The Lost Planet (Lost Starship Series Book 6)

by Vaughn Heppner

  Ludendorff slapped his thigh, laughing and shaking his head.

  “Why do you mock me?” the Raja asked.

  “It is not mockery, O Lord. I am amazed at your ignorance. These soldiers do not wish to kill you.”

  “But they have laid their hands on my person. That is sacrilege. I will have to kill them in order to regain my honor.”

  “They don’t know that.”

  The Raja studied Ludendorff. “I can almost believe you are false-hearted enough to keep their death-warrant from them. Yet, if you are that black-hearted, why should I trust anything you say?”

  Maddox had been wondering that himself.

  “At first, I wanted to betray you,” Ludendorff said, as if admitting to a terrible secret. “The story of your trek into the deepest nether realm shattered my resolve. I recognize your glory. It has burned out my wickedness, as you would say. The soldiers have betrayed me, while you have shown me mercy.”

  “Your words ring false.”

  “Have they not carried me as they carried you?” Ludendorff asked.

  “That is true,” the Raja admitted.

  “They are soldiers of note, and they have a form of honor. They believe they can rule your city if they reinstall you in power. First, though, they want to worship at the shrine.”

  “Tell me the truth,” the Raja said. “They hope to uncover some of the ancient magic. Is that not so?”

  “Yes. I believe you are right. Yet, I say, let them take this magic. Let them try to rule the city. Everyone has to sleep sometime. That is when you murder them, take their power armor and reclaim the ancient magic. It will make you invincible.”

  A crafty look swept over the Raja. He nodded shortly. “It is a clever plan, wizard. It seems I have underestimated your greed. Tell the soldiers I will lead them to the elevators. I will show them the shrines.”

  Ludendorff bent on one knee before the Raja, bowing his head. Only then, did he turn to Maddox and explain.

  Shortly thereafter, the battle team and its prisoner began a lonely trek through the nether realm.

  -49-

  Strand whistled tunelessly as he finished the final touches on a reconstituted Rose. The Methuselah Man worked alone in his laboratory.

  The bridge crew had been restored to their former subservience. The New Men vigilantly watched the star system. Passive sensors kept track of the Juggernauts and Victory in Sind II orbit and kept track of the rest of the system, particularly the Laumer-Point entrances.

  Rose lay on an electric-grid pallet, with many leads attached to her reattached arms and legs, and onto her nude torso.

  Strand had disrobed her. As he worked, he noted with pleasure the job the android’s makers had done to her physique. Perhaps before he was through with the android, he could engage in some passionate lovemaking. That would be a vast improvement over the sex simulator.

  At last, he made the final correction to the download. He pressed a tab and watched a screen. The download bar showed ten percent loaded, twenty percent, stayed at twenty-five for far too long, jumped to forty-three percent and continued to download the emotion program to Rose’s brain core.

  Strand’s whistling increased. This was exciting. He had been working on this particular program for quite some time. It had begun from a real frustration with computers in the early days. He had been a programmer in the past. Sometimes, he wished he could give computers pain sensors, so that when they failed, he could make them scream. From that distant wish, had come a perpetual interest in the idea.

  He had made many attempts in the past. Today, he would try his latest idea. It was a good one, and he was certain it would finally work.

  Ah, excellent, he had downloaded the emotion program into Rose’s core.

  He unlatched the connective from the back of her head, sealed the tiny port and pressed the pseudo-flesh into place.

  Returning to his console, Strand began to manipulate. He waited, letting the program open and connect with the core.

  He noticed goosebumps rising on her pseudo-flesh. That was the first sign the emotion program might actually succeed.

  Strand dragged a chair across the room, sitting down beside her. With a clicker, he raised the pallet upright so he could stare at her.

  Rose’s eyelids began twitching. All at once, she opened her eyes.

  Strand held his breath. Could this really work? He was so excited, so expectant. It was difficult hiding his grin.

  “I’m naked,” Rose whispered.

  Strand detected outrage and shame in her words. He pushed himself to his feet, reached out and stroked her left breast.

  She blushed, and squirmed to break free.

  Strand couldn’t help it. He laughed with delight. He resumed his seat and studied Rose as his smile stretched his leathery skin.

  “I demand that you clothe me,” the android said.

  “Fair enough,” Strand said. “I demand that you inform me of the ultimate plan regarding Sind II. We will fulfil each other’s demands, yes?”

  She frowned at him. A moment later, from her exposed vantage, she examined her naked body.

  “What happened to me?”

  “I removed your clothes.”

  “That isn’t what I mean, and you know it.”

  Strand crossed his legs. He hadn’t realized how much fun this would be. He studied her frankly, and he began to wonder if he should keep her permanently. He rerouted New Men’s brains so they would obey him. Why shouldn’t he do the same thing with androids?

  This was a delightfully new discovery. These moments of high achievement made life more than merely bearable, but enjoyable. Wasn’t that the point of life, after all?

  “I feel different,” Rose said.

  “Let me give you a hint. The operative word is: feel.”

  “Feel,” Rose mouthed without saying the word aloud. A shocked look came over her. She concentrated. The shock became more profound.

  “I can’t turn off my personality program,” she said.

  Strand’s grin grew so wide that it hurt his mouth. He laughed and slapped a knee.

  “Why does that please you so much?” Rose asked.

  “You please me, all of you. The situation is highly enjoyable.”

  “What did you do to me?”

  “Exactly what I said I was going to do.”

  “I have emotions?”

  He pointed at her and winked as he nodded his head.

  “But why, what utility does this serve?”

  “Mine,” Strand said.

  “I do not understand. I insist you erase the emotion program at once.”

  “I cannot do that, not without erasing your entire memory core. I’m afraid you’re going to have to learn to deal with emotions. As compensation, I have reattached your arms and legs. Do you recall losing them?”

  She shuddered.

  “Oh, this is too excellent. It is unfortunate we’re going to have cut this short. You see, Rose, I gave you emotions for a precise reason.”

  She studied him. “You will attempt to make me fear.”

  “I will attempt, and I give myself a high chance of success.”

  “How does my experiencing fear help you? Oh,” she said. “You wish to torture me enough to loosen my tongue. You desire to know our grand scheme.”

  “Among others things,” he said.

  She shook her head. “It will not work. I should inform you that I have a fail-safe. If I begin to say what I should not, my memory core will automatically purge itself. You have gone to extreme efforts, but it will not help you.”

  “You don’t mind if I indulge myself before I believe you.”

  “I do mind. You have a warped personality. Your present course will only further your degradation. You need help. Join us, Strand. The androids could use your brilliance. This endless skullduggery and attempts at sovereignty only pushes you into deeper isolation. You are estranged from humanity. You need healing. We can help in that.”

  “I appre
ciate your generous offer. Who would have thought that your emotion would lead you to mercy?” Strand couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. “Mercy from an android, wishing to humanize me,” he wheezed. “It is too funny. It is—”

  The humor evaporated as if it had never existed.

  “Let us try a different route,” Strand said in deep seriousness. “I will terrorize your senses. I will plunge you into sensations you never knew existed. Since you are unfamiliar with emotions, I suspect they will rock you more than an experienced feeler. Are you ready?”

  “Strand, wait,” she said.

  “I am afraid I lack the time. The professor is on the loose, and I must speed up my end.”

  Strand lofted a clicker, aimed it at Rose and pressed a button.

  A holo-field enveloped her, simulating one event after another: falling from a ledge, landing in a fire, seeing a bus crush a loved-one. Rose began to feel emotions and sensations. The android squirmed on the pallet. She strained to break free. She screamed. Her face screwed up as she wept bitterly. She laughed hysterically. She bawled for help. She panted uncontrollably.

  “Stop, stop,” she screamed. “I’ll talk. I shall tell you all.”

  At last, Strand raised the clicker a second time, pressing a different button. The holo-field vanished.

  Rose’s body collapsed from the constant strain. She sagged against her bonds. She wept silently in relief.

  “Rose,” Strand said softly.

  She swallowed, understanding but refusing to look up.

  “Are you ready?” Strand asked.

  She nodded miserably.

  Strand leaned forward in earnest, and he began asking detailed and probing questions. To his astonishment and delight, the android answered the questions as rapidly as possible.

  The emotion program had been a grand success. This was wonderful. This was wonderful indeed.

  -50-

  The underworld with its giant fungus ferns, foul odors and endless darkness wearied Maddox. He could only imagine what it was doing to the others.

  The odors penetrated his suit and spores clogged the air-conditioning vents. The captain and the marines repeatedly flushed their systems. That helped to a degree, but his skin felt clammy and the inside of his mouth tasted wrong.

  With growing trepidation, Maddox once more checked battery power. It was down to twenty-six percent. Whenever he checked the comm channels, he heard the growling noises. Someone was still actively jamming his signals.

  Without protective armor-suits, Meta and Keith had grown listless. The Raja no longer spoke. Only Ludendorff seemed immune to the depths. Maddox wondered if that was another benefit of the Methuselah Man treatments.

  “Sir,” a marine said over the short-range.

  The voice startled Maddox. He blinked rapidly as he checked his HUD before realizing that the marine was addressing the lieutenant.

  The marine addressed Sims once more, but the lieutenant failed to answer.

  “What’s wrong?” Maddox asked over the command channel.

  “My prisoner is squirming like mad,” the marine said. “He’s going to hurt himself soon if he doesn’t stop.”

  Maddox ordered the battle group to halt. Half did. The rest kept marching. The captain fired a warning shot. The rest of the marines halted raggedly, turning toward him.

  The captain clicked on a helmet lamp. He washed the light over the team. The armor suits were black with fungus filth. The unarmored people were even filthier, with their eyes staring blankly from sooty faces, making them seem like overgrown raccoons.

  “Lieutenant Sims,” Maddox said sternly.

  “Yes…?” the lieutenant said in a sluggish voice.

  “Get it together,” the captain said. “Speak to your people. I want spit and polish, not this sub-man laziness.”

  “What did you say?” Sims asked, with bite to his words.

  “Are you awake now?”

  It took Sims a moment. “I just gave myself a stim. I can feel it working. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  “There’s something about this place. Maybe it’s the spores. Our suits protected us for a time, but the protection seems to be wearing off.”

  “Sub-men, sir?” Sims repeated with a sneer in his voice

  “Does that make you angry, Lieutenant?”

  It took Sims a moment. “Oh. I understand. You said that to make me mad in order to wake me up. Thanks.” The lieutenant went from marine to marine, checking on each of his men.

  Maddox went to the marine holding the Raja. The corporal had spoken the truth. The Vendel leader squirmed and fought against the power-armor arms holding him tightly.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Maddox asked with the translator.

  The Raja made mewling noises.

  Maddox turned around, found Ludendorff and quickly pointed out the Raja’s behavior.

  Ludendorff hurried to the Raja. Maddox followed, listening as the professor jabbered in the alien tongue. The Raja would not cooperate. He just squirmed and fought harder.

  “Let him go,” Maddox told the corporal.

  The Raja almost toppled as the marine set him down. The alien staggered, hugged himself and looked around wildly. He seemed highly agitated. The Vendel leaped back as Ludendorff rubbed his glow-ball, making it shine. The Raja’s eyes were wide and staring. Ludendorff moved closer, and he took something out of a pocket, handing it to the Raja.

  The Vendel accepted it and greedily put the thing in his mouth, swallowing.

  Was that an antidote to this realm? Why hadn’t the professor offered some to Meta and Keith?

  Finally, the Raja became calmer. He spoke to the professor. In the glow-ball’s light, the alien gestured and waved his arms, and he spoke faster, becoming excited again.

  Finally, Ludendorff patted the Raja on the shoulder. The Vendel jerked back at the touch, and he reached down to his boot, whipping out a hidden knife.

  “Look out,” Maddox said.

  The Raja lunged at Ludendorff, striking with the blade. The Methuselah Man made a swift chop, knocking the knife out of the Raja’s hand. As the Raja bent for the fallen weapon, Ludendorff thrust his knee, connecting sharply with the alien’s forehead. That catapulted the Raja backward so he fell onto the spore-laden ground. The alien thrashed spasmodically and began to foam at the mouth.

  Maddox clanked past Ludendorff and reached for the Raja.

  “No, don’t,” the professor said, trying to block the captain’s path.

  As gently as he could, Maddox held the Methuselah Man back. Ludendorff seemed to understand and backed off. Maddox bent over the Raja and picked him up off the ground. The alien screamed madly, fighting him, kicking, hitting and foaming even more at the mouth. Abruptly, the alien stiffened, his facial and neck muscles becoming rigid. The alien groaned, and all his muscles relaxed as he went limp.

  Maddox lowered the Raja to the ground. He used his sensors, but it was already clear. The Raja was dead.

  The captain whirled around, confronting Ludendorff. “What did you do to him?”

  The professor wiped his hands with a handkerchief. Then he put his head in his hands, shaking it sadly.

  “Professor,” Maddox said.

  “Go away,” the professor said through his fingers. “I ruined everything. I cannot believe this. I thought…I thought I knew what I was doing.”

  “Why did the Raja die?”

  “I struck him too hard in the forehead with my knee. I was only protecting myself. He may already have had a concussion. I didn’t think I hit that hard. But he attacked me. I had to protect myself.”

  “You gave him something. What was it?”

  “I gave him a pill to help against the spores,” the professor said, as he looked up. “Do you think the pill might have made him more susceptible to a head injury?”

  “Maybe an inner compulsion drove you,” Maddox suggested. “Maybe the android box really did get to you. Maybe your pill drove the Raja mad or poisoned hi
m.”

  Ludendorff scowled. “Don’t be absurd. I’m myself and that’s that. The blow shouldn’t have slain him but it did. Such a thing is called an accident.”

  “Why did the Raja attack you?”

  “I forgot that his person is sacred. I touched him. I did it to steady him. I forgot myself. I attribute that to this place, the spores, the smell and the damned darkness.” He sighed wearily.

  “That doesn’t make sense. The marine has been holding him for some time.”

  “Don’t you understand? The Raja viewed the marine as a demon. He had no control over that. I’m just a man. Therefore, my touch was sacrilegious. It makes perfect sense.”

  “Now what do we do?” Maddox asked.

  “We go that way,” Ludendorff said, pointing into the darkness. “Before he died, the Raja told me there’s a power station close by. He could smell it and wondered why we weren’t turning that way. That’s partly what had him so agitated.”

  “Can we use the power station to recharge our suits?” asked Maddox.

  “Yes, yes, but what does it matter anymore? We’re doomed without the Raja’s aid. How will we find the vaults now? How will we slip pass the guardians?”

  Maddox studied the professor. He was affected as badly as the rest of them. The place, the spores, something, had attacked their reasoning powers.

  I am Captain Maddox.

  He repeated the litany to himself. A power station was near…if the Raja could be believed.

  “Listen,” Maddox told Sims. “I’ve found a power source. We’re getting out of here soon. But you have to stay alert. Are your people alert, Lieutenant, or am I the only one who can handle this nether realm?”

  “We’re with you, sir,” Sims said, with an edge to his voice. “Wherever you go, the space marines have your back.”

  “Good. Now, let’s keep moving.”