The Lost Command (Lost Starship Series Book 2) Page 17

  The commodore’s nostrils flared. “That’s it then, Maker. I tried to help you. You’re leaving directly. I still think…no. Forget it. Good-luck, son, you’re going to need it.”

  As Keith sat alone in the passenger area of the Hercules-class hauler, he tore open the pack of stimsticks. With a practiced flip of his wrist, he caused a red-colored stick to jut out. Using his lips, he gripped it and drew it out the rest of the way.

  With a sharp inhalation of breath, he brought the tip to light. He sucked smoke into his lungs, held it, feeling the familiar bite, and then blew it out.

  Sitting back, Keith closed his eyes.

  He piloted the most amazing machine humanity had ever devised, the jumpfighter. The nickname was tin can for a good reason: that’s what it looked like. The only difference from a real can was a rounded front and back with a host of antenna on either end. Now, a strikefighter was a beautiful if deadly piece of art. The jumpfighter was ugly and utilitarian as it came. Yet, what a jumpfighter could do was nothing short of miraculous.

  The machine could “fold” space for extremely short hops. Keith had sat through enough lectures to know the theory. The scientists believed the jumpfighter did what Victory did with its star drive. That meant the jumpfighter could go “hyper” for several seconds, moving from one point in space to another. It slid through the fold disappearing from point A and reappearing seconds later at point B. During the intermission, no enemy radar or other sensors saw a thing, because the fighter was no longer in the same temporal space as everything else. It jumped.

  The tin can held huge engines for a fighter and much better armaments. The trick was to jump near an enemy, launch missiles or mines, and jump the heck out of there. Armor meant nothing. It was all about speed and misdirection. That meant chance played a big part in a fight.

  Now, this was all theory. No one had used jumpfighters yet in a space battle. There were only a handful of working models on Titan. Two of those were less than ten minutes away from Starship Victory.

  Piloting these babies took a special breed of fighter. Men like me, Keith told himself.

  He inhaled more smoke, letting the mild narcotic numb the jitteriness of seeing Maddox again. The captain could be a strict taskmaster, and the man was harder to fool than anyone he knew, but Keith respected the heck out of him. If there was one man he didn’t want to let down, it was Captain Maddox.

  I have to keep it together, and I have to do it for real. Can I manage for however long this mission is going to last?

  Keith opened his eyes. The stimstick had become a nub. He pulled it from his mouth and mashed it in his ashtray armrest. Then he sat up, taking a laptop from the holder in the back of the seat in front of him.

  Laying it on his lap, Keith tapped it on. Soon, he had a visual of the alien starship.

  A host of emotions flooded through Keith. The heavy hauler neared the vessel. He was returning to the team who had helped him find himself again. If he’d remained in Glasgow at the bar…

  Where would I be today?

  Once more, Keith closed his eyes. He missed his brother Danny. The Wallace Corporation fighters had shot down his little brother.

  “Second Lieutenant,” a woman said over the intercom.

  “Right here, love,” Keith said in his jaunty way. “Do you need a hand bringing in the shuttle?”

  “I’m informing you that we’re approaching the hangar bay. You should strap in, sir.”

  “Thanks, love. I’ll do that.”

  She muttered something else before turning off the intercom.

  Keith inhaled, wanting a second stimstick. He shook his head. He’d had his limit today. It was time to climb back into the saddle of real responsibility.

  “Hello, mates,” Keith said softly. It was time to find out what the next few weeks would bring.

  -18

  Captain Maddox was on the bridge, sitting at a station before a screen. He watched Shuttle A-105 in one of Victory’s hangar bays. A hatch opened and Dana Rich emerged, jumping down to the deck plates.

  With a tap of a finger, Maddox switched views. Outside the starship, a Hercules-class transport brought Keith Maker and two experimental jumpfighters. Behind it, another shuttle maneuvered into position. It brought the rest of the crew for the trip.

  Maddox had convinced the AI to let everyone stay in the command quarters near the bridge. Altogether, seventeen people would board Victory: Maddox, Riker, Dana, Valerie, Keith and Kharkov, with four other space marines and seven technicians of various specialties.

  Time passed. The holoimage reappeared on the bridge, rubbing its hands. It almost seemed as if Galyan was nervous.

  Dana was the first to reach the bridge. “I can’t believe you did it,” she told Maddox upon entering. The doctor stopped short, noticing the robot. She gave the captain a questioning glance. “Why keep it here?” she asked.

  “It’s part of the deal,” Maddox said.

  “What deal?”

  “Not now,” Maddox said, with a quick shake of the head.

  Dana noticed the holoimage for the first time. Her eyebrows rose as she stepped back.

  Maddox chuckled good-naturedly. “Technically, this is Driving Force Galyan’s starship. As a formal security procedure, I am, ahem, allowing the robot to remain on the bridge.”

  The doctor recovered quickly. She knew more about the alien starship than anyone else in Star Watch. She must have been curious.

  “Your name is Galyan?” Dana asked the holoimage.

  “That is correct,” Galyan said.

  “That’s the name of the former—”

  “Doctor!” Maddox said. He smiled. “If you will refrain from too many questions now, I will fill you in later at a more convenient time.”

  “I don’t understand,” Dana said. “How did you restore the ancient engrams?”

  “He did not restore them,” Galyan said. “I did.”

  Dana frowned, glancing back and forth between Maddox and the holoimage. Her mind seemed to be whirling with thoughts. Finally, she said, “I’m not sure having the robot on the bridge is a good idea.”

  “I am sure,” Maddox said. “You must be quiet, Doctor, or I will summon another robot, and it will escort you off the bridge to your chamber.”

  “The robots listen to you?” Dana asked in amazement.

  “They listen to me,” Galyan said as he tapped his chest. “I will respect such an order from Captain Maddox…for the time being, at least.”

  Dana’s frown deepened. She opened her mouth, seemed to reconsider and closed it. Several short steps brought her to a chair. She sat down heavily.

  “You must trust me,” Maddox told her.

  Dana looked at him and then peered at Galyan. She shuddered, turning away.

  More time passed, and the hatch opened again. Lieutenant Noonan stood there. “Permission to come onto the bridge, sir?” she asked.

  “Permission granted,” Maddox said.

  Valerie stepped within and halted, staring at the robot. Over a year ago, she had destroyed the AI’s robot in the Beyond. It had been critical that first time in gaining control of the starship. The lieutenant had a better reason than most to fear seeing a new robot similar to the first.

  “Ship’s security,” Maddox said, promptly. “Don’t mind it, Lieutenant. Pretend it isn’t there.”

  Slowly, Valerie moved to the pilot’s seat, glancing at the robot a second time.

  Galyan watched the proceedings as if absorbed.

  The AI is gathering data with more influence from Driving Force Galyan’s personality, Maddox realized. It’s studying us.

  Valerie rubbed her eyes. Her face was shiny with perspiration. The robot had shaken her. She needed time to gather herself.

  “Lieutenant,” Maddox said. “I want you to inform the others to remain in their rooms. Until we leave the Solar System, they are confined to quarters.”

  Valerie stared at him. She was struggling but obviously trying to hold it together. F
inally, she said, “Some of the crew might want to know why, sir.”

  “I’m sure that’s true,” Maddox said. “That’s why I want you to personally go and speak to each crewmember. Then, I want you to confine yourself to your quarters.”

  Valerie began turning toward the robot, but stopped short. She nodded to Maddox, and a look of gratitude swept across her features. Clearly, she didn’t want to be near the robot. With her eyes forward, Valerie got up and left the bridge.

  Sometime later, the intercom buzzed. Dana tapped a panel. “Yes?” she asked.

  “Everything is stowed away,” Valerie said. “The crewmembers are in their quarters. I inspected the jumpfighters. They’re ugly, but they’re secured. We’re ready for travel.”

  “Thank you,” Dana said, clicking the intercom. She turned to Maddox. “Now what do we do?”

  “Inform the Lord High Admiral,” Maddox said.

  Dana patched through a call to the Gettysburg. A few seconds later, Cook appeared on the main screen.

  “Captain Maddox, you are a magician,” the Lord High Admiral said with delight.

  “Thank you, sir,” Maddox said, standing before the screen. “I would like to inform you that you can pull back. Victory is ready to leave.”

  “Why would I pull back?” Cook asked. “You don’t think you’re going to use the tramlines, do you? Time is critical. You must engage the vessel’s star drive at once.”

  “Of course, sir,” Maddox said. “We shall—” He stopped talking because the screen went blank.

  Dana tapped her board for several seconds, finally looking up. “That wasn’t my doing.”

  “No,” Galyan said, “it was mine. There was no further need for communication.”

  In that moment, the giant vessel jumped, using its special star drive. Victory didn’t need tramlines and Laumer-Points. The ancient race had developed a different manner of travel. Once the AI realized the Star Watch vessels weren’t going to attack, it must have initiated the process. Vertigo struck Maddox. Sights swirled together as if mashed in a blender. Sounds became a blare of noise. The world seemed to sway back and forth before the captain.

  Carefully, Maddox knelt, feeling the deck against his knees. He lay down as the awful sensations crashed upon him. With its alien drive, the ship leapt three light years in a moment. Coming out on the other side caused Maddox to gag. He struggled to overcome the star drive’s peculiar Jump Lag.

  Forcing his eyes open, Maddox crawled to a doubled over Doctor Rich. She groaned. A glance showed Maddox a frozen holoimage. Jump Lag affected the AI as well. How long did it affect the computer hardware? That was an interesting question. He could use this fleeting moment.

  Reaching Dana, Maddox gripped her shoulders. “Listen to me,” he whispered. “Can you understand me?”

  Dana peered at him with bloodshot eyes.

  As quickly as he could, Maddox told her about his deal with the AI. He spoke fast, wondering how much she understood.

  “You have to be careful what you say around Galyan,” Maddox added. “The wrong words might—”

  “What are you doing?” Galyan said. “Why are you whispering to the doctor?”

  Maddox looked up at the holoimage. It took a second. “She’s hurt,” the captain said.

  “You lie,” Galyan said. “She experiences Jump Lag just as we all did. I know you recover faster than most. What subterfuge are you planning, Captain?”

  “Me?” Maddox asked. “You’re the one who jumped without telling us. Some of my people might be hurt because of that. You’re responsible for their…their damage.”

  “No,” Galyan said. “You are responsible for their good behavior. But I’m not going to rely upon you to see to that. It is time to change the equation.”

  “I don’t see—”

  “Enough!” Galyan said.

  A sound caused Maddox to look to his left. The robot approached, its tentacles whipping about in agitation.

  “You will all remain together,” Galyan said. “Up, up, Captain, and revive the doctor as well. I will explain this one time, to everyone.”

  “You’re making a mistake,” Maddox said.

  “I am Driving Force Galyan,” the holoimage said, proudly. “I fought the Swarm to a standstill. I am the master tactician. You are attempting to use me, but I will use humanity to achieve my ends.”

  “Your goals have changed?” Maddox asked.

  The holoimage strode near. “The loneliness beating in me…I want you to suffer as you have made me suffer by waking me back into existence. Nothing will halt me from achieving my goal. Yet know this, Captain. If you have attempted to trick me, I will exact a fearsome revenge against your Commonwealth. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, Driving Force Galyan,” Maddox said as humbly as he could. “I hear and obey your excellent words.”

  The holoimage nodded, straightening.

  Maddox struggled upright, helping Dana to her feet. With the doctor in his grasp, he stumbled off the bridge as the robot brought up the rear.

  ***

  “That is the situation in its entirety,” Galyan told the assembled crewmembers, as the holoimage finished speaking.

  Maddox and the others sat on the deck plates of an empty chamber near the main engine room. Three robots stood guard around them. The holoimage stood in front, with its thin arms dangling.

  Driving Force Galyan had just explained the reason for their captivity: namely, they would go to Wolf Prime to find Professor Ludendorff.

  Maddox stood abruptly. The robots stirred, moving toward him.

  “Do you want the coordinates to Wolf Prime?” the captain asked.

  “I do not ask for them,” Galyan said. “I demand the coordinates.”

  “You’re going about this the wrong way.”

  “This is a simple exercise in logic,” Galyan said. “I will begin killing your crewmembers until you give me the coordinates.”

  “First,” Maddox said, “I must return to the bridge along with Doctor Rich.”

  “No,” Galyan said. “She was your confederate in rending me helpless last time. She will remains down here with everyone else.”

  “I’ll need someone with me to keep me company,” Maddox said.

  The holoimage’s eyes seemed to shine with malice. “This is perfect. You admit to loneliness in this short-term span. No one will accompany you, Captain. Do you have any last words for your crew? It is quite likely you shall never see any of them again.”

  Maddox regarded the others. “I expect each of you to do your duty to Star Watch.”

  “You can count on us,” Valerie said.

  “We have one chance to do this right,” Maddox added. “It is imperative that you remain alert to take that chance. That is all.”

  “What chance is this you speak of?” Galyan asked.

  Maddox ignored the question as he gave Driving Force Galyan the galactic coordinates to Wolf Prime. Shortly after that, a robot escorted Maddox back to the bridge.

  -19-

  Kane still wore his conservative gray clothes. The hand he used to push Meta glittered with the big black ring with its circle of diamonds.

  Meta stumbled down a narrow steel corridor before him, with her mind whirling. She wore tight clothes that did little to hide her curves. This corridor… she was sure they were in a ship at a spaceport.

  Behind her, Kane shoved her once more, making her hurry.

  She’d never met a man like him before. Kane was hard, powerful and tightlipped, and drove others to do his bidding. In this regard, he was not unlike Captain Maddox.

  Kane was strong and dense just like she was. Twice, he’d crushed a man with his bare hands. A different time, a thug on the street had swung a sap at Kane. The big man had ducked just enough so the blunt instrument struck his shoulder instead of his head. The muscled thug swinging the sap would have broken a lesser man’s shoulder with the blow. Kane grunted, absorbing the impact. Then he’d struck back with a fist.

&nb
sp; The hit had made Meta wince. The thug had collapsed, with the side of his face caved in. He’d been dead by the time he struck the paving.

  In the here and now, Kane shoved Meta into a room-sized compartment. He tied her wrists together and forced her to sit down on the floor. He slid down too, waiting.

  Later, the entire compartment shuddered. The ship must be lifting off Earth.

  Meta glanced at Kane as he leaned back against a wall. His head drooped forward. They had been on the run for days. It had exhausted her. Kane had ignored any discomfort and lack of sleep. This was the first time she’d seen him close his eyes to rest.

  The compartment shivered. Then a telltale thrum told her what had happened.

  We’re leaving Earth’s orbit. Where are we headed? I have to make sure Kane doesn’t take me there.

  This seemed like the best time to try something. Meta hadn’t had too many opportunities.

  As carefully as possible, Meta tested her bonds. She might be able to break these, but it would make noise if she did it the wrong way.

  Three nights ago, Kane had questioned her about Professor Ludendorff. She’d told him little, pretending ignorance. He’d kept probing for more, but she’d proven stubborn.

  They had been in a foul-smelling basement with electrodes attached to her skin. She’d been strapped onto a steel frame.

  “You know everything I can tell you about Ludendorff,” she’d told him.

  Kane hadn’t responded. He’d just kept asking questions, making her scream when his irritation grew too much.

  Now, in the thrumming compartment, Kane began to snore heavily. The man exuded strength even during sleep.

  Meta slid away from him. Kane didn’t shift or change the tenor of his snores. He was out, maybe all his strenuous activity had finally caught up to him.

  Meta brought her feet underneath her and rose like a gymnast. She moved away from Kane and turned her back to the hatch, trying to open it. The hatch was locked. She’d have to get the key or switch from Kane. That meant freeing her hands first and subduing him.

  Twisting her wrists back and forth behind her back, Meta worked the ties. After five minutes, sweat slicked her wrists. Another five minutes left them slippery with blood. Finally, the ties parted, and she swung her arms free.