Aadi tried to apologize for giving the twins rides, but he wasn’t really sorry. The twins giggled and tottered toward him anew, but were caught mid-stride by their parents. The others laughed about it and Gray Strider admitted that she had tied the harness onto Aadi. Their front paws had opposable thumbs and short fingers. They couldn’t be seen because of the long hair on their legs, but it gave them a distinct advantage over those without.
G-War held up his furry paw in his mocking way of giving the one-finger salute. The Rabbits held up their paws to show that they also had an opposable thumb and stubby fingers. G-War exposed his long claws, then retracted them, and then held them out. The Wolfoids were impressed. Aadi swam to the middle of the group, trying to show them his feet which looked more like stumps. He turned back and forth while floating at head level, far out of the reach of the children.
Everyone laughed at Aadi’s counter to G-War’s claws. Brandt tried to show his mighty horns but was unable to lift his head as he was half-asleep. Skirill and Zyena, perched on a low branch just over the humans, jumped together, each beating the air once, then turned opposite directions to demonstrate their aerobatic prowess. They gained altitude, dove, and flew upward again. They swooped low over the lake, tracing one claw in the water as they passed, then twisted between each other, tucking their wings as they passed in a complex series of high-speed maneuvers. The group cheered as they back-winged to land where they started. Their chests rose together as they breathed hard from their efforts to impress the others.
No one needed any physical displays. They’d all demonstrated in one way or another what they could do, and more importantly, what they would do for their friends.
Braden stood and held his cup of wine up for all to see. The group quieted.
“I can ask for no better friends than those gathered here,” he started, trying to control a struggling Axial. He put the boy down so he could run to the Rabbits, where he quickly settled down. Micah let De’atesh join her brother. “We celebrate all things that make life worth living. To Patrice and Delavigne, we congratulate you and look forward to seeing the first of many Rabbits to be born on Vii’s surface. You will start new generations who will live here as equals. To the rest of you, thank you for everything you’ve done for the caravan, for the trade route. We shouldn’t ask more from you, but we will, and none of you are surprised, are you?” He waited as they chuckled and yipped, heads bobbing.
“We have to go back to the ship and we’ll leave in four turns. The decision on who goes was difficult. We feel safer when all of you are with us, but we can’t take you all. Patrice can’t travel, so we’re asking for you to protect our greatest treasures, these two.” He pointed at the children, already held tightly against the Rabbit’s white fur. “Skirill and Zyena, Brandt and those in your charge, we ask that you also watch over the children for the short time we’ll be away.” The Wolfoids started to get excited and pranced in anticipation.
“Bounder and Gray Strider, G-War and Aadi, would you please accompany Micah and I back to the ship as we go to meet the clone of Pik Ha’ar? Our challenge is not only to recover him, but to recruit more Lizard Men to come with us, help in our fight against the Overlords. If we fail in that, maybe some of your people can return with us?” Braden asked the Wolfoids.
‘Only as many as can join us. I think all of them would like to come, once they’ve heard what we have to say about the magnificence of what is here,’ Bounder said.
“In four turns, we go. Until then, we have nothing else to do besides eat and grow fat!” Braden ended his speech by drinking the rest of his wine. Brandt nodded drunkenly before dropping his head to the ground and giving up on trying to stay awake. The other Aurochs were already out cold and had been for the entirety of Braden’s speech.
The Rabbits held the children close and nodded to Braden.
“I think our children have been adopted, partner mine,” Braden told Micah.
“Was there ever a doubt?” she answered, watching them fall asleep in the arms of the Rabbits. G-War wormed his way in and squeezed into the middle of them all, to watch over them and catch a ‘cat nap.
Braden and Micah watched the fire and were soon asleep, like the rest of their friends. More Cygnus VI survivors walked by, wondering why the President and her family slept outside when she had the Presidential Suite to stay in. They looked at the menagerie of creatures together around the dying fire, and they were envious. They always thought that humans were naturally superior to any animal, but Braden and Micah were surrounded by fiercely loyal, intelligent creatures that were treated as equals.
The scientists in them considered the words of the young President to be life changing. They wondered if any of the creatures were interested in learning astrophysics.
“Crap, More Androids…”
Braden led the parade to the matter transfer chamber. He could feel G-War’s anxiety rising, but the ‘cat looked confident with his tail held high as he walked through the underground corridors to the special Old Tech room. Aadi swam along behind while the Wolfoids walked at the rear. Everyone was well armed and wearing their armor. Aadi had a new set to replace the one destroyed during their last trip.
The factory created custom armor for the Wolfoids similar in shape to what the Hillcat wore. After trying to run wearing it, Holly made minor modifications to allow a different type of movement. G-War never walked upright where the Wolfoids usually walked that way unless they were running. G-War brushed along the wall almost as if he was trying to scrape the armor from his body. He hated wearing it, but Braden insisted since they could never trust the Androids again. Those living machines had lasers which cost Braden two fingers. That same burst could have killed the ‘cat and no one wanted that. G-War counted on his ability to see the future to avoid imminent death, but Braden would take no chances.
Holly informed them that the Androids on the ship had no answer for the vines as to their origin or how to remove them without causing catastrophic damage to the ship. So the vines had to be avoided. Otherwise, they were supposed to enter a fully functioning ship with Androids and surviving clones manning stations throughout. They each wore their bracelet and Braden carried six more. They’d fill the transfer beds on their return, either with Lizard Men or Wolfoids, but they hoped a mix of both.
The Server Bots had cleaned up the room so it smelled of antiseptic, which was much better than the alternative. They’d soon find out if the third time undergoing the process was the charm.
Each of them took positions on the reclining chairs from which their bodies and equipment would be deconstructed, sent to the ship at the speed of light, and then reconstructed. There was no room for error and that’s why the computer took as long as it did, anywhere from one to seven turns to complete the process.
Once settled, the wall slid shut and sealed them in. Braden took a deep breath and shook his head before lying back and closing his eyes. He’d taken to reading some of the ancients’ works, so he thought it best to quote an ancient visionary from earth, Carl Sagan. “Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still. We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars.”
The humans laid back and tried to relax. The Wolfoids crouched on the recliners, their heads between their paws, mirroring G-War as he did the same. Aadi floated downward until he rested on the chair. He tucked his legs and head into his shell. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on the hard plastic of the chair.
No one noticed the room shimmering as they all had their eyes closed. They felt tired. Soon, nothing remained.
Braden and Micah were the first to awaken. The color in the room told them they were no longer on Vii. Braden breathed deeply and stayed still for longer than he did on the previous trip. He moved in slow motion as he hung his feet over the edge of the recliner, sliding off the chair until his feet touched the floor. He stood carefully and although nauseous, he did not throw up.
Micah followed his lead and she was also able to stand upright without spewing her breakfast.
The matter transfer chamber was clean from when Dr. Johns’ people followed them. Braden wasn’t sure he would have made it if the room still smelled of puke.
G-War shook himself and jumped down, landing hard on the floor, where he crouched and waited for the chamber to stop spinning. The Wolfoids remained on the recliners. Aadi looked dead, just like last time. Braden felt the Tortoid’s neck, finding his heartbeat a relief. Braden opened his neural implant.
‘Holly, we’re here. Can you open the door for us, please?’ Braden looked the box that they’d left behind so Holly could communicate with the ship. ‘Do you still use this box to talk with the ship?’
Before the computer could answer, a section of the wall slid inward and to the side. Braden jumped sideways and pulled his blaster when he saw an Android standing before the open doorway looking in. G-War’s hackles rose and the Wolfoids snarled their displeasure.
“Holly sent me to escort you to the cloning chamber where the Lizard Man is going through the final process before he can be released,” the Android said in its emotionless voice.
“We don’t like surprises,” Braden told it. He hesitated before putting his blaster away.
‘Master Braden, I no longer need the box as I am in contact with the ship’s primary systems. Give it to the Android and he’ll make sure the parts are appropriately recycled,’ Holly answered pleasantly.
“Nice Android escort. What else hasn’t Holly told us?” Micah asked as she pushed the Android on her way out of the matter transfer chamber. She stopped in the bright lights of the Engineering Section and watched the Androids working at a number of stations. Her skin crawled and she clenched her jaw in anger.
‘Holly, are you sure you have full control of the Androids? I may have to start killing them because they appear to be causing all of us to question our decision to come back up here.’ Braden didn’t wait for an answer before reducing his link. A small light flashed showing an incoming message, but he ignored it, which meant that he was ignoring Holly. He wanted the computer to know that he wasn’t pleased with the ship’s welcoming committee and not letting him know what to expect. Maybe he should have shot the Android to prove a point about surprises.
“Lead on, Android, the best route to get us to Pik Ha’ar without passing any more Androids, if you please,” Braden instructed. The Android stood still as it processed the request, and then turned to walk toward the forward bulkhead of the Engineering Section. It took the elevator up to the first catwalk and followed the curve of the section upwards until it came to the corridor they used before. It opened the door with a wave of its arm.
“Hey! We don’t need an escort if you’re going to take us where we’ve already been,” Micah yelled to get the Android’s attention.
“I have been instructed to escort you by the quickest means possible to D 9-10, Subdeck 4, Radial Passage 270, Bulkhead 934, the operational cloning facility assigned to the Rainforest Level. We must traverse Deck 10 to the central ramp because the elevators are not functional in these corridors attached to Engineering because of the vine encroachment. I will stay with you until we arrive at the facility and then escort you back here,” the Android said evenly.
“After we have Pik Ha’ar with us, we’re going to the Rainforest Level to see if there are a few other Lizard Men who might want to join us. And that comes directly from me, your President who you will take orders from. Do you understand?” Micah asked firmly.
The Android looked at her with its soulless eyes. “I understand and will comply,” it finally said.
“I think Holly may have heard you all the way from here,” Braden added helpfully. The Wolfoids bobbed and snickered. G-War strolled forward, already tired of the strange sensation he felt from the rotating deck. Aadi swam to the doorway and waited for help to cant him sideways to squeeze through. He shook his old Tortoid head and thanked the humans profusely for babysitting him on this trip.
They continued down the corridor to the door that opened onto Deck 10. Braden looked warily at the door to the crew quarters where the electrified humans were trapped. He kept his bracelet far away from the door to make sure he didn’t open it by accident.
Braden pulled a cloth out of his backpack to wrap over his face and Micah did the same. The Wolfoids were anxious to go. The Android finally confirmed they were ready and opened the door.
The Wolfoids craned their necks to look past the others to see their former home, maybe catch sight of another Wolfoid. They helped Aadi then everyone hurried through the door to stand on the catwalk and look down at the Livestock Level. The Android stepped away toward the stairway to the ground. The rest of them went the same way as they had done before.
Once on the grassy plain that made up Deck 10, the Android broke into an easy jog, heading straight for the ramp that curved toward the sky. Braden towed Aadi and was soon breathing hard from the exertion of running at an angle in order to keep going in a straight line. He soon gave up and started walking. Bounder and Gray Strider raced ahead, passing the Android on their way to the Wolfoid village. The Android tried to call them back, but Braden, Micah, and the other two followed the Wolfoids. Soon the Android was backtracking to return to the party.
“The ramp is this way. The direction you are currently headed does not meet with your own directive to take the most expeditious route to the cloning facility,” the Android said.
“I’m sorry. We’re going to go this way. You are to wait for us on the ramp. We’ll be along shortly.” To emphasize her point, Micah waved him away. They continued walking until Braden decided he was acclimated enough to jog. The village turned out to be farther than they remembered, but they persevered and were soaked with sweat when they finally arrived.
The Wolfoid Rush
The Wolfoids streamed in from the fields to join the impromptu celebration of Bounder and Gray Strider’s return. Shredder was happiest to greet them. He wanted them to know that the village did not fall apart in their absence.
They were pleased, but expected nothing less. Bounder would not have made Shredder the Alpha if he didn’t have confidence in his abilities. The rest of the Wolfoids came past, sniffing and nuzzling the ‘cat and the humans. G-War trotted off to find the pups. When the high-pitched barking began, they knew he’d been successful. Then the chaos of sound indicated the Wolfoid pups were in chase.
The adults settled in around a new fire, waiting on a fresh harvest from the pig herd.
Bounder and Gray Strider shared their adventures on the planet surface. Even the pups stopped to listen. The Lizard Man attack and the mad run through the downpour of the rainforest. They regaled the other Wolfoids with the magnificence of the hunt! Gray Strider showed everyone the scar on her leg from their first attempt at taking down a buck. She beamed with pride.
The Wolfoids had become farmers and ranchers out of necessity, but at heart, they were hunters. Their overwhelming response suggested that Braden and Micah would have a hard time refusing the move to Vii.
“What will happen to the balance of the Livestock Level if all the Wolfoids go?” Braden asked.
‘Livestel will carry on, find a new balance,’ Bounder said with a casual wave of his paw. ‘We must make plans for all my people to come through the transfer chamber and join us on Vii.’
“The whole pack on the surface?” Micah said, not sure she liked the idea, but Vii was a big planet with plenty of game along the rainforest. Maybe some of them would like to remain ranchers and farmers as well, although it was their choice. “The more we would try to control them, the less control we’d have. It’ll work out. It might be bumpy, but it’ll work out,” Micah said with a shrug.
Braden opened his neural implant. ‘Holly, I think all the Wolfoids will move to Vii. Come up with a plan to make that happen with the least disruption here on the ship and at New Sanctuary.’
‘Are you sure that’s a good idea, Master
Braden?’ Holly replied.
‘I’m not sure any of my ideas are good, but this is what we have to do. Come up with a plan, Holly.’ Braden minimized the window in front of his eye before Holly argued further.
They kept their thoughts to themselves as the celebration unfolded and the pack feasted. The farmers brought plenty of vegetables from the gardens and this was where Braden and Micah heaped praise. They wanted the farmers and ranchers to continue doing what they did well, no matter where they were living. Everyone needed a balance, but Braden and Micah knew that mandating a way of life was what they were fighting against.
Not every Wolfoid could be a hunter. Not every human was a leader. Not every Lizard Man was bad.
“Do you think our Android is waiting patiently for us?” Micah asked.
“I’m sure he’s in constant contact with Holly, who is probably beside himself. I expect he has some kind of timeline that he hasn’t shared with us, including one of his infamous side quests. ‘Oh by the way, since you’re on the ship, could you go into this horrible area that’s very dangerous and pick me up an electronic thing that I need?’” Braden said, trying his best to sound like Holly.
Micah giggled and pushed Braden. Yes, she thought, that sounded like Holly. She sobered quickly as she realized that Braden was probably right. Aadi stayed close to the humans and started getting nervous. He still had nightmares about how helpless he felt after he’d been seized by the Androids. It was all he could do not to swim away screaming when their Android escort was near.
D 9-10, Subdeck 4, Radial Passage 270,
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