Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  The Android leader stepped aside. G-War walked through the doorway first, looking for the pod, but the platform was empty. Micah looked at the Android. “Can you call the pod, please?”

  It came inside and accessed the panel. It worked with the wiring and computer screen within before stating that it could not be repaired. It suspected that the pod had been dismantled at the far end of the tube.

  Braden and Micah started to get angry. She looked like she wanted to take her sword to the Android leader. “How can we get to the other side, the aft core?” she asked through clenched teeth.

  “There is a radial access lift system in here. It’ll take us to the shell where we can use the trolley cable to pull us to the aft section. Then we’ll access the core. An elevator will take us to Deck 9.” The emotionless voice. The lifeless eyes.

  And they had no choice but to listen to it.

  53 – The Cryo Shell

  On the small platform, there was a wall of screens, where at one time information or images kept the waiting passengers occupied until the pod arrived.

  What wasn’t obvious was the panel was also a doorway to the restricted elevator. The Android leader opened the panel by pressing an indent and lifting, which revealed a locking mechanism. It pressed that and the panel popped away from the wall and slid aside. Inside was a short passage ending in two doors. One was an elevator and the other was a maintenance room filled with those things needed to keep the pods running back and forth between the core sections.

  They squeezed into the elevator, Aadi floating above their heads as they bent over to accommodate him. G-War stayed close to the humans' feet. His distrust of the Androids never changed despite Holly’s assurances that they were completely under his control.

  They floated slightly off the floor as the elevator started downward and picked up speed. Micah braced herself between the wall and an Android. They remained attached to the floor. Aadi bounced off the ceiling before regaining his position.

  The elevator continued for an inordinate amount of time. Braden checked in with Holly to make sure they weren’t being taken on a bad trip by the Androids. Holly said that they had to transit nearly three kilometers and it was an elevator. He monitored their progress and suggested they relax and enjoy the trip. He reminded them that when they left the elevator, they’d enter the zero-g zone of the outer shell once they passed through a transition space.

  While Braden was trying to explain to Micah, the elevator came to a stop. The door opened to an odd-shaped room that moved of its own accord. The Android urged them to depart, but Micah stepped aside and told it to leave first. It walked through the doorway as the room beyond canted back and forth. Braden and Micah pushed Aadi through and then with G-War, they jumped in together. The Android carrying Pik stepped out last and the elevator door closed and disappeared from the opening as the room they were in slowed. They lifted off the floor as they entered the zero-g state. The Android leader walked along the floor and opened a door on the other side. Beyond was an empty passage, lined up and down with round doors about an arm-span wide. Beside each door was a small panel. A few had lights that flashed, but most were dark. The Android leader reached into the room and offered a hand to the humans and the ‘cat who floated out of control.

  Braden grabbed G-War’s tail as he floated past and gently pulled him to his chest. He held the ‘cat in one hand, reached for the Android with the other, and was pulled through. He entered the Traveler’s shell, his stomach turning when he realized there was no floor. The small doors that made up the outside repeated infinitely. No matter which way Braden looked, it was the same. These were the cryo-chambers where the settlers slept during their long journey from Earth.

  The Android holding Pik pushed Aadi, then Micah through the door, followed her out and immediately turned upward, climbing a few body lengths until he reached a cable. He waved them up. Pik floated oddly away from the Android, who now held the Lizard Man by one arm.

  Braden turned and pulled himself slowly upward with one hand until he could grip the cable. G-War had turned and embedded his claws in anything soft on Braden’s chest.

  Micah joined them above the door, grasping the cable tightly.

  The Android leader walked up the wall and positioned himself in front of the others. The Android behind tapped something on the wall and the cable began to move, towing them ahead, which Braden assumed was backward, toward the aft end of the ship. Aadi held the short rope tied to Braden’s pack. He swam freely, looking much more like his old self.

  The motion helped settle his stomach. The last thing he wanted was to puke all over the dead Lizard Man.

  They continued for such a long time that Braden’s hand went numb from his tight grip on the cable. He tried to switch hands, but G-War wouldn’t let go. The ‘cat was in zero-g, surrounded by Androids. He was terrified. Braden gave up on his hand and settled for flexing his fingers one at a time.

  He hugged the ‘cat tightly with the other and cooed to him. The ‘cat’s eyes were wide and ears flat to his head. Aadi talked to them over the mindlink, explaining the philosophy of the Tortoids when they couldn’t control the events around them.

  “Soon, my friend, we’ll be back in the open air of Deck 10. It’ll be nice to have some room, don’t you think?” Braden asked rhetorically. G-War didn’t answer. When would this end? He had to consider ways to keep his human from going on these ridiculous journeys. Ahh, the good old days when they plied the trade routes of the north, hunting rabbits and deer in between the towns. And the lady cats. He missed the lady cats.

  Braden watched G-War relax, not knowing what he was thinking, but good with anything that kept the ‘cat from all-out panic.

  Micah was able to switch hands while holding the cable, changing, turning, and facing Braden. “I can’t wait to get into the open air and away from these things.” She flicked her eyes behind her.

  “Exactly what I was thinking. Deck 10 is open and we may even be able to bag some fresh meat. I could use something fresh, cooked hot, pink in the middle, a little charred on the outside.”

  “Of course you’re thinking about food.” She shook her head, smiling. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

  “After we make a quick trip to Deck 9, that is. Pik deserves to rest.” Micah looked back. Being held by one arm, Pik looked like he was flying.

  Braden nodded forward and Micah turned back. They were coming to their stop. The Android leader waved his hand past a panel and the cable slowed. Braden looked closer and saw cables running in all directions from this point. Someone could go in any direction, visit any of thousands of cryo-chambers. How anyone could tell them apart was beyond him.

  The Android leader deftly moved to the doorway of the transition room, stopping it so they could enter. Braden tried to pull himself down, but lost his grip and started floating away. A firm hand grabbed his ankle and pulled him bodily toward the door. The Android leader stood, attached to the wall, guiding Braden downward. He did the same for Micah and then he and the other Android joined them. Once in the room, it started moving, speeding up to match the revolution rate of the core cylinders. The companions stopped floating and planted their feet firmly on the floor.

  54 – A Place to Rest Forever

  The room aligned itself with a door on the inside. They opened it and stepped through to a small passageway with two doors, one for a maintenance room and one for the elevator. They took the elevator up two levels, preferring to exit directly onto Deck 9. The Android leader insisted on opening the door first and stepping out.

  He rushed out and blocked the door with his body, looking left and right, before allowing the others out. Braden wondered if Holly had instructed them to protect the humans.

  The Androids waited for their orders, but this was as much the rainforest as anything else. ‘Well? Dig a grave, a place where we can bury Pik and show proper respect for his sacrifice.”

  The two Androids stooped, using their hands like shov
els, and dug like dogs, throwing the dirt between their legs behind them. They prepared a shallow trench for Pik. Braden and Micah carefully placed the Lizard Man inside. He looked small and peaceful as he lay there. They took out his blasters and placed them at his sides. They were keyed to his hands, so no one else would be able to use them.

  With a nod toward the Androids, they covered him with the muddy dirt.

  The humans bowed their heads while Aadi made a kind speech regarding Pik’s contributions to the companions. Braden looked at the grave. Was that it? Was that all there’d be from Pik Ha’ar, friend and Lizard Man?

  No, that wasn’t all. Pik would sleep here and they’d remember. Only those with no friends died forever. Pik would live on in their minds and in their stories. He was among his own in his rainforest home, but would live on in a much bigger world. He could have been a great help in the Amazonian War, but it wasn’t meant to be.

  They returned to the elevator and went to Deck 10. This elevator system could access any level, and on this radial, there were no vines. They walked through the door into the wide open space of the Livestock Level. It felt good to be in the open air, even if it did smell like livestock.

  55 – What Isn’t Trying to Kill Us?

  The Androids walked with them. Micah put out a hand, stopping them. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “We shall accompany you to the matter transfer chamber and ensure that you are safe until you return to planet Cygnus VII.”

  “No. We’re perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. You need to go. Holly must have something else that you can do.”

  “Holly has instructed these units to remain with the President and ensure her safety.”

  Micah took a deep breath, closing her eyes, trying to calm herself.

  “Just in case, lover. I know Holly always has something he’s doing that we don’t know about, but you can’t fault him for wanting to help us survive. We’ve told him repeatedly what a dangerous place this is.”

  “And you think these things that killed Pik only one turn past will lead us to salvation?” she retorted, angry over the loss of their friend.

  “I think Holly will lead us out of here. The Androids are his tools now. Aadi, what do you think we should do?”

  ‘I was thinking as you, Master Braden. I’ve spent a great deal of time with Holly. I believe he never tells us the complete truth, but shares what he thinks we can handle. His knowledge is so vast that we can’t comprehend all that he knows. He is running this ship, in entirety, from New Sanctuary. Think about that.’ Aadi hesitated as they watched G-War race ahead through the tall grass into an area with small bushes. He emerged with a ground squirrel and devoured it while they watched.

  ‘I think we should keep the Androids on hand as Holly requests. We continue to the matter transfer chamber, meet the survivors from Cygnus VI, and then we go home.’ Aadi swam a little, but tired quickly. He held the rope to Braden’s pack tightly in his beak-like mouth.

  Micah sighed and dropped her head, conceding that this situation was beyond her control. She would adopt the Tortoid philosophy of tuck your head in and ride the wind.

  ‘Ess, we’re on Deck 10. Where are you?’ Braden asked over the mindlink.

  ‘We are returning to the matter transfer chamber. We fell asleep and lost track of time. We didn’t want to miss meeting the survivors. That was your last request of us. We don’t want to let you down,’ Skirill said apologetically.

  ‘I think you still have some time before they show up, Ess, and you aren’t letting us down, no matter what. You already made it further than we imagined; you made it all the way back, on your own. I’m proud of you two. We’re not far behind, but we may kill something to eat on the way. Say hi to the survivors for us and don’t let them go anywhere near those vines!’

  The ‘cat finished his meal and cleaned his face, licking a paw, wiping it around his mouth and over his head. His ears stood up straight as he exuded contentment. “What do you think, G? Can you point us in the direction of something that we might enjoy?” Braden asked as they joined the ‘cat.

  ‘Yes. That way, not far. A wild boar.’ Braden and Micah looked at each other, pleased with the selection. Braden pulled his bow, checked it, and nocked an arrow. They walked lightly in the direction G-War indicated. The Androids dutifully followed.

  “Would you stay back? We’re hunting.”

  “No. We must stay with the President.”

  “Fine,” she said definitively. She wasn’t fine with them or the situation. Braden never understood why she said fine when she was anything but. It usually meant he’d done something wrong. He was happy not to be on the receiving end of the not-so-fine fine.

  He continued forward as Micah stopped, flanked by her Android protectors. He couldn’t see anything as he watched the grasses. He suspected the pigs were small where he wouldn’t see them until he was nearly on top of them. He readied himself for a snapshot at a moving target. He stopped and thought about the spinning deck. If he shot one way, the arrow would drift this way and a little different if shooting another way. But if it was a short-range shot, would he need to compensate for the drift? His head started to hurt. He decided to aim what he called planet normal. If it drifted, he’d chase them down and try again. It was nice to be in the open. He’d accept that as the victory and making a kill as an added bonus.

  A small stand of trees stood some distance away, but with the curvature of the deck, Braden realized that it wasn’t far. The wild boars had to be in there. There was no breeze, so he stalked straight ahead, bent low, keeping his eyes barely above the tall grasses.

  His legs started to hurt from crouching, but it was a good pain. He was earning their dinner. He started to circle as he approached, looking to shoot his prey from the grass. What was that?

  In the middle of the trees lay a massive creature, rivaling the King of the Aurochs in size. Braden snuck closer. Surely wild boars wouldn’t be near this? He heard G-War laughing in his head.

  “What the …?” Braden said out loud as the creature stood, the size of a small hut. The boar must have smelled him because it stamped and snorted, but its eyes were wide with fear.

  It was terrified of the human. It bolted through the trees away from him. As he relaxed, he saw that it wasn’t alone. There were many smaller pigs, flailing in the wake of their Aurochs-sized leader. He fired quickly, hitting one in the back. It went down, but struggled to pull itself forward with just its front legs. He hated missing his shot and causing an animal undue pain. He ran toward it, loosing a second arrow that hit home and saving the pig from further misery.

  He watched as the wild boar pack led by the single massive beast continued running toward the upward curve of the land.

  Micah joined him to butcher the pig that only seemed small compared to the other one. They cut out the choice parts and started a fire with a spit. Smoke drifted skyward, twisting with the rotation. It smelled like a good hard wood from Warren Deep. The pork cooked quickly as the slices were thin. They ate the first pieces while they were too hot, but they savored them nonetheless. They let the rest cool before eating. G-War joined them, not hungry for anything from the pig. Aadi ate some raw pork, cut in fine strips that were easier for him to swallow.

  They hated to leave the meat as they didn’t believe in waste, but it couldn’t be helped. They filled their numbweed pouches with raw meat for Aadi and the Hawkoids and they overcooked some that they could eat later.

  They leaned back and relaxed, enjoying the open air and the smell of their cook fire.

  G-War sat near the fire, his ears perked up, twisting as if he were trying to hear something that wasn’t there.

  ‘They come,’ he said finally, the words they always dreaded hearing.

  56 – Wolfoids

  The humans scrambled to pull their blasters and prepare for an unknown attack. The Androids looked around, trying to see what caused the humans to act this way. “G? What’s coming, from where?�
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  The ‘cat pointed in a direction. They moved to positions behind the trees and leaned out, looking for a new enemy. G-War was on edge and that always bothered Braden.

  Through the grasslands, a party approached. The dogs, walking on two legs and carrying Old Tech spears, were in a loose formation, one up front then two behind on the flanks, then two more further back, further out--an inverted V.

  ‘Allies, my friends. We could not have made it anywhere on this ship without our past and hopefully future allies,’ Aadi whispered into their minds. Braden looked at the ‘cat. G-War looked back and nodded.

  ‘What can I say? I don’t like dogs.’ The humans looked at him and the absurdity of the situation as the Androids marched past them preparing to fire at the newcomers.

  “Hold, Androids, hold! Do not fire,” Micah commanded. G-War raced up the tree and sat on a branch overlooking the dogs’ approach. Braden and Micah moved out to meet them, blasters carried loosely in their hands.

  The leader of the dog party held up one paw, stopping the group. The creatures appeared to be very large dogs trying to act human. Their bodies were canine, back legs ending in large, wide paws. Their front paws had short fingers and what looked like a thumb. Their heads were large, furred with ears sticking upright. A short muzzle showed long canines. Their body fur was a blend of gray and light brown.

  They each carried a spear, which they also used as a walking stick.

  ‘They call themselves Wolfoids,’ G-War said without further explanation.

  “I’m Free Trader Braden, Caretaker, and this is President Micah. We recently escaped an enemy in the forward core and are traveling aft, to the Engineering space. We hope that we can call you friend and cross your land in peace.”