The Lost Patrol (18 page)

-29-

Fourteen hours later, Admiral Sanchez joined Starship
Victory
deep in the Xerxes Asteroid Belt.

The battlewagons
Wurzburg
and
Austerlitz
together with the heavy cruiser
Anaconda
made up the heart of the flotilla. Several destroyers remained elsewhere in the system. Otherwise, every Star Watch vessel was here.

During that time, the luxury yacht had remained four hundred thousand kilometers from the Nexus and ten thousand kilometers from
Victory
.

“We’re here, Captain,” Sanchez said via the main screen.

“We’ve been using probes and scanning the area since the shuttle’s destruction,” Maddox said. “So far, we haven’t spotted anything else out of the ordinary.”

“I’ve had my people scanning the entire way here,” Sanchez said. “I instructed them to search for the patterns you suggested. Like you, we’ve come up empty. What do you suggest we do now?”

“One of your battleships should dock with the yacht.”

“Do you expect something to happen if I do?”

“Yes.”

Admiral Sanchez scowled. “Captain…” She glanced to someone off screen and held herself as if listening. Finally, she peered at Maddox again. “As you wish. However, I would appreciate it if you would give me an indication of the danger.”

“Cloaked missiles,” Maddox said.

“Even though we’ve scanned relentlessly for the past fourteen hours?” asked Sanchez.

“The asteroids are the problem,” Maddox said. “It’s too easy to hide behind an asteroid, popping out at the last minute.”

“Yes. I see your reasoning,” Sanchez said. “But why would these cloaked missiles attack now?”

“Because you’re going to dock with the yacht,” Maddox said. “I believe there are entities that will work hard to prevent that.”

“If that’s the case, why wouldn’t these missiles have attacked before I brought all this firepower?”

“Because the people behind the missiles would rather remain hidden if they can,” Maddox said. “At all costs, they want to remain behind the scenes, as it were.”

“I know your reputation,” Sanchez said. “You’re one of O’Hara’s cloak and dagger people. But don’t you think this is taking it too far?”

“No.”

Sanchez pondered that as she studied Maddox a few moments longer. “Very well, Captain. I’m heading to the yacht myself in the
Austerlitz
. Do you have any last minute suggestions?”

“Be ready for anything, Admiral. I will assist you to the best of my ability if something unforeseen happens.”

Sanchez gave him a wondering glance before signing off.

“Sir,” Valerie said. “What exactly are we looking for?”

“A cloaked star cruiser, Spacers, silver drones or maybe even a Swarm warship.”

“Swarm?” Valerie said. “You think the Swarm has found Human Space?”

“In truth,” Maddox said, “I rather doubt it. But who knows what kind of data Commander Thrax Ti Ix took from the Dyson sphere?”

Thrax Ti Ix had been a modified Swarm creature who had inserted a virus into the doomed Builder last year. The commander—a giant preying mantis-like creature—had escaped the Dyson sphere before its destruction. He had done so via a hyper-spatial tube, leaving with any number of spacecraft. The tube had aimed toward the center of the galaxy. As far as they knew, Thrax had gone in search of the Swarm Imperium. He planned to bring Laumer Drive technology to the Imperium. According to the Builder, all the Swarm Imperium possessed was a Not As Fast As Light, or NAFAL, drive. Wormhole technology would no doubt revolutionize the Swarm Imperium. But maybe Commander Thrax also had hyper-spatial technology to give the Swarm.

Maddox leaned back. He had other suspicions he wasn’t articulating. He had a black widow spider inside his starship. Everything he said before the ship’s recorders would reach Shu 15. He had come to thoroughly distrust the scramblers. He didn’t even have much faith in Galyan’s observations. Now that Shu knew the AI watched her, Maddox wondered if she’d come up with a way to thwart the Adok tech.

He needed another Builder-derived person to check Shu’s Builder power. That would be Ludendorff. Likely, Shu had figured this out. Over the course of fourteen hours, he’d come to believe the Spacer would do everything in her power to stop Ludendorff from reaching
Victory
.

That would all depend, of course, on Maddox being right about the professor’s premature death. That Dana hadn’t already left in the yacht was the surest sign he was right.

The captain also feared greater Spacer intervention at the Nexus. It had bothered Maddox for over a year that the Spacers hadn’t done anything helpful in the Commonwealth-New Man War. Why had the Spacers remained neutral all this time? Were the Builders and their artifacts part of the reason?

The only known war between Spacers and anyone else had been a Wahhabi Caliphate attack many years ago. The Moslem starships making the assault had all perished.

Was the reason the Spacers had refrained from helping the Commonwealth that everyone would have seen that their warships were vastly superior? Yet, if that was true, what did that mean out here? There were two old battleships, a newer heavy cruiser, two strike cruisers, some old destroyers and Starship
Victory
. Did the Spacers have anything able to take on
Victory
?

“Sir,” Ensign Daggett said. “The admiral is hailing us.”

“Put her on the main screen,” Maddox said.

Sanchez appeared a moment later. “Captain,” she said. “Doctor Rich is requesting a change in plan. The yacht’s personnel are in mourning for the professor. Many of the people worked closely with him for many years. Their various religious beliefs and customs do not allow unwarranted intrusions at this time.”

“I understand,” Maddox said. “Please tell the doctor that the professor would want us to advance human knowledge at any price. His people will have to forgo their mourning in the interest of the greater good.”

“The doctor suspected you might say something like that,” Sanchez said. “As unbelievable as it sounds, Doctor Rich threatens drastic action if the
Austerlitz
approaches any closer.”

“She’s bluffing,” Maddox said.

Admiral Sanchez frowned. “Captain, I realize you know the doctor better than I do, but she was emphatic.”

“I believe you. However…”

Sanchez raised her eyebrows.

“Tell her that I insist,” Maddox said.

Sanchez rubbed her chin. “Captain, I am afraid she may do something completely rash.”

“Such as?” Maddox asked.

“I have detected beginning self-destruct sequences on the yacht. I believe she means to destroy herself and everyone else if we don’t comply.”

Maddox grinned.

Admiral Sanchez frowned severely. “This is no joke, Captain.”

“Admiral Sanchez—”

“Sir,” Ensign Daggett said, interrupting. “We’re being hailed by enemy vessels.”

“She’s right,” Valerie said, while she studied her board. “I’m picking up…” She looked at Maddox. “Sir, I’m picking up five silver drones. They’re twenty-five thousand kilometers away and slowly closing.”

“Admiral,” Maddox said. “Are you seeing this?”

“I am,” Sanchez said, peering at something off-screen.

With a tap, Valerie gave Maddox a split screen. One side showed the admiral. The other side showed space. Five silver dots with exhaust plumes wove their way through the asteroid belt toward them.

“The enemy drone commander has become insistent,” Ensign Daggett said. “He demands that you speak with him.”

“I’m going to take this call,” Maddox told Sanchez.

“This is amazing,” Sanchez said. “I’ve been in the system five months now. No one has seen any sign of the fabled silver drones. Now, a handful of them are coming. Captain, this could prove to be a deadly fight.”

Maddox studied the large drones. He signaled Daggett. The ensign tapped her comm panel.

Both the admiral and space disappeared from the screen. In their place appeared a fuzzy image. It was difficult to tell, but a humanoid shape appeared to move within the fuzziness.

“Whom do I address?” the unknown person asked in a stilted manner.

“This is Captain Maddox of Starship
Victory
. We are a Patrol vessel of Star Watch. Please identify yourself.”

The alien spoke, “You must retreat from the asteroid belt, Captain Maddox. Otherwise, we shall open fire.”

“This is the Xerxes System,” Maddox said. “It is part of the Commonwealth of Planets. You are intruding in our territory. If you open fire, we shall destroy your vessels.”

“That is an arrogant reply,” the alien said. “We are the Defenders of the Relic. This is our territory. You must retreat at once, or we shall begin destroying your starships.”

“You have five minutes to begin retreating,” Maddox said.

“As a sign of our deadly intent,” the alien said, “we will destroy the smallest of your ships first.”

“He means the luxury vessel,” Valerie said. “The drones are targeting the yacht.”

“Sir,” Ensign Daggett said. “The admiral and Doctor Rich are both hailing us.”

“Ignore them,” Maddox said.

Daggett stared at the captain in wonder.

Valerie opened her mouth. Andros Crank signaled her, shaking his head. Valerie noticed and closed her mouth.

“You must retreat immediately, Captain,” the alien said on the main screen. “I will not repeat my threat a second time.”

“Burn the small ship to your heart’s delight,” Maddox told the alien. “I won’t stop you.”

“Sir!” Valerie burst out.

Maddox appeared not to hear her as he stared at the alien’s fuzzy image on the screen.

“You consider the small ship an enemy vessel?” the alien asked.

“In this instance, yes,” Maddox said.

“In that case, we have reconsidered,” the alien said. “We will target your vessel now.”

“If you do that,” Maddox said, “I will fire at the luxury yacht.”

“That is not logical,” the alien said.

“On the contrary, it is supremely logical. Lieutenant,” Maddox told Smith-Fowler, “Target the luxury yacht with a neutron cannon. On my signal, commence firing.”

Smith-Fowler frowned as he complied.

“What form of species are you that attacks its own kind?” the alien asked.

“Is that your final comment?” Maddox asked.

“We are the Defenders—”

“Fire,” Maddox said.

Lieutenant Smith-Fowler tapped the weapons board. The neutron cannon generated its beam, and the ray shot outward from
Victory
at Ludendorff’s luxury yacht.

-30-

The purple neutron beam struck the yacht’s powerful electromagnetic shield. The shield held steadily for a time and slowly began to change to a reddish color.

“Sir!” Valerie shouted. “Dana’s on that ship.”

Maddox did not reply.

Smith-Fowler glanced at the captain.

“Keep firing,” Maddox told him.

“Sir, what are you thinking?” Valerie shouted. “We can’t kill Dana. This is murder.”

“Lieutenant,” Maddox said. “Contain yourself. If you can’t, I will relieve you of duty.”

Valerie’s face screwed up in agony.

On the main screen, the yacht’s shield had turned brown.

“Sir,” Valerie said in a raspy voice.

“Lieutenant,” Maddox said, “has it occurred to you that the yacht possesses a vastly more powerful shield than it should? We’ve hit it with our neutron beam. The
Austerlitz’s
shield wouldn’t hold up this well.”

Valerie twisted a ring on her finger as she studied the darkening shield.

“Sir,” Ensign Daggett said. “The admiral is threating to fire at us if you don’t stop firing at the yacht.”

“I’m more interested in what the alien is saying,” Maddox told her.

Daggett looked up in wonder. “He’s saying you’re mad, sir. He’s saying he wants nothing to do with a species like you. If you don’t stop immediately, they’re going away, never to return.”

“What’s going on, sir?” Valerie asked.

“Ensign,” Maddox said. “Tell the alien he must self-destruct all five of his drones or I will surely destroy the yacht.”

“Sir?” Daggett said in a dazed voice.

“Send the message,” Maddox ordered.

“The
Austerlitz
has locked onto us,” Smith-Fowler said.

Maddox forced himself to sit back in his command chair. He had to be right about the professor. Ludendorff must have spent some of his time in the asteroid belt strengthening his hand. If the mission was going to succeed, Maddox believed he had to strip the professor of those aces. In other words, he believed that Ludendorff was not only alive but also controlling the silver drones.

“The
Wurzburg
is locking on, sir,” Smith-Fowler said.

“I’ve sent the message to the alien,” Daggett told Maddox. “The admiral says we have twenty seconds to comply with her orders.”

“Pump maximum energy to our shields,” Maddox told Smith-Fowler.

“Done, sir,” the tight-lipped weapons officer said.

Ensign Daggett was trembling, her hands quivering as she tapped her board.

The main screen had become even fuzzier. “Is the channel still open to the alien?” Maddox asked the comm operator.

Ensign Daggett nodded raggedly.

“I know your game,” Maddox told the alien. “I’m not going to allow it. We’re either going to do this my way, or I’m going to destroy you. You have less than ten seconds to comply. Then, I’m ordering the disintegrator beam to fire at the yacht.”

Maddox turned to Smith-Fowler. “Get ready to cut the neutron cannon.”

Warning klaxons blared on the bridge.

“Look!” Valerie shouted. “One of the silver drones has detonated. I don’t believe this. The others are detonating as well.”

“Cut the neutron beam,” Maddox said.

The weapons officer tapped faster than he had so far.

Ensign Daggett slouched at her board, weeping, speaking through her tears to Admiral Sanchez.

“Why did the aliens do that, sir?” Valerie asked. “I don’t understand any of this.”

Ensign Daggett sat up as she wiped tears from her eyes. “Sir,” she said. “Doctor Rich would like a word with you.”

“Put her on the main screen,” Maddox said.

A second later, a visibly trembling Dana Rich stared at him.

“You’re mad,” she told Maddox.

“You know I’m not,” he said.

“You’re an arrogant bastard who only thinks of himself.”

“That would be your boyfriend, the professor.”

“How dare you profane his name at a time like this?” Dana said.

Maddox waited.

Dana took a deep breath. “I’m…I’m requesting permission to come aboard
Victory
.”

“Yes, on one condition,” Maddox said.

“That being what?”

“You dock the yacht beside the starship and come via a boarding tube.”

“I figured you’d say that,” Dana said. “Yes. I agree.” She stared at him as the fear began dissipating from her features. “You’re—”

“I know,” Maddox said. “The remarkable thing is that I sleep well at night.”

Dana tapped a board and her image disappeared.

“Sir,” Valerie said, having taken over comm duties for the moment. “Admiral Sanchez is demanding to speak to you.”

“Put her on,” Maddox said. “I might as well get this over with.”

***

Admiral Sanchez still wasn’t happy, as Maddox hadn’t explained much. He told her there were hidden forces at play, Star Watch Intelligence secrets he wasn’t at liberty to discuss over a comm line. If she would like to come aboard the starship…

Sanchez made it clear she would not leave her flagship while in a combat zone. Soon,
Austerlitz
and
Wurzburg
led the rest of the flotilla away from the Nexus and
Victory
. They took up station in an over-watch position, scanning relentlessly, searching for any other hidden enemies.

The luxury yacht closed to within several hundred kilometers of
Victory
.

The bridge personnel were tense. Lieutenant Maker presently sat at the comm station, Ensign Daggett having left for sickbay.

Galyan appeared on the bridge.

Maddox crooked a finger at the holoimage. Galyan floated near.

“I want you to scour the decks,” Maddox said softly. “Search for hidden intruders.”

“You believe the New Men have slipped onto our vessel from the cloaked star cruiser?”

“That would be my guess,” Maddox said, giving Galyan a makeshift task to keep him off the bridge for now.

The holoimage glanced at the others. “I will be discrete, sir.”

“Excellent.”

Galyan vanished.

“Anything yet?” Maddox asked Lieutenant Smith-Fowler.

“It’s quiet outside, sir. I’m only picking up the flotilla’s sensor scans.”

Maddox scratched his chest. Could that be it from the Spacers? Or was Shu planning a surprise on
Victory
itself? The captain pondered the idea. He slid off the command chair, approaching Valerie’s station.

“Sir?” she asked.

He motioned Valerie to him. She stood while frowning, leaning near.

“You have the bridge,” Maddox whispered. “I want you to say as little as possible, particularly over the ship’s intercom or over the comm to another vessel.”

Valerie peered at him, mouthing the word, “Shu?”

Maddox nodded imperceptibly. He was certain the Spacer studied every wavelength that might possibly give her information. Who knew how much Shu already knew.

Valerie looked as if she wanted to ask him several more questions. Finally, her shoulders deflated as she nodded.

The lieutenant headed for the command chair as Maddox strode from the chamber.

The captain moved purposefully through the corridors. As he did, he fingered a device within a pocket. He used a route that could lead to a hanger bay just in case Shu was watching his progress. Several minutes later, he pressed a switch on the device. The moment he did so, Maddox broke into a sprint.

He used an override unit, shutting down the starship’s interior security cameras, effectively blinding Shu. He hoped the Spacer would think it was a momentary malfunction.

The captain’s sprint took him in a new direction. Instead of the hangar bay, he raced for the detention center.