The Lost Starship

-21-

The first people broke through foliage as Keith scrambled through a boarding hatch. Meta helped Sergeant Riker, and Dana staggered after them. Maddox brought up the rear.

The Loki Prime criminals shouted for them to stop, like lost souls in Hell screaming for a reprieve. The desperate cries chilled Maddox. He glanced back. Men and women were equally red-faced with their mouths opened as wide as possible. Several aimed flintlocks, firing. Puffs of smoke appeared. Wooden pellets rattled against Geronimo’s outer skin.

Meta pushed Riker ahead of her, clambering in after him. Dana rushed to the hatch, diving through. Maddox came in next. A pellet followed, ricocheting around the hall but thankfully striking no one.

Maddox would have shut the hatch, but he had other worries.

Meta whirled around with determination etched on her wide face. What she meant to do was anyone’s guess. Before she could reach Maddox, Sergeant Riker’s bionic arm yanked her back, causing her to stumble.

Under normal circumstances, Maddox might have grinned. The shouting in the distance sounded like those outside Noah’s Ark demanding a berth when the rains first began.

“We’re in,” the captain said over the comm-unit. “Get us out of here, Lieutenant.”

Ship engines whined and antigravity pods hummed. With a lurch, Geronimo lifted.

“Get on your stomachs!” Maddox shouted, aiming his gun at Meta and indicating Dana with his chin.

They hesitated for a half-second. Then, Dana complied and Meta followed suit. Maddox reached out, catching the hatch. The ship was already twenty feet up and climbing. People stared at them, imploring with raised arms. Men and women begged for the ship to return and take them off Loki Prime.

Feeling like a scoundrel but desperately glad to be aboard the scout, Maddox shut the hatch with a clang. He turned the wheel and wanted to relax. He couldn’t, though. There was too much to do still.

Upon entering the ship, Keith had stumbled away and now brought him security anklets. Maddox programmed each, snapping one on Dana’s ankle and another on Meta’s. It was a simple system. For now, the bulky anklet would shock the wearer if she approached the control or engine room too closely.

“Ensign,” he told Keith. “Go pilot the ship. Have the lieutenant plot a course that will avoid the destroyer. If she doesn’t know Saint Petersburg’s location, tell her to find it in a hurry.”

The ace ran down the corridor.

“You,” he told Meta, “in there. If you want to, use the shower. Soon enough, we’ll run you through medical and rid you of Loki germs.”

Meta climbed to her feet and went into the head. Maddox closed the hatch behind her.

“Help him and follow me,” he told Dana.

The doctor guided Sergeant Riker to medical. Maddox took him afterward and hooked the sergeant to the robo-doctor.

“You should let me examine him,” Dana said.

Maddox looked up. “I didn’t realize you were that kind of doctor.”

“I’m full of surprises.”

Maddox thought about it and nodded.

Dana approached the control panel. She examined the readout, and she tapped in commands. Hypos hissed, dosing the sergeant with antibiotics.

“He’s going to be here a few days,” Dana said. “Loki organisms are incredibly resistant to treatment.”

“Is he all right for the moment?” Maddox asked.

“He should be, although I’d like to check up on him in a half-hour.”

“We may not have the luxury,” Maddox said. “You’re coming with me to the control room.”

Dana pointed at her anklet.

“I have a temporary override code,” he said, tapping it in to his control unit. “There, we’re set.”

They exited medical and walked down the corridor. Her anklet beeped, flashing a warning red, and she stopped short. Maddox rechecked his unit. He must have been more exhausted than he realized, as he’d made a mistake.

“There,” he said. “I fixed it.” A green light appeared on her anklet.

Dana gave him an indecipherable glance before opening the hatch. An argument was in progress between Valerie and Keith. The ace sat in the pilot’s chair. The lieutenant tapped her instruments, studying data.

“Enough!” Maddox said, entering behind Dana. “What’s the problem?”

“Saint Petersburg is upstairs above us,” Keith said. “Valerie is saying to race around the world down here. I say we lift and go just under the high cloud cover. There’s too much air density down here to travel fast enough. That means we’ll crawl, and even though the destroyer has to cover more territory, they’ll match us.”

Inhaling, Valerie likely made ready to explain her view.

“We don’t have time,” Maddox told the lieutenant. To Keith, he said, “Take us up.”

“Sir,” Valerie said, sounding indignant.

“Didn’t you just hear me?” Maddox asked her. “We don’t have time for discussions. You,” he told Dana, “go there.” He indicated his regular spot. “That’s where you’re going to do your magic.”

The doctor sat down and began to familiarize herself with the controls.

Maddox wanted to slide down onto his butt and close his eyes. Now was the time to concentrate, though. Clearly, he faced the most dangerous opponent of his life, the New Man.

“Here’s the situation,” Maddox told Valerie. “At least two New Men are down on the surface. One’s dead. I believe they came down from the Saint Petersburg.”

“What?” the lieutenant asked. “That’s incredible. You can’t be serious.”

“You must have monitored an orbital firing two missiles,” Maddox said.

Lieutenant Noonan nodded.

“The missiles struck a Star Watch shuttle on the ground,” Maddox said. “The personnel tortured criminals to find her,” he said, jerking a thumb at Dana. “The New Men were on the Saint Petersburg. What that means is that we have to win this little game of cat and mouse with the destroyer. I’m betting the New Man on the surface has found my clearance code in the flitter. That means they can mask themselves from the orbitals just as we’re doing. That’s good news for them and us.”

“I don’t see how it’s good for us,” Valerie said.

“Don’t you see?” Maddox asked. “The Saint Petersburg will likely send another shuttle down to pick up the New Man. That will allow us time to flee.”

“Even if that’s true,” Valerie said, “don’t you think the monitor’s crew knows something here is wrong?”

“Forget about them for now,” Maddox said. “They’re far away at the chthonian planet. Do you have a fix on the Saint Petersburg?”

“Yes,” Valerie said.

“Are we cloaked?” Maddox asked.

“No, sir,” Valerie said. “The cloak isn’t any good in an atmosphere. The destroyer must know where we are.”

“Compared to us,” Dana said, speaking up, “the destroyer has the high ground. They’ll just shoot us down.”

“Yes,” Maddox said, sarcastically. “You make a brilliant point. But I want you to concentrate on the space-beacon hacking. Let us handle this end.”

“She’s Doctor Dana Rich?” Valerie asked.

“Correct,” Maddox said.

“I’m glad to make your acquaintance,” Valerie said. “I’m—”

“Stow the welcoming committee routine,” Maddox shouted. “Fixate on the destroyer and how to outmaneuver it.”

“Do you charm everyone, mister?” Dana asked him.

Maddox glowered at her. Doctor Rich turned back to the instrument panel.

The scout rose rapidly as the planetary surface receded. Soon the jungle trees merged back into a vast green carpet. It was impossible to tell the mountain peaks: the abode to human bacterium living on the spore-infested nodes of existence.

The thought once again caused Maddox to feel the intense relief from escaping the jungle world and its ruthless germs. No doubt, once this was all over, Star Watch Intelligence would demand a detailed report on life on Loki Prime. If people wanted criminals to suffer for their crimes, the judicial arm had picked the perfect planet for it.

“Sir,” Valerie said. “A destroyer shuttle is dropping to the surface.”

“This is it,” Maddox said. “My guess is the destroyer will wait to pick up the New Man and my flitter. It’s our chance to make a run into space away from the Saint Petersburg.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Dana asked. “Why don’t they have the shuttle pick up the New Man and wait in orbit? The destroyer can hunt us down and come back for it later.”

“No,” Maddox said. “Lieutenant Noonan made an excellent point a few minute ago. It’s possible the SWS monitor at the Class 1 tramline entrance will have detected the shuttles. If not, the Star Watch commander out there is sure to detect the missiles or beams.”

“What beams?” Dana asked.

“The ones the destroyer will use on us to obliterate our scout. If Saint Petersburg shows its attacking someone on Loki Prime, the monitor will have to investigate. That means the destroyer will have to flee the system. Despite their superiority at tactics, even a New Man-captained destroyer can’t beat an SWS monitor. What that means is the destroyer will first have to pick up the shuttle before it chases us, because if they want to escape the star system, they won’t have time later to come back to pick up the shuttle and the stranded New Man.”

“Sounding confident about a thing doesn’t make it true,” Dana said. “You’re guessing, and you could be wrong.”

“Fair enough,” Maddox said. “I’ve noted your displeasure with my decision.” He turned to Valerie. “Show me the destroyer’s position relative to us.”

The lieutenant put it on her screen. The destroyer paced them overhead. Saint Petersburg had come down to Low Loki Orbit.

“Let’s open it up,” Maddox told Ensign Maker. “We need velocity.”

“The atmosphere will make it difficult for us, Captain,” Keith said.

“I know,” Maddox said. “It’s going to get hot in here. Unfortunately, I don’t see any other way to do this.”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Keith said, who began to tap his panel.

The minutes passed as Ensign Maker increased velocity. They reached Mach 10, 11, 12. Soon, they flew at Mach 18. It wouldn’t take much longer to reach escape velocity. The ship’s air-conditioning systems already hummed. The vessel shook as air turbulence struck it.

“Captain, a missile is heading down at us from the Saint Petersburg. Correction,” Valerie said, “two missiles.”

“Slave the combat equipment to me, love,” Keith said. “I know exactly what to do.”

Valerie glanced at Maddox.

“Do it,” the captain said.

“We don’t want to launch chaff right away,” Keith said. “This is a heat-seeking missile, but I expect radar lock-on from the Saint Petersburg. They should be able to guide the missile to us. We’ll make them think we’re doing something different than what we’re really going to do.”

“What are we doing?” Valerie asked.

“Putting your life into my hands,” Keith said. “It isn’t misplaced.”

Several minutes passed.

“The missiles are closing fast,” Valerie shouted. “They’re Talos Seven class, variant E-3.”

“This is perfect,” Keith said. He slapped a control. “Grab your seats ladies, and gentlemen, sir.”

Maddox watched the lieutenant’s screen. Chaff flittered out from the rear of the scout. Then, Geronimo swiveled, turning one hundred and eighty degrees so they faced the approaching missiles. The ship began to buck and wave as it flew backward.

“Couldn’t do this without the antigravity pods,” Keith muttered. “Hang on, love.”

Despite the missiles’ speed, they swerved around the chaff. It seemed as if the ace had used the silvery particles as a make-shift shield.

Clever, Maddox thought.

“Now I have you,” Keith muttered. He pressed the trigger controls. Shells sped at the two bogeys. One Talos Seven variant E-3 missile disintegrated in midair. A second later, the other exploded, making a black cloud in the air.

“This will get rough!” Keith shouted.

The scout swiveled again, facing forward, and the missile’s air concussion struck the craft. The control room tipped to the side as the scout descended.

“Come on, lass, dance for your daddy-boy.” The ace’s fingers roved over his controls as everything shook.

Maddox had to clench his jaws to stop his teeth from rattling against each other.

Incredibly, Geronimo straightened and the shaking stopped. The scout soon rose to its former height.

Ensign Maker slapped his chest, hooting with delight. “I own you, you crawly mothers. I’m the king of the hill.”

Silently, Maddox agreed with the pilot’s assessment. The man knew his trade.

As Geronimo continued its way around the world, Doctor Rich worked feverishly at her controls. “I never thought I’d get to do this again,” she said in a voice choked with emotion.

The control room was meant for three. With four, it was crowded. So Maddox stood near the hatch, grabbing it during the violent maneuvering. “It’s time,” he said. “Lieutenant, hail Archangel.”

“We’ll never get through the space beacons if we do that,” Valerie told him.

“I said hail them,” Maddox said. “That doesn’t mean I plan to speak with anyone.”

“Sir?” asked Valerie.

Dana looked up from her panel, facing him. “You think there are more New Men aboard the destroyer?”

“Would the New Man commander go down to Loki Prime’s surface if he didn’t have backup on the destroyer?” Maddox asked.

“If I were the destroyer’s commander,” Dana said, “I wouldn’t go onto Loki Prime under any conditions.”

“You also don’t believe you can do anything you want,” Maddox said. “I believe they do. Anyway, that two New Men went down to the surface indicates to me that more stayed up with the Saint Petersburg.”

“Why would that matter to us so that we’re now hailing Archangel?” Valerie asked.

“It isn’t always what we do that matters,” Maddox told the lieutenant. “Sometimes what counts is what the enemy thinks we’re doing. Of course, as Doctor Rich has implied, I’m predicating this on the belief that there are New Men aboard Saint Petersburg.”

“Sir,” Valerie said. “Archangel acknowledges our signal.”

“Send them a random message,” Maddox said. “Use nonsense words.”

Lieutenant Noonan gave him a blank look.

“Recite an old nursery rhythm,” Maddox said. “We know it’s nonsense, but maybe the New Men aboard Saint Petersburg will believe it’s a clever code. I’m sure they’re monitoring our radio. They won’t be able to crack our meaningless message—what they think is a cryptogram—and that might trouble them enough into making a wrong choice.”

Doctor Rich appeared thoughtful as she studied Maddox. Finally, she said, “You’re attempting to use their intelligence against them. You’re a subtle man, Captain.”

“Don’t sing my praises yet,” Maddox said. “Wait until we’ve made it.”

Thirty seconds passed, a minute. The scout continued to shiver as the engines complained.

“The turbulence is stressing the ship’s structures, sir,” Keith said. “I recommend—”

“Sir!” Valerie shouted. “The destroyer has slowed down. It appears to be making a turn.”

“Can you spy the lifting shuttle?” Maddox asked.

“Negative,” Valerie said. “It’s over the horizon in relation to us.”

“Pour it on, Ensign,” Maddox said. “Push it. This is our sole opportunity to break out into space.”

“You guessed right, sir,” Valerie said. “You outfoxed the destroyer’s commander.”

“We’re prolonging our existence,” Maddox said. “That means we get to play phase two.” He glanced at the lieutenant’s board. The destroyer was completing the turn. The commander up there must have decided to pick up the shuttle as fast as he could. Then he would use the Saint Petersburg’s speed to try to catch the scout. Of that, Maddox had little doubt.

Thirty more seconds passed.

“Now,” Maddox said. “Take us through the clouds and head for space, Ensign.”

“Aye-aye, Captain, sir,” Keith said. “I’m going to show these blimey crawlies what we can do.”

Geronimo reached space at a calculated spot. They were in line-of-sight of Archangel, which maintained its distant post near the Class 1 tramline jump-point entrance and the chthonian planet. Loki Prime now shielded them from the destroyer, although that wouldn’t last for long. The bulkheads no longer shuddered, and the scout seemed unhurt from its time in the atmosphere.

“We have clear running ahead of us,” Keith said.

“Engage the cloaking device,” Maddox said.

Valerie complied, although she said, “It won’t work at peak efficiency while the engines are pouring exhaust from our port.”

“The cloak will still make it harder for Archangel to tell what we are,” Maddox said. “We’re not going to give them long to see us, though. Set a course for the Class 3 tramline, Lieutenant. Ensign, we’re going to use the Loki Prime. Take us behind it in relation to Archangel.”

“Won’t that bring us into a line-of-sight with Saint Petersburg?” Valerie asked.

“It will,” Maddox said. “How much battery charge do we have?”

“Fifteen percent,” Valerie said. “The batteries began charging again when I turned on the engines. But—”

“Fifteen percent is less than I like,” Maddox said, interrupting her. “Ensign, give us full power. Open it up. Then, at my command, you will cut power and go to batteries to energize the cloaking device.”

“We can use the cloak with the fusion engines powering them,” Valerie said. “It’s the hot exhaust out of the port that will give us away.”

“This close to the destroyer,” Maddox said, “we’ll stick to battery power. They might be able to detect the fusion engines.”

“We’ll barely be crawling through space,” Valerie pointed out.

“Yes, while cloaked,” Maddox said, “and hidden from Archangel and Saint Petersburg both.”

“That will allow the destroyer to tell the monitor’s commander whatever he wants,” Valerie said.

“Exactly,” Maddox said. “We want a quiet playing field. If two of us try to tell the monitor our varying stories, Archangel’s commander might put the drone field onto combat alert.”

“He might do it anyway,” Valerie said. “In fact, I’d say that’s his most probable course.”

Maddox took his time answering. His lungs felt bubbly, which he took to mean the lowlander spores continued to mutate. His immune system was likely stronger than Keith’s or the sergeant’s, but it wasn’t tougher than the planet’s bacterium. Soon, now, he’d have to go through the robo-doctor.

Finally, he said, “All life is a risk, Lieutenant. We have to play the hand we’re dealt, not the one we’d like.”

The engines began to strain as they headed out of Low Loki Prime Orbit at full throttle. Keith had already aimed the ship toward the distant Class 3 tramline.

“Now,” Maddox ordered. “Cut the engines and coast.”

Using Loki Prime as a shield, they hid from the distant monitor. The Star Watch commander out there might link to the space beacons, but at this point, it was unlikely the scout would show on their sensors either. As he’d said, all life was a risk.

With passive sensors, the lieutenant’s screen showed the shuttle entering the destroyer’s docking bay.

“In less than twenty-one hours,” Valerie said, “the one satellite-beacon is going to make its report to the monitor. Then it won’t matter what the destroyer has explained to Archangel’s commander.”

Maddox heard the lieutenant, and he silently agreed with her. Heaviness pulled at his eyelids. He forced them wider. He had plenty to do still. For one thing, he needed to get Meta settled. Then, he had to decide how he was going to convince Doctor Rich to join the expedition to the finish.