Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  Braden started rubbing numbweed into the King’s wounds, taking care to do the worst ones first. Micah and Bronwyn appeared, and joined Braden in taking care of the Aurochs. Brandt’s eyes fluttered open, the whites bloodshot. He tried to focus, but found it difficult.

  ‘My friends,’ he said softly. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired in my entire life.’

  Bronwyn put her hands on his head, helping to relieve some of his pain. It wasn’t as great as they thought for he was mostly bone weary. Even though Holly told them that they’d arrive at the island that morning, Braden and Micah agreed that they needed to recover from the storm. The King needed time to recover. Pik looked ready to go, even though he continued to stand in the shower’s spray, letting its healing waters run over his body.

  ‘I feel better already,’ Brandt told them as he struggled to stand.

  “Food?” Braden asked. The King nodded with a snort.

  ‘As much as you can carry, my friends!’ he said, his thought voice rising in volume. Braden slapped the great creature on his uninjured shoulder.

  “Your will shall be done, my King! By the way, you know that when you get wet, you smell really bad?” Braden added.

  ‘The cows love the smell of a wet bull, my friend. You should rub some on yourself and see the change in those around you,’ Brandt replied without hesitation. Micah coughed and covered her mouth with a fist, shaking her head vigorously at her partner.

  With a final slap, Braden and Micah went to the garden level where they met the Rabbits, who were unwilling to share as much food as the King required. They reluctantly parted with all the injured plants and about a third of the vegetables, but no more. Once they carried that upstairs and turned it over to Brandt, Braden went the galley, where he ordered a couple different vegetable dishes.

  It turned out that the King of the Aurochs liked the meals from the fabricator, so Braden and Micah took turns ordering food. They wondered if they could shortcut the system and get a mass of edible sea plants directly.

  The Evil Ones

  The remainder of the companions made an appearance, leaving the padded recreation room behind to enjoy the calm of the morning sun.

  The Hawkoids took to the air as soon as they were outside, flying high into the air, circling the ship, and floating on the ocean breeze.

  The ‘cats wanted nothing to do with the wet deck or the ocean. They suggested that if Braden and Micah ever tried getting on board a ship again, they would die mysteriously in their sleep before they could take one step away from shore.

  Aadi slowly made his way up the stairwell, deciding to stay indoors so he wasn’t left behind as the ship sailed ahead. The Wolfoids walked onto the deck, stretching and smiling into the sunshine.

  ‘I hope you don’t take this the wrong way,’ Strider said in her thought voice, ‘but you have dragged us on some of the craziest adventures. There we were, in our village, roast pork almost every night. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened, then all of a sudden, here comes the humans and since then, one adventure after another, each trying to kill us in a different way. Next time you go to sea, it’s okay if you don’t tell us about it,’ she chided.

  “Come on, Strider! You wouldn’t have it any other way. If we went without you, next thing we know, we’d be the ones getting chased at the next blooding of the pups. And if anything happened to us, you’d feel bad and you know it,” Braden told them as he took the time to scratch behind her ears, hugging her neck in the Wolfoids’ sign of affection.

  She nuzzled him back, squinting into the sun.

  ‘How long until we get there,’ Bounder asked. Braden shook his head as he opened the neural implant.

  ‘So good to hear from you, Master Braden! I trust all is well?’ Holly’s good cheer was always expected.

  ‘We’re fine, no one went overboard, despite the Western Ocean’s best attempts. All here, all alive, all is well. How long to the island, Holly?’

  ‘You were pushed off course, so you should arrive later this afternoon. I promised the latest information and here’s what I have. Nothing. We don’t know if there is a direct link to the undersea facility or not. We believe that there are twenty people and hundreds of animals. I can’t tell you if the animals are intelligent or not.’

  ‘That’s more than we had, Holly. We’ll take care of things. Let us know if you find anything else.’ Braden minimized his window without closing it, which allowed Holly to contact him at any time. He had grown used to having the small window at the periphery of his vision.

  “This afternoon, according to Holly,” Braden stated, loud enough for all to hear, all except the scientists. He didn’t know if they would ever see them topside or anywhere else for that matter. The laboratory levels were completely self-contained with a fabricator, rooms, and facilities.

  The plan for the day was to rest and do nothing. There was some excitement when Rexalita arrived and made a celebratory circle around the ship. She swam alongside as she was far too large for the well deck and the Warden’s stern extended much farther behind the ship than anyone realized. Bronwyn took a full run off the deck and jumped into the ocean, dog-paddling until the Whale eased the girl onto her head, then lifted her skyward as she used her powerful tail to propel her forward. The ship picked up speed as if it seemed to know that the Whale wanted to race.

  Bronwyn howled and pumped her fist from atop the Whale while those on deck leaned into the wind as the ship accelerated. They cheered as they encouraged the Warden, but the ship was no match for the largest creature on Vii. The Whale surged ahead, leaving foam and the Warden far behind.

  The ship slowed as it conceded the race. It assumed a leisurely pace northeast toward the island where Braden and Micah hoped to find answers regarding the disappearance of her father and all the villagers from White Beach.

  The Dolphins appeared in the water between the Whale and the ship, returning with a splash by leaping and dancing on their tails. The Whale dipped into the sea, turning Bronwyn loose to join her small friends. As she swam, two new fins appeared in the water, black, cutting the water as they headed directly for Bronwyn. The sea dance stopped, and the Dolphins shot like arrows toward the girl.

  Rexalita vaulted nearly completely out of the water, crashing back in and sending a tidal wave with Bronwyn surging away from the new fins. The Dolphins came in from behind and leapt over her head, landing in the water between her and the newcomers. The fins split up, two became four and Bronwyn screamed.

  The Dolphins abandoned their blocking maneuver, turning to swim forward, catching the girl as they sped toward the Warden. The fins lined up as they pursued. The entire ocean to the side of the Dolphins seemed to rise up as Rexalita broke the surface again, opening her mouth, sharp teeth sweeping under and over Chlora, Rhodi, and Bronwyn.

  The Dolphins swam out the other side of the Whale’s open maw. Then she clamped down, trapping the sharks. Three of them disappeared into that huge gullet, while the fourth made a sharp turn, swimming away from the Dolphins and the young girl. They continued to the ship and around aft, swimming smartly into the well deck and depositing Bronwyn where she could easily climb from the water.

  ‘We are so sorry, little one! We didn’t see the evil ones until it was too late,’ Rhodi apologized.

  ‘There’s nothing to be sorry for,’ Bronwyn said happily as she jumped back into the water to hug the snouts of her two friends. ‘You saved me from them, and you, too, Rexalita. You were all magnificent!’

  Micah hugged Braden as they watched and listened. They always had friends with them, friends willing to fight to keep them safe, just like they’d done, so many times.

  Pik appeared next to them carrying his skin suit. He pointed to them and to his own chest. Since Pik was a clone, the terrible wounds he’d suffered fighting the Androids weren’t there. ‘I died for Aadi, just like I would have for any of you. And I’d do it again, too,’ Pik said matter-of-factly.

  Braden choked up, not knowing
what to say.

  G-War interrupted their thoughts by projecting an image of Treetis pawing at the fabricator and yowling.

  All Ashore Who’s Going Ashore

  The rest of the daylight was spent resting, eating, recovering, and preparing for the unknown. Holly had no additional information once the weather passed, even though he could see the island clearly through available sensors. He’d engaged the survivors from Cygnus VI to provide a human touch and still nothing new.

  ‘I think every place we’ve ever gone into, we had to rely on what we had with us. This time, there are sixteen of us, including three Hawkoids and three ‘cats! There is no one better to show us what waits beyond the next tree, over the next hill. Don’t worry, Holly, we’ll be ready,’ Braden said as he touched up his blasters, cleaning them, checking their charges, ensuring that they rested easily at his hip. Micah was doing the same thing. They were anxious, although they wouldn’t go ashore until the new daylight.

  Skirill, Zyena, and Zeeka spotted the island first. Braden had anticipated something the size of New Sanctuary, but it was much larger than that. A central peak dominated the landscape. The emerald green of the foliage stood in pleasant contrast to the blue of the sea. The cover was near complete and the Hawkoids were challenged to see anything beneath the leaves and vines. Beach sand outlined the entire island, except for one point in the south where a rocky outcropping cut into the sea. One tree stood alone at its end, a rebel taunting the open ocean.

  ‘Don’t get too close. You remember what happened when that Security Bot took a shot at you from New Sanctuary! Nothing like the smell of scorched tail feathers to wake you up,’ Braden told the Hawkoids.

  ‘You never told me that you fought a Security Bot,’ Zyena accused Skirill.

  ‘It was nothing, my love,’ he answered bravely.

  Braden and Micah laughed. Skirill had run like a rat on fire as soon as the Security Bot sent its laser beams skyward. Even G-War was impressed by Skirill’s changed history, so much so that he shared an image of the Hawkoid diving for cover, smoke trailing behind him.

  Zyena flew close to her mate and cooed soothingly to him. The ‘cat was miffed by his failed attempt to poke fun at his friend. Fea had a good laugh at G-War’s expense.

  “We’ll call this one a win for you, Ess!” Braden announced as the Hawkoids finished their stand-off tour of the island. Skirill led the way as they returned, in a mini V formation, flying as if on a mission. They flared as one, landing on the railing together, then turned around to face the ocean.

  “Did you see room between the trees where Brandt can walk?” Braden asked.

  ‘Yesss,’ Zyena replied, thinking as she talked. ‘There was room. The trees are tall and have wide branches, but they aren’t too close together, not like the rainforest. There is room for all of us.’

  “Bronwyn, do the Dolphins think we can take the ship close enough to walk ashore?” he followed his original question as all the companions stood on deck. Even Aadi had come outside as the ship slowed. He still held onto a rope tied fast to the sail, just in case.

  ‘Chlora and Rhodi will let us know. They are going to swim around the island and take a look. Rexalita will also try some of the approaches. I’d go with them, but they are going to check it out from under the water, maybe share what they can of the undersea city, but they don’t want to be seen,’ Bronwyn informed them as she watched the Dolphins swim out of the well deck and away.

  Braden looked up at the massive superstructure of the ancients’ ship. If anyone on the island had been looking, the ship would have already been spotted. It cut an imposing figure against the blue sky.

  The ship’s presence was no surprise, but what they brought ashore would be, because they were coming in force, ready to fight. If a Security Bot guarded the island, then they had Holly’s gear to hopefully stop it. Braden looked at the clunky objects the AI had given them, two spear guns and one heavy block of technology, and shook his head. Holly wanted them to go to war carrying a brick. And Braden would carry it, too. He wasn’t afraid of much, but the apparent invincibility of a Security Bot concerned him greatly.

  “Why are you fixated on Security Bots?” Micah asked. “I didn’t get the impression they were there, only that there was a remote chance. Holly didn’t even talk about them until you asked. Don’t you think he’d see them using one of his sensors? Sure, we’ll carry that equipment, but I don’t think we’ll have to fight anyone. I think that the people he saw are our people, abandoned on the island and forgotten. Let’s collect them and leave.” Micah was confident in her assessment as she fiddled with her equipment, waiting for the Dolphins and the Whale to return.

  Aadi swam slowly through the hatch and joined Braden and Micah on deck. Now that the ship wasn’t moving, the Tortoid didn’t have to worry about getting blown overboard.

  “What are you thinking, old man?” Braden said kindly, but the words still earned him an elbow in the ribs from Micah.

  ‘What is your plan, Master Braden?’ Aadi asked.

  “We go ashore, find who lives there, talk to them and get more information. We don’t know anything. There are signals from that place which Holly says indicates a presence of someone using ancients technology. Outside of that, twenty people, hundreds of animals, and those animals could be intelligent. What we don’t know far outweighs what we do know. Our goal is information, then we make a plan.”

  ‘An intelligent goal.’ Aadi blinked slowly as he waited. Braden didn’t know what else to say since he didn’t really have a plan. ‘We shall deal with whatever we come across, assuming that we are not in a hurry.’

  Micah looked up sharply. “My father may be there and if he’s not, then someone will know where he is. We can’t delay any longer!” she said passionately.

  “Aadi, what would we do without you?” Braden asked with a bow. “We have to go slowly, look around, be careful we don’t get ourselves into something we can’t get out of.” He looked pointedly at Micah before continuing.

  “We have to be patient, lover,” Braden insisted. “We’ll find Caleb, in due time. That’s what we’re here for, so let’s get it right from the start. We don’t need to burn down the entire jungle on this island. Who knows? This could be another long lost colony and they found the cure for stretch marks!”

  Micah launched herself at Braden and tackled him. Lying on the deck, she straddled him and pulled his face close to hers. “What are you trying to say?” she whispered.

  “I’m saying that I’m the luckiest man alive and that we have to take our time on the island. That’s all. Please don’t beat me up,” he said with a smile, sticking his tongue out at her. The rest of the companions watched, hoping for a throw-down similar to the great battle of wills between Caleb and Mattie. They were disappointed when Braden surrendered so quickly.

  Micah helped Braden up and they went from one companion to the next. Pik was armed with his spear and wore his skin suit. The Wolfoids carried their lightning spears, while the Rabbits had their small laser pistols on their belts.

  Braden was always taken by the absurdity of a Rabbit with a weapon, but he’d seen them in action and when defending their loved ones, they were merciless. He’d talked with them and asked if they would protect Bronwyn. Braden once again built his plan based on Bronwyn’s ability to talk with all creatures. She needed to talk with the animals that they encountered. He was using the girl again, but she was old enough at fourteen to make her own decisions. She was on the road by herself, but not by herself as she’d always had the Queen by her side and Zeeka, the Hawkoid.

  ‘Hey, G, why didn’t a Hillcat bond with Bronwyn?’ Braden asked over the mindlink, as he couldn’t see where the ‘cats were hiding.

  ‘It’s the opposite. All the ‘cats wanted to bond with her. She told them unless they could work it out, she wouldn’t accept any of them. So, they’re still working it out,’ Fealona interjected. ‘While here, I will stay be her side. I can’t trust this cretin.’ Braden s
uspected that she pointed to Treetis. G-War had saved Braden’s life too many times to count. Braden trusted G-War to protect them all, with his life if needed.

  ‘Thanks, Fea. That means a lot to us. We’ll be going slowly, so any insight you get, anything you see, please tell us. All surprises are bad, until we know otherwise,’ Braden replied over the mindlink.

  “I get it. We go slowly. You lead, I’ll be right behind you,” Micah murmured. Her chest hurt because her heart threatened to pound through it. She could feel her father close by. She didn’t know if it was real or not, but sitting here next to the island was taking its toll on her patience.

  With a splash, the two Dolphins frolicked their way up the well deck, stopping when they reached its end. They danced out of the water, bobbing their heads and chittering as they talked with Bronwyn. No one else could hear them as they directed their thoughts to the girl alone.

  Once finished ‘talking,’ they departed with graceful backflips into the water, and a race back to the open sea. Rexalita’s massive head rose slowly from the ocean behind them. Bronwyn ran next to the well deck until she reached the point furthest aft, where she extended a hand toward the Whale, who was still too far away.

  Braden ran after her to make sure she didn’t jump into the ocean.

  ‘This ship can park next to the rocky point. The deck will be almost on the shore,’ Rexalita’s loud voice resonated within their heads. ‘I will show you.’

  Braden opened his neural implant. ‘Holly! Follow that Whale!’ he called, cutting off Holly before his usual joyous greeting.

  ‘Yes, Master Braden, I see where she is taking us. Once we clear this reef, I’ll get a better view with the sonar. Wait one moment,’ Holly advised.

  ‘Holly, half the time, I have no idea what you’re saying, but I expect it means something.’ Braden chased Bronwyn as she ran for forward to stand on what passed for a prow on the Warden. It was barely higher than the round deck that encircled the sail, but it had a small railing that they could hang onto. Bronwyn waved as the Whale’s tail rhythmically stroked the water, propelling the great beast forward and around the island to the rocky outcropping, where she swam aside the wall of stone, nearly to the white sand beach, then turned and swam back out. She waited patiently for the Warden to pass as Holly expertly guided it into the protected cove.