The Lost Artifact Page 16

  Galyan’s eyelids fluttered madly.

  “Well?” Maddox asked.

  “I am unable to detect anyone who fits your description,” the Adok said.

  Maddox tapped the fingers of his right hand against his right thigh. He had been so certain. He had been—

  “Yen Cho,” he said softly. “Galyan, alert the chief of Security. Tell him to choose a select team. I only want marines that he’s been in constant contact with since the medical scan.”

  “That could be a small list, sir.”

  “Do it!” Maddox said, sternly, as he headed for the hatch. “Tell him to meet me at Junction 3-A. I want him there on the double. They’re to bring heavy rifles, including one for me. We’re hunting for a highly dangerous android.”

  Galyan disappeared.

  Maddox hurried to the exit. As soon as he left the bridge, the captain began to sprint.

  ***

  Maddox ran like a cheetah. No one aboard Victory could keep up with him when he ran full tilt. The maddening thing was that soon he was gasping for air and, equally soon, sweat soaked him. When his head started pounding, the captain stopping running and moved at a brisk stride.

  He had to get these fibers out of his brain. They were interfering with his function as captain.

  It took him longer to reach Junction 3-A than he’d anticipated. The chief of Security waited there with three other marines. Each of them cradled a heavy rifle. The chief, a muscular lieutenant with blond sideburns and a buzz cut, handed him a combat rifle.

  Maddox accepted it, automatically checking the chamber. It was loaded.

  “We’re hunting for an android, gentleman. I’ll brief you as we head for the brig.”

  Maddox immediately started for the brig. The marines followed close behind.

  “The android could be impersonating anyone,” the captain said, sounding a little short of breath. “We’ve all gone through a medical scan. That means the android must have chosen someone after he or she passed the scan. No one is attempting to leave the ship. The only other logical action is to assassinate Yen Cho. Study everyone. Trust no one. If you see anyone aiming a weapon at you, kill him or her out of hand. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir,” the chief said.

  “Men?” Maddox asked.

  They each said yes.

  “All right,” Maddox said. “Let’s do this.”

  Once more, he broke into a sprint. The marines followed close behind. He would have liked to break away from them and show them his superiority, but he was too damn tired. And his head began to pound again. But there was no way he was going to slow down in front of the marines.

  Two decks later, the chief asked with a gasp, “Sir, could you slow down a little? Franks is falling behind.”

  Normally, Maddox might have told the marine to keep up the best he could. In this case, he was silently grateful for the request. He did not say anything, as he needed each gasp of air for his screaming lungs. Instead, Maddox dropped back into a brisk walk.

  Galyan suddenly appeared before him. One of the marines fired, a bullet passing through the holoimage.

  “He’s safe,” Maddox said dryly. At least he knew the marines were on edge and alert, which was how he wanted them. “What do you have to report, Galyan?”

  “Why did the marine fire at me?” the holoimage asked.

  “You startled him. Now, report.”

  “Sir,” Galyan said. “A marine just killed two brig guards. The armed marine is presently heading for Yen Cho’s cell.”

  Maddox cursed, and despite his exhaustion, he lurched into a staggering run. His head pounded. His eyesight clouded, and his heart soon hammered. Behind him, he heard the chief pounding as hard as he could to keep up.

  The two of them broke away from the other marines. Like two madmen, they raced to the brig, opened the main hatch, staggered past two dead guards and raced down a corridor for Yen Cho’s cell.

  Maddox passed an open hatch to the side. He glanced there and dove as a bullet grazed his back. The android had obviously staged an ambush.

  “Chief,” Maddox gasped.

  The chief of Security hadn’t quite been able to keep up with the captain. The chief ran past the opened hatch, and bullets riddled his body. He sprawled dead beside Maddox.

  The captain raised his heavy rifle, aiming at the hatch. Then he waited as he panted for air. He’d lost another man, and it made him silently furious.

  “Captain,” a woman said from inside the chamber. “I know you dodged my bullet. They say you move like greased death, but I had to see it to believe it. If you’d moved a fraction slower…”

  Maddox’s eyes narrowed. He heard the tiniest of clicks from the chamber. He rose from his knee and backed away.

  Something flew out of the chamber.

  Maddox sprang like a cat, diving into a side alcove. The grenade exploded, sending metal fragments everywhere. If Maddox had remained at his former spot, the grenade would have killed him.

  “Captain?” the android asked.

  Maddox controlled his breathing as he slowly moved to a kneeling position. He realized the android must have ultra-hearing. It could possibly hear his garments rustle.

  “I know you’re out there, Captain,” the android said.

  Maddox did not believe that it really knew. It was fishing for clues.

  “I have already slain Yen Cho,” the android said. “You were too late. Now, I’m going to self-destruct. You’re never going to know why I was here until it is too late.”

  Maddox blinked stinging sweat out of his eyes. The other marines stumbled into the hall. He wished they would stay back. He had to flush out the android before it shot up more of his men.

  Maddox turned back and waved frantically. A second later, Galyan appeared. Maddox put his finger before his lips.

  The holoimage nodded his understanding.

  Maddox pointed up the hall and made a stopping motion.

  Galyan disappeared.

  Maddox waited. The sound of the approaching marines stopped.

  “That’s odd,” the android said.

  Maddox kept waiting. It was an art. In this instance, Maddox wanted payback for the Security Chief, for the warrant officer and the others they would no doubt find dead in the next few days.

  Maddox almost missed the difference. The barrel of a gun appeared by the hatch and slowly after that, a hand, an arm and then a brig officer. The android moved slowly, with her head cocked to listen. She did not look Maddox’s way, but down the hall where the guards should have appeared.

  Something must have alerted it. The android turned, saw Maddox and began to dart back with surprising speed. Maddox’s trigger finger proved faster.

  The heavy stock of his rifle knocked back against his shoulder. A heavy caliber bullet clanged against the android’s head. That caused it to pitch against the other side of the hatch and then sprawl back into the room.

  Maddox was up and moving, the heavy rifle held by his hip. He threw aside any caution, charging toward the hatch. Before he had taken three steps, a staggering explosion let him know that the android had just destroyed itself.

  -40-

  Inside the chamber, the android had splattered its outer bio-parts and interior mechanical pieces all over the place. It was a sickening sight.

  Maddox and the three marines found nothing of interest here.

  “Suicide?” asked Galyan.

  “I don’t know,” Maddox said. “Maybe it was set to self-destruct if its brain-case became damaged.” He took a deeper breath. “We don’t know this was the only android still aboard ship. We’ll keep searching. First, I’d better check on Yen Cho.”

  The captain, the three Security marines and the floating holoimage moved down the corridor past the slain lieutenant, took several turns and came to an opened hatch.

  “Stay here,” Maddox told the marines.

  Galyan floated beside the captain. The two of them looked inside. A shot-up android lay on the floor.
The Finlay-android hadn’t been lying after all.

  “Interesting,” Galyan said.

  “Indeed,” Maddox said. “Who would think that mechanical men would hate each other like this? They almost do seem human.”

  “Is that a joke, sir?” Galyan asked.

  “Not really,” Maddox said.

  “Why did you not want the marines to see this?”

  “I’m going to let them see soon.”

  “Then I am doubly confused.”

  Maddox regarded the Adok holoimage. “Can’t you figure it out, Galyan?”

  The holoimage’s eyelids fluttered. “Ah,” he said. “I believe so. You first wanted to see if the fake Yen Cho looked convincing enough.”

  “Bully for you,” Maddox said. “You’re right.”

  “It is a good thing you moved Yen Cho earlier as a precaution.”

  Maddox nodded. He felt bone-weary. The lieutenant’s death weighed on him. And now they wouldn’t get to interrogate the android impersonating Finlay. Maddox doubted there were any more android agents unaccounted for aboard ship, but he wasn’t one hundred percent sure.

  Maybe that was the only victory he could count this time. They had flushed out the enemy agents. It was better they flushed them out now before they acquired the possible Builder artifact that must have escaped through the Laumer Point.

  What had the clone of Strand been trying to achieve? The Finlay-impersonating android might have known. Now, they just had Yen Cho.

  Maddox absently touched his scalp. It wasn’t as bald as when he’d escaped from the asteroid. Bristles of hair had begun to sprout. Could Yen Cho have Spacer adaptations in him?

  I have to get these fibers removed from my brain.

  “What are you thinking, sir?” Galyan asked.

  “I need to interrogate Yen Cho. Let’s go. I have to talk to Riker about this.”

  “What about the marines, sir. Aren’t you going to let them see so they can spread the rumor that our android prisoner is dead?”

  “Is that what you think I want them to do?”

  “That would be one of your standard operating procedures, sir.”

  “I see. Well, then, by all means, let us proceed. Bring them in and let them look. Then caution them about saying anything to anyone. That’s a good way to ensure they tell others their great secret.”

  “What about you, sir?”

  “I have some preparations to make,” Maddox said, heading the other way.

  ***

  The preparations amounted to a shower, a nap, some food and a talk with Riker about the security arrangements.

  “First, we’ll stop by medical,” Maddox said.

  “To check up on Valerie and Meta?” Riker asked.

  “No. For a doctor to evaluate your status.”

  “You think I’m an android, sir?”

  “You have an iron heart.”

  Riker shook his head. “Begging your pardon, sir, but it’s the other way around. I’m just an old man doing his job. But I’ll gladly take the physical.”

  It took another three quarters of an hour to get everything set up. During that time, Riker passed the exam. He was still fully human.

  Shortly thereafter, Maddox and Riker stood before a large wall screen. It showed the occupant of a cell, with a cot, a table, several chairs and other basic amenities inside. Yen Cho sat at the table playing a game of solitaire. He wore the utility garb that a deck mechanic might don. The android sat straight-backed and serenely moved his cards from one location to another. After a time, he picked up the deck, reshuffled and dealt himself more cards.

  Maddox cleared his throat, which activated a comm control.

  In the other chamber, Yen Cho set down the cards and looked around, waiting.

  “Are you well?” Maddox asked him.

  Yen Cho looked around again and finally peered up at the camera. It was supposed to be hidden, but obviously wasn’t, not to the android.

  “Captain Maddox,” the android said. “I’ve been wondering how long it was going to take you to come around. Wouldn’t this be better in person?”

  “Better for you,” Maddox said, “but not for me. I’ve just dealt with an android, and she blew up.”

  Yen Cho did not respond.

  “Is our connection faulty?” Maddox asked.

  “You know I heard you.”

  “Any comments?”

  “Not yet,” the android said.

  “We believe the other android slipped aboard as a human mercenary.”

  “The woman Finlay, you mean?” the android asked.

  “You knew about her?”

  “Of course,” Yen Cho said. “Once Strand captured you, I made a back check to find out how you came onto the asteroid.”

  “Did Strand know about Finlay?”

  “Captain, please, is that a serious question? But first, let us make certain we’re talking about the same person. Strand—the original, the real deal, as you humans used to say—is a captive on the Throne World.”

  “The last you heard,” Maddox amended.

  “True. Has that state of affairs changed?”

  “I don’t think so,” Maddox said.

  “Ah. In any case, we are not dealing with the original Strand. The one at Smade’s Asteroid is a clone.”

  “Was a clone,” Maddox said.

  “I see. You killed him?”

  “I did not. But we believe he is dead.”

  “You saw the body?”

  “No, but my crew destroyed his ship.”

  Yen Cho bent his head. With a sudden move, he swept the cards from the table. Afterward, he sat perfectly still. Finally, he looked up into the camera and showed his teeth in what might have passed for a smile.

  “Please, excuse me. It isn’t every day I hear about a barbarian destroying a priceless piece of art. So, you have destroyed the ghost-ship. That is a loss, Captain, a possibly keen one.”

  “Care to tell me why?” Maddox asked.

  “Please, sir, it was a Builder craft.” Yen Cho nodded. “I see. It isn’t destroyed. You have it and wish me to outline its various functions.”

  “I’m afraid it is quite destroyed. I believe Strand—the clone of Strand—died with it.”

  “Sad,” Yen Cho said. “Well, then, what do we have to talk about?”

  “Quite a bit,” Maddox said. Without further ado, the captain went into a lengthy description about the events regarding the red-haired agent and the android-Finlay’s various exploits, as far as they could determine them. Maddox left nothing out.

  “Quite extraordinary, Captain,” Yen Cho said. “Thank you for the data.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “Clearly, you want something in return. As you have surmised, there were different android factions aboard the asteroid. In this case, I believe there were two. I am not that far removed from the Rising Sun faction, but I am not one of them.”

  “Why were you androids on Smade’s?”

  “For the same reason you were, Captain. We wished to apprehend the clone.”

  “We didn’t know about the clone.”

  “Star Watch Intelligence must have suspected a clone of Strand would be there.”

  “That’s true,” Maddox said. “I suppose you’re trying to tell me that you weren’t Strand’s ally.”

  “Please. You must know better by now.”

  “Why did you come to Smade’s?”

  Yen Cho rose and went around the room, picking up the fallen cards without a word. Finally, he returned to the table, sat down and shuffled the cards, dealing himself another solitaire hand.

  Before Yen Cho turned over the first card, he looked up into the camera. “May I tell you a secret?”

  “If you wish,” Maddox said.

  “Strand—the original—is releasing clones. It is not just this one clone. I do not know how the original does this while in captivity. The most obvious method is by prearrangement. This is actually the third or fourth released clone so far.”r />
  “You mean since the original’s internment on the Throne World?”

  “Correct,” Yen Cho said. “I killed the first clone on Earth. Do you know what that clone was attempting to do?”

  “I do not,” Maddox said.

  “The first clone had a sniper rifle. He was trying to line up the Lord High Admiral in his crosshairs.”

  “What happened?”

  “I shot the clone. Thus, I could not interrogate him.”

  “Pity,” Maddox said.

  “The second clone arrived at Arcturus III. There, he impersonated the fantastically wealthy CEO of Darter Enterprises.”

  “He impersonated Mike Darter the IV?” Maddox asked.

  “Precisely.”

  “And?”

  “He was in the process of inserting detonation devices in Darter Enterprises comm systems.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “A team of androids captured the second Strand clone. He was wearing an ingenious disguise. Unfortunately, Darter Security went into high gear after the android kidnapping. They found the real Mike Darter IV where the clone had buried him. That enraged the security personnel. I do not know how they did it, but Darter Security Services found the kidnappers’ trail. The androids were in the process of tapping the clone’s mind when the security services found them. Everyone died in the ensuing gun battle.”

  “How exactly did everyone die?” Maddox asked.

  “Once the kidnappers realized there was no escape, they blew up their ship in the warehouse where it was hidden.”

  “Did they use atomics?”

  “As you surmise,” Yen Cho said, “Yes. The androids killed everyone in the surrounding city as well.”

  “Why so bloodthirsty?” Maddox asked.

  Yen Cho shook his head. “It had nothing to do with that. Precaution has been the watchword in dealing with Strand and his clones. However, the interrogators did learn one interesting point. It was more in the matter of a hint.”

  “Yes?” Maddox asked.

  “It seems the clone said that each release has more…firepower would be the wrong term. More capacity, more equipment. In any case, it led us to believe that Strand—the original—would arm his later clones with Builder equipment.”

  “I see.”