The Lost Starship

-19-

Maddox halted at Doctor Rich’s orders. They must have run a good two kilometers, entering even thicker growth. Then they’d ducked into an area of woven branches overhead, making this spot even gloomier than the surrounding terrain. There were covered holes here. Could this be a storage area or a hideaway for times of trouble?

“Sit,” Dana said, waving his own gun at him. He’d given her both weapons earlier. She carried the long flintlock with a strap around her shoulder.

Maddox sat on damp soil. Yes. This definitely seemed like a hideaway. If the tribes raided each other, a wise leader would have places to regroup if an enemy overran the main compound.

Meta shoved Keith against Maddox so the ace sprawled onto the ground.

“They surprised me,” Keith explained, his mouth finally freed of the woman’s silencing hand.

“Quiet,” Dana told him. “Unless I tell you otherwise, don’t speak.”

Maddox nodded to Keith that it was okay to listen to her in this.

“Meta,” Dana said, holding up the flat gun.

The cavewoman accepted the New Man’s weapon. She inspected it a moment. A grin spread across her wide features. Then Meta faded from view, backing out the entrance, no doubt to stand guard.

Doctor Dana Rich moved to the side, sitting on a tree stump, studying the two of them. She kept the gun trained on Maddox. She lacked a perfect poker face. It was clear she was curious about something.

“Why did you come down onto Loki Prime for me?” she said.

“Does it matter?” Maddox asked.

“Oh yes.”

“Are you that eager to remain on Loki Prime, then?” Maddox asked. “If we’re going to leave, we have to act now.”

“You have a point,” she said. “I obviously wish to leave. The question is can you beat their offer?”

“I doubt they offered you anything,” Maddox said.

“Oh?”

“You’re on the run from them. I think you’ve been hiding the entire time the shuttle has been on the ground. Otherwise, you’d be dead, killed during the missile strike. They would have at least been interrogating you there.”

“I see you like to make guesses,” she said.

Maddox shook his head. “No. It’s not a guess; it’s what happened. The New Man would never bother hunting for you otherwise.”

“You’re spinning a web of suppositions, hoping I’m so eager to get off Loki Prime that I’ll believe anything you tell me.”

“Doctor,” Maddox said. “The New Men have invaded the Oikumene. They have superior starships. Do you know that with three cruiser-class vessels, they annihilated what amounted to a double-strength Star Watch battle group?”

“Did you see the shuttle back there?” Dana asked. “Did you look at its markings? Did you happen to notice what uniform the woman wore who shot down your flitter?”

“I’m afraid I didn’t see her.”

“She wore a Star Watch uniform,” Dana said, as if that ended the discussion.

“That doesn’t surprise me in the least,” Maddox said. “The New Men have secretly infiltrated the Oikumene and slipped people into high places among Commonwealth personnel. We believe they’re genetic supermen. Given their actions to date, we’re in a species battle, and so far, our side is losing.”

Dana no longer seemed as triumphant as a second ago. “Suppose this is the truth,” she said. “Why would that bring you down here?”

“The answer may surprise you. Their technology is decidedly superior to ours, particularly in terms of starships. We need an equalizer, a superior fighting vessel, if we’re going to stop their invasion. According to our records, you were with Professor Ludendorff when he studied the alien sentinel in the shattered star system.”

For the first time, shock crossed her features. “Are you insane? I know Professor Ludendorff was. If I hadn’t—” She shut her mouth, pressing her lips together.

Maddox raised an eyebrow. What did that mean? What had happened during their expedition?

“You want the sentinel?” she asked in a sharp voice.

“Very much so,” Maddox said.

“And you think I’m suicidal enough to go back there?”

“Given the alternative of spending the rest of your life here, yes,” Maddox said.

Dana laughed, shaking her head. “Even if I believed your story—which I don’t—I wouldn’t do as you asked.”

“Then you have two choices left. Rot on Loki Prime or become a genetic experiment for the New Men.”

A hard grin twisted her lips. “I’ll paint you another, mister. If there’s some grand war obliterating worlds, I’ll simply hijack a starship and leave the Oikumene. I’ll head into the Beyond. The universe is full of planets. When faced with an invincible foe, the wise person relocates.”

“What happens to the people who can’t do that?” Maddox asked.

“Am I their guardian?” Dana asked. “No. The ‘people’ as you call them, support the ones who pod-dropped me here. I owe them nothing. Maybe you don’t, but I plan to live a long, long life.”

“Do you think Meta feels the same way about her mining world?” Maddox asked, raising his voice. “If you run from the New Men, her people die. Does she want that?”

Dana cocked her head, as if surprised at his questions. Then a snarl creased her features. Aiming the gun, she said, “Shut up.”

“Why do you think you get to make everyone else’s decisions for them?” Maddox asked.

Dana stood, still aiming the gun at him. “I know what you’re doing. Meta isn’t going to fall for that. It—”

Maddox could see the decision to kill him in her eyes. That she hadn’t already done it meant she wasn’t a hardened killer who could just blow a person away. She had to psyche herself up first.

She was as physically close as she was going to come. Using the palms of his hands, Maddox shoved against the ground, scooting himself closer toward her. Her trigger finger began to tighten. Maddox swept his left foot, connecting with her ankles. He kicked her feet out from under her. She fell hard and her finger yanked the trigger.

A loud boom crashed against Maddox’s ears. The bullet smashed through leaves, thudding against a tree trunk. Then Dana’s back smacked against the ground. She grunted, but she kept hold of the gun.

Maddox was already moving, diving at her. Grabbing the gun, he twisted. She yelled painfully, her forefinger wretched in the trigger guard. She tried to get up. With a twist, Maddox smashed an elbow against her face, making the back of her head slam against the ground.

Maddox tore the gun from her weakened grip, spun and aimed at the arch opening into the hideaway.

“Meta!” Dana shouted from the ground. “Run!”

At the same instant, Maddox fired, thinking he saw something darker than a shadow as a target.

“You wretch,” Dana said. “If you killed her—”

Since he didn’t hear anything to indicate a hit, Maddox switched tactics. He stood, grabbed Dana by the hair and heaved, lifting her to a standing position. Then he had the gun barrel pressed against her temple, backing away against a tree trunk, using her as a human shield against Meta.

“You’ll never leave this place alive,” Meta said, hidden by the undergrowth. “Let her go.”

“I decline your suggestion,” Maddox shouted. Looking at Keith, Maddox jerked his head to the side.

The pilot scrambled beside him.

“What now?” Dana asked. “Meta will wait all day to get a shot at you.”

“That means we’re at an impasse,” Maddox whispered into Dana’s ear. “I have a gun. Meta has a gun. Out there, the New Man is plotting to destroy us both. If we wait, we both die.”

“Fine,” Dana told him. “We’ll join forces for the moment. What do we need to do?”

“What can we do?” Maddox asked. “My only transport up is the flitter. One of the Saint Petersburg’s people shot the bottom of the craft.”

“That’s easy enough,” Dana said. “We fix the flitter so we can fly out of here.”

“You have such tools?”

“I bet the shuttle does,” Dana said. “We’ll take theirs.”

“That means defeating the New Man and his remaining people. At least one of them has a repeater. It’s possible another shuttle is on its way down.”

As he spoke, Maddox heard quiet footfalls behind his tree. He understood that Dana knew Meta would try to rescue her. The doctor had kept him talking, likely to direct Meta. Now, the cavewoman would try to take him out from behind. This also meant Dana’s agreement to work together was a lie. It was time to change the power dynamics.

First lifting his gun, Maddox brought it down hard against Dana’s skull. It was a risk. He didn’t want to give her a concussion, but he wasn’t sure Keith would be able to guard her. Besides, that would mean giving his gun to Keith, and he needed it against Meta.

Dana crumpled face-first onto the ground.

The movement behind the tree stopped. Maddox waited, listening. Then he heard the faintest of footfalls again. A branch made a soft creak.

Because he didn’t know what else to do, Maddox decided to use the oldest trick in a gunfight. Slipping his force-blade from Dana’s inert form, he tossed it into the heavy undergrowth. He put it where he hoped was in front of Meta.

The handle of the force blade struck leaves. A gunshot rang out—Meta firing at it.

Maddox entered the undergrowth from the other side of the tree. He smashed past leaves and branches, and he reached Meta as she whirled around to face him. Another shot rang out. The round slammed into the soil.

Not wanting to kill her, Maddox refrained from shooting her in the stomach. Instead, he pistol-whipped her, using the bottom of his handle to strike her across the jaw in a right cross.

At that moment, it was obvious that Meta was from a heavy G mining world. The blow would have dropped most people. It barely caused her head to move. She must have strong neck muscles. With his left hand, Maddox punched her bare stomach. It was rock solid, like hitting a tree. She didn’t even grunt.

Meta head-butted him, and if her forehead had connected with his nose, the fight would have been over. Maddox twisted his head aside in time. She staggered against him with her body. He let go of his gun and grabbed the wrist of her gun hand. She brought the flat weapon up anyway, just slower than otherwise. Her strength amazed him.

Fortunately, Maddox knew many forms of unarmed combat. Maybe Meta did too, but the blow to her jaw with the butt of his pistol might have dazed her just a little. With an intricate and fast move, he twisted her arm. He kicked her nearest foot, and he flipped her. She was denser than she looked.

Even so, she struck the ground with her back. Maddox stepped against her side as he held up her arm. He gripped her wrist with both hands and twisted hard enough so she let go of the gun. She groaned too, her first indication of pain.

Before she could recover, Maddox had the flat gun. He aimed it at her as he squatted and retrieved his own. Then he indicated that she proceed him into the hideaway.

Sullenly, rubbing her right wrist, Meta did as ordered, climbing to her feet and pushing through bushes. She gave a small cry of dismay as she saw Dana lying on the ground. The cavewoman knelt beside her, checking to see if the doctor was okay.

“Here,” Maddox said. He gave Keith the flat pistol. “Check the ground back there. I dropped my force blade.”

“Jolly good, Captain,” Keith said. He headed there and paused. “I’m surprised you beat that viper. She’s strong.”

Maddox kept his gaze fixed on Meta.

With a shrug, Keith headed past the tree through the bushes.

On the ground, Dana groaned as her eyelids flickered open. With Meta’s help, she sat up. Maddox noticed Meta squeezing Dana’s arm as if signaling her. The doctor glanced slowly at Meta and then looked up at Maddox.

Pain swam in Dana’s eyes, anger and surprise. “Who are you?” she asked.

“Captain Maddox of Star Watch Intelligence,” he said.

“How did you defeat Meta?” the doctor asked. “You don’t look strong enough.”

“Don’t let that fool you,” Meta said. “He’s tougher than he looks.”

Despite the circumstances, Maddox found the cavewoman’s voice intoxicatingly rich and sweet.

“Interesting,” Dana said.

Maddox frowned. He didn’t like the doctor’s scrutiny. Something about it troubled him.

“You disarmed Meta,” Dana said. “That was a dangerous thing to do. It would have been easier to kill her. Why didn’t you?”

“Killing is distasteful,” Maddox said. “I have no appetite for it, although when the necessity arises, I do what I must.”

“Fair enough,” Dana said. “Here’s another question. What now, Captain?”

Indeed, Maddox thought. He fanned through options. His choices were limited, the situation worse than dire. Doctor Dana Rich did not wish to help him find or enter the sentinel. A New Man prowled nearby with heavily armed crewmembers. Sergeant Riker was dying. The Saint Petersburg waited up there, and orbitals too, with missiles and lasers. To make it even worse, the space beacon would report on Geronimo in twenty-three hours. If nothing else, he needed Doctor Rich’s help to take over the beacon through computer chicanery.

“If you help me,” Maddox said. “The chancellor of the Commonwealth Council will grant you a pardon for your crimes.”

Dana hunched her shoulders.

Maddox waited for her to claim innocence. Most criminals did. It was one of the marks of their mentality: the idea that society or someone in particular had shafted them and thus everything they—the hurt individual—did wasn’t really their fault but someone else’s.

“Will the high and mighty chancellor pardon Meta as well?” Dana asked.

“To be honest,” Maddox said, “I don’t know. We can ask, and I can recommend, but that isn’t a promise.”

“Give me a gun,” Dana said. “Then I’ll know you bargain in good faith.”

“For now, I’ll keep the guns, thank you,” Maddox said.

“You don’t trust me?”

“Correct,” Maddox said.

Dana scowled. “You know you’re never leaving Loki Prime, don’t you? You’re as much a prisoner here as we are. Welcome to hell, Mr. Intelligence Officer.”

“Doctor,” Maddox said. “I know you aren’t that simple-minded. Consider the evidence. Two warring factions have come down onto Loki Prime for you. You have become a valuable commodity. That won’t stop until one side or the other has you.”

“You don’t need me,” Dana said. “Let Professor Ludendorff help you board the murderous alien sentinel. He knows more about the vessel than I ever will.”

“I respect your intelligence and cunning. Your statement means you want to know if we have Ludendorff or not. We do not, although we have his notes, or some of his notes. Star Watch Intelligence has also gathered a crack team to break into the sentinel. The last piece is you. Time is our enemy, Doctor. If you prefer to fester on this hell-world…”

“How do you propose we get off?” Dana asked.

“We need my flitter, its radio at least.”

Dana studied him. “You’re claiming to represent the Star Watch. Yet, your enemies came down in a Star Watch shuttle.”

“I’ll save you time from trying to pry the rest of the information from me. We’re both operating in secrecy. The New Men have infiltrated spies and traitors into High Command, and we’re no longer sure who to trust.”

Dana was obviously processing his words. “Okay. At least that’s logically consistent with my observable facts. I’ll help you get off Loki Prime if you take us with you. After that, I make no promises.”

“Done,” said Maddox.

Dana became thoughtful again, finally saying, “I doubt we can capture the shuttle, though. Despite the missiles, they still have too many people and machine guns. We have our flintlocks.”

“If we can reach the flitter, I can call for reinforcements.”

“Help me up,” Dana told Meta. When she was standing, with one arm over Meta’s shoulders, the doctor gingerly touched the back of her head. “You hit me too hard. I’m feeling sick.”

“You have my apologies,” Maddox said. “Still, you’ll have to lead the way. I should also let you know that if some of your people try to sneak up and shoot me from concealment, you or Meta will be my first target.”

“You mean Meta, then,” Dana said, “because you’re still hoping to convince me to help you with the sentinel.”

“I think you’ll find soon enough that I mean exactly what I say,” Maddox told her. “Let us proceed on that understanding.”

Dana stared at him as if she could divine his inner thoughts. Finally, she indicated to Meta to help her walk out of the hideaway.