Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  ‘You are here because of her and Braden and the sacrifices they made for you. If you want to live in constant fear of being killed in your sleep, then continue being an ass.’ Fea strolled away. ‘Treetis, I have a job for you…’

  Fea found Micah standing on the deck waving to the onlookers. They waved back. “I don’t need him. We’ll find our own way using our winning personalities.”

  Micah smiled broadly at the ‘cat before returning her attention to the port and the people on a long dock that Holly was easing toward.

  Strider loped out on all fours. Her harness and spear were gone. A pup stood out of sight behind the door. He held the spear tightly, embracing the task that Strider had given him. He felt like a new Wolfoid as the perpetual motion of the ship stopped.

  ‘I hate this,’ Strider said.

  ‘I know. People should accept you for who you are. In due time, after we get the information that we need, we’ll show them the truth.’

  ‘I look forward to it,’ Strider replied as she walked at Micah’s side. The twins bounced with excitement.

  ‘Look at the people!’ Ax said over the mindlink. The children were most comfortable using their thought voices.

  ‘Can we go shopping?’ ‘Tesh asked.

  ‘Are you looking for anything in particular?’ Micah asked.

  ‘I won’t know until I see it. Shauna agrees.’ The small calico turned to her human and stared. ‘You do!’

  “Ahoy!” Micah called as the Warden butted up against the dock with only the slightest bump. She led the group from the ship, stepping lightly onto the dock. She reached back, but the twins jumped effortlessly, then the ‘cats, finally a large, shaggy gray wolf. As they walked down the dock, people backed away.

  Micah held out her hands for calm. Strider strolled up next to her and sat down. Micah rested her hand on Strider’s head before scratching her behind her ears. Strider leaned into it when Micah hit a good spot.

  The people relaxed.

  “Greetings from the north, good people of Southport. Do you have a mayor or town leader I could talk to? We’ve had something come up in Livestel and could use your help.”

  “I dunno. No one here like that,” a gruff man said before working his way past the group and heading toward the end of the dock. Micah watched him to make sure he didn’t try to board the Warden. He walked past.

  Two Rabbits appeared on deck. Micah hadn’t told them to stay below because she hadn’t seen them. They hopped toward the edge and jumped to the dock.

  ‘Can I stand up now?’ Strider asked.

  ‘No. Maybe no one saw them.’ Micah turned to find half the town watching the Rabbits hop happily down the dock.

  “Hey guys, what brings you out here?”

  ‘We smell the most delightful smells. And fish, which isn’t delightful at all mind you, but beneath it, a kelp, tuber, and vegetable stew. Yum!’

  “Why?” Micah asked the sky. When she lowered her head, Strider was standing on two feet next to her. “Or should I say, why not?”

  Micah led the way down the dock toward the small group of people, probably far less than half the town, but they were mesmerized by the parade of creatures headed their way. The Rabbits bowed to the humans. Some of them bowed back.

  The Rabbits skipped happily in the direction of what they thought was a vegetable stew. Micah stopped at the first person she met on shore. “I’d like to talk with someone in charge, please. We may need help from the good people of Southport.”

  A young woman pointed to the gruff old man fishing off the end of the pier. “He’s the mayor. You’ll want to talk with him. What are you?”

  “Rabbits, ‘cats, a Wolfoid, and me, I’m the President of Cygnus VII.”

  The woman’s expression didn’t change. None of the words meant anything to her.

  “We are weary travelers in search of a kind word,” Micah said philosophically, putting her hand over her heart.

  “Then he’s not the one you want to talk to,” the young woman corrected herself. She pointed along the beach. “She’s the nice one.”

  An older woman worked slowly with a large fishing net.

  Micah thanked the young woman and stepped onto the shore. ‘Heloysius and Luciana? Could you come back to the dock, please? I don’t want anyone to get into trouble.’

  ‘I’ll bring them back,’ Fea said. She darted into the small crowd and was gone.

  Klytus and Shauna looked like they wanted to go after her. “Don’t you dare,” Micah told them. She turned back to find the woman right there, watching the twins with a grandmotherly smile.

  “What are your names?” she asked.

  “I’m Ax and this is ‘Tesh,” the young boy said, before adding helpfully, “she’s my twin sister.”

  “Nice to meet you, and what is your name?” ‘Tesh asked.

  “I’m Gailey, little sweetheart. My! Aren’t you precious, and you have cats?”

  “Yes, we do, and they talk to us!” ‘Tesh shared.

  “I’m sure they do.” The old woman looked at Micah expectantly.

  “One of our towns up north was raided by twenty-five men and they stole some Old Tech. It could have grave complications for everyone in the south. If you know of anyone who would do such a thing, that would be a great help.” Micah didn’t want to waste any more time.

  “We have a great number of needs as well. Groups from the east have been more aggressive, because our fields aren’t producing what they used to. They come closer and closer to us. Maybe we need your help.”

  Micah smiled and held out her hand to shake with the old woman. “I think we can talk.” The Rabbits hopped up, their whiskers twitching as Fea sauntered in behind them.

  “Oh my!” Gailey exclaimed. “They’ll clean out our fields, worse than those little ones!”

  Fea’s ears perked up at the thought of an overabundance of domestic rabbits. Klytus and Shauna started to slink away.

  “Hang on!” Micah cautioned the ‘cats. “I think we can help you with that, too. We would have helped with all of that regardless. Maybe some Aurochs can set up outside Southport to provide fertilizer, best on Vii. The Rabbits can help manage your crops so you get the highest yield, and our furry friends here—” Micah waved her arm to take in Strider as well as the Hillcats. “—can do something about your rabbit problem.”

  Luciana harrumphed, but stayed quiet.

  “How can they do all that?” Gailey asked.

  “They’re intelligent, smarter than us. We’re all on Vii together doing the best we can to get along.” Gailey waved for them to follow as she headed off the beach and into town.

  Micah accessed her neural implant. ‘Holly, can you contact Bronwyn and see if she can find some volunteers to help the good people of Southport?’

  ‘I can. How are you sure they are good? According to my data, you’ve only been ashore for a few minutes.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I got you. I don’t see any aggression from this group. I think they are vulnerable, if anything. Seeing where they are in a prime location, I don’t see any reason why they aren’t a trading powerhouse.’

  ‘That is something worthy of supporting. Braden would be proud of you, Master President.’

  ‘I try,’ Micah replied. ‘Now get a hold of her and see if you can convince her to come down here.’

  Dawn found Aadi and G-War hiding high in a tree overlooking the raiders’ rough camp. The men had not all been asleep. Every other man had been awake and watching while their fellows slept. G-War didn’t need the rain to cover his approach.

  He was a ‘cat and stealth was one of the many weapons at his command. Aadi moved soundlessly through the air, less so when rain splattered off his shell, but the sound was natural and no cause for alarm from the unsuspecting. When G-War and Aadi closed on the raiders’ position, they’d found enough men alert that they didn’t try to get inside the perimeter. They opted to observe from a nearby tree, taking a position that a Hawkoid would have occupied had on
e been able to fly at night and in a downpour.

  The torrent continued. G-War huddled next to the trunk, but it provided little shelter. He watched the men, using his more senses than just his eyes. He could see in the dark, but he couldn’t see through the rain. Aadi had wedged himself into the tree beside the ‘cat.

  Aadi was more likely to be seen than the Golden Warrior. Despite looking like a drowned rat, he blended with the tree. The Tortoid? If the rain stopped and any of the men looked up, they would have seen his shell in all its glory, looking like a large turtle trapped in a tree.

  They may not have believed what their eyes told them, but the Tortoid had to rethink his strategy when first light arrived.

  The rains continued without pause and Aadi’s concerns never manifested. They couldn’t see the men any more than those on the ground could see to the top of the tree.

  ‘They are preparing to leave,’ G-War told Braden.

  The human had dozed off, as had the rest of their party. Brandt snorted and blew bubbles with each breath because of the water that ran from his head and off his nose. Braden forced his mind to clear.

  ‘We were in no shape to do anything about it anyway. I’m exhausted and we haven’t even started the day. Did you find the leader?’ Braden asked as he scratched his head and tried to wake up.

  ‘His mind is filled with plans of conquest. He must not be allowed to implement any of his plans. Many would die before the lightning spears ran out of power.’

  ‘Damn, G. I’m sorry you had to see that,’ Braden replied, yawning. ‘I think I’d be insane if I looked into other people’s minds. No one needs to know what we think, only see what we do. Our actions show who we are, not our thoughts.’

  ‘If only people could keep their thoughts from becoming actions, I might agree. In Zakston’s case, his thoughts are plans, detailed plans, to take over the south, including New Sanctuary.’

  ‘We can’t let that happen, G.’

  ‘We absolutely cannot,’ Aadi interjected.

  ‘Wait until they move and we’ll catch up to you.’ Braden arose, going from one to another, waking them. They’d all fallen asleep, and he couldn’t blame any of them.

  Braden watched each of his companions go through their morning routine. Bounder stretched as if preparing to go on a hunt. The pups huddled and looked miserable. The Hawkoids perched nearby. They had to be carried because of the rain, so they opted to ride on Brandt.

  ‘It’s clear, come on up,’ G-War told them.

  Without having to say a word, the group lined up. Bounder slapped Braden on the shoulder. “Why do you look like you just had the best night’s sleep ever?”

  ‘All sleep is good sleep, my friend. Smell the morning air! It summons our courage and beckons for the great day that will come!’

  “All I smell is wet Wolfoid and wet Aurochs. A great day would start with me being upwind.”

  ‘Too bad Pik Ha’ar isn’t with us. He would so enjoy this weather.’

  “He would.” Braden smiled at the thought. “Let’s see what the day brings.”

  Bounder headed up the narrow trail. Brandt didn’t complain as he brought up the rear. In between them, Braden and the pups worked their way forward. The route had been used enough that the trail was established. It wound its way forward, as far as they could see, which wasn’t more than a few strides ahead. Beyond that, everything disappeared into a single gray mist.

  And the rain continued.

  A Wolfoid cry. Braden crouched as he turned, assuming they were under attack. Cygnus cried again as he lay on the rocks, one hand-paw gripping Rainy Forest’s. The rest of the pup was beyond the edge of the precipice. Braden dove painfully across the rough terrain, hitting the ground as Forest slipped from Cygnus’s grasp.

  The Aurochs

  Young Tom rode up front with Zeller. Neeson slept in the back of the Old Tech wagon. They were preparing to leave River Crook on their way to New Sanctuary, where the Hillcat Neeson would be sent to the RV Traveler in order to have his injury repaired. Young Tom and two of the scientists would go as well, although the scientists had their own mission.

  Zeller wanted to go too, as did Bronwyn. Doctor Johns told them ‘no,’ and that it wasn’t up for debate.

  Bronwyn rode atop one of the younger Aurochs bulls. Zeeka, the Hawkoid, floated on the air currents overhead. The breeze coming from the Amazon carried humid air and the faint smell of a swamp.

  Bronwyn talked with the bull constantly as they traveled. Her lips moved, but she didn’t speak aloud. She was gifted with the mindlink, the ability to talk with any intelligent creature.

  The device secreted in a pocket buzzed and vibrated. She pulled it out and answered.

  “Holly?”

  “Yes, Bronwyn, it is so good to talk with you. Master President has a special request for you…”

  Holly explained as well as he could, then backed up his story to when Micah boarded the Warden, then backed up further to the raid on Livestel. Having restarted at the beginning, Bronwyn better understood what he was trying to get at.

  “You want me to gather a herd and bring them how far?”

  “At maximum Aurochs speed, eight days,” Holly replied.

  “That’s a long way. We’ll show up with a skinny herd, assuming I can find any who want to go. The grass is growing well up here right now. It is prime eating season.”

  She asked Cragmore, the young bull, ‘Would you be so kind as to take me over to the wagon, please?’

  ‘Anything for you, my lady,’ the bull said with a slight bow.

  ‘My compliments to you, good sir!’ Bronwyn enjoyed the company of the Aurochs and had influenced their becoming an exceedingly polite society. The great creatures roamed the grasslands once called the Plains of Propiscius, but the locals simply called them the plains.

  “Would you be willing to go west with me? I need to talk with the growing herd outside Westerly. If I can convince some of them that their fortunes lie in the south, then I’ll be taking a long trip down the coast with them.”

  Zeller nodded quickly while Young Tom scratched his face in thought. “We’re on our way to New Sanctuary.” Tom pointed to the east.

  “You can get there going this way, too,” Bronwyn stated matter-of-factly. “There is an ancients’ road that goes to the coast. Brandt just traveled it with a wagon, so there shouldn’t be any problems. Would you please come with me?”

  Bronwyn was used to traveling alone, but Zeller was one of her few human friends. Bronwyn also liked the Aurochs that traveled with her. Having a ‘cat along was an added bonus. Neeson had been injured by a mutant croc when he got too close to the river. He had never healed properly, but Holly promised that on the ship, the star above Vii, that the ‘cat could be properly treated and returned to the way he was before the attack.

  Tomas was excited about that, but not the prospect of the ambiguous way that Braden had described the travel. Go to sleep in one room, wake up in another, puke, then head upstairs. It made no sense, but Tom would do anything for his ‘cat, just like he’d do anything for Zeller.

  “Sounds like we’re going west,” she replied. “You know the way, Arnie. Let’s see if we can make it before nightfall.”

  ‘Ha! Challenge accepted,’ the bull replied. He was bigger than Cragmore, but he was also pulling a wagon, but it was an Old Tech wagon, with a power system to help the wheels turn, greatly reducing the load the Aurochs had to pull.

  His hooves dug deep into the ground as he pulled the wagon toward the original tracks that Braden and Micah had forged cycles of the sun before. The wagon settled once Arnie reached the expanded and improved road. He sped up, running easily, saving his strength for the uphill parts of the rolling terrain between River Crook and Westerly.

  Cragmore jogged alongside. Zeeka flew ahead, then circled around, looking for threats.

  Always looking for threats. The Bat-Ravens hadn’t been seen in a long time, but they remained a terror to be feared. Braden and Mica
h said the Bat-Ravens had been scoured from Vii. No one believed that. Not even the President.

  So the Hawkoids watched for a reappearance of their nemesis.

  The morning air was light, the sunrise behind them. Neeson complained about the bumps during the ride, even though there were few.

  ‘Don’t be afraid,’ Bronwyn said in her most soothing thought voice. ‘You will be good as new, they say. I look forward to seeing you vault to the first branch of a tree and climb to the top so you may hunt birds, or run down a rabbit with grace and ease.’

  ‘That is something I want, yes. How can it be possible?’ Neeson asked again.

  ‘The magic of the ancients.’ Bronwyn shrugged. She unconsciously touched the Old Tech device in her pocket. She didn’t know how any of it worked, and it didn’t matter. It worked. Everything Braden and Micah had told her was true. They were living examples of the power of Old Tech. ‘I trust that it will help you.’

  ‘Then I will trust that, too,’ the tall ‘cat replied.

  Zeeka spotted something in the grasses and dove. She reached raptor speed on her way down, killing the rabbit on impact, hooking her claws around, and beating her wings to fly away. She made a wide turn, carrying her prize as if it were a trophy. Zeeka swooped close and dropped it with unerring precision through the opening between the rear gate and the roof of the wagon.

  ‘Thank you,’ the ‘cat said. Zeeka rocked her wings as she slowly climbed higher into the sky.

  “Don’t you think about eating that thing in my nice clean wagon.”

  Neeson looked at the bundles of flour that was River Crook’s single greatest export. He couldn’t see the floor of the wagon, but suspected it was covered in wheat dust. Neeson scowled.

  Tom laughed and crawled into the back so he could bring Neeson and the rabbit up front.

  “You’re not eating that thing up here either!” Zeller looked at the two of them as if they’d lost their minds.

  “Looks like you’re going to have wait until we take a break, buddy. I’m sorry.” Tom stroked the ‘cat’s head. Because he couldn’t hunt or run, Neeson was heavier than most Hillcats. Tom and Zeller were good providers. “It might not hurt if you skipped a meal or two.”