“Can’t we wait for them at the other end?”
“I can’t guarantee that you can access the door from the Aviary.”
Braden studied the area outside their tram. “I can’t guarantee that we would be able to make any headway at all out there. Take us to the far end, Holly. We’ll take our chances with the door.”
The vehicle immediately lurched into motion and accelerated quickly. “Sorry, Zyena. No sightseeing for a bit. When we get inside, we hit the ground, take a hard left, and run to the next stairs up.”
‘We will precede you,’ Skirill promised.
“I never doubted that, my friend.” Braden tried to scratch the Hawkoid’s head, but his dance was too erratic. The human settled for a smile and a nod. The doors opened after the tram stopped at the platform. The ‘cats were first out, running to the door. G-War stretched his skinny body upward until the bracelet/collar activated the door. As soon as Braden stepped through, the Hawkoids were off. The foliage was heavy against the catwalk. Skirill and Zyena flew upward until they were clear and then dodged into the trees.
“Doesn’t look like there’s going to be much running,” Micah said as she used her sword to hack her way down the steps. Once on the ground, they worked their way into the trees to find a clearer path. The ‘cats ran up a trunk and started running through the branches, jumping from one tree to the next. They soon disappeared into the distance.
Aadi hung onto the rope trailing Braden. He bounced off trunks and branches as Braden forced his way through the growth. Micah hacked and sliced, trying to maintain her pace.
“Maybe we should try the branches, too.” Micah kept forging ahead, but gave up after less than a hundred meters.
“I guess we’re going vertical,” Braden replied, huffing and puffing to catch his breath. He holstered his pistol and climbed the nearest trunk. Once above the dense undergrowth, the way ahead was clear. He walked down the branch, reached across to the next branch, and walked it to the trunk, pulling himself around and repeating the process with the next branch.
Micah’s legs were shorter and that made for a harder time getting around the tree trunks, but she persevered and caught up to him.
Braden finally took a break to drink water, handing the flask to Micah first. She downed it in small sips before giving the flask back. Braden accessed his neural implant. ‘Update on where they are, Holly.’
‘They are getting close to the platform. I fear that you will be too late.’
Braden chugged the rest of the flask. “We are going to miss them. We need to run,” Braden told Micah before starting to run down the branch, vaulting to one over and back to the next, quickly bypassing the trunk. Micah followed, eyes fixed on her targets as she launched herself across the gaps.
She didn’t stop, didn’t hesitate. She kept up the breakneck pace that Braden set. ‘G, Ess, do what you can. I think we’re on the homestretch.’
‘I see you. It is not far now.’ Skirill flashed through the trees to keep Braden and Micah going in the right direction.
‘The door is opening,’ G-War said. The wings of many birds filled the air between them and their goal. Braden dispensed with the last bit of caution as his run turned into a sprint. A ‘cat’s scream made him yell his frustration. The beating of a thousand wings sounded like the greatest of waterfalls.
A laser beam lashed out and then another. Braden threw himself from the final branch to the catwalk. He slammed into the outside of the railing, clamped an elbow over it, and drew his blaster with his free hand. Aadi rammed into him from behind, before the Tortoid let go and started to swim through the air. Birds were everywhere, big and small. The ‘cats were clinging to the Androids’ arms with the lasers, clawing and biting to keep the Androids from taking aim.
A grunt signaled Micah’s arrival as she hit the railing. Braden helped her over and she drew her sword, charging before Braden could get into position. He scrambled as fast as he was able to so he could catch her.
Micah hit the first Android like a battering ram, the point of her sword driving through most of the mechanical creation’s neck. She hit its shoulder with hers, toppling it into the second Android. The ‘cats leapt free. Micah lost her balance and fell. Before either Android could fire on her, narrow beams sliced into them from Braden’s blaster. He fired as he ran, keeping his aim high.
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 some
thing. 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 muffled 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.
Return to the Traveler (Free Trader Series Book 9) Page 11
