The Lost Patrol (33 page)

-57-

Maddox wore an armored vacc suit although he hadn’t yet put on his helmet. He was strapped onto his seat in the jumpfighter. This one was bigger than the tin can they’d used on the other voyages, able to hold a few more people.

He sat up front with Keith. Packed inside the small cabin were Shu, Ludendorff, Riker, Meta, Keith and himself. Six people jammed together. In the back compartment were five Marines in exo-skeleton battle armor. Eleven humans were about to attempt the greatest revival in human history.

“We’re ready, sir,” the Marine lieutenant radioed from the other compartment.

Maddox glanced at Keith.

“Aye,” the Scotsman said. “Let’s see what my little bugger can do to get us inside a fabled Nexus.”

“Lieutenant Noonan?” the captain asked over the comm.

“I can’t believe we’re trying this,” Valerie said. “Traveling home the hard way seems almost preferable. We don’t have any margin for error this time.”

“Thus, we must strive for excellence,” Maddox said. “You’re the best officer I have for the task, Lieutenant. You’ve never let me down in these situations. I do not believe you will do so now.”

Valerie nodded mutely on the screen.

“So…?” Maddox asked.

“I’m ready,” Valerie whispered. She turned to someone off screen before facing the captain again. “Galyan has begun the sequence, sir. We will use the star drive in one minute.”

“One minute to glory,” Maddox told her. He flexed his left hand. It still felt stiff. He hoped it wouldn’t cramp up after coming out of jump.

***

Tens of thousands of Chitin missiles zeroed in on Starship
Victory
. The missiles traveled in swarms, making the Chitins seem even more insect-like to Dana.

The giant red star pulsated with energy. The ultra-massive clot of Chitin vessels seemed to shudder in response. In the outer region of the system, the Swarm masses gathered, acting more recklessly than they had earlier.

Victory’s
special star drive activated. The ship had been seriously decelerating so it wouldn’t be moving too fast inside the globular.

Almost instantly, the ancient Adok vessel disappeared from its spot in the space-time continuum. A micro-moment later, it reappeared inside the Chitin globular, almost crashing into a huge golden pyramid.

***

Klaxons rang on the bridge. Groggily, Valerie raised her head as she strove for coherence. What had happened? Did the pyramid’s proximity have a negative effect on the jump, adding to their Jump Lag?

“Galyan,” Valerie slurred, as if her mouth was numb. “Galyan, can you hear me?”

No one answered.

Valerie rubbed her eyes. That helped focus them a little.

“Galyan,” Valerie whispered.

“I am here, Lieutenant.”

Valerie saw a blurry holoimage beside the command chair she sat in.

“What happened?” she asked. “Why is it so difficult to think?”

“I am detecting a strange vibration emanating from the Golden Nexus,” Galyan said. “It is having negative effects on me, and I think on your brain processes as well. Perhaps this is the reason the Chitins do not come in closer to the pyramid.”

“Can you bring up the main screen?” Valerie asked.

“I do not think so.”

“Can you contact the jumpfighter?”

“Negative,” Galyan said. “The interfering vibrations are rendering my processes…processes…”

The holoimage froze.

Valerie forced herself to a standing position. It seemed as if she held that for some time. Finally, her head snapped up. With gritty determination, she staggered to the board controlling the hangar bay. She pressed a control while holding her breath.

According to the indicator, the bay door slowly began to open.

She staggered to the comm station. Everyone else on the bridge was still slumped over his or her station. Valerie tapped away, but could not open communications with the tin can.

Lieutenant Noonan cried out in frustration. Had the captain finally leapt into danger one too many times?

***

The situation was vastly different inside the jumpfighter. Everyone was alert seconds after completing the jump. Maddox noticed that Shu did not speak. She was grim-lipped and silent.

“Blocking,” Shu whispered.

“What’s that?” the captain asked.

“She’s blocking a ray or the vibration from the Golden Nexus,” Ludendorff declared. The Methuselah Man sat at a panel. “I suspect the vibration incapacitates certain brain functions.”

“Correct,” Shu whispered.

“The hangar bay doors are opening,” Keith shouted. “I hope everyone is ready. Ejecting in three, two, one…go.”

Maddox’s head snapped back as the jumpfighter accelerated on the new catapult system. The tin can shot out of
Victory
into the strange space inside the Chitin globular formation.

It was darker than regular space, as there were no stars or other lights. The giant golden pyramid was the only illumination, with a faint but eerie nimbus around it.

“Is that a force field?” Keith asked as he engaged the controls.

“Of sorts,” Shu said.

Far away, intense lights appeared in clumps of ten or twenty. In seconds, the individual lights merged into one continuous shine all around them.

“Part of the Chitin mass has begun to accelerate for us,” Ludendorff said. “We’re seeing their exhaust trails.”

“Are any missiles launching?” Maddox asked.

Ludendorff snorted. “How would you expect me to know the difference between a missile and a ship at this point?”

“I’m nudging us nearer the Golden Nexus,” Keith said. “Tell me when you’re ready to fold.”

“Well, Shu,” Maddox said. “Have you pinpointed a location?”

“The force field is inhibiting my ability,” the Spacer said.

“You claimed to have seen into the pyramid earlier,” the captain said.

“I did,” she said, “while piggybacking on
Victory’s
sensors. Maybe that weakened the force field, although I don’t know how it would. At this moment, I’m blind.”

Ludendorff cleared his throat.

Maddox noticed. He also saw the Methuselah Man reach inside his vacc suit, seeming to manipulate something.

“Wait,” Shu said. “Something happened. The force field is weakening, or maybe the Nexus is low on energy. I can’t pinpoint the reason, but my adaptations are piercing the veil.”

The captain had returned the cube to the professor the day before, assuming that it must dull the Spacer’s Builder tech in some way. He was relieved that the professor had understood his veiled suggestion to bring it along with them.

“Something is wrong,” Shu said.

“Do you mean something in the Nexus?” Maddox asked.

“Yes. There’s been damage. It looks…”

“It looks like what?” Maddox asked.

Shu turned to him. “We have to fold, Captain. We have to do it now.”

Maddox considered her insistence against her reluctance to tell him exactly what she saw in there.

“If we’re going to get back to Earth,” Ludendorff said. “We’re going to have to enter the pyramid eventually.”

The professor’s inescapable logic swayed Maddox. “Do you have the coordinates?” he asked Keith.

“Not yet,” the pilot said.

“Shu, if you would give them to the lieutenant.”

The Spacer hesitated, finally nodding. Slowly and deliberately, she gave Keith the coordinates. As she spoke, the ace tapped them into the fold computer.

“Right,” Keith said. His nimble fingers blurred across his board. He was the only one not wearing a vacc suit, although he had one ready just in case. “Are you ready to go, sir?”

“Fold, fold,” Maddox told him.

“Hang on, mates. We’re on our way.”

-58-

The tin can came out of the fold inside the Golden Nexus. This time, there was no jump lag of any sort.

“The vibrations have stopped,” Shu said.

It was a good thing they had, as the Star Watch jumpfighter had appeared in what seemed like an oversized corridor.

“This is bloody insane,” Keith snarled. He flew around a twisted girder, barely dodged what looked like a floating wall and braked hard and took them to the extreme left, scraping a twisted mass of girders.

On his seat, Maddox went one way and then the other, his straps digging into his vacc suit.

“We’re in a maze,” the ace said.

As best she could, Shu held herself perfectly still, seeming to concentrate. “I don’t understand this,” she kept whispering.

The flying became even more violent.

“Hang on now,” Keith shouted.

The jumpfighter shuddered. Explosions occurred outside the vessel.

“I’m using a missile or two,” the ace explained.

Maddox could hardly breathe as the maneuvering became increasingly harsh.

Keith laughed even as he snarled. “Do you think this is going to stop me? I’m the ace from Glasgow. I’m the one that’s going to teach you what flying means.”

Keith used the fighter’s cannons, shredding a path for them when he couldn’t fly around an obstacle in time. Twice, the tin can shuddered, and once the entire vessel rocked as if a meteor had struck the outer hull.

“Not to worry,” Keith said. “I have everything under control.”

“What is this?” Maddox shouted at Shu.

“I don’t know,” she said. “This isn’t what I saw. I can’t believe it, but there must have been countermeasures. Something is fighting me.”

“Could it be the Builder?” Ludendorff asked her.

“Possibly,” Shu said.

The captain and professor traded glances.

“What do you make of all this?” Maddox asked the professor.

“It looks like wreckage,” Ludendorff said. “In my estimation, heavy combat has occurred in here. Frankly, we should have crashed by now. That fool of a youth knows how to fly. There is no denying that.”

“I can’t hear you, mate,” Keith shouted. “Say the last part again.”

“Concentrate on flying,” Ludendorff told him.

“That would be a mistake,” Keith said. “I’d freak out if I did that. I’m flying by feel, by pretending this is fun. And you know what, mate? This is the best time I’ve had the entire voyage.” He twisted around to stare at Shu. “Thanks, love, for your bloody lies. I wouldn’t be doing this otherwise. If we live, you owe me a kiss.”

“Watch your screen, you fool,” Ludendorff shouted.

“Aye-Aye, old man,” Keith said. “Keep singing to me, eh? You’re making every moment ten times more enjoyable.”

“He’s a lunatic,” Ludendorff told Maddox.

“Yes,” the captain said. “It’s why they put him onto
Victory
.”

“Brace yourselves,” Keith said. “I’m going to try to slow down. I haven’t had a chance to until now.”

Maddox went violently forward, only held in by his straps. He heard “oofs” and grunts all around.

For the next six minutes, Lieutenant Keith Maker flew the jumpfighter in an exhibition of supreme skill. He used the autocannons several more times and launched one more missile.

“How long does this wreckage go?” Keith finally asked.

“It shouldn’t be much longer,” Shu said.

“Can you really see ahead?” Maddox asked. “Or do you think the Builder is feeding you illusions?”

“I’m not sure,” Shu admitted.

“Maybe we should fold out of this,” Ludendorff said.

“That would be unwise,” Maddox said. “We’re inside the Nexus. Maybe if we have to try to fold in again, we’ll appear in a pile of rubble.”

“I’m starting to get motion sickness,” Ludendorff complained.

“I think I see open space,” Keith shouted. “It’s through that wall.”

“The opening is too small,” Ludendorff said. “We’ll crash.”

“Looks like I’ll have to widen the bugger,” Keith said. The autocannons chugged, blowing away clumps of wall, but not fast enough. “Well, we’ll have to squeeze through then. Should be more exciting this way, at least.”

“I don’t want exciting,” Ludendorff said.

“That’s ‘cause you’re old, mate. I love this, can’t get enough of it.”

Before anyone else could respond, the jumpfighter roared through the opening as if Keith was Robin Hood making a perfect shot.

The Star Watch fold-fighter burst into an open region. In relation to the maze of floating junk, this was a vast area, perhaps the majority of the pyramid.

“This is more like it,” Ludendorff said.

Maddox switched on rearward cameras, observing the drifting debris behind the fighter. “Had bombs gone off in here?”

“Now where do we go?” Keith asked.

“Use your sensors,” Ludendorff suggested.

Keith tapped his panel. “That’s no good. The sensors are next to dead in here.”

“I can help with that,” Shu said. “There. Try it again.”

Keith did, and sensor readings began to show on the area screen.

“I can work with that,” Ludendorff said. His old fingers flew on his board almost as fast as the young pilot’s fingers had on the flight panel. “Interesting, interesting,” the Methuselah Man muttered. “Take a look at this.”

Maddox studied a side screen. According to this, the edges of the inner pyramid contained the shredded wreckage. Once past that, a vast open area showed. In the exact center of the pyramid was a much smaller pyramid, perhaps a tenth the size of the larger one.

“It’s five hundred kilometers away,” Ludendorff declared.

“Do I fly there or should I fold again?” Keith asked.

“No,” Maddox said, “don’t fold. I don’t trust this place. Who knows how many different kinds of countermeasures are in place. Surveyor, have you pinpointed who has been trying to subvert you?”

“I don’t know who,” Shu said. “But I do know where. The interference is definitely radiating from the smaller structure.”

“Do you think it’s the Builder?”

“Why would she attack one of her children?” Shu asked

“Maybe she doesn’t know you’re one of hers,” Maddox said.

“That’s impossible,” Shu said. “The legends say—” She abruptly stopped talking.

“What do the legends say?” Ludendorff asked.

“Just a moment,” Shu said. She seemed to concentrate once more. “This is strange. I’m getting a new type of interference. I think the original interference came from a machine source in the wrecked area.”

“Can you speak to the Builder?” Maddox asked.

“I’m not sure I’m sensing the Builder,” Shu said. “I am sensing something, though. It’s watching us.”

“Should we attempt to open channels with it?” Maddox asked Ludendorff.

“Why do you ask him?” Shu said, sounding offended. “You should ask me. I’m the expert on female Builders.”

“True,” Maddox said. “What do you suggest, Surveyor? Should we open channels with them?”

“I’ll try,” she said.

“Maybe it would be wiser if you do so using the jumpfighter’s communications,” Maddox said.

“Why should I do that when I can just as easily… Oh. I see. You still don’t trust me.”

“But I do trust you,” Maddox said.

“Then why insist on opening channels?” Shu asked.

“Because I trust you to act like a secretive Spacer unless I insist you take the rest of us into your confidence,” Maddox explained.

“Very well then,” Shu said. She tapped the comm board, but nothing happened except for harsh static. “It looks like I’ll have to do this my way after all,” she said.

Maddox did not reply.

Shu frowned several moments later. “The source has begun to shield itself. I think it’s gotten suspicious of us. I think using the regular communications was a mistake.”

Thirty seconds later, Keith said, “I agree with you, love.” He tapped his board to zoom in on the central pyramid. Doors opened there as five missiles or fighters flew out of the structure, burning fast for the jumpfighter.