Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  They found most of the companions by the small lake at the center of the oasis. The twins climbed into a pile with the Rabbits. G-War left the comfort of Wolfoid fur to join them.

  ‘Go, enjoy your soft bed. It’s the least I can do for you since you’ll be taking me to Cornwall once every moon…’ G-War told them, waving them away with one furry paw. The Hawkoids were perched on a branch nearby while Aadi hovered serenely over the lake.

  “They are probably safer here than they were with us inside. Just let us know when they wake up and we’ll collect them.” Braden and Micah hurried back indoors, finding renewed energy in being alone in the Presidential Suite. The wine they ordered when they returned didn’t hurt the mood at all.

  Optics

  Everyone wanted a few heartbeats of Braden and Micah’s time. They barely had time to feed and wash the children before the Rabbits and G-War whisked them away. G-War always preferred to stay as far from the New Command Center as possible. He didn’t like the underground. The only inside he would tolerate was their small home in Greentree. He was a Hillcat, and like him, the rest of the companions preferred the great outdoors. They left so Braden and Micah could deal with the survivors of Cygnus VI.

  The first to accost them was Dr. Johns. Out of breath from running to catch up, he asked them for neural access to Holly. The survivors had their own neural implants, but Braden was hesitant to give them access because they were the remaining ancients, the people who had destroyed Vii in a violent holocaust. He couldn’t give that kind of power back to them.

  “No,” Braden said, shocking Dr. Johns. Braden didn’t elaborate and turned to walk away.

  “I’m sorry, Master President, please, we need access to the AI if we are to make the changes that we need to the system,” he pleaded, using his body to block their way.

  “And that is why you don’t get access. You aren’t going to change the system. You can work with certain elements to improve our ability to find the Overlords, but other changes cannot happen. We’ve established certain… What did Holly call them? Protocols, yes, that’s it. We’ve established certain protocols to prevent what happened four-hundred cycles ago. I’m sorry. Let’s go to the Command Center and see what we have. We need to know where the Overlords are. We’ll take care of it from there,” Micah said smoothly.

  They pushed past Dr. Johns, heading for the elevator to the New Command Center. He wasn’t so easily brushed off. “That’s just it. We need some more access. The weapons platforms have the best sensors and we need to access them. And we need risk no one else’s lives. With the push of a button, we can eliminate the threat and get back to building our spaceship!”

  Braden and Micah both stopped and faced him. Micah’s expression turned ice cold. “Listen very carefully, Dr. Johns. You will never have full access to Holly. You will never be able to push a button and kill people. You will not avoid the horrors. War must be so terrible that people will do almost anything to avoid it. It must be the last resort, and in this case, it is, but that decision can only be made by the ones with the most to lose, not someone sitting safely in an underground facility, watching it on the monitors,” she finished her lecture, then continued. “Do you have access through the workstations?”

  “Yes, but…” he tried to continue but Micah cut him off.

  “Then you have sufficient access. Don’t make me banish you to the wilds of this planet. As I said, we will do almost anything to avoid war. No one will make war easy, not even you, Dr. Johns.” She glared at him until he looked away, hanging his head. “Let’s go take a look at what your people have been able to find on the Overlords, and you said something about a spaceship?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer. The old man followed them like a whipped puppy. They had no idea what he was thinking, so they did as they always did. ‘G, Dr. Johns isn’t planning on trying anything to get more access to Holly is he?’ Braden asked over the mindlink.

  ‘No,’ the ‘cat answered. Braden tightened his jaw.

  ‘Ass! We need him to lead his people in the search for the Overlords. Search only. We won’t allow him to fight the war from the safety of the Command Center. What does he want to do next?’

  ‘He is thinking about the spaceship and traveling within the Cygnus system. He is thinking about Micah’s words, and why it’s important to make war painful. He’s questioning his own understanding of it and ashamed at not seeing the truth before. He will do as you ask to the best of his ability, and I don’t believe he’ll try to use anything beyond the access he already has. Now if you’ll excuse me, my children need me,’ G-War closed the mindlink.

  “That ‘cat! One of these days…” Braden said out loud. Micah just shook her head.

  She was pleased with what she heard. They needed Dr. Johns and his people to find a different way to live. If it meant building a spaceship, she had no problem with that. Exploration was what she, Braden, and the companions had been doing ever since they started traveling as a caravan.

  “Dr. Johns, how are your people settling in? Is there anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, more fulfilling?” Micah asked as she slowed her pace to let him catch up.

  “Compared to what we had in the station on Cygnus VI, this place is paradise. We can ask for nothing better. The food fabricators really are exceptional! Not in my whole life had I tasted meals like we have here. I expect we’ll all get fat. Can you imagine, a bunch of scientists running the perimeter of New Sanctuary every day to stay in shape?” He started to chuckle.

  G-War was right. How quickly his mood changed when the rules and the reason for them were clearly defined. He was a scientist and liked rules, the parameters within which he worked. Dr. Johns decided that he liked the President and her partner. He honestly believed that they put the best interest of the whole planet before anything else.

  How odd. Almost unnatural, but Dr. Johns supported them because he knew, in their position, he simply would have pushed the button and moved on to different matters. But where does one draw the line? What if the next creature is almost as bad as the Overlords? And the next? Soon, a war engulfs the planet and if anyone survives, they start over.

  Dr. Johns had thought that wisdom came from experience, but he was wrong. These two were so young, but they’d already taught him how wisdom differed from being well-educated.

  Aadi watched from the shadows, nodding slowly. The Tortoid was old, nearly two-hundred cycles. He saw wisdom as being surrounded by the right people, the right creatures, and listening, always listening. No one wanted to fight this war except the Overlords. They had to be stopped, but Braden and Micah wouldn’t compromise who they were to do it.

  Aadi swam toward the lake. He had much to think about. He expected he would ask to accompany the group back to the ship where his negotiation skills with the Lizard Men could make the difference in bringing back more than just Pik Ha’ar.

  Intelligence

  They hadn’t experienced the New Command Center since the survivors had moved in. When the elevator door opened, they were treated to a beehive of activity. Although there were only twenty-three of them, it seemed that nearly all of the group from Cygnus VI were in this one room at one time. They churned around various terminals, looked at the wall of monitors, wrote on clipboards, and were embroiled in their own affairs.

  Dr. Johns stepped past Braden and Micah and clapped his hands sharply to get attention. The noise in the room slowly died as more and more people saw that they had visitors. Most knew the President had arrived, and as the ancients’ culture dictated, the workers deferred to the leaders.

  Micah was uncomfortable with all eyes on her. Braden started to step aside to give her more room, but she grabbed his arm before he was out of reach. She held his hand, giving him a close-lipped smile. The group stood, looking at Micah and she looked back. She turned to Dr. Johns. “What?”

  “They expect you to tell them about the war, motivate them for their role in it,” he nodded encouragingly.

/>   Same speech she just gave him, she thought. So she walked to the front of the room, dragging Braden behind her. She turned and faced the group of eager faces. Most were middle-aged or older. Micah respected their capabilities and their newfound energy. She took a deep, calming breath and started speaking in a strong voice.

  “We can’t tell you enough how much we appreciate having you here. We hope you’re comfortable in all ways.” Heads nodded as she had their attention. A couple people glanced at their computer monitors, but quickly returned their attention to her.

  “We were talking with Dr. Johns, and we understand that you would be more efficient if you had a direct neural link with Holly.” On cue, Holly appeared next to her, smiling and standing in his perfect holographically-projected posture. She nodded and returned her attention to the audience that whispered a chorus of “yes,” complete with smiles and nods. “We can’t allow that.”

  Jaws dropped and hung slack at the revelation.

  “We can’t allow that because it goes against all that we stand for. No one despises war more than those who fight it. If you wish to fight, grab a sword and join us as we trip our way through the swamps of the rainforest in search of the Overlords. Or help us find them and we will walk a straight line to them. I am told you can make the adjustments and work with Holly through the terminals to help refine the systems that can tell us where the Overlords are. No, it’s not the best way, but it is a way that doesn’t send us down a path we don’t want to go. Please have patience and keep working toward finding our enemy, then we’ll do the rest.

  “The war will not and cannot be fought from here. Once you no longer feel the personal pain of battle, lives become cheap. We can’t ever have that,” she said firmly, looking with narrowed eyes from face to face.

  “After we’ve won the war, you can work on your spaceship. Once we have peace here, we become explorers again, just like the ancients, but this time, we won’t destroy everything we’ve built.” Micah waved to signal that she was done with her speech.

  When Dr. Johns walked toward the front of the room and started to clap, the clones joined him and started to cheer as well. He wore a broad smile. Once the cheers died down, he started issuing orders, giving direction to each person. With renewed vigor, they jumped on their terminals and dug into the systems using the keyboards, touchscreens, and mice. Dr. Johns winked and said he would have a proper progress report in the afternoon. He suggested they relax and do something fun.

  Braden took the older man’s hand and shook it, happy that he understood and supported the world they were trying to create.

  Braden gave Dr. Johns the pouch with the grass from the southern plains, the grass that caused those who ate it to grow lethargic and feeble minded. “Have that analyzed, please. Is it bad for the Aurochs to keep eating? And thanks, Dr. Johns,” Braden said in a low voice.

  They both watched as the President shook hands with people and wished them the best while casually working her way toward the elevator. Braden didn’t want to be left behind. He freed himself from the conversations and caught up with his partner as the elevator doors opened. They entered, completing their escape from the confines of the New Command Center.

  They both enjoyed the relief that the sun brought, walking casually, holding hands as they liked to do. They found the twins riding on Aadi. Someone had rigged a small harness that they used to hang on. Micah looked from face to face trying to find the perpetrator. G-War showed both his paws – no thumbs. The Wolfoids looked away, keeping their front paws out of sight. The Rabbits also took great interest in something on the ground. Aadi floated back down and told the children it was time to get off. Then the crying started. Ax tried to hug Aadi’s neck so Braden couldn’t pull him off. ‘Tesh flattened her body across Aadi’s shell so her father couldn’t get her.

  Braden rubbed his temples and looked to Micah. “Your children need to get down now,” he said, trying to sound calm.

  “My children? You have nothing to do with this?” she shot back. They both turned and looked at Aadi. “And where were you when all this was going on?”

  The Tortoid tried to shake the children from his shell, but they clung tightly, refusing to move. Brandt come running from somewhere, causing everyone to look. He slowed, coming to a stop in front of Aadi. He bowed his head until his horns were within grabbing distance. The twins both jumped for them and Brandt pulled his head away. The two went sprawling into the sand. Aadi floated out of their reach and swam over the lake, turning and looking back. Then the second round of crying began, so the parents scooped up the overtired children and headed for the Presidential Suite.

  “Come on, all of you. You know they won’t be able to sleep without you there.” The Rabbits, Wolfoids, and Hillcat hopped, padded, and walked after them.

  Four Turns From Now…

  After a good nap, everyone was in a better mood. The twins returned to the lake under Brandt’s watchful eye while the Rabbits tended to the fields, scolding the Development Unit for some of its improper gardening techniques. The Bot couldn’t understand the Rabbits, but they gave it an earful regardless.

  The Wolfoids stayed nearby, hoping they could accompany Braden and Micah back to the ship. They wanted to go, and in their minds, they deserved to go. G-War would go wherever Braden led and the ‘cat appreciated having the Wolfoids along. He felt they were shaping up to be respectable hunters. He liked how they handled the spear-throwing villagers of Cornwall, delivering overwhelming force without hesitation. Braden and Micah liked having them nearby.

  The Hawkoids wanted to go, but this trip might not be best for them as they would spend too much time in the smaller corridors where Skirill and Zyena couldn’t fly.

  Aadi had to go. Although the Lizard Men didn’t respond to him like the Amazonians, they still believed he could make a difference.

  The only ones who had no desire at all to go were the humans. Braden and Micah dreaded the return to the ship.

  The Rabbits did not care in the least if they went. They wanted more of their kind to come to Vii, but were patient, knowing that it would be better if they were successful in the war against the Overlords before exposing any of their fellow Rabbits to harm. Which reminded them to ask about Ferrer and Brigitte.

  ‘I don’t know how he is, but he was already looking better when we left Village Dwyer. I’m sure he’s just fine,’ Micah tried to reassure the Rabbits.

  ‘Does Bronwyn still have the communication device?’ Braden asked.

  Micah looked dumbfounded. How could she have forgotten? All this time they rode around wondering. She accessed her neural implant and sent a message to the device. A few heartbeats later, Bronwyn answered, happy that they called.

  Ferrer was mostly healed, and he and Brigitte spent most of the day in the field directing the farmers and helping them understand how the plants could grow bigger, have larger yields. No one argued with the Rabbits as they already had the plants looking far healthier.

  The refugees were slowly integrating with the villagers, but it was difficult. Food was constantly in short supply. The Amazonians delivered smaller and smaller loads of mushrooms. They had to divert more of their people to security patrols. Zalastar and Akhmiyar had stopped by twice to check in. They said that they hadn’t made progress in finding any information related to the location of the Overlords. Bronwyn had searched her mind over and over following the Bat-Raven attack, but nothing in their thoughts showed her the way. She only saw trees from their perspective, flying. She couldn’t follow the path they’d taken through the rainforest. She was sorry, but the Bat-Ravens’ minds were too dark and horrific for her to dig too deeply.

  Micah apologized for asking too much of one so young. In these times, everyone had to carry more weight than they should. Micah couldn’t promise it would get better, as they didn’t know when they’d be back. It wasn’t very comforting to tell one who was only twelve cycles old that the future was dark, but they’d found it was better to tell Bronwyn the t
ruth, even if she didn’t like it.

  Bronwyn said she understood and gently closed the connection. Micah stared into the distance as she heard the young girl click off. She recovered her wits and told Patrice and Delavigne that Ferrer was on the mend and in the fields every day. The two Rabbits hopped in glee and clapped their furry paws together.

  With good news came more good news. Patrice was pregnant.

  That made the decision on who was going to the ship easier. The Rabbits were not going through the matter transfer process. No one wanted to risk Patrice’s babies.

  With Holly’s help, the companions were able to make a fire within the oasis. The Bots hovered nearby, temporarily prevented from dousing the flames. They roasted a whole deer on a wood spit, turning it gradually over the fire. The Rabbits had to turn away, working with the vegetables they picked from what was left of the vast fields. The horses weren’t doing too much damage, but the four Aurochs were wreaking havoc. The young bulls were much smaller than Brandt, but it seemed they took it as a challenge to ingest a similar volume of food. All of them waddled out of the fields and found space around the lake to lie down and digest.

  Braden insisted that everyone join them. There was so much in their world to lament that when possible, he wanted to celebrate a victory. Something as simple as arriving at New Sanctuary was a success. They’d been attacked four times on their trip, and they were stronger for it. They’d added two villages to the trade route. They’d found a vast herd of Aurochs. They’d found an easy route from east to west as the ancients’ road was mostly intact, and it was a way to get to New Sanctuary without going through the rainforest.

  Braden and Micah facilitated while the others talked over the mindlink. To the few people from Cygnus VI who strolled by, the gathering looked odd. The humans and the animal companions would all chuckle or grunt or make other noises, without anything said out loud. The survivors knew they were communicating but couldn’t hear them. The other humans moved on, leaving the President and her closest friends to their silent celebration.