“Will you attempt to bar us from using your nexus?” Maddox asked. “If so, I’m willing to exchange data concerning Lord Drakos’s manipulation of Strand, which has allowed Drakos to suborn some of Strand’s former plans and people.”
The fierce look departed the New Man’s stately features. “Lord Drakos did what?”
Maddox told Golden Ural their suspicions about the short, broad-shouldered New Man and how he’d used the Bosk homeworld and their people.
“How did you happen to uncover all this?” Golden Ural asked.
Maddox hesitated. If he told the Emperor’s troubleshooter about the Builder stone, might Golden Ural try to take it? For some reason, Maddox thought not. Despite his normal dislike of New Men, he told Golden Ural how they’d learned their truths.
“A web of deceit all around,” Golden Ural said when Maddox had finished. “This time, Lord Drakos has gone too far. The Emperor will want to hear this. Yes. That is a worthy exchange.”
The tall New Man inhaled deeply, nodding after a time. “You have the incomparable Professor Ludendorff with you. He will likely uncover the same facts that Strand found within the nexus. Will that help you to complete your mission? It is difficult to see how, even with your remarkable Builder stone. Still, our strike force has likely destroyed several Swarm-controlled nexuses. It appears more must vanish in order to give allied humanity more time, a century perhaps, before the Swarm finds a new way to attack all of us.”
“If your strike force succeeded,” Maddox said.
“Yes, if,” the New Man said.
Maddox wanted to ask, “Well?” but he waited.
“You have poise,” Golden Ural finally said. “I admit that I am disinclined to let you throw away your life on a suicidal mission. It also pains me to let this Builder stone fall into enemy hands.”
Maddox frowned, not understanding the New Man’s apparent concern for him. The part about the Builder stone made more sense. Perhaps he shouldn’t have told Golden Ural about it.
“I admire daring,” the New Man continued. “But even more, I admire the man that found the answer to defeating the Swarm last time. Maybe it’s time for you to let another Star Watch operative make the suicidal mission.”
“I’m here,” Maddox said. “I have the right tools for the job, and I’ve done it before. This is too important a mission to let an inexperienced man do it.”
Golden Ural nodded. “Perhaps you’re right. I wish you luck, Captain. May you succeed beyond your wildest dreams.”
It was strange, but Maddox felt an odd lump in his throat; and for the life of him, he couldn’t explain it. “Thank you, sir,” he said. “I appreciate it.”
The screen went blank before anyone could say more.
Maddox’s head swayed back and he smiled. “He’s likeable…for a New Man, I mean.” Adding the last because Ludendorff gave him an odd scrutiny.
“The star cruisers are veering off,” Valerie said. “Golden Ural is keeping his word,” she told Maddox. “They’re moving out of our way.”
“Right,” Maddox said. “Reduce velocity again, Mr. Maker, and set a slow course to bring us within eight kilometers of the nexus.”
“Aye, aye, mate,” Keith said.
Maddox glanced at the Scotsman.
“I mean, sir,” the ace muttered, as he began to make his manipulations.
-62-
Several hours later, the starship drifted in slow orbit around the giant silver pyramid in space. Just like all the others they’d seen, the ancient Builder structure dwarfed Victory.
The pyramid was an amazing sight, as if someone had once poured a molten river of silver into shape here and it had cracked over the ages. There did not appear to be any rhyme or reason why the Builders had picked this star system and this location in the Asteroid Belt. But the nexus was here. That was enough.
“How does it look to you?” Maddox asked the professor over a view-screen.
“I’m not ready to make a judgment, my boy. Now, are you sure you’re not coming with us?”
“Quite sure,” Maddox said. “I appreciate Golden Ural’s gesture, but I’m not ready to fully trust any New Man, especially as he has three star cruisers at his disposal.”
“The three ships have moved well off,” Ludendorff said.
“That’s just the thing a New Man readying a trap would do,” Maddox said.
“You’re a suspicious man.” On the screen, the professor glanced at Meta sitting beside him. She would be the only one joining him in the nexus, as she was one of the few who had been inside one before, this one in particular. That had been many years ago already while in the company of an altered man named Kane.
“Guard the barn, then, if you would,” Ludendorff said. “I hope to be back in two hours.”
“As fast as that?” asked Maddox, surprised.
“One can hope,” Ludendorff said, “but I suppose you’re right. It will likely take longer.”
“Good luck,” Maddox said. “And take good care of my wife.”
“Never fear, never fear, she’s in good hands.”
“Watch him,” Maddox told his wife. “He’s pulled fast ones before. Don’t let him do it again.”
“I’ll watch him,” Meta said, as she glanced at Ludendorff.
The professor was already checking his board, pretending he hadn’t heard that.
Maddox stared longingly at his wife. He didn’t like Meta going, not one bit.
“I’m the best candidate for the task,” Meta said. Maybe she’d seen his concern. “I’ve been in there already.”
“Watch out,” Maddox said, wanting to tell her that he loved her, but unable to do so while others were listening.
“Any last minute suggestions, sir?” asked Keith. He was piloting the shuttle.
“Same as Meta,” Maddox said. “Watch the professor.”
“Aye,” the pilot said. “I have my eye on the old man.”
“Enough,” Ludendorff said testily, looking up from his panel. “Time is dribbling away. Let’s do this while we still can.”
Did the Methuselah Man seem nervous? Maddox couldn’t say he blamed him. The nexuses always made him nervous.
“Good luck,” the captain said.
The scene wobbled, and the three passengers disappeared from the screen. In their place appeared the shuttle as it lifted from the hangar-bay deck and headed for the giant opening into space.
They’d really made it to the nexus. They were finally doing this.
***
Twenty-eight minutes later from the bridge, Maddox, Valerie and Galyan watched the shuttle slow serenely into a parking orbit beside the giant nexus.
“It is strange,” Galyan said in a faraway voice. “But the longer I study the nexus, the more akin I feel to it.”
“What’s that?” Valerie asked, bemused. “You feel kinship with the pyramid?”
“Why is that surprising?” Galyan asked. “It is old. I am old.”
“It’s supposed to be a lot older than you are,” Valerie said.
“Compared to each other that is so,” Galyan said. “I am comparing the pyramid and me to you short-lived beings.”
“Okay…” Valerie said.
“There are other similarities between the pyramid and me,” Galyan said. “The Builders fashioned the nexus. Builder technology helped to fashion me, a deified AI.”
“You’re becoming sentimental in your old age,” Valerie said.
“Of course,” Galyan said. “That should not surprise you. I have emotions. They were built into the AI programming.”
“Are you monitoring their passage?” Maddox asked Valerie.
The lieutenant straightened and turned to her board. “Yes, sir,” she said, tapping the screen. A second later, “The shuttle’s bay door has opened. Ludendorff and Meta are using a sled to head the final distance.”
Maddox nodded sharply.
“Is something wrong?” Galyan asked.
Maddox did not answer.
“Did you hear me, sir?” Galyan asked.
“I did,” Maddox said.
“This is interesting,” Galyan said. “According to my psychological program, you are exhibiting worry. Are you concerned about Meta?”
Maddox glanced at the holoimage but said nothing.
“Sir,” Galyan said. “The psychology program indicates heightened worry in you. This is unwarranted. Meta is more than competent. She is a highly rated Intelligence operative.”
“Galyan,” Valerie said, shaking her head. “Leave him alone.”
“The captain is being too quiet, Valerie. That is unhealthy. He should trust Meta—”
“Galyan,” Maddox said.
“Sir?”
“Go check on the Builder stone,” the captain said.
The holoimage’s eyelids fluttered. “The stone is in the safe.”
“Go check on it,” Maddox said.
“I understand, sir,” Galyan said. “You do not want to admit that—”
“Galyan,” Maddox said with force. “Go. And. Check. The. Stone.”
The holoimage disappeared.
Valerie cleared her throat.
Maddox ignored her.
“He was only trying to help,” Valerie said.
“I’m aware of that,” Maddox said.
“Meta can handle herself.”
Maddox stared at the lieutenant, although he did not say anything.
Galyan popped into existence. “Captain, the stone appears to be there. Yet, I detected a flaw in its nature. On further analysis, I found that it was a fake. Someone has taken the real Builder stone and replaced it with an inferior replica.”
“Dammit,” Maddox said, as he smacked a fist into his other palm. “I knew the professor was acting strangely. I figured it had to be nerves. I…I can’t believe I trusted him even a little. Ludendorff knows he wasn’t supposed to take it over there. How did he pull the switch and pass the inspection?”
Maddox shook his head. It didn’t really matter how he’d done it, just that he had. Ludendorff had pulled another fast one, and this time while Meta was the only person with him. What was that egotistical maniacal Methuselah Man thinking? The Builder stone would likely activate something horrible inside the nexus. Why couldn’t Ludendorff follow orders for once?
“He tricked me, sir,” Galyan said, crestfallen. “Sergeant Riker and I inspected the luggage, the shuttle and the space-sled.”
Maddox turned to Valerie.
The lieutenant swiveled around and faced him, shaking her head. “I don’t know why or how, but something is jamming our communication. I can’t even contact Keith now.”
Maddox faced the main screen, watching the small sled near the giant nexus. Ludendorff had taken the stone with him. There was no telling what was going to happen next.
-63-
Ludendorff sat astride the space-sled as if it were a huge motorcycle, piloting them toward the ancient silver structure. Both Meta and he wore spacesuits, as the sled did not have a canopy or an enclosed compartment.
He wished Dana were behind him, not Meta. He’d worked on Dana’s mind two days ago. It had been a harrowing experience. He knew Dana too well. That was the reason it had been so difficult for him. Still, he’d fixed what he could in her mind, restoring her independence of will. He’d also deadened a few of the worst memories.
Once this was all over, Ludendorff had plans for the overly aggressive Bosks. He was going to make their entire world pay for their crimes. He would make sure that no Bosk ruffian ever had a chance to do something like that to anyone else.
Meta tapped his left shoulder from behind.
Ludendorff twisted around to stare at her. All he saw was his reflection against her mirrored visor. Naturally, Meta must be worried, as they had lost communication with Keith in the shuttle and with Victory. That was by his design, of course. He could not have the captain telling him to abort the mission because he’d taken the Builder stone along.
With a gloved hand, Meta held up a jack.
Ludendorff nodded his helmet.
Meta snapped the jack into one of his spacesuit’s slots.
“Professor,” she said in his earphones, with the cable connected. “We’ve lost communication with Keith and with Victory.”
“No matter,” he said in a pseudo-cheery voice. “We will prevail despite all odds.”
“Did you expect that to happen?” she asked.
Ludendorff grew alert. He heard the accusation in her voice. He had to be careful with Meta. Yes. It would be wise to remember that Meta was very strong and could prove a difficult opponent. He needed to mollify her suspicions. It was good the captain hadn’t joined them. He’d dreaded that, which was why he’d asked Maddox to come, using reverse psychology.
“I feared this could happen to us, yes,” Ludendorff told Meta. “I’m unsure if it’s a New Man trick, but we can’t discount that. It could, however, simply be a reflexive move from the nexus.”
“Maybe we should go back and try again after analyzing this.”
“No, no, my dear,” he said. “That would be entirely the wrong move. We should forge ahead and make the hyper-spatial tube. We might not get another opportunity to do so, especially if this is a New Man trick. On all accounts, we must reach a Swarm-territory nexus.”
Meta was silent a moment. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. “But I’m also wondering if you caused the jamming. It is how you’ve operated in the past.”
“My dear,” he said in a scoffing voice. “You have entirely the wrong idea about—”
“Do you feel that, Professor?” Meta asked, interrupting him.
He felt the barrel of a beamer poke against his space-suited back. “Why yes,” he said. “I do feel that.”
“It’s a beamer. It’s saying, ‘Don’t double-cross us. If you do, I’ll kill you.’”
Ludendorff knew they all expected him to complain about such treatment. If he failed to do that, it would likely arouse her suspicions even more.
“Really, my dear, this is quite unwarranted. I’ve thrown in my lot with Star Watch. I’m risking my life to save humanity. The least you could do is—”
“Don’t take this personally,” Meta said, cutting him off. “I’m worried like you. I know what Maddox would want me to do, and I don’t intend on letting him down.”
“How wonderful,” he said.
She removed the beamer from his back. His manner must have worked, mollifying her suspicions just enough, at least. He’d better remember to lock Meta out before he began the great test. Otherwise, he might have to shoot and possibly kill her. If he did that, he would have to kill Maddox in order to remain alive. Why did everything have to be so difficult?
***
Meta sat behind Ludendorff on the space-sled. The vast Builder pyramid frightened and awed her. She felt the greatness and power that literally radiated from the unbelievably ancient structure.
She was a gnat compared to it. Humanity was nothing but a flea in the universe. The Swarm supposedly covered much of the galaxy. How were they really going to stop the bug Imperium from destroying mankind? It seemed like a vain hope.
Why am I so pessimistic? That wasn’t like her. Did the nexus radiate pessimism at her?
Meta tightened her grip on the beamer that she kept in her lap. Maddox had told her to watch the Methuselah Man. Was Ludendorff planning another piece of treachery? Why would he do that now? Dana was back aboard Victory. The professor loved Dana. He’d used the stone on her mind. The doctor had been asking for Ludendorff before they left. Surely, the professor would do nothing to jeopardize his ability to be with her.
Within the helmet, Meta scowled. It was time to concentrate on the giant structure. If she remembered correctly, the professor was heading for a different area of the pyramid than the last time she’d been here.
Kane had—he hadn’t headed for the apex up near the top. The professor did, though.
Would it look different this time insi
de the ancient structure? It had been seriously weird the last time, with Kane.
Meta gulped, and kept telling herself to keep her wits about her. Maddox should have come, but he’d sent her. She wouldn’t let her husband down, not for anything. The fate of humanity might rest on what she did or didn’t do.
I’m not going to let you trick me, Professor. This time, you’re going to follow orders to the letter.
-64-
Ludendorff brought the space-sled to a stop near the pinnacle of the pyramid. He visually searched for a sign on the prehistoric surface.
He and Strand had been to this nexus many times during the years they’d manipulated the Thomas Moore Society people, turning them into the New Man Defenders. The two of them had gone inside several times, exploring the ancient structure. Strand had always had a better grasp of the Builder mind and had thus figured out so much more concerning the nexus.
This time, however, Ludendorff believed that he was going to know more. He’d brought back-up in the form of the Builder stone. Using the stone should work, meaning without triggering some primeval switch because they were inside the giant pyramid.
But what if I’m wrong about the stone? What if the Builders put a trigger in the nexus?
No, no, Ludendorff told himself. He wasn’t wrong. He was right. He—
There!
The professor frowned. That was odd. It was almost as if something had spoken in his mind as his gaze passed over a certain location on the apex. He probed himself, seeking another inner-voice confirmation, but none came. He must have imagined the inner voice, although he couldn’t completely convince himself of that.
That brought doubt, and he despised doubt at a time like this.
He cocked his head, waiting for an inner voice to agree with him. Again, none came. He’d tried to trick whatever had spoken in his mind the first time.
The professor contemplated possibilities. He didn’t like the obvious conclusion. The stone might have misled him. The primeval artifact could be even subtler than he was.
Ludendorff slowly turned in his seat to stare at Meta’s visor. The jack still linked them. He made a final calculation and realized he was going to do it despite the clear risk that the stone had compromised his mind. If the stone thought it had fooled him…the artifact would find it had bitten off more than it could chew.
The Lost Star Gate (Lost Starship Series Book 9) Page 33
