Read The Lost Patrol Online

Authors: Vaughn Heppner

Tags: #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #Adventure, #Alien Invasion, #Colonization, #Exploration, #Galactic Empire, #Genetic Engineering, #Military, #Space Fleet, #Space Marine, #Space Opera, #Space Exploration

The Lost Patrol (10 page)

BOOK: The Lost Patrol
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-16-

 

Aboard Starship
Victory
, Lieutenant Keith Maker listened intently as the chief mechanic went over, in detail, the damage to his jumpfighter.

Magnetic hooks held the “tin can” in the air inside a large hangar bay within
Victory
. Keith kept glancing at the hull punctures the Spacer autocannons had made. He counted twelve of them. It was lucky he’d made it out of there alive. That was a tribute to the jumpfighter’s ruggedness.

The mechanic was a large woman in every way. Keith had trouble focusing on her words as he kept wondering about the exact size of her ponderous breasts.

“Do you want to feel them?” the mechanic asked at last.

“Beg pardon?” Keith asked.

“These,” the chief mechanic said, indicating her bosom. “Would you like to touch them? You keep staring at them.”

Her words embarrassed Keith. He hadn’t realized he’d been so obvious. The captain never backed down in these situations, though. Maybe that was the right way to handle it.

Thus, Keith said cockily, “I don’t mind if I do,” and he reached out.

The mechanic slapped his hand, hard.

Keith yanked his hand back, flexing the throbbing digits. “Hey!” he said.

“I’m fixing your jumpfighter. That doesn’t mean you get to eye my rack as if I’m a piece of meat.”

“Fine,” he said, more embarrassed than ever. “It’s your loss.”

She shook her head. “Flyboys. You never change, do you?”

He wanted to talk about anything else now. “You don’t think anyone but me could have brought my baby home, do you? Look at all those holes. I’m a one of a kind to have coaxed my tin can into its bay. So don’t talk to me about change, as there’s never been one like me before.”

“Like I said,” she muttered, “you flyboys are all alike. Any more questions?”

Keith shook his head.

“All right,” she said. “Why don’t you beat it then, Shorty? I have enough to do here—”

Her words trailed off with Keith’s abrupt exit from the hatch.

Keith fumed over her calling him “Shorty.” He hated the term. He was a small man with what some of his mates used to call bird-sized bones. Maybe he was smaller than normal, but he was also faster and quicker-witted. Nature hadn’t burdened him with flab and useless height. Wide and tall men had trouble maneuvering inside a strikefighter, but he fit just perfectly. He’d been born to be a strikefighter pilot.

That didn’t mean big girls like the chief mechanic should badmouth him. He should go back there and straighten her out.

Keith scowled. He knew that would be a mistake. One of the keys to military life was never letting anyone know what bothered you. If you did, your mates would hound you mercilessly about that thing. Leaving like that had been a mistake.

The problem with the mechanic was that he hadn’t had lots of experience with women. For all his boastfulness and outlandish piloting style, he was normally shy with the opposite sex. Even owning a bar in Glasgow hadn’t changed that much. Back then, drinking had sustained him with women.

Since forgoing blessed alcohol these past years, he’d been thinking about women more and more often. The past voyages hadn’t given him much opportunity in that regard. Training out on Titan had left him zero time to pursue women. Training again this past year and teaching other pilots his specialty skills…no, he’d led a monk’s existence. Now, it was time he got a girlfriend. The captain had one. With all the added crewmembers aboard
Victory
, surely he could find a looker to hold at night.

He adjusted his flight jacket and ran his fingers through his straw-colored hair.

Starship
Victory
was huge. It wasn’t as large as a mainline hauler, but it was the largest fighting vessel in Star Watch. This time, they were going to use all of the ship, not just the small area where the few of them had lived.

Keith passed people he’d never seen before. There were engineers, core specialists, security personnel, service people to take care of everyone, including cooks, doctors, nurses—Keith loved nurses.

He remembered a pretty nurse from Tau Ceti when the miners had been on strike against the Wallace Corporation. Of all things, he’d had an impacted wisdom tooth back then. It had finally begun to interfere with his flying.

The dentist had given him gas. Keith remembered thinking the stuff was useless, as he hadn’t felt tired at all. The next thing he knew, he was groggy, waking up and feeling outraged.

He’d used his tongue to probe around, finding the area in back with a hole instead of a hurting wisdom tooth.

The dentist had walked in then, asking if he could get him anything.

Keith had blinked groggily at the man. Finally, he’d said, “Make sure you keep the pretty nurse beside me.”

She’d laughed at that, a full-bosomed woman in nurse’s whites with eyes like honey. She’d been sitting on a stool beside him, watching some instruments. He would have liked to have been smothered by her.

Grinning as he sauntered down the ship’s corridors, Keith forced himself to nod at every woman he passed. A few smiled. Most ignored him. One arched her eyebrows at him.

“Lovely day,” Keith managed to say.

She giggled, blushing a little.

Keith started feeling better. He wasn’t short. Sure, maybe he wasn’t as tall as the next fellow was, but he certainly wasn’t
short
. Could anyone fly better than he could? Not on their bloody life! He was the best pilot, and he had style.

I need to approach the ladies like I fly. They love style.

Keith grasped the ends of his flight jacket and squared his shoulders. With the next good-looking woman he passed—

Keith stopped in shock still gripping his jacket. He blinked stupidly. Who was
that
? And what was with the dark goggles? Even more importantly, what was with that perfectly shaped rear? The way it moved the tight fabric of her pants…

Keith stood in the middle of the corridor staring at a small Spacer. Two hulking Marines escorted the woman, one of them carrying a small suitcase. The ship Marines almost seemed like prison guards the way they bracketed her. They were headed toward a detention area.

For a moment, the lovely Spacer looked past one of the Marines. It was hard to tell with those goggles, but it appeared as if she stared straight at Keith.

He couldn’t help it, just smiled stupidly. Without thinking, Keith stood at attention and saluted her.

She smiled back at him.

I’m in love
, Keith told himself.
She’s the one. She’s perfect
.

She actually waved to him.

That made the nearest Marine turn his head and scowl at him.

Keith didn’t care. He waved back. He had to meet her. He had to talk to her, hold her, kiss her and have her for himself.

This is going to be the best voyage yet
, Keith told himself.

The Marines marched her into the restricted area, passing from view.

Keith turned the other way, heading for his quarters. He didn’t know it, but he was whistling. She’d smiled and waved to him. Could this be love at first sight?

“I don’t know what else it could be, boyo,” he told himself. “This girl clearly likes what she sees.”

His smile widened as he began to plot how to get into the restricted area to talk to her and find out who she was.

 

-17-

 

Maddox thought about the android and its implications as Riker brought them upstairs to
Victory
. Meta suggested he call the brigadier immediately to tell her about the incident. He wasn’t so certain that would be wise.

The brigadier might want to reopen the Shu Situation, and he couldn’t allow that. It was too interesting now. What infernal game was swirling around the Spacer? How had these last androids kept so well hidden and why had they all shown themselves now?

Over a year ago, androids boiling out of an ancient secret Builder base in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean had tried to take over Earth and the Commonwealth. They’d tried by first kidnapping and then impersonating many of the highest ranking people, including the Lord High Admiral and Brigadier O’Hara. Doctor Dana Rich had broken free from her confinement in the ancient base and helped to blunt the secret takeover. Star Watch Intelligence had led the fight in finding the imposters and hunting down what they had thought were the last of the androids.

Now, it appeared that some androids had remained at large. What had they been doing the past year? Had they contacted any New Men, or Strand or Ludendorff, or was there another Builder somewhere controlling them? It would seem the androids worked against the Spacers.

Raising these questions might give the brigadier a bad case of caution, as the androids had proven deadly in the past. Maddox’s gut told him they were going to need Shu this voyage. He didn’t believe they could afford a delay, either. And there was another thing, a personal reason. He wanted to see Ludendorff’s reaction to the Spacer. If Shu distrusted the professor so intensely, what would be the professor’s reaction to her? He wasn’t ready to turn her over to the brigadier just yet.

Lost in his ruminations, Maddox said little after docking onto
Victory
.

“Will I see you tonight?” Meta asked.

He said “Yes” absently and went his way. He didn’t notice Meta’s frown or Riker leaning near to ask her what was wrong with the captain.

Maddox considered the Ludendorff situation in conjunction with the Shu situation.

Professor Ludendorff had proven treacherous on more than one occasion. The Methuselah Man did what he wanted when he wanted.

Last voyage, Maddox had learned some of the reasons for that. Ludendorff was beyond old, having lived for nine centuries already. The man had seen endless history. They must seem like children to him, brief candles in his immortal existence.

Why had the Builder done that to Ludendorff and Strand? The Builder had modified others as well. Those two had simply been the most successful at staying alive. It was interesting. Strand and Ludendorff had been around since before the Space Age, that era beginning when humanity left the Solar System via Laumer Drive technology. The two had been alive before the first colonies appeared in the Solar System. Had the Builders’ interference helped humanity or harmed it in their quest for the stars?

Maddox shook his head as he walked through the ship’s corridors. He would have to think about this in greater depth, but it would have to be done later.

The captain expanded his chest. It was time to concentrate on the coming voyage and his crew. He would have preferred several weeks, at least, to shake down his new crew and get to know his people better.

That was something his instructors in Patrol Training had hammered home. Out in the Beyond, a crew only had each other. They had to trust one another, believing in what they were doing. Otherwise, morale could sour, and that was worse than equipment failure out in the Beyond.

The crew of Starship
Victory
had several strikes against it before they even left the Solar System. The majority of them had never worked together before. Perhaps as critical, they would have a diverse crew, always a weakness because the people would not automatically think alike.

A Kai-Kaus chief technician by the name of Andros Crank had joined them, together with a Kai-Kaus technical trio with the unusual names of See, Lee and Cree. More Kai-Kaus had sought a berth on
Victory
, but these were the only ones High Command had allowed to leave with them.

Maddox shook his head once more. He’d become a national hero to the Kai-Kaus, by saving them from the Builder Dyson sphere and their coming annihilation from the Swarm masses there. A chief technician had already given her life to save Maddox. He thought about that often, and still found the incident bewildering.

As the captain headed for the bridge, he was surprised by all the people in the corridors. On every past voyage, the Adok starship had been next to empty. Now, it was hard to find a spot to himself. This was like the old-time submarines he’d read about.

Maddox wondered if he would come to wish for the old ways before this was over.

“Welcome aboard, Captain,” said Galyan.

Maddox nodded to the Adok holoimage that had appeared and now moved beside him. “Is the Spacer in the restricted area as I ordered?”

“Yes, sir,” Galyan said.

“Has any unauthorized individual tried to enter the area?”

“I do not know,” Galyan said. “Would you like me to replay the security tapes?”

“I do,” Maddox said, “as soon as we’re finished here. First, I want you to send a message to Brigadier O’Hara.”

The holoimage glanced at him more closely, no doubt wondering why he didn’t want to send the message through regular channels.

“You’re going to use a time-delay,” Maddox continued

“That is not the reason you are having me send it.”

“Correct,” Maddox said a moment later.

The holoimage waited as it floated beside the captain. “Are you going to tell me the reason?” Galyan finally asked.

“No.”

“Are you deliberately goading my curiosity circuits?”

Maddox didn’t reply.

“Sometimes, you are maddening without even trying, Captain. You seek to show me a cake but refuse to let me devour it.”

Maddox’s head swayed back in surprise. “What was that?”

“Oh no,” Galyan said. “Did I use the saying incorrectly?”

Maddox smiled slightly to himself. “That’s not quite how it goes. It’s: ‘You want to have your cake and eat it too.’”

Galyan blinked for a time. “Isn’t a cake edible?”

“It is.”

“Then…what good is a cake if you can’t eat it?”

“That’s an excellent question. As I don’t know where the expression came from, I’m afraid I can’t help you with it.”

“It is challenging using Earth colloquialisms,” Galyan said. “But I am determined to do so correctly, as I would like to integrate fully with my new family.”

Maddox considered his island analogy regarding himself, and smiled softly. “I’d say you’re doing fine, Galyan.”

“Thank you, Captain. Your continued acceptance is noted and appreciated.”

“Hmmm, yes,” he said. “Now, regarding the message…” Maddox told Galyan what to tell the brigadier concerning the Parisian street-attack earlier and the android that had been behind it.

“An android,” Galyan said. “It appears we’ve been having another rash of them. Why didn’t this one attempt to kill you when it had the opportunity?”

“I’ve been wondering that myself,” Maddox said. “I’d say it indicates factions among the androids.”

“That seems odd.”

“You’re considering it from their assault last year,” Maddox said. “A guiding intelligence directed them then. That intelligence perished with the loss of the secret base.”

“I am aware of that,” Galyan said.

“Good,” Maddox said. “You know. The last android said something interesting. It told me it was real, alive, wanting to remain in existence. That desire might have caused a malfunction in its brain circuits.”

“You are striking close to the house with me by saying that,” Galyan said.

Maddox stopped walking. “What?”

“Close to the house,” Galyan repeated. “On no, did I get that one wrong also?”

“Oh!” Maddox said. “Do you mean that one hits close to home?”

Galyan’s eyelids fluttered. “Thank you, Captain. I have noted the correction. Yes, the android’s dilemma hits close to home.”

“Because you’re an artificial intelligence?” Maddox asked.

“I find that I no longer like the term
artificial
. I am quite real, as real as you, sir.”

“Of course,” Maddox said.

“Do you disagree with that?”

“By no means.”

Galyan grew tense. “The android used the same term while speaking with you.”

“He did indeed.”

“Are you making light of me, sir?”

Maddox shook his head. “You are unique, Galyan.”

“I like to think so.”

“But back to the androids…”

“I am listening.”

“Do you think the Builders are behind their latest actions?”

Galyan’s holoimage cocked its head. “That is an imprecise question, sir. We know the singular Builder was behind them, as you say, when it constructed the underwater base thousands of years ago. I suppose you’re wondering if the dead Builder is still behind their present course of action.”

Maddox waited.

“No,” Galyan said after a moment’s computation, “I do not.”

“Do you think Strand guides their present actions?”

“Why do you suspect him?” Galyan asked.

“The connection seems rational,” Maddox said. “Strand has access to Builder technology. If anyone could subvert the androids to his plans, I would expect Strand.”

“Or Professor Ludendorff,” Galyan said.

“True…”

“It is also possible the androids have developed their own scheme.”

“I could accept that if they were simply trying to stay alive,” Maddox said. “Instead, the one in Paris at least was trying to warn us away from the Spacers. I can’t conceive of an explanation for that. The other androids tried to kill me, no doubt to stop me from taking an action they disapproved of. Their attempts didn’t help them survive. In fact, it destroyed them. That might imply the Stokes androids had been given greater motivation than the Paris android. But if that is true, who gave them that spurring motive? You don’t believe the dead Builder did—”

“You are being strictly logical,” Galyan announced. “Yes. I concur with your analysis and I am likewise beginning to suspect Strand’s hand in these actions. Yet, why should Strand attempt to stop Shu from joining us?”

“That is the critical question.”

“Even more importantly,” Galyan added, “how would Strand have known about Shu joining
Victory
?”

Maddox rubbed his forehead. Why hadn’t he already thought of that? He didn’t feel off. Did the reason have anything to do with his failure tonight to spot the Marine menace? Meta had noticed their strangeness and had to point it out to him.

An unwelcome and unusual uneasiness stirred in Maddox. He was used to trusting himself fully. Was something wrong with him? Was his mental acuity less than normal? If so, why was that?

“Is there a problem?” Galyan asked.

“That’s what I’m trying to determine,” the captain murmured.

Maddox thought back to his time aboard the Spacer airship. That seemed like the most logical place for someone to have tampered with him. Yet, how could they have done so?

Could the Spacers have altered him through a mental process somehow?

Maddox scowled. The idea someone could mentally shift his thoughts…

The captain’s fingers curled into fists as he debated whether he should interview Shu this instant. What if the two mechanisms inside her allowed her to mentally invade another person’s thoughts? That seemed farfetched. Still, he would have to monitor himself more closely. Yet, if Shu or the Visionary had the ability to tamper with a person’s thoughts, wouldn’t they have a process to hide that from the selected victim?

“Galyan,” Maddox said.

“Yes, Captain?”

Maddox hesitated. This was embarrassing. He wasn’t used to the emotion. He wondered if there was another way to double-check himself. If there was, he didn’t see it. He would need an outside observer.

“Galyan,” he said slowly, “I want you to monitor me for a time.”

The holoimage seemed to hesitate for just a fraction. “How long shall I do this?”

“I haven’t determined that yet. Let’s start with a week. I want you to test me for any deviations from my norm.”

Galyan floated back a few centimeters.

Maddox noticed. The AI seemed surprised with the order. There was something odd about that.

“You’d better explain what just happened,” Maddox said.

The holoimage seemed crestfallen, and there was a plaintive note in his voice as he spoke: “I cannot understand how you knew I was recording each of you.”

This was news. Maddox hadn’t known.

“I thought I had done so…”

“Secretly?” Maddox asked.

BOOK: The Lost Patrol
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