‘Master Tekel, please meet Masters Braden and Micah.’ G-War appeared from under a bush, followed by a Rabbit, walking on his hind feet, wearing a harness and carrying a blaster. The Rabbit’s head was even with Braden’s waist.
The Rabbit moved close and leaned forward, his pink nose wrinkling and twitching.
‘Rub noses with her,’ G-War said. Micah was the first to move, going to one knee and leaning her face forward. She smelled carrots and green beans as she gently touched her nose to Tekel’s. She slowly reached a hand around the Rabbit and scratched behind her ears and on her neck.
Braden finally holstered his blaster and kneeled down, following Micah’s lead.
‘Affection,’ Aadi answered Braden’s unasked question. ‘The rabbits thrive on love and affection. Micah’s actions convinced them more than any words. Thank you, Micah. We need allies like the Rabbit People.’
Braden looked up. The Bee cloud dispersed, like smoke in a strong wind. The Bees separated, each going their own way into the flowers and bushes of the Garden Level. More Rabbit People edged into the clearing on the ramp. Aadi urged Skirill and Pik to join them. Skirill used his bracelet to keep the door open. Pik stepped through first and Skirill hopped after him.
The Rabbit People each held a blaster. They wore harnesses with various pouches and gardening tools attached. They watched the Hawkoid and Lizard Man warily.
Pik learned quickly. He kneeled and bowed to Tekel. He didn’t have much of a nose, but leaned forward until the flat part of his face and the Rabbit’s nose touched. She quickly withdrew.
The Hawkoid didn’t attempt the nose-rub greeting, choosing instead to bow until his beak touched the ground. Skirill had eaten too many rabbits in his life to risk getting close to them. He wasn’t going to attack them, but didn’t want them to see him as a threat.
‘Master Human, I am Tekel, leader of the Rabbit People, Commander of the Bee Army. I bid you welcome to The Garden. We maintain it for the People.’
The humans sat down on the ramp and explained to their new friends what their mission was, how they needed to get to the forward part of the ship. The Rabbit People were curious about Planet Vii. Could they live there?
‘I don’t see why not,’ Braden answered. ‘You are small enough to fit in the corridors and in the transportation room recliners. Only twelve could travel at a time, but I don’t see why not. If you can do this with a garden, your skills would be most welcome on Vii.’ Always the trader, he saw their place on the trade route. Rabbit People guiding humans on how to improve the quality and quantity of their gardens and fields. Food aplenty. Prosperity for all!
“If you went to Vii, what would you want? What motivates you?” Braden asked.
‘I haven’t really thought about it that way. Let me think.’ The Rabbit wrinkled her nose and twitched her rather substantial ears, then continued. ‘We enjoy each other and our children. We want gardens to tend, good food to eat, and space to play. We are rather simple creatures.’ She looked at the other Rabbits on the ramp. They bobbed in agreement with her.
“I would never describe you as simple. Everyone likes something a little bit different, that’s all.” He shrugged and looked at the sky. The gentle breeze rustled the tops of the bushes.
“I hope we can make this deal. I’d like to see your people on Vii, carving out your place on the trade route, partners with the rest of us.” Braden looked at each of the Rabbits and then at his own companions, pleased with their friendship and relieved at the quality of their new allies. What would it take for others to understand that friendship and trust was a better way?
“We need to get forward. We’d like to go that way and then pass through one of the doors. Can you help us?” Micah pointed at the far wall. The ramp from Deck 9 ended in a forward area of Deck 8. The bulkhead stood close by, maybe no more than two kilometers, as Holly would measure it.
Tekel nodded. With a wave, the Rabbit People walked and hopped into the brush. ‘Follow me,’ she said.
Braden motioned for Micah to go first, then Pik. Aadi floated above everything, while Skirill flew ahead. G-War walked at Tekel’s side. With one last look at the wide ramp with the great screen for a door, Braden plunged into the bushes.
23 – Forward, Ever Forward
Tekel was a joy to be around. She radiated warmth and happiness. They couldn’t imagine how she could command the defense of Deck 8, should it be necessary. Then again, the Bee Army, once unleashed, could probably take care of an enemy without Tekel having to direct death and destruction in any way.
Braden wondered how the Rabbits acquired the blasters. They were left behind by the crew long ago. Tekel said that they still saw crewmen, once or twice a generation. She didn’t know the length of a Rabbit generation in cycles. She had no frame of reference for time.
It gave Braden and Micah hope that someone still operated the ship. No matter what happened as they continued forward, Deck 8 was friendly with plenty of food. The Rabbits led them forward, unerringly through the heavy brush of a garden gone mad. As far as the eye could see, vegetation grew densely.
“How many Rabbit People are there?” Micah asked as they plowed forward.
‘Ooh. That’s a real question. I don’t know. We are Rabbits and there’s enough food.’ Braden smiled at Tekel’s answer. He was envious at how they measured their existence. He would remember what she said and use it himself.
We are humans and there is enough food, so why would we fight? he thought.
‘How did you come to work with the Bees?’ Micah asked, switching to her thought voice as she snagged a plump tomato and took a huge bite.
‘That took a long time, many generations. We fought with the Bees, killing them when they flew near. The more we killed them, the less food there was. The more of them, the more food. You follow?’ Tekel hesitated, looking at the humans through the vines and leaves of a fine tomato bush. ‘The Bees can’t talk when they are alone, only when there are many and they are with their Queen can we speak to them. Once that happened, we found that we needed each other to survive. It only made sense for us to partner in defense of the Garden.
‘You say there are many levels and that we are on a ship? How magnificent! The world I see, this world, is only a small part of a much bigger world. I will share with my mates and see what they think. We will talk more when you return.’
The forward bulkhead loomed before them. Catwalks and stairs hung on the structure like cobwebs, disappearing as they approached the ceiling that curved away to both the right and the left. The gardens looked much closer as they extended away from them, and up, beyond the edge of the ceiling. Being in a rotating cylinder was confusing. The ceiling was nine hundred meters above them. It was a long way up the wall to the top catwalk.
They decided to try a door a little closer to the deck. They found the first stairway up and started climbing while Skirill flew to the door. When he backwinged to perch on the rail, the door slid open. He almost fell backward over the rail, catching it with one claw and beating his wings hard to regain balance.
He was surprised that there was only a small, empty room beyond. He thought it may have opened because of something on the other side, but realized it was his own bracelet that had activated the door.
He shared with the companions what he saw. They decided to check it out, then move to the next door and the next until they found a way forward.
They stopped as the stairway reached the first catwalk. They weren’t winded. Climbing got easier with each step.
The ship and Holly’s description of it confused G-War. He couldn’t understand why the walkway along the wall would be called a catwalk. He was a ‘cat and he hated walking on it. Like flashlights that didn’t flash, only showed a steady beam of light.
‘Holly, which of these doors will take us forward?’ Braden looked from the Garden Level to the catwalk system, then left and right. Micah opened her window and followed along.
‘The door to your front opens to
a transportation pod. Climb aboard and tell it Deck 3. It will travel the twenty kilometers and deliver you to a door and then a catwalk that will look identical to what you are standing on. From there you can cross to the forward bulkhead and climb the next three levels using the steps and catwalks or you can take the elevator. Of course, I recommend the elevator as climbing two thousand, five hundred meters of ramps could be both time-consuming and tiring.’
They reduced their windows and tucked them away, but kept them active. Micah motioned for Braden to lead the way. He took a step then stopped.
“How did you know?” he asked.
“Know what, lover?”
“About the Rabbits and the kiss.”
“I could feel their love, their fear of confrontation. I thought by showing them how we felt, they would realize that we weren’t a threat.” She smiled, cupping his face in her hands.
“You felt all that while they were talking? The only thing I could feel was Bat-Raven eyes looking at us. I don’t feel others’ emotions like you do.” He shook his head.
“Of course you do, lover, you just don’t realize it.” She shrugged, then continued. “You see things that I don’t. We’re better together, more whole. We have a great family and some incredible allies. Look down there! Too many Rabbits to count. More food than they can eat, yet they continue to tend the garden, grow more.”
Braden nodded and threw his braid over his shoulder as he thought about her words. Micah was right. He knew they were better together. All of them.
Braden led the way as they joined the Hawkoid at the door.
“Holly says this will take us to Deck 3. All aboard!” He waved his bracelet at the door and it opened. The small room that Skirill had seen was a vehicle with chairs along the walls, windows, and extra poles in the middle. He held the door as Micah tentatively entered.
Then Pik. Then Aadi needed help as the doorway was too narrow. Braden angled his shell as he squeezed through. The armor’s extra size didn’t help, even though it was tied down. Skirill danced and slid as he tried to hang on through Aadi’s gyrations. Once through, everything settled back down.
G-War trotted through the door in front of Braden and jumped on a seat. He crouched, digging his claws into the cushion. He knew it was a vehicle, which meant it was going to move.
Braden entered and took a spot in the middle, wrapping both hands firmly around the center pole.
“Deck 3,” he announced in a bold voice. The vehicle started forward slowly, then picked up speed. There were no jolts or clunks or bouncing. It was nothing like riding in a wagon or a cart. Leave it to the ancients to take all the fun out of traveling in a vehicle.
24 – Deck 3: Fore Garden Level
They watched through the windows to see transparent tubes, like the one they were in, but they were too numerous to count. At places in between, they saw metal and bracing.
They didn’t like being in the pod. It felt more vulnerable than being on an open deck. Here, if something happened, there was nothing they could do to stop it. And there was nothing to worry about either. They were in space, where the ship took care of them. They needed to accept it. Other things were dangerous. Not this.
The pod arrived without incident. The door at the forward end of the pod opened, and they walked boldly onto the catwalk.
It was bright, but that was where the comparison to Deck 8 ended. They stood on the catwalk, looking at a wasteland. G-War didn’t feel anything. Skirill flew to the ramp and back. He didn’t see anything alive. Pik was uncomfortable, because it was hot and dry. Aadi felt right at home.
“Good. There’s nothing to hold us up.” Braden looked at the route they’d need to travel--catwalk, steps, wasteland, ramp. “Let’s get going.”
G-War was first to move, loping toward the steps. Skirill continued flying. There were a few tree skeletons scattered across the deck. He landed in one, happy that the old, dry wood held his weight. He stood still, not pushing his luck.
Micah followed the ‘cat and Pik followed her. Braden gave Aadi a gentle push over the rail where he dropped quickly, slowing to a hover just above the ground. The Tortoid looked down, then dropped to the ground, digging in the dirt with his beak-like mouth. Braden watched him closely. When Aadi pulled back, he had a mouth full of beetles, crunching them happily.
Braden shook his head and set off toward the steps.
The ramp on Deck 3 was toward the front of the ship and half way up the curve. They had a long way to go. They started jogging, an easy pace, but quicker than walking. They could sense the Command Deck was near. They planned to rest on the ramp and hopefully after a good sleep, they’d enter the Command Deck and start linking Holly with the Traveler so he could align the ship and start the transfer of the Cygnus VI survivors.
The trouble didn’t begin right away. As they jogged, the dry ground crunched beneath their feet. Nothing living had passed this way. They were getting hot from their labors, so they stopped for a drink. Pik had never been this dry and his skin was starting to turn pale. He drank twice as much water as they did and that seemed to revive him, but they had a ways to go and were running low on water.
Suddenly, G-War jumped straight up. He looked down at the ground as he came back down, then hopped to the side. He screeched as Hillcats did when they fought. Braden ran toward him. Micah pulled her blaster.
A beetle was attached to the ‘cat’s paw. He shook and danced until it dislodged. A small spot of blood appeared in his orange fur. The ‘cat bolted toward the ramp, stretching his body to get more speed.
‘Run!’ he yelled in his thought voice.
“Go, go, go!” Braden waved at the others as he started jogging, letting the others pass him.
Beetles surged from the ground around their feet. They were smaller than the palm of Braden’s hand, but they had pincers and hungry mouths. Braden’s boots protected him, but the beetles swarmed over his feet. He shook them off and ran, then shook some more. Most came free. He tried brushing the others off with his hand. One bit him, then a second.
He threw them from him and ran to the side where the ground looked firmer.
Micah used her blaster to scorch the ground in front of her. Braden’s blaster leapt into his hand and he fired into the ground behind them. The beam was still set on wide flame, perfect for what he wanted.
He walked the ground he had just burned so he could check himself over. He looked quickly, up down, and around. No beetles. They were boiling out of the ground anywhere he hadn’t fired.
He burned a path to the ground that Micah had lit up and ran that way. Smoke wafted where he stepped on the still-hot ground.
Aadi swam along behind them. G-War was far in the distance, but slowing. Skirill swooped by, heading straight for the ‘cat. He flared, and slowed for G-War to jump on his back. The Hawkoid beat his wings hard to keep from bouncing off the ground. The combined weight of the armor and the ‘cat was almost too much. He labored to get into the air and was only able to stay head high as he flew to the ramp.
Pik was in bad shape. His claws weren’t meant for running on hot, freshly burned ground. He lumbered forward, one leg hopping, then the other. He continued without complaint, struggling to match Micah’s pace.
Braden caught up with them and offered an arm to the Lizard Man. They matched strides, slowing but continuing forward. Micah turned and tried to cover them. Her blaster was low on charge and she stopped firing, choosing to run through an unburned area, hoping they’d passed the infestation.
G-War was on the ramp, crouched and ready to fight. Skirill flew past her going the other way. She wondered about that only briefly as more beetles appeared. She flamed the ground and kept running.
Braden and Pik were falling behind. Beetles slowly appeared through cracks in the burned ground. The human and Lizard Man lumbered past them, Braden stomped on any in his way. He activated his boots for the powered boost, but with Pik’s weight on his arm, he couldn’t tell the difference.
Skirill caught up with them. He flapped his wings like he was fighting through a gale force wind. Then Braden saw why; he towed Aadi, who held a short rope tightly in his beak. Aadi swam with his legs to help, but it wasn’t much.
Micah finally reached the ramp. She turned back to see Braden and Pik moving in the distance, agonizingly slowly. Aadi was floating behind Skirill, then let go of the rope.
He swam toward an open patch of ground, and then delivered a focused thunderclap into it. The ground erupted, forcing Braden and Pik to dodge sideways and run away from it. A beetle the size of a horse erupted from under the surface. It’s black blood ran freely over the ground, and the small beetles started running to it. Braden was half-carrying Pik, as the Lizard Man could barely stand. They little more than walked as they struggled forward.
Micah dropped her pack and extra gear, jumped from the ramp, and ran to them. She threw Pik’s other arm over her shoulder.
With Pik between them, they sped up to a half-run.
Finally, they all stood on the ramp. They drank and let Pik finish off their flasks. Braden put a small amount of numbweed on G-War’s paw. The blood had already clotted, but the numbweed would help it heal faster. Micah opened the door and G-War ran ahead. Skirill hopped through, then Pik, who collapsed from exhaustion once he was inside.
‘We’ll be right here, Pik Ha’ar. Rest. If you need to open the door, just ask. We need to wait for Aadi,’ Micah said.
Aadi swam toward them. With the danger behind, he dropped down, scooping a beetle into his beak and crunching happily.
They stayed alert, watching for any beetles trying to climb the ramp. For some reason they avoided it. The humans didn’t care why as long as they were safe. They ate a little from their provisions while they waited. Aadi ate more beetles as he finally made it to the ramp.
Free Trader Complete Omnibus Page 55