“What are those?” Maddox asked.
“It should be obvious,” the holoimage said. “The vessels have powerful deflector shields. Those shields protected them from the star’s energies and heat. With the intensities drained away from them, the shields are now reverting to their normal color.”
Finally, Captain Maddox understood. “The New Men used the wormhole,” he whispered.
“Your allies, you mean,” the holoimage accused.
“Not so,” Maddox said. “They are my hunters, seeking me, seeking you now. They are the new antilife, the new Swarm. They will batter down Victory’s shields, if the starship possesses them.”
“It does if I will it,” the holoimage said.
“Yes,” Maddox said. “They will batter down your shields and no doubt send boarders. The New Men have come to capture you and your ship.”
“Never!” the holoimage said. “I will self-destruct before that happens.”
Maddox thought quickly. He’d detected vanity in the being. He needed to play off that.
“Yes,” Maddox said. “You are exceedingly wise to self-immolate yourself.”
“I know that I am wise. What I wonder is how a foolish creature like you has come to the right conclusion about me?”
“That’s easy,” Maddox said. “After six thousand years of depreciation, Victory has become weak. It could never defeat three star cruisers. Do you know three of those craft annihilated Admiral von Gunther’s strengthened battle group?”
“You think that Victory is weak?” the holoimage asked.
“Of course,” Maddox said. “By your own admission—”
“Three star cruisers dare to approach me?” the holoimage asked, interrupting the captain.
Maddox waited a half-second, thinking how to say this. “They are the New Men I spoke about earlier, the new Swarm, if you will. They dare to face anyone they want because none has been able to defeat them. I believe they plan to turn this star system into a shrine, dedicating it to their own greatness.”
The holoimage began to flicker as if thinking. Finally, it said in a strange voice, “If that is so—that they dare to take what is holy to me and profane it—then they shall die. Prepare yourself, Captain Maddox. After six thousand of your years, Victory is about to engage in momentous battle.”
-35-
Maddox retreated to the odd-shaped chair. The lights in the panels around him began to twinkle as they engaged. Engine noises—at least, he assumed they were engines—thrummed with increased power. The deck under his feet vibrated.
“I wonder if I might be of assistance,” Maddox said.
“In what way?” the holoimage asked.
“There are those in my crew who have fought the New Men before. Perhaps you should bring them here to give you information as needed.”
“Yes. I approve. I will send my robot for them.”
“I wonder if that’s wise?” Maddox asked. “They might attack the robot.”
“For what reason would they attack?” the holoimage asked. “The robot means them no harm.”
“You and I know that. They don’t.”
“No. If they harm my peaceful robot, they will die in penalty. Now, you must desist from speech. I am planning my attack sequence.”
“Naturally,” Maddox said, “I’m excited to watch and learn from your actions. However, I suggest you hail my crew using intra-ship communications. At least guide Lieutenant Noonan here.”
The holoimage lifted what might have been an arm, pointing at a blinking screen. “Go there. Speak to them. I remember now that living organisms should be in acceleration couches in case the antigravity systems are destroyed.”
Maddox hurried to the panel. “Doctor Rich,” he said. “Can you hear me?” No one responded. Maddox looked up. “Is there a malfunction to the system?”
“No,” the holoimage said. “In response to your voice, your crew approaches an AI receptacle.”
Maddox waited, and the blinking screen shimmered. Then he stared at Doctor Rich, who wore her helmet.
“Captain Maddox?” she asked. “You’re alive? Why did you sneak away while we slept?”
“I’m in the Victory’s bridge,” Maddox told her.
“That’s the name of the starship?” she asked.
“Precisely,” Maddox said. “I am speaking with the Victory’s illustrious commander. In the past, he imprinted his engrams onto the ship’s AI. As to why I’m here, as you slept, he sent his robot to escort me here to him.”
Dana’s eyes widened, first with shock and then with seeming understanding.
“The New Men have appeared in the system, using the tramline just as we did,” Maddox said. “They have three star cruisers. We are about to go into battle with them. The AI has suggested that Lieutenant Noonan come to the bridge. She’s faced the cruisers before. The rest of you will head to acceleration couches. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Captain,” Dana said. “Can I speak to the AI?”
Maddox glanced at the holoimage.
“No,” the fuzzy image said. “I have analyzed your brain patterns. Translating them was costly enough already. I do not care to analyze another’s. I’m also no longer inclined to let your lieutenant onto my bridge.”
“Oh,” Maddox said. “That’s too bad. I suggest—”
The holoimage raised a hazy hand. “I do not care to discuss it, either.”
Maddox chewed the inside of his cheek, thinking fast. He glanced sidelong at the screen. Dana still stood at an AI receptacle, obviously listening. He decided to go with the flow, hoping the AI was too busy with its computations to worry about turning off the link.
“You’re right, of course,” Maddox said loudly. “You don’t need Lieutenant Noonan’s assistance. The others of my crew will await your coming victory.”
“I have scanned the enemy star cruisers,” the holoimage said. “They possess powerful deflector screens. What weaponry do they have?”
“Your scanners can’t penetrate their shields to find out?”
“That is correct, Captain.”
“Their beams sliced through Star Watch shields of some of our best vessels.”
“Do you know the composition of those deflectors?” the holoimage asked.
“We use an electromagnetic field,” Maddox said.
“I see,” the holoimage said. “Compared to that, I have an advanced deflector shield. Their beams might or might not be as effective against it as it was against your people’s ships. That means the strength of the New Men’s beam is an unknown factor. Captain Maddox, we may have a fight on our hands.”
“Can you defeat them?” Maddox asked.
“I have insufficient data to make a proper assessment. We once possessed the greatest weaponry, and we had developed the most advanced civilization. Reason points to my present superiority. Yet that isn’t a given. Battle will determine the outcome.”
“They have three to one odds,” Maddox said.
“In ship numbers you are correct but not in tonnage,” the holoimage said. “They barely match me in that regard. Ah… they attempt communication.”
“I just had a thought,” Maddox said.
“Yes?”
“Tactical surprise might benefit us.”
“That is logical,” the holoimage said, “as surprise is a force multiplier. Therefore, you are correct. What do you suggest?”
“Let them address me as Victory’s captain. They will believe I’ve just boarded the ship and couldn’t possibly understand all the alien systems. The New Men believe themselves superior to regular humans, such as me.”