The Lost World, page 3
In the end, obviously, Valerie had given in to Galyan’s pleading. She so hated to disappoint the little Adok.
Then there was Keith. Valerie knew she shouldn’t have taken him except that he was the best damn pilot in Star Watch. Isn’t that what he always said? Captain Maddox seemed to agree.
Valerie ran a hand over her face, wiping those thoughts away. The two watched her, waiting for her revelations.
“I went to Patrol HQ before we left,” she told them.
She noticed Riker’s confused look, and thought she understood.
“We’re having a conference right now,” Valerie said. “This is just like Maddox’s conferences. The scout’s galley is too small for us to have them there, and others would just barge in, interrupting us. This is as good a place as any to have a conference, and it’s you two I want to run this by, as you have been with the captain as long as or longer than me.”
“I’m listening,” Riker said. “Go on, this sounds interesting.”
Valerie gave him an absent nod and noticed that Keith scowled more. “You’re going to have to stop that.”
“Stop what?” Keith asked in a wounded tone.
It was Riker’s turn to clear his throat.
Valerie looked at the sergeant. Maybe Keith did too, but Riker gave her the smallest of headshakes. Valerie thought she perceived.
“What were you going to tell me?” Keith asked. “What am I supposed to stop?”
“Never mind,” Valerie said. “Here’s the main point. At Patrol HQ, I learned the names of both deep scouts that have gone missing. Headquarters doesn’t know if they were destroyed, captured, became derelict, or what exactly. One is the Columbus. That was the first to venture out here and go missing. The second is the Cheng Ho. They were lost within a six-month period. I happen to have their itineraries for the star systems they planned to survey. Therefore, I plan to go to each of those systems in turn using the same itinerary.”
“Is that wise?” Riker asked.
“Ah, I see you’ve learned nothing from your time with Captain Maddox. You dare to question me, the ship’s commander, about my choices?”
“I thought this was a strategy session where we speak freely about stuff,” Riker said.
Valerie actually blushed, if only lightly. “You’re right. That’s on me. A conference means an open exchange of ideas. To answer your question, it is wise if we hope to find them or find out what happened to them. We also have an advantage over them, as the Kit Carson has a new cloaking device, and the hull already absorbs most sensor signals. There’s another thing. Even though it will be a higher drain on power, we’re going to be running at full cloak almost all the time. The only times we’ll de-cloak is when we’re absolutely certain there are no enemy vessels or spy devices watching us.”
“Who or what do you suspect harmed the previous scouts?” Keith asked.
Valerie pointed at him. “That’s a great question. One group is the New Men. They’re in this region of space, though from what we know, they do not claim this particular area. However, this region is much closer to their hidden planets than to the Commonwealth.”
“Your logic strikes me as reasonable,” Riker said.
“Oh, thank you so very much.” Valerie couldn’t help herself with that. Then she shook her head. “No, no. I’m not trying to be sarcastic. I want to keep open communication. I don’t want to be arrogant like others we know but won’t name.”
“You mean the New Men?” Keith said straight-faced.
“Yes,” Valerie said. “I suppose, after a fashion, I do.”
“You spoke about our itinerary,” Keith said. “Can you show us what it is?”
“Of course,” Valerie said, clicking a button on her armrest.
On the main bridge screen—a much smaller screen than what would have been on Victory—appeared schematics of various star systems and the jump points they would use to enter and leave them.
“Do we know anything about these star systems?” Keith asked.
“That they exist and the type of star or stars they possess,” Valerie said. “As to the planets in the systems… we know very little, which is yet another reason we will catalog each and every one of them. This is a Patrol survey mission. We’re not heading into the deeper Beyond. Still, the Lord High Admiral is sending us into a region where no known Commonwealth ships have returned. That means these could be dangerous waters.”
Keith turned back to the helm panel and began to adjust controls.
“What are you doing?” Valerie asked. “We’re still in the middle of our meeting.”
Keith continued pressing controls and then turned around. “I just energized the cloak on the assumption that maybe the previous scouts were first spotted in this star system.”
“Ah,” Valerie said. “Yes.” She pointed at Keith again. “I should have already ordered that. In any case, that’s the extent of what I have to say. If anyone has further comments…”
“I like your strategy,” Riker said. “I know you don’t need my agreement, but I think what you’re doing is prudent.”
Riker looked at Keith.
“Yeah, it all seems good to me,” Keith said. “You always knew how to do these kinds of missions, Valerie.”
Riker resisted making sucking-up noises. He knew Keith was still in love with Valerie. Riker almost felt like he should give the lad a few pointers. Yet, strangely, Keith looked older than Riker. Riker knew he looked like the young pup wet behind the ears straight out of the Academy.
Riker glanced at Valerie. She was looking at something else. She was a beauty. Riker could feel the itch starting, the urge to—
“No,” Riker said softly. He’d told Galyan he was going to look after Valerie. He couldn’t very well do that if he was trying to get into her pants at the same time. In this, he would follow the dictates of the old Riker.
“Let’s increase speed and proceed to the jump point,” Valerie said. “I’m eager to uncover this region’s secrets, and I dearly would like to find the missing scouts.”
“Amen to that,” Keith said.
Riker’s head snapped up at the word ‘amen’. Did the word prick his conscience? Maybe. Riker suddenly felt that this was going to be a long and possibly exhausting mission.
-6-
After exiting the jump point, the 12-man crew began to blink and stretch as they shrugged off the effects of jump lag.
On the bridge, Valerie gripped the armrests of her command chair, as the ship’s artificial gravity reasserted itself. The familiar hum of the fusion engines filled the bridge, a reassuring constant.
That was a difference between Victory and the Kit Carson. Victory used antimatter engines. The small scout used fusion.
“Status report,” Valerie said, with her eyes on the main screen.
“All systems nominal,” Keith said, checking a helm screen. “We’ve successfully entered a new star system. Helm sensors are detecting a red dwarf star as previously advertised and… eight planets in total. That matches the pre-survey report.”
Valerie nodded, her face illuminated by the glow of various instrument panels. That showed how small the bridge was, as that never happened on Victory. Everything was tight aboard the Kit Carson. “Start analyzing and cataloging the planets, as I want a full breakdown before we leave.”
As Keith worked his sensors, Riker pored over incoming data at his station, checking a handwritten list and asking the AI about things.
Time passed.
Keith swiveled around and said, “I have preliminary data on the planets.”
Valerie looked up.
“There are two gas giants, roughly Uranus-sized. Two of the planets exhibit highly unusual characteristics.”
Valerie leaned forward, wondering if either of those planets had anything to do with the lost scout ships. “Elaborate on the two, please.”
Keith swiveled and studied a sensor plate. “The second planet, a terrestrial one designated P-2, appears to be… singing, for lack of a better term. I did a deep dive and found that complex harmonic frequencies emanate from its core.”
“How does it do that?”
“The core is detached from the rest of the planet and it spins like crazy,” Keith said. “The core also has a few characteristics of a neutron star.”
“Is that a natural phenomenon?” Valerie asked.
“Yup,” Keith said, “I’d say so.” A gleam shone in his eyes as he glanced at Riker. “Do you disagree with any of that, Sergeant?”
“Don’t ask me,” Riker said, as he studied a sensor board. “Half of this stuff still doesn’t make any sense to me.”
There was a moment of silence among them.
“Are you accessing the AI like I showed you?” Valerie asked.
Riker looked up as if confused. “I thought just communications had an AI.”
“No,” Valerie said. “That station does, too. Log in and use it.”
“Right,” Riker said, as he began to type on the console.
Keith smirked, shaking his head.
Valerie noticed. She hated bickering and fighting, especially on the bridge. It was time to shift the subject. “How could a core detach from the rest of the planet?”
“No idea,” Keith said.
“That strikes me as odd.”
“Sure, it’s odd,” Keith said. “I mean, it could be artificial, maybe something a Yon Soth would do.”
Valerie’s eyes widened. “A Yon Soth caused that?”
“I didn’t say that. I couldn’t find anything that might have caused the phenomenon. Unless otherwise noted, it’s natural.”
“It’s considered unlucky to talk about the Yon Soths out here,” Valerie said. “You might have just jinxed us.”
“What?” Keith said.
“…Nothing,” Valerie said a moment later. She hated Yon Soths. A singing planet sounded like something the vile, Cthulhu-like creatures might do. But maybe this singing was natural and nothing to worry about just like Keith said. She hated anyone saying something that might jinx them. It’s rarely wise to tempt fate, especially out here in the Beyond.
“You said there was another odd planet?” Valerie said.
Keith tapped his screen, reading a moment. “Get this. P-5 has a bizarre weather pattern with clouds spiraling in tight, unnatural formations, almost like whirlpools in the sky. These vortexes seem to move against the planet’s natural rotation, and I can’t figure out why any of that is happening.”
Valerie stared. Unnatural sounded as if it might be Yon Soth caused.
Riker laughed in surprise.
“What?” Valerie asked, as if stung.
“The AI thinks P-5 is evidence of an unusual magnetic field or an unknown atmospheric phenomenon,” Riker said. “Maybe P-5 has a core made of something we haven’t encountered before.”
“Did the AI tell you that, too?” Keith asked.
“It did,” Riker said. “Did the AI get it wrong?”
“I have no idea,” Keith said. “Although I know it’s iffy trusting an AI for these kinds of things.”
Valerie started to challenge the idea but stopped herself.
Riker beat her to it. “I don’t know why you’d say that. We rely on AIs on Victory all the time.”
“Are you talking about Galyan?” Keith said.
“Who else?” Riker said.
Keith thought a moment. “An Adok AI is different.”
“Not—”
“Gentlemen,” Valerie said, interrupting. “We’re not going to debate the utility of different AIs. Riker, is the AI— Are you detecting any machines of any sort?”
Riker began looking.
“Negative,” Keith said.
Valerie started to reprimand Keith but stopped herself. “Fine,” she said a moment later. “What about signs of scout ships or starship activity?”
“Nope,” Keith said. “So far, there are no traces of fusion exhaust or star-drive jump signatures in the system anywhere.”
Valerie nodded. “We’re done here then.”
“Don’t you want to hear about the rest of the planets?” Keith asked.
“I was scanning your findings a moment ago,” Valerie said. “I’ve seen enough. Plot a course for the Laumer Point at the system’s edge. Use maximum sustainable speed to get us there.”
Keith did as ordered.
Much later, with the red dwarf’s crimson light faded to a distant dot, they approached the selected Laumer Point.
“Engage the Laumer Point,” Valerie said, bracing herself for wormhole travel. “Let’s see what the next system has for us.”
As the Kit Carson neared the Laumer Point, the crew prepared in other areas of the scout. Engineers in the engine room fine-tuned the fusion reactors, ensuring optimal power output. In the tiny medical bay, Dr. Patel double-checked his supplies, ready to treat any potential side effects from the jump.
Valerie keyed her comm. “All hands, prepare for Laumer Point transition in T-minus two minutes. Secure all stations and brace for potential turbulence.”
A klaxon blared.
“Commander,” Riker said. “The AI is detecting an energy surge from P-5. It might be directed at us.”
The Kit Carson shuddered as its engines strained against the mysterious force emanating from P-5.
“Mr. Maker,” Valerie said.
“Working on it,” Keith said.
“Try to figure out what it is, Sergeant,” Valerie said.
Riker gave her a hopeless look.
“Ask the AI,” Valerie said.
Riker nodded and began to speak at the console.
At the same time, under Keith’s guidance, the scout broke free of whatever force this was. The Kit Carson hurtled toward the Laumer Point.
As they crossed the event horizon, Valerie caught a final glimpse of the star system on the view screen before it dissolved.
As the familiar sensations of Laumer Point transit washed over her, Valerie had a brief moment of reflection. Then she lost consciousness.
As the Kit Carson emerged into another star system 4.82 light-years away, Valerie straightened in her chair, coming out of jump lag. It was hard to remember what she’d been thinking before losing consciousness.
P5 of the former system had been weird, but she didn’t think that was the answer to the missing Patrol scouts. More than ever, Valerie wanted to find the answer. Still, she would write up a detailed report about P5. The planet and Laumer Point could prove dangerous to regular spaceships trying to use them.
Even as Valerie mentally composed the report, her determination to find the missing scouts hardened into firm resolve.
-7-
The Kit Carson emerged from a Laumer Point, its cylindrical hull shimmering.
On the bridge, Keith stabilized the ship in the new star system.
Valerie leaned forward in the commander’s chair, her eyes fixed on the main screen. “Status report,” she said.
“All systems nominal,” Keith said. “We’ve successfully entered the star system.”
To Keith’s right, Riker manned the science station. “Confirming system composition now: primary star is a red giant, spectral class M2III. Estimated age is approximately eight billion years.”
“Elaborate on the star’s characteristics,” Valerie said.
Riker mumbled to the AI and then listened carefully to its reply. He began to parrot the information:
“The star’s radius is approximately one hundred times that of the Sun, with a surface temperature of around 3,500 Kelvin. Its luminosity is extremely high—nearly one thousand times that of Sol. I’m detecting significant stellar wind activity and evidence of past helium flashes.”
“Okay,” Valerie said, “enough about that. Tell me about the planets.”
Keith chimed in, scanning the navigational data. “Five planets detected so far. Each one appears to be quite distinct from the other.
“The innermost planet is a scorched ball of rock, with a surface temperature over one thousand degrees Celsius. It’s likely tidally locked to the star.
“The second planet is more interesting,” Keith said. “It appears to be a super-Earth, roughly twice the diameter of our homeworld. Heavy cloud cover suggests a thick atmosphere.”
Riker leaned closer to the console, his lips moving as he then listened intently. He looked up, perhaps noticing Keith and Valerie watching him.
“The third planet is a gas giant, similar to Jupiter in composition,” Riker said, “but with a distinctive blue hue. Spectral analysis indicates high concentrations of methane in its upper atmosphere.”
“The fourth planet is another rocky world, but with a twist,” Keith said almost without pause after Riker stopped. “It’s exhibiting a lot of volcanic activity. I’m picking up massive eruptions across its surface.”
“And the fifth?” asked Valerie, enjoying this; it helped Riker learn his trade.
Riker’s brow furrowed as he listened to the AI and studied the readings at the same time. “It’s… unusual, an ice giant on a highly eccentric orbit. Current position places it well within the system’s habitable zone, but its trajectory will take it out to the system’s edge. We may be witnessing the early stages of planetary migration.”
“Excellent work, gentlemen,” Valerie said. “Let’s begin our systematic—”
“Wait,” Riker said, interrupting, “I’m detecting an anomalous object at the edge of the system.”
Valerie straightened in her chair. “Put it on main screen, maximum magnification.”
The main screen flickered, revealing a distant speck against the backdrop of space. As the image zoomed in, the object’s familiar lines came into focus.
“It’s a ship,” Riker said.
“It’s more than that,” Keith said, with the hint of a sneer. “That’s a Patrol scout, just like us. It looks like we found one of the missing vessels.”
Valerie’s eyes narrowed as she studied the image on the main screen. “What’s its condition?”
