Adventures on RV Traveler (Free Trader Series Book 3) (26 page)

58 – Peace

The remainder of the trip to the Engineering spaces was uneventful. Even the corridor with the dropped boxes of trash held no surprises. They walked down it carefully, Micah leading the way with her President’s bracelet held prominently in front of her. G-War, Aadi, the Wolfoids, and finally Braden brought up the rear. They stalked more than walked, prepared for anything.

It was interesting watching the Wolfoids climb stairs. They dropped to all fours and bounded up them, holding their spears in one mutant paw while running on three legs. Their spears never left their paws.

When they finally saw the red light of the Engineering Security Unit, they were both relieved and surprised. The final door slid open noiselessly and they were treated to the Engineering spaces, now bathed in a soft white light. They shrugged and put their flashlights away. Holly had been busy.

Two Hawkoids flew toward them, landing expertly on the handrail of the walkway.

Braden and Micah immediately moved close to scratch neck feathers and wing roots. Alarmed, Bounder and Gray Strider assumed attack positions. Aadi floated in front of them.

‘These are our friends. They represent the Hawkoid Nation, Skirill on the left and his mate Zyena. Meet Bounder and Gray Strider, Wolfoid leaders who will travel to Vii with us and prepare the planet so we can relocate some of the Wolfoids, guaranteeing their survival.’

‘My apologies for the alarm, Skirill, Zyena. This is all new to us. We are pleased to make your acquaintance.’
Bounder moved close and sniffed both the Hawkoids, who leaned back, away from the large muzzle of the fearsome creature.

Standing straight on their back legs, Bounder towered over Braden while Gray Strider and the humans were roughly the same height. The Wolfoid leader’s muzzle was long and wide. As he sniffed, his lips pulled back, showing a mouthful of sharp teeth and canines that extended below his lower jaw. His shaggy gray and brown hair gave him a rough appearance. Long hairs grew from his eyebrows, giving his face a sinister look. Braden watched the Hawkoid’s alarm as they took in his features.

He scratched behind Bounder’s ears, the Wolfoid leaning into the human’s fingers, angling his neck to make sure the best spot was covered. Skirill chuckled. The fearsome creature also acted like a friendly dog. G-War stood on his back legs, putting one paw against the Wolfoid for balance as he leaned toward Zyena.

‘Pik?’
Skirill asked over the mindlink. He knew the Lizard Man had died, but wanted to hear how.

“Holly told us where the Androids’ lair was, nexus, he called it. They were using those computers to access the rest of the ship. We waded in, all of us armed with blasters. It was filled with Androids, but Pik wasn’t afraid. He took a large group, standing in the center and tried to kill them all himself. What we didn’t know was that those units were inactive, but Androids shot at him from close by and around them. He was caught in the crossfire. But he continued firing, even as he died. That made it possible for us to move and return fire. Without him, we could not have cleared the nexus. We found Aadi and G-War accessed a terminal that an Android left active. That gave Holly the key, and we defeated the Androids,” Micah explained. The more she told the story, the easier it became to deal with Pik’s death.

‘We understand. It’s good that you were able to get blasters for him. The Androids were formidable enemies. They were as dangerous as a mutie Bear. And it’s good that the Golden Warrior is skilled in using Old Tech. Who would have thought our lives would depend on a ‘cat using a computer?’
Skirill said. Zyena bobbed slightly.

G-War dropped to all fours and headed down the catwalk toward the elevator. That was right, his furry paws saved them all and they better not forget it!

Braden doubled over with a good belly laugh. His friends were in perfect form. The Wolfoids looked confused, turning their heads one way and then the other.

“We’ve been together for a while and each of us have our strengths, but the one thing we never forget is each other’s weaknesses. It keeps us humble.” Braden’s sincerity convinced the Wolfoids they’d done the right thing in joining the humans.

“We have children on Vii, and I can’t wait to see them,” Micah added.

‘You have a litter?’
Gray Strider asked.

“No. We have twins. A boy and a girl,” Micah tried to explain.

‘A small litter then. We also look forward to seeing them. Maybe soon we will add another litter of our own, but this time, truly in the open air of an entire planet.’

Skirill interrupted them, nodding his head toward a group of humans below, waving energetically at the catwalk.

“Almost forgot, we have visitors!” Braden said to the companions. “Hello!” he bellowed to the group below. “We’ll be right down.” He turned smartly and followed G-War toward the elevator. Aadi swam after them.

59 – The Survivors from Cygnus VI

“You are Free Trader Braden, and you are President Micah. We are so happy to finally meet you,” Doctor Johns said, shaking Braden and Micah’s hands vigorously. “I can’t thank you two enough for everything you’ve done for us.”  The other eleven survivors surrounded them, slapping them heartily on their shoulders. Some of them tried to pet G-War, but he was having none of it.

The Wolfoids stood apart, until they were introduced in addition to Aadi and the ‘cat. The survivors knew about the bioengineering efforts, but never realized the creatures would achieve sentience and then be given equal status with humans.

They weren’t opposed. They were scientists. They simply never contemplated the variable. They huddled around the companions, studying them, until the companions’ discomfort pressed heavily on Braden and Micah through their mindlink.

“Let’s go somewhere we can sit down. Maybe find a fabricator to get you some food?” Micah started herding the survivors away from the animal companions.

‘Holly? Is there a room with a food fabricator anywhere near here? We need to get the survivors settled someplace better than on the floor. If there are Crew Quarters available, that would be best, but they need to be unoccupied. No electrified humans this time, please,’
Braden said.

‘Continue the direction you are going until you find the next radial access corridor. Follow it to the end. It will be identical to the other one. I’m not reading any activity from within. The Golden Warrior should be able to tell you if there are any creatures.’
Holly seemed to be better, less pressured and more in control.

‘Thanks. Do you control the Androids again, Holly?’
Braden asked, wanting to be sure.

‘Yes. I am clearing up some issues now. I won’t start the transfer of the last group from Cygnus VI until everything is ready, and then it will go far more quickly.’

Braden reduced his window. “We’ll keep going in this direction until we see the next elevator and corridor access. We’ll take that to Crew Quarters which should be unoccupied.” He spoke to no one in particular, but the people deserved to know what they were doing and where they were going.

Skirill and Zyena flew ahead to find the corridor, to give them distance.

Braden wanted to run ahead as well. He didn’t want to lead a group like this into a fight. These people looked soft. None of them had weapons. They wouldn’t survive the first few heartbeats of combat, so it was his responsibility to keep them away from a fight.

‘I know, lover. You carry the burden of keeping them safe, so you go ahead. I’ll bring them along, slowly, give you time to find a temporary home for us,’
Micah told him using the mindlink. She’d been listening to his thoughts, although she knew him well and could have easily guessed what he was thinking. There was no surprise in her thought voice.

“Bounder and Gray Strider, let’s go ahead, make sure the way is clear.”  He jogged past them as the group of humans stopped. The Wolfoids were only too happy to do something. G-War ran ahead while Aadi stayed with Micah. They didn’t have to travel far. They jogged to the next elevator and took it up, in one tightly packed group. The Wolfoids were uncomfortable inside the elevator, their fear evidenced by a strong scent.

The doors opened after a few heartbeats and they continued down the catwalk toward the access corridor. Braden checked to make sure everyone had their bracelets. He waved farewell to the Hawkoids, who remained on the railing, and they entered the corridor.

He looked behind him, noting the Engineering Security Unit on the wall. They had active bracelets. It was no threat.

This corridor was clear and well lit. They walked boldly down its middle, passing doors to storage units, offices, and another elevator, which Braden checked and it appeared to be functional.

When they reached the last door on the right, G-War sat before the Crew Quarters door and reached out with his ‘cat senses. He couldn’t feel anything. Braden trusted the ‘cat to find living creatures, but if there were Bots or Androids, G-War wouldn’t feel them. He pulled his blaster as the Wolfoids readied their spears. G-War crouched, prepared to bolt through the open door.

Braden waved his bracelet and the door slid aside. G-War ran through. Braden next. The Wolfoids walked through at the ready, but stayed in the doorway. Braden needed to talk to them about how to enter a room more safely. Standing in the middle of the doorway of an unknown room could get you shot.

Not in this case, though. The Crew Quarters were clean and unoccupied. Braden checked the first door of the left hallway. The room was neat, the bed made as if the person would return at any moment. He opened a few more doors and the results were identical.

When the crew had departed the ship, they left these quarters intact and no one had been here since. This was a perfect place for the survivors to rest. He told Micah to bring them through. He contacted Holly and asked him to deactivate the Engineering Security Unit, which he did before Braden reduced his window.

Braden found the fabricator in the kitchen, ordering a brownie to check it out. Ding. Mouthwatering. The brownie was stale, but the taste was close enough. He ordered a number of things, putting them back in the fabricator for recycling as soon as they were ready. After the tenth item, he ordered another brownie. He was rewarded with the taste he’d grown to love.

Once Micah arrived, they could use the fabricator in the recreational area to make bracelets for the new arrivals.

He looked for a room where he and Micah could stay. He opened the detailed map contained within his neural implant. He looked closely at this area and found one room that was double in size. He closed his three dimensional map. It gave him a headache every time he tried looked at it. No wonder Holly hadn’t shared it first. He knew the humans well.

He opened the door at the end of the first hallway to a room that also had a small office. The bed was bigger and it was perfect. He put his pack in the hallway in front of the door, claiming the room for his own.

Braden asked Micah for volunteers to carry the Hawkoids down the corridor. There was no place for the Wolfoids or the Hawkoids to stay in the Crew Quarters, but they could all stay on Deck 10, where they would be comfortable, flying and hunting. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that what he wanted for his friends, he wanted for himself. He recovered his pack. Doctor Johns and his wife could take the big room. The companions would all stay on the Livestock Level. To each what they considered the greatest comfort.

When Micah arrived with the group, Braden welcomed them to the crew quarters. The people beamed in joy at the sight of the clean rooms in the style they were used to. They put the Hawkoids on a table near the entrance and followed Braden as he led Doctor Johns and his wife to their room, pointing others to empty rooms along the way. The tour continued to the recreational area and the kitchen. The survivors looked at the fabricator skeptically. One showed Braden the food cube they’d brought with them.

It looked disgusting, gelatinous, multi-colored with chunks of something indescribable floating within. Braden ordered a number of meals, eventually turning the fabricator over to the emaciated group. He hadn’t realized how thin they were. They were probably starving. They ate like it, once they tasted the offerings from the fabricator. Although he encouraged them to slow down, they couldn’t. He knew there would be some sick people, but everyone had to learn the hard way the first time they became fabricator gluttons.

Micah started the process to make bracelets for the group. At Holly’s direction, she ordered twenty-three Engineering bracelets. These would give the survivors access to the crew quarters and the Engineering spaces, but not Deck 10. They didn’t need anyone getting lost.

Once the bracelets were distributed, with extras to Doctor Johns, Braden and Micah continued with small talk, but the others were drifting into food comas. They suggested everyone retire to their rooms and get some rest, as the matter transfer process had to be hard on them.

The companions excused themselves and retreated to the corridor. The humans picked up the Hawkoids as they exited the Crew Quarters. Three steps later, the door to Deck 10 opened and they rushed through. The Hawkoids leapt to the sky and flew in lazy circles overhead. In the rush through the door, they ran into each other, Braden and Micah barely able to stay upright until the Hawkoids launched themselves into the air. The Wolfoids tripped and stumbled, falling into the humans while the ‘cat dodged smartly aside. Aadi floated after them, bobbing his head.

The pile of humans and Wolfoids rolled forward until they freed themselves. Braden and Micah laughed as they sat on the catwalk, taking in the fetid air of the Livestock Level. Each time they entered the Deck, the waste from the livestock was overwhelming. The Wolfoids were used to it. Their pig herd contributed mightily, but there were other animals. Deck 10 and Deck 5 were identical in that they were the two largest of the ship. Bounder admitted that he had not explored the entire Deck. He’d lived his whole life in a small area of a great ship, and he hadn’t realized it.

The Wolfoids were in for a treat when they arrived on Vii, as long as they weren’t overwhelmed. There wasn’t much time left before they’d be there, and the excitement built within the humans. 

Micah opened her neural implant and contacted Bronwyn. She told them all about the Wolfoids that were coming with them. The young girl was excited beyond measure, although she was also sad that she’d never get to meet Pik Ha’ar. She was not looking forward to seeing the repairs to Aadi’s shell and she insisted that Braden not let anyone else get hurt. 

‘I’ll do my best, little sweetheart.’
That was the only answer he could give.

Axial and De’atesh were fine and happily growing up, little by little. How long had they been apart? According to Holly, it had been less than two months. It seemed like forever. They were standing on their own and would soon be walking, although Bronwyn suspected they’d go straight from crawling to running. They had energy to spare. With friends like the Aurochs, they needed it, too.

The Wolfoids were interested in the Aurochs. The largest creature they’d ever seen was the great sow of their herd. From what they saw of the frightened creature, it rivaled a cow Aurochs. Nothing would prepare them to see Brandt. He was the largest creature on all of Vii, at least as far as the humans knew. They’d seen none greater.

And their children hung off his horns while G-War rode on his head. The Wolfoids related the image to their own pups climbing and playing on their parents. The Wolfoid Alpha, covered in pups, puke, and pee. They laughed together at the image.

They weren’t more than ten strides from the door and little more than that from the survivors of Cygnus VI, but they lived a world apart, Braden and Micah having everything in common with the animal companions and almost nothing in common with the ancients from Cygnus VI.