The Lost Command (Lost Starship Series Book 2) (21 page)

“No!” Galyan said. “That would shatter our bargain. If you do such a deed, I will order my robots to annihilate your people. Then I will explode
Victory
. Without my vessel, the New Men will defeat Star Watch.”

Maddox shrugged.

“You must remain alive long enough for me to imprint your engrams into the AI core,” Galyan said.

“Now, we’re getting somewhere,” Maddox said. “If you want me to stay alive, you have to give us the starship before you expire. Think of it like this. What does it matter what happens to your starship after you’re gone? For you and for your race, the universe will have ended.”

The holoimage appeared thoughtful. Finally, it said, “I cannot agree to that.”

“Then tell me what we can offer you that will cause you to keep your word to us.”

The holoimage blinked rapidly. It kept doing so far longer than it had in the past. Suddenly, the image brightened, making it difficult to look at.

“Yes!” Galyan said. “There is a thing I desire above your suffering.”

“I know. You want to find the homeworld of the Swarm and destroy it.” Maddox nodded. “That makes sense. Yes, I agree.”

“You agree to what?” Galyan said.

“I agree to hunt down the Swarm and destroy their homeworld. In return, you will leave us
Victory
.”

Galyan opened his mouth, but no words issued. He turned away, finally turning back. “I will think about it.”

“For how long?” Maddox asked.

Galyan examined the robot. The holoimage’s eyes shined brightly as it looked at Maddox.

“I accept your offer. You will leave the bridge and join Lieutenant Noonan. The two of you will enter the Laumer Drive access point in Hangar Bay Three. You will meet her in two hours.”

“Why so long?” Maddox asked.

“That is how long it will take to reach a known Laumer-Point in the Rigel System.”

“We’re that far out already?” Maddox asked. “I’m impressed. Say, before I meet with the lieutenant, do you mind if I shower and clean my uniform?”

“I do not mind. I will show you where to shower and scrub your clothes.”

The bridge door opened.

Maddox couldn’t believe how excited he was to look into the corridor. After these isolated weeks, it was something different.

“Go,” Galyan said.

Maddox started and then stopped.

“What is wrong?” Galyan asked.

Maddox had been so consumed with himself, he’d forgotten to think about his crew. He was the captain. Their welfare was his concern.

“The others also need showers and clean clothes,” Maddox said.

Galyan said nothing for several seconds. “It will be so,” he said at last. “Now, go.”

Maddox headed for the exit.

***

The captain looked up as the hatch opened. He was in the Laumer Drive control room inside Hangar Bay Three.

A wary-eyed Valerie Noonan stepped through. She stared at him in surprise and then in obvious relief. Behind her, a stainless steel robot trundled in.

Valerie looked tired and careworn, if still defiant of her captor. Her clothes and hair were slightly damp but clean. Once she drew near, Maddox could smell the soap she’d used. The AI had kept its word.

“You look well, Captain,” Valerie said.

He gave her a jaunty smile.

“It isn’t so easy for us where we’re being held,” Valerie said, half-accusing him. “We just got to shower and clean our clothes for the first time. It must be nice having the run of the bridge.’

“All in a day’s work,” Maddox said. “Now, I believe you’re supposed to coordinate the Laumer Drive.”

They took up their stations and began to ready the machine. Maddox turned on an atomizer-timer. It was a loud, clicking device.

Valerie gave him a questioning glance.

Maddox paid her no heed, but continued to work at his panel. Soon, he stepped closer to her, all while working his board.

“What are you doing?” she whispered. “I can make absolutely no sense of the systems you’ve turned on. And that ticker is driving me crazy with its incessant clicks.”

“It’s make work,” Maddox whispered so he could hardly hear his own words.

Valerie waited for him to continue.

“How long until activation of the Laumer-Point?” Maddox asked in a loud, officious voice.

“Uh…” Valerie glanced at a screen. “Three minutes, Captain, if I can adjust this setting properly.”

“Hurry,” he said.

Valerie’s fingers roved over a board. She had her head cocked so an ear was near Maddox’s lips.

The lieutenant had understood him. Good. Now, Maddox spoke fast in a low voice.

“The AI is proving troublesome. You must speak to Doctor Rich. See if she remembers learning anything about the Swarm. If not, tell her to concoct a story.”

“Do you mean Galyan’s enemy race?”

“Exactly,” Maddox said. “Tell Dana we have to pretend to find the Swarm’s homeworld. Make it far away in the Beyond. We’re going to trade the information with the AI to keep Galyan true to his word.”

Valerie nodded.

“We approach the known location of the Laumer-Point,” Galyan said, his voice coming out of a robot’s speaker. “You must activate the Laumer Drive so we can jump.”

Valerie glanced at Maddox.

He nodded.

The lieutenant tapped her board. A powerful generator came online.

In space, an opening appeared. Starship
Victory
aimed for the Laumer-Point. A minute later, the vessel sped through the jump route, coming out on the other side almost seven light years away.

Maddox and Lieutenant Noonan endured Jump Lag. This would be the moment to attempt to subdue the robot. As the captain contemplated the idea, systems began functioning again.

“Warning,” Galyan said through the robot’s speakers. “An enemy fleet is fast approaching us. Their weapons systems are charged. Captain Maddox, my starship will soon be under attack.”

-21-

Captain Maddox and Lieutenant Noonan raced for the bridge, with him easily outdistancing her. Farther behind, the sounds of the robot’s treads echoed through the corridors.

Finally, an exhausted Maddox stumbled onto the bridge. He moved to the pilot’s seat, sitting down, wiping sweat out of his eyes.

“Give me ten times magnification,” Maddox said. “Show me the closest enemy vessels.”

A large, cruiser-sized vessel appeared. It was square-shaped, confounding Maddox. Star Watch didn’t have any spaceships like that. So far, the New Men had only fought with triangular-shaped star cruisers.

As the captain watched, a heavy-mount laser flashed from the enemy vessel. Other beams from the rest of the ships speared out of the darkness. They flashed through space at the speed of light, crossing seventy thousand kilometers, striking
Victory’s
deflector shield.

“My neutron beam will annihilate them,” Galyan said. “First, we must get into range.”

“How many enemy ships are out there?” Maddox asked.

“Seven cruiser-class vessels and twelve destroyers,” Galyan said. “I am using Star Watch configurations as a basis for comparison.”

“They’re not Star Watch vessels?”

“They have not communicated with me,” Galyan said. “Nor have I attempted communication with them. Therefore, I cannot say for certain. But I do not believe they belong to Star Watch.”

“How long will the deflector shield hold?” Maddox asked.

“At this rate… long enough so I can move into the neutron beam’s range. I will annihilate the threat.”

Maddox didn’t like the odds: ramming into seven heavy beams with twelve destroyers maneuvering out there.
Victory
could destroy some of them, but not all before the starship’s shield collapsed. How long would the collapsium hull armor hold?

“You risk destruction or heavy damage attacking seven cruisers and twelve destroyers,” Maddox said. “You must use the star drive and jump away.”

“Negative,” Galyan said. “I have grown weary of fleeing. Today, I attack.”

Lieutenant Noonan staggered onto the bridge, wheezing for air. She looked exhausted and sweat ran down her cheeks.

“It’s been too long since I’ve had to run that far,” Valerie panted.

Maddox stood up as she approached, moving aside. Valerie slid into the vacant seat. Even as she panted, her hands moved over the controls. She was like a master pianist, obviously at home before the board.

“Seven cruisers,” Valerie said between gasps, “and twelve destroyer-class vessels.”

“Do you recognize any of them?” Maddox asked.

“Of course,” Valerie said, glancing at him in surprise. “This is the Social Syndicate Fleet.”

“Of the Rigel System?” Maddox asked.

Valerie nodded. “They’re pounding our deflectors hard. Once the destroyers move in and add their—”

“What is it?” Maddox asked.

“Sneaky bastards,” Valerie said, with admiration in her voice. “Stealth drones have just activated. They’re close, must have been waiting near the Laumer-Point.” She made adjustments, studying her panel. The lieutenant turned around abruptly. “Captain, those are
Titan
-class nuclear-tipped missiles. They’ve obviously been lying in wait like proximity mines for someone to use the Laumer-Point. This is an ambush.”

“Why do these aggressors wish to destroy my starship?” Galyan asked.

“They can’t know who you are,” Maddox said. “This ambush wasn’t meant for us.”

“The New Men,” Valerie said. “Maybe this was a setup against them.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Maddox said. “We just jumped
out
of the Rigel System. Why would the Social Syndicate Fleet be waiting here for us and not in their own star system?”

“I don’t know,” Valerie said. “But I know those missiles will knock down our shield. The combined enemy lasers will chew into the hull. We have collapsium, so it will take a while, but seven cruisers and all those destroyers…” Valerie shook her head. “Sir, I recommend we use our star drive and jump out of danger.”

“Galyan doesn’t agree with you,” Maddox said.

“Then we have to talk to the fleet’s commander and convince him to stop attacking,” Valerie said.

“Well?” Maddox asked Galyan. “Will you let me communicate with the attacking fleet?”

The holoimage appeared thoughtful. Finally, Galyan nodded.

“Do it,” Maddox told Valerie. “Hail the fleet.”

Valerie jumped up, moving to a different chair. The modifications to the alien bridge helped her to know where to go, as the redesign was based on Star Watch preferences.

As the beams continued to pour against
Victory’s
shield—turning it a bright red color—and the Social Syndicate missiles increased velocity, closing the distance, a bearded man appeared on the main screen. He wore a jet-black uniform with a black cap, with a red fist clutching a lightning bolt on the bill.

The man laughed at Maddox. “This is one star system you don’t get to destroy with impunity, New Man. It is a pleasure to watch you die.”

“I’m Captain Maddox of Star Watch. You must stop your assault at once.”

“I am Sub-commander Ko,” the bearded man said, “and I declare you a liar. There is no such vessel as yours registered with Star Watch. This I know to be true.”

“You’re wrong,” Maddox said. “Star Watch sent us into the Beyond to retrieve the vessel. This is an ancient starship—”

“Save your lies, New Man,” Sub-commander Ko said. “Die with whatever dignity you can muster.”

Maddox turned to Galyan. “Jump. Nothing else makes sense.”

“I will not run from inferior beings,” Galyan said.

The bearded sub-commander laughed. “And you claim you’re not New Men. Your own commander brands you a vicious liar by calling us inferior. That’s New Men speech if I ever heard it. Listening to you beg is a rare pleasure.”

“I have Doctor Dana Rich aboard my ship,” Maddox said, casting about for anything. “Are you familiar with her?”

Ko’s face darkened. “That witch, she’s alive?”

“Yes, in my hold.”

The Social Syndicate officer stared at Maddox. Dana had committed high crimes against the ruling Syndic and his clones. There wasn’t anyone they would want more than her.

“I would pay almost anything to have her,
almost
,” the sub-commander said. “But I will not forgo the pleasure of destroying you.”

“If I’m a New Man,” Maddox asked, “how would I know that Dana Rich means so much to your Syndic?”

“That’s easily answered. The New Men are clever, with spies everywhere. It doesn’t surprise me you know about her.”

“Why wasn’t your fleet in the Rigel System defending it?” Maddox asked.

“Why ask me such foolish questions?” Ko asked. “The answers cannot aid you. Look, your shield has already darkened to brown.”

Maddox glanced at the indicator. It was brown as Sub-commander Ko said.

A deflector shield absorbed energy such as a laser beam or thermonuclear explosion. The shield bled off the wattage over time. Overload darkened a shield. Once it was black, a shield was near collapse. It wouldn’t be much longer now before theirs went down.

“The missiles are minutes away from detonation range,” Valerie said from her board.

Maddox fixated on the bearded officer on the screen. “If I were a New Man, I would have bombarded your main planet in the Rigel System.”

“I’m well aware of this.”

“Your planet wasn’t touched.”

“So you say,” Ko sneered. “I know otherwise.”

“This makes no sense.”

“At long last,” Ko said, “you have met a political system that produces soldiers more cunning than you. We know about your depredations, New Man. We know you have slipped into systems through backdoor entrances, always appearing where least expected. Then, you rush near and destroy planetary biospheres with your hell-burners. This time, we have surprised you marauders. The price was high, I admit it. But the Syndic demanded a plan that would hurt the New Men, no matter the cost. Not all of humanity agrees to play the sheep, the Social Syndicate the least of all.”

“Two minutes to warhead detonation,” Valerie said. “That’s given the missiles explode at the optimum range to reach us as fast as possible.”

Maddox’s shoulders slumped. He was out of ideas. Galyan wouldn’t jump, and the bearded officer refused to believe him. The captain could hardly blame Sub-commander Ko.
Victory
was unlike any ship in the Commonwealth. To think this was a New Man vessel was a logical if flawed deduction.

“I don’t understand why the AI doesn’t use the star drive to close the gap between them and us,” Valerie said. “Isn’t that how you defeated the star cruisers in the Beyond?”

The holoimage straightened. “Yes. This was so. Why didn’t you remind me, Captain Maddox?”

“You’re a computer,” Maddox said. “I thought you would remember. It doesn’t make sense you wouldn’t.”

“What you say is true,” Galyan said. “This makes me believe you have inserted a virus into my core.”

“I haven’t,” Maddox said. “That doesn’t mean no one else did, though.”

“Doctor Rich must have done so,” Galyan said.

“I’ve already told you,” the bearded man said on the screen. “I’d rather watch you die than capture that witch.”

“Consider what you just said,” Maddox told Galyan. “If Doctor Rich has given you a virus, can you fully trust your impulses? I refer to the one that forbids you to jump away to safety.”

“It would appear I cannot,” Galyan said.

“That means you should
distrust
this impulse toward self-immolation. It may be a wrong desire.”

“Explain,” Galyan said.

Maddox refrained from facing Valerie’s panel. He didn’t want to see the blackened shield or the countdown to nuclear warhead detonation.

“You must scan your AI core,” Maddox said, “and discover if Doctor Rich or someone else has infected you. Once you’re gone, your secret enemy may rejoice over your destruction. If you find nothing unwarranted in the core, you can always self-destruct later. Besides, how will you revenge your race’s death against the Swarm if you’re gone?”

“The Swarm are dead—”

“It’s too late,” Valerie said, interrupting. “The thermonuclear warheads are exploding.”

“No,” Galyan said. “I will not go down easily into the dark night of destruction. If this is another of your plays, Maddox—”

“Good-bye, Galyan,” Maddox said.

“This sucks,” Valerie said.

Maddox turned, seeing her glare at the screen. Bright nova explosions showed the missiles detonating. Their x-rays and gamma rays struck the weakened deflector shield.

At that moment, everything vanished as Galyan engaged the star drive. As they used the alien jump, the shield collapsed and the
Titan
-class warheads’ yield along with the heavy laser beams struck the collapsium hull. The starship shuddered. Maddox stumbled and crashed against the deck. Then the vessel reappeared three light years distant. The captain groaned. Valerie moaned. And everything aboard
Victory
shut down as the lights flickered and went dark.

“Captain?” Valerie asked.

“I’m right here,” Maddox said in the blackness.

“What do we do now?”

Whomp
-like sounds preceded red emergency lights snapping on. In the bloody glow, Maddox climbed to his feet and brushed his uniform. With a start, he turned toward the robot. It stood there as it often did. He moved to the stainless steel cylinder with its metallic tentacles. Using a fingernail, Maddox clicked the metal.

The robot didn’t move.

“Is it dead?” Valerie asked.

“It would appear so,” Maddox said. He moved to the door. It didn’t open as it should. He removed a panel and manually cranked the door open. Red light also illuminated the corridor.

“Let’s go,” Maddox said.

“Where?” Valerie asked.

“It appears that
Victory
is down. We need the others to help us fix the ship.”

“How can we fix this monstrous vessel?” Valerie asked. “There are only seventeen of us.”

“That means we’d better start now,” Maddox said. As Valerie debated it with herself, Maddox noticed a tiny light inside one of the robot’s camera eyes. That surprised him, and then he wondered…

Just how cunning was Driving Force Galyan? Could the AI have staged some this, making the damage seem worse than it was, in order to study their reactions?

“Yes,” Valerie told Maddox. “What else can we do? Let’s start repairing ship systems.”

They moved down the corridors. Maddox debated telling Valerie about his suspicions. He decided the fewer people who knew what might really be going on, the more genuine would be their reactions. The captain only trusted himself to playact well enough to fool the AI.