Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  G-War and Aadi joined them while the Androids stood outside the hut, watching.

  Braden and Micah didn’t remember laying down. They opened their eyes slowly. There was no threat, no sense of urgency. It was nice to wake up and not have an emergency. They didn’t know how long they’d been asleep, but they felt refreshed. They stretched stiff muscles and walked outside into the bright daylight. They missed the dark period in one way or another.

  The Androids were nowhere to be seen. Micah’s first thought was that the survivors arrived and the Androids had been released for other duties, to get the ship back into peak condition.

  Then a yip, a pained yelp, and angry barking. The humans ran to the sound. The Androids were firing their lasers into one of the huts. Bounder appeared from nowhere and lightning leapt from his spear, engulfing an Android body. The Android stiffened, then returned to action, albeit more slowly.

  Braden and Micah pulled their blasters and fired short bursts. Braden’s was at the end of its power. He’d forgotten to recharge it. He threw it to the ground and reached for his other blaster, the one often forgotten on his left side.

  The Android leader turned and fired at them, but dust kicked up from running Wolfoids threw off its aim. Braden and Micah dodged, dove, and rolled into more protected firing positions. Micah ended the Android leader's life with a well-aimed shot that cut up its neck and into its head. Braden crawled forward, firing short bursts, mostly unaimed, but many hit the other Android. It returned fire at him. Micah had a clean shot and fired a long burst into its mid-section. It fell face first into the dirt. She ran to them and fired long bursts into the heads of each, making sure they were dead.

  Braden dusted himself off before joining her. Soft whines came from inside the hut. Bounder and Gray Strider bumped past the humans. Within, Shredder was hunched over his mate. The Androids had tried to remove her bracelet while she slept, but she woke up. She fought them, but lost. Her body started to stiffen as Bounder cried and howled beside her. Shredder’s bracelet was nowhere to be seen.

  Braden searched the Androids, returning with a command bracelet. Bounder was furious, not at the humans but at the loss of Shredder’s mate. He tolerated the Androids because they were with the humans, who he trusted completely.

  The Androids’ betrayal only solidified his resolve to spread the influence of the Wolfoids. If all Wolfoids were in this one village, then how easily his entire race could be wiped out.

  Braden and Micah thought about the Rabbit People, too. It had been awhile. They were a mere two Decks overhead, enjoying their lives tending their gardens. They would send for them on a future trip. The Rabbit People wanted to see Vii and deserved the chance to make a difference. There were no better farmers that Braden could think of.

  G-War walked into the hut and sat on the floor by Shredder. He leaned his scarred orange body against the larger, tormented Wolfoid and purred. He rubbed his ear, bite mark prominent, on the shaggy gray beast’s chest. The Wolfoid nuzzled him, whimpering. Braden felt G-War sharing Shredder’s pain, lightening the Wolfoid’s burden.

  Who would have thought ‘cats and dogs would get along. Braden would not have believed it if he hadn’t seen it for himself. Maybe it was the ‘cat’s hatred of the Androids that made him feel sorry for the new Alpha.

  Bounder and Gray Strider watched as G-War helped Shredder through the worst of his pain. Micah scratched around their ears and down their necks absently while she watched. The Wolfoids looked at her oddly.

  ‘That is how a mother would nuzzle her young, Master Micah,’ Aadi offered.

  “I’m sorry. I meant no offense. It is how we humans show affection.” She bowed to her Wolfoid hosts. “I’m sorry that the Androids betrayed us. This isn’t the first time. We carry many scars, some are from the Androids. Aadi carries the worst scars.” She pointed to the repairs on his shell.

  ‘Then why did you trust them? Why did you bring them here?’ he asked, forlorn.

  “We are linked with a hologram from the planet. He was confident that he could control them, once we defeated the Androids and gave him access. He failed. If you see any more of these things around, shoot first. Kill them and we’ll all be better off.”

  ‘I fear that our spears are not powerful enough for these creatures, but we will try.’

  “And we’ll ask Holly to get them back under control. We need them to fix the systems within the ship. If it weren’t for the Androids, your water would not be flowing. They are really good at those kinds of things. It is what they were made for after all.”

  ‘Holly, the crapping Androids turned on us. Don’t ever let that happen again,’ Micah said without preamble.

  ‘The final stage of the transfer took nearly all of my attention. The Android leader had a unique program and waited until I was at my greatest distraction. He fought back and freed himself and the other. But the first group of survivors are through and healthy. I have redoubled my efforts to control the Androids, adding some unique subprograms to prevent them from breaking free. I have a myriad of tasks for them, but they should not leave the subdecks. Everything they need to do is there.’

  She thanked Holly and shut the window. “Only these two freed themselves from Holly. He has the rest doing his bidding. I think we’re free to go. By the way, the first group of survivors is here.”

  Braden helped the Wolfoids dig a grave for Sun Strider, Shredder’s mate. All members of the village turned out for a short, solemn ceremony marked by yips, yelps, and soft howling.

  When it was over, each went their own way toward the boars, toward the fields, toward the lake. Shredder stood alone in the village center, watching it all.

  He was responsible for the village and he couldn’t let them down. When the time was right, Bounder would send for volunteers to join them in the new world. He would pass the Alpha and go. Until then, the village counted on him. Bounder and Gray Strider put their faith in him. How quickly he’d failed, but no more. He’d make them proud. His ears perked as he listened to his people going about their chores. He heard the strange sounds of the humans putting on their gear. He couldn’t hear the ‘cat as it walked past, or the Tortoid as it swam by, nothing marking his passing.

  He realized he had one thing he needed to do. He returned to their hut where the Android bodies were still sprawled. He dragged each of them to Sun Strider’s grave and arranged them, sitting as sentinels to protect her for eternity. With that done, he returned to see the companions off.

  Braden and Micah bowed and waved as they turned away from the village and headed aft. Aadi clung to his rope while G-War jogged alongside. Bounder and Gray Strider waited to rub necks one last time with Shredder, wishing him peace in his time of grief. And then, they too were off, walking quickly, two-legged like the humans.

  “We’ll head straight for the aft bulkhead and once there, we’ll find the corridor we used before, the one that’s closest to the matter transfer chamber. Then we’ll join the others and wait. Maybe we can find crew quarters that are unoccupied where we can stash the survivors.”

  ‘Skirill, Zyena, are you with the people from Cygnus VI?’ Braden asked over the mindlink.

  ‘Yes. They are here. I am with Doctor Johns now. He was the first one through. They know to stay away from the vines and to remain in this area. Are you far?’

  ‘Not far away at all, Ess. We are bringing two new friends, and Aadi is almost completely his old self. We’re looking for the corridor to the Engineering spaces now. See you soon, my friends.’ Braden closed with a smile.

  They started jogging, which the Wolfoids preferred. Micah was pleased not to have the Androids near her. Even after they changed, she couldn’t trust them. She shook her head, lamenting their collective failure with the Androids. First Pik, and then Sun Strider.

  They started angling counter to Deck 10’s rotation. They covered ground more quickly, while finding the correct radial. The telltale sign would be the forward bulkhead covered with killer vines. The Wolfoi
ds didn’t know what they were, but knew to avoid them. Braden and Micah agreed. The universal approach to dealing with the vines was to stay away. Maybe President Micah could order the Androids to clear out all the killer vines on the ship. That could happily reduce the numbers of both to more manageable levels.

  The humans started feeling good about the shape of things to come.

  58 – Peace

  The remainder of the trip to the Engineering spaces was uneventful. Even the corridor with the dropped boxes of trash held no surprises. They walked down it carefully, Micah leading the way with her President’s bracelet held prominently in front of her. G-War, Aadi, the Wolfoids, and finally Braden brought up the rear. They stalked more than walked, prepared for anything.

  It was interesting watching the Wolfoids climb stairs. They dropped to all fours and bounded up them, holding their spears in one mutant paw while running on three legs. Their spears never left their paws.

  When they finally saw the red light of the Engineering Security Unit, they were both relieved and surprised. The final door slid open noiselessly and they were treated to the Engineering spaces, now bathed in a soft white light. They shrugged and put their flashlights away. Holly had been busy.

  Two Hawkoids flew toward them, landing expertly on the handrail of the walkway.

  Braden and Micah immediately moved close to scratch neck feathers and wing roots. Alarmed, Bounder and Gray Strider assumed attack positions. Aadi floated in front of them.

  ‘These are our friends. They represent the Hawkoid Nation, Skirill on the left and his mate Zyena. Meet Bounder and Gray Strider, Wolfoid leaders who will travel to Vii with us and prepare the planet so we can relocate some of the Wolfoids, guaranteeing their survival.’

  ‘My apologies for the alarm, Skirill, Zyena. This is all new to us. We are pleased to make your acquaintance.’ Bounder moved close and sniffed both the Hawkoids, who leaned back, away from the large muzzle of the fearsome creature.

  Standing straight on their back legs, Bounder towered over Braden while Gray Strider and the humans were roughly the same height. The Wolfoid leader’s muzzle was long and wide. As he sniffed, his lips pulled back, showing a mouthful of sharp teeth and canines that extended below his lower jaw. His shaggy gray and brown hair gave him a rough appearance. Long hairs grew from his eyebrows, giving his face a sinister look. Braden watched the Hawkoid’s alarm as they took in his features.

  He scratched behind Bounder’s ears, the Wolfoid leaning into the human’s fingers, angling his neck to make sure the best spot was covered. Skirill chuckled. The fearsome creature also acted like a friendly dog. G-War stood on his back legs, putting one paw against the Wolfoid for balance as he leaned toward Zyena.

  ‘Pik?’ Skirill asked over the mindlink. He knew the Lizard Man had died, but wanted to hear how.

  “Holly told us where the Androids’ lair was, nexus, he called it. They were using those computers to access the rest of the ship. We waded in, all of us armed with blasters. It was filled with Androids, but Pik wasn’t afraid. He took a large group, standing in the center and tried to kill them all himself. What we didn’t know was that those units were inactive, but Androids shot at him from close by and around them. He was caught in the crossfire. But he continued firing, even as he died. That made it possible for us to move and return fire. Without him, we could not have cleared the nexus. We found Aadi and G-War accessed a terminal that an Android left active. That gave Holly the key, and we defeated the Androids,” Micah explained. The more she told the story, the easier it became to deal with Pik’s death.

  ‘We understand. It’s good that you were able to get blasters for him. The Androids were formidable enemies. They were as dangerous as a mutie Bear. And it’s good that the Golden Warrior is skilled in using Old Tech. Who would have thought our lives would depend on a ‘cat using a computer?’ Skirill said. Zyena bobbed slightly.

  G-War dropped to all fours and headed down the catwalk toward the elevator. That was right, his furry paws saved them all and they better not forget it!

  Braden doubled over with a good belly laugh. His friends were in perfect form. The Wolfoids looked confused, turning their heads one way and then the other.

  “We’ve been together for a while and each of us have our strengths, but the one thing we never forget is each other’s weaknesses. It keeps us humble.” Braden’s sincerity convinced the Wolfoids they’d done the right thing in joining the humans.

  “We have children on Vii, and I can’t wait to see them,” Micah added.

  ‘You have a litter?’ Gray Strider asked.

  “No. We have twins. A boy and a girl,” Micah tried to explain.

  ‘A small litter then. We also look forward to seeing them. Maybe soon we will add another litter of our own, but this time, truly in the open air of an entire planet.’

  Skirill interrupted them, nodding his head toward a group of humans below, waving energetically at the catwalk.

  “Almost forgot, we have visitors!” Braden said to the companions. “Hello!” he bellowed to the group below. “We’ll be right down.” He turned smartly and followed G-War toward the elevator. Aadi swam after them.

  59 – The Survivors from Cygnus VI

  “You are Free Trader Braden, and you are President Micah. We are so happy to finally meet you,” Doctor Johns said, shaking Braden and Micah’s hands vigorously. “I can’t thank you two enough for everything you’ve done for us.” The other eleven survivors surrounded them, slapping them heartily on their shoulders. Some of them tried to pet G-War, but he was having none of it.

  The Wolfoids stood apart, until they were introduced in addition to Aadi and the ‘cat. The survivors knew about the bioengineering efforts, but never realized the creatures would achieve sentience and then be given equal status with humans.

  They weren’t opposed. They were scientists. They simply never contemplated the variable. They huddled around the companions, studying them, until the companions’ discomfort pressed heavily on Braden and Micah through their mindlink.

  “Let’s go somewhere we can sit down. Maybe find a fabricator to get you some food?” Micah started herding the survivors away from the animal companions.

  ‘Holly? Is there a room with a food fabricator anywhere near here? We need to get the survivors settled someplace better than on the floor. If there are Crew Quarters available, that would be best, but they need to be unoccupied. No electrified humans this time, please,’ Braden said.

  ‘Continue the direction you are going until you find the next radial access corridor. Follow it to the end. It will be identical to the other one. I’m not reading any activity from within. The Golden Warrior should be able to tell you if there are any creatures.’ Holly seemed to be better, less pressured and more in control.

  ‘Thanks. Do you control the Androids again, Holly?’ Braden asked, wanting to be sure.

  ‘Yes. I am clearing up some issues now. I won’t start the transfer of the last group from Cygnus VI until everything is ready, and then it will go far more quickly.’

  Braden reduced his window. “We’ll keep going in this direction until we see the next elevator and corridor access. We’ll take that to Crew Quarters which should be unoccupied.” He spoke to no one in particular, but the people deserved to know what they were doing and where they were going.

  Skirill and Zyena flew ahead to find the corridor, to give them distance.

  Braden wanted to run ahead as well. He didn’t want to lead a group like this into a fight. These people looked soft. None of them had weapons. They wouldn’t survive the first few heartbeats of combat, so it was his responsibility to keep them away from a fight.

  ‘I know, lover. You carry the burden of keeping them safe, so you go ahead. I’ll bring them along, slowly, give you time to find a temporary home for us,’ Micah told him using the mindlink. She’d been listening to his thoughts, although she knew him well and could have easily guessed what he was thinking. There was no surprise in her
thought voice.

  “Bounder and Gray Strider, let’s go ahead, make sure the way is clear.” He jogged past them as the group of humans stopped. The Wolfoids were only too happy to do something. G-War ran ahead while Aadi stayed with Micah. They didn’t have to travel far. They jogged to the next elevator and took it up, in one tightly packed group. The Wolfoids were uncomfortable inside the elevator, their fear evidenced by a strong scent.

  The doors opened after a few heartbeats and they continued down the catwalk toward the access corridor. Braden checked to make sure everyone had their bracelets. He waved farewell to the Hawkoids, who remained on the railing, and they entered the corridor.

  He looked behind him, noting the Engineering Security Unit on the wall. They had active bracelets. It was no threat.

  This corridor was clear and well lit. They walked boldly down its middle, passing doors to storage units, offices, and another elevator, which Braden checked and it appeared to be functional.

  When they reached the last door on the right, G-War sat before the Crew Quarters door and reached out with his ‘cat senses. He couldn’t feel anything. Braden trusted the ‘cat to find living creatures, but if there were Bots or Androids, G-War wouldn’t feel them. He pulled his blaster as the Wolfoids readied their spears. G-War crouched, prepared to bolt through the open door.

  Braden waved his bracelet and the door slid aside. G-War ran through. Braden next. The Wolfoids walked through at the ready, but stayed in the doorway. Braden needed to talk to them about how to enter a room more safely. Standing in the middle of the doorway of an unknown room could get you shot.

  Not in this case, though. The Crew Quarters were clean and unoccupied. Braden checked the first door of the left hallway. The room was neat, the bed made as if the person would return at any moment. He opened a few more doors and the results were identical.