The Lost Colony (Lost Starship Series Book 4) (24 page)

“You’re right,” Strand said. “This will take some thought. I’d hoped to use the hammership again, but no matter, it’s gone. Hmm, I suppose this means I’ll have to drop a few hell-burners onto New Venezuela III.”

Pa Kur cocked his head. “I do not think any sub-men were on the planet.”

“You’re wrong. There’s around a thousand, but that isn’t the only reason I’ll use the hell-burners.”

“Why else then?”

Strand studied Pa Kur. He did not care for the Methuselah Man’s vile smirk.

“I’ll do it because it will make Fletcher wonder why I did it,” Strand said. “That will drive him crazy, as he won’t be able to come up with a reason.”

“I can’t think of a reason, either.”

“And that is the reason,” Strand said. “It’s called sowing confusion. I’m better at it than anyone, well, anyone other than that damned Ludendorff.”

“Your alter ego,” Pa Kur mumbled.

Strand’s head snapped up.

Pa Kur almost shrank back in fear. Such a maneuver would have sullied him, however. He straightened, awaiting the worst.

“Go back to sleep,” Strand said. “I need to think about you a little longer. You’re a strange combination for a New Man. I wonder what happened to make you that way.”

Pa Kur would have like to think about the last statement. Instead, without conscious thought, he climbed back onto the cot, laid his head on the pillow, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

-26-

Maddox settled gingerly into the command chair on the bridge. The journey from the infirmary had tired him out. It was awful being so weak. He despised it.

Seeing that Valerie and Keith watched their panels, the captain pulled out a rag and wiped sweat off his face.

He shifted on the chair so the wound didn’t rest against fabric. He had stopped taking pain inhibitors some time ago. It surprised him how well they had worked. Now, his joints ached and he had a flu-like sensation. Thinking about it caused him to wipe his face again.

He tucked away the rag. It wouldn’t do for the others to see him so incapacitated.

“We’re approaching the Jovian planet,” Keith said.

Maddox studied the main screen. A huge gas giant with seething storms raging across its surface showed the nearness of the final Laumer-Point.

Some time ago, Meta had written a journal about her period with Kane, an agent for the New Men who had kidnapped her from New York City. Kane had brought her here the first time, racing to Wolf Prime afterward.

“The gas giant is massive,” Keith said while studying his board. “Its tug on us is greater than I’d anticipated.”

“We’ll almost have to skim its surface to reach the Laumer-Point,” Valerie added.

Maddox might have nodded, but it felt as if that would have taken too much energy.

“Are you sure it’s wise for you to be on the bridge, sir?” Valerie asked.

Maddox didn’t bother answering such a question. He was better already. A few aches, some chills, it didn’t mean anything.

Valerie and Keith traded glances. Maddox noticed, but he refrained from commenting.

“I’m switching on the Laumer Drive,” Keith said, tapping his board.

What he meant was that the ship’s special Laumer sensors began hunting for the often-elusive wormhole entrance. According to Meta’s notes, this Laumer-Point was small. Was it too small for
Victory
to use? They would have to catalog its size before trying.

The Xerxes System had a bad reputation, much like that of the Bermuda Triangle on Earth before the Space Age. Like in the triangle, ships had disappeared under unusual circumstances. The worst story had occurred over thirty years ago. The Boron Company had set up a mining colony on a metal-heavy moon of the third planet. The colony had vanished, leaving no traces of the buildings or landing zones. Until
Victory
had passed through a year ago, no military or commercial routes had gone through the Xerxes System Laumer-Points.

Last voyage,
Victory
had fought silver drones in the strange system. The drones had used the same fusion beams New Men star cruisers employed. The conclusion had been obvious: the New Men had stolen or acquired the Builder weapons by plundering such a place with Strand’s help. The drones could well have been the reason for the system’s terrible reputation.

“There it is,” Valerie said. “I’ve found the Laumer-Point.”

Maddox straightened. On the main screen, the wormhole opening appeared near the gas giant’s stratosphere.

“This is going to be a tight fit, sir,” Valerie said.

“Is the message beacon ready?” Maddox asked.

“Aye-aye, sir,” Keith said.

“Launch it.”

Valerie cleared her throat.

“Is something the matter, Lieutenant?” Maddox asked.

“Shouldn’t we wait to launch the packet, sir?” she asked. “We’re still too far to activate the Laumer-Point.”

“Of course,” Maddox said.

Once again, Valerie and Keith traded glances.

Maddox wanted to pull the cloth back out and wipe the sweat off his forehead. Their actions had begun to irritate him.

Valerie appeared as if she wanted to add something. Finally, she turned back to her panel.

Ten minutes later, Keith spoke up, “I’m in range, sir. Should I launch the packet?”

“Do it,” Maddox said.

Keith tapped his board. A few seconds later, a small missile left the starship.

“The gas giant is affecting its trajectory,” Valerie said. “Its—”

“I have it under control,” Galyan said, who chose this moment to appear.

The missile had begun to veer off course. Now, it continued straight for the wormhole, zipping into it and disappearing from the main screen.

“The packet is on its way,” Keith said. “Thanks for the tractor beam, Galyan.”

“You are welcome,” the holoimage said.

Maddox swiveled his chair toward the bridge exit so the others couldn’t see him. He pulled out his cloth again, wiping his face. As he completed the turn, he tucked the handkerchief away.

“How long should we wait, sir?” Keith asked.

“Two hours will be good,” Maddox said.

Valerie waited, finally saying, “Should we wait a little farther from the gas giant?”

“See that it’s done,” Maddox told Keith.

The message missile would enter the Xerxes System and broadcast to Port Admiral Hayes that
Victory
was coming through. They didn’t want to surprise the admiral and have him accidently order the flotilla to open fire on the ancient vessel if the flotilla was near the wormhole exit.

Time passed slowly for Maddox. He felt wretched. Why didn’t his body heal faster as it usually did? He wasn’t used to such prolonged weakness.

Once again, he shifted his position on the chair, searching for a way to relax without his wound touching the backrest. A little later, his eyelids grew heavy. He fought it for a time. Then—

“Sir!” Keith said, loudly.

Maddox’s head snapped up as he opened his eyes. He was disoriented for just a moment. His mouth tasted awful and—

The captain’s lips firmed. He realized that he’d fallen asleep in the command chair. He felt foolish, like an old man. That bothered him more than he cared to admit.

Both Valerie and Keith seemed absorbed with their boards. Hadn’t the ace just shouted?

“You should return to sickbay,” Galyan said.

“No,” Maddox said.

“You snored, sir,” the holoimage said.

Valerie looked up, shaking her head at Galyan.

Maddox drew a deep breath and realized his joints didn’t ache as much as before. In fact, the flu-like feeling had lessened.

“The nap refreshed me,” Maddox said in a crisp voice. “Are we ready to jump?”

“Yes, sir,” Keith said.

“Let’s do this.”

“Are you sure, sir?” Valerie asked.

An angry retort almost left the captain’s mouth. He settled back in the chair and nearly lurched out of it as his wound touched the fabric. A tremor washed through him, and the renewed flu-like feeling almost made him gag.

Maddox forced himself to sit up slowly and then stand, locking his knees. He was going to force himself to act normally even though he felt off.

“What are you waiting for, Second Lieutenant?” he asked.

“Ah, shouldn’t you sit down, sir?” Keith asked.

Maddox reached into his jacket, putting his hand on the cloth. He squeezed it so a knuckle popped. Then, he removed the hand without extracting the handkerchief. Only then did he sit down.

“Maneuvering for the Xerxes System entry,” Keith said.

On the main screen, the wormhole expanded. So did the massive, atmospheric-swirling gas giant.

“Planetary gravity has begun to affect our flight path,” Valerie said. “The gravity dampeners are at thirty percent. Thirty-three. Thirty-five. We’re skimming the outer surface.”

“No problem, love,” Keith said.

The wormhole entrance grew larger yet.

Maddox gripped the armrests. He wasn’t looking forward to this.

“Three, two, one…” Keith said. “We’re entering the Laumer-Point.”

Starship
Victory
fell into the wormhole, zipping a little over three light-years in less than two seconds, popping out on the other side in the Xerxes System.

***

Maddox raised his head. The others were still in the grip of Jump Lag. Galyan did nothing. The AI was always the worst affected.

To the captain’s surprise, he no longer sweated. In fact, the ache in his joints had abated and he felt…good.

Maddox flexed his right hand and moved the shoulder near the wound. That tugged at the wounded flesh and sent a spike of pain there. He winced. It throbbed for a moment but it was more bearable now.

The others began to revive. Ten minutes later, Galyan solidified.

“The sensors are rebooting,” Valerie said.

“Initiate scan,” Maddox said. “Any messages yet?”

“No, sir,” Valerie said.

“Do you see the packet?”

“I do, sir. It’s right where it should be.”

“Are there any messages in its files?” Maddox asked.

Valerie tapped her board. “No, sir, nothing.”

“Galyan?” Maddox asked.

The holoimage shook his head. “I haven’t received any signals, sir.”

Keith adjusted his controls.

Maddox studied the main screen. The Xerxes System had several planets and a tight, manufactured asteroid belt. Deep within that collection of rocks, asteroids and hidden drone bases was the Nexus, a silver pyramid with an incredible power to send a starship over one hundred light-years in a single super-jump.

“No message buoys?” Maddox asked.

“Nothing,” Keith said. The ace turned around. “Could the system be empty of ships, sir?”

“Galyan, take us toward the asteroid belt while remaining at full alert. Scan for anything unusual. Port Admiral Hayes went from Earth directly to the Xerxes System. He should be here. Maybe he’s on the other side of the star.”

“Maybe,” Keith said, “unless Builder drones took him out.”

“I doubt that,” Valerie said. “Admiral Hayes was to proceed with utmost caution. I studied his record when I used to work for the Lord High Admiral. Hayes would be the last person to let others take him by surprise.”

“Any sign of a space battle?” Maddox asked.

“Negative,” Galyan said.

“His flotilla can’t just have disappeared,” Valerie said.

“We have yet another mystery,” the ace said.

“Keep scanning,” Maddox said. “Galyan, I want the disruptor cannon ready.”

“Affirmative,” the AI said.

The starship headed for the asteroid belt, the shields at full power and the main armaments primed for firing.

Four hours later, Valerie shook her head. “Sir, there’s no sign of silver drones, no sign of New Men star cruisers and absolutely no sign of Port Admiral Hayes. This star system is empty.”

“I’m open to suggestions,” Maddox said.

Valerie swiveled around to face him. “Sir, we must approach the Nexus. But I urge extreme caution. This doesn’t make sense but the silver pyramid strikes me as the most likely reason for whatever has gone wrong.”

“Unless weapons-portals appeared and sent missiles at the Port Admiral’s flotilla,” Keith said.

“Show me the debris,” Valerie said. “Show me the radiation signatures. There hasn’t been a battle here since we fought the drones.”

“Did Hayes leave the system?” Keith asked.

“That seems like the only explanation,” Maddox said.

“Why would he leave?” the ace asked.

“Maybe someone forced him to,” Valerie said.

Maddox regarded the holoimage. “You haven’t suggested anything, Galyan. Do you have an opinion?”

“I do,” Galyan said. “The port admiral’s disappearance would suggest someone has readied the Xerxes System for us. The Ludendorff AI desired you here, as did the Shanghai androids.”

“Maybe Ludendorff is really stuck in the Nexus,” Maddox said.

“I give that a thirty-five percent probability.”

“What is the greatest probability?” Maddox asked.

“That our hidden enemy wishes to capture you,” Galyan said.

“Why?” Maddox asked.

“I have insufficient data to say.”

“How will they make the attempt?” Maddox asked.

“That seems clear,” Galyan said. “They will attempt it as you personally enter the Nexus to rescue Professor Ludendorff.”

“I agree,” Maddox said. “Well, then, let’s get started.”

“Sir?” Valerie asked.

“Let’s head to the Nexus as you suggested,” Maddox said. “We need to see their next move if we’re going to use it to help us solve the mystery.”