Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  The birds screeched and cried as they retreated to the safety of the trees. Zyena screeched her appreciation and at the end, added a victory cry.

  Skirill and Zyena backwinged and landed on the railing. Braden hurried to the Androids, blasting their heads from point-blank range to make sure they were gone.

  “Mission accomplished, Holly,” Braden said. “We’re going to stay here for a while, drink some fresh water, rest, and then we’ll head back. How is everyone else?”

  Holly’s voice projected from a speaker by the door. “Bounder was hurt worse than he let on, but his surgery was successful and he’s in recovery. The Hillcats will be free of the tanks within the next couple hours. Jocelyn tells me that Treetis has been talking with the new additions. He feels that they were not mutated by the Androids. It is my opinion that the enemy was going to train them after their release from the tanks.”

  “That is good news, Holly. All the way around. But we missed one of the enemy.”

  “That one is bottled up where it can do no harm. It has no access to technology in there and the saltwater will corrode enough of its circuits that its life is essentially over. You have won, Master Braden, Master President.”

  “For now,” Braden said ominously. “Thanks, Holly. We’ll be out of contact for a little bit. I’m suddenly very tired.”

  Micah nodded. She and Braden looked over the ‘cats to make sure they were okay before heading to the nearest stairs and fighting their way through the foliage toward the interior of the deck. Zyena and Skirill demonstrated their agility by flying low among the branches ahead.

  “A small lake would be nice,” Micah said. “I need to wash off the stench of Android.”

  ‘Not much farther,’ Zyena said.

  The small spring-fed lake had a small opening to the sky, which shed a nearly magical light on the water. G-War and Fealona crouched next to the water and drank. Aadi swam over the humans and floated above the pond with closed eyes. Braden and Micah stripped and slid into the cool water.

  Beneath the surface, Braden clenched his fists. He had to force his face to relax as he struggled to keep from grinding his teeth in frustration.

  “One got away,” Micah said softly. “The rest are gone, and most importantly, no one died. That is today’s victory.”

  “I always assume no one will die, and then I get upset when people get hurt. I guess I can’t have it both ways, but that is how I want it.”

  “I know,” Micah said, resting her head on her partner’s chest.

  A Conflagration of Wills

  Braden didn’t have to open his eyes. The flashing light told him that it was time to get up. He felt like Brandt had run him over. He blinked his vision clear and opened the window.

  ‘There you are!’ Holly said happily.

  ‘What do you want, Holly?’

  ‘To tell you that the Androids have found something.’ Holly didn’t expound even though Braden waited and kept waiting until the silence grew uncomfortable. ‘What, Holly?’

  ‘I thought you had gone back to sleep,’ Holly explained. ‘There are regeneration tanks on nearly every level, and the Androids found a set that had been recently used. A trail of material suggests that Lizard Men were cloned before being reintroduced to the Rainforest Level.’

  ‘What do your records say?’

  ‘Nice catch, Master Braden. That is what convinces me that these are creations from the rogue Androids. The last record I have says those tanks were last used before the Traveler assumed orbit above Cygnus VII.’

  ‘Makes you wanna kill ‘em, doesn’t it?’ Braden asked.

  ‘Not me, no. But it makes me want to do something. You need to go to the Rainforest Level and check things out.’

  ‘Have Pik Ha’ar join us, Holly. We’ll be on our way shortly.’

  ‘I can connect you with Jocelyn, if you’d like.’

  ‘Do that, and thank you.’ Braden waited.

  ‘Braden, is that you?’

  ‘Yes. We need to look for some potential mutant Lizard Men and need Pik Ha’ar. Is he in any shape to travel?’

  ‘We are all ready to go, all sixteen of us,’ Jocelyn proudly replied.

  ‘Sixteen?’ Braden was still half-asleep.

  ‘The Hillcats. They are fully grown, but still kittens in their minds. I think they’re adorable. They follow Treetis everywhere he goes.’

  Braden chuckled. ‘Let’s hope the Lizard Men are just as easy to tell apart. Holly will direct you to where we’ll be on the Rainforest Level. We’ll enter opposite you, and then we’ll meet in the middle.’

  ‘I’ll gather the herd,’ Jocelyn replied. ‘I have to warn you that they may act funny when they see the Golden Warrior.’

  ‘Why is that?’ Braden asked, opening his eyes and looking for the ‘cat. He spotted him in the nearest tree, legs dangling, out cold.

  ‘They think he’s some sort of god. Treetis wanted to give the new ‘cats a higher authority to look to.’

  ‘He’ll be insufferable.’

  ‘He will not,’ G-War interjected into the neural implant conversation.

  ‘Hey! How can you do that?’

  ‘I’m a god, remember?’

  ‘Yes, your worship. I had forgotten, your preeminent supremeness. Can you please forgive this humble servant of your masterful majesty?’

  ‘Maybe,’ G-War replied with a snort. He stood and stretched. ‘Lizard Men, huh? That means monkeys, too. Keep your head down. It would be embarrassing for us to carry you out of there again.’

  ‘You got that right,’ Braden admitted. He gently shook Micah.

  “I’m up,” she said without opening her eyes or doing anything that would demonstrate she was getting up.

  Braden leaned over the lake and took a long drink. “Skirill!” he shouted toward the trees.

  No answer. ‘Skirill? Zyena?’ he asked over the mindlink. ‘G, do you know where the Hawkoids are?’

  ‘Yes. They’ll meet us at the door when we are ready to leave.’

  “Why couldn’t I talk with them?” Braden was gruff, feeling left out.

  ‘They are not close, but they are on their way. You have mere mortal range.’

  Micah finally stood up. “Time to go?”

  “Time to go.” Braden put his gear on. It felt heavier than it did before. “Aadi?”

  ‘Yes, Master Braden, I am ready to work with the Lizard Men of this ship. I think I’ve learned some things since last time. I have high hopes that we won’t sow a path of destruction through the Rainforest Level.’

  “That’s disconcerting!” Braden blurted.

  ‘We have not had great luck on that level,’ Aadi clarified.

  “I have to agree with Aadi,” Micah said. “That level has repeatedly tried to kill us.”

  “Maybe the new Pik Ha’ar will be able to bring them under control. All I want is them to point out the new additions, show us the Androids’ creations, and we’ll take care of the rest.”

  ‘And that is how the destruction begins. They will run, and we will do everything possible to stop them.’

  “Can’t argue with that. We will do what we have to do, but with Pik and a good plan, we might be able to keep them from running in the first place. If we do that, then we’ll keep the destruction to a minimum. Otherwise, it’ll be an epic conflagration.”

  “Most likely,” Micah agreed.

  The ‘cats stayed in the trees, preferring to run along the branches than navigate through the undergrowth. Braden and Micah worked their way through the heavy vegetation, hacking and clearing as they went.

  “I thought you hacked this open yesterday?” Braden wondered.

  ‘She did,’ Aadi answered. ‘It has already grown back.’

  Braden followed as Micah powered forward. They reached the wall and looked for a door. When nothing presented itself, they called for help. ‘Holly?’ You know where we are, so direct us to the nearest door.’

  “It is right in front of you,” Holly’s muffle
d voice came through a wall of bushes and broad leaves. Braden pushed his head through the outer living barrier.

  “Here it is.” Braden leaned back and outlined the door with his hand. Micah watched the line and then started hacking. She winced when her sword hit the metal of the bulkhead. She sliced, sawed, and hacked while Braden used his knife to clear the delicate area around the pad. When they could see enough of the door, Braden activated it. It squealed open as it fought against the brush.

  G-War and Fea did not rush in as Braden expected. “Too dark?” Braden asked.

  ‘Waiting on the others,’ G-War replied.

  Skirill and Zyena zoomed in, backwinged, and landed heavily on Braden’s shoulders. He grunted with the impact. Aadi swam past and into the elevator. Micah held her arm in front of the door to keep it from closing. The others piled in. She was last, letting the door close behind her.

  “Holly, take us wherever we need to go.”

  “Deck 4, Zoo Level 1. You’ll need to transit to the platform and catch a tram to Deck 9, the Rainforest Level.”

  “Have we been on Deck 4?”

  “Nope,” Micah replied.

  “What is going to try and kill us? That is what we want to know.” Braden checked his blasters. He’d forgotten to charge them. One was at five percent and the other at twelve. “We better not get into an extended firefight.”

  Micah showed her blaster. Two percent. “We best not get into any firefight.”

  “G, keep in mind that ‘retreat’ is a good option. Also known as ‘run away.’ We can’t stand toe to toe and duke it out.”

  ‘Why would we have to?’ the ‘cat asked.

  “Because it’s us. Sometimes, things don’t work out as we intend, and when it comes to the Androids, I assume they are going to try and kill us.”

  ‘But these aren’t Androids.’ G-War and Fea circled inside the elevator as they waited for it to stop moving and the doors to open.

  “We haven’t had great luck with the Lizard Men, either.”

  ‘I see one common theme here...’ G-War let the thought trail off.

  “What would I do without my furry conscience?” Braden reached for the ‘cat, but he was anxious. Braden decided not to pet him or scratch his ears. “Just keep your head down, G. I’m still not happy that you all ditched your armor.”

  ‘It is what it is,’ G replied.

  “As only a ‘cat would say.” Braden changed gears. He pulled the blaster with the most charge available. “We’ve never been on this level, so take care. Blasters ready. We hit the ground running, looking for the platform and tram to the Rainforest Level. Holly, can you show us a view outside the door?”

  “I’m afraid you have a ways to go, Master Braden. The nearest tram leads to a platform that is blocked by the metal vines. You’ll need to go to the next one over. That tram has clear platforms on both ends.”

  “How far, Holly?”

  “One-point-two kilometers. Turn right when you enter the level and follow the wall.”

  “What’s out there, Holly?”

  “Its original purpose was to be a zoo for the small animals that would repopulate a new planet. There were over a thousand species on this level.”

  “You’re leaving a lot unsaid, Holly. What happened?”

  “Thousands of years of evolution.”

  The elevator doors opened and the ‘cats rushed out.

  “A few heartbeats from now, we’ll see what that means.” Braden pushed Aadi in front of him. Micah brought up the rear.

  “Narrow beam?” Micah asked.

  Braden looked at her and nodded. “It uses the least amount of energy. You may get a few shots before you run out. Here, take mine.” Braden tried to hand her his. She put her blaster away and pulled her sword from its scabbard.

  “No Androids means no one shooting at us. I’ll be fine.”

  Braden turned back to the door in time to see it slide open as G-War activated it. The ‘cats took two steps and stopped. The Hawkoids launched from Braden’s shoulder, flew out the door, and rose into the sky.

  The terrain was mountainous on one side and forested on the other. They’d arrived in between. Turning right would take them into the forest.

  Braden didn’t see any creatures, great or small. “What do you see, G?”

  ‘So many voices,’ the ‘cat replied cryptically. ‘There is a human settlement toward the mountains. There are predators and prey.’

  G-War’s tail started to twitch. “When is the last time you ate?” Braden asked.

  ‘When indeed.’ The Hillcats bolted for the nearby wood.

  “We’re going to the next door. We’ll meet you there, G. Stay in touch, please.”

  “He heard you,” Micah said reassuringly. “He won’t acknowledge you, but he heard.”

  “What did he mean by ‘so many voices’?” Braden wondered aloud. Micah shrugged.

  ‘This place is alive, in a refreshing way. It is more like Vii than anyplace else on this ship,’ Aadi told them.

  “That is good to know. Come along, old man, we have a short walk ahead of us and probably some time to kill at the end of it.”

  Aadi swam as he did, setting a slow pace that Braden and Micah matched. A ‘cat’s scream cut through the air, sending unseen wildlife scampering for cover.

  “You lead the way, Pik,” Jocelyn said.

  ‘I have lost my trident,’ the Lizard Man replied, refusing to move.

  “Holly, can you fabricate a new trident for Pik, please?” Jocelyn asked.

  “Standby.” Holly replied through the room’s speakers. Jocelyn impatiently tapped her foot. Treetis and the other Hillcats sniffed their way past and into the corridor.

  “Stay close,” she told them. A few returned to the room, while the others split into two groups, one going right and the other left. Jocelyn threw up her hands in surrender.

  “Manufacture is underway. It’ll come in three parts and those will screw together. It will be in the room to your left, the dining facility where there is a fabricator.”

  “There’s a dining facility, and I’m eating these nasty bars you gave me on Vii?”

  Jocelyn’s question was greeted with silence.

  “Uh huh.” She went to the next room, waved her bracelet to open the door, and hurried inside. The filth and decay almost overwhelmed her. She was surprised that she hadn’t been able to smell the room from the corridor. Jocelyn backed out as quickly as she had entered. “Pik, the fabricators are on the far wall. You’re on your own to get the trident.”

  Two ‘cats went into the room. Jocelyn held the door open, covering her face with an arm while she waited.

  The gentle ding was muffled, but Pik knew the sound from his time with the humans. He shuffled through and removed the three pieces from the fabricator. He studied each piece before screwing the three together. He hoisted it carefully before jabbing at the sky.

  ‘This is a nice weapon, worthy of a Pik. We can go now.’

  “Treetis, round up the ‘cats. It’s time to go,” Jocelyn shouted as she made her way to the elevator. She activated the door and held it for the Wolfoids and the Lizard Man. Two Hillcats entered. “Treetis?”

  ‘Cats trickled in. When the count reached a dozen, two bolted out of the elevator and ran down the corridor. “Treetis, you have one minute to get yourself and the ‘cats here or we will leave without you.”

  Treetis bellowed over the mindlink before screaming out loud. A body slammed into something that fell. Claws scrabbled against the hard deck. Treetis appeared, taking a swipe at a ‘cat that looked into a side room.

  He was the last into the elevator. ‘All present,’ he reported. ‘For the moment anyway.’ Treetis slapped a smaller ‘cat on the forehead to keep it from escaping.

  “Take us down, Holly!” Jocelyn ordered. “We’re supposed to meet Braden and Micah at the ramp in the middle of the Rainforest Level.”

  ‘There is a village on the ramp. That location is not advisable.’
/>   “Then where do you suggest, and we need the alternate soon, to be sure that Holly can get the information to Braden, Micah, and the others. And you!” Jocelyn shook a finger at the Hillcats. “Don’t be running wherever you want. We can’t be looking for lost ‘cats.”

  ‘There will be lost ‘cats,’ Treetis replied.

  “Then they’ll be cold, wet, hungry, and left behind. I’m not even going to take a headcount. We have a job to do, and we’ll do it. You knuckleheads aren’t going to hold us back.”

  Bounder and Strider started to chuckle. ‘It smells like ‘cat in here,’ Strider suggested. The Wolfoids laughed even harder.

  “Pik, tell me that you can identify the cloned Lizard Men from the real ones,” Jocelyn pleaded.

  Lizard Men didn’t change their expressions, but Pik pointed to himself. ‘Don’t you know?’

  “Know what?”

  ‘I’m a clone,’ Pik replied.

  Jocelyn held her head in both hands.

  “The bad ones. We only need to find bad ones, Pik. Can you do that?”

  ‘No. I can talk with those who live there and ask them about new additions to the rainforest. We will find the new ones and then it will be up to us to determine if they are good or bad.’

  “Any ideas on how we do that?” Jocelyn asked. No one answered. “I guess we’ll figure it out.”

  The elevator arrived and the group entered a clean, empty corridor. They headed for the aft core. Once there, Bounder activated the door. It opened and they walked into the brightness of an artificial day. Monkeys started to chitter at them.

  ‘Go away!’ Treetis ordered. A splat on the wall beside them signaled that the fight for dominance was on.

  Bounder aimed his lightning spear and fired. The branch beside the monkey exploded and the creature tore away, disappearing into the branches with the rest of the agile creatures.

  “You missed,” Jocelyn said.

  ‘I hit exactly what I was aiming at,’ Bounder replied. ‘Killing monkeys is bad. It upsets them to a degree you cannot fathom. That was what got Braden a broken head. We’ll settle for chasing them away since we’re not going to be here for long.’