‘My apologies, Master Humans. I’ve gotten slow in my old age,’ Aadi lamented.
“C’mon, Aadi, you’ve always been a Tortoid. How fast could you have been?” Braden asked. It was always a relief to survive a crisis.
‘So hurtful, Master Braden. If only you had to carry this shell, the weight of cycles, traveling with humans. Everything that drains an old soul…’
Braden rubbed the Tortoid’s neck as they approached the door. “In you go, old man. Time for a break. I could use some sleep, too. If only I could float, then these dogs wouldn’t be so tired…” Braden looked at his boots, expecting to see charred remnants at the end of his legs, but they still looked new.
25 – Deck 2: The Aviary
They slept like they were dead. Even G-War. It was cool on the ramp, which helped everyone except Pik. He liked it warmer, but a humid heat, so he nestled closer to the door where the heat from the wasteland of Deck 3 radiated. Aadi floated on the other side, above the wasteland where the beetles couldn’t get to him.
When they awoke some time later, they took better stock of their surroundings.
There were stalled vehicles parked haphazardly, including a hover car. Braden climbed in and, with Holly’s help, activated it. The car floated into the air. Whoever last parked it had taken the time to engage the charging unit on the ramp wall.
Braden smiled broadly. He had driven his water buffalo team, but never an Old Tech vehicle. Holly instructed him, but Braden quickly shut down the window after he learned go, stop, and turn. Micah entered cautiously. Pik climbed into the back seat, wedging Aadi and Skirill next to him. The Tortoid’s head was by Braden’s ear. G-War sat in Micah’s lap, unsure about riding in the vehicle. Skirill faced backwards so his tail feathers wouldn’t get broken in the seat.
Braden stomped the foot pedal to the floor. The hover car responded by jumping forward, then stopping a mere finger-width from the wall, throwing everyone forward with the abrupt stop. Braden and Micah smashed their faces against the windshield, G-War, his body rammed hard against the dash. Those in the back jammed against the front seats.
“Sorry,” Braden mumbled. He turned the wheel, but the car wouldn’t move.
Micah pointed to a screen on the dash where the letter R was flashing. He touched it, then mashed down on the pedal. The hover car jumped backward, stopping itself before hitting the vehicle behind it. They were all harshly thrown backward against their seats.
‘I’d get out if I could be certain you wouldn’t hit me with this thing,’ the ‘cat said angrily, raking a claw down Braden’s arm as the human attempted to touch the button with the letter D for drive.
Micah was appalled, settling for punching Braden in the shoulder. She couldn’t deliver as much force as she wanted because of her awkward sitting position and a ‘cat trying to use her body to shield himself from the hover car’s violent movements. Aadi pulled his head and feet into his shell. Pik sat in the back, unblinking. Micah suspected he may have died from heart failure.
Braden opened his window with Holly and asked for help. The foot pedal was pressure sensitive, Holly told him. Touch it lightly for best results. Holly closed the window first, to Braden’s surprise.
“See? Even Holly is afraid you’re going to kill us all. You and your love of Old Tech. If you kill us, I’m going to beat the snot out of you!” Braden smiled at Micah, not because he was happy, but because he was embarrassed.
He touched the pedal with his toe, then a little bit more. The vehicle moved cautiously up the ramp. He practiced with the steering yoke--right, left, up, and down. Soon, they moved quickly up the ramp, staying well clear of both sides and the ceiling.
G-War relaxed, although he maintained that Braden had scarred him for life. Pik finally blinked. Aadi’s head reappeared next to Braden’s. Skirill kept his eyes closed.
At the top of the ramp, they decided that they’d try to take the hover car the rest of the way to the forward bulkhead. They needed to find an access door at deck level. An elevator would take them to the Command Deck, where they’d find everything for a crew to run the ship. They were close to their goal.
Before they opened the door to see what was beyond, Micah stepped aside to talk with Bronwyn. Braden joined her in the link, checking in to make sure all was well. They could hear their children playing in the background. Brandt was showing them something as they hung from his horns. Bronwyn yelled something at Brandt, who stamped his feet. Bronwyn wrapped up the communication by saying that they were all children and she needed to go.
Braden and Micah hugged. They carried the burdens of their tasks with them. They believed that if you had the ability to act, you had the responsibility. They missed their children, but who else could do what they were doing in an effort to stop the Amazonian War and bring peace to Vii? They sacrificed now so their children had a better future. They didn’t know that parents had been doing that for all the millennia of human existence.
Braden stood at the door, his bow ready, G-War by his side. Aadi and Skirill were next, finally Pik. If it was safe beyond, then Micah would open the large roll-up screen door. They wanted to take the vehicle if they could as they’d already walked too far.
Braden waved his bracelet and the door slid open.
The sound was intense. Birds. Millions of birds calling at the same time. He stepped through the door into the cacophony of sound. He put his hands over his head. Great trees stood everywhere, birds flew. Large ones and small ones, colorful and plain. There was a little bit of everything.
“Skirill, you’re up!” Braden shouted to be heard, even though Skirill listened over the mindlink.
With Pik’s help, Aadi wedged through the opening. Skirill leapt from him and flew toward the trees. Smaller birds harassed him briefly as he traveled through their territory, then a larger bird challenged him. Skirill backwinged to a landing on a wide branch. The other bird landed next to him. It was larger than Skirill, with similar colors.
‘My people are here!’ he exclaimed.
“So, what do we do now?” Braden asked the companions.
“We wait. Let’s bring the hover car through. Do you think we can go over the trees?” Micah said.
“Holly said it needed to stay close to the ground. I think if we take it, we have to drive between the trees.”
“Even with your driving, it’s better than walking,” Micah jabbed. Braden feigned a hurt look as they both returned through the ramp door. Micah accessed the side panel. With a wave of her bracelet and the voice command to open the screen, it smoothly rolled upward. She stopped it when it was high enough to get the car out. Birds flew past and down the ramp.
Braden eased the hover car through the opening and stopped near the first trees of the forest. More birds flew in as Micah rolled the screen down. She thought about leaving the door open so they could get out, but realized that wouldn’t work. More would fly in and the birds would be trapped on the ramp.
Skirill continued talking with the other Hawkoid.
As they watched, she jabbed Skirill with her beak. Braden pulled his bow and nocked an arrow. Skirill jabbed back. Micah grabbed the arrow and pulled the bow down. She raised her eyebrows at him and nodded toward the Hawkoids.
“What? Ohh. It’s a female.” The humans watched as Skirill and the other Hawkoid began an intricate flight through the trees, chasing each other and dancing. They flew above the trees, racing toward the ceiling. They became dots in the Deck 2 sky, before barreling back toward the ramp. The humans watched, not knowing what else to do.
G-War broke the stalemate. ‘Skirill, we need to go. Get down here.’
‘On my way,’ Skirill purred, ‘with my mate Zyena.’
‘Hello, Zyena! I’m Micah and this is my mate Braden.’ Braden looked at her in surprise.
“That’s it? Welcome to the family? He’s known her for a total of thirty-eight heartbeats. What if she breaks his heart? How will you feel about it then?” Braden looked back toward Skirill as if he l
ooked on his own son.
‘Hello!’ said a new voice, soft and feminine. ‘Skirill has told me all about you and your adventures. I’ve lived in the Aviary my whole life. I’m afraid to leave, but my mate will make it okay.’
“How long did they talk, ten heartbeats?” Braden said. It wasn’t a question. He knew the Hawkoid’s mindlink was efficient. Skirill learned to speak the human language in the same amount of time. “And she’s coming with us.”
“So it seems, partner mine. This is how it always works with us.” She ran her fingers along her braids. She looked at the hover car. She had more faith in Skirill’s ability to select a mate than her mate’s ability to drive the Old Tech hover car. “I’m happy for Skirill.”
Braden nodded. “Everybody in, we’re going for a ride.” He opened the window with Holly.
‘I’m pleased you didn’t kill everyone,’ Holly started. Braden rolled his eyes and shook his head.
‘Holly, just tell us which way to the bulkhead and the elevator to the Command Deck.’
Their location showed on the maps in front of their eyes, then the line appeared showing them which way to go. Micah left her window open while Braden closed his to concentrate on driving between the trees.
“Hey, Ess and Zyena, we’re heading to the forward bulkhead. Try not to lose us.”
With that, he toed the pedal and they moved slowly forward. He pulled back on the yoke to get above the underbrush, but that was it. The hover car wouldn’t go any higher. He eased it forward, around the first tree, then the second, weaving and dodging as they went. The going was slow, but as Micah said, it was better than walking.
26 – Nothing Trying to Kill Us
While they traveled, Aadi talked with Zyena, looking for something that might hinder their progress. There wasn’t a unifying force on this level, nothing like the Rabbit People and their Bee Army or killer beetles.
They could continue without fear. Zyena was happy, as was Skirill. Braden guided the hover car back toward the path that Micah selected for them. G-War curled up on her lap and went to sleep. Pik and Aadi sat in the back seat, calm, watching the world go by.
“Hey, a stream!” Braden said as he saw the water pass beneath the car. He stopped a little more abruptly than intended and lowered the vehicle to the ground. He wouldn’t look up so he didn’t have to see the others glaring at him.
He jumped out, looked around, then cupped a hand to the water. It was fresh. He filled the flasks one by one. G-War climbed out to drink directly from the stream, so Micah got out, too.
Pik was quick to leave the vehicle behind. He would have preferred walking as this felt to him like a cooler rainforest. It reminded him of home. He plunged into the stream and let it wash off the dirt and soot from Deck 3. He sat down, then submerged himself completely. It was cold to him and almost hurt, but after the wasteland, any water felt good.
Skirill and Zyena joined them, landing on a low branch and sitting close, their wings touching. Braden and Micah leaned up toward them, scratching their legs and stroking their chest feathers.
“This is my second favorite deck on the whole ship,” Braden exclaimed, watching Skirill. “It’s hard to beat Deck 8, huh? So much food and friendly Rabbits!”
‘Don’t listen to him. This is our favorite deck, isn’t it?’ Skirill said to his new partner.
‘I have nothing to compare it, to, but I’ll take your word for it. I think this deck is better than the Rabbit Deck. Although we do like rabbits, don’t we?’ Skirill had shared the joys of Planet Vii, including rabbits and squirrels. They had squirrels here, she assured him, both ground and tree.
‘Did somebody say squirrels?’ G-War appeared next to them. He stopped, looked at the forest, then bolted off.
“I guess we wait,” Braden said as he opened his pack, looking for more food. “I hope there’s a fabricator on the Command Deck.”
27 – The Command Deck
They weren’t sure about leaving the hover car, but they had no choice. They parked it, asking Holly about a power source. He told them what to look for. They found the projection from the bulkhead about a hundred strides away for the door and the elevator. He talked them through the steps to ensure the vehicle was powered for their return trip. With the hover car, they could cross Deck 3 while staying clear of the beetles.
Skirill and Zyena were waiting for the companions when they arrived. They perched in a nearby tree, ready for the next adventure. Skirill talked constantly to her, easing her fears. He had to go as he was a sworn companion to Braden and Micah. He would have none of her arguments to stay. The world was a great place, but it was out there, off the ship.
Her journey, as part of their new life together, would begin when she rode the elevator.
When they were gathered, Braden looked at the growing group, shook his head, then opened the door. His worries that the elevator wouldn’t fit everyone were unfounded. It was big, big enough for all of them. Once they wedged Aadi through the door, Skirill and Zyena flew to the door, landing close, then Skirill hopped through. He looked back, encouraging her to join him. She took small hops until she was at the doorway, then with a bold jump, she was through.
G-War strode through, shaking his head. Pik, Micah, and Braden joined them. The door closed. Micah took a deep breath. “Command Deck, please,” she said boldly.
The elevator started moving, slowly at first, like the pod, then gaining speed. Holly warned them that the Command Decks were central to the spinning axis, which meant that they would float much of the time. Braden and Micah didn’t know what that meant until the elevator stopped.
They lifted gently off the floor as the elevator settled. The door opened. The corridor beyond was circular, with handholds along the walls, both perpendicular and parallel to the corridor.
The humans turned to brace their feet on the back wall and pushed off. Both pushed too hard and their bodies hurtled down the corridor. They finally grabbed a handhold and pulled themselves back to the doorway. Aadi needed help to get out. Once out, he was the most comfortable floating. He swam as normal to move. Pik was terrified at first, but once Micah showed him how to move, he became more tolerant, although he still didn’t like it.
G-War was the most put out. Since he didn’t have hands to grasp railings or handholds, he floated freely, dependent on someone else to move him. Once Braden caught up with the ‘cat, he put him onto his pack, where G-War could straddle it and embed his claws.
Skirill and Zyena tried to modify their flight to help them move, but the corridor wasn’t wide enough. They smacked people and creature alike as they tried to fly past. They learned to use only their wing tips, and then the corridor chaos calmed greatly.
The corridor that looked more like a tunnel led to a single hatch at its end. There was a small round window. Micah looked through first and gasped at what she saw.
‘Humans. Working at consoles.’ She watched until Braden joined her. He saw four humans, wearing clothing similar to what he saw on the survivors of Cygnus VI.
“They might get excited if they see any of our friends. Let’s have them stay back. G-War remains with us. We go through and make peace. They might be able to align the ship for us, but then again, why hasn’t Holly been able to establish contact with these people?” Braden whispered to Micah, watching as the strangers went about their work.
“Holly couldn’t talk with the Command Deck. There’s something different here. Once we explain things, I think it will be okay. It has to be.” Micah squared her shoulders and readied herself to go in.
“G?” Braden asked, hoping the ‘cat wouldn’t find hostile feelings from the other humans.
‘I can’t feel anything. Let me see.’ The ‘cat leaned around the side of Braden’s head and hooked a claw into the backpack strap. He watched for a few heartbeats. ‘They’re not human.’
They moved away from the small window and accessed their neural implants. ‘Holly, we have a problem. There are creatures that look human wor
king at the entrance to the Command Deck. What are they and how do we talk with them?’
‘Fascinating. I believe you are looking at a group of Androids. These are very sophisticated Bots modeled on humans. Keep me active and I may be able to link with them.’
‘Does that mean they’d be in our heads?’
‘No, you would simply be acting as a conduit between me and them. No matter how sophisticated they are, they cannot compare to me. Have no fear, Braden, Micah.’
“Have no fear, he says.” Braden looked at Micah and shook his head. “His life isn’t on the line. G-War, you stay behind, too. The Old Tech has usually welcomed us lowly humans. We’ll see if we can square things with them, then we’ll introduce the rest of you. By the way, be ready to run if we give the word.”
The companions worked their way down the corridor using various methods. Aadi went last, pushing those who struggled.
With one last nod, Micah waved her bracelet at the panel and watched as the hatch cycled and opened. She went through to music playing as the Androids froze in place. Braden walked in behind her, blocking the view through the open hatch with his body, before shutting it behind him.
When the music stopped playing, one Android stepped forward. “Master President, we weren’t expecting a visit. This is highly irregular. We usually get notification.”
28 – Androids
“Usually get notification? How many times has the President visited these spaces?” Micah asked.
“Two thousand, six hundred, ninety-nine times over the past four millennia. It has been seven hundred, three years since the last visit.”
“Have you been here the entire time?” Braden asked.
“Why yes. Androids have very long lives.”
Holly hadn’t said anything about long-lived creatures running the ship. Braden didn’t know what to say, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
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