"I don't have any proof handy that I want to hand a complete stranger."

"Then why say anything? I know this is a strange world. Most dimensions have new rules, but you are also a stranger to me. You may be issuing a friendly warning or you may be deceiving me in some way. I do not know, and warnings of the end of the world stated in absolute certainty are very dire. Might we trade information and gain trust?"

"I have no reason to deceive you about the end of the world," she says. "But I'm up for some information-trading if you've got anything worth having."

"I wish to know how this dimension is different. If you are not lying about the end of the world, I want to leave. Would schematics for computers, navigation systems, scanners and similar devices be acceptable information to trade? If not, what information do you want? I am hesitant to sell high-energy technology such as my sublight engines, dimensional drive, and weapons to a world that is not familiar with it. Unwise use would significantly damage planets."

"I can't use anything that's not smaller than about -" She holds up her hands in a circle shape about ten inches across. "In at least one dimension. Schematics are good. Tech is better. I'm concerned you won't believe me if I share my information, though."

"I am more likely to believe conclusions derived from evidence, especially if I can verify the evidence in some way. My scanners are very powerful. I have a relatively generic scanner with attached computer - it will give you intuitive knowledge of the structure and location of objects within about [347 feet]. While this does require a mental link, the link is purely communicative in nature. It is smaller than the described size. Does this sound useful?"

"Yeah, I can't, like, show you, most of the stuff. But that sounds potentially useful."

"If you want physical objects instead of information I would like some tangible trade. Are you able to reshape metals or capable of lifting heavy objects? If so, you could help repair my ship and I would pay you with the scanner. However, if you can't give me anything useful I should work on the D-fuel scanner instead of talking."

"I can lift heavy objects."

He shows her what to lift. As she holds thick metal slabs in place around the outside of his ship, he uses some tool that produces no visible heat to seamlessly join them to the rest of the wreck. The work will take about forty-five minutes.

"I might want one of those, too," she says of the tool. "What's it doing?"

"It causes molecules within [0.03 inches] to be rearranged within that area, within some safety parameters. This will cause most substances to be seamlessly joined but is not recommended for use on very different materials. The original deal was for the scanner only, however, do you have any objects that I might find useful?"

"You're much higher tech than us. I don't have anything safe to handle that - hm. Do you want me to catch you an alien? They're, well, individually safe to handle, although if they decide to come after you in quantity I can't guarantee that will go well."

"Is this alien sentient?"

"Yes, but they consider themselves interchangeable, don't practice any form of self-defense, and claim not to experience emotions, plus they're pretty evil, so I wouldn't feel a speck of guilt about handing you one. Also they're fluffy."

"What would the alien be useful for? I don't like pets. I can construct another joiner and power source but it will take several days and some reasonably rare materials, I need something useful like silver or [D-fuel] or titanium. I could take new seeds if there are crops I haven't encountered before, but sentient aliens do not qualify as livestock."

"Okay, no alien. I can get you silver and titanium but it'll take me a few days."

"And your supposed world-ending event will not happen within a few days? In exchange for a joiner, I want at least [27 pounds] of silver or [190 pounds] of titanium. Purity is not an issue, if you can only find 90% silver I will count it by mass of the purified metal."

"The world-ending event is going to happen in about a month. And if you don't need it pure I can get it much faster. Before I go on metal collecting trips for you, anything else I might want to trade for?"

He describes a long list of tools. The metal-purifier is not detachable from the ship. There is a handheld plasma cutter capable of cutting foot-thick steel in moments, with computerized safeties. His body armor is made of 'armasail' which could stop the plasma cutter cold despite being a light, breathable fabric. There are various scanners - The longer the range, the more specialized. Inertia suppressors are the size and weight of a 2-liter bottle and allow for high G-force maneuvers without tearing the ship apart. He has a 'reshaper' the size of a refrigerator which takes almost any material as a base and works like a very high precision 3-D printer.

"Last metal didn't translate. Seeds I can get unless you want weird ones. You know, the trouble with information is that I can't take it back if you renege on the deal. I want something up front before I spill that, or at least to handle the first part of the transaction in objects."

"You probably don't have [::::], then. I propose exchanging the joiner and cutter and scanners for some seeds and some of each kind of metal, then you tell me why the world is going to end and any other dangers I might find relevant and I attempt to verify this, then if there is sufficient evidence that your information is reasonably complete and honest we perform the rest of the deal."

"If you decide you don't believe me will you let me borrow the other stuff for just a minute?"