The Lost Tech Read online

  “The Prime Saa,” Maddox muttered.

  “It was good of you to let him be the hero along with you.”

  “He was making such a stink about it,” Maddox said. “Do you think the kill has moved a lever in his personality?”

  “Maybe being the hero for once might have changed his perspective of things,” Meta said.

  Maddox shook his head. “I doubt it. He’s a Methuselah Man. He’s lived…a long time. Ludendorff is Ludendorff. Set in stone, you might say.”

  “He’s hasn’t pulled any fast ones against us lately.”

  Maddox studied Meta’s features. “You’re beautiful.”

  She smiled, increasing her radiance.

  Impulsively, Maddox leaned over and kissed her.

  “What was that for?”

  “Because I can,” he said.

  “What’s really on your mind?”

  “I’ve already said: Ludendorff’s inaction.”

  “Okay. You should grill him tomorrow.”

  “So, you think he’s hiding something?”

  “Not necessarily,” Meta said. “But if you start grilling him, that should stir him out of any funk, as your grilling will get him angry. At that point, he’s likely to reveal something for you to latch onto.”

  As Maddox thought about that, his eyes closed, his breathing evened and he fell asleep.

  ***

  The next day, Maddox asked Galyan where Ludendorff was hiding himself.

  “Sir?” asked Galyan.

  The two of them were in a corridor as Maddox walked with a gym bag in hand. He was carrying his sweaty workout clothes to his quarters, having finished his morning lift.

  “The question was straightforward,” Maddox said.

  “I was unaware that the professor was in hiding,” Galyan said. “Is he afraid of something?”

  Maddox rolled his eyes. “I thought you said once that you’d created a euphuism file.”

  “I did.”

  “Access it.”

  “Oh…I see,” Galyan said. “You are asking where the professor is. You are not actually suggesting he has been hiding from you.”

  “Correct.”

  “In that case…Professor Ludendorff is in his science lab.”

  Maddox glanced at the holoimage floating beside him. “Has he been working on a project?”

  “I am unsure, as he has sealed the quarters from me. And before you ask how I know he is there: I am assuming he is in his lab because I cannot find him anywhere else on the ship.”

  “And you didn’t think to tell me about the new provision?”

  “I didn’t. That is odd, is it not?”

  “It is,” Maddox said. “It’s so odd that I now suspect the professor has tampered with your curiosity circuits.”

  “I will run a self-diagnostic.” Galyan’s eyelids fluttered…until he looked sharply at the captain. “There has been slight tampering. Like you, I now suspect the professor’s hand.”

  “Great,” Maddox said, increasing his pace.

  “Should I summon marines?”

  “Negative,” Maddox said. “I’ll handle this myself.”

  ***

  After stashing the sweaty clothes in his quarters, arming himself with several weapons, the captain hurried to the professor’s science laboratory, home to the creation of many miraculous tech items.

  He reached the hatch and knocked, waiting as several seconds passed. He knocked again. Maddox was just about ready to summon Galyan, when the hatch clicked and opened and Professor Ludendorff poked his head through.

  The professor had thick white hair, tanned handsome features and wore a blue shirt and pants. The top three buttons of the shirt were open. He wore a gold chain and showed a patch of white chest hair.

  “Oh, it’s you,” Ludendorff said. “What’s the problem?”

  “Do you mind if I come in?”

  “In fact, yes, as I’m quite busy.”

  “That sounds interesting.”

  Ludendorff sighed. “It’s going to be like that, eh?”

  Maddox folded his arms, waiting, deciding that would be better than shoving the Methuselah Man out of the way and barging in.

  “Oh, very well, as I see your paranoia has once more gone into overdrive.” Ludendorff stepped back from the hatch.

  Maddox followed him in, faltering a moment, rubbing his forehead. It felt as if…no, there was nothing. He blinked and focused, seeing many parts and pieces upon the blacktopped tables spread throughout the lab. There were also tools and parts on long benches beside the tables.

  “Are you satisfied?” Ludendorff asked.

  “What—what are you building?”

  “Nothing nefarious, I assure you.”

  Maddox rubbed his head once more before smiling. “Professor, have you ever wondered why your assurances lack the power to set others at ease?”

  The professor muttered under his breath, heading toward a middle table that held many small pieces and parts. There was an array of tiny tools nearby, along with a big magnifying glass attached to a portable arm.

  “You’re clearly making something,” Maddox said, who followed the Methuselah Man.

  Ludendorff clapped his leathery hands in mock approval. “Bravo, sir. What was your first clue?”

  Looking around, spotting a stool, Maddox went to it and brought it near, setting it down and sitting on it. “Why have you sealed your lab from Galyan?”

  Ludendorff made an airy gesture.

  “More to the point, why have you tampered with his curiosity circuits?” Maddox asked.

  Ludendorff raised his bushy eyebrows. “Did I do that?”

  Maddox waited, recognizing the signs, realizing this could be bad.

  Ludendorff sighed, sat at on a bench, looked up at Maddox and jumped to his feet. He, too, walked to a long-legged stool, brought it near and sat on it, gazing at the captain on a more even level. “I’ve been reading your reports,” the professor said. “I’ve also spoken with Galyan on different occasions. I mean since your return from the pirate base on Tortuga. You joined captivity with your Uncle Ural, eh?”

  Maddox nodded. Was the professor avoiding the issue?

  “It must have been exhilarating challenging Lisa Meyers on her home ground,” Ludendorff said.

  “Tortuga is beholden to her, it’s her base?”

  “No, no. That’s not what I meant. She prepared a trap for you, eh?”

  “I see,” Maddox said, wondering if his thinking was sluggish. “You didn’t just read my reports; you’ve also been eavesdropping on my talks, including on the Long-Range Builder Communicator with the Lord High Admiral. You’d better be able to justify those actions.”

  “Please,” Ludendorff said. “I’m a Methuselah Man. Curiosity is my middle name. Keeping me out of things only whets my inquisitiveness. You should know that by now.”

  “I do know that… I also notice you haven’t answered my questions.”

  Ludendorff frowned, glancing slightly to his left.

  Maddox followed the gaze and saw a small square object the size of a thick paperback novel. It had a tiny light on top that glowed green. Maddox jumped up, moving to the device, debating. He felt weight in his mind, resistance to his thinking, and he felt it more the closer he was to this thing. There were several tiny antennae sprouting from the device. Could the thing be tampering with his curiosity? If so—Ludendorff has gone too far. He needs a lesson, a harsh one. Maddox scooped up the device—it was surprisingly heavy—and raised it over his head.

  “What are you doing?” Ludendorff asked in alarm.

  “I’m going to dash it pieces.”

  “No!” Ludendorff shouted. “Don’t, please! It’s priceless!”

  Maddox flung his arms down—and at the last moment reconsidered, keeping a tight hold of the device, stopping it from smashing against the floor.

  Ludendorff gulped, blinked and finally shook his head. “All right, all right, I’ll turn it off. That’s what you want, is
n’t it?”

  Heat washed through Maddox. “It’s actually affecting me?”

  “Apparently not enough,” Ludendorff muttered. “And that’s likely due to the Erill spiritual energy you’ve absorbed. I should have taken that into account.”

  Maddox eyed the device. Had the professor known he was coming? He didn’t think so. Why had it been on, then? The devious old man was still playing his dubious games. Maybe that was why the professor had delayed opening the door—he’d turned the thing on to test or use it to remain in the shadows, as it were. Yes. That was the likeliest explanation.

  “Here,” Maddox said, pitching the device to Ludendorff, no doubt catching the old man by surprise. The thing struck the professor’s chest, knocking him off balance as he stood. He grunted, fumbled for it, juggled it a moment and crashed against the stool, reaching back with a hand to keep his balance. The device dropped to the floor, striking with a thud.

  “Damnation, man,” Ludendorff shouted, picking it up, turning it over several times to exam it. Finally, he pressed a number of buttons in sequence. The tiny light went from green, to red, to off. Gingerly, he set the thing on a table and whirled upon the captain. “You could have broken it.”

  Maddox was staring at the Methuselah Man, as Ludendorff seemed to come into sharper focus. Maddox realized his mind had returned to normal. The device had affected his thinking.

  “I should break you for using that thing on me.”

  Ludendorff looked away, soon rubbing his jaw, regarding the captain once more. “You’re right. That was a mistake. Will you accept my apology?”

  Maddox’s eyes narrowed, but just for a moment. “Certainly,” he said, but wondering, what’s he up to this time?

  “My only excuse is a childlike one,” Ludendorff said, “wanting to test his newest creation. The device took me weeks to envision and a month to construct. It has only been operational a few days.”

  “I see. What is it exactly?”

  Ludendorff was rubbing his jaw again. “I’m a scientist first; the best there is, as you know. It’s in my nature to ponder problems and to develop antidotes. In this instance, I’ve wondered if it was possible to diminish curiosity.” He pointed at the inert device. “I call it an Apathy Box. It emits rays, dulling curiosity through a peculiar process I won’t go into because I don’t care to bore you. And yes, I’ve built a different one and tried it out on Galyan, a computer entity. That one works better than this one, as there are still bugs in this Apathy Box. The human brain is much more complex than—”

  “Professor,” Maddox said, interrupting.

  “Eh?”

  “What’s really going on? Why did you create such a thing?”

  They locked gazes. After a moment, the professor blushed and made a sweeping gesture. “I’m worried, my boy, deeply worried. We’re dealing with Methuselah Woman Lisa Meyers. That means trouble for all of us. She will have methods to attack us that will boggle the mind.”

  “Are you referring to the planet Olmstead?”

  “No, but I know all about Olmstead.” Ludendorff eyed the captain. “Clearly, projected asteroids flew at high speeds, smashing the planet into smithereens. That smacks of high technology, does it not?”

  Maddox nodded. It did indeed.

  “We’re dealing with a planet killer,” Ludendorff said. “This one is more deadly than a Destroyer of the Nameless Ones, as we could fight a Destroyer. How do you defend against an invisible foe that can hurl asteroids at populated planets?”

  “It’s the perfect genocidal weapon,” Maddox said.

  “Bah! You don’t understand at all. Certainly, it can kill billions at a blow, but by itself it does not represent an existential threat.”

  “That’s backward, Professor. An invisible weapon that can hurl asteroids is exactly an existential threat. There’s no stopping it from going to one star system after another, annihilating planetary life each time.”

  “My boy, you’re not an idiot,” Ludendorff said softly. “I’m surprised you don’t already see the real implications.”

  “Which are?”

  Ludendorff took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully. “Isn’t it interesting that the man of action must always rely upon the man of science for answers? I believe it is the way of the universe. Still, it becomes tedious over time, and in my case, a long, long time. I am the brains, and you are the brawn—”

  “Professor, let’s stick to the point. What are the real implications?”

  “Lisa Meyers.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I know,” Ludendorff said. “That’s my point.”

  “Have you been using the Apathy Box on yourself?”

  Ludendorff glared at the captain until a look of shock spread across his leathery features. He ran his fingers through his hair and plucked off two small round devices from over his ears. He examined each. “Damnation,” he said. “They shorted out.”

  “They’re protection against the Apathy Box?”

  “While they’re powered,” Ludendorff said, pocketing them. “They need improvement, clearly.”

  Maddox turned away before turning back and indicating the pieces spread around the room. “You’re working on something to kill or diminish curiosity. Are you planning to beam the ray upon Lisa Meyers?”

  “If I have the opportunity to do so, of course,” Ludendorff said.

  “Why is that so important to you?”

  “Eh, what’s that? Oh, Meyers, yes, yes, it’s important only if we can capture her. Do you have any idea how hard it is to hold a Methuselah Person prisoner if they don’t submit to it? I know, I know. You’re going to point out that the New Men are successfully holding Strand. But they’re a special case, as they’re superior as a group to any other group. As a group, they think and act logically. It will be different if ordinary humans hold Meyers, and I include the crew of Victory in the description. However, if we can dull her intellect, holding her will become much easier, simple, in fact.”

  “Fine,” Maddox said, realizing Ludendorff was giving him half-truths. Perhaps it would be best for now to let him believe these answers were satisfying. “What you’re saying makes tortured sense. Still, I wish you’d asked permission first—not that I’m forgetting you used my crew as guinea pigs for your devices. I’m going to extract a price from you for that.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. How can you expect a genius like me to run to the dullards like you and your crew to ask permission to do a thing?”

  Maddox eyed the professor. Did the Methuselah Man have a thing for Meyers as Meta had suggested? Maddox shook his head. That wasn’t the important point. Ludendorff was drifting into his old ways. He would bear more watching again. With that established—in the captain’s mind, at least—

  “What do you know about this planet killer?” Maddox asked.

  “Very little, I’m afraid. As we’ve surmised, it’s invisible and must take the asteroids and accelerate them to high speeds. How it does this, I have no idea.”

  “Have you ever heard of something like this before?”

  “Frankly, that’s what’s troubling me the most,” Ludendorff said. “I might have…but I can’t quite put my finger on it. You have no idea how difficult it is for a human brain to contain hundreds of years of memories and then pull one up upon need. There’s a tickle deep in my mind, but I can’t seem to dredge it up to my consciousness. Perhaps if we examine the planetary debris in person—”

  “Good idea,” Maddox said, interrupting.

  “We’re already heading there, aren’t we?”

  “You already know we are,” Maddox said. “Let me ask you this, since you’re concentrating upon her and I just faced some of her people. Do you believe Meyers had anything to do with the planet killer?”

  “Given her bizarre beliefs—I’ve seen the portion of manifesto you transcribed from memory that Ural showed you—I would have to say that I can think of no one else more likely.”

  “Yeah,” Maddo
x said. “We need to get to 82. G. Eridani pronto.”

  “Agreed,” Ludendorff said. “Speed could be critical.”

  “Right,” Maddox said as he slid off the stool. It was time to make the starship hum.

  -28-

  Victory hummed along the star lanes, using Laumer Points—wormhole openings and exits—that linked space in a web of faster-than-light paths. At other times, the ship used a star-drive jump to put it near another strategically placed Laumer Point and begin the process all over again. In such a way, the vessel traveled deeper into Human Space.

  Maddox pushed, the crew suffered the ill effects and Victory neared the 82. G. Eridani System.

  At one point, the captain used the Long-Range Builder Communicator, seeing if the Lord High Admiral had any more news on the invisible planet killer or on the afflicted system. Cook did not, nor had the Builder Scanner found anything extra in the 82. G. Eridani System.

  Maddox considered calling the Emperor of the Throne World and seeing if he could convince Strand to tell them more about Meyers. In the end, he didn’t, as he believed his uncle in saying that Strand wasn’t going to help them against her.

  Ludendorff’s tickle of a memory remained that: tantalizingly out of his conscious thought.

  Finally, the ancient Adok starship reached the Kuiper Belt of the 82. G. Eridani System. The system was about 20 light-years from Earth and belonged to the constellation Eridanus. The main-sequence star had a stellar classification of G8. It was slightly smaller and less massive than the Sun, making it marginally dimmer than the Sun in terms of luminosity.

  “There,” Valerie said as she studied her board. “I’m seeing the planetary debris of Olmstead.”

  “And the missing asteroids?” asked Maddox from his chair.

  “Already found them,” Andros said from his station. “That is to say, three major asteroids are no longer in the system’s main Asteroid Belt. They’re gone.”

  “They’re part of the planetary debris that used to be Olmstead,” Valerie said.

  Maddox considered that. “It’s surprising no one raised an alarm as the asteroids left the main belt and headed for the planet.”