For centuries, the Grem had plied their ancient trade around the desert wastes of Shek. Using their symbiotic relationships with the huge anshalar beasts, they provided a vital service to the farmsteads and mining outposts scattered throughout the endless desert. While the large freighters ferried bulk goods (both domestic and off-world) from the port to the sparsely-scattered larger communities around the continental interior, it fell to the Grem to distribute supplies to the individual homesteaders, who had no time for frequent trips to towns perhaps several hundred kilomeesh distant.
Each of the small Grem family units was bonded to one of the huge anshalars, providing for its care as it hauled their grav-sled along the trade-route. Their meandering trade circuits often took months to complete. However, due to overlap in the routes, each homestead found itself served by multiple Grem groups. No single Grem family could become too greedy in its dealings - the homesteaders would simply reserve their custom for another Grem family, which would probably visit within a couple of tendays. Yet the Grem were psychologically unsuited to greed, their overwhelming concern always being the care of their anshalar. This general empathic nature extended to the Grems' customers as well, who often found themselves provided with goods they didn't know they needed - at the time. While this could have been a recipe for exploitation, instead the homesteaders usually found that they were indeed well-served by the Grem's suggestions. Thus, the economy had long since settled into a relaxed routine, the provision of timely supplies one less thing for the homesteaders to worry about. Once every two years, the anshalar would feel the pull of community, and the Grem would gather in their full clans to socialize while the anshalar fulfilled their ponderous mating cycles. Family groups would reorganize as desired during this time - as young anshalar developed the wanderlust of their elders, new Grem groupings would spontaneously arise to care for them. Both species' lifecycles were interwoven so completely and seamlessly, there was some debate among observing sociobiologists as to which species was actually in control of the relationship - if either. |
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