously.
"Something like that. Still make your demands or if you need time I can contact you again at a date you specify." I say calmly.
"No, that won't be necessary. I want a bundle of tea leaves, earl grey preferably. I want a set of proper clothes suitable for a desert environment like this. And I want to know what would have become of me if you hadn't contacted me." he said watching me closely.
I ponder the matter for a moment "Barely acceptable. Knowing ones possible future is a very valuable thing after all. To provide context I suppose I need to mention that your disagreement with Helena and Mei yin over their visit to an obelisk is founded on a misunderstanding. They would have shared their findings freely had you but asked. Your joining with that Nerva fellow was the main source of the rift between you three. Luckily you've left him behind so they will work with you again once they too arrive on the ark you are on." I paused to make sure he was getting all of this only to find that I had his rapt attention.-
"While you are here you will have explored element further and would grow wary of others, especially those you believe unworthy of knowing the arks secrets, this would lead to your downfall." I say seriously.