I went back to the house to get a casting net, then returned to the men and showed some of them how to use it. I sent a few of others to fetch some wood for a fire, though I knew they needed rest, they also needed to feel like they were doing something.
The men with the casting net were not having much luck. So I spread a telekinetic net to bring the fish closer to the shore for them to get. I told them to throw the small ones back as there were plenty more.
Before long we had a proper fish fry going and a number of men said, "now this is the life."
They asked what was next for them. I said that in a few days I would take them to the city so they could look for work, or transportation to wherever they wanted to go. But for right now, we were hiding from the CM.
I asked how many of them had a pipe, a few put up their hands. I opened my sack of dry buds and started handing them out. Before long, we were making as much smoke as the fire. Most of us were laid back on the grass, and some of us were all altogether out. I think I took a short nap myself.
As it started to get dark I looked toward the cave and could see Goo da wa had lit the outside torches. So I told the men it was time to go to their party. Most of them got right up, but some said they were too tired to party and to just leave them there. I told the ones that were up to please help the others. That there were chairs and comfortable cushions at the bar, as well as food and ale.
I said, "see that torch men. That is where we are going."
I told Mr. Gripper to follow up the rear to see that no one was left behind. I took the lead to the cave and stood at the entrance ushering the men inside.
Goo da wa had two other men helping to bring mugs and pictures of ale to tables. The fire in the center of the room was lit and the band soon began to play. There was fruit and nuts on every table including the bar, and they began to barbecue beef and bird.
But all the men had small stomachs from such a long time of not having much. And they were already full on water and fish, so they did not drink fast and only nibbled on what was given to them. A lot of them put food in their pockets for later.
Kitty soon showed up and found me sitting in my booth at the end of the bar. She asked if I was going to stay here tonight. I said no, that I needed my bed, and soon.
As she looked around the room she said, "these men can't go into the city with the rags they are wearing. Can I get them new clothes?"
I said, "yes, that sounds like a good idea. They will have a better chance to getting jobs or transportation if they don't show up the way they are. Plus it will help hide the fact that they just escaped from the CM."
Kitty said, "I need to make a call to my distributor." And she looked over the men carefully to decide what sizes to order. She could tell which just a glance, and keep a list in her head.
Then saying, "I'll see you at the house," she left.
Before long, I did the same, leaving Mr. Gripper in charge with instructions there was to be no fighting among the men and that I would see him in the morning.
After going home I took my boots off and went right to bed. With what seemed to be a blink it was morning, I rolled over and slept another hour.
Day 11
It was full sunup when I got out of bed and Kitty was already gone. I had some juice then headed for the cave. I saw that the transport was back but I didn't look for Owsee. I figured Goo da wa would be needing his rest, so I would take the men to the lake.
As I got close I could see him sitting on a rock by the entrance of the cave. He seemed to be in full meditation. But as I walked up the path to him he said, without opening his eyes, "good morning teacher, captain of the freedom ship."
Then he opened his eyes, turned his head toward me and asked if I slept well.
I said, "yes, and I imagine you need some rest by now yourself."
He said, "no not really. Your guests all went to sleep hours ago. I have been enjoying the sun rise and I am now good for days. Please let the men stayed for another day or two, there is still much to eat and drink."
I said, "okay, it’s your place. Have you seen Owsee?"
He said, "yes, he was here last night and spent some time on the transceiver before going home."
I said, "I have not seen him since I got back, he must be up to something."
Goo da wa, "Talking about up to something, I see you have a new ship. The men say you got it from a gray."
I said, "yes, in exchange for some crystals. It's the kind of ship I will need if I am going to free anymore dock rats."
Goo da wa, "I saw it playing in the lake just before sunrise."
I said, "it was moving around without me ah, I'll need to have a talk with my ship."
Goo da wa, "just remember it's alive, you cannot treat it like a thing."
I said, "yes, but it must understand how I feel about anyone seeing it move around without me."
He said, "I think it does, that's why it chose just before dawn to go swimming. Remembered that it is still a bit like a child, and still learning from you. It will feel what you feel, not just know what you know."
I said, "what do you mean know what I know?"
He said, "a living ship like that forms a telepathic link to its owner, it will hear your thoughts."
I said, "that interesting and maybe a bit disturbing, I don't need another conscious. I guess I'll need to be careful, owning a living ship will have some responsibilities."
Goo da wa, "and a great deal of rewards. The Grays don't give them away lightly, to them you are now part of the family."
I said, "what does that mean?"
Goo da wa, "only time will tell."
I said, "well I guess I should go to my ship and let it know it has not been abandoned."
Goo da wa, "I'm sure it knows, but call it. It will come, just think of it being here. There is no one else around to see."
So I thought of it coming from the lake to hear and it came. Appearing near us and opening it’s side for me to come aboard. I stepped in and we flew to the hidden lake that was in the mountains. There we played on and in the water, as I explained this was a place where she could come to play so others would not see.
Then we headed back and I went to the house. The transport was not there and neither was Owsee. So I went to town to see if Kitty knew where he was.
Approaching the main street, I could see the transport in front of Kitty's shop. Kitty and Owsee were loading boxes on it. When Owsee saw me walking up he set a box down, turn with open arms and said, "Captain of the freedom ship, welcome back my friend."
He wrapped his arms around me, and patting me on the back said, "I did not want to wake you. Look what we have done, new clothes for all the men, Kitty has done this. She told her suppliers that if they could not get it here by morning she would find someone that could. That's one tough negotiator you have there."
I said, "where have you been all this time? I thought I would see you when I landed."
Owsee, "I thought you would land at the city spaceport to drop off your passengers before coming home. I was making deals with the dock master, for some of his men to take their vacation time now, so the workers could get a start that would lead to something for them. When you did not show up, I called Goo da wa who told me you were here. So I came home to find you already asleep."
I said, "the men were in no shape to just drop them off in the city. Besides, you know I would not even be able to find the port without first using the auto home program. And then there was the fact that we destroyed two enforcer class ships on our way here, so it was best for no one to know of our arrival."
Owsee, "you destroyed two ships?"
I said, "well, the mercenaries blasted one to bits at Station one, and the Gray smashed another with his ship just before we came out of hyperspace. Then we came down together and I bartered some crystals for his sister ship."
Owsee, "yes, I saw the black ship. So you got to meet a Gray face to face?"
I said, "yes, he finds its fun to pl
ay with robot ships. I told him they were bad, that he is welcome to smash them, and he told me I needed a ship like his. With this new ship, I can pop in and out of hyperspace without the gates. I will be able to fly it into a station and take off workers before they can call for a ship to stop me. And if one does show up it will just be play time for my ship."
Owsee, "so you can hit another station at any time?"
I said, "yes, and drop men off just about anywhere without it taking hardly any time."
Owsee, "excellent, but right now it is all about the men. We need to get them in shape to take care of themselves. Are they still at the cave?"
I said, "yes, I believe so, at least they were when I left there."
Kitty said she knew just which box was for each man, so she went with us to hand them out.
At the cave Owsee, Goo da wa and myself helped unload the boxes as kitty handed them out to the men. Each box had a new shirt and pants in it, as well as boots and socks, they all fit. We had a victory fire for the old clothes, and Owsee told the men there was at least two weeks work for them at the city port. As well as a ships that would take them wherever they wanted to go, but that they should rest for at least another day.
Kitty went back to her shop. Owsee and I stayed and talked about the trip. I tried not to leave anything out. Owsee was glad I got so much help in getting the men off the station. And said that it showed how much others believed in what we were doing. I told him I did not think I would have been able to do any of it without the help of the Ranger. He agreed he was a good man to know, and it was lucky I met the Gray.
I said, "yes it was, and this is going to make a big difference in the way we deal with the robot ships, we no longer need to fear them."
Owsee, "yes, they will have to start treating the dockworkers better, now that they have a way off the stations."
I ate some nuts and had a beer for breakfast. Then I started to write the story I had promised Goo da wa, but didn’t get much past the first page, my heart was just not in it. I gave him the page and said I would have more later.
Then I said to Owsee, "I want to free the workers on the three stations in the other direction next. But we have enough refugees here for now, and they can't be left on a planet where the CM has a hold."
Owsee, "I think we can handle them as soon as I get this bunch taken care of with new jobs or transportation. After that the ones we pick up may not be so bad off, if we can hit the stations at least once a month."
I said, "we also need to make water runs so the CM will not be able to hold the stations hostage for a drink. My new black ship can run interference and protection."
Owsee, "that's good because my ship is marked for destruction by the CM, after the way you blew up two of their enforcers. There was at least 100 CMA’s on each ship, and at 100,000 per CMA plus the cost of the ships, you know have a death mark on you."
I said, "I don't guess they would listen if I explained to them that I did not fire on either of those ships myself."
Owsee, "you took the dockworkers, so they will hold you responsible."
I said, "then I need to give them a reason not to try anything against me."
Owsee, "how can you do that? I can't think of any way to get at the CEO’s."
I said, "it's true that they used the CMA’s so the CEO’s can be safe. So I need to get past the CMA’s so I can threaten the men at the top. If I could find out where they are, I can take the spice dew to get in and walk like a god. Letting them know I can reach them no matter where they are may be enough to keep them in line."
Owsee, "yes, but how can you do that when no one knows just where they are? They always talk through their androids."
I said, "that's the question all right, and it's the key to the war."
Owsee, "war? Are we at war now?"
I said, "I am at least, you said it yourself. They will put a bounty out for me, I have been marked for death. And unless I can get them to back off they will come here, sooner or later they will come here."
Owsee, "we will need to be on the lookout for any strangers that start to ask questions. I'm starting to think Goo da wa was right to give this table a security field."
“A gift”
As if on cue, a tall man dressed all in black walked in the front of the cave. He pulled back his hood and looked around, then walked over to our table. It was the Ranger.
I said, "I didn't think I would see you again so soon."
Ranger, "I have something for you outside."
Owsee and I followed him to the mouth of the cave and saw a two passengers speeder.
The Rangers said, "it has high ground clearance and boosters for full flight capabilities. It can carry two, but hold on tight when it takes off or you'll fall."
I said, "it's just what I was looking for. How much do you want for it?"
Ranger, "it's a gift from the ships that were at station one."
I said, "you mean the ships that were just to decoyed the CM ship away, not destroy it."
Ranger, "yes, well they do seem to overdo it from time to time. Talking about overdoing it, can you tell me about the other ship that did not come back?"
I said, "it ran into a Gray in a black ship that thought it was something to play with. But like all play things, they tend to break. I suppose the CM will blame me for that one as well."
Ranger, "and I see you now have a black ship of your own."
I said, "you see a lot for someone that just got here, and how is it that you found me with such ease?"
Ranger, "it may have been harder if you had not put the 13.5 million of credits in your account so soon."
I said, "not many new about that amount."
Ranger, "which is probably a good thing for you. I'm not the only one that has friends that like to hack the World Bank computer."
I said, "yes, you're certainly right about that. Now if you could only tell me where a CM CEO is you would make my day."
Ranger, "is that all you want to know. Just follow a damaged ship back to where they repair it, and you will find a CEO at the heart of the operation."
I said, "well now, why didn't I think of that, thank you. By the way, when do you think your friend could use another shipment of crystals?"
Ranger, "not for a week or two, I'll contact you."
I said, "would you like to help in the freeing of workers from other stations?"
Ranger, "what did you have in mind?"
I said, "I can fly in from out of nowhere, with the black ship, and be on my way again if the workers are ready to get aboard. I just need someone they trust to get the word to them, that when the black ship comes they must run for it."
Ranger, "yes, I can get the word to them."
I said, "we need to hit the three stations the other way this time. Do you know another place we can take them?"
Ranger, "yes, I can find places for them after you get past the CM ships."
I said, "well then my plan will be to pick up the men on the farthest station, number W3, then work my way back to W1. I will then disable any CM ship there and make an in space transfer. I will then hide and wait to follow the CM ship back to its repair base. How fast can you get the word out?"
Ranger, "it will take a day or two to pass the word without the stations knowing about it. I will let you know when the men are ready."
I said, "by the way, what do you think of this one they call Gripper?"
Ranger, "he seems like a nice fellow. I only met him once before you pulled him off the station. I was told he worked as a first mate on a ship from Tronex for many years. The other men like him and he has one hell of a grip."
I said, "that's good to hear, because if he is still willing I will make him first mate of our next trip. I need someone to fly the cargo ship while I fly the black ship for defense. Besides, my ship will not be able to hold as many workers as we may pull off of all three stations, without unloading after each stop."
Ranger, "it's a big risk and a lot of
responsibility for a first command. Only time will tell how he will work out."
I asked if he would like a mug of juice, the Rangers said yes please.
Owsee, the Ranger, and I sat and talked for a good while. Some of the men came by the table to thank the Ranger for his help in their liberation, and to tell him how happy they were to be free of the station and the CM.
TheTraveler - book 1 Page 28