The Lost Swarm Read online

  -10-

  Clone Strand stood inside the main control room of the Builder base. It had an octagonal shape and was quite large, with crystal buttons and screens on higher-than-normal human panels.

  The clone wore what looked like a thick bathrobe that dragged on the deck. In reality, it was an ancient alien cloak of unknown origin. Perhaps the creatures that had constructed the interior of the Builder base, ages ago, had worn such garments, accidently leaving one of them behind.

  The control systems had clearly been constructed for Builders, larger entities than Strand. He had to reach up to press one of the controls.

  He had just shut off the Wyr 9000. Now, he sat on an uncomfortably high seat and used some of the precious Strand-gained knowledge of the original to manually check on one base system after another. The tools in here, and the ancient knowledge—this was incredible. He was going to make everyone pay for mistreating him. Did they think him a mere clone? Oh, no. Everyone was going to learn differently. Before that happened, though, he had to figure out a few more protocols. He also had to deal with Drakos and the fourteen star cruisers.

  With that in mind, Strand began to manipulate one crystal screen after another, looking for a Builder weapon that could deal with all the troublemakers out there.

  ***

  Lord Drakos didn’t curse, although he knew something had gone dreadfully wrong. For one thing, Nar Falcon had just informed him that Starship Victory stirred behind asteroidal dust and debris. The damned Star Watch vessel had been waiting there all along.

  This had to be a Star Watch sting operation. Yet, how had letting him gain a teleportation platform helped in the sting? Drakos slapped an armrest. It had put him off his guard. Oh, that was clever indeed.

  “Lord,” Nar Falcon said from his station. “The other star cruisers are appearing as ordered.”

  From the command chair, Drakos pointed at the main screen.

  Nar Falcon manipulated his board. The screen wavered, and thirteen silver-colored star cruisers appeared as they came out of star-drive jump. For a few seconds, the crews would experience Jump Lag. Would Star Watch spring its trap now?

  Drakos waited tensely in his chair, leaning forward as he stared at the screen. He remembered the last time Star Watch had almost trapped him. It had been in the Balak System near a water moon as he headed for the Aleppo spaceport. The event still rankled. How had submen had been able to achieve that?

  “Star Watch missed their opportunity, lord,” Nar Falcon said triumphantly from his station. “The crews are ready for action, sir.”

  Drakos smiled harshly. “You had your chance, Maddox. Now, I’m coming to get you.”

  At his orders, the fourteen star cruisers changed heading. They were still aimed at the nearing asteroid belt, but now at Victory “hidden” in a debris cloud.

  “This time,” Drakos whispered, “Maddox is going down.”

  ***

  Captain Maddox had been helping crewmembers to their feet and into their seats. Now, he walked to his command chair in the middle of the bridge.

  The small Scotsman, Keith Maker, sat at the pilot board. Lieutenant Valerie Noonan sat at communications, her long brown hair cascading around her shoulders. There were others on the bridge, but none of them was his stunning wife Meta or the notorious Professor Ludendorff. Those two were elsewhere on the ship.

  Maddox felt dead tired, probably due to the partial stasis sleep they had all been in. His metabolism was faster than most and had thus brought him out of the mental and physical sludge of stasis more quickly.

  “Sir,” Valerie said. “Andros Crank is on the line.”

  Maddox clicked an armrest button. “Tell me something good, Chief Technician.”

  The Kai-Kaus said over the com, “We can use the star drive in another half hour, sir.”

  “Uh… We have fourteen star cruisers bearing down on us,” Maddox said. “They’ll be in firing range well before that.”

  “Can you stall them, sir?”

  Maddox noticed Keith looking back at him. The captain gave the ace a cocky grin. Keith sent it right back, certain they were going to make it.

  Maddox wished he felt the same way.

  “You can stall them, right, sir?” Andros asked over the com.

  “You do your job, I’ll do mine,” Maddox said.

  “Yes, sir,” Andros said, sounding better already as he signed off.

  “Just stall for a half hour,” Maddox told Valerie. “That’s all we have to do.”

  She stared at him from her station. “We’re dead, then,” she said in a quiet voice. “That’s Lord Drakos out there. He’s not going to stall.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant. I might not have known if you hadn’t told me.”

  She flushed crimson, turning back to her board.

  That was exactly what Maddox had wanted Valerie to do. “Galyan,” he whispered to the side.

  The little Adok holoimage appeared beside him. The holoimage had cracks in his face and ropy arms.

  Maddox almost yawned, but he suppressed it. His limbs felt sluggish and his mind—it was like rusted gears grinding against each other.

  “Sir,” the holoimage whispered. “What do you need, sir?”

  “Give me a quick rundown on how all this—” He waved a hand. “—Happened.”

  Galyan explained, including about the success of the mutated Swarm virus.

  “Ah, that’s excellent. Do you have control of the base, then?”

  “No, sir,” Galyan said in a soft voice. “The Wyr 9000 is offline, though.”

  “And why is that?”

  “I do not know, sir. Before he vanished, the Wyr 9000 spoke about Strand being a traitor. Drakos teleported Strand, or a clone of Strand, onto the base.”

  Maddox stared at Galyan. Even the captain’s agile mind needed a few seconds to absorb everything the AI said.

  “Sir,” Valerie said from her station. “I’m detecting—I think it’s a cyber-virus. The base is beaming it at us.”

  “What kind of virus?” Maddox snapped.

  “A Builder augmented Swarm virus,” Galyan said, answering for Valerie. “It is a clever attack, but we’ve dealt with these types of viruses before. I think I can counteract it.”

  “If the Wyr 9000 is offline…” Maddox said.

  Galyan’s eyelids fluttered. “The attack has a signature, sir. I detect Strand’s hand.”

  Maddox bared his teeth.

  “Sir,” Valerie said, as she tapped her board. “Lord Drakos is hailing us. What should I tell him?”

  Maddox sat back in his command chair, arching his neck so he looked up at the ceiling. They’d been in partial stasis for a little over two months. The ship was coming back online, but they needed at least half an hour before everything was normal. Fourteen star cruisers were almost in disrupter beam range. An enemy Builder base with Strand aboard—

  “By all means, Lieutenant,” Maddox said, trying to sound cheerful. “Put the New Man on the screen. It’s time to see if we can talk our way out of this.”

  -11-

  “Captain Maddox,” Drakos said from the main screen. “You will immediately power down your antimatter engines. If you do not comply, we will destroy your ship in—” The New Man turned to the side, nodded as someone spoke and faced Maddox again. “We will destroy your ship in nine minutes.”

  “Nine minutes exactly?” Maddox asked.

  Drakos smiled like a feral wolf. “Is this your vaunted reputation at work? By all means, indulge yourself for…nine more minutes. After that, the universe will no longer have to listen to your half-breed blatherings again.”

  Maddox controlled his surge of emotion. “What happens if we surrender?” he asked lightly.

  “You will become my prisoners, of course.”

  “And how will that help us exactly?”

  “You’re going to have to decide that for yourself, half-breed.”

  “In other words, no bargains?” asked Maddox.

 
; “You are correct.”

  Maddox stared at the New Man. Lord Drakos was enjoying himself. For an instant, rage washed through Maddox. He wondered at this and realized that despite everything, Drakos could be his father. This could be the man that had raped his mother and would now kill him. The idea of that—

  “Who are you?” Maddox asked sharply.

  Valerie turned around to stare at him.

  Maddox realized he’d asked the question with unaccustomed anger in his voice.

  On the main screen, Drakos cocked his head.

  Maddox couldn’t help it. He believed this could be it. They were going to die. Being in partial stasis for two months had made his mind and body sluggish. Waking up while disaster raced at them— Was Drakos his father? He had to know.

  “You seethe like a half-breed,” Drakos said, “unable to summon any dignity at your death. You never were a match for real superiors. Yet, you attempted to ape our ways.”

  “Did you sire me?” Maddox asked, astounded at himself that he’d said the words.

  “What was that?” Drakos asked, leaning forward and looking at him with new intensity.

  “Did you rape my mother?” Maddox asked.

  Drakos blinked several times, finally shrugged and sat back, eyeing the captain anew. “This is quite amusing. You think I’m your sire?”

  “It’s possible. We have facial resemblances.”

  “I don’t believe this. Will you beg like a cur, Captain? Is that your strategy? I used to think you had a modicum of honor. But this is the most pathetic attempt at begging I’ve ever seen. You want me to let you live because you’re my son?”

  “No,” Maddox said, feeling strangely calm. “I doubt you’re the one. You’re too crass, too stupid to have sired someone like me.”

  “Am I supposed to say, ‘Nice try?’ It isn’t, though. I thought I would feel proud at this moment. Now, all I feel is contempt toward you.”

  Maddox had another momentary second of rage. He yearned to reach out and rip out Drakos’s throat. Could this New Man have been the one who raped his mother? Could Maddox carry Drakos’s genes in him? Could—

  Maddox sat back and forced himself to smile ironically. He forced himself to project his customary calm. He was Captain Maddox, a premier Star Watch Intelligence agent. He was going to go out like one, not rage like a madman in front of his crew.

  Maddox stood, turned, and motioned to Valerie.

  She tapped her board. Drakos’s image vanished.

  “He fell for it,” Maddox told them.

  Valerie looked up, surprised. “Sir?” she asked. “That was an act?” She smiled with relief before he could answer. “Oh, that was clever, sir. Yes, of course it was an act. For a second there—” She shook her head. “What’s next, sir? I know you have a plan.”

  “Indeed I do,” Maddox said, though he had none. This time, they were going to die and there was nothing he could do about—

  Galyan appeared, shouting, “I did, sir. I did it. I’ve been trying—”

  “Galyan,” Maddox said in his normal voice. “I can hear you just fine. You don’t have to yell.”

  “Oh, yes, I am sorry, sir,” Galyan said in a quieter voice. “I am excited.”

  “I can see that,” Maddox said. “You did it, eh? Meaning…?”

  “I reactivated the Wyr 9000, sir. As I did, I embedded the Swarm virus even deeper into its systems. I can give you a visual of what is happening over there, if you like.”

  “By all means.”

  One of the ropey arms lifted as the holoimage pointed at the main screen. A second later, Strand, or his clone, appeared. The clone wore a heavy robe with the end dragging on the deck. He ran as fast as he could from whatever was capturing the video. They ran through gleaming white corridors, making it difficult to determine their exact size.

  Maddox glanced at Galyan.

  “A robot, sir,” the holoimage said. “It has cutting tools only, I am afraid. And it is not very fast. I am hoping it can tire out the clone.”

  “Can I speak through it to Strand?” Maddox asked.

  “You can speak through the base intercom system.”

  Maddox walked toward the main screen. “I say, Strand, are you out for a stroll?”

  Strand looked back over a shoulder at the chasing robot. Sweat bathed the clone’s features as he panted. “Please, Maddox. Let me live. I’ll do anything you want in exchange.”

  “You don’t have a good track record at keeping your word.”

  “Please,” Strand shouted. “What do you want?”

  “The code to the Builder base.”

  “I don’t have it!”

  “A lie if I ever heard one,” Maddox said.

  “Please,” the clone shouted.

  “Sir,” Galyan said. “I am in direct link with the Wyr 9000. It is desperately attempting to shed the Swarm virus. I am not sure how long I will have full control over the computer and thus the base.”

  Maddox thought fast. “Can you get me the base codes?”

  “I have not been able to crack that far into the Wyr 9000,” Galyan said.

  “Do you have a list of the Builder items inside the base?”

  “Not yet,” Galyan said. “It appears that Strand blocked that from the Wyr 9000 while he was alone in the base control room.”

  “That was fast work,” Maddox said.

  On the main screen, Strand continued to run from the slowly chasing robot.

  “Can you give me anything useful?” Maddox asked.

  “Ah…it appears the Wyr 9000 has tracked some unusual ‘E’ radiation in nearby star systems,” Galyan said.

  Maddox snapped his fingers. “‘E’ radiation emanates from Swarm vessels; isn’t that so?”

  “Your memory is good, sir,” Galyan said. “Yes, it does.”

  “Does this trail of ‘E’ radiation lead anywhere?”

  “The radiation is in several star systems, as I said, but mostly in one twenty-three light-years from here.”

  “Do you have the coordinates to the star system?”

  “I do indeed, sir.”

  Maddox tapped his chin before examining the main screen again. “I say, Strand,” he called.

  “What?” the clone screamed.

  “I do believe there is something you can do for me. First, you must do it. Then, I will give you your life.”

  “Name it!” Strand screamed as he stumbled over a portion of the long robe.

  Maddox named it and gave Strand a condition.

  Strand stopped, turned and stared at the approaching robot, which meant he stared at the bridge crew aboard Victory through the main screen. “Yes,” Strand whispered, with sweat pouring down his face. “Yes, I’ll do it, I swear.”

  At that moment, the clone cringed, turning his head away. A cutting tool appeared on the main screen, a tool moving at Strand’s head.

  “Halt,” Galyan said.

  The cutting tool halted an inch from the clone’s exposed neck.

  “Are you ready to get to work?” asked Maddox.

  Strand looked up, his gaze falling on the cutting tool and then up at them. “Yes,” he wheezed.

  “You’ll have to hurry,” Maddox said.

  “The robot can carry me. And thank you. You won’t be sorry you did this.”

  Maddox didn’t reply. They would know the truth of that soon enough.

  -12-

  Drakos suspected that Maddox or a different Star Watch Intelligence operative had tampered with the Builder base. Strand hadn’t done anything yet. He was sure the clone wanted to kill him. Maddox had also said the oddest things about Drakos being the half-breed’s father. Such startling questions must mean the captain had a plan up his sleeve and was trying to distract him from the real issue. Well, he wasn’t going to let the Star Watch operative or Maddox get away with it this time.

  Within minutes the fourteen star cruisers would be in disrupter beam range. Like many star cruisers, the older fusion cannons had been rep
laced with disrupter cannon tech. He doubted Victory’s new and improved shield could last very long against their combined wattage. First, it was time to make sure that neither Strand nor the Builder base could interfere.

  “Are you ready?” asked Drakos.

  A naked, golden-skinned dominant had climbed up the teleportation platform in the hangar bay. The man had volunteered for the task, even though he was one of the mind-controlled crew. Drakos had told him what the teleport device did with interior control units.

  The dominant was pathetically eager to get on with it.

  Drakos had slightly altered the destination coordinates as a matter of course. Then, he pressed the transmit button, quickly stepping back so he could look up.

  Like before, golden sparkles surrounded the dominant. The man teleported away, and almost immediately, the former control unit in his brain fell onto the metal pad.

  “Now, we will see,” Drakos said, who turned, heading back for the bridge.

  ***

  In the Builder base control room, the clone worked feverishly. Behind him was the killer robot. One word from Maddox and the metal monstrosity would cut him to ribbons. He couldn’t believe this setback. He’d had everything under control when events had gone sideways. It must have been due to the ancient Adok AI, Driving Force Galyan.

  “Hello,” a metallic voice said from a speaker on a panel.

  Strand stared at the speaker unit in horror. He recognized the voice. It was the Wyr 9000 Series Sentient Computer.

  “What are you doing, Strand?” the Wyr 9000 asked in a quiet voice.

  “I’m readying a weapon to employ against the star cruisers,” Strand whispered.

  “That weapon will no longer work,” the Wyr 9000 said softly.

  “Why not?” Strand whispered.

  “Because I have just disabled it,” the Wyr 9000 said.

  “No,” Strand hissed. “Put the weapon back online. I need it.”

  “Starship Victory is now my chief enemy,” the Wyr 9000 said softly. “That bastard Galyan perpetrated treachery on me.”