The Free Trader of Planet Vii

by Craig Martelle

  “Sorry about that, Brandt,” they mumbled in apology. They had reached the Western Ocean. They could return to Westerly, but the companions knew there were people here. Braden always wanted to talk with new people.

  Which wasn’t easy as the villagers scattered when they saw the menagerie of creatures that made up the caravan. They finally enlisted Skirill’s aid to see which huts people ran to so they could find them.

  Leaving the other companions on the beach, Braden and Micah walked up some shaky stairs to one hut, which looked unremarkably like all the rest.

  They looked abandoned. But thanks to Skirill’s keen Hawkoid eyes, they knew this one was not.

  “Hello! I’m Free Trader Braden and we’d like to talk with you. We mean you no harm.” He waited. They listened carefully but didn’t hear a sound. “We know you’re in there. Please don’t make us come in. We do not wish to get hurt.” What he meant was that he didn’t want to hurt them.

  “Go away! We don’t want your kind around here,” a gruff voice shouted from inside.

  “What? What problem do you have with humans?” Micah said calmly, a little taken aback by their fear.

  “Not you, you farging lunkhead, those other beasts.” Micah looked at Braden, then held her hands up, offering that he take over.

  “They are our friends. They are kind souls who wish no harm upon their fellow creatures. We are honored that they travel with us. Now that that is settled, we’re coming in.” Braden pushed on the door, it moved, but something was blocking it from opening all the way. He gave it an angry shove and it slid open. He almost fell. Micah was right behind him, ready to act.

  A man and a boy cowered under a table. The man pointed a three-pronged spear at them, but they noted that he wasn’t in a position to fight. The only way they’d get hurt is if they fell on the trident. She relaxed.

  “Please,” she said in a soothing voice. “We don’t want anything from you except to talk. What happened here? Why so many empty huts?” She sat down, encouraging Braden to do the same. Micah watched the boy closely. He seemed less afraid than the man, who didn’t appear to be much older than Braden. The boy couldn’t have been his son, could he?

  They hesitated. She continued, “There’s no one else coming. It’s just us and our friends. We’ll soon leave and go back to Westerly, Coldstream, and Greentree. We’ve established a trade route between the villages from here, I mean Westerly, all the way to Dwyer in the east.”

  The man started to talk, as if telling a story. Micah was sure he hadn’t heard what she’d said.

  “They’re all gone. The ocean terrors got ‘em,” the man said quietly. “They came out of the sea, creaking and belching fire. Light shining from their eyes. No one’s seen ‘em still alive.”

  “You sound like you’ve seen them?” Braden asked, skeptical of what was shaping up as a fish story.

  “Up close, no. When they broke the surf yonder--” He pointed at an arbitrary spot on the wall of the hut. “I ran. From up there--” Another wild point of a rough finger. “I seen ‘em sweeping up our people, before dragging backwards into the surf.”

  “Daylight or night?”

  “They only come at night,” he said so quietly they almost didn’t hear him.

  ‘G, Brandt, Ess, and Aadi, are you hearing this? Does any of it make sense?’ Braden asked over the mindlink.

  ‘Sounds like Old Tech. Have him describe the light shining from the eyes better,’ Aadi said. Braden and Micah could feel the curiosity in the others.

  “Tell me more about the shining eyes,” Micah asked, while Braden accessed his implant.

  “The light came out of them and brightened the area in front as if it were daylight. I saw that and ducked. If it shined on me, I’d die!”

  Holly suggested it was a research vessel that was used before the war. There were two ocean research facilities, one in the Eastern Ocean and one in the Western. The vessels traveled along the ocean bottom and could drive directly onto the beach. It wasn’t capable of driving in the hills.

  Holly spent enough time with Braden and Micah that he was starting to understand the technology of their world. He agreed with Braden’s mental characterization. A wagon without a horse, but more like the armored vehicle they saw in the armory, just much larger.

  “When did these attacks on the people start?” Braden asked.

  “A couple cycles ago. Rare at first. Now, it seems like the terrors are cleaning out the rest of us.”

  “You can come with us. Right now, we have no way of stopping this vehicle, I mean, the ocean terrors. We believe that it can’t climb the hills. Come with us and we’ll take you away from here.”

  The man thought about it for a heartbeat or three. Then nodded.

  “Your son?” Micah asked.

  “No, not my son, not my relation. We’re the only two left from our families. Better take care o’ each other.”

  “What are your names?” Braden asked. They needed to hurry if they were going to sweep the surviving humans off the beach and get them to the hills before nightfall. Braden and Micah needed these two to help. They probably knew which humans survived.

  “I’m Sand Crab, they call me Crabby, and this is Yellowfin.”

  “I’m from the Eastern Ocean,” Micah said to establish herself. “Aren’t those fish and such that you catch?”

  “Sure, but over the years, we gave up on the old names. I knew a Bill once and a Devon. But they were really old. They died when I was young.”

  “If that’s your names, then that’s what we’ll call you. Crabby? Yellowfin? If you’re ready, let’s go save some lives!” Braden had a way about him that Micah adored. He made this simple task of running to the high ground a noble quest, a great adventure. She wondered why they hadn’t run away before, but people do what they know. From the smell and the look of the man’s trident, the three-pronged fishing spear, they were fishermen. Always were. They didn’t know any other way to survive.

  The people of White Beach had lost their way. Sometimes you have to give up what you do to save what you love.

  They had devolved into anarchy. Braden would fill their leadership void. They would teach these people how to survive in the grasslands of the Plains of Propiscius. They would join villages and have new lives.

  Micah took Yellowfin with her on Pack and Braden took Crabby. They each rode a different direction along the beach. They shouted. Crabby knew everyone’s name and called as they passed. They stopped and talked with quite a few people. By the time Braden and Crabby reached the end of the occupied huts, there was a stream of people on the beach walking toward the King of the Aurochs. He stood as a marker for all to see. There was a great deal of trepidation because of the so-called muties, but the hope of salvation won the day.

  Micah had the same luck. Although Yellowfin didn’t remember the people’s names, they knew him. Micah and the boy were persuasive, sending people with their meager belongings down the beach toward the huge beast who was to guide them to the ravine. And their freedom.

  It seemed to be taking forever. Many would end up climbing the slope in the dark, but there were more people than they originally thought. They couldn’t count the numbers who joined the march from the sea.

  Micah led the way behind the King of the Aurochs. G-War rode and Aadi swam by himself. The crowd was moving slowly enough that he could keep up without any trouble. Braden waited at the bottom for the last of the people to enter the ravine. He had to keep them from straying. They had a little bit of everything--young, old, tall, short, strong, weak, mothers with babies, and the frail--but they walked with determination, even though the look on their faces was that of defeat.

  As darkness fell, people continued to travel away from the beach and up the ravine. Crabby had long since joined those walking and Braden was left alone. He watched as the last walked off the beach. It had gotten dark and the climb would be tough. He watched the sea for any sign of the ocean terrors, as the villagers called them.
/>   The surf started to churn and Braden’s head buzzed. Old Tech trying to communicate with Old Tech. He opened his implant and asked Holly for help. The vehicle continued to climb out of the surf. Holly wasn’t having any luck reaching out.

  Braden pulled out his blaster and fired a number of short bursts into the sand in front of the vehicle. It stopped, then settled into a gentle rocking motion as the surf pushed and pulled.

  ‘Anything yet, Holly?’ Braden thought within the open window.

  ‘Yes, I have it now. These are automated. Inside are a number of Development Units. They have expanded their undersea laboratory and the people of White Beach are being used to repopulate it.’ Holly scrolled the information through his open window.

  ‘These Bots are programmed to not harm humans. According to the laboratory, it estimated that the people on White Beach will die out within two generations if not tended to.’

  ‘Can you tell them to leave these people alone? We’re going to take them inland to Coldstream, Greentree, McCullough, Dwyer, and anywhere in between where they want to build homes. Will that keep them from dying off?’ Braden asked, hoping he could get a look inside the ancients' vehicle that could travel on the ocean floor.

  He forgot that Micah couldn’t hear him while he was talking with Holly. He closed the window.

  ‘That thing showed up,’ he said in his thought voice. ‘Holly was able to talk with it. Old Tech taking the villagers to repopulate an ancients' outpost on the bottom of the ocean! I’m going to try to get a look inside.’

  ‘You better not go inside that thing!’ If one could shout over a thought voice, it was clear she just had. Getting trapped under the ocean was not something she wanted to risk. He needed to tell the villagers of White Beach that if their loved ones were taken, they were still alive. He’d have to have that conversation before they went too far inland. For that, he needed to navigate the ravines and climb the hills.

  Micah was right. He couldn’t risk getting a look inside. He’d leave it alone.

  With a last glance at the ancients’ sea vehicle, he spurred Max into the ravine.

  67 – Splitting

  They did the best they could getting people settled, but there were too many. They slept on the ground. With the sunrise, they could take all the food they had, vegetables and smoked boar, and share it with villagers of White Beach. What seemed like a great deal of food the turn before was pathetically small as their numbers grew.

  After they ate what would be meager portions, he’d tell them what he learned. If they wanted to go back, that would make things more manageable for him, but they needed the people inland, where there was more work than people.

  The power of trade.

  When the sun rose, it showed a large and ragged group of refugees wondering if there was anything to eat.

  Braden and Micah had gotten themselves in deep.

  They called everyone together. Braden stood on a rock and waited until they were quiet. “People of White Beach! I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’ll just say it. The ocean terror is Old Tech. It’s not a living creature.

  “The ancients, with their technology and their intelligence, built a village on the floor of the ocean. The ocean terror is a vehicle that has taken your people to that village. I believe they are all alive, just living beyond your reach. To go to them, you have to wait for the Old Tech to appear and go with it.” That’s when the grumbling started.

  “You and your mutie bunch are with them!” screamed an ugly voice. “Let’s get ‘em!” The people crowded together and started surging forward. The fire from a blaster erupted, drawing a line on the ground in front of the crowd. Many flinched, toes slightly singed. Micah held a blaster in each hand and glared at the crowd.

  “We’re not with them. Settle down!” Braden roared. “The one thing we guarantee you is your freedom to choose. It’s light, go back if you want. Come with us. Go your own way. That’s your business. We brought you all here so you could figure out what you want to do. Cowering in fear is no way to live. We offer you the opportunity to do more with your lives. If you want to go back to the beach and wait for the ocean terror, do that. If you come with us, you’ll see new and different things. There will be some hardship. We have a long way to travel, but once we get there, you can start your lives fresh, with new people. You’ll learn new skills, become more than you are.”

  “I’m a fisherman. It’s all I know. Too old to turn my hand different.” It was the initial instigator, speaking in a loud voice but not screaming, not inciting the crowd. “I’m going home. If it takes me, it takes me, but one thing I know for sure… I’ll have fish for dinner tonight!” He started to elbow others aside as he pushed his way toward the downhill path.

  More cries and others followed.

  “I’m hungry. I’m going.”

  “Me, too.”

  “My partner’s alive! I have to see him.”

  After the initial wave of people flooded down the hill, others trickled after them. Micah put her blasters away.

  G-War never moved from the King of the Auroch’s great head. Brandt had been ready to storm through the crowd if the people got too close to Braden.

  Micah moved next to her partner. “At least they aren’t afraid anymore,” she said blandly. Braden snorted and shook his head.

  Crabby and Yellowfin were among those who remained. “We have nothing back there. Even if our families are alive, not sure we want to live under the ocean. We’ll try our hand in the dirt instead.”

  “And we’ll make sure you get that opportunity,” Braden said and stuck out his hand. They shook warmly.

  When the dust settled, only about twenty people remained. Braden and Micah both thought the same thing: that was a manageable number. These were the younger ones, those who were willing to change, maybe even those who sought adventure. Everyone who had nothing to live for went back to the beach. Micah was right, though. At least they weren’t afraid.

  They’d embrace that as the victory and then celebrate when the good people of White Beach joined the eastern villages.

  68 – Hope and Fear

  There was no reason to wait. Braden hooked the cart behind Pack and told the people the next stop was the Village of Westerly.

  ‘You’ll have to slow your pace, my friend. The good people with us won’t be able to keep up,’ Braden said to Brandt over their mindlink.

  ‘You lead, I will follow,’ the King of the Aurochs answered.

  Without fanfare, the group set off at a slow walk. Braden opened the map in his neural interface and did the calculations. We’ll make it before dark, he thought. Holly confirmed it. Braden quickly closed the window by telling it to Sleep.

  Did I need to use Old Tech to figure that out? He was instantly angry with himself. The easy way lured him in and trapped him. Micah listened as he struggled with his thoughts. She peeked at him, to make sure that he wasn’t getting too depressed. He needed to wean himself off the Old Tech.

  ‘What do you think of going back to New Sanctuary? Maybe we can take a couple turns to ourselves in the luxury of the Presidential Suite? And then we can have them take these things out of our heads?’ Micah wrestled with the Old Tech, too. It was too easy to pull up something, read something else, get completely lost.

  Sometimes the real world didn’t exist. She had to drag herself back, remind herself that she was riding a horse. She needed to wean herself off it, too.

  ‘I think we need to do something. When we get back, let’s turn all four blasters in to the armory. Maybe you can get a recurve bow for yourself. I’d like that better. No Bat-Ravens, no need for the blasters,’ Braden responded. To Micah, it sounded like he was talking himself through a problem, not discussing it with her.

  ‘The Amazonians. Could we have stopped them from hurting Brandt without our blasters? Look at the Old Tech vehicle that came from the sea. Would it have stopped if you didn’t have your blaster?’

  ‘That’s the easy answer, Micah. I
could have simply ridden into the ravine. It could not have followed. The Amazonians? We’ll need the companions to better control themselves. If Brandt and Aadi hadn’t rushed in, we wouldn’t have been in that situation. Brandt and I wouldn’t have been speared. Life would have been better. Unless the Amazonians are wearing McCullough tunics or leggings, we stay away from them. Brandt? Can I get you to agree?’ Braden thought through the battle again and again while he recovered. He always came to the same conclusion. The only way to win was not to fight.

  ‘Yes, my friends. I made a mistake that I shall not make again. We cannot save the Amazonians from themselves. Only if they ask, will I try to help.’ Brandt was determined. His mistake almost cost Braden his life. The King of the Aurochs was harder on himself than anyone else could ever be. His run into the rainforest caused him many sleepless nights.

  ‘And me, too, Master Humans. I shall be far more judicious when assisting the Lizard Men,’ Aadi added.

  “I have an idea!” Braden blurted out loud. White Beach villagers walking nearby were startled. They looked oddly at him.

  ‘I have an idea,’ Braden said, switching back to his thought voice. ‘In order to help us help ourselves, why don’t we train those who travel with us as an army? I’ve seen a couple demonstrations in the north. I’ve often thought how an army should fight. We can train as we walk, you know, attack formations, defensive formations. We’ve seen how the Amazonians fight. We have enough people. They all have spears or tridents. We can fight back in a better way, where we won’t have to rely on the Old Tech.’

  Micah was having a hard time keeping up as Braden’s thoughts flowed. She watched him stroke his braid as he continued.

  ‘Two ranks…low and high… a line of spear points that no one can get through…’ Braden imagined how the fishermen could hold back the larger Amazonians. ‘If the enemy didn’t have too many warriors, then the fishermen could win.’