The Lost Destroyer (Lost Starship Series Book 3) (27 page)

The comm light continued to blink.

Soon, the doomsday machine’s orifice sparkled with a strange energy.

“No,” Artemis whispered.

On
Osprey
, they recorded with passive sensors as the terrible beam speared from the doomsday machine. Seconds later, the beam batted aside the Karachi 7 space station’s puny shield. The massive beam burned through the station’s weak hull armor. After that, the beam smashed the metal and crew down to its molecular components. A blob of molten metal and fired flesh existed where the space station had only seconds ago. Another second, and even the blob ceased to exist as the massive beam disintegrated everything down to its base atoms.

Just like that, the space station was gone. The light no longer blinked on Kris’s comm.

Finally, the monstrous beam stopped. Ponderously, the planet-killer sent out harsh sensor rays, no doubt seeking other life in the star system.

Kris held her breath. Would the alien sensors recognize them in the frigate? This was the moment of truth. In her piloting chair, Artemis wept silently, although she kept her eyes glued to her controls.

The giant planet-killer accelerated, heading deeper in-system.

Time passed aboard the Patrol frigate. Finally, the monster passed them.

“How long do we wait?” Artemis asked.

Kris wanted to see what the doomsday machine would do. They waited hours, half a day and then a full twenty-four hours. The big alien machine kept building velocity until it was moving fast. Finally, they saw the terrible planet-killer strike at Karachi 6, beaming the habitable domes on the airless surface.

Afterward, the commander witnessed something new. The fifty-kilometer vessel moved close to the planet as it decelerated harder than it had accelerated. It began feeding off the planetary debris, using a tractor beam to bring radioactive isotopes inside the ship.

“Why’s it doing that?” Artemis asked.

“I have an idea,” Kris said. “The vast expenditure of energy to power the beam must demanded prodigious replenishment. I bet it takes time to rebuild to maximum capacity.”

“Look, it’s moving again. Is it heading for Karachi 3?” That was an Earthlike world.

“It’s time we went to the Laumer-Point,” Kris said. “Once the thing has reached peak energy levels, it might head to Earth next. We can’t waste any more time,” Kris said. “Go.”

Artemis obeyed. The fusion engines came back online, as did normal ship systems. Soon,
Osprey
accelerated for the Laumer-Point.

In the meantime, the giant doomsday machine gained velocity as it continued in-system for Karachi 3.

“What a horrible thing for those on the planet,” Artemis said. “To know you’re doomed and there’s nothing—”

A red beam speared out of space ahead of them. It caused the cloaked star cruiser that had fired the fusion ray to appear on the main screen. Sight of the beam and enemy ship had caused the pilot to stop talking.

The beam struck
Osprey’s
weak shield, turning it a dark color.

“I’d forgotten about the star cruiser,” Kris said. “Put all power to the shield. I’ll try to hail them.”

The enemy didn’t reply. Instead, it poured the fusion beam against them until the shield collapsed. Instantly, the beam stabbed against the hull armor. That lasted an even shorter amount of time.

Soon, the beam smashed through bulkheads, tearing into living compartments, killing people, and digging into the ship. Finally, it reached the fusion engine.

“Abandon ship,” Kris shouted into the intercom. It was her last order as the commander of the Patrol frigate. Then she and Artemis sprinted out of the control room, racing to the nearest escape pod.

The corridor shuddered. Air howled and the entire ship shook as it began to tear apart under the brutal beam.

Artemis stumbled, falling onto the shivering deck plates. Kris hauled the pilot to her feet. Together, they staggered. Metal crashed behind them. The howling noises were deafening, making speech impossible. Fires burned and smoke poured into the corridor. Both the commander and the pilot coughed explosively.

At last, Kris staggered to an emergency hatch. She tried it, but it was stuck fast. Balling her hands into fists, she banged at it.

Heat billowed down the corridor due to the enemy beam. Clouds of matter raced at them.

Kris turned the handle and yanked open the hatch. She shoved Artemis down the tube and followed a second later.

Heat followed too, but the emergency procedures saved them for the moment. Kris and Artemis landed on acceleration couches in a tiny escape pod.

Each officer donned a mask. Then, Kris stabbed a switch. Violent acceleration hurled them from the disintegrating
Osprey
. The escape pod tumbled away into space as the frigate exploded, hurling debris in all directions.

The fusion beam from the star cruiser quit. The pieces from the former Patrol vessel were drifting junk now. No other escape pods made it out of the ship in time.

Kris and Artemis tumbled over and over in the pod. They stared at each other.

“I never thought it would end like this,” Artemis said.

“No,” Kris said.

Then, the tumbling stopped, throwing each of them against the straps holding them in place.

“What happened?” Artemis asked. “That isn’t natural.”

Kris pressed a switch, bringing up a small control board. She tapped it. That turned on a tiny screen.

Artemis stared wide-eyed. “I don’t know if this is good or bad.”

Kris didn’t know either. A tractor beam pulled them toward the star cruiser. The enemy had decided to save their lives. Why would the New Men do that?

The commander shuddered. Was this worse than death?

-29-

After a long and arduous journey there and back again, Starship
Victory
finally came through the Pluto Laumer-Point. The Adok starship had returned to the Solar System.

Maddox recovered from Jump Lag first. He used the time to study the Solar System. An initial analysis showed him the Earth was still intact. He slumped back against his chair. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized just how much he’d dreaded the doomsday machine beating them home.

One by one, the others recovered. Only Valerie and Galyan were on the bridge with Maddox, though. The starship began to accelerate for the distant blue-green planet far in the inner system.

“This is weird,” Valerie said to herself. “Pluto Command is ordering us to stop for inspection.”

A premonition of trouble caused Maddox to stand up. He moved closer to the main screen. Pluto was two hundred thousand kilometers away. The armored station was in orbit there, always keeping behind the iceoid in relation to the Laumer-Point. It was the most basic defense against jump-nukes, using the planet to shield the station personnel from a thermonuclear blast. Relay satellites around Pluto bounced the signal to
Victory
.

“Tell Pluto Command I have an urgent message for Star Watch HQ,” Maddox said.

Valerie did just that. Afterward, she listened to the response. The lieutenant turned around. “I think you’d better look at this, sir.” She tapped her board.

The main screen showed deep space instead of Pluto. Maddox spied ten battleships six hundred thousand kilometers out. They were on an obvious intercept course with them.

“Are they serious?” Maddox said to himself.

“Very,” Valerie said. “Pluto Command is ordering us to stand down and wait for boarding.”

“Put him onscreen,” Maddox said.

“Her,” Valerie said, while tapping her board. “Commodore Kinshasa of Pluto Command is live, sir.”

An older woman appeared on the screen. She had dark hair and darker skin, with a commodore’s uniform and bars.

“Captain Maddox,” Kinshasa said. “You are failing to comply with an authorized Star Watch order. Why is that?”

“Do you know who I am?” Maddox asked.

Kinshasa’s manner became stark. “I am well aware of you, Captain. It is why I have my orders. I am instructed to tell you to board a shuttle and head at once for Pluto Command.”

Maddox stiffened. “Am I under arrest?”

“You will be if you fail to obey orders,” Kinshasa said. “Worse for your people, I will have to open fire on Starship
Victory
.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Valerie snapped. “We’ve been operating on special instructions from Lord High Admiral Cook. Don’t you realize that we’ve just arrived from ‘C’ Quadrant?
Victory
was instrumental in defeating the New Men’s invasion armada, freeing Fifth Fleet.”

“Is one of your officers suggesting that you defy a legal order?” Kinshasa asked Maddox.

Valerie’s outburst helped to calm Maddox. “The lieutenant is correct,” he said. “We are operating under special instructions. They supersede any orders that you may have—”

“Captain Maddox,” Kinshasa said, interrupting him. “I am under direct orders from High Command and those orders concern you and your starship. Pluto Station is the first line of defense of the Solar System. You will comply with the instruction, or I will order the battleships to attack.”

The commodore’s hostility baffled Maddox. This didn’t make any sense.

“You continue to hesitate,” Kinshasa said. “Let me ask you a question, sir. Did you swear an oath to Star Watch or not?”

Maddox bowed his head. The pressure of the last few weeks had diminished his inner reserves. He had strained with everything in him to reach the Solar System. Upon arrival, he had relaxed for the moment. Maybe that’s why Commodore Kinshasa’s orders had upset him like this. It was time to play the game as he always did. He needed to figure out why she had such bizarre orders.

The captain settled himself, looking up with his normal composure. “You’ve surprised me, Commodore,” he said in an urbane manner. “This is… quite unexpected. As the lieutenant indicated, we expected a hero’s welcome for our efforts.”

Kinshasa eyed him as if she couldn’t decide if this was ridicule or not.

“Yes, I suppose this must be a surprise,” the commodore conceded. “The orders came through twenty-eight hours ago. They passed every security procedure. The orders surprised us, I’ll admit. It’s why we double and triple-checked them. They are quite genuine. Now, you must shut down all ship systems at once. Failure to comply will force us into a situation neither of us desires.”

“Of course,” Maddox said. “Now that I realize you’re acting under specific orders, I must comply. The orders came twenty-eight hours ago, you say?”

“I’m glad you understand, Captain. I must also inform you that until you are safely in quarantine, you must keep a direct and open channel with Pluto Command. Failure to comply will result in a full-scale attack sequence. Do you understand me?”

“I do.”

“Very well, put Lieutenant Noonan on screen.”

“Just a moment,” Maddox said. He moved to the comm-board and tapped the panel, cutting communications with Pluto Command.

Valerie sat up, surprised. She’d been following the exchange closely.

“It appears the enemy has managed to send Pluto Command false orders,” Maddox said.

“Kinshasa said they triple-checked the orders, sir.”

“The instructions are too pat,” Maddox said. “Think about it. They originated twenty-eight hours ago. How long does it take a message to travel from Earth to Pluto?”

“I’m more concerned about what we’re going to do with ten hostile battleships? They’ll begin warning their laser batteries soon.”

Maddox grew thoughtful. “Is this an attempt to stop Star Watch Command from learning about the doomsday machine or is it meant to destroy my starship?”

“Tell the commodore our information,” Valerie suggested. “She can relay the message to Earth.”

“No,” Maddox said, looking at the screen, studying the ten battleships. “I don’t want to wait that long. If the orders came twenty-eight hours ago, might it imply the doomsday machine will be here soon?”

“Why do you think that, sir?”

“Galyan,” Maddox said, turning around.

“Here, Captain,” Galyan said, from his favorite location on the bridge.

“Get ready to engage the star drive. You’re going to transfer us beside Luna Base.”

“I don’t recommend that, sir,” Valerie said. “Luna Base has some of Star Watch’s heaviest laser batteries. They might open up on us while we’re still in the grip of Jump Lag.”

“That’s an excellent point,” Maddox said. “Therefore, I want you to rig an automated message. Use the nuclear missile timer to do it.”

The captain referred to the common tactic of sending a nuclear device through a Laumer-Point first during a combat jump. It would detonate against any defenders waiting by the jump entry. The lag didn’t effect spring-driven devices.

Valerie stood up. “I’ll get right on it, sir.”

Maddox tapped the comm, bringing an angry Kinshasa back online.

“I’m sorry for the temporary blackout,” the captain said.

“Did you deliberately shut off your communications?” the commodore asked.

“No,” Maddox lied.

Kinshasa glared at him. “Captain, you must immediately begin an emergency shut-down procedure. Until you comply, the battleships will continue their approach. You have ninety seconds to obey. Then, the warships shall begin to fire.”

“Commodore, we still have combat damage from the fight in the Tannish System. I can’t turn off the anti-matter engines in that time. I request that you give me—” Maddox glanced at Valerie.

She showed him four fingers.

“I request that you give me five minutes,” Maddox said.

“Out of the question,” Kinshasa snapped.

“Four minutes then.”

“Captain—”

“Please, Commodore, I implore you.”

Kinshasa eyed him distrustfully. “Very well, four minutes, Captain, and not a minute more.”

“Thank you,” Maddox said, bowing crisply at the waist.

Four minutes later, the starship made the final leap, leaving Pluto and appearing several thousand kilometers from the weapons-bristling Moon.

Valerie’s auto-message worked. Luna Defense stood down just as they readied to fire on the starship.

Thirty seconds after shaking off the final Jump Lag, Maddox found himself speaking to Lord High Admiral Cook on the main screen. The big man was red-faced with thick white hair, wearing a white dress uniform.

“Sir,” Maddox said. “Pluto Command said they received a direct message from headquarters to quarantine me, is that correct?”

“What are you talking about?” the admiral asked.

“This is critical, sir. Did such a message originate in your office?”

“Captain, is this some sort of joke?”

“No, sir,” Maddox said. “I think we may have infiltration agents embedded in headquarters or the enemy has figured out a way to send seemingly legitimate orders to distant posts. Some of our people may be compromised.”

The admiral swore angrily, fixing Maddox with a steely gaze. “What do you mean specifically?”

Maddox gave him a quick rundown of what had just happened by the Pluto Laumer-Point.

Cook laughed bitterly. “You’re a troublemaker, son. It follows you like a flock of vultures. But enough of that. I’ll look into those false orders soon enough. Tell me what happened out there on the rim of ‘C’ Quadrant. Did we beat the enemy fleet? What happened to Fletcher? Is he still alive?”

Maddox highlighted the important details as quickly as he could.

During the speech, Valerie piloted the starship closer to Earth.

“Thank God Admiral Fletcher is still alive,” Cook said with relief. “I congratulate you, Captain. You succeeded marvelously. Half the Fifth Fleet is coming home. This is wonderful news, simply wonderful. You beat the New Men. I’m amazed, sir. It seems that Brigadier O’Hara was right about you all along.”

“There’s more, sir,” Maddox said. In a broad outline, he spoke about the doomsday machine and its magnetic storm method of transfer.

“Hold it, Captain,” the admiral said. The older man had leathery features. They’d grimly fixed onto Maddox. “I want you down here on the double. This is a face-to-face conversation. By the way, how is Professor Ludendorff? You brought him with you, yes?”

Maddox hesitated. That seemed like an odd question to ask at a moment like this. “I have him in stasis, sir. He mutinied against us—”

“What?” Cook asked, with worry in his eyes. “Professor Ludendorff is in stasis?”

“Yes, sir,” Maddox said.

Cook appeared shocked.

“Sir, once you hear—”

“No more,” Cook said, raising a big hand. “I don’t want… I want you in Geneva on the double, Captain. Bring the professor with you.”

“What about the rest of the professor’s team, sir?”

“They’re in—never mind. They must be. Yes, bring them down, too. I can’t believe this.”

“I’m going to let—”

“That will be all, Captain. Not another word, do you understand me?”

The admiral’s look told Maddox the other finally understood what it meant with Pluto Command receiving false instructions. If the enemy could send manufactured orders, could he tap into regular communications?

Maddox wondered about that. Earth must still be rife with enemy espionage attacks. The New Men had a long-distance transfer pyramid. The star cruisers appearing in the Xerxes System had proven that. Even though Star Watch had
Victory
, the enemy had a faster method of travel. The New Men would exploit whatever advantages they possessed.

“Yes, sir,” Maddox said, “I understand.”

“I imagine you’ve already written a full report of all these activities.”

“No, sir, I have not.” Maddox hated writing reports, always putting them off until the last minute.

Cook eyed him. “Get here on the double, Captain. I’m giving you emergency clearance. If this—blast it! Get down here now, Maddox. Cook out.”

***

Sergeant Riker helped Maddox load the stasis tubes into the shuttle’s cargo hold, the tubes holding Ludendorff, Villars and the archeologists. Maddox did not intend to thaw them out first. There wasn’t time, and he wasn’t going to risk it.

“You’re in charge of
Victory
while I’m gone,” Maddox told Valerie in the hangar bay. “I’d like to let you have some leave on Earth before we’re on the clock again, but I’m not sure that’s an option.”

“I’m fine, sir,” Valerie said. “I doubt this is a time for a vacation anyway. The doomsday machine could turn up any minute. I’ll be ready, sir.”

“You’re staying up here, too,” Maddox told Riker.

The sergeant nodded reluctantly. He was probably the most homesick of the crew.