Vaughn Heppner - The Lost Starship

Ah, Maddox noticed that he still saw the red nimbus. They were still in the alien star system. Yes, he noticed several wrecks. Yet the red light seemed to come from the wrong direction, from the opposite direction as before.

“It worked,” the holoimage said.

The captain whirled around. The thing was hardly visible, but it moved. “What worked?” Maddox asked.

“The hyper-drive was a success,” the holoimage said, “although extremely limited in range.”

“We jumped?”

“I suppose that is the correct way to describe it,” the holoimage whispered. “We were there, and now we’re here on the other side of the star. The others are hunting for us with their sensors. If they move to a new position so we’re no longer hidden by the star, they will no doubt find us soon enough.”

“Hyper-drive,” Maddox said. “You can jump without having to use a wormhole. Why, this is fantastic.”

“Why do you say so?” the holoimage asked.

“You can escape the New Men. Let’s go. Let’s jump to a different star system right now.”

“No,” the holoimage said. “You are incorrect in your assessment for several reasons. Firstly, I will not abandon my home system to these primitive invaders. Secondly, the hyper-drive was badly damaged in its limited use just now. Remember, I said it was experimental in nature. The star drive has become inoperative. Instead, I will use my last robot to effect what repairs I can to ship damage. Then I shall finish the fight with these arrogant whelps.”

“I hate to say this,” Maddox said, “but I don’t think you can defeat the three star cruisers with the weaponry you have at hand.”

“Perhaps not,” the holoimage admitted. “But I cannot conceive of a better way to cease existence than fighting for what I love.”

“But—” Maddox said.

“Prepare for the final encounter, Captain. Victory is heading back toward the star, seeing if we cannot surprise the enemy.”

Maddox took several steps toward the holoimage and stiffened into parade ground attention. He snapped off the best salute of his life.

“What is the meaning of your action?” the holoimage asked.

“I formally request permission to offer my full services to you, sir,” Maddox said. “Not only that, but I will give you the complete use of my trained technical team to help with ship repairs.”

“Please, Captain, it is obvious that you indulge in theatrics.”

“Not so,” Maddox said. “I hate my enemy as much as you must have hated the Swarm.”

“You mean me as the once physical commander, I take it,” the holoimage said.

“Exactly.”

“Yes. I do dimly recall an emotional aspect to the conflict. It was both upsetting and pleasing.”

“Then you must understand that I will do anything I can to destroy the New Men.”

“Why, yes. I do understand. Hmm, a technical team, you said.”

“You probed my brain,” Maddox said. “You know that I have an excellent engineer in Meta of the Rouen Colony. Not only that, but I have the full use of Doctor Dana Rich. She is a genius and can do anything required of her.”

“I seem to recall you had trouble with Doctor Rich.”

“You’re right, of course,” Maddox said. “I did have trouble. Now, she has sworn a Star Watch oath. She will do exactly as I command. Since our desires are the same—to inflict as much damage as we can against the New Men—let me return to my team. Through me, you can tell us what to do. We will repair more of the starship than your robot could do on its own. That will allow you to give a better account of yourself.”

“I am heading straight for the enemy, Captain. We won’t have time for such repairs.”

“Then I suggest you take the time,” Maddox said. “You’ve waited six thousand years. What are a few more hours in order to achieve lasting glory?”

“You fail to perceive my goal. I am attempting a death ride, oblivion in the most honorable fashion possible.”

“Honor demands we destroy as many of them as we can,” Maddox said.

The holoimage froze.

Maddox waited. A desperate gamble had formed in his mind. First, he needed to get back to the others. Could he trick the AI? It struck him as doubtful. Yet, if he could… what bag of marvels did the ancient starship possess? It hadn’t surprised him that the ship was in a state of disrepair or that many of its weapons systems buckled under the strain of battle. If they could escape the star system and return to Earth…

The holoimage moved. “There,” it said, pointing a barely visible arm. “Go through that door until you come to a red-marked hatch. Your team waits by the AI receptacle.”

Maddox noticed a new hatch where a bank of machinery had been. Had the AI been hiding the exit with a holoimage? Whatever the case, for his plan to work, he needed to buy time.

“You must give us a few hours to help your robot repair failed systems,” the captain said.

“It seems senseless. The New Men are busy searching for us even now. Yet, maybe you can clear out the damage in my neutron charger. I will give you one hour. Then, I will attack from over the star’s top. It is my best chance of gaining nearness to them so I can rake them with the full power of my beams.”

“Since we are under combat conditions, I will hurry,” Maddox said.

“Go,” the holoimage said. “Time is critical.”

Maddox couldn’t agree more. Lowering his head, he sprinted for the exit.

Lieutenant Noonan picked herself off the decking. They had huddled around the open screen, listening to the dialogue between Maddox and someone they couldn’t hear.

Sergeant Riker had suggested the captain had taken leave of his senses. Dana had told him not to be ridiculous. If Captain Maddox had gone crazy, how had he figured out where the bridge was and how to use the ship’s systems?

With great interest, Doctor Rich had listened to Maddox’s one-sided conversation. As Dana groaned from the floor, holding her head, she sat up.

“What happened?” Meta asked.

“We’re still alive,” Dana said. “The engines don’t sound as strained now. The decking isn’t shivering, as it was earlier, either. I think there’s been a pause in the battle.”

“Listen,” Valerie said. “No sounds are coming out of the screen.”

Just then, something unseen opened. Valerie perked up, hearing panted breathing. The ancient starship frightened her. The halls of alien dead, of entwined corpses, intensified the feeling until dread had come to fill her.

“Someone’s coming,” Valerie whispered. She checked her assault rifle. Capture was out of the question. She didn’t want to end her life on a torture pad as Dana almost had on the shuttle. Planning to sell her life as dearly as possible, Valerie aimed down the corridor and was the first to see Captain Maddox. The man sprinted without his vacc-suit and his eyes looked wild.

“Don’t shoot!” Dana shouted.

Valerie lowered her weapon. She could see Maddox had been through hell. Well, they all had. Maybe they looked as unsteady to him as he did to her.

He stopped before them with sweat glistening on his face. “Listen carefully,” Maddox panted. “We have one chance to do this, so there’re can’t be any mistakes.”

“Do what?” Dana asked.

“Gather round,” Maddox said. “This is going to sound crazy, but it’s all true.”

He told them what he’d been doing. It did sound insane. It also made sense. Valerie couldn’t see how Maddox could have figured out how to use the alien vessel otherwise.

“It seems to have figured out a way to talk to you by reading your mind’s electrical pathways,” Dana said.