“Not anymore,” Henderson said. “I have direct orders.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe,” Henderson said.
“Lunar Command will fire on you unless you give me confirmation.”
“Bah,” Henderson said. “They’re shutting down and sending out the rescue shuttles. But…maybe it’s better you know. The Supremacy told us.”
“The Lord High Admiral?” asked Maddox.
“No!” Henderson said, slamming a fist on an armrest. “I told you, His Supremacy.”
“The Lord High Admiral runs Star Watch.”
“His Supremacy runs the Alexander,” Henderson shouted.
Underneath the senso-mask, a grim smile spread on Maddox’s face as he put two and two together. “What did His Supremacy order you to do on the dark side of the Moon?”
“I…” Henderson frowned. “I cannot say.”
“Captain Henderson,” Maddox said. “I congratulate you on your precision regarding secret orders. Once you have fulfilled your first duty, you will have a second. I suppose you don’t know about that yet.”
“What second duty?”
“If you don’t know, I must speak to His Supremacy.”
“Impossible,” Henderson said. “He is asleep until we reach the dark side of the Moon. He needed some rest.”
“Right,” Maddox said. “We mustn’t wake him then.”
“That would anger him,” Henderson said.
“I don’t wish that. But I do wish to follow my orders as given by His Supremacy.”
“Oh?”
“I will send a delegation to your ship—”
“You will not,” Henderson said. “No one is to enter the ready room to disturb him. No one is allowed on the bridge while he sleeps. The implication is that I must remain at my post until I wake him.”
“Bravo, Captain, you passed the test perfectly,” Maddox said. “Of course, I would never think to go onto the bridge. I know that rule as well.”
“You do?” asked Henderson.
“Do you think someone as grand as His Supremacy hasn’t given many orders?”
“I-I…of course not,” Henderson finished.
“He told me to wait aboard the Alexander until he awoke to give me further orders. Are you going to cancel his orders to us?”
“He didn’t say anything about you to me,” Henderson said.
“Of course not,” Maddox said, “because this is an ultra-secret mission. Why don’t you to wake him and ask him about it.”
“Never,” Henderson said in horror.
“I’m sending the delegation to the Alexander. They will rendezvous with your vessel before it reaches the dark side of the Moon.”
“Very well,” Henderson said grudgingly. “I will permit it.”
“Excellent,” Maddox said. “I will add that to my report to His Supremacy.” With that, Maddox cut the connection.
The others had been listening closely. Now, Ludendorff cleared his throat.
Maddox tore off the senso-mask. The heat of it had left his features sweaty. “Henderson is obviously speaking about Becker. The traitor has lost his master. That doesn’t mean he’ll give up. I’m thinking Becker has been busy dominating the crew of the Alexander.”
“How does that help us?” Ludendorff demanded. “We don’t want to enter the lion’s den.”
“I think we do,” Maddox said. “I think if we’re going to hunt down the rest of the Liss cybers still free in the Solar System, Becker will know better than anyone else where they are and how to do it.”
“But you just said he’s in control of the Alexander.”
“Henderson also told us Becker’s asleep,” Maddox said. “Why would Becker sleep at a time like this?”
“Ah,” Ludendorff said. “Logically, Becker has overtaxed himself. Nothing else makes sense.”
“Exactly,” Maddox said. “Thus, we have to strike immediately. Remember, Professor, the key in a time of chaos is to strike faster and harder than the other side. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
-22-
Maddox and the others had changed uniforms, having found new ones aboard the Class-3 black ops hauler.
The captain had known the location of the clothes locker on a black ops vessel, as the location hadn’t changed since Intelligence had been a single large organization. He wore the senso-mask, having donned a Political Intelligence Commissar General’s uniform. Riker and Meta wore PI military police uniforms, while Ludendorff wore magnetic shackles on his wrists, their “special prisoner.”
The hauler’s shuttle took off, accelerating from the dark side of the Moon and racing for the approaching Alexander.
“Despite your reasoning, this plan is too rash,” Ludendorff said. “I give it a one in ten probability of working.”
“Everything changes in a time of political chaos,” Maddox said. “I would have assumed that your extensive historical knowledge would have led you to a similar conclusion regarding the correct action at a time like this.”
“I’m a prisoner,” Ludendorff complained. “You can be the prisoner.”
“You’re better known than I am,” Maddox said blandly.
Ludendorff opened his mouth to object, but closed it, frowning. “You’re playing on my vanity saying that.”
“Nonsense,” Maddox said. “Are you better known than I am or not?”
“I suppose I am,” Ludendorff grumbled.
“There you are,” Maddox said. “Now, enough of your complaining. We’re heading in.”
The Alexander had already started decelerating, making this easier. The shuttle entered hangar bay 3 and soon touched down. As per Maddox’s earlier request, as the bay doors sealed, the Alexander’s chief political commissar and four MPs hurried from a hatch.
“Here we go,” Maddox said. “Be ready for anything.”
The four of them filed off the shuttle, with a magnetically handcuffed Ludendorff in the lead. Meta and Riker followed, their carbines aimed at the professor’s back. Maddox brought up the rear, his features hidden by the senso-mask.
The Alexander’s political commissar—a sour-faced, stoop-shouldered captain—jerked his head back in astonishment at sight of Ludendorff. He looked at Maddox. “That’s the notorious Professor Ludendorff. He’s at the top of the wanted list.”
“Precisely,” Maddox said in a modulated voice. “Why do you think I chose the Alexander?”
The captain commissar frowned. His four MPs each had holstered sidearms, two of them ready to draw. The four were steroid monsters, bruisers who looked as if they enjoyed giving pain.
The Alexander’s captain commissar shook his head. “I don’t know. This is strange to me.”
“Enough of this,” Maddox said. “Where’s your high security chamber?”
The captain commissar’s tongue darted out to touch his lips. “You have the Methuselah Man. You should have taken him to Earth.”
Maddox brushed past Meta, marching to the captain commissar, towering over the shorter man. “Are you telling me my business?”
The tongue appeared once more. “General, this is highly unusual. I’m a mere captain, true, but there are procedures for such things. I cannot understand how you captured the Methuselah Man.”
Maddox did not move. In the end, he held out his right hand and crooked the index finger.
The captain commissar slid nearer.
“Closer,” Maddox said.
The captain commissar hesitated, finally complying.
“I’ve learned of a conspiracy,” Maddox said softly. “Have you received word from Director Chom?”
The captain commissar frowned up at the senso-shielded face. It seemed as if he would ask Maddox to turn off the mask so he could see who Maddox was. Maybe the captain lost his nerve. “I have tried to reach Director Chom. There is no word from HQ concerning his whereabouts.”
“Do you know why?” asked Maddox.
The capt
ain commissar shook his head.
Maddox meaningfully tapped a finger against his own chest.
“I don’t understand,” the captain commissar said.
“Either you are for me,” Maddox whispered. “Or you are against me.”
“Sir?”
“I’ve read your file, Captain. You’re an astute man. Surely, this is obvious to you now.”
The captain commissar tugged at his collar. It seemed to be too tight for him. A trickle of sweat ran from his temple. “Are you Director…?”
“Yes…?” Maddox asked.
The captain commissar came to rigid attention. “What can I do for you, General?”
“We must get Ludendorff to your high security chamber, at once,” Maddox said. “That is imperative.”
“Do you mean the…?”
“I do,” Maddox said.
“Yes, General,” the captain commissar said. “Let me show you the way.” He snapped his fingers.
The four MPs drew their sidearms, turning smartly.
“On the double, if you please,” Maddox said. “Speed is critical.”
The captain commissar and his chosen MPs hurried the four of them through the ship’s corridors. Crewmembers glanced at the passing group and then looked away. No one challenged them. It appeared that no one dared. Political Intelligence had done its job well on the Alexander. Regular Star Watch personnel had learned to fear the PI commissars.
Eight minutes and thirty-two seconds later, the group filed past PI security into a sealed area of the ship. Galyan had learned earlier and passed it on to Maddox some of the new procedures that he’d uncovered regarding fleet vessels. One of them involved how a PI commissar and his military police team went about breaking any captain or regular crew-inspired conspiracies against the state. The means for doing so was in this special area of the ship.
“Take us to the monitoring chamber,” Maddox said.
The captain commissar only half lifted an eyebrow. He used a hand and smoothed the questioning eyebrow, guiding them to the most secure area of the warship.
The captain commissar indicated that the three PI monitors continue sitting at their stations. The two men and one woman watched screens, one of them including the bridge.
Meta shut the hatch behind her, clicking it locked.
“Now that we’re here, General,” the captain commissar said. “I would like to ask—”
Riker and Maddox drew stunners, stunning the three monitors and two of the MPs that had come into the chamber with the captain commissar.
“Uh-uh-uh,” Maddox said, aiming at the captain commissar. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“But, General,” the captain said, who’s right hand was on the butt of his holstered gun. “What is the meaning of this?”
Ludendorff shook off his magnetic handcuffs.
This time, the captain commissar’s eyebrows lifted high indeed.
Maddox clicked off the senso-mask.
The captain commissar groaned as he eyed Maddox.
“It’s not what you think,” Maddox said. “There is a conspiracy, an alien attempt to—”
The captain commissar shouted incoherently, drawing his sidearm.
Riker stunned him so the captain commissar crumpled onto the deck. “You weren’t going to convince him, sir. We’re going to have to do it ourselves.”
Ludendorff was already at the monitor controls. He flipped switches and manipulated the panel.
“Well?” asked Maddox.
Ludendorff shook his head. “I’m just seeing kill gas, no knockout gas.”
Maddox swore under his breath. “We’re not murderers. We—”
Ludendorff manipulated the panel again.
“He’s gassing them, sir,” Riker said.
“Stop,” Maddox said.
Ludendorff shook his head. “The bridge crew dies, Captain. There’s no other way.”
With a stricken look, Maddox gazed up at the ceiling.
Meta stepped near and touched an arm.
Ignoring her, Maddox faced the others. “Can you flush the gas?”
“I’m already doing it,” a pale-faced, shaken Ludendorff said.
Maddox glanced at the monitor bridge screen. Every officer there lay dead on the deck or at their stations. “Right,” the captain said, his voice hollow. “Speed is critical.”
“How are we going to get past the MPs outside this chamber?” Riker asked.
Ludendorff took a short breath. “I already took care of it. They’re dead, too. I gassed them and flushed the area. Even so, I suggest you hold your breath as we go through the chamber. It’s going to take all of us to do this.”
-23-
Becker snorted, shifting on the cot in the ready room. Was it time already? It felt as if he’d barely gotten to sleep.
Someone shook his shoulder.
“I’m awake, I’m awake,” Becker mumbled with his eyes closed. “Don’t do that again.”
“If you don’t jump up, I’ll kick you in the back next time.”
Becker’s eyes snapped open. He sat up to regard four—he knew these people by pictures and repute: Captain Maddox, his beautiful wife Meta, Sergeant Riker and…Professor Ludendorff?
Becker concentrated, using dominating power—
Maddox slapped him across the face.
Becker gasped, and his domination attempt faltered. Tentatively, he mentally reached out to touch their minds. He could not. Something was blocking him. That was when he noticed the headbands and the bulbs to the side.
“I don’t understand,” Becker complained. “How did you get in here? It should have been impossible.”
“You’re going to help us,” Maddox said in a cold voice. “If it was up to me, I would kill you here. But higher command wants to interrogate you.”
“You’re lying,” Becker said.
“You won’t cooperate?” Maddox asked hopefully.
“I didn’t say that.” Becker tried their minds again. Ah. He touched something in Riker. He pulled back— “Ugh!” Becker doubled over, clutching his stomach. He vomited, hating the weakness in him.
“What’s wrong with you?” Maddox demanded. “Are you sick?”
“No,” Becker said weakly. He peered at Riker and seemed ready to ask a question.
“Ah,” Ludendorff said, noticing. “He must have attempted a sneak mind scan of the sergeant. Maybe he felt the residue of the Ska from long ago.”
“Ska?” asked Becker.
Riker scowled. “Did you sneak a peek into my mind?”
“Never mind that, Sergeant,” Maddox said. “Will you cooperate or not, Captain? If not, I’ll save Star Watch the trouble and shoot you here like a mad dog.”
“I’ll cooperate,” Becker said. “What am I supposed to do?”
“We’re all walking out of here together,” Maddox said. “You make it so no one notices. If they notice, if they stop us, you’re dead because I’ll put a bullet in your brain.”
“No need to threaten,” Becker said.
“I’m not,” Maddox said. “It’s what I’ll do. After everything that I’ve seen today, I’m eager to kill you. I want you to give me an excuse.”
Becker nodded, sensing Maddox’s fury.
Thus, Josef Becker began the strangest odyssey of them all. He had no idea that the Prime Saa at the central Moon cavern had told Maddox and Ludendorff certain things about him. If Becker had known what Maddox planned with him, perhaps he would have clawed, scratched and bitten to make a final attempt at freedom. As it was, Becker figured that as long as he was alive, he had a chance to reverse this temporary defeat.
They left the ready room, and Becker blanched upon seeing the dead bridge crew, including Captain Henderson. Becker glanced at Maddox and shivered at what he saw.
The combination shook Becker, and he projected the don’t-look-at-us aura as they moved through the ship corridors. Maddox’s gun barrel poking him in the back had something to do with his eagerness to please.
Becker also realized it might be difficult to control the crew if Maddox told them he—Becker—had caused Henderson and the bridge crew to die.
Soon, they reached the hangar bay, taking off in the shuttle. On the Alexander’s bridge, Maddox had reset the controls, bringing the battleship to a complete stop in stationary orbit on the bright side of the Moon.
The shuttle raced for Earth, but Becker didn’t know why. He sat glumly as Maddox guarded him with pistol drawn.
“Can I ask you a question?” Becker said.
“Shut up,” Maddox said.
“Look—”
Maddox rose, aiming the gun at his head. “Go ahead, then. Ask. You’ll have your answer.”
Becker shut up, realizing a bullet in the brain was all the answer Maddox was going to give him right now. He would have to bide his time. It would come, as they would eventually relax and make a mistake.
As long as I’m alive, I can fix everything.
-24-
The shuttle reached Geneva, landing at the spaceport.
Brigadier Stokes entered the shuttle, Maddox having called him during the trip to Earth. Stokes listened to Maddox’s report, nodding at times, shaking his head at others. He glanced at a tight-lipped Becker.
Stokes wore his half-metallic headband from the Toronto R&D center. Maddox had suggested he wear it. Stokes pointed at the freakishly bigheaded officer. “Is that the chap who started all this?”
“That’s one way to look at it,” Maddox said. “To me, though, Becker is simply a traitorous cog in the machine. I suspect the lone Liss cyber in the Jarnevon cave bided its time, waiting for the right opportunity.”
“Why didn’t it make more cybers in the deep cave?” Stokes asked. “That would have been safer for it, right?”
Maddox shook his head. “If it tried that in modern times and succeeded in building a planetary empire on Jarnevon, Star Watch would have sent the Grand Fleet, destroying it just like Fletcher did the Forbidden Planet.”
“Before that,” Stokes said. “Maybe when the original colonists first arrived—why didn’t the Liss cyber start the process then?”
Maddox shrugged. “Maybe the cyber didn’t wake up until after Star Watch and the Laumer Drive was around. Maybe in some way it had hibernated for thousands of years and it took a traumatic planetary event to wake it.”
The Lost Intelligence (Lost Starship Series Book 12) Page 35
