Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas

by Craig Martelle

  ‘Holly, are you sure you have full control of the Androids? I may have to start killing them because they appear to be causing all of us to question our decision to come back up here.’ Braden didn’t wait for an answer before reducing his link. A small light flashed showing an incoming message, but he ignored it, which meant that he was ignoring Holly. He wanted the computer to know that he wasn’t pleased with the ship’s welcoming committee and not letting him know what to expect. Maybe he should have shot the Android to prove a point about surprises.

  “Lead on, Android, the best route to get us to Pik Ha’ar without passing any more Androids, if you please,” Braden instructed. The Android stood still as it processed the request, and then turned to walk toward the forward bulkhead of the Engineering Section. It took the elevator up to the first catwalk and followed the curve of the section upwards until it came to the corridor they used before. It opened the door with a wave of its arm.

  “Hey! We don’t need an escort if you’re going to take us where we’ve already been,” Micah yelled to get the Android’s attention.

  “I have been instructed to escort you by the quickest means possible to D 9-10, Subdeck 4, Radial Passage 270, Bulkhead 934, the operational cloning facility assigned to the Rainforest Level. We must traverse Deck 10 to the central ramp because the elevators are not functional in these corridors attached to Engineering because of the vine encroachment. I will stay with you until we arrive at the facility and then escort you back here,” the Android said evenly.

  “After we have Pik Ha’ar with us, we’re going to the Rainforest Level to see if there are a few other Lizard Men who might want to join us. And that comes directly from me, your President who you will take orders from. Do you understand?” Micah asked firmly.

  The Android looked at her with its soulless eyes. “I understand and will comply,” it finally said.

  “I think Holly may have heard you all the way from here,” Braden added helpfully. The Wolfoids bobbed and snickered. G-War strolled forward, already tired of the strange sensation he felt from the rotating deck. Aadi swam to the doorway and waited for help to cant him sideways to squeeze through. He shook his old Tortoid head and thanked the humans profusely for babysitting him on this trip.

  They continued down the corridor to the door that opened onto Deck 10. Braden looked warily at the door to the crew quarters where the electrified humans were trapped. He kept his bracelet far away from the door to make sure he didn’t open it by accident.

  Braden pulled a cloth out of his backpack to wrap over his face and Micah did the same. The Wolfoids were anxious to go. The Android finally confirmed they were ready and opened the door.

  The Wolfoids craned their necks to look past the others to see their former home, maybe catch sight of another Wolfoid. They helped Aadi then everyone hurried through the door to stand on the catwalk and look down at the Livestock Level. The Android stepped away toward the stairway to the ground. The rest of them went the same way as they had done before.

  Once on the grassy plain that made up Deck 10, the Android broke into an easy jog, heading straight for the ramp that curved toward the sky. Braden towed Aadi and was soon breathing hard from the exertion of running at an angle in order to keep going in a straight line. He soon gave up and started walking. Bounder and Gray Strider raced ahead, passing the Android on their way to the Wolfoid village. The Android tried to call them back, but Braden, Micah, and the other two followed the Wolfoids. Soon the Android was backtracking to return to the party.

  “The ramp is this way. The direction you are currently headed does not meet with your own directive to take the most expeditious route to the cloning facility,” the Android said.

  “I’m sorry. We’re going to go this way. You are to wait for us on the ramp. We’ll be along shortly.” To emphasize her point, Micah waved him away. They continued walking until Braden decided he was acclimated enough to jog. The village turned out to be farther than they remembered, but they persevered and were soaked with sweat when they finally arrived.

  The Wolfoid Rush

  The Wolfoids streamed in from the fields to join the impromptu celebration of Bounder and Gray Strider’s return. Shredder was happiest to greet them. He wanted them to know that the village did not fall apart in their absence.

  They were pleased, but expected nothing less. Bounder would not have made Shredder the Alpha if he didn’t have confidence in his abilities. The rest of the Wolfoids came past, sniffing and nuzzling the ‘cat and the humans. G-War trotted off to find the pups. When the high-pitched barking began, they knew he’d been successful. Then the chaos of sound indicated the Wolfoid pups were in chase.

  The adults settled in around a new fire, waiting on a fresh harvest from the pig herd.

  Bounder and Gray Strider shared their adventures on the planet surface. Even the pups stopped to listen. The Lizard Man attack and the mad run through the downpour of the rainforest. They regaled the other Wolfoids with the magnificence of the hunt! Gray Strider showed everyone the scar on her leg from their first attempt at taking down a buck. She beamed with pride.

  The Wolfoids had become farmers and ranchers out of necessity, but at heart, they were hunters. Their overwhelming response suggested that Braden and Micah would have a hard time refusing the move to Vii.

  “What will happen to the balance of the Livestock Level if all the Wolfoids go?” Braden asked.

  ‘Livestel will carry on, find a new balance,’ Bounder said with a casual wave of his paw. ‘We must make plans for all my people to come through the transfer chamber and join us on Vii.’

  “The whole pack on the surface?” Micah said, not sure she liked the idea, but Vii was a big planet with plenty of game along the rainforest. Maybe some of them would like to remain ranchers and farmers as well, although it was their choice. “The more we would try to control them, the less control we’d have. It’ll work out. It might be bumpy, but it’ll work out,” Micah said with a shrug.

  Braden opened his neural implant. ‘Holly, I think all the Wolfoids will move to Vii. Come up with a plan to make that happen with the least disruption here on the ship and at New Sanctuary.’

  ‘Are you sure that’s a good idea, Master Braden?’ Holly replied.

  ‘I’m not sure any of my ideas are good, but this is what we have to do. Come up with a plan, Holly.’ Braden minimized the window in front of his eye before Holly argued further.

  They kept their thoughts to themselves as the celebration unfolded and the pack feasted. The farmers brought plenty of vegetables from the gardens and this was where Braden and Micah heaped praise. They wanted the farmers and ranchers to continue doing what they did well, no matter where they were living. Everyone needed a balance, but Braden and Micah knew that mandating a way of life was what they were fighting against.

  Not every Wolfoid could be a hunter. Not every human was a leader. Not every Lizard Man was bad.

  “Do you think our Android is waiting patiently for us?” Micah asked.

  “I’m sure he’s in constant contact with Holly, who is probably beside himself. I expect he has some kind of timeline that he hasn’t shared with us, including one of his infamous side quests. ‘Oh by the way, since you’re on the ship, could you go into this horrible area that’s very dangerous and pick me up an electronic thing that I need?’” Braden said, trying his best to sound like Holly.

  Micah giggled and pushed Braden. Yes, she thought, that sounded like Holly. She sobered quickly as she realized that Braden was probably right. Aadi stayed close to the humans and started getting nervous. He still had nightmares about how helpless he felt after he’d been seized by the Androids. It was all he could do not to swim away screaming when their Android escort was near.

  D 9-10, Subdeck 4, Radial Passage 270,

  Bulkhead 934

  They wrapped up the celebration and the six of them–Braden, Micah, Bounder, Gray Strider, Aadi, and G-War–headed to the ramp. Bounder bared his fangs at some rather
insistent young Wolfoids who thought they’d tag along, hoping they’d be the first to join Bounder on the planet.

  He told them repeatedly that Shredder would make the decisions and keep order during the transition. Braden wondered since Holly hadn’t given them a plan yet on the proposed relocation of the settlement from their home of Livestel to somewhere on Planet Vii.

  Braden and Micah would have to talk with the Council of Elders to find a suitable place for the Wolfoids, but the final say would have to come from the Alpha, from Bounder. He’d earned Braden’s and Micah’s trust so they left it at that.

  The group started jogging to cover ground more quickly. The Wolfoids found the difference between the planet and the ship to be disturbing. They finally understood why the ‘cat didn’t want to come back. G-War was used to knowing exactly what his body could do. On the ship, he felt like he was out of control. That’s why he played with the pups, he was practicing and learning. He was more agile than they were but he still wasn’t comfortable.

  On cue, the ‘cat let everyone know what he was thinking. ‘Why aren’t we done and on our way home yet?’

  “G-War, my fuzzy orange friend! We just ate a great meal. No one has tried to kill us, yet anyway, and we are in good company. What is the rush?” Braden said boldly, sweeping his arm across the land as it swept upward toward the sky.

  The group stopped and watched as the Golden Warrior coughed twice and retched a foul pile of pork and gray hair onto the ground.

  “Is that Wolfoid fur?” Braden asked, as the hairs sticking out weren’t orange.

  ‘Some of the youngsters needed harsher lessons than others. It’s nothing that won’t grow back,’ the ‘cat said, looking sideways at Bounder who returned G-War’s gaze.

  Smirking, Braden and Micah started jogging again, this time lengthening their strides as they pulled Aadi between them. The Wolfoids bounded out to the sides and ran ahead. G-War easily caught up, following his humans closely.

  As expected, the Android was waiting for them. Androids had no mannerisms so they couldn’t tell if it was impatient or not, and they didn’t care.

  “Lead on, Mister Android,” Micah said as they arrived, refreshed from the exercise. The Android waved its hand and the human-sized door opened. They headed in and it was a world of difference over their previous venture. This time, the ramp was fully lit, which made working their way past the jumble of vehicles much easier. Once through, they continued up the ramp. The rotation of the ship made it seem like they were walking on the level.

  The Android stopped abruptly and pointed at what looked to be a blank wall. He tapped a spot to open an access panel. He typed something onto a small keypad and the door unsealed and slid aside. It looked eerily like the one they entered in the forward section that led to the battle with the Androids. Braden and Micah took deep breaths and steeled themselves while the Android waited. G-War peered into the well-lit room, beyond which the corridor traveled the length of the aft core section. Somewhere in there, Pik Ha’ar’s clone waited for them.

  “After you,” Micah urged. She wasn’t comfortable with the Android behind her, despite Holly’s assurances. The Android stepped through, and they followed. The door slid silently shut after the last of them was through. Bounder and Gray Strider fingered their lightning spears as they walked behind the rest of the group, looking back down the corridor every few heartbeats. The Wolfoids didn’t like being in such a cramped space, even though the corridor appeared to be nearly endless both in front of and behind them.

  The Android strode briskly forward. Androids never tired, never lost focus, and never showed emotion. Braden wished they were on his side, but he could never trust them. So they followed the Android, warily, with hands ready on blasters while the Wolfoids kept their spears primed for action. Even Aadi was prepared to act. G-War stayed where the others could protect him. The only one defenseless against the Androids was the ‘cat. The only way he could protect himself was by seeing so many heartbeats into the future. To some, that might be comforting, but to G-War, it only meant that he might see his death coming and not be able to do anything about it.

  The Clone

  The Android didn’t even hesitate as they reached the double doors to the laboratory. He swiped his hand past the scanner and the doors opened together into the hallway. A sprawling complex of tanks and bright white equipment filled the room. The Android walked inside, veering to the left toward an area where two more Androids diligently studied the screens surrounding a setup that looked like the med lab in the New Command Center.

  The companions tentatively followed their Android escort, making sure not to touch anything as they passed. They didn’t understand any of it, except that the Androids used the equipment to make copies of people and, it seemed, intelligent creatures. Braden walked with his mouth open, unsure of how he felt.

  Micah knew how she felt; she didn’t like any of it. If it weren’t for the war, then Pik Ha’ar would still be at peace, resting in his shallow grave on the Rainforest Level.

  They walked to an area where their escort waited. He waved them to the platform that doubled as a medical bed. On it, a Lizard Man rested, eyes closed. Braden and Micah thought they were prepared to see their friend, but they couldn’t get the image of his death out of their minds. The very Androids that killed him could be in this room. The combination of factors was overwhelming. Micah turned her face away and pulled Braden close, burying her head in his chest.

  “The ancients mastered life itself. They created the Lizard Men, gave them life, watched them die, and then brought them back from the dead. That’s too scary to contemplate. I think we need to have Holly and the Androids destroy everything related to cloning. We abide by the laws of nature or we don’t deserve to live.” Braden hesitated as he felt Micah shiver in his arms. “Let’s do what we came to do and then go home,” Braden whispered as he held his partner’s head and looked at the copy of their friend.

  Micah turned back to the table, steeling herself for the next step in the process. The Wolfoids stood so close to the humans that they touched. Aadi floated over the end of the bed, while G-War unashamedly jumped onto the bed, walked to Pik’s mid-section, and sat down. He licked a paw and scrubbed his face.

  Even the Android watched as the ‘cat seemed oblivious to the enormity of it all. Or maybe that was exactly why he did what he did.

  With a nod to their Android escort, it touched a panel and Pik Ha’ar took deep breaths, chest rising and falling more quickly as he raced to consciousness. With a final sigh, he opened his eyes, gazing intently at the orange creature sitting on him. He tried to move an arm, but he wore restraints. Pik then looked at Aadi, who looked back without blinking. The Lizard Man cocked his head as the two communicated without words.

  Pik looked to the Wolfoids and recoiled backward into his pillow, not able to get farther away. The humans waited and finally their friend’s eyes settled on them. He leaned closer, examining every feature of Braden’s face, then Micah’s. He looked back to Aadi, then to G-War.

  ‘I know you,’ Pik started slowly, speaking thickly with his thought voice. G-War only nodded. ‘And you.’ Aadi nodded and blinked.

  Pik said nothing when his gaze passed over the Wolfoids. He stopped at Braden. ‘I have sworn my loyalty to you,’ he said, making it sound like a question. Braden nodded as tears welled in his eyes. ‘And you,’ Pik raised his chin to point at Micah.

  “I am Braden, Free Trader, and this Micah, my partner and President of Planet Vii. And you are Pik Ha’ar, our friend,” Braden said out loud.

  ‘I am Pik Ha’ar,’ the Lizard Man repeated over the mindlink.

  “We are all friends. We trade together, and we fight together. This is Bounder and his mate, Gray Strider. They are Wolfoids from the Livestock Level. They will help keep you safe as they have protected us, helped us see things we would not have otherwise seen. Aadi, First Master of the Tortoise Consortium is a friend to all Lizard Men. The Golden Warrior, sitting on
your stomach, makes it possible for all of us to talk and be understood. Aadi and G-War make sure we stay true to our moral compass. Maybe you can tell us something about yourself, Pik. What do you remember?” Braden asked the question they all wanted the answer to.

  Pik looked again from face to face, examining them, committing them to his new memory. ‘Friends,’ he said with a slight upturn of his lip. ‘I was willing to die for my friends, but it seems that I have survived somehow. I remember flashes of green and red light and pain. Much pain. I was fighting for you, my friend!’ The Lizard Man’s eyes brightened as he looked at Aadi. He twirled his finger for Aadi to turn and show the damage to his shell. Pik nodded.

  ‘The evil Androids. You were there and you and you, little orange man.’ Pik looked to Braden, then Micah, and finally G-War. The ‘cat showed his claw for a heartbeat, then started biting at it. Pik chuckled. ‘I don’t know how I know, but you saved us all, didn’t you, Prince Axial De’atesh?’

  Braden looked quickly to Micah. How does he know that? he mouthed. She shrugged and looked back at the Lizard Man, then to the Android who stood as still as if it was just another piece of medical equipment.

  “Release the restraints. It’s time for us to go,” she ordered.

  “Master President, we recommend that he remain in our care for two more days before he is fully functional. You will be able to visit as often as you’d like during that time,” the Android responded without moving.

  Micah flushed red. “Thank you for your recommendation. Release him now.” She pulled her blaster and aimed it at their Android escort. It wasn’t intimidated, as it had no emotions, but it stepped forward and touched a button on the panel over the bed. The restraints retracted into the bed. G-War jumped down and started back the way they’d come. The Wolfoids moved away from the bed as well. Aadi backed up and the two humans supported Pik by his arms as he tried to sit up.