The Free Trader of Warren Deep (Free Trader Series Book 1) (25 page)

80 – Where You Go, We Follow

At the camp, they ate in silence. Max and Pack got up when they saw the humans were awake. They grazed contentedly on the grasses of the wasted rolling plains.

Aadi watched everything.
‘Fascinating,’
is all he said.

“Everyone can just stop the madness!” Braden blurted out. “Fine. We’re all in this together. Here’s how it’s going to go. Micah and I up front, the rest of you behind us. They already shot at Skirill. At the oasis, they wouldn’t recognize you guys to open a door. They see humans differently. I’m counting on that.

“Master Aadi, do you mind if Skirill rides you? It would be too long of a walk otherwise. He can hop down as we get close, if that’s okay with you both.”

‘I’ve never been ridden before Master Human. How would he hold on?’

“We can tie a blanket on. Ess can grip the rope?” He asked more than told. The Tortoid blinked a couple times, so they turned to. In short order, the blanket was held tightly in place by a rope wrapped around his body. He floated and swam to show that it didn’t restrict him. Skirill beat his powerful wings two times, lifting him into the air, so he could glide gently onto Aadi’s back. He settled in, one talon gripping tightly.

“They shall sing songs of Skirill’s march to battle, a Tortoid as his mighty steed!” Braden laughed. Micah looked on, mouth agape at the view of a Hawkoid riding a floating Tortoid. 

‘Now Master Human, we do what we must. No need to poke fun. I swear that you shall never have the pleasure of a Tortoid ride. One turn, it could have kept your feet dry. Master Micah, you are welcome anytime should we need to cross a swamp or river.’

“Yes indeed. Everyone punish the bad Braden. When we all die this morning, you’ll feel bad that your last words were so hurtful.” Micah stepped forward, making a fist in Braden’s direction. “Okay, okay. You all win. When we survive this, and I say when, not if, we’ll sit down and talk about how much we can charge children for a Master Aadi ride. Instead of trading, maybe we can start a traveling circus?” They looked at him.

“A circus. Performers who do strange things for money.”

Aadi looked at him without blinking and slowly shook his head. Skirill bobbed as he did when he laughed. G-War sat silently by. He rarely found Braden’s humor to be funny.

‘Life or death awaits us over that hill,’
Aadi said in a soft thought voice.
‘We go, as friends, on a quest for knowledge. We will succeed together or not at all. Master Braden, lead on. Where you go, we follow.’

81 – Nothing to Fear, Everything to Fear

They walked toward the oasis, Micah and Braden side by side to block the view of their three companions. They walked boldly in the early morning sun, heads high, eyes alert.

“Here comes one,” Braden said more calmly than he felt as one of the strange Mirror Beasts broke out of the trees and headed toward them. It picked up speed quickly. He appeared to hover like the Tortoid, but he didn’t have to swim to move.

They stopped, not having to wait long before the Beast arrived. It hovered in front of them briefly. Then in a booming voice that seemed to come from everywhere, it said, “Greetings Caretaker. Will you require escort to the New Command Center?”

“Caretaker? Again? Why are you calling me that?” Braden asked. He could hear G-War’s sigh behind him.

“You carry the band of a Caretaker. You are the Caretaker of Oasis Zero One.” Braden dug into his pouch and pulled out the item he had taken from the repair shop. The hologram called it a watch. He strapped it on his wrist.

“Yes, I am,” Braden answered boldly. “I didn’t know the New Command Center existed. Explain.” Braden fell quickly into the role that seemed to resonate with the Mirror Beast. It was wider than they were tall, taller than they stood, with arms that seemed more human than the tentacles of the Maintenance Bots. It shined and glimmered like the Mirror Beast at Oasis Zero Three. He expected it would resist any attack upon it.

“The New Command Center became functional three years ago. Hundreds of years ago, after the last attack, one Bot remained, far underground. It took resources to reestablish infrastructure. Over time, it dug the ore, processed the ore, and built the Bots it needed to build more Bots. It had to build the manufacturing facility from scratch. It built the New Command Center based on the design of the original Command Center.”

“You know what happened? You said war. Tell me.”

“This unit is a Mark V Security Robot. It is not programmed to teach history. This unit has access to a system which has logged that the event happened. That is all. This unit is programmed to provide security for the New Command Center. Your band allows you access. You may pass.”

“Access. To other humans?”

“No. You are the first human to return,” the bot responded in its unemotional mechanical voice.

“What about my friends?”

“The other human is your guest. She may pass.”

“What about my other friends? The ones behind me. You attacked one yesterday. You are not to attack any of them. They are my guests.”

“These mutants are not in our system. They could be enemies. Do you wish me to log them into my system as enemies?”

“No. Log them as friends. No harm is to come to them,” Braden said firmly, then repeated himself. “They are my friends. They are the Caretaker’s friends.”

“They will be protected like all creatures known to us and accepted into our system as non-combatants and allies.”

“Shall we then?” Braden asked his companions. Only Micah nodded. The others remained wary. Skirill looked back at his scorched tail feathers. He hoped the mechanical creature would stay true to its word.

“Your blaster is in need of repair and charging. Give it to this unit and it will be taken care of it. It will be returned when it is ready.” Micah hesitated briefly. The chance of getting it charged was worth the risk of not getting it back. If it was in the hands of the Security Bot, then no other human could get it and misuse it. She handed it over. The Bot took it, turned and headed toward the oasis at a pace where they could follow.

82 – Everything to Fear, Nothing to Fear

The oasis was similar in style to Zero One, but it was much larger. The trees seemed natural to this part of Vii, and not strange like the ones in the desert. This oasis didn’t have big buildings, though.

The Security Bot took them to a nondescript building, one of three. Braden saw the roll up door on the building next door which suggested it would be the repair shop. The third building lacked windows. Braden couldn’t guess what that building was for.

Once they arrived at the building of the Bot’s choice, it left them while it entered the building with the roll up door.

Braden peaked inside. It was nearly identical to the shop at Oasis Zero One. He walked the few steps back to the building the Bot had guided them to. With a shrug, he stepped close to the door. It opened. They went inside – the humans, G-War, and Aadi with Skirill on his back, still clinging to the rope. 

There was nothing in the room except another set of doors. These looked like they slid to the side. Braden stepped close. Nothing.

Micah looked at a protrusion beside the door. It was lit. She touched it and it dinged in response. The doors opened to a very small room. They all wouldn’t fit.

“Do you mind staying here, Master Aadi, Ess?” Braden asked.

“We ha’e no ‘lace ‘etter to go,” Skirill answered for both of them. Braden turned back to see the doors close. He tried the button and the doors opened again.

He stepped inside, followed by Micah and G-War. They stood in the room, anxiety rising as the doors closed. G-War panicked and launched his furry body at the doors, claws scratching their surface.

The doors didn’t move, but the room did. It started slowly and then picked up speed. It was dropping. They had the sensation of falling. Only briefly. The room slowed to a stop; the doors opened.

G-War launched himself through as soon as he could fit. Micah and Braden hurried out shortly thereafter.

They were in a huge room. It was dark, but well lit. It was Old Tech. Everywhere they looked, they saw screens like the ones at the oasis. They saw tables and chairs. One complete wall was consisted of a hundred windows with fantastic views. Their eyes couldn’t take in everything there was to see. Braden looked for G-War.

“G! Where are you?” He called. No answer. He started to fear for the ‘cat. He reached out with his emotions, finally touching his friend, who was almost insane with fear. There. He was under one of the tables. His eyes were wide in the darkness. He crouched, his claws extended.

Braden reached out and the ‘cat reacted, striking his arm with a claw, but not raking it. Blood started to pool in the puncture wounds. “It’s okay, G. I’m here. Come. I’ll shield you.” Braden scooped up the ‘cat and held him close. G-War buried his head under Braden’s arm. He felt the ‘cat relax slightly. Micah reached over and stroked the ‘cat’s back, purring to him.

With G-War, they walked slowly around the various seats, looking at the screens, but not touching anything. Braden looked for a place like the one he used when he talked with the hologram, but there wasn’t anything like that.

The wall of windows was actually a wall made up of small screens, melded together. It was like looking through the eyes of a hundred different Hawkoids. He pointed at one screen for Micah. She looked closely.

“That’s Max and Pack,” she said, fear creeping into her voice. “How can they see them from here? Where is ‘here’?”

“I think we’re underground. The Security Bot told us that one Bot was underground when the war finished. There has to be a hologram here somewhere.” He finished, looking around to no avail.

Without anyone to answer their questions, they were lost as to what do next. They understood that some of the screens showed parts of the world. Others showed images, like some he had drawn in his rudder.

Braden continued to absently pet G-War as he cradled the ‘cat tightly in his arms.

“Time to go. We can’t do this to G. Maybe we’ll come back, but this is enough for now.” They went back to the doors to the moving room, and pressed the button. The doors opened and they stepped in. The room moved, upward this time.

When the doors opened, both Aadi and Skirill looked at them wide eyed.
‘We are ecstatic that you have returned!’
Master Aadi blinked rapidly as he spoke. Looking at the ‘cat in Braden’s arms, he asked fearfully,
‘What happened to the Golden Warrior?’

“It’s a bit busy down there. Later we’ll be able to describe it. But for this turn, we’ve seen enough.” When the sunshine struck the ‘cat’s fur, he looked up, then wiggled to let Braden know he was alright to get down. Like putting a baby in a crib, Braden gently put G-War on the ground. His fur stuck up in various places around his body.

Braden dropped to his knees as the ‘cat’s instantaneous rage consumed him. G-War bolted into the brush, attacking something there. Micah was first after him as Braden struggled to his feet.

She arrived in time to see G-War ripping a rabbit apart. It had probably died with the first slash, but the ‘cat needed to expend its energy. He shredded the rabbit, spattering blood across the ground, spreading fur and entrails about. The ‘cat’s slashing slowed, then stopped.

He staggered a few steps, then puked up his smoked venison from breakfast. Braden, back on all fours, heaved up his breakfast, too.  Then G-War sat, and calmly licked his paw, grooming his face and whiskers.

Micah watched for a few heartbeats, until Braden stood up, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Feel like kissing me now?” He asked as he spit to the side. His insides still rebelled at the emotional overload the ‘cat had shared. Micah smiled, knowing that Braden’s joke meant he was okay. It meant that the ‘cat was okay.

Most importantly, it meant they survived. Earlier that daylight, she was sure they would not.

They walked to the repair shop. The door obediently opened, they went inside. The Security Bot was nowhere to be seen, but Micah’s Blaster was plugged into a device by the wall. The light was green, and as Braden had learned, green was good. So they removed the blaster. She holstered it, being careful not to put her finger on the trigger. She had seen what the blaster could do, although she had never fired it herself. She didn’t want to find out while they were inside the building.

Braden looked around for anything small of value. He settled on some of the coated copper strings, then decided against them.

If he showed up in the north and was trading in Old Tech, then others would come here. He didn’t want any others here. The ones to be trusted, like Micah, would avoid this place for what it represented. Others would come for that very reason.

83 – Leave or Stay?

Braden hunted the Security Bot down to ask if they were safe to go and then come back. Any of them. The Bot confirmed that they were safe. The humans and their companions would always travel securely in the area guarded by the Security Bots.

Skirill, with some trepidation, took to the sky and winged quickly away, staying low to the ground and flying erratically until he was past the hill. Beyond it, they saw him gracefully climb high into the sky, making lazy circles against the blue backdrop of the sunny sky.

Aadi seemed indifferent to it all. Braden suspected he was thinking. They had again experienced a great deal of new information. The Tortoid had to think it all over before he formed an opinion. G-War was back to himself, although he seemed a little less sure than before. They knew he had to be hungry, so Micah asked Braden to take a deer using his bow. The deer in the land oasis were unafraid of humans. Braden felt like he was shooting sheep in a pen, but they needed the meat. He took a smaller buck with one clean shot at close range.

Working together, Braden and Micah field dressed it. Each grabbing a leg, they drug it between them as they left the oasis, heading back to their camp. 

The rest of the daylight passed uneventfully. It took a good deal of work to gather enough grass to make a fire to smoke some of the meat. G-War ate his fill of the raw venison, as did Aadi and Skirill. Braden and Micah enjoyed the first tender slices once they were cooked sufficiently.

No one talked. Braden finally remembered the wounds on his arm. He used some water to wash them, then a little bit of their precious numbweed to take out the sting. How long had it been since they needed the numbweed last? That was a good sign.

But water was getting in short supply. They needed to get back to the rainforest or bring the horses to the oasis. With Braden wearing the watch, that is, his Caretaker band, he should be able to get the horses logged into the system. Then they can eat and drink, get refreshed. Same for all of them. They needed the rest. He hoped the companions weren’t so traumatized from the experience that they wouldn’t go back. At least he and Micah could take the horses.

In the end, they all agreed to go to the oasis. G-War’s and Skirill’s fear was palpable. Only time would relieve that, Braden thought, along with the humans helping to keep them calm.

Braden wasn’t worried. He knew that he would find answers here. He was confident that his friends would not be harmed. His road had been long and dangerous. He felt that he’d earned this opportunity to learn more. All of them had earned this knowledge.

There was more to do, so much more.

He was Free Trader Braden and they were the Caravan from Warren Deep.