Traveller - L.W. Samuelson (free e books to read online TXT) 📗

game. With that dagger I could have made short work of those two monsters.
Porter pressed reverse until he arrived at Traveller's last game, the one where he had won at level seven. The scene started with the classic Lizerian approach. The first lizard attacked from the front while the other arced around to Traveller's weak side. He let them close until they were almost within striking distance before he impelled. Traveller slammed into the front attacker's chest knocking him backward. The side attacker slashed down with his sword but the boy had already impelled to the side of his arm. He swung his sensory saber down slashing the beast's wrist. It dropped its sword but before Traveller could capitalize on his advantage, the front attacked recovered, charging forward to swing his blade with blurring speed. Traveller parried the sword with his saber.
The Lizerian slashed with blinding quickness keeping Traveller off balance until his partner picked up his sword and joined the attack. With amazing skill and speed, Traveller used his dagger and saber to deflect the Lizerian blows. At this point in the battle something amazing happened. The boy impelled himself into the side attacker's arms. Unable to slash without hitting his comrade, the other Lizerian jabbed with his sword. Traveller dropped down and pulled the lizard whose arms he found himself in forward onto the blade. He grabbed the wrist that held the sword, pivoted and drove his dagger into the first Lizerian's throat. Game over, Traveller won. I'm impressed. His fighting skills and speed are amazing. He has obviously been practicing for quite some time. He'll go into a Lizerian rage when I beat him.Chapter 3 - The Next Day's Duel

Traveller heard a light knock on his door. It's Mom. What does she want? "Yes?" he asked.
"Come and eat. You're breakfast is ready."
"I'm not hungry."
"You are to join us for breakfast; Fa Orgen wants to talk with you."
By the universe, what now? "I'll be there in a minute, La Mame'."
"Thank you dear."
When Traveller walked into the dining room, he could smell something different. He could see slices of shining red-skinned fruit sitting on a plate. The white meat of the bonibulbs glistened with drops of moisture. Next to the fruit was a plate of synthopasties. Placed picturesquely nearby, a pitcher of water sparkled with purity.
"Wow, what's the occasion?"
His father looked up from his APD (all purpose device). "Good morning, Traveller," he said with a note of expectation.
"Hello, Fa Orgen," the boy replied as he kissed his father's cheek.
"Isn't wonderful dear," La Mame' said, "the bonibulbs ripened yesterday. It's acroluminous to have fresh fruit for a change." She picked up the pitcher and filled their three glasses with water.
Traveller sat down with his mouth watering. Usually he didn't care whether he ate or not, but today was different. Fresh bonibulbs were his favorite.
After his mother sat down, the family joined hands. Fa Orgen said the Morning Prayer. "On this glorious day, let us be one with the universe. Let's us walk in the light of truth. Let us be worthy of the Benwarian name." When he got to the end of his prayer, he held up his goblet of water to be joined by his wife and son.
"To life," he said.
"To life," they repeated. The glasses clinked together, hit their lips in unison, made larynxes travel up and down their throats.
The second the ceremony was over, Traveller grabbed a slice of bonibulb from the plate and popped it into his mouth. "Please," his father admonished, "that is not how a Benwarian behaves."
"I'm hungry."
"We control ourselves whether we are hungry or not. You will wait until everyone has food on their plates before indulging," his father monotoned.
By the universe! Why can't we just eat? Traveller felt anger welling up inside of him like boiling water. His eyes shot resentment at his father.
"You are angry. Let's discuss it," Fa Orgen said.
"I don't want to discuss anything. Why can't we just eat?"
"Please dear, don't raise your voice," La Mame' said. "What is wrong dear?"
Traveller caught himself before he erupted. "I am tired of rules, of do this and thats. I am tired of having nothing to do and no one to do it with."
"I thought you made friends with Porter," his mother said.
"Yes, but he is older than I. He seems to think I'm amusing. He treats me like I'm in training for the Protectorate Squad."
"Porter Tellez is a marvelous man. Everyone likes him. He probably just wants to help," La Mame' smiled.
"You are not going to be a protector anyway," his father said. "Our family has a proud tradition of genetic engineering to uphold. It is the way we serve Benwar."
"I don't want to be a genetic engineer. I never have. I never will!" Traveller voice rose with each word.
The shocked look on his father's face shocked Traveller. He had never elicited emotion from Fa Orgen. Fa Orgen was a member of the Sanctum Just. He was respected for his self control and reasoning skills.
The emotion passed like a gust of wind. His father took a deep breath. "You are having a bad day," he said taking a bite of the synthosweet. "When you are done eating, you are to go to your room. Think about your behavior. Your mother and I only want what is best for you. There is no reason for you to be angry."
Traveller held his head down. He quickly finished the bonibulbs and synthosweets. Without saying another word, he left the table and went to his room.
By the universe, I can't take this anymore. I want to be free. I will not be a genetic engineer. Genetics do not interest me at all. I wonder how long I'm supposed stay here.
Traveller's anger had him pacing the room like a Lizerian wrestler. I have to get rid of this energy before I burst. He shoved his bed, console desk and chair to the side of the room.
I have to unravel the tension. I know. I’ll impel it away. Traveller jumped from one corner of the room to the other before going sideways across it. He did a series of diagonal jumps in rapid succession. Ten times in a row he jumped from corner to corner. I'm bored, I'm bored, he thought until an idea crossed his mind.
Traveller impelled himself feet first onto the wall, he ran up it and around until gravity caught up with him. Falling head first, he somersaulted and landed on his feet. That was fun. Let's see how far across the ceiling I can run.
Time and again he practiced. Three steps across the ceiling before he fell. Three steps before he fell. Concentrate. Four steps, five steps before he fell. Wow, that was acroluminous!
By the end of a parsec, Traveller's anger had dissipated. He reached the stage where his mind and body were in sync. No longer thinking about anything but walking across the ceiling, he impelled himself onto the wall. His legs churned faster than ever before as he rounded the corner. Time stopped. He looked up at the blur that was his feet. Six, seven, eight, he counted before he dropped. Traveller hit the floor like a cat crouched. He sprung up and touched the ceiling with glee. I'll beat Porter today, he thought with renewed confidence.
Spent, Traveller lay on the bed and rested. He closed his eyes. He dreamed of annihilating Porter with his sensory saber until he slept for a few hours. When he awoke, it was a half a parsec before he was to meet Porter in the exercise room.
Traveller jumped up, grabbed his saber then approached the door. It didn't open when he broached the barrier. "Ship, I have an engagement with Porter Tellez in a quarter parsec. Please open the door."
"Fa Orgen put a lock on your door at ten parsecs this morning. You will need his override to get out," Ship intoned.
"What? I am not a child. Open the door now, Ship!"
His order was met with silence. He approached the door again. It remained shut. Traveller punched the icon for his father on his CD, anger burned inside of him. He calmed himself knowing an emotional outburst would confine him to his quarters for the rest of the day. He took deep breaths as he waited for his father to answer.
"Yes?" the inquiry came from his CD.
"Hi father. I have thought about what you said. I was wrong to display anger at breakfast this morning. Will you forgive me?"
"Of course. I am glad you've shown the maturity I expect from you."
I don't care what you think. I'll throw myself out of an airlock before I'll become a boring old tick like you, he thought before he replied, "My door is locked. I was supposed to meet Porter this afternoon. Now that I've seen the light, will you let me leave?"
"Do you promise to be on your best behavior from now on?"
What the Lizerian hell? Rage welled up inside of him threatening to find expression in an emotional outburst. Think, get what you want. "Yes father. I will be on my best behavior. I'll control myself from now on." You piece of Lizerian dung. He picked up his saber, activated it then slashed it through the air. Whumm, whumm it sounded making him feel better.
The door to his room slid open, he hung up the phone to run through it and out into the living room. "Thank you," he said before turning the communications device off to exit their living quarters. In the corridor he waved his saber imagining what his conquest of Porter would be like. Whumm . . . Whumm . . . Whum . . .Chapter 4 - The Fight

When Traveller burst through the doors of the exercise there was no one there. He checked his chronochron. Porter should be here. He had better not chicken out. Lization where is he? Traveller cut the air impatiently with his saber. He walked around, jumped up and down. When he started thinking about what his father had said, his anger returned. Treats me like a child, I'll show him.
Traveller found himself standing on the dividing line of the court. I wonder if I can impel with a saber in my hand? He concentrated on a line twenty mezures farther down the court. He bunched and jumped. The saber seemed to drag him backward. Landing only ten mezures up the court he cursed. "Lization. What in Lizerian hell?"
Swinging his saber in frustration, his face turned red. He tried another jump with the same effect. Only eight mezures this time. Out of the corner of his eye left eye, he saw someone enter the room. When he turned, Porter materialized. He was at the door then suddenly only a mezure away.
"Traveller, good to see you," he said with smiling eyes.
Lization you're late. "Hey Porter. How are you?" Traveller said averting his eyes in an attempt to hide the battle that raged inside of him.
"I was sore until Ship gave me a treatment. I'm fine now. So how do you want to do this?" Porter said brandishing his saber.
"Let's make it interesting. Let's put our weapons on stun. The first one to lose consciousness loses."
"Lization, you like to play for blood don't you? Are we using daggers?"
Traveller narrowed his eyes. "Daggers? How do you know about daggers?"
"Well are we?"
"Sure." Lization, I was hoping he didn't know. Now I've lost the element of surprise.

***

Porter watched Traveller's eyes when he mentioned the daggers. They flickered with surprise and then resentment. Within seconds