Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  “Are you that worried?” Micah asked, although she could hear most of his thoughts.

  “I freely admit that I am. I don’t want to be without G-War. I don’t want to be without you, or you guys back there.” Braden waved at the passengers in the back seat. “I’m talking about all five of you.”

  ‘I am honored, as always,’ Aadi replied graciously.

  ‘Okay, I’ll talk with you. We need more regular feeding times, just for reference,’ a small female thought voice replied.

  “Shauna? We will do our best, but I have to warn you, at the oasis, unless you hunt for yourself, none of the food is meat.”

  ‘That doesn’t work, but we are magnificent hunters, and you can owe us.’

  “We can what?” Braden asked over his shoulder.

  ‘Owe us. You can owe us,’ a rough voice chimed in.

  Micah rested her hand on Braden’s arm, hoping to calm him before his thoughts surged out of control. The ‘cats were adults, but they were partnered with children.

  “How long did it take for G-War to fully develop his adult personality?” Micah asked.

  “A long time. I found him when I was ten, and he was a kitten. He wouldn’t tell me his real name until after we were together, so I guess that’s when it was. Ten cycles of the seasons, ten years.”

  Braden relaxed and took Micah’s hand as he drove with one hand.

  ‘Well?’ Klytus asked.

  “Well what?” Braden wondered.

  ‘We’re ready to eat.’

  “You just ate before we left, and there’s nothing to eat out here. You’ll have to wait until we get to the oasis.”

  ‘This is what we’re talking about. Senseless delays. My stomach is growling.’ Shauna rolled onto her back while ‘Tesh held her. ‘See? Empty.’

  “Soon. We are racing ahead at maximum speed. How much longer, Holly?”

  “A half-hour, but the terrain gets rougher up ahead. You will have to slow down.”

  “Just let me know.”

  “I could take over the driving duties to maximize the hovercar’s speed while reducing the risks.”

  “Fine,” Braden declared. He took his hands off the wheel and crossed his arms. The hovercar sped up. Braden had thought he was already going as fast as the vehicle would move, but Holly had been holding back. The vehicle angled away from the oasis on what appeared on the screen as a more optimal, less terrain-intense route. A countdown clock showed thirty-five minutes.

  The desert raced by.

  ‘I feel like I’m a stranger in my own home,’ Aadi began. ‘In a Tortoid’s lifespan, I haven’t been gone long, but I’ve lived an entire life in that short time. So much has happened, and here we are again, on another adventure.’

  “I’m not sure about the adventure part. We’re only out here to make peace with G and hopefully find a mutually beneficial way ahead.”

  ‘I suspect there’s more to it than that. A lot more,’ Aadi replied mysteriously, blinking slowly as he turned his head to watch the desertscape stream by.

  G-War lounged on a branch, his legs dangling. Fea remained on the ground in the shade. The remains of three ground squirrels were nearby. She sat and blinked slowly, as if fighting off a nap.

  ‘Turn to your right a little. We’re at the tree,’ Fea said, guiding the Aurochs herd toward her.

  They kicked up little dust as they were walking. Bandria looked contrite when she ambled up to the tree.

  ‘I’m sorry...’ she started, but stopped before trying to explain.

  ‘Let’s be on our way, shall we? Good eats and plenty of water at the oasis, but it’ll take two days to get there. The last pond is up ahead. Drink your fill, and then when evening comes, we will power through the desert to the first oasis. Running fast, we might be able to make it in one night,’ G-War explained.

  He jumped from the branch, landing softly on Bandria’s head, taking care to keep his claws in. As much as he considered the Aurochs’ panic to be her fault, he had a nagging feeling that somehow he contributed to it. The cow ducked her head and Fea launched herself into the air, landing between the great creature’s eyes and walking as only a ‘cat could walk effortlessly up an uneven surface.

  She also took care not to expose her claws, having learned the hard way how sensitive Bandria was. The King of the Aurochs, on the other paw, wasn’t bothered by a little thing like pain. But he was unique among all the creatures of Vii. ‘It’s okay, Bandria. Onward, friend, follow the Hawkoids’ lead.’

  Bandria trotted to the front of the herd, head held high. She looked to the sky where the Hawkoids circled over the last watering hole, and she started to run.

  Braden engaged the manual drive in order to ease the hovercar between the trees. Oasis Zero One had always been welcoming. It was where Braden met a part of the AI that he later learned was Holly, and that Old Tech was alive and well.

  He parked the hovercar in front of the small building where they had to check in. They opened the doors and everyone hopped out. The ‘cats sniffed, crouched, and raced in different directions. The twins headed for the lake, where they found the water perfectly suited for swimming. Micah waded in after them, but only to her knees.

  Braden entered the building, was warmly greeted by the hologram, and was told which two rooms would be theirs. He asked the young woman to have towels delivered to the beach, thanked her, and she disappeared. He took a deep breath of the air conditioning before going back outside. It wasn’t as hot in the oasis as it was in the desert, owing to the water and trees, but it was hot enough.

  A bot rolled past him carrying four towels. It was waiting on the sand when he arrived. “I thank you, good sir!” he told the mechanical creation. It disappeared back the way it had come, and Braden took a seat in the shade and leaned against a palm tree.

  “I think you do too much lounging,” Micah said over her shoulder. Braden wanted to disagree, but couldn’t. He stripped to his shorts and ran for the lake, diving in a massive belly flop next to his partner. The twins squealed and went under.

  A ‘cat’s scream signaled a kill. Klytus with first blood. Shauna answered mere heartbeats later.

  “All is right with the world,” Braden said while wiping his eyes dry. Micah glared at him, fists on her hips and water dripping from her clothes. “Almost right.”

  “Watch them,” she told him and worked her way ashore, where she stripped and wrapped in a towel. She laid her clothes across the tops of nearby bushes. Before she could turn around, a bot whipped by and swiped them.

  ‘I can watch them,’ Aadi offered as he slowly hovered from the trees, across the sand, and over the lake.

  “Your clothes will be back before you know it. There’s a swimsuit in the bag.” Braden pointed to the hovercar.

  “G and Fea are out there, in the desert, and we’re in here playing.” Micah’s expression turned dark. “All is not right with the world.”

  The Aurochs herd ran through the night following the wagon tracks from Braden and Micah’s last trip from the north. The cattle and wagon had left an unmistakable guide that would lead any traveler directly to the oasis. G-War didn’t need to open any of the rooms, which was good because he couldn’t enter them. That privilege was reserved for human hands.

  The ancients weren’t accommodating to their sentient creations. Another burr in the ‘cat’s paw.

  Come dawn, the Hawkoids leapt from the Aurochs where they’d gotten little sleep and winged their way to the northeast. They circled near the horizon before lazily returning.

  ‘You are close, my friend,’ Skirill said. ‘The oasis is not empty. Braden and his family are already there.’

  ‘You didn’t expect them to take your leaving lightly, did you, my big scruffy man?’ Fea purred.

  ‘What do they want?’

  ‘To know what you’re doing, or maybe help in your quest, or something as simple as showing you that they believe in you.’

  ‘Rubbish,’ G-War snorted. ‘They want me to be
a sedate house cat lying in a box.’

  ‘I’m sure that’s not what they want. You’ll get the chance to find out, my furry little love monster. I expect your kids are there, too. You’ll get to see them again.’

  ‘Those two,’ G-War started, but didn’t finish his thought. He was happy they didn’t turn out like their mother, a domestic cat. He had no complaints, but felt like complaining, so he stayed quiet, sulking from the top of the Aurochs’ head.

  ‘It’s getting hot out, maybe we can finish tonight,’ Bandria suggested.

  ‘Skirill, is it much longer, or should we seek shelter?’ G-War asked.

  The Hawkoids flapped their wings and sped toward the herd. The swooped low before climbing high into the air. They flew to the sides and then turned back toward the oasis. After they were specks in the sky, Skirill answered.

  ‘There is no shelter. Your only choice is the oasis. There is water and great fields. You will want for nothing once there.’

  ‘Did you hear, Bandria? Did they all hear?’ G-War asked, even though he knew the answer. He had made sure that they heard. ‘It is time to shorten the time that we are under this brutal heat. Run, you great creatures, but not fast. We need to reach the oasis before the sun climbs too much higher into the sky.’

  Bandria set the pace, her breathing ragged from the strain, but her efforts paid off. The oasis soon appeared on the horizon, looking like a mirage, but unerringly, they cut a line toward it.

  ‘Hey, Ess and Zee,’ ‘Tesh said, happily munching on a brownie. Braden and Micah swiveled their heads as they searched the sky. Two great figures descended quickly, backwinging to land softly in the sand. They waded into the water and drank deeply before throwing water on themselves and ruffling their feathers.

  “My friends. Tell me that G-War is right behind you.” Braden waded into the water to be close to the Hawkoids.

  ‘The herd is on its way, but they are only the first.’

  “The herd?” Braden wondered.

  ‘The Aurochs and the Hillcats have partnered to travel north to Ankhmar.’

  “The Aurochs and all the Hillcats?”

  ‘Almost all. The Golden Warrior was compelling in his plea for unity. He delivered it valiantly. You should be proud. He sounded like you.’

  Braden furled his brow as he cupped his hands and splashed water on the Hawkoids’ backs to help cool them down.

  “He sounded like you,” Micah repeated. “That doesn’t sound like a mutinous ‘cat. That sounds like someone who is trying to help.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see when they get here. We better clear the space. The herd will need easy access to the water. They’ll be thirsty running in the daytime. It’s probably been a while since they had a drink.”

  Braden hurried to the hovercar and moved it behind the maintenance building. They gathered their towels and waited. The Hawkoids flew into the trees, landing on top of a shorter one to remain in the shade.

  They ruffled their feathers one more time, leaned against each other, and were soon fast asleep. They hadn’t even bothered to hunt. Once the ‘cats arrived, there might be nothing left to hunt.

  Reconciliation

  The Aurochs slowed to a walk. They could smell the humidity in the air. They filed into the oasis and without bothering to look around, they headed straight for the lake. Braden, Micah, and the twins stayed out of their way. Shauna and Klytus had climbed a tree and were watching from overhead. Only forty head, a mix of bulls and cows. Braden only counted a dozen ‘cats.

  G-War and Fea moved to the cow’s back as she waded in and stuffed half her face into the water.

  “Don’t drink too much to start with. Just enough, let it settle, and then drink your fill,” Braden advised.

  Bandria bobbed her head, but kept drinking. She finally lifted her head and slowly moved out of the way of the others. Once clear, G-War and Fea jumped down. Micah bent down and Fea rubbed past her face and body, getting a good ear scratch for her efforts.

  G-War looked at Braden. ‘What’s up?’ the ‘cat asked.

  “I’m just trying to figure this all out.”

  ‘There’s nothing to figure out. That last jaunt into the south has proven that you have failed all mankind. Someone needs to save humanity from itself, and that someone is not you.’

  G-War blinked slowly. Braden hung his head. “Damn, G. You might as well just slash my arm. That’ll hurt less.”

  A black and orange paw lashed out.

  Braden yowled in pain as he jumped to his feet.

  ‘Well?’ the ‘cat asked.

  “Well what?”

  ‘Does it hurt less?’

  “No! It hurts like hell.” Braden gripped his arm. It was one of the deepest slashes the Golden Warrior had ever given him. He pressed on the wound as blood dripped between his fingers. Micah produced a handful of numbweed. “You must be angry.”

  ‘I pity your misguided confusion, your faith that humankind will do the right thing even though they have evil in their minds. You don’t see what I see. It’s time that it stopped.’ G-War sat up straight, eyes fixed on Braden.

  “It’s time for the bleeding to stop,” Braden complained, wincing while Micah applied the numbweed, pressing it into the wound to remove the pain and speed the healing. “What would you have us do?”

  ‘More ‘cats to watch over the people. And that is where we are going, recruit ‘cats to place strategically, wherever there are human settlements. ‘Cats with all the Free Traders, to check in when they pass through. I want ‘cats to take their rightful place in keeping the peace.’

  “It’s like the pure heart test, G. I don’t think there’s any better service we can perform for humanity. I’m with you all the way, but crossing the Great Desert is nothing to be taken lightly. We’re coming along.” Braden sighed as the pain started to go away. “And don’t scratch me anymore!”

  ‘You know I can’t guarantee that. Sometimes—’ G-War held one paw in the air and a single claw extended fully. ‘—you need a good scratching to bring you back to reality.’

  “And sometimes you knock stuff off tables for no reason whatsoever.”

  ‘It’s my way,’ the ‘cat admitted. ‘Shall we?’ G-War looked at Fea.

  ‘Yes, my delectable piece of man candy.’ Fea’s tail stood straight in the air as the pair trotted toward the fields. The other ‘cats were nowhere to be seen, probably already on their way in search of rabbits or unwary birds. Bandria followed the ‘cats, her big brown eyes sparkling at the sight of the greenery.

  Aadi floated into the middle of the crowd, politely greeting each of the Aurochs by their name before moving on.

  Braden accessed his neural implant. ‘Holly, don’t let the bots go after the Aurochs as they tear up the fields.’

  ‘Yes, Master Braden, that is a standing order throughout the land, as much as it pains me to see the destruction left in their wake.’

  ‘But the fertilizer, Holly. Their bodies make it better than anything else. You should be able to regrow the crops bigger and better than before.’

  ‘That is what you keep telling me,’ Holly replied.

  Braden wasn’t sure how to take that. “Is everyone against me?” he asked. Micah shook her head and laughed.

  “What makes you ask that?”

  “Holly is giving me grief.”

  “That means he likes you. We probably need the manufacturing facility to produce a bunch of barrels that we can fill with water. They need to be shaped to ride comfortably on the side of an Aurochs.” Micah could see a shape in her mind. She formed a mental image and shared that with Holly.

  ‘I’ll get on that right away, Master President. When do you think you’ll be leaving?’

  ‘Thanks, Holly. I have no idea, but we should probably wait until the others arrive, however many the others consists of.’

  ‘I shall plan for double the number we have now. That means twenty-four barrels for eighty Aurochs, which is an absolute minimum.’

  ‘
With forty-eight barrels, they won’t have to be so loaded down and then they wouldn’t have to run so fast.’

  ‘I’ll work as quickly as I can, but the production will take some time. The oases are not configured for mass production.’

  ‘I understand, Holly. Do your best, which will be good enough as it always is. We can ask for no more.’

  Braden closed the window before his eye and blinked until he could see into the sunlight. His thoughts troubled him. He knew G-War was right, but he didn’t know why.

  Young Tom looked up from his forge to watch Neeson walk away. The ‘cat had mysteriously told him ‘good-bye,’ and nothing more.

  “Wait!” he called and dropped what he was working on. Sweat poured from him as it always did. He grabbed his mug on the way and slopped water into his mouth as he ran. “Where are you going?”

  A herd of Aurochs had run to the outskirts of town moments before. Many Hillcats were with the great creatures of the plains.

  ‘I have to go with the others. They need me.’

  “Why?” Tom asked as he caught up to the ‘cat. Since his croc injuries had been healed on board the Traveler, the ‘cat had become leaner, but heavily muscled. He was bigger than most other ‘cats. Reminded Tom of himself.

  ‘It’s a reckoning. I must go, but I’ll be back. The Aurochs will see to that,’ Neeson replied.

  “What do you mean by a reckoning?” Tom felt like he was pleading with the ‘cat, but he wanted to understand. Neeson was a critical part of his life, especially when Zeller was gone. She was on a quick trip to White Beach and would be back within a couple days.

  ‘If I don’t go then I won’t be able to influence the events that could determine our future. I will return. You have my word.’

  Tom couldn’t reply. He clenched his jaw as the ‘cat started to run and launched himself high, landing cleanly on an older bull’s back. The Aurochs immediately moved out, walking at first before breaking into a run. They disappeared beyond the stand of trees outside River Crook. He could still hear the pounding of their hooves.