Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  Braden was last in, stripping and scrubbing his way to his body. He sighed as the water washed away the creature’s toxic secretions.

  ‘Must be how it digested the metal,’ Pik suggested as he stood under the water. ‘I may never leave.’

  The Golden Warrior was the first one out. He had no gear, only a collar that chafed. He licked himself in vain.

  Braden helped Treetis from his armor, but everything underneath was untouched. Braden helped wash him. The ‘cat yowled once he was soaked. With a thorough rinsing, Braden turned him loose.

  Skirill let the water rain down on him, fluffing his feathers and shaking as he enjoyed the luke-warm shower.

  The door burst open and the women rushed in. G-War hurried out the open door, Fea turned around and followed her wet mate.

  “It smells like wet Wolfoid in here,” Micah said, smiling at finding the group intact. Jocelyn stopped, but it was too late. She excused herself and returned to engineering. “I guess you’ll tell us all about it when you’re finished.”

  “We will.” Braden waggled his eyebrows at Micah and moved aside, pointing to the shower.

  “Maybe next time,” she said with a wink.

  Zyena hopped past and joined her mate under the running water. They started splashing and throwing water until Braden had had enough and helped himself out. Piles of armor and gear lay on the shower floor.

  Towels were laid out, probably like they’d been for hundreds of years. The micro-fibers remained intact as Braden dried himself off. After Bounder shook, Braden took a second towel and dried himself off again. Then the Hawkoids finished and shook. “Everybody out!” Braden yelled, making it echo within the small area.

  ‘Mister Grumpy has arrived,’ G-War said over the mindlink.

  “Bigger and better than ever before. Meet Mister Grumpy! Now everyone out,” Braden replied. He waved at Micah to help him with the wet gear. They spread it out on the benches to dry. Braden wrapped a towel around himself before leaving the showers.

  “So, what happened?” Micah asked.

  “A living creature that ate machines. It had a shell that was made of metal and couldn’t be touched by my blaster or Bounder’s spear. G-War tried to talk to it, but couldn’t. I didn’t think we had much of a choice but to kill it.”

  Fea licked G-War’s head while he looked miserable. Jocelyn refused to look at Braden. Strider retrieved a couple towels and rubbed down Bounder’s wet hair. Then she helped dry Treetis.

  Jocelyn grabbed a towel to help G-War.

  “You called?” Braden finally remembered to ask Micah.

  She nodded slowly before she remembered what she’d wanted to tell him. “Holly said it’ll take years to clear just this area the way we’re doing it. We need a new plan.”

  “I have to agree. If Holly lets the Androids link up to the ship, they can help with the search and point us to any areas of concern, like Andy did with this place and the rusty monster, or whatever you’d call it.”

  “We need more eyes,” Micah said.

  “And then we become the response team, all action and no boredom. What do you think of that, G?”

  ‘I think that I’m wet, and I hate you.’

  “The Prince agrees. It’s a plan. Holly, make it so.”

  “We all heard him, and he didn’t agree to anything.”

  “No, that’s his way of agreeing. We’ll find a central location from which to respond and go from there. Maybe it’ll have a nice waterfall, some ground squirrels, and open sky.”

  “I’m not sure there is a place like that,” Holly replied. “I have re-tasked the Androids. There are over two thousand of them converging on the aft section of the ship. They will search all the rooms within a day.”

  “Look at us!” Braden said, almost losing his towel when he stood up too quickly. “Playing nice with the Androids.” He flexed his empty hand because his blaster was still in the shower room. “I’ll be right back.”

  Micah grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaving. She pointed to the blaster on her hip and the one at Jocelyn’s side.

  “Have you guys figured out how to walk in here?” Braden asked, trying to defuse the tension within his body.

  “I think I won’t ever get used to it,” Jocelyn answered.

  “When will we go to my level, where I was born and raised?” Zyena asked.

  Braden and Micah looked at each other. “That’s in the forward core section,” Braden said.

  “And?” Zyena asked pointedly.

  “And it’ll take us a while to get there,” Micah replied. “We’ll go to visit your home and your friends. I’m sure they’ve missed you.”

  Braden excused himself and went back into the shower room where he dressed in wet clothes. He preferred that and having his blaster than traipsing around engineering wearing nothing but a towel. He returned to the group. “What’s the new plan?” he asked. Everyone looked to him. “We change from proactive to reactive, wait for the word from the Androids, and then check it out. Are there any more of those machine eaters, Andy?”

  “None that we know of.”

  “It had to come from somewhere, didn’t it?” Braden wondered aloud. The Hawkoids were perched on workstations, their wings out for drying. Micah leaned against a table, her arms crossed and expression intense.

  “There was a great deal of genetic manipulation that took place on the ship during its passage from Earth to Cygnus. Many of those experiments still exist. I refer you to your own group. Some of the others went awry, and still others found their own way through nature,” Holly explained.

  “I’m thinking the ones that went awry and the Androids who are off the grid are the ones we need to deal with. For the living creatures, do you have any non-lethal weapons? I know we’ve been through this before, but this is their home. We need time to evaluate them. The rusty monster thing may not have been evil, but we surprised it. Of course it was going to attack us.”

  “Maybe we can block areas where creatures may be. Betafor welded the electric people’s room shut. We can close off an entire corridor, block the elevator if need be. Leave them to their own,” Micah suggested.

  Braden furled his brow as he contemplated different approaches.

  “Andy will take you to an industrial fabricator nearby where stun devices are already in production. These are close range, but they should incapacitate a living creature. That will give you time to evaluate and move them.”

  “Sounds like a plan, Holly.” Braden turned to the Hawkoids. “Are you dry yet?”

  Skirill flapped his wings. ‘Sufficiently to fly, yes.’

  “Everyone get your gear on,” Braden said.

  ‘Maybe you and the dry people can get the stun devices while we wait?’ Bounder asked.

  “How far is this industrial fabricator, Andy?”

  “Less than one kilometer in that direction.” The Android pointed.

  “Pik, Jocelyn, if you could come with us please to help carry the devices back, I’d appreciate it.”

  G-War trotted ahead with Fea and Treetis close behind.

  “Hey, Treetis!” Braden called after them. “You don’t have your armor on.”

  The ‘cat ignored him as the three raced to get ahead of Andy. As Braden always did, he turned to Micah. She shrugged in reply as she usually did after Braden received his daily comeuppance from the ‘cats.

  Pik shuffled behind Braden and Micah, pulling Aadi. The Lizard Man never took his armor off, preferring to remain wet for as long as possible. Aadi hadn’t been in contact with the creature, so his armor wasn’t contaminated.

  “Are we doing the right thing?” Braden asked softly.

  “You’re asking that now?”

  “I thought we’d mix it up with the bad Androids, clear a few spaces, visit some of the other decks, and then go back home. But we are now allied with the Androids and fighting other creatures who are only attempting to survive.”

  “How else would we do it to make the Traveler safe
for scientists and space explorers?”

  “I don’t know.” Braden looked at the deck as they walked. He descended deep into his own thoughts.

  Micah left him to himself as she took in her surroundings, watching the ‘cats dart in and out as they ran ahead of the Android, the sound of Pik Ha’ar shuffling along behind them.

  “I know. We’ll do what we have to,” Micah whispered.

  Braden nodded almost imperceptibly.

  Andy pointed to a room up ahead. Micah turned and waved to the Wolfoids as they lounged not that far away. Skirill and Zyena jumped into the air and flew toward them.

  ‘If I may,’ Aadi interrupted. ‘The dilemma of conscience weighs heavily, when you shouldn’t carry that burden alone. The Golden Warrior couldn’t talk to the creature because it wasn’t sentient. It was no different than killing a deer for food. This enemy was removed because eventually, it would devour a machine that is critical to life on this ship. It could not be allowed to remain.’

  “Maybe in that instance, we did the right thing. But what about the next one?”

  ‘It will be dealt with as it needs to. There must be peace and security on this ship. There was when it arrived. It has gotten away from that, lawless, as you may say. The police are back in town. I also think that with the Androids responding to Holly’s commands, this ship will become a secure place to live and work.’

  Braden flexed his hand subconsciously at the mention of the Androids. “You go first, Andy. Take us to the fabricator.”

  “As you wish,” it said without emotion. It waved at the pad, and the door slid open. It walked in without hesitation. The ‘cats disappeared inside. Braden drew his blaster and rushed after them. He stopped when he reached the doorway. The Hillcats were already on their way out.

  ‘Bored,’ G-War said.

  Braden started to laugh. “You know, G. I think bored is probably the best thing we can hope for. By being away from New Sanctuary for a while, maybe the rabbits and ground squirrels will surge back into existence and need you to take care of the over-population.”

  ‘I have people for that.’ G-War nodded toward Treetis.

  “He has people,” Braden repeated, pondering the words. “As long as it gets taken care of. How is the Livestock Level without the Wolfoids?”

  “Never made it. We were ready to walk through when Holly told us that you were battling the creature.”

  Andy waited patiently while the living creatures bantered. Skirill and Zyena flew by, turned, and headed back. Pik and Aadi finally squeezed through the doorway.

  Braden waved at them to follow as he went to the familiar machine. It was identical to the one that made Pik’s blasters for their ill-fated attack on the Androids to rescue Aadi.

  Four of the devices were already in the catch bin. As Braden examined one, another finished and dropped in.

  It looked like a small pistol but shaped better for a hand because it didn’t need a barrel. Prongs at the end were wired into the device. “Holly?” Braden asked the room.

  “Yes, Master Braden,” the AI replied.

  “Are these single use?”

  “Yes and no. They use the same charger as your blaster, but after they’ve been activated, they must be recharged.”

  “So one and done until the clean-up crew picks up the pieces.”

  Holly didn’t answer. Braden handed the devices to the others. “How many are you making?”

  “Ten. I’m a fan of the decimal system.”

  “Of course you are, Holly.” Braden waited until all ten were accounted for, then they left to return to the others.

  “All we have to do is wait for the Androids to find something,” Braden said as they walked. “And that scares me like you can’t believe.”

  When Nothing Is Something

  The Golden Warrior jumped to the top of the table and strolled casually to Braden.

  “Do not scratch me.” Braden crossed his arms and limited his exposed flesh. He was happy to have finally dried out so he could move without the shock of cold and wet clothing touching him.

  ‘But you deserve it,’ G-War countered.

  Fea jumped next to him. ‘We talked about this,’ she purred. The orange ‘cat sat and stared daggers at the back of Braden’s head.

  “I’m with G. Sitting around is grating on my very soul. Let’s explore. I’m heading to the rear core to visit the Livestock Level. Andy and Betafor, you come with us.”

  “We shall accompany you. That is our task.”

  Braden shook his head and bit his tongue. “Any news of any sort, Holly?”

  “Yes! The King of the Aurochs has set a new record in the amount of destruction to the fields. I’ve had to commission more Bots with the sole purpose of following him around.”

  Micah snickered before looking away.

  “I appreciate the update,” Braden started as he reached back to scratch G-War’s head, getting his finger bitten for his trouble. “But what I’m looking for is from within the Traveler. Any news from your army of ‘droids?”

  “Nothing beyond what was expected.”

  “I don’t know what you expected, so that doesn’t answer my question. Are there any creatures in places that would be a risk to building a colony on board this ship?”

  “The Androids have not found any, Master Braden.”

  “It seems odd,” Micah joined in, “that of all the corridors and rooms, we find the one with the electric mutants.”

  “There are more of those, but those billeting areas have been welded shut.”

  “You’re killing me, Holly!” Braden said. “That’s the kind of news I was looking for, not that Brandt is on a rampage to fill his bottomless pit.”

  “I believe it is bottomless. I will project a map through your neural implants showing our progress. You can highlight and adjust your view independently.”

  Braden and Micah unfocused as they brought up their screens. Jocelyn stood nearby, unsure of what to do. “Should I look, too?” she asked.

  Micah minimized her window and faced the governor. “Have you been practicing at all with the implant?”

  “It gave me such a headache the first day, I was afraid of it.”

  “We forgot all about you in everything else,” Micah apologized. She put her hand on the taller woman’s arm. “You shouldn’t get the headaches anymore. The knowledge of the universe is only a blink away. I’ll talk you through it. Look at the dot down and to the right of where you can see. Focus on it and blink.”

  “The screen like we saw in New Sanctuary is now blocking the vision from my right eye.” Jocelyn closed her right eye and tried to focus only through the left. She started to flail, reaching for something to hold onto. Micah grabbed her.

  “Relax. Look up and blink.”

  “It’s gone now.” Jocelyn’s breathing slowed.

  “Bring the screen back up. Think of yourself in your office and you have a desk full of reports. That’s all this is, and so much more.” Micah waited. The taller woman looked at her. “Go ahead. Once you get comfortable with how the system works, you’ll see it as the tool that it is, nothing more. A fantastic tool, to be sure, but just a tool.”

  Jocelyn looked at the wall as she unfocused and blinked. Her eye bounced around as she started to scroll through the screens. “Bring up the map that Holly shared. It gives a three-dimensional view of the ship, which is important as the flat version is misleading. You can whip through it as if you’re a Hawkoid, flying along.”

  “I have it. Yes. If I were a Hawkoid, this is how the world would appear to me.”

  Micah accessed her own implant while continuing to hold Jocelyn steady.

  “Five different areas with electrified humans?” Braden blurted.

  ‘Yes, Master Braden, but they’ve all been sealed. They were once human, but devolved. Since they are all in billeting near the rear core, I believe that the different groups probably came from a single source, moving before they succumbed to whatever caused their condition
. They live the hermit lifestyle now. They won’t even know that they’ve been sealed in since they don’t leave. There is no sign that they have left their quarters for hundreds of years.’

  “They don’t know that anything exists beyond the small space they call home. How far can humans fall? Don’t answer that, Holly. I don’t want to know. The spaces are sealed, marked, and the Androids have moved on. Anything else?”

  “Nothing beyond that. There are no more rusty monsters, as you called it. There are no wild Wolfoids running rampant through the corridors.”

  “Only domesticated ones?” Braden asked with a smile.

  Holly laughed for Braden’s benefit. Sometimes he was more certain than others when Braden was joking.

  “All righty then!” Braden declared as he closed his neural implant. “I think we go to the Livestock Level, find something to barbecue, and get to it. I’m getting hungry.”

  ‘I support this plan,’ Bounder said.

  “I need you, G, Treetis, and Fea. If we find some wild boars, the kill is yours, if you wish. Don’t make me break out my blaster. It would be like killing a mosquito with an ax.”

  ‘Oh, please,’ G-War snarked. ‘What are we waiting for?’

  Braden led the way to the elevator that took them to the catwalk. A short walk later and they were ready to take the kilometer-long corridor to the Livestock Level. Jocelyn was lagging behind. “You may need to close the window. I personally find it impossible to walk and read.”

  Jocelyn blinked repeatedly as she refocused on the world around her.

  “Weird but good?” Micah asked.

  “Yes. So much to see. Too much to learn.”

  “Many lifetimes’ worth. Let’s go visit the core and see what there is to see. I’m hungry and that pork on the Livestock Level is to die for.”

  “Not literally,” Braden added, moving ahead and tapping his shoulder. Zyena jumped from the railing and landed softly, gripping Braden’s armor and harness tightly. Skirill stepped onto Micah’s shoulder, and she gave two thumbs up.