The Lost Patrol (12 page)

-19-

Maddox decided to speed the rate of travel by making strategic star-drive jumps. Each “jump” put
Victory
near a system’s Laumer-Point, which the vessel promptly used. Bypassing the normal acceleration and deceleration from one distant Laumer-Point to another allowed the starship to quickly travel halfway to the Xerxes System.

These jumps in rapid succession were possible because Star Watch had improved the Baxter-Locke injections against Jump Lag. The new jump medicine meant that
Victory
could travel faster and with less fatigue dumped onto the crew than before. Maddox had grown thoroughly sick of Jump Lag. If nothing else, this trip would be more enjoyable with its near-absence.

Perhaps as critical, several Kai-Kaus techniques helped to negate the worst effects to delicate equipment. Presently, only
Victory
and several Star Watch battleships had these improved methods. These ships could go through a Laumer-Point or use the star drive with minimized Jump Lag so that man and machine could come out fighting.

Could Star Watch keep these advantages hidden long enough to surprise the New Men with them?

Maddox had his doubts. Look at what had happened to the knowledge of fold-fighters. The enemy had stolen the technology from Star Watch to construct their own.

Such events were normal, historically speaking. Technological superiority was notoriously difficult to keep for more than a few years. Almost as important as the tech advantage itself, was the time it took to implement the change in sufficient numbers. The other side’s spies might steal the blueprints to a new design, but building them quickly enough to face the enemy was another matter.

Maddox wore his regular uniform with his long-barreled pistol in its holster. Being armed on his own starship was a habit he’d developed from his Intelligence days. It had proven critical on more than one occasion.

During the past few days, Galyan hadn’t noticed any differences in him. Maddox wondered if that was because of normal ship routine. Maybe the differences only revealed themselves under pressure, when he acted at peak levels.

Maddox pondered that as he moved through an “E” Deck corridor near a hangar bay. His stride lengthened as his thoughts shifted to Shu 15. Had she grown weary of her confinement yet?

He planned to interrogate her in another day or so, starting with the softest methods first: using regular questions. He’d become more suspicious of Shu the longer he thought about the situation. Spacers didn’t like androids. The androids appeared to reciprocate the feelings with a vengeance. That seemed to imply prior dealings with each other.

Had the Spacers had some kind of encounter with the androids when they acquired their Builder technology? It seemed a likely possibility.

Maddox stopped. He realized he hardly saw anyone down here. Even with the skeleton crew that operated the starship during the night shift, there should have been a few people about.

He needed to concentrate, not think about what he was going to do tomorrow. He’d come down here for a flash inspection of the shuttles and strikefighters.

Patrol Training had taught him that crews did not do what you expected of them, but what you
inspected
. Thus, he planned to inspect everything on this voyage. It was tedious to be sure. But it was one of his responsibilities as captain. In the past, he’d shifted many of these chores onto Lieutenant Noonan. He needed to find a way to reward her for all her hard work.

He started walking again. The corridor lights flickered, which he found strange. Was there a power malfunction?

The captain unhooked his communicator, clicking it. The thing was dead. Was that a coincidence or did it have a connection with the faulting lighting? The lights flickered worse than before. Only as he heard a shoe scuffle did he realize his reaction had been off. The instant he realized his communicator didn’t work, he should have drawn his gun.

His hand fell onto the holstered gun-butt—

“Please,” a man said. “That would be a tragic mistake.”

The voice came from behind. With his hand still resting on the gun-butt, Maddox turned around.

A security Marine regarded him. The man had wide shoulders and a square head. He seemed like a wrestler. That reminded Maddox of Kane, but the Marine was too short to be like the former Rouen Colony spy. The Marine gripped a regular Star Watch stunner, aiming it at him.

“Please,” the Marine said in an odd voice. “Remove your hand from the gun.”

The wording seemed off. “I don’t think so,” Maddox said, deciding to test the Marine.

“You are making this difficult.”

“Thank you.”

The Marine cocked his head. “I did not intend that as praise.”

“My mistake then,” Maddox said.

The Marine cocked his head the other way. “Is this a test?”

“Yes, and you failed it.”

“I do not understand your meaning.”

“You’re an android,” Maddox said. “Your mannerisms give you away.”

The Marine frowned.

Maddox sensed what was about to happen a moment before it occurred. He drew the long-barreled gun to forestall it.

The android fired the stunner. As the long barrel of Maddox’s gun cleared the holster, a blot of force struck him. The blast blew him backward so he thudded onto the deck unconscious.

***

Maddox regained consciousness all at once. His head whipped up and to the left. Only then did he realize someone had put smelling salts under his nose.

He blinked several times. His body ached from a hard stun and his thoughts moved sluggishly. He moved his jaw from side to side and squeezed his eyes shut. Nausea struck. He willed it down but found that difficult. He concentrated, feeling a dull thrum in his skull. The nausea increased. He gagged, and that made him more determined.

Maddox breathed deeply through his nostrils, held his air and slowly let it out. He did this several times. The nausea lessened, but his body still ached. He began to hear noises, tinkering sounds and others breathing.

The captain forced the grogginess from his mind. He could already feel his heightened metabolism shaking off the effects of the stun.

He peeled his eyes open, looking around. The cramped quarters and the sealed hatch told him this was a shuttle hold. He sat in a metal chair, his torso, arms and legs clamped tightly.

The android had obviously dragged him through the corridor, into the hangar bay and onto a shuttle. How had the false Marine done so without alerting Galyan?

Two Marines were in the cargo hold with him, not just one. A familiar looking Marine monitored a screen attached to a strange machine. The captain recognized him as the wrestler-like android. Lines snaked from the machine to the band around Maddox’s head. The other Marine regarded him.

“Is the shuttle outside the ship?” Maddox asked.

They ignored his words.

“Have your circuits overloaded so you fail to understand my question?” Maddox asked.

The “wrestler” android scowled. “I am aware of your question. Since the meld isn’t ready yet, I have refrained from answering it. All will become clear in a moment. You must be patient.”

Maddox tested his bonds.

“You are quite secure,” the android told him.

“If you’re planning to torture me—”

“Of course not,” the android said, interrupting. “We are going to adjust your thinking on an important matter. In a short time, you will be back among your crew.”

Maddox abhorred anyone trying to control him. Knowledge of their objective helped focus his thoughts. It also caused his features to relax.

“I see, I see,” Maddox said. “Is this due to the Spacer’s presence on
Victory
?”

“You will not remember any of this, Captain. Thus, you can forgo your Intelligence techniques, as they will not aid you.”

Maddox ingested the words in silence. What was the best way to play this? The android hadn’t liked the comment about overloaded circuits. That was a marker, clearly. The captain pondered a few moments longer, devising his strategy.

“I understand,” he said at last. “You’re a soulless machine.”

The android’s head twitched. He clearly thought about the comment until he smiled. “I feel I should inform you that your verbal tricks won’t work on me.”

“Yes, of course. I realize this,” Maddox said. “And the reason the tricks won’t work is obvious. You’re both machines. How could I deceive an advanced computer system such as you?”

“We are more than mere machines,” the android said reproachfully. “Your starship’s AI should have already proven the possibility of such a thing.”

“How dare you liken yourself to Driving Force Galyan?” Maddox said, injecting heat into his voice. “You have insulted him.”

The android cocked his head once more. “No. You are not emotional regarding the Adok AI. You are attempting to anger me through studied slights. That proves you believe I am more than a machine.”

“Touché,” Maddox said. “I applaud the genius of your maker. You are quite sophisticated. Tell me. Whom do you represent?”

“I do not
represent
anyone. I am myself.”

“That’s false on the face of it, as you’re impersonating a Star Watch Marine.”

“That is incorrect. I
am
a Star Watch Marine.”

“You expect me to believe that you went through basic training?” Maddox asked.

“I did rather well, too,” the android said. “It is how I got posted to
Victory
. Yet, to be honest—I believe that is how you biological beings say it. You are not fully human, are you, Captain? You are a hybrid. Thus, you are in no position to judge the authenticity of my humanity. I am, in fact, more human than you are.”

Maddox tested his bonds again. He did not care for the android’s statement.

“Please, Captain, desist with that. I do not want you to injure yourself. You are too important to the mission.”

Maddox shook his head, trying to dislodge the metal band around it.

“Now you are merely being obstinate,” the android said. “That will serve no useful purpose.”

“Unless I get a vicarious thrill out of being obstinate,” Maddox said.

“Yes,” the android said. “That is logical.” It blinked twice in quick succession. “There, I have recorded the quirk of your obstinacy.”

“But I don’t enjoy being obstinate,” Maddox protested. “I merely pointed it out as a possibility.”

The android studied him. “Ah. I see. That was an obstinate statement.” The wrestler-like android smiled. “Does my understanding surprise you?”

Maddox pretended to consider the question. “No. You successfully captured me. That shows heightened abilities, among them a keen application of logic. You have a superior AI, obviously of advanced Builder make.”

The android studied the captain a few seconds longer before turning to the other. They spoke in high-speed chatter, impossible to follow.

The second android began to manipulate its panel.

Maddox hunched his shoulders and tightened his neck muscles. The first time he’d whipped his head around, he’d felt the headband shift the tiniest bit. Now, he whipped his head even more violently, shaking, thrusting—the headband slipped upward, did so a little more, and finally flew off his head.

An electrical charge must have surged through the wires. As the band flew off, Maddox winced from a shock. Then the headband flew clear, clattering onto the deck.

If it had remained on his head…

The first android turned around as the second one shut down the machine.

“What did that gain you?” the first android asked, as he picked up the headband.

“A moment’s respite,” Maddox said.

“This is a delicate operation,” the android said, approaching him.

“I felt the discharge,” Maddox said. “You’re trying to electrocute me.”

“You are a strong individual with a powerful will. That takes intense methods.”

“How does shocking me aid you?”

“Your mind, Captain; you have false ideas. We are here to rid you of them.”

“What gives you the right?”

The first android glanced at the second. The second android scowled. “We do not need right. We are following orders.”

“Procedures,” Maddox sneered. “You are following logic processors. That proves you are machines without independent will.”

“That is no concern of yours,” the second android said. He was a Marine sergeant. In fact, Maddox finally recognized him.

“You’re Hank Towns,” Maddox said.

The two androids exchanged glances.

“This will take prolonged work now,” Hank told the wrestler. “We might irrevocably damage his mind. The professor will be unhappy with the result.”

“No, no,” the first android said. “You should not have said that.”

Once again, the two androids stared at each other.