Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

‘He’s the only one who seems interested in helping us. If he’s plotting something, it’s how to get the others to do your bidding, including the Androids,’ the ‘cat emphasized. ‘The other one was in the room back there, but he’s moving now. You will meet him in a few heartbeats.’

  Braden walked forward to intercept the newcomer. They nearly walked into each other. “Hi there! I’m Free Trader Braden, and you?” The man stared at him, then looked past him to see Micah, Aadi, and Pik. The ‘cat snuck in behind him.

  “Who are you? And what are the creatures doing here?”

  “I’m Free Trader Braden. Behind me, you see President Micah, from Cygnus VII. Ambassador Aadi from the Tortoise Consortium. Pik Ha’ar from the Lizard Men. We also have the Golden Warrior, a Prince among Hillcats and Skirill and Zyena from the Hawkoid Nation.”

  Braden waited while the man collected himself. At least he wasn’t naked.

  “How’d you get in here?”

  Braden held up his wrist, displaying the bracelet. “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Gill Row. I’m the pilot.”

  “You and Diego. I think Captain Atwood has already gone upstairs. Braden guided the man to the open area at the elevator. Gill pulled up short when he saw the Hawkoids staring at him.

  “Gill, if you would be so kind, please take Ben and Phil with you,” Micah said sarcastically. He stared at her until Braden stepped in front of him, blocking his line of sight.

  “Go on now, get the other two and go to the Bridge. Captain Atwood said he’d meet us here shortly.” Braden and Pik moved toward him menacingly. He ran toward the hallway where Phil’s room was located, screaming something unintelligible.

  They watched him flail his way around the corner. After a short break in the action, he ran back, dragging both Phil and Ben toward the elevator door. He waved his bracelet and they ran through when the doors opened. They pressed themselves against the side of the elevator, trying to stay out of sight as the doors closed.

  G-War looked at Braden. “I know, G. They’re terrified.” The ‘cat wrapped his tail around his legs as he sat, ears up. Braden reached down and rubbed the ear with the bite out of it. “I’m glad no one bit my ear off. That must have hurt.” The ‘cat didn’t answer, but appreciated the sympathy.

  “What do you say we make dinner?” Micah offered. They’d become master users of the fabricator after nearly a full cycle of experience. “Do any of you want to stay for dinner?”

  The companions looked at her, then at each other. ‘I would like to stay and observe, Master Micah, but I feel my friends would much rather enjoy what the Aviary has to offer,’ Aadi said diplomatically. Micah smiled at the looks on the faces of the companions.

  Hopeful for a reprieve. They hated being inside like this

  “You all have bracelets. Tell us when you get to Deck 2. If you can’t hear us, please come back. As long as we can communicate, we aren’t really separated. What do you think, Braden?”

  “I think the President has made a decision.” He bowed, sweeping his arm in front of his body. “Run along, children, and know this, we don’t want to be here anymore than you do.” There was a brief hesitation, then G-War ran to the elevator and stood on his back legs. He wore his bracelet like a collar. He could have had it in his armored covering, but he always hoped he’d be able to get rid of that at some point during their journey.

  The Hawkoids jumped from the table, hopping into the elevator. Pik brought up the rear. As the doors closed, they heard Skirill speaking for the group, “Deck 2 ‘lease.” Aadi watched them go. He decided to remain behind, to observe the new humans and help with any negotiations. Braden and Micah nodded to the Tortoid, appreciating his sacrifice in staying with them.

  “I hope it understands Skirill’s accent,” Braden said as they waited. In no time, G-War let the humans know they were in the Aviary. They were relieved to know that the mindlink worked through the decks of the ship. As they talked, Braden closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt the companions above him. “I think these quarters are between decks. Below us is the wasteland that used to be Deck 3. Above us, Deck 2. Above that, we find the Freshwater Level and the Command Deck. Interesting. At least we know which way to go to get out of here.”

  They went back to the kitchen and started preparing what they wanted. There would be four humans, maybe six if Ben and Diego joined them. It was the Captain’s invitation, so he would say who ate at the table. Micah had gotten very close to Treecia. She had been convinced Treecia was a woman. Why had she thought that?

  More importantly, why weren’t there any women on the ship? The electric humans in the Engineering Crew Quarters also wanted Micah.

  They’d ask the Captains over dinner. They worked with the fabricator to make place settings complete with flowers, as they had learned the fabricator was capable of much more than just brownies.

  When the Captains arrived, Braden and Micah, using the wall as cover, took out their blasters and peeked around the corner. They half expected the Android leader to be with them, but they were alone and unarmed. They hurriedly holstered their blasters and walked into the open, smiling as they greeted the Captains.

  Micah instantly saw why she thought Treecia was a woman. His uniform was cut for a woman, complete with space for breasts. He had long hair and a feminine face, no hint of a beard. The old Treecia had stubble. They looked the same, but different, more father/daughter than the original and a younger copy.

  “We know our way around a fabricator, so if you’d like to be seated, we will deliver your dinner momentarily. We hope you like vegetable omelets with hash browns and a red wine.” Both Captains shrugged as if they didn’t know what an omelet was. If that was the case, they were in for a treat.

  They ordered everything, removing each dish as the fabricator dinged, then delivered them to the table.

  “I have to say, young lady, that I’ve never enjoyed a meal from the fabricator like this one. I didn’t know such things were possible,” said the old Treecia.

  “The difference is that your fabricator doesn’t talk. Ours in New Sanctuary does. It helps you plan your meals, offers different options depending on your taste or your mood.”

  Once they finished eating, they pushed back from the table. The Captains both closed their eyes and sighed. Their mannerisms were identical. Braden and Micah cleared the table, returning everything to the fabricator. They ordered four brownies and passed them out when they were ready.

  If four weren’t enough, they could always order more.

  Now that they had the Captains’ attention, it was time to get down to business.

  35 – We’re Doing This

  “Why are there no women here? We didn’t see any in the aft section of the ship either.” Braden asked.

  “Something happened where the women couldn’t have babies anymore. For some reason, the cloning process didn’t work with them before they were dead. Cloning live tissue greatly increases the chance of success. I’m pretty sure that’s the correct explanation. I don’t know. I may look old, but all of that happened before I was born. The Androids take care of the cloning. I really couldn’t tell you how it’s done or why it works, but it does.”

  “I don’t trust the Androids, not one bit,” Micah said firmly. She clenched her fists when she mentioned the Androids. A confrontation with them grew more inevitable.

  “Will the Androids agree to realign the ship?”

  The young Captain Atwood hemmed and hawed, not committing to anything, which was all the answer Micah needed.

  “If you can’t convince them to do this, we will be forced to kill them. The human survivors need us. Yes, they’re almost all clones, but they carry with them the knowledge of the Cygnus system. We can’t lose that.”

  “And we can’t lose everything the Androids know, either,” the older Captain Atwood countered.

  “The easiest way to do that is for them to help or stand aside. I get the feeling that they’ll interfere, try to stop us.
We went to a Maintenance and Service space. There were four Androids there, working at stations that weren’t powered up. Then they attacked us. After the fight, we found a number of human bodies shoved in a storeroom.” Micah paused for effect.

  “I can’t speak for other Androids. Those on the Bridge are incapable of harming humans. It’s basic to their programming,” the younger Captain said and shook his head. He’d known the Bridge Crew Androids his whole life. He thought to himself, ‘They keep the ship running and these two interlopers make it sound like the Androids are the enemy. Maybe if these new humans got to know them…’

  ‘G, any insight from our clone friends? I don’t get the feeling they appreciate our position. G?’ Braden asked the ‘cat to help. He knew they needed the Captains’ help if they were to compromise with the Androids, and Holly would be insufferable if they destroyed any equipment on the Bridge. Fighting was the last resort.

  ‘Yes. They will talk with the Androids, but they will defer to whatever the Androids decide. They are more afraid of you than the Androids. You’ve upset their world, where the Androids have never done that.’

  ‘I think you’ve been spending too much time with Aadi, you’re starting to sound like him,’ Braden said.

  ‘We’ll both take that as a compliment, Master Human,’ Aadi added as he hovered near the table, watching closely.

  The Captains grew uncomfortable with the pause in the conversation. G-War was right. They were afraid of the new humans. The so-called President and her animal minions were upsetting their idea of a delicate balance of their massive ship.

  Braden recovered, seeing the others’ anxiety. “What difference do you want to make with your life?”

  “What? We’re Captain of the ship. It’s what we were made for. It’s what we’ll do until we die.”

  “But, can you tell if you’ve made a difference? Day in and day out, you do the little things, but I expect the Androids would do them without you. This is your chance to save lives. It’s something different, something bigger than yourselves, bigger than all of us.” Braden leaned close as he talked with the Captains, using his experience in making the trader connection with a customer.

  “We make a difference by sitting in the Captain’s chair. We need no greater purpose. There is no greater purpose,” the old Captain said definitively.

  Braden was losing him. “What do you say we get some sleep, think on it, and talk more in the morning?” Everyone nodded, they shook hands and the young Captain went to his room. The old Captain Atwood went straight to the elevator, heading for the Bridge.

  Braden and Micah looked at the table. The Captains had left everything behind for them to clean up. “I think they were raised wrong,” Micah suggested with a smirk. They put the remaining dirty dishes into the fabricator. They ordered two more glasses of wine and two brownies.

  Ben and Diego arrived from the Bridge and went straight to their rooms. They wouldn’t look at Braden or Micah. ‘G?’

  ‘They’re afraid. The Androids have told them not to listen to us. They expect we won’t take no for an answer.’

  ‘Thanks, G. We’re on our way to the Aviary; there’s no way we’re staying in here. Then, we’ll make plans to take over the Bridge.’

  36 – Battle for the Bridge

  Even with the noise of the Aviary and the anxiety of an impending fight, they slept well. It was more natural for them than sleeping in a dirty room, inside another dirty room.

  The shipboard humans had lost their humanity. That grated on Braden’s soul. Setting up the trade route in the south had been about bringing civilization, about improving the lives of the villagers. It was about making humanity better.

  The Bridge Crew humans were the opposite. They were alive, but didn’t live.

  “I don’t want to kill the humans if we can avoid it.” He hung his head as he contemplated their attack. They’d engaged the companions in planning as they all had a role to play. They brought Holly into the plan to make sure they protected critical work stations.

  They memorized what stations to avoid. When they fired their blasters, they couldn’t miss. Nothing on the Bridge would benefit from getting blasted.

  Except the Androids. But Holly wanted one captured intact so he could break into its programming. They said they’d try, but that wouldn’t be their first priority.

  Or second for that matter.

  They tucked extra gear into the hover car. They couldn’t risk getting tangled during the upcoming fight. G-War wanted his protective covering off so he could move better, but the humans refused. It was more important to wear now than at any other time. Holly said the Androids should be equipped with small lasers that they used when doing maintenance. If they fired those at the companions, the powered armor would mean the difference between life and death. None of the companions could match Android strength, especially since they could magnetize their feet to give themselves leverage that no one else had in zero-g.

  Zyena was unprotected, so she had to stay in the corridor. She still had a critical role as she couldn’t allow anyone to escape. Everyone else was needed on the Bridge.

  Moment of truth.

  They climbed aboard the elevator.

  The elevator doors opened to the access corridor. They looked out quickly, glad to see no one. Their attack would have failed before it began if the Androids had set up an ambush.

  Maybe the Androids had never been in a fight, and they held out hope that the new humans would reconsider. The Androids were ready to fight, but wouldn’t initiate the battle.

  Braden and Micah reached the hatch first. They would go through and close the hatch behind them. They would ask about the plan to align the ship while they got themselves into position. Then the companions would enter the Bridge and the takeover would begin. That was the entire plan. Simple, but an easy plan executed violently would always win out over a complex plan executed tentatively.

  With a deep breath, Micah opened the hatch. The music started playing and she propelled herself through. Braden followed, shutting the hatch behind him. The companions stayed out of sight. Braden moved aside and let Phil, sitting in Ben’s place, look past him to see nothing except empty corridor. Phil looked in shock as Micah smiled at his broken face. She pulled herself close, watching him wince as she continued past.

  The old Captain Atwood sat in the command chair. The Androids had moved and were no longer strapped in. They stood in separate, distant areas of the Bridge. Gill worked at his console from within the webbing of the pilot’s seat. That’s where Micah was headed. Braden moved left and down from the entry hatch toward an area Holly deemed critical. On their previous visit, it had been empty, but this time, two Androids occupied the space. Braden decided to get close to minimize the risk of hitting those systems.

  The sphere left a great deal of area that Braden and Micah could not cover with their blasters. The Androids were over their heads and to the side. The Android leader stood, attached to a beam near Treecia. The stage was set: eight Androids, three potential human enemies, two friendly humans, a Hillcat, one Hawkoid, one Tortoid, and a Lizard Man. And one hundred work stations, forty of which were critical to flying the ship. The other sixty would be extremely useful as Holly pleaded with them to take care when firing.

  “Good morning, Treecia. Good morning, Gill. Have you looked at our problem to see if it’s possible?” Micah asked in a friendly tone as she continued to pull herself forward.

  “Where’s your equipment?” the Android leader asked in his monotone. The speed at which he asked the question indicated his wariness. Micah was smooth with her answer.

  “We figured since we’re going to be here a while working on this problem, we’d try to be more comfortable. We need to look at all the information before we can make the best decision, don’t you think?” she said calmly, ending with a nod.

  “I think that’s the best way...” the old Treecia started to say.

  “Very well. We’ve already determined that mov
ing the ship is too great a risk.” The Android leader stood stoically, attached to one of the cross beams they treated like a deck. Everyone else moved by pulling themselves along the handholds.

  “Okay, let’s hear what Gill has to say. If you were to align the ship with planet Cygnus VI, what would you do first?” She pulled herself close to the screens that marked the front of the Bridge.

  Gill looked at the Android leader and then down at his terminal. “I wouldn’t do anything,” he said weakly.

  “I see,” Micah said in a low voice. “I think you and I need to talk.” She looked at the Android leader and started pulling herself toward him. Captain Atwood tensed.

  ‘Get ready to open the hatch, Pik. I’ll take the two down here. Micah will take the leader. We’ll figure out the other five as we go. I don’t think the humans will be a problem once the shooting starts,’ Braden said in his thought voice as he reached the two Androids in the critical area of the Bridge.

  “Hey, guys! Can you show me what this stuff does?” Both Androids stopped what they were doing and stood up straight, turning toward him. “Whoa, guys. We’re all on the same ship, just trying to do a little bit better with each daylight.” He stopped pulling himself and without looking away from the Androids, wedged a foot between two beams. He held tightly with one hand. He was stable and thought about his first shot at the close Android and the second shot at the further Android. How would he take the shot when the first Android floated away lifeless?

  Those thoughts went through his head in less than a heartbeat. Pik looked through the window, knowing that all eyes were on Micah. As she approached the Android leader, Pik opened the hatch. Phil was the first to react.

  “It’s their animals!” he shouted.

  The Android leader made the mistake of turning to look. Micah pulled her blaster and as she floated toward the Android, she leveled it and pulled the trigger, holding the beam of light on his chest until he sparked and floated free. She reached for the nearest handhold, missing it as her momentum carried her into the dead Android. She bounced into him and tried to push off. He flew quickly away, while she stopped in midair.