The Lost Destroyer (Lost Starship Series Book 3) (3 page)

“I have run a self-diagnostic, Captain,” Galyan said. “I am presently operating at seventy-eight percent capacity. Therefore, I am not running at normal efficiency.”

“That will have to suffice for now.” Maddox glanced to the right, studying the corridor and then turned and inspected the corridor to the left.

“Is there a problem?” Galyan asked.

“Look down at my feet,” Maddox said.

“Do you refer to the dead slarn trapper?”

“That’s right. Who killed him?”

“I do not know,” Galyan said.

“You didn’t catch it on the video system?”

“Negative,” Galyan said. “The storm rendered the cameras inoperative during the scope of what appears to be a heinous crime.”

“Is the intercom system working now?” Maddox asked.

“No. It has not yet recovered from the storm damage.”

“How did you know we were here?” Maddox asked.

“The cameras are operational again,” Galyan said. “They simply weren’t during the timespan wherein this man perished.”

Was that another coincidence? Maddox doubted it. “Do you recall the ship’s roster?” he asked.

“Of course,” Galyan said.

“Check the ship, and tell me who’s missing.”

Galyan’s eyelids fluttered for just a moment. “I have completed the scan, Captain. Per Lomax is missing.”

Riker laughed with relief.

Maddox wasn’t as easily satisfied. “Did you scan every centimeter of the ship, every possible hiding location?”

“I scanned every place where my cameras can see,” Galyan said.

“Are there places you can’t see?” Maddox asked.

“There are,” Galyan said, “but your assumption is faulty. The jumpfighter left
Victory
. Logic dictates its pilot is no longer with us. Per Lomax is the only missing person. Therefore, he piloted the jumpfighter. That means he is not is hiding on the ship in a location I cannot see.”

Maddox examined the corpse, Riker and finally Galyan. Afterward, he looked up the corridor and down it.

“You can relax, sir,” Riker said.

Maddox regarded Galyan. “Where could someone hide so you couldn’t spot him?”

“You mean visibly through my cameras?”

“What else could I—oh,” Maddox said. “You can travel to places your cameras can’t see.”

“That is correct,” Galyan said, “but I fail to understand what you are implying.”

“Maybe Per Lomax set the jumpfighter on autopilot,” Maddox told the AI. “Maybe the New Man wanted us to think he had left the starship so we wouldn’t look for him anymore.”

“I deem that sequence as highly unlikely,” Galyan said.

Maddox pinched his lower lip in thought. If he were Per Lomax hiding from Galyan, where would he be? Even more to the point, how could the New Man take control of
Victory
while remaining hidden?

-3-

“I want you to go to every place on
Victory
your cameras can’t see,” Maddox told Galyan. “I want to know with one hundred percent certainty if Per Lomax is or is not aboard the starship. Can you do that?”

“It will take time,” Galyan said.

“Then the sooner you begin the sooner I’ll have my answer.”

“Logical,” Galyan said. “Good bye, Captain, Sergeant Riker.” The holoimage disappeared.

“Do you really think the New Man had time to set the jumpfighter onto autopilot?” Riker said. “That’s a lot of deep thinking and activity that needs doing in a short amount of time.”

Maddox was staring at the corpse again. The sergeant had a reasonable question, but Maddox didn’t know enough about jumpfighters to answer him. He would have to ask Second Lieutenant Keith Maker about that.

“Consider what we’re seeing,” Maddox told Riker, “a dead slarn hunter who took a savage blow to the face. The blow might have snapped the neck. In order for it to have done so, the punch would have to have been devastating. It would take an extraordinarily strong person to achieve such a hit. That would also imply expert-class combat technique. Strength alone couldn’t break the neck with a punch.”

“Someone with a crank bat could have possibly done it with normal strength,” Riker said, “or with some other suitable implement like a steel bar.”

“I didn’t attack and kill Sten Gorgon,” Maddox said. “You have a bionic arm and are trained in close combat of an extremely dirty variety. But your loyalty to Star Watch is impeccable. Thus, you didn’t kill the man, either.”

“That leaves two people who could have murdered Gorgon like this,” Riker said. “The obvious person is Per Lomax.”

“If the New Man did it, why was Gorgon carrying the shock collar?”

“Because Per Lomax put it there,” Riker said. “What could be easier to explain?”

“Let me see if I understand your reasoning,” Maddox said. “During the magnetic storm, Per Lomax slipped from the holding cell and unlocked the shock collar, which he then carried with him. He surprised Gorgon and lashed out viciously, snapping the man’s neck with a blow, killing the trapper. Per Lomax knew his time was limited—that the AI and ship-monitoring systems were only temporarily down. The New Man paused long enough, however, to unbutton the dead man’s shirt, tucked the shock collar there, buttoned the shirt closed and even stuffed the ends of the shirt under the trousers. Is that what you’re suggesting?”

“I suppose not.” Riker eyed the captain. “But if I didn’t do it, you didn’t do it and neither did Per Lomax… There is one other possibility. Meta.”

“Yes. I’ve already been considering that.”

“If you’ll allow me to speak, sir,” Riker said.

“Go ahead.”

“I wish I could put this delicately, but Meta was with Kane for quite some time.”

For just a moment, Maddox’s features tightened.

Kane had been a spy for the New Men sent to Earth. The spy had kidnapped Meta from New York City and taken her into space. Using an ancient device known as the Nexus, Kane had jumped to Wolf Prime ahead of them. There, in planetary orbit, Kane had taken Meta to Per Lomax aboard one of the enemy star cruisers. Per Lomax had sent Meta to someone the New Men referred to as “the teacher”. The teacher had modified her mind in some manner. It was why the professor no longer trusted Meta.

“I would appreciate it if you got to the point,” Maddox told the sergeant.

“Could Meta have…listened to a hidden compulsion to free Per Lomax from confinement?” Riker asked.

“Yes,” Maddox said, exhaling. “The possibility exists.” He hated admitting this to himself or aloud.

“Gorgon found out what she was doing and tried to stop her. Meta bashed him. In her panic, she hit Gorgon hard enough to snap his neck.”

“Would she pause long enough to put the shock collar under the dead man’s shirt?” Maddox asked.

“I think she might, sir. Meta used to be an assassin. She might have paused long enough to plant a distracting clue knowing that later you would find it.”

The idea had a ring of plausibility. Meta had helped repair the ancient starship the first time. Could she have secretly caused the vessel to appear out of a star drive jump near the spatial anomaly?

“Galyan,” Maddox called. “I have to ask you a question.”

The holoimage reappeared before them.

“I am working swiftly, Captain,” Galyan said. “I have already checked twenty-eight percent of the hidden locations. Obviously, I haven’t yet discovered Per Lomax or I would have informed you.”

“Where’s Meta?” Maddox asked.

“In her sleeping compartment,” Galyan said.

“Is she alone?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Thank you,” Maddox said. “You may continue your search.”

A second later, Galyan vanished again.

Riker rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure I like having an ancient computer entity watching me while I’m in my room.”

“It has its drawbacks,” Maddox admitted. “Now, unlimber your stunner, Sergeant, and remain alert. We will work under the assumption that Per Lomax is still aboard the starship.”

“Yes, sir,” Riker said, in a resigned voice.

“Sergeant,” Maddox said. “It’s quite possible Per Lomax had inside help. Whoever else was involved is obviously still on the ship.”

“Unless this dead slarn trapper was Per Lomax’s inside help,” Riker said.

Maddox froze before cocking an eyebrow at the sergeant.

“What did I say?” Riker asked.

“Something profound,” Maddox said. “Now, come along. Our enemy is moving swiftly to accomplish something. We must move faster to stop him.”

***

Maddox knocked on Meta’s outer hatch.

“Who is it?” Meta called from the inside.

“The captain.”

“Are you alone?”

“No, Sergeant Riker is here. He will remain outside to stand guard.”

“Why would he have to stand guard?” Meta asked.

“Will you open the hatch?”

“Answer my question first,” she said.

In the beginning, the muffling from the hatch made it difficult for Maddox to tell anything from Meta’s voice. Now, it was clear. She was nervous.

“Per Lomax has escaped his holding cell,” Maddox said. “I also found Sten Gorgon. The slarn trapper is dead, with a broken neck.”

A second later, an inner lock
clicked
and the hatch moved a bare centimeter. One of Meta’s eyes peered through the crack.

“I’m tired,” she said. “Why don’t you come back later?”

Maddox put a hand on the hatch and pushed. It moved another several centimeters before stopping. Meta used one of her arms to block the hatch from opening farther. She had been born on a two G world and was denser than a regular human. Meta also happened to be quite nude. She had a voluptuous figure with tantalizing breasts. Her long blonde hair was up, tied in a knot. Maddox enjoyed the view, but he didn’t let her charms distract him. Speckles of blood were smeared against her throat as if she had wiped it but failed to rub all the blood away.

“Are you getting ready to take a shower?” Maddox asked.

“Don’t you have any manners?” Meta asked angrily. “I’m naked. Your sergeant is staring me.”

Maddox turned around to chastise Riker. The sergeant had his back to Meta. The closing hatch bumped Maddox forward. The lock
clicked
shut.

Maddox realized Meta had used a diversion against him to get the door closed.

“Meta,” he called.

“I’m busy. Go away.”

“You killed Sten Gorgon. It’s his blood I saw on your throat.”

“Leave me alone!” she shouted.

“Per Lomax has escaped his holding cell,” Maddox said.

“Don’t you think I know that?”

“Why didn’t you come tell me?” Maddox asked.

She didn’t answer.

“Meta?” he called.

“I wanted to tell you, but I…couldn’t.”

Maddox and Riker exchanged glances.

The sergeant tapped the side of his head, mouthing the word, “Teacher.”

Hatred for the New Men surged through Maddox. He’d been conceived in a genetic facility in the Beyond. His mother had escaped to Human Space, where he’d been born. Now, the enemy had tainted his lover. Had Meta really become so corrupted that she had aided a New Man against him?

“I’m here now,” Maddox said. “Unfortunately, the ship is in danger. I need your help.”

“I’m no good to anyone,” Meta said. “I can’t even trust myself. Just leave me alone.”

“Listen to me. You have to—”

The lock unlatched but the hatch remained shut.

“Wait here,” Maddox told Riker. “I don’t like the direction this is taking. Wait on the other side of the corridor.”

“Sir?” Riker asked.

“Call it a precaution.”

“Yes, sir,” Riker said, with a new, harder edge in his voice. The sergeant drew his stunner, and the tenor of his body language said he was worried.

Maddox opened the hatch and stepped into Meta’s quarters, closing the hatch behind him. The room was tidy and minimalist. Bloody clothes lay in the small container at the foot of her bed. Meta sat on the bed with a red silk robe covering her nakedness. Her right hand held the top closed, which hid her blood-speckled throat. She looked up at him, with moisture in her green eyes.

“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked.

“You don’t want to comfort me first, hold me and tell me everything is going to be okay?”

Maddox sat down on the bed and put an arm around her. “It will be all right. Now, I need to know what happened. Time is of the essence.”

“We’re already out of time,” she said.

Maddox took his arm away and stood up, regarding her.

The hand holding the robe tightened. Slowly, Meta shook her head. “I don’t trust the jumps. You know that, right?”

Maddox had heard her say that before.

Meta waved her free hand. “The jumps negatively affect us and the equipment. I’ve been waiting for Per Lomax’s holding cell to short-circuit one of these times. The shield goes down every jump. The computers quit. Why would a holding cell’s force screen be any different?”

“A reasonable question,” Maddox said.

“I usually check on him after every jump.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I want to make certain he’s locked tight. What he did to me on the star cruiser…”

“Do you remember?” Maddox asked.

“No! But I feel it here.” Meta tapped above her right breast. “The New Men are monsters. Their plans are vile.”

Maddox had questioned Per Lomax once. The prisoner had told him the New Men planned to “cull” eighty percent of humanity, the so-called useless portion. Under the Throne World’s guidance, the remaining twenty percent would breed in genetically regimented ways, improving the human race.

“I’ve always felt we should have killed Per Lomax when we had the chance,” Meta said. “Now, it’s too late.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He escaped into the jumpfighter, didn’t he?”

“How would you know that?” Maddox asked.

Meta smirked. “Per Lomax wanted me to join him, you know?” Her features screwed up and she shook her head. “I wanted to go. It would have been the adventure of a lifetime. That’s what’s eating me up inside. I yearned to join Per Lomax. Yet, I love
you
. So why did I want to go with
him
?”

Maddox said nothing, the objective, Intelligence officer side of him overpowering his lover side.

“It’s because of what the teacher did to me on the damned star cruiser!” Meta shouted. “The teacher invaded my mind. He twisted it. I’m damaged goods. I’m untrustworthy! I’m—”

Maddox pulled Meta to her feet, hugging her. She clung to him, resting her forehead in the hollow of his throat.

Finally, she looked up. There were tears in her eyes. He touched her cheek. With a thumb, he wiped away a tear. A moment later, he pressed his lips against hers. They kissed…

When they finally parted, he held her hands as she sat on the bed. Her robe slipped open. He looked at her charms. Shyly, she pulled a hand free and closed the robe, her fingers tightening around the silk.

“I killed Sten Gorgon,” Meta said, as she stared into nowhere. “I’m…sorry I did. I knew him a little. He was always telling jokes. The professor liked him.”

“Why did you kill him?” Maddox asked quietly.

“You’re smart. You should already know the reason.”

“Maybe I do,” Maddox said.

“So tell me.”

“I’d rather hear it from you. As smart as I am, I’m wrong sometimes.”

Meta turned her head, and her words became monotone. “Right after the jump, after my heart stopped thumping and I could see normally again, I exited my room and hurried for the holding cell. The corridor lights began flickering. I heard the warning about a magnetic storm—and then the intercom system went down. I tried my comm-unit, but only got static. I knew something bad had happened so I increased my pace. That’s when I heard them.”