Braden held both of his hands up, palms out. “Sorry. I know Lizard Men don’t usually touch. That’s a human thing. Expect it and remember that we’re not attacking you. You’re one of us now.”
Pik Ha’ar nodded.
They packed up and continued toward the ramp to Deck 8. The Lizard Man walked proudly with his head held high.
Shortly, they ran into a Lizard Man patrol. The patrol stopped the companions, challenging them. Pik Ha’ar strode to his fellow Pik, the commander. He ripped the spear from his hand and threw it to the ground. The Lizard Warriors bounced from foot to foot, anxious at the personal challenge to their commander. Pik Ha’ar thrust his face forward and hissed.
The companions had seen this before, in the Amazon.
When Pik stood up, he gave the spear back to the patrol’s commander and waved at the companions to follow him. They walked past the confused Lizard Men.
‘Just keep walking and we’ll clear their area before they figure out that they were fooled.’ Pik’s shoulders shook as he laughed to himself. Yes. Logic was different here.
They continued without interruption to the ramp, until they reached a small village that had been set up at its base. Pik Ha’ar looked around quickly, but didn’t find anyone. He waved the companions ahead as he stood between them and the village. He watched, spear at the ready to protect the companions should a Lizard Man see them.
But the villagers were somewhere else. When they returned home later, they wouldn’t know that anyone had passed.
“Come on, Pik. Time to go.” Braden held the door as the Lizard Man, for the first time in his life, left Deck 9.
20 – Entering Deck 8
The ramp was clear. No vehicles, no debris, nothing.
Their journey up the ramp seemed quicker as they passed the time talking with Pik. The Lizard Man had no idea how long his people had lived on the Rainforest Level. They organized into one Force with small patrols. Each patrol had a number of warriors with the rank of Tup. The patrols were commanded by Piks. The Force was commanded by one Lizard Man, the Orig. He was the oldest. He kept the peace.
The humans thought of him as the Elder. Pik Ha’ar’s actions suggested that the Orig was like Elder McCullough, a strong man in charge by virtue of power and fear. Maybe the strange Amazonians known as the Overlords were more like him.
Orig was a title. The oldest. Maybe he was the original mutant and the Overlords were his long-lived spawn.
‘Holly, we need a way back that doesn’t involve us going through the Rainforest Level...’ Micah made sure Holly knew that they couldn’t pass the patrols a second time without having to fight the entire Lizard Force.
Aadi, Skirill, and G-War talked with Pik Ha’ar the most. Braden and Micah were humbled as the companions described them as the leaders of a movement toward a peaceful Vii. How they treated all intelligent creatures as equals and helped others do the same. How they were unrivalled warriors, as Pik himself had seen, but only used their strength in defense. The companions preferred to talk first.
By the time they reached the top of the ramp, Pik’s world was upside-down. Braden sold his vision of a world where people traded freely to all he talked with. It was infectious. And his companions reinforced the vision. Equality for all creatures. Responsibility for your own actions. Opportunity. Agreements sealed with handshakes. A world of trust, not fear.
Pik looked in awe at the humans.
He stopped them as they readied to go through the door to Deck 8. ‘I pledge my life to you and the companions.’ Pik dropped to one knee and bowed his head. He felt different, part of something much bigger than himself. He felt a sense of pride. Yes, he thought, I believe in them and commit fully to their mission.
‘You’re welcome,’ G-War said to Braden and Micah. They nodded to both Pik and G-War.
“According to Holly, this is the Garden Level. It’s the middle deck of both fore and aft sections. He says that we may be able to pass without issue. There is an ice flow near one end for watering and humidity, whatever all that means. As usual, be ready. We don’t know what’s on the other side of this door. G-War and I go first. Next, Pik, then Aadi with Skirill, and Micah closes the door.” Everyone nodded. Braden took out his bow and Micah her blaster. With a wave, the door slid to the side.
Braden and G-War were bathed in sunshine as they stepped through. Braden ran forward a few steps then crouched, looking for potential enemies. The area before the ramp was heavily overgrown. The ramp itself was clear, but that only lasted for a few strides away from the large roll-up screen.
It looked like a sea of color.
“Skirill. We need your special talents to find us a way through this.” Pik hesitated in the doorway, blocking Aadi from being pushed through.
“Pik! Move!” Micah yelled. Aadi ran into his back and pushed him through the opening. He stumbled forward and fell on his face. Micah helped angle Aadi’s shell through the too-small doorway. After he was out, she stopped and used the door frame to brace her blaster.
Pik mumbled an embarrassed apology. Seeing the sunshine had overwhelmed him. Every step he took was something new. When he was back on his feet, he shielded his eyes with his left hand, while he kept his spear at the ready in his right.
The Hawkoid launched himself from Aadi’s shell. He gained altitude quickly, flying at an angle to fly straight. He made a circle around the ramp, then circled again, wider. He shared his view with the companions. This drove Pik to his knees again. Braden put a hand on his shoulder, then pulled him up.
“We need to be ready in case he sees something. G?” Braden never took his eyes from the crush of foliage.
‘Tasty!’ Braden looked for G-War, seeing his orange tail as the ‘cat disappeared into the underbrush.
Skirill flew toward the forward end of the deck. There weren’t any vines on the wall, the bulkhead as Holly called it. He flew closer, seeing catwalks at various heights with doors spread here and there. Skirill made a beeline back to the ramp to Deck 9.
Everyone was ready to move, happy to skip a trek across Deck 7, the Desert/Factory Level, or a swim on Deck 6, Oceanus. But where to start? There was no visible path away from the ramp.
21 – Deck 8: Aft Garden Level
G-War killed a ground squirrel that was far bigger than it should have been.
The gardens were fertile when they were last tended and there was nothing to keep them from growing, taking over the entire deck. As they looked closely, the plants became more than a single amorphous mass, they became oversized bean plants, pepper plants, tomatoes, carrots, berries, fruit trees, and so much more.
“Ohhh, would you look at that.” Micah’s mouth watered.
G-War enjoyed his kill out of sight of the others. Skirill was hungry and started looking, but there was no way for him to plunge through the growth to the ground. He decided against risking getting hurt. ‘Golden Warrior, my friend, what would it take for you to leave some of that squirrel on the ramp?’
Braden slung his bow across his pack and Micah holstered her blaster. If G-War was hunting, then there was nothing to worry about. They each picked a bush and tried some of the fruits and vegetables.
“I’ve never tasted anything this good.” Micah moaned in delight. Braden joined her, juice dripping down his chin. Aadi was neck deep into a berry plant, while Pik watched.
“I’m sorry, Pik, what do you like to eat?” Braden asked, while still chewing a green bean that was as long as his arm.
‘I like meat of all kinds. Maybe the Golden Warrior can assist me in finding a squirrel?’
Braden didn’t have to call for a rest as they naturally took a much-deserved break. Micah ate her fill and then stepped back toward the screen on the ramp. She sat down and activated her neural implant so she could talk with Bronwyn and the children. Braden sat next to her, nuzzling close.
‘We have forgotten to tell you, Pik Ha’ar, but we have two children. They’re on the planet with another child that we’ve adopted as
well. As Skirill might say, we aren’t nesties, but we are a click.’ Pik looked questioningly at Aadi. The Lizard Man didn’t know the Hawkoid terms, so Aadi translated it. ‘We weren’t born of the same parents, but we are a family.’
G-War dragged the remains of his first kill onto the ramp. Skirill swooped in, picking it cleanly and carrying it to a small pear tree not far away. The ‘cat raced back into the undergrowth, returning shortly with a fresh kill. Pik thanked the ‘cat heartily before tearing into it.
Of course he eats it raw, Braden thought. Micah focused on the window before her eye and didn’t watch the Lizard Man eat.
“G. We can’t fit beneath the bushes like you can, or float over them like Aadi and Skirill. Do you have any ideas?”
‘They’re bushes. Push them out of the way. If they have thorns, go around. Did you really need me for that?’
“Well yeah. It looks too thick to push through,” Braden said, less sure of himself.
‘Look underneath. The ancients built paths that are still there. Stay on those and you will be fine.’ The ‘cat had already lost interest and curled up in the shade of the nearest bush.
“Well, I’ll be,” Braden said in surprise. “Thanks, G, and yes, I needed you for that.”
Skirill sat in the tree, watching. Or sleeping. Braden couldn’t tell. Pik worked on the last of his squirrel. Aadi continued eating berries, which could go on for quite some time. Tortoids were not the fastest eaters.
The companions finally rested in silence. Braden heard running water, crickets, bees, small animals running through the undergrowth. He smelled the sweetness of the fruits and the earthiness of the vegetables. There even seemed to be a light breeze. The sun shone but not too brightly. Deck 8 seemed like paradise.
They all dozed off, not bothering to set up a camp or find a more comfortable place...
‘They come!’ G-War’s alarm rang in their minds. Those were never good words to wake to, but Braden stood, trying to shake the cobwebs from his mind. It was twilight; the ship-made sun had set, but a soft light bathed the area.
‘What is it, G?’ Micah asked over their mindlink.
‘The Rabbit People and their Bee Army.’
22 – The Rabbit People
“Back on the ramp!” Braden yelled. He was close to the door and waved his bracelet at it. As the door slid open, he pulled Micah to her feet and pushed her through. He waved Pik forward. The Lizard Man ran, hopping foot to foot, his clawed feet more accustomed to stomping through a swamp than running on a hard surface. Skirill flew toward the door, nearly hitting Braden with his wings as he landed and hopped through. Aadi couldn’t get there in time and G-War was nowhere to be seen.
“Micah! Blasters on flame.” He stepped aside to let Micah out as he pulled his blaster and dialed up the wide, short-range flame setting.
The Bees approached in a slow-moving cloud.
‘G, where are you?’ Braden asked as Micah moved onto the ramp, leaving the door open between them. With her mouth set and eyes scanning the cloud, she held her blaster at the ready, her pulse racing. The cloud looked too much like the Bat-Ravens.
‘I am here. I will wait and talk with the Rabbits. Aadi will join me,’ the ‘cat responded without the emotion that Braden felt.
Pik bounced through the doorway and disappeared behind the screen. He and Skirill were safe. The humans wouldn’t leave the ‘cat and Tortoid behind. They remained where they were, ready to face the Bee Army and the as-yet unseen Rabbit People.
The Bee Army stopped its advance. The cloud moved, sometimes growing long and thin, sometimes getting small, dense, and round. Braden looked at Micah and shrugged. He trusted G-War and Aadi to come through.
“Allies,” Micah said softly. “We need allies if we’re going to make it. Aadi is usually right about these things. I think he’s rubbed off on your ‘cat.” Micah holstered her blaster and leaned back against the door frame. Braden was torn. He kept the blaster in his hand, but lowered it. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the mindlink. He wanted to hear what they were saying. Micah was already there.
‘This is most unusual. We don’t often get visitors and alas, we have to protect ourselves. We’ve learned over time how to and the Queen has joined us. We live in peace and harmony, except when visitors come,’ a soft thought voice spoke. Braden imagined the speaker as a Rabbit, standing on its back feet, nose twitching, eyes big and pink.
‘I assure you, Master Tekel, that we come in peace. Yes, we are armed for war. One would be foolish to move through this ship without being ready to fight,’ Aadi said to the unseen Master Tekel. Braden wanted to join the conversation, but thought better of it. Micah moved next to him and grasped his hand. He looked down, alarmed that she blocked his blaster.
Then she did a strange thing. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him passionately. He resisted at first, but then was overcome by her feelings of love and warmth that overwhelmed his mindlink. When she released him, he couldn’t hear anything, either over the mindlink or with his ears.
‘G?’ he asked tentatively. The Bee cloud remained in place, continuously reshaping itself.
‘And that is how you do it,’ Aadi said with glee. Micah smiled and started walking forward, still holding Braden’s hand. He followed as she wouldn’t let go.
The image of rafting whitewater rapids popped into his mind. He was hanging on with everything he had, watching the world go by as the river splashed over him. The companions shared their mirth at his image. Sometimes he projected when he didn’t intend to, like now when he was confused as to why everyone else was so pleased with themselves.
‘Master Tekel, please meet Masters Braden and Micah.’ G-War appeared from under a bush, followed by a Rabbit, walking on his hind feet, wearing a harness and carrying a blaster. The Rabbit’s head was even with Braden’s waist.
The Rabbit moved close and leaned forward, his pink nose wrinkling and twitching.
‘Rub noses with her,’ G-War said. Micah was the first to move, going to one knee and leaning her face forward. She smelled carrots and green beans as she gently touched her nose to Tekel’s. She slowly reached a hand around the Rabbit and scratched behind her ears and on her neck.
Braden finally holstered his blaster and kneeled down, following Micah’s lead.
‘Affection,’ Aadi answered Braden’s unasked question. ‘The rabbits thrive on love and affection. Micah’s actions convinced them more than any words. Thank you, Micah. We need allies like the Rabbit People.’
Braden looked up. The Bee cloud dispersed, like smoke in a strong wind. The Bees separated, each going their own way into the flowers and bushes of the Garden Level. More Rabbit People edged into the clearing on the ramp. Aadi urged Skirill and Pik to join them. Skirill used his bracelet to keep the door open. Pik stepped through first and Skirill hopped after him.
The Rabbit People each held a blaster. They wore harnesses with various pouches and gardening tools attached. They watched the Hawkoid and Lizard Man warily.
Pik learned quickly. He kneeled and bowed to Tekel. He didn’t have much of a nose, but leaned forward until the flat part of his face and the Rabbit’s nose touched. She quickly withdrew.
The Hawkoid didn’t attempt the nose-rub greeting, choosing instead to bow until his beak touched the ground. Skirill had eaten too many rabbits in his life to risk getting close to them. He wasn’t going to attack them, but didn’t want them to see him as a threat.
‘Master Human, I am Tekel, leader of the Rabbit People, Commander of the Bee Army. I bid you welcome to The Garden. We maintain it for the People.’
The humans sat down on the ramp and explained to their new friends what their mission was, how they needed to get to the forward part of the ship. The Rabbit People were curious about Planet Vii. Could they live there?
‘I don’t see why not,’ Braden answered. ‘You are small enough to fit in the corridors and in the transportation room recliners. Only twelve could travel at a time, but I don
’t see why not. If you can do this with a garden, your skills would be most welcome on Vii.’ Always the trader, he saw their place on the trade route. Rabbit People guiding humans on how to improve the quality and quantity of their gardens and fields. Food aplenty. Prosperity for all!
“If you went to Vii, what would you want? What motivates you?” Braden asked.
‘I haven’t really thought about it that way. Let me think.’ The Rabbit wrinkled her nose and twitched her rather substantial ears, then continued. ‘We enjoy each other and our children. We want gardens to tend, good food to eat, and space to play. We are rather simple creatures.’ She looked at the other Rabbits on the ramp. They bobbed in agreement with her.
“I would never describe you as simple. Everyone likes something a little bit different, that’s all.” He shrugged and looked at the sky. The gentle breeze rustled the tops of the bushes.
“I hope we can make this deal. I’d like to see your people on Vii, carving out your place on the trade route, partners with the rest of us.” Braden looked at each of the Rabbits and then at his own companions, pleased with their friendship and relieved at the quality of their new allies. What would it take for others to understand that friendship and trust was a better way?
“We need to get forward. We’d like to go that way and then pass through one of the doors. Can you help us?” Micah pointed at the far wall. The ramp from Deck 9 ended in a forward area of Deck 8. The bulkhead stood close by, maybe no more than two kilometers, as Holly would measure it.
Tekel nodded. With a wave, the Rabbit People walked and hopped into the brush. ‘Follow me,’ she said.
Braden motioned for Micah to go first, then Pik. Aadi floated above everything, while Skirill flew ahead. G-War walked at Tekel’s side. With one last look at the wide ramp with the great screen for a door, Braden plunged into the bushes.
Adventures on RV Traveler (Free Trader Series Book 3) Page 8