They must have been terrified, and Holly, by giving them access, provided them some level of comfort. He relaxed and waited, but only a few heartbeats before Chrysalis leaned down and pressed a button on a small panel. The package popped open and hissed as it started filling with air. Braden jumped back and watched.
“You had to talk with Holly to push one button?” he said in disbelief. The boat, little more than one person wide and twice as long, filled quickly. They attached a small motor to the back and pushed it into the surf, then Braden handed them equipment a piece at a time until the boat was filled. Rexalita had moved to deeper water and the ship now stood within the opening to the inlet. Braden wanted to toss the equipment onto the deck, but the scientists would have had heart failure.
Two trips later and the equipment was aboard the Warden. The raft was safely secured aft of the tower where the well deck was. The two wagons looked abandoned on the shore, well above the water line. The three Aurochs stood, watching. Finally Bronwyn climbed off Rexalita’s great head onto the deck where she stroked the creature’s forehead. She waved goodbye and the Whale sunk below the waves, disappearing from sight.
The ship turned and slowly accelerated from the inlet toward the open ocean. The Dolphins easily kept pace and then swam into the ship’s well deck, an area of the main deck directly behind the sail that was open to the sea, gradually deepening the farther aft one went. It allowed for boat launch and recovery protected from the open ocean. Bronwyn dangled her legs in the water as the Dolphins propped their bodies half out of the water, wedged onto the deck next to their favorite human.
Braden and Micah opened their neural implants. ‘Where are we going, Holly?’
‘Why don’t you ask your new friend if she knows where the undersea city is?’ Holly suggested. Micah passed it to Bronwyn, who chose to ask the Dolphins instead of the Whale.
‘Yes, but they don’t go there. It is very dangerous. They kill sea animals that stray too close.’ Bronwyn shivered. ‘They say that there is an island very close to the undersea city, and they are willing to take us there, if you’d like.’
“An island?” Braden wondered. He asked Holly, who searched the images for anything that might be the island in question. He explained his reasoning.
‘The undersea tractors that transported the people from White Beach have a limited speed. I’ve calculated a maximum arc based on that speed and the length of time the people could survive inside. Then I’ve cross-referenced all images and hello, here we are. Due west of you, about two-hundred fifty kilometers offshore, is an island that I’ve not charted before. Not saying that it wasn’t there, but it was low profile. We are now turning all sensors toward it and would you look at that!’ Holly paused as if Braden and Micah were supposed to actually be looking at something.
‘Holly, whatever you’re looking at, we can’t see it,’ Micah said in an exasperated tone.
‘Oh, that was one of my new human expressions. No, obviously you can’t see it. I shall remove that phrase from my lexicon. What I’m looking at are low-level emissions coming from the island, the type that suggest there is some type of ancients’ power source and equipment. There are numerous hot spots that indicate both human and animal inhabitants. I think your best course of action will be to visit the island first,’ Holly suggested.
“There’s no doubt about that,” Braden said out loud. “The island, Bronwyn. We would love it if Chlora and Rhodi can take us to the island. I think we’ll find something there, maybe we’ll even find what we’re looking for.”
Bronwyn started chatting with the Dolphins while the ship seemed to set itself on a course that Holly had already determined. Brandt stayed on deck, swaying gently as the ship rocked through the waves. A salty breeze drifted past as the other companions started exploring their new home.
Braden climbed the stairs to the top of the sail, the main superstructure above the water. It was roomy and comfortable. When he reached the bridge, he noted that it looked similar to the bridge on the RV Traveler, but to a greatly reduced scale, with positions for three people, but the glass bubble was the same and the workstations seemed to have a variety of Old Tech needed to drive the ship.
Braden sat in the captain’s chair. It embraced him and rolled gently with the ocean swells. Ahead, the open ocean awaited.
An Ocean Voyage
The first to get sick was Treetis, followed closely by Ferrer and Brigitte. Braden was amazed that a white Rabbit could look green, but they managed, and not just because they were tending to the garden deck that they said was already well cared for.
Then G-War fell under the spell of the wind and waves. He yowled like a lost kitten to express his misery of being at sea. Fea seemed unaffected and took the opportunity to highlight the weaker sex when it came to ‘cats.
Brandt made a monumental effort not to throw up, but refused to eat and even stopped moving about the deck. He stood frozen in a half-crouch, as if trying to look like a statue, while he focused one hundred percent of his attention on not getting sick.
Bronwyn was completely indifferent to it, spending a great deal of time in the water with the Dolphins. Aadi stayed on the first deck. He floated above the fray, hanging onto a rope to keep from getting blown away. He watched the ocean calmly, although he much preferred the heat of the desert.
The Hawkoids spent time either flying or outside perched on one of the many railings. The swaying of the ship didn’t bother them either.
The two scientists disappeared the second they came aboard. It appeared that the ship had a freight elevator that went up two levels into the sail and down five levels to the sections under the sea where the laboratory spaces were located.
Pik stood on deck, mesmerized by the sight of the ocean all around. He tried taking off his skin suit, but quickly discovered that despite the water, the sun and salt dangerously dried his skin, threatening his very life. He rehydrated his skin suit using one of the many available fresh water spigots, once Braden showed him how they worked.
Braden took advantage of the fabricator, but everything had a fishy taste to it. Whereas a fabricator on land used soy and a variety of other plants, the ship’s fabricator must have used fish and sea life. Braden asked the fabricator about various fish dishes and he tried a little of each until he found one that tasted like something Mattie made. Even Micah liked it.
Holly informed them that they should arrive at the island in a mere twenty-six hours, by tomorrow evening. Braden asked Holly how long they’d been underway. He said four hours. Less than the length of an afternoon and already most of the companions were incapacitated. It felt like they’d been on board forever. With Holly’s help and a three-dimensional map of the Warden, they found the docking area for the mini-submarines. Both ports were empty. Micah threw up her hands in frustration and kicked the bulkhead.
‘Holly, do you have any way of finding where the mini-submarines might be?’ Braden asked.
‘If they were transmitting, we would have already picked them up. I’ll search the Warden’s records and see if they documented their last trip.’
“Let’s find our room. The captain’s quarters?” Braden wasn’t dissuaded by the discovery that the mini-subs weren’t on board. He had never expected them to be. He figured there would be a way, even if they lowered a communication device to the undersea facility so Holly could communicate with it, take it over like he did the RV Traveler.
“Don’t look so down. If there’s a power source on an island that Holly didn’t know was there, what do you think that means?” Braden asked.
Micah brightened up. “The island is connected to the undersea facility.”
“My thoughts exactly. We’ll know tomorrow. In the interim, I suggest we find ways to avoid the pukers.” Braden nodded suggestively and once in the captain’s quarters, they couldn’t get their clothes off fast enough. It was rare to have such time alone.
Braden woke early, having slept like a rock in the captain’s oversized bed. H
e walked through the spaces of the ship alone, barefoot and bare-chested. His first stop was the galley, as it was named, for some fabricator-produced coffee. It didn’t have that fish taste, as they’d ordered a broad range of food the previous daylight to clean out the system.
While Braden sipped his coffee, he checked on the others. Pik relaxed on the deck, not far from the King of the Aurochs, who appeared to be sleeping. Pik nodded as the human passed.
The ‘cats had found their way to the garden deck, which took up the entire space just below the surface of the sea. It was a massive space that Braden took a while to work his way through. The ‘cats, Rabbits, and Wolfoids found solace in each other’s company as they slept close together, nearly in one big pile. Braden wished them well and hoped they awoke with their sea legs and could function. Fea raised her head and blinked her big green eyes at him, then nodded slightly. She had her two boys, G-War and Treetis, right where she could keep an eye on them.
‘Thank you for coming for us,’ she said softly in her thought voice.
A ‘cat with manners, Braden thought. ‘My pleasure and I’m happy that you joined us.’
Braden continued below deck, where he found sterile corridors and laboratory spaces with great windows to the undersea world. It was dark outside so he could barely see anything except what ambient lighting showed. Small fish had taken a liking to the ship and darted in and out of the light in front of the window. Braden watched for a while, finding the motion of the fish to be peaceful, even hypnotizing.
He shook it off and continued into the bowels of the ship, noticing that the motion of the sea was much less down here. He found where the scientists had stayed, only because their clothes were clean and neatly piled outside their doors and the space was labeled, “Technical Staff Billeting.”
“Of course, there is a Server Bot to take care of the absent-minded scientists,” Braden said out loud to himself as he walked away, making no noise in his bare feet. The material on the deck was soft and non-slip. He enjoyed walking on it. He wondered if the ancients also walked barefoot. Probably not, Braden thought. The ancients seemed to take everything for granted.
Braden made it to the lowest deck, five levels below the sea. It was dark. A row of viewing cubicles with clear windows made up the sides of the level. There were mechanical systems down there that launched the scavengers to pick the materials used by the fabricator, Bots to clean the hull, and the empty bays where the mini-subs were located. One could dive into the water of those docking bays, and swim straight down to get outside the ship. Braden had no idea why the water didn’t flood into the deck, and he refused to ask Holly. He didn’t care how the ancients’ technology worked. He simply accepted that it did.
That didn’t mean he couldn’t be amazed by it. He found the elevator and took it as high as it would go, to the second level in the sail. He climbed the three remaining flights of stairs so he could sit in the captain’s chair as the sun rose behind the ship, lighting the endless ocean before them. He felt a quiver in his stomach as the immensity of it all momentarily overwhelmed him. He couldn’t fathom the distances involved.
When they were on board the RV Traveler, he didn’t feel like he was in space. It felt more foreign and vast on the Western Ocean as the ship ventured far from shore.
He heard the padding of feet behind and saw Micah, dressed in a bathrobe and also barefoot. He turned to get up, but she held him down, letting her robe drop.
“Again?” he asked hopefully. Micah nodded as she helped him out of his pants. They christened the captain’s chair appropriately, expecting that the stodgy ancients would have been appalled.
A sunrise at sea was a magnificent affair as the waves radiated with the new dawn, sparkling far and wide below the rising orb. As it transitioned from a dark orange through yellow to a blinding white, the sea changed from black to a deep blue.
Braden no longer felt overwhelmed. Maybe Micah had sensed something from him and helped him past his anxieties and insecurities. She made him more aware of everything around them.
Such as, he had coffee and she did not. They went to the galley where they found three hungry ‘cats. Braden ordered coffee for Micah, and they all waited until the familiar ding signaled the cup was ready. G-War’s patience was wearing thin, which signaled that the seasickness was only temporary. Braden wondered why the ‘cats had gotten up. They seemed to be sleeping so peacefully only a short time ago.
‘Really? You have no idea, do you? Now get us food,’ G-War demanded.
“I have just the thing. I found this yesterday. Mr. Fabricator, one salmon tartare, please.” When Braden pulled the small plate from the fabricator, G-War’s ears perked up. When the dish was on the floor, Treetis dove toward it, only to get slapped away by the Golden Warrior. Fea stepped between them, hissing at each, then casually settled in to eat her breakfast.
Braden ordered two more and the fabricator delivered. Treetis was standing, pawing at the door of the ancients’ device. “That doesn’t make it go any faster,” Braden told the young ‘cat. He hip-checked the orange creature out of the way so he could retrieve the two dishes and set them on the floor. G-War and Treetis dug in like the ravenous carnivores that they were.
‘Hungry,’ G-War told Braden after inhaling the first dish. Braden put the three dishes back into the fabricator, then ordered three more. Treetis pawed at the door again.
Braden turned to Micah, holding his hands up and shaking his head. “Did your mother drop you on your head too many times?” he asked the ‘cat. “If you want to hunt, maybe the Dolphins can help you, but you might get wet.” Treetis hesitated for a moment, then pawed afresh at the fabricator.
“Hungry,” Micah said with a smile. G-War held up a furry paw, giving her the ‘cat finger. Braden delivered the plates to the floor and ordered the human favorite, omelets with ham and cheese.
They tasted like omelets with fish and seaweed.
The Hawkoids snoozed on deck, perched on a railing. They’d had great luck catching fish that the ship seemed to readily attract. They shared a number with Pik, who reveled in the taste of the fresh catch. Pik had gone to the well deck to chat with the Dolphins. He enjoyed their company, considering them to be his wet brothers, even though they had nothing in common besides both being genetically engineered by the ancients.
Brandt was lying down, sleeping peacefully until Bounder poked him with his spear, chuckling as the Aurochs leapt forward, sliding on the deck. The King turned and appeared ready to charge, but Bounder surrendered.
‘Do you think you can eat, my big friend?’ the Wolfoid asked. Brandt thought it over, took a few steps, then nodded, waving his horns dangerously.
The two Wolfoids disappeared down the stairwell and returned with armloads of greens, followed by two Rabbits with more freshly picked from the garden. The King of the Aurochs ate tentatively, not wanting to devour the offerings in two gulps.
Bounder and Gray Strider joined the others in the galley, where Braden worked the fabricator while Micah retired to her quarters to get dressed.
Bronwyn finally made it to the galley, looking shriveled from having spent so much time in the water. She wore a broad smile, happy to be with all her friends, both old and new. She greeted each warmly and hugged them tightly, even the ‘cats, who tolerated her doing so. Even Micah didn’t enjoy such a privilege.
Braden wondered where Aadi had gone. “Aadi?” he shouted through the hatch to the outdoors. An outside deck circled this level, so Braden stepped through and looked around. He saw Aadi at the very back of the deck at sea level, trying to walk forward. Braden ran, taking the steps down three at a time, hitting the deck hard and racing to his old friend’s side.
“What’s wrong, Aadi?” Braden asked, concerned for the Tortoid, believing that there was something amiss as part of the pregnancy.
‘I’m afraid that the ship is moving faster than I can swim. Get behind me and I’ll show you. Be ready now,’ the Tortoid said mysteriously. When Braden
stood at the edge of the deck, the ocean close behind him, Aadi floated upward and was instantly swept into Braden, nearly knocking him down. One leg went into the sea as the human pushed Aadi forward and crawled back aboard.
“I see,” Braden said. He jogged back into the sail, dripping from his wet pant leg, and returned with a short length of rope. Aadi held it in his beaklike mouth as Braden pulled him back toward the sail where they could secure the Tortoid inside, make sure he didn’t float away. The ocean was a big place.
They made their way up the stairs to the galley where Bronwyn tapped his shell. ‘There was nothing to worry about. Rexalita is with us. She would have saved you and brought you back to us,’ the girl told them all over the mindlink while she enjoyed her omelet. Braden was surprised that she didn’t question the taste.
With the companions together and chatting, Braden opened his neural implant to check in with Holly.
‘Good morning, Master Braden!’ the AI said cheerfully. ‘I am following your progress closely. Current projections show that you won’t arrive until tomorrow. I am re-routing you to the south to avoid a nasty storm that seems to be brewing. You will miss the weather, but the seas could get rough.’
‘I won’t share that part with the others. It seems they’ve only just recovered from the pukes that equally affect both the strong and the weak,’ Braden replied. ‘We think that the island and the undersea facility must be connected. Is there any way you can confirm that? Find us a way in that doesn’t requires the mini-submarines?’ Braden stood at the railing, watching the undulating ocean. He understood why Caleb kept going back to sea, even though his people were doing most of the fishing while he managed the trade and the village. The sea called people to it, so they would know how small they were in comparison, and then learn how to work with it, but never dominate it.
Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas Page 50
