Adventures on RV Traveler (Free Trader Series Book 3)

by Craig Martelle

  23 – Forward, Ever Forward

  Tekel was a joy to be around. She radiated warmth and happiness. They couldn’t imagine how she could command the defense of Deck 8, should it be necessary. Then again, the Bee Army, once unleashed, could probably take care of an enemy without Tekel having to direct death and destruction in any way.

  Braden wondered how the Rabbits acquired the blasters. They were left behind by the crew long ago. Tekel said that they still saw crewmen, once or twice a generation. She didn’t know the length of a Rabbit generation in cycles. She had no frame of reference for time.

  It gave Braden and Micah hope that someone still operated the ship. No matter what happened as they continued forward, Deck 8 was friendly with plenty of food. The Rabbits led them forward, unerringly through the heavy brush of a garden gone mad. As far as the eye could see, vegetation grew densely.

  “How many Rabbit People are there?” Micah asked as they plowed forward.

  ‘Ooh. That’s a real question. I don’t know. We are Rabbits and there’s enough food.’ Braden smiled at Tekel’s answer. He was envious at how they measured their existence. He would remember what she said and use it himself.

  We are humans and there is enough food, so why would we fight? he thought.

  ‘How did you come to work with the Bees?’ Micah asked, switching to her thought voice as she snagged a plump tomato and took a huge bite.

  ‘That took a long time, many generations. We fought with the Bees, killing them when they flew near. The more we killed them, the less food there was. The more of them, the more food. You follow?’ Tekel hesitated, looking at the humans through the vines and leaves of a fine tomato bush. ‘The Bees can’t talk whey they are alone, only when there are many and they are with their Queen can we speak to them. Once that happened, we found that we needed each other to survive. It only made sense for us to partner in defense of the Garden.

  ‘You say there are many levels and that we are on a ship? How magnificent! The world I see, this world, is only a small part of a much bigger world. I will share with my mates and see what they think. We will talk more when you return.’

  The forward bulkhead loomed before them. Catwalks and stairs hung on the structure like cobwebs, disappearing as they approached the ceiling that curved away to both the right and the left. The gardens looked much closer as they extended away from them, and up, beyond the edge of the ceiling. Being in a rotating cylinder was confusing. The ceiling was nine hundred meters above them. It was a long way up the wall to the top catwalk.

  They decided to try a door a little closer to the deck. They found the first stairway up and started climbing while Skirill flew to the door. When he backwinged to perch on the rail, the door slid open. He almost fell backward over the rail, catching it with one claw and beating his wings hard to regain balance.

  He was surprised that there was only a small, empty room beyond. He thought it may have opened because of something on the other side, but realized it was his own bracelet that had activated the door.

  He shared with the companions what he saw. They decided to check it out, then move to the next door and the next until they found a way forward.

  They stopped as the stairway reached the first catwalk. They weren’t winded. Climbing got easier with each step.

  The ship and Holly’s description of it confused G-War. He couldn’t understand why the walkway along the wall would be called a catwalk. He was a ‘cat and he hated walking on it. Like flashlights that didn’t flash, only showed a steady beam of light.

  ‘Holly, which of these doors will take us forward?’ Braden looked from the Garden Level to the catwalk system, then left and right. Micah opened her window and followed along.

  ‘The door to your front opens to a transportation pod. Climb aboard and tell it Deck 3. It will travel the twenty kilometers and deliver you to a door and then a catwalk that will look identical to what you are standing on. From there you can cross to the forward bulkhead and climb the next three levels using the steps and catwalks or you can take the elevator. Of course, I recommend the elevator as climbing two thousand, five hundred meters of ramps could be both time-consuming and tiring.’

  They reduced their windows and tucked them away, but kept them active. Micah motioned for Braden to lead the way. He took a step then stopped.

  “How did you know?” he asked.

  “Know what, lover?”

  “About the Rabbits and the kiss.”

  “I could feel their love, their fear of confrontation. I thought by showing them how we felt, they would realize that we weren’t a threat.” She smiled, cupping his face in her hands.

  “You felt all that while they were talking? The only thing I could feel was Bat-Raven eyes looking at us. I don’t feel others’ emotions like you do.” He shook his head.

  “Of course you do, lover, you just don’t realize it.” She shrugged, then continued. “You see things that I don’t. We’re better together, more whole. We have a great family and some incredible allies. Look down there! Too many Rabbits to count. More food than they can eat, yet they continue to tend the garden, grow more.”

  Braden nodded and threw his braid over his shoulder as he thought about her words. Micah was right. He knew they were better together. All of them.

  Braden led the way as they joined the Hawkoid at the door.

  “Holly says this will take us to Deck 3. All aboard!” He waved his bracelet at the door and it opened. The small room that Skirill had seen was a vehicle with chairs along the walls, windows, and extra poles in the middle. He held the door as Micah tentatively entered.

  Then Pik. Then Aadi needed help as the doorway was too narrow. Braden angled his shell as he squeezed through. The armor’s extra size didn’t help, even though it was tied down. Skirill danced and slid as he tried to hang on through Aadi’s gyrations. Once through, everything settled back down.

  G-War trotted through the door in front of Braden and jumped on a seat. He crouched, digging his claws into the cushion. He knew it was a vehicle, which meant it was going to move.

  Braden entered and took a spot in the middle, wrapping both hands firmly around the center pole.

  “Deck 3,” he announced in a bold voice. The vehicle started forward slowly, then picked up speed. There were no jolts or clunks or bouncing. It was nothing like riding in a wagon or a cart. Leave it to the ancients to take all the fun out of traveling in a vehicle.

  24 – Deck 3: Fore Garden Level

  They watched through the windows to see transparent tubes, like the one they were in, but they were too numerous to count. At places in between, they saw metal and bracing.

  They didn’t like being in the pod. It felt more vulnerable than being on an open deck. Here, if something happened, there was nothing they could do to stop it. And there was nothing to worry about either. They were in space, where the ship took care of them. They needed to accept it. Other things were dangerous. Not this.

  The pod arrived without incident. The door at the forward end of the pod opened, and they walked boldly onto the catwalk.

  It was bright, but that was where the comparison to Deck 8 ended. They stood on the catwalk, looking at a wasteland. G-War didn’t feel anything. Skirill flew to the ramp and back. He didn’t see anything alive. Pik was uncomfortable, because it was hot and dry. Aadi felt right at home.

  “Good. There’s nothing to hold us up.” Braden looked at the route they’d need to travel--catwalk, steps, wasteland, ramp. “Let’s get going.”

  G-War was first to move, loping toward the steps. Skirill continued flying. There were a few tree skeletons scattered across the deck. He landed in one, happy that the old, dry wood held his weight. He stood still, not pushing his luck.

  Micah followed the ‘cat and Pik followed her. Braden gave Aadi a gentle push over the rail where he dropped quickly, slowing to a hover just above the ground. The Tortoid looked down, then dropped to the ground, digging in the dirt with his beak-like mouth. Braden
watched him closely. When Aadi pulled back, he had a mouth full of beetles, crunching them happily.

  Braden shook his head and set off toward the steps.

  The ramp on Deck 3 was toward the front of the ship and half way up the curve. They had a long way to go. They started jogging, an easy pace, but quicker than walking. They could sense the Command Deck was near. They planned to rest on the ramp and hopefully after a good sleep, they’d enter the Command Deck and start linking Holly with the Traveler so he could align the ship and start the transfer of the Cygnus VI survivors.

  The trouble didn’t begin right away. As they jogged, the dry ground crunched beneath their feet. Nothing living had passed this way. They were getting hot from their labors, so they stopped for a drink. Pik had never been this dry and his skin was starting to turn pale. He drank twice as much water as they did and that seemed to revive him, but they had a ways to go and were running low on water.

  Suddenly, G-War jumped straight up. He looked down at the ground as he came back down, then hopped to the side. He screeched as Hillcats did when they fought. Braden ran toward him. Micah pulled her blaster.

  A beetle was attached to the ‘cat’s paw. He shook and danced until it dislodged. A small spot of blood appeared in his orange fur. The ‘cat bolted toward the ramp, stretching his body to get more speed.

  ‘Run!’ he yelled in his thought voice.

  “Go, go, go!” Braden waved at the others as he started jogging, letting the others pass him.

  Beetles surged from the ground around their feet. They were smaller than the palm of Braden’s hand, but they had pincers and hungry mouths. Braden’s boots protected him, but the beetles swarmed over his feet. He shook them off and ran, then shook some more. Most came free. He tried brushing the others off with his hand. One bit him, then a second.

  He threw them from him and ran to the side where the ground looked firmer.

  Micah used her blaster to scorch the ground in front of her. Braden’s blaster leapt into his hand and he fired into the ground behind them. The beam was still set on wide flame, perfect for what he wanted.

  He walked the ground he had just burned so he could check himself over. He looked quickly, up down, and around. No beetles. They were boiling out of the ground anywhere he hadn’t fired.

  He burned a path to the ground that Micah had lit up and ran that way. Smoke wafted where he stepped on the still-hot ground.

  Aadi swam along behind them. G-War was far in the distance, but slowing. Skirill swooped by, heading straight for the ‘cat. He flared, and slowed for G-War to jump on his back. The Hawkoid beat his wings hard to keep from bouncing off the ground. The combined weight of the armor and the ‘cat was almost too much. He labored to get into the air and was only able to stay head high as he flew to the ramp.

  Pik was in bad shape. His claws weren’t meant for running on hot, freshly burned ground. He lumbered forward, one leg hopping, then the other. He continued without complaint, struggling to match Micah’s pace.

  Braden caught up with them and offered an arm to the Lizard Man. They matched strides, slowing but continuing forward. Micah turned and tried to cover them. Her blaster was low on charge and she stopped firing, choosing to run through an unburned area, hoping they’d passed the infestation.

  G-War was on the ramp, crouched and ready to fight. Skirill flew past her going the other way. She wondered about that only briefly as more beetles appeared. She flamed the ground and kept running.

  Braden and Pik were falling behind. Beetles slowly appeared through cracks in the burned ground. The human and Lizard Man lumbered past them, Braden stomped on any in his way. He activated his boots for the powered boost, but with Pik’s weight on his arm, he couldn’t tell the difference.

  Skirill caught up with them. He flapped his wings like he was fighting through a gale force wind. Then Braden saw why; he towed Aadi, who held a short rope tightly in his beak. Aadi swam with his legs to help, but it wasn’t much.

  Micah finally reached the ramp. She turned back to see Braden and Pik moving in the distance, agonizingly slowly. Aadi was floating behind Skirill, then let go of the rope.

  He swam toward an open patch of ground, and then delivered a focused thunderclap into it. The ground erupted, forcing Braden and Pik to dodge sideways and run away from it. A beetle the size of a horse erupted from under the surface. It’s black blood ran freely over the ground, and the small beetles started running to it. Braden was half-carrying Pik, as the Lizard Man could barely stand. They little more than walked as they struggled forward.

  Micah dropped her pack and extra gear, jumped from the ramp, and ran to them. She threw Pik’s other arm over her shoulder.

  With Pik between them, they sped up to a half-run.

  Finally, they all stood on the ramp. They drank and let Pik finish off their flasks. Braden put a small amount of numbweed on G-War’s paw. The blood had already clotted, but the numbweed would help it heal faster. Micah opened the door and G-War ran ahead. Skirill hopped through, then Pik, who collapsed from exhaustion once he was inside.

  ‘We’ll be right here, Pik Ha’ar. Rest. If you need to open the door, just ask. We need to wait for Aadi,’ Micah said.

  Aadi swam toward them. With the danger behind, he dropped down, scooping a beetle into his beak and crunching happily.

  They stayed alert, watching for any beetles trying to climb the ramp. For some reason they avoided it. The humans didn’t care why as long as they were safe. They ate a little from their provisions while they waited. Aadi ate more beetles as he finally made it to the ramp.

  ‘My apologies, Master Humans. I’ve gotten slow in my old age,’ Aadi lamented.

  “C’mon, Aadi, you’ve always been a Tortoid. How fast could you have been?” Braden asked. It was always a relief to survive a crisis.

  ‘So hurtful, Master Braden. If only you had to carry this shell, the weight of cycles, traveling with humans. Everything that drains an old soul…’

  Braden rubbed the Tortoid’s neck as they approached the door. “In you go, old man. Time for a break. I could use some sleep, too. If only I could float, then these dogs wouldn’t be so tired…” Braden looked at his boots, expecting to see charred remnants at the end of his legs, but they still looked new.

  25 – Deck 2: The Aviary

  They slept like they were dead. Even G-War. It was cool on the ramp, which helped everyone except Pik. He liked it warmer, but a humid heat, so he nestled closer to the door where the heat from the wasteland of Deck 3 radiated. Aadi floated on the other side, above the wasteland where the beetles couldn’t get to him.

  When they awoke some time later, they took better stock of their surroundings.

  There were stalled vehicles parked haphazardly, including a hover car. Braden climbed in and, with Holly’s help, activated it. The car floated into the air. Whoever last parked it had taken the time to engage the charging unit on the ramp wall.

  Braden smiled broadly. He had driven his water buffalo team, but never an Old Tech vehicle. Holly instructed him, but Braden quickly shut down the window after he learned go, stop, and turn. Micah entered cautiously. Pik climbed into the back seat, wedging Aadi and Skirill next to him. The Tortoid’s head was by Braden’s ear. G-War sat in Micah’s lap, unsure about riding in the vehicle. Skirill faced backwards so his tail feathers wouldn’t get broken in the seat.

  Braden stomped the foot pedal to the floor. The hover car responded by jumping forward, then stopping a mere finger-width from the wall, throwing everyone forward with the abrupt stop. Braden and Micah smashed their faces against the windshield, G-War, his body rammed hard against the dash. Those in the back jammed against the front seats.

  “Sorry,” Braden mumbled. He turned the wheel, but the car wouldn’t move.

  Micah pointed to a screen on the dash where the letter R was flashing. He touched it, then mashed down on the pedal. The hover car jumped backward, stopping itself before hitting the vehicle behind it. They were all harshl
y thrown backward against their seats.

  ‘I’d get out if I could be certain you wouldn’t hit me with this thing,’ the ‘cat said angrily, raking a claw down Braden’s arm as the human attempted to touch the button with the letter D for drive.

  Micah was appalled, settling for punching Braden in the shoulder. She couldn’t deliver as much force as she wanted because of her awkward sitting position and a ‘cat trying to use her body to shield himself from the hover car’s violent movements. Aadi pulled his head and feet into his shell. Pik sat in the back, unblinking. Micah suspected he may have died from heart failure.

  Braden opened his window with Holly and asked for help. The foot pedal was pressure sensitive, Holly told him. Touch it lightly for best results. Holly closed the window first, to Braden’s surprise.

  “See? Even Holly is afraid you’re going to kill us all. You and your love of Old Tech. If you kill us, I’m going to beat the snot out of you!” Braden smiled at Micah, not because he was happy, but because he was embarrassed.

  He touched the pedal with his toe, then a little bit more. The vehicle moved cautiously up the ramp. He practiced with the steering yoke--right, left, up, and down. Soon, they moved quickly up the ramp, staying well clear of both sides and the ceiling.

  G-War relaxed, although he maintained that Braden had scarred him for life. Pik finally blinked. Aadi’s head reappeared next to Braden’s. Skirill kept his eyes closed.

  At the top of the ramp, they decided that they’d try to take the hover car the rest of the way to the forward bulkhead. They needed to find an access door at deck level. An elevator would take them to the Command Deck, where they’d find everything for a crew to run the ship. They were close to their goal.

  Before they opened the door to see what was beyond, Micah stepped aside to talk with Bronwyn. Braden joined her in the link, checking in to make sure all was well. They could hear their children playing in the background. Brandt was showing them something as they hung from his horns. Bronwyn yelled something at Brandt, who stamped his feet. Bronwyn wrapped up the communication by saying that they were all children and she needed to go.