Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  Braden took it better than Micah would have expected. He was furious in the north when they were attacked while traveling the open road. The thought of the trade routes that he had pioneered being plied by raiders should have driven him into a mindless frenzy. But he listened to the story, nodded, and thanked Zeller for taking care of it.

  She had to know as his mind hadn’t been clear on what he was thinking. She perceived that he’d been happy hearing about it. “Why weren’t you angry when you heard about the raiders?”

  “What?” Braden asked, having already fallen asleep. She nudged him.

  “Angry? About the raiders?” he asked. “Zeller took care of them. That’s exactly what we tried to instill in the new Free Traders as we traveled back and forth, that they fight for themselves and for what’s right. We can’t keep bad people from raising their ugly heads, but we can make sure that the good people aren’t afraid to stop them. It is everything I hoped it would be. The south is still safer than Warren Deep was when I left the first time and when we returned. That’s because of us and what we taught. Angry? Not on your life. I’m proud of what we’ve built. You want to know what really concerns me? How do I get G-War to the ship without getting him wet and me scratched?”

  Micah’s eyes sparkled in the darkness as she appreciated her mate that much more.

  The Open Ocean

  They stood on the beach, sixteen strong, and looked at the sea. A long ways out, they could see the spire of an ancient’s dream. It looked like something from one of Holly’s projections of the future past. Although it seemed to be coming closer, no one was going to swim that far into the ocean to catch it. Skirill and Zyena flew to it and around it, sharing their view with the companions. It had decks open to the weather and enclosed spaces, too. The windows glistened and decks sparkled.

  One main structure rose into the air, a vast structure called a sail that was filled with decks, spaces, windows, furniture, and equipment. The black of solar panels graced the upper surfaces of the sail, those open to the sky. A blade turned at the top of the vertical structure.

  “There must be a Maintenance Bot or something that is on board and functional,” Micah stated. “There’s no way a ship can spend any time on the ocean and not get dirty. My father spends one day a week scrubbing the scum from his boat, making sure the keel is clean so that it travels cleanly through the water.”

  The Hawkoids circled carefully and Zyena landed on a handrail at the top of the ship, which was generally round, with the sail in the middle where the various decks above sea level were located. It arced gracefully upward from the wide base. They could see another deck just below the surface that looked to be a garden, with leaves from robust plants pressed against the glass.

  Underwater, the fore and aft sections of the ship were visible from Zyena’s perch. It was shaped roughly like one of the boats from Trent, but so much larger as to be beyond comparison. ‘You will be very comfortable once on board,’ she passed over the mindlink. ‘We cannot look inside as we don’t see a way to open the hatches and doors.’

  Braden accessed his neural implant and contacted Holly. In moments, the upper level door opened and both Zyena and Skirill landed on the deck outside, then hopped through the door before it closed behind them. Their daughter Zeeka stayed outside, just in case.

  They explored as much of the ship as they could while the rest of the companions stood on the beach and watched by way of the mindlink.

  “It looks like someone could walk through one of those doors at any moment. Are you sure there’s no one on board?” Braden asked.

  ‘No. There are no sounds of people or things. Only the mechanical noises of the ship sailing itself toward you and even those are very faint. We don’t smell anything or see any sign of a human. It is clean, but we suspect there’s a Bot in here somewhere,’ Skirill replied.

  They hopped when they had to, flew when they could, and searched the ship from the garden deck to the top of the spire, where the controls to manually drive the ship were located. Skirill wasn’t a fan of Old Tech, but he was impressed by the size and design. The top of the sail was an impressive distance from the ocean, where a non-flying creature could get a view such as the Hawkoids always had. He could see how humans could live their entire lives aboard this one ship and never be bored.

  ‘It even has a fabricator, Master Braden,’ Skirill said when he passed through the galley, which was a kitchen, and dining area.

  Braden found it hard not to smile. Micah punched him in the shoulder. “Hey! Who says we have to travel like beggars just because we are going to war?” he stated, making his point that he appreciated the finer things that Old Tech offered. Micah couldn’t disagree as she thought of the hover car that Holly was building. Then she pushed that thought to the back of her mind. Her father was somewhere under the ocean. This ship would get her closer.

  One step closer.

  ‘We have company,’ G-War told them. The others assumed fighting positions as they prepared for an unknown enemy, but all they saw was Denon running toward them from the south. He pulled an Old Tech wagon with the two scientists waving at them with broad arm motions.

  “How are we going to get them to the ship?” Braden asked rhetorically. Treetis raced up the beach toward something that moved through the sand. He pounced, then jumped back. The ‘cat circled his prey, then pounced again. When he jumped back the second time, a crab, claws gripping tightly, was attached to his ‘cat face. Treetis hopped around, pawing at the crab in a feeble attempt to make it let go.

  G-War looked at Fealona, then back at the ocean before sitting down. The female ‘cat sighed audibly before running off to fix things. ‘You two orange abominations are going to be the end of me,’ she told them all.

  ‘You wouldn’t want it any other way, partner mine,’ G-War replied.

  Bronwyn waded into the ocean, holding her hands up as if she were speaking with the clouds. Braden sloshed into the surf after her as she went deeper and deeper, until she was swept from her feet and thrown into him. He held her up and stood there as a fin appeared in the water before them, then a second. The creature’s rounded head broke the surface and blew mist from a hole in the top of its head. The smooth gray skin glistened as its dark eyes locked with Bronwyn’s

  The creature opened its mouth and chittered with a high-pitched voice. Braden was torn. The row of sharp teeth in that mouth and the sheer size of the creatures scared him. He wanted to run from the ocean, but Bronwyn wouldn’t let him.

  “They are Dolphins!” she cried, as the two gray creatures inched closer until she could stroke their heads and snouts. They dove into the water and swam circles around Braden and Bronwyn until they leapt out of the water, smacking their tails. “I love them!”

  Braden chuckled. “Of course you do.” Bronwyn jumped into the surf and started swimming, until the Dolphins swam close, urging her to grab their dorsal fins. With one hand on each, the Dolphins, side by side, powered forward. The teenager bounced on top of the water as the Dolphins headed to sea.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t go too far out there…” Braden started.

  ‘They won’t let anything happen to me. They are so kind! We are going out to meet another friend. You said you needed help getting to the ship? I think my friends have a solution.’ Bronwyn continued seaward, far past the breakers. Braden looked back at the companions and held his hands up in a sign of helplessness.

  The Dolphins slowed, treading water with Bronwyn until a great head breached the surface of the water, lifting higher and higher, dwarfing the girl and the Dolphins. It was like a building had just appeared from the ocean and towered over the others there.

  Braden staggered back and fell as a waved rolled over him. Sputtering, he got back to his feet, then returned to the beach with the others who watched, mesmerized by the sight.

  ‘Wow, that’s a big brute!’ Brandt said, loud enough for half the planet to hear.

  ‘She is gentle and kind, not a brute! She’s a
Whale, that’s all,’ Bronwyn replied. ‘And she’ll give us a ride to the ship, if you’d like.’

  “A ride to the ship?” Braden said, suddenly unafraid and welcoming.

  Treetis yowled as Fealona ripped the crab from his face, kicking it away until it scuttled into the water. The young, orange ‘cat looked both angry and embarrassed. Fealona walked away without looking back at the wayward younger version of her mate. She saw the great creature rising from the ocean.

  ‘What did I miss?’ she asked. G-War looked at the Whale and imagined himself riding atop the great head.

  Denon stopped, expecting the two scientists to climb down and unhook him. They were riveted to their seats, amazed at the sight before them. Dolphins and a Whale, not just any Whale either, but a massive version of an old sperm whale, the DNA having been brought on the Traveler and genetically modified for life on Vii. The same thing for the Dolphins. The scientists had read the briefing on the sea life of Vii.

  “So much knowledge that we’ve lost!” lamented Patti May, a clone and survivor from Cygnus VI. She and Chrysalis, Dr. Johns’ cloned son, had volunteered to conduct research aboard the Warden. When they saw the Whales, they knew they’d made the right decision.

  “I can’t wait!” Chrysalis cried, finally deciding to join the others standing near the surf.

  ‘Human,’ Denon started. ‘Unhook me. I need eat.’

  The clones were oblivious to the Aurochs, so Braden and Micah came to his rescue, rubbing his nose as they unhooked him. The strap marks on his side suggested that he had been strapped into the harness for an extended period of time.

  ‘How long have you worn this harness?’ Micah asked over the mindlink, concerned about the rubbing and blisters.

  ‘Since home,’ the gentle creature replied simply.

  ‘Did you run all this way, straight through?’ Braden asked.

  ‘Almost.’

  Micah was furious. She stalked toward the group and grabbed Chrysalis from behind, throwing him to the sand. He looked shocked and covered his face with his arms. With a handful of collar, she yanked him back to his feet and dragged him to the now-free Aurochs. Brandt was trailing close behind, snorting loudly. Micah shoved the man’s face to within a hand’s-breadth of one of the wounds on Denon’s side.

  “See this! Do you see this? That’s because you never unhooked him to let him rest. What do you have to say for yourself?” Micah demanded.

  “But we were behind and couldn’t miss this opportunity,” Chrysalis whimpered.

  “They are our equals! Weren’t you paying attention the past couple cycles?” she screamed in his face. He tried to cover his face with his hands, but Micah reared back to punch him. Braden dove toward her, catching her arm as it was cocked for a massive blow. As he struggled with his partner, Chrysalis crawled away, only to be stopped by Brandt’s massive horns.

  “Apologize to him and rub numbweed on those wounds, you idiot!” Braden advised. Brandt nudged the man while Patti May looked on, trying to look invisible. “And you help him!” Braden pointed at her without looking.

  The two scientists scrambled to Denon’s side, apologizing profusely, before realizing they didn’t have any numbweed. Braden held his pouch at arm’s length for Chrysalis to take.

  “Treat them with respect and we’ll treat you with respect. Treat them like they’re beneath you and you’ll get a beating you will never forget, do you understand me?” Micah growled, face to face with Chrysalis as he reached for the numbweed.

  “It’s so brutish out here,” he replied meekly. “We should not be threatening to beat people, and especially not you, Master President.”

  “This is the real world and the greatest insult you can make toward me is to demean any of the intelligent species of Vii. Why did you treat him like that? Look at him! You insulted me and all the creatures of Vii.” Micah inched closer, resisting the urge to twist his head toward the wounds on the young bull. With his head down, he lifted his eyes toward the injury.

  “I’m sorry, Denon. We were too caught up in our own thoughts to put your needs before our own. That won’t happen again,” he said sincerely.

  “And that’s all I want,” Micah stated calmly, putting her hand on his shoulder. “You’re right. I shouldn’t choose violence as my first choice. I should have simply turned you over to him.” She nodded her chin toward Brandt, who lifted his head high to look down on the humans. She laughed as she walked away.

  Braden forced the numbweed into Chrysalis’ hand. “Use it generously.” He joined Micah, hand in hand, as they returned to the menagerie watching Bronwyn, the Dolphins, and the Whale frolicking beyond the surf.

  ‘What are their names, dear?’ Micah asked over the mindlink, with no trace of her previous anger.

  ‘This is my friend, Chlorophyta and her mate, Rhodophyta. I call them Chlora and Rhodi! And this, the greatest of all creatures on Vii, is Rexalita. She is magnificent and she tells me that there are very few like her close to shore as they like the deeper water,’ Bronwyn answered.

  ‘We are pleased to meet you, Chlora, Rhodi, and Rexalita!’ Micah said. They answered at the same time in a mass of high-pitched thought voices. Bronwyn sorted them out and guided each so only one spoke at a time. They sounded like the Rabbits and judging by Ferrer and Brigitte’s reaction, they thought so, too.

  ‘You said that you may be able to help us get to the ship, Rexalita?’ Micah asked.

  ‘Yessss,’ the Whale said, dragging out the last letter, pounding her words into the listeners’ minds. She was much louder than Brandt. ‘Inlet, that way, that’s deep enough for me to get close. You climb on and I will swim you out there. Easy for me.’

  Micah squinted at the ocean, trying to figure out how Rexalita was pointing and in which direction.

  ‘To your right,’ Bronwyn added helpfully. ‘Not far, I think.’

  “We’ll go that way right now,” Braden said out loud.

  They watched as Bronwyn straddled one of the Dolphins and held tightly onto the dorsal fin while it raced along the wave-tops. The second Dolphin jumped in and out of the water beside Bronwyn, almost as if serenading the teenager. The Whale swam along behind, exuding a carefree air.

  “Malo!” Braden yelled, even though the Aurochs was only a few strides away. “Could you bring the scientists’ wagon, please?” The young bull agreed and was quickly strapped in to the harness that Denon had just vacated. Braden even helped the scientists back into their wagon, although they expected subterfuge of some sort and hung on as if Braden was going to dump them on the ground.

  G-War sprinted toward Brandt and with a mighty leap, landed in the middle of the King’s lowered head. Treetis came running as well, one of his lips still bleeding from where the crab’s claw had cut it. When he jumped, Brandt turned a horn into his path. The young ‘cat crashed into it, scrabbled for purchase, then slipped and fell into the sand. Fealona casually walked to Micah, who picked her up, petted her, and put her into the wagon that Brandt agreed to pull. The Queen walked ahead majestically, leading the way. The Wolfoids dispensed with the ride and dropped to all fours for a brisk run up the beach.

  The Rabbits weren’t too proud. They hopped into the back of the wagon along with the Lizard Man, Pik Ha’ar. Aadi floated in and nestled against the gate.

  “Aadi, you’ve been unusually quiet. Any words of wisdom as we start the next phase of this adventure?”

  ‘No, Master Braden. I think everything is going well. I wondered about the problem of swimming to the ship. You know that the Golden Warrior planned all along to ride on my shell to the ship, or on Skirill?’ Aadi replied.

  “I knew he had something planned. He trusts me, but he trusts himself more,” Braden laughed.

  ‘I’m pregnant, you know,’ Aadi added.

  Braden almost fell from the bench as he turned to look at his old mentor. “Aadi! You carry the extra weight so well!” Micah punched him for that, recognizing the implication.

  ‘I know you jest,
Master Braden, but the eggs are making me unusually tired. I will do my best to keep up, though.’

  “Congratulations, Master Aadi! I’m so happy for you. What do we need to do?” Micah asked.

  ‘Warm sand closer to the end, then I’ll need some time to see them hatch and after that, I want to show them the world!’ Aadi said, excitement tinging his thought voice, which was usually calm and stately.

  “You let us know and we will dig the holes for you,” Braden added.

  Brandt congratulated the Tortoid, while G-War simply harrumphed, with an off-handed comment about “more children.” The others were supportive and even Bronwyn joined the chorus of well-wishers.

  The group headed up the beach, running after the Queen and the Wolfoids, who were racing to an unknown inlet. Braden opened his neural implant and asked Holly for help. With a quick search using the satellite imagery, Holly identified a promontory another hour north from where they were if they maintained their current speed.

  Braden couldn’t get his head wrapped around how long an hour was, but understood it to be a fairly long way. The Wolfoids finally tired and waited for the wagon so they could climb in. Brandt and Malo maintained a steady pace. The riders were pleased that the sand closer to the surf provided one of the smoothest rides they’d ever had.

  The Hawkoids finished their exploration of the ship and declared it devoid of intelligent life, although the two Bots maintaining the ship chased them around until Braden contacted Holly to add the Hawkoids to the ship’s register as authorized inhabitants. That was the trick to get the doors to open when they approached. Once outside, they noticed that the ship was moving rather quickly, parallel to the wagons on the beach.

  With Zeeka, they flew ahead of the ship, swooping close to the Whale and the Dolphins to greet them appropriately, before continuing to the inlet that everyone was racing toward.