When the ‘cat told them to stop and which way to go, the Wolfoids were out of the back and off like an arrow speeding toward its target. Braden had just gotten down from Max and was readying his bow when the Wolfoid howls signaled the kill had been made. Micah looked at him and shrugged, pulling out her knife so they could clean their dinner.
The Rabbits hopped into the trees to search for something they could eat and maybe add to the meal for the others. The Aurochs walked along the ditches on the side of the road, eating the sparse but healthy grasses. Aadi swam in the Aurochs’ wake, eating bugs of various sorts that were exposed after their hooves tore up the grass and dirt. G-War simply waited for the food to be brought to him. He kept an eye on the twins while all the others worked.
That meant he played catch-the-‘cat, running around and over them while they tried to grab his tail. In the end, it turned out that he expended more energy than the rest of the companions. The Rabbits made multiple trips back and forth between the forest and the wagon, bringing spinach by the armloads, beets, radishes, leaks, and even a couple squash. After they’d picked two days’ worth of meals, they told Brandt where they had gone. The four Aurochs happily cleaned out what remained, leaving nothing for the horses. The Rabbits shook their heads, ears flapping, and they hand-fed the horses spinach and beets. If Bronwyn were there, she would have heard Max’s and Speckles’ express their gratitude.
They feasted that night, celebrating life and friendship. They welcomed the three young Aurochs who knew of nothing beyond the green plains where they were born and raised. Brandt had thrown their world into chaos. They also looked at the world through clear eyes for the first time in their lives. They found that they liked it.
They liked it all.
New Sanctuary
Braden’s caravan continued through the hills. With the push-pull effort for the cart, they never struggled to keep it moving. Being well-fed gave them the energy to move quickly. Braden looked at their location using his neural implant. They didn’t have much farther to go before they’d arrive on the outskirts of the destroyed city and factories previously known as Sanctuary.
“You walked this when you were little?” Braden asked when he remembered that Micah had told him she’d seen the city for herself before she took him there.
“Yes, it took us most of a moon’s cycle to get there and back home. We walked and hunted, scrounged vegetables. The usual. I have to say that I am traveling in comfort now. It seemed an impossible distance back then,” Micah answered.
“But why? Why would your family bring the youngsters from the village all the way to Sanctuary? Couldn’t they just share the story of the destroyed city?”
“Once every ten cycles, they go. It is part of who we are to understand where we came from. You saw how Trent thrived while Cornwall suffered. Trent has the stronger culture, but one piece of Old Tech gave Cornwall the advantage that they held over us. The trip to Sanctuary reinforced the evil of Old Tech and the ancients.” She laughed and patted her blaster. “And here we are, carrying Old Tech and working with the equipment the ancients left behind.”
“Evil isn’t things. Only people do evil. Machines are just machines,” Braden said, emphasizing his philosophy that evil exists.
“One word,” Micah countered. “Androids.”
“Okay! You got me there. The Androids were evil until Holly made them un-evil? Evil-less? Evil-free? Is there a word for that?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think of them as good. I don’t know how much control Holly has over them. They still give me the willies. I hope I never see another one. As a matter of fact, let me ask about my personal Android.” Micah’s eyes unfocused as she opened her neural implant to talk with Holly.
He answered right away as he always did. ‘You said something about an Android assistant for the President? If you’re working on that, stop. I don’t want one.’
‘Yes, Master President, you told me that before, when you were still on the ship. I heard you loudly and clearly. There is no Android assistant in the works for you,’ Holly said joyfully. ‘Before you sign off, Master President, please share with Braden that Pik Ha’ar’s clone will reach full maturity in another four days. After that, it would be best if you met him on the ship and escorted him to the planet. The transition from the ship will be less traumatic that way. A new clone is fragile for the first few weeks after their release from the tank.’
Micah hung her head, taking long, slow breaths. Braden lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes, learn what was wrong.
“I could really use a brownie,” she said. He waited. “And Holly says we have to go to the ship and personally escort Pik Ha’ar back here.”
“Oh, what the crap? We don’t have to move the ship or anything, do we? Just go up there, puke our guts out, twist ourselves sideways while we walk, and then meet the Androids who tried to kill us but since have resurrected our friend, who may not recognize us. What is he not telling us?”
“I guarantee he’s not telling us something, but we won’t figure that out until we get there,” Micah snorted, continuing to shake her head.
“Nope. I don’t want to go there either, but we have to do everything we can to win this war. Pik will give us an edge, an edge that we need. HOLLY! You are such a butthole!” Braden bellowed. The children stopped to watch him, then continued playing patty-cake with the Rabbits.
On the fourth sunrise after leaving Toromont’s Run, the broad expanse of the destroyed city of Sanctuary lay before them. The eastern road entered the valley over a small rise, showing them most of the area. They looked north to where they could see the tops of the rainforest’s trees, but not the gap where the road could be found. It would take at least another turn before they arrived at New Sanctuary.
They had much to discuss with Holly and the survivors from Cygnus VI before departing for the ship. The Wolfoids would want them to bring more of their people back. The Rabbits would want more of their people, too. Maybe even Pik Ha’ar would want to bring someone. They knew for sure they wouldn’t bring any of the Androids to Vii. What would happen if Holly lost control of them there? Braden shuddered to think about it.
He slept poorly that night and the next.
When they finally arrived at New Sanctuary, they were all tired and hungry, but New Sanctuary could always provide food and a place to rest. Once Micah had the three additional Aurochs accepted into the database by the Security Bots, they entered the oasis and each went their own way. Everyone had their favorite. A Development Unit chased after the Aurochs to limit their damage, while the Rabbits scooted in behind to help themselves to the choicest fresh vegetables.
Braden and Micah took the twins to the Presidential Suite, waving at the other humans as they passed. Once inside with the door closed, they stripped out of their old clothes and went swimming in the pool. Braden ordered up three brownies while Micah held the children on her chest as she floated around. When the brownies arrived, she balanced them on the edge of the pool and they all enjoyed the treats. The children wanted more, but their mother wouldn’t let them gorge on the good stuff without eating a proper meal first. She fed them while the adults ate their favorite, cheese omelets with hash browns.
After dinner, they realized they were exhausted from traveling. They could accomplish nothing that night, so they prepared to put the twins to bed, but the children started making a fuss. Neither G-War nor the rabbits were there. They never slept by themselves and with the mindlink, they were never alone. They always had the comforting thoughts of the companions. Micah looked longingly at the big, soft bed, grabbed the pillow, and wrapped her robe tightly around herself. Braden did the same and they headed into the hallway, up the stairs, and outside.
They found most of the companions by the small lake at the center of the oasis. The twins climbed into a pile with the Rabbits. G-War left the comfort of Wolfoid fur to join them.
‘Go, enjoy your soft bed. It’s the least I can do for you since you’ll b
e taking me to Cornwall once every moon…’ G-War told them, waving them away with one furry paw. The Hawkoids were perched on a branch nearby while Aadi hovered serenely over the lake.
“They are probably safer here than they were with us inside. Just let us know when they wake up and we’ll collect them.” Braden and Micah hurried back indoors, finding renewed energy in being alone in the Presidential Suite. The wine they ordered when they returned didn’t hurt the mood at all.
Optics
Everyone wanted a few heartbeats of Braden and Micah’s time. They barely had time to feed and wash the children before the Rabbits and G-War whisked them away. G-War always preferred to stay as far from the New Command Center as possible. He didn’t like the underground. The only inside he would tolerate was their small home in Greentree. He was a Hillcat, and like him, the rest of the companions preferred the great outdoors. They left so Braden and Micah could deal with the survivors of Cygnus VI.
The first to accost them was Dr. Johns. Out of breath from running to catch up, he asked them for neural access to Holly. The survivors had their own neural implants, but Braden was hesitant to give them access because they were the remaining ancients, the people who had destroyed Vii in a violent holocaust. He couldn’t give that kind of power back to them.
“No,” Braden said, shocking Dr. Johns. Braden didn’t elaborate and turned to walk away.
“I’m sorry, Master President, please, we need access to the AI if we are to make the changes that we need to the system,” he pleaded, using his body to block their way.
“And that is why you don’t get access. You aren’t going to change the system. You can work with certain elements to improve our ability to find the Overlords, but other changes cannot happen. We’ve established certain… What did Holly call them? Protocols, yes, that’s it. We’ve established certain protocols to prevent what happened four-hundred cycles ago. I’m sorry. Let’s go to the Command Center and see what we have. We need to know where the Overlords are. We’ll take care of it from there,” Micah said smoothly.
They pushed past Dr. Johns, heading for the elevator to the New Command Center. He wasn’t so easily brushed off. “That’s just it. We need some more access. The weapons platforms have the best sensors and we need to access them. And we need risk no one else’s lives. With the push of a button, we can eliminate the threat and get back to building our spaceship!”
Braden and Micah both stopped and faced him. Micah’s expression turned ice cold. “Listen very carefully, Dr. Johns. You will never have full access to Holly. You will never be able to push a button and kill people. You will not avoid the horrors. War must be so terrible that people will do almost anything to avoid it. It must be the last resort, and in this case, it is, but that decision can only be made by the ones with the most to lose, not someone sitting safely in an underground facility, watching it on the monitors,” she finished her lecture, then continued. “Do you have access through the workstations?”
“Yes, but…” he tried to continue but Micah cut him off.
“Then you have sufficient access. Don’t make me banish you to the wilds of this planet. As I said, we will do almost anything to avoid war. No one will make war easy, not even you, Dr. Johns.” She glared at him until he looked away, hanging his head. “Let’s go take a look at what your people have been able to find on the Overlords, and you said something about a spaceship?” she asked.
He didn’t answer. The old man followed them like a whipped puppy. They had no idea what he was thinking, so they did as they always did. ‘G, Dr. Johns isn’t planning on trying anything to get more access to Holly is he?’ Braden asked over the mindlink.
‘No,’ the ‘cat answered. Braden tightened his jaw.
‘Ass! We need him to lead his people in the search for the Overlords. Search only. We won’t allow him to fight the war from the safety of the Command Center. What does he want to do next?’
‘He is thinking about the spaceship and traveling within the Cygnus system. He is thinking about Micah’s words, and why it’s important to make war painful. He’s questioning his own understanding of it and ashamed at not seeing the truth before. He will do as you ask to the best of his ability, and I don’t believe he’ll try to use anything beyond the access he already has. Now if you’ll excuse me, my children need me,’ G-War closed the mindlink.
“That ‘cat! One of these days…” Braden said out loud. Micah just shook her head.
She was pleased with what she heard. They needed Dr. Johns and his people to find a different way to live. If it meant building a spaceship, she had no problem with that. Exploration was what she, Braden, and the companions had been doing ever since they started traveling as a caravan.
“Dr. Johns, how are your people settling in? Is there anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, more fulfilling?” Micah asked as she slowed her pace to let him catch up.
“Compared to what we had in the station on Cygnus VI, this place is paradise. We can ask for nothing better. The food fabricators really are exceptional! Not in my whole life had I tasted meals like we have here. I expect we’ll all get fat. Can you imagine, a bunch of scientists running the perimeter of New Sanctuary every day to stay in shape?” He started to chuckle.
G-War was right. How quickly his mood changed when the rules and the reason for them were clearly defined. He was a scientist and liked rules, the parameters within which he worked. Dr. Johns decided that he liked the President and her partner. He honestly believed that they put the best interest of the whole planet before anything else.
How odd. Almost unnatural, but Dr. Johns supported them because he knew, in their position, he simply would have pushed the button and moved on to different matters. But where does one draw the line? What if the next creature is almost as bad as the Overlords? And the next? Soon, a war engulfs the planet and if anyone survives, they start over.
Dr. Johns had thought that wisdom came from experience, but he was wrong. These two were so young, but they’d already taught him how wisdom differed from being well-educated.
Aadi watched from the shadows, nodding slowly. The Tortoid was old, nearly two-hundred cycles. He saw wisdom as being surrounded by the right people, the right creatures, and listening, always listening. No one wanted to fight this war except the Overlords. They had to be stopped, but Braden and Micah wouldn’t compromise who they were to do it.
Aadi swam toward the lake. He had much to think about. He expected he would ask to accompany the group back to the ship where his negotiation skills with the Lizard Men could make the difference in bringing back more than just Pik Ha’ar.
Intelligence
They hadn’t experienced the New Command Center since the survivors had moved in. When the elevator door opened, they were treated to a beehive of activity. Although there were only twenty-three of them, it seemed that nearly all of the group from Cygnus VI were in this one room at one time. They churned around various terminals, looked at the wall of monitors, wrote on clipboards, and were embroiled in their own affairs.
Dr. Johns stepped past Braden and Micah and clapped his hands sharply to get attention. The noise in the room slowly died as more and more people saw that they had visitors. Most knew the President had arrived, and as the ancients’ culture dictated, the workers deferred to the leaders.
Micah was uncomfortable with all eyes on her. Braden started to step aside to give her more room, but she grabbed his arm before he was out of reach. She held his hand, giving him a close-lipped smile. The group stood, looking at Micah and she looked back. She turned to Dr. Johns. “What?”
“They expect you to tell them about the war, motivate them for their role in it,” he nodded encouragingly.
Same speech she just gave him, she thought. So she walked to the front of the room, dragging Braden behind her. She turned and faced the group of eager faces. Most were middle-aged or older. Micah respected their capabilities and their newfound energy. She took a deep, calming breath an
d started speaking in a strong voice.
“We can’t tell you enough how much we appreciate having you here. We hope you’re comfortable in all ways.” Heads nodded as she had their attention. A couple people glanced at their computer monitors, but quickly returned their attention to her.
“We were talking with Dr. Johns, and we understand that you would be more efficient if you had a direct neural link with Holly.” On cue, Holly appeared next to her, smiling and standing in his perfect holographically-projected posture. She nodded and returned her attention to the audience that whispered a chorus of “yes,” complete with smiles and nods. “We can’t allow that.”
Jaws dropped and hung slack at the revelation.
“We can’t allow that because it goes against all that we stand for. No one despises war more than those who fight it. If you wish to fight, grab a sword and join us as we trip our way through the swamps of the rainforest in search of the Overlords. Or help us find them and we will walk a straight line to them. I am told you can make the adjustments and work with Holly through the terminals to help refine the systems that can tell us where the Overlords are. No, it’s not the best way, but it is a way that doesn’t send us down a path we don’t want to go. Please have patience and keep working toward finding our enemy, then we’ll do the rest.
“The war will not and cannot be fought from here. Once you no longer feel the personal pain of battle, lives become cheap. We can’t ever have that,” she said firmly, looking with narrowed eyes from face to face.
“After we’ve won the war, you can work on your spaceship. Once we have peace here, we become explorers again, just like the ancients, but this time, we won’t destroy everything we’ve built.” Micah waved to signal that she was done with her speech.
Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas Page 9
