The Lost Starship Read Online Free PDF Page B

rage.
    “ Constellation gained sensor lock on the wayward bombers,” Noonan said. “Then, I heard Franks accuse Commander Miles of treachery. Before the mothership’s lasers could fire, the New Men destroyed the giant carrier under a combined barrage. Afterward, they demolished the attacking strikefighters. Within forty minutes of their arrival in the system, the New Men had annihilated the remaining ships of our battle group.”
    Noonan looked up, scanning those gathered in the chamber. “Three enemy vessels demolished a greater number of our ships without suffering any harm in turn. They annihilated us with an ease I wouldn’t have believed unless I was part of it.”
    “Wait, wait,” Fletcher said. “You must back up. What happened to the other lifeboats and to Commander Miles’ bombers?”
    Noonan cocked her head and stared into the distance. “The New Men beamed every lifeboat but mine. The last bombers…they approached the enemy vessels and landed in a docking bay. Afterward, the three ships left, heading back to the Pan System.”
    “Did the New Men order the bombers to land?” Fletcher asked.
    “If they did, I didn’t hear it,” Noonan said. “In my opinion, Commander Miles went willingly.”
    Lord High Admiral Cook stepped near as he indicated an empty chair.
    Noonan stared at him for a moment before sitting down in it.
    The Lord High Admiral glowered at the others. “All right, then. You’ve heard what I’ve heard. There are several troubling elements to the story. I’m sure each of you has reached the same conclusion I have, but I will enumerate the problems. Compared to us, the invaders have seriously advanced weaponry. It allowed three of their ships to destroy masses of ours: a fleet composed of fourteen capital ships. I am inclined to pull our other groups back. I fear trying to beat the enemy in a battle of maneuver. The New Men are far better than us at recovering from Jump Lag in every way. Yet, the worst problem is this: we clearly have spies in our midst, traitors helping the New Men. How else did the enemy know to guard the Pan-Aphrodite route? It would appear that Commander Miles on Mothership Constellation communicated with them in some fashion. That the New Men were able to corrupt Star Watch combat officers would seem to mean they have an active secret service among us. It would also appear that they have full knowledge about Earth. In return, except for the color of their skin, we know nothing about them.”
    Lord High Admiral Cook rapped his knuckles against the table. “This is a dire situation, people. Before we move against them again, we will have to come up with a plan on how to defeat vastly superior ships. What’s more, we must figure out a way to keep them from learning our secrets.”
    Silence filled the chamber as his words sank in.
    Finally, Admiral Fletcher stirred. “Sir,” he said.
    “Go head, Admiral.”
    “What if the New Men don’t wait for us to move, but they invade Commonwealth territory first?”
    “Exactly,” Cook said. He looked from right to left, taking his time doing it as he stared at each person in turn. Finally, he said, “I’m open to suggestions, people. Because if the New Men invade us, I don’t know what we can do to stop them.”
     

-4-
    That night, Maddox lay in bed unable to sleep. He kept staring up at the ceiling, thinking about the past twenty-four hours.
    Caius Nerva, Sergeant Riker, Admiral von Gunther, Commander Miles and the New Men—what did it all mean? The golden-skinned invaders from the Beyond had a secret service organization operating on Earth. That seemed clear from the lieutenant’s story. The traitorous commander in the bomber had landed on an enemy warship. The three enemy cruisers had been waiting at the right entry point into the Pan System.
    After the meeting, Maddox had checked a star chart. There were three jump points in the Pan System, all widely divergent from each other in location. The New Men had