The lost world, p.1
The Lost World, page 1
SF Books by Vaughn Heppner
THE A.I. SERIES:
A.I. Destroyer
The A.I. Gene
A.I. Assault
A.I. Battle Station
A.I. Battle Fleet
A.I. Void Ship
A.I. Rescue
A.I. Armada
LOST STARSHIP SERIES:
The Lost Starship
The Lost Command
The Lost Destroyer
The Lost Colony
The Lost Patrol
The Lost Planet
The Lost Earth
The Lost Artifact
The Lost Star Gate
The Lost Supernova
The Lost Swarm
The Lost Intelligence
The Lost Tech
The Lost Secret
The Lost Barrier
The Lost Nebula
The Lost Relic
The Lost Task Force
The Lost Clone
The Lost Portal
The Lost Cyborg
The Lost World
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The Lost World
(Lost Starship Series 22)
by Vaughn Heppner
Copyright © 2024 by the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
Part One
Underspace and Beyond
-1-
Lieutenant Commander Valerie Noonan shifted uncomfortably as she sat before the Lord High Admiral in his office at Star Watch Headquarters.
Valerie had requested the meeting and felt a pang of remorse, as it felt like she was betraying Maddox by being here.
That feeling was silly, though, right?
Things had changed since the battles against the Sovereign Hierarchy of Leviathan. For one thing, the old Lord High Admiral was dead. Cook had always been good to her, though.
Haig was the new Lord High Admiral. He was a small, energetic man with lank dark hair and intense brown eyes. He was the glorious victor of those engagements against the Leviathan maulers. Many documentaries already highlighted his keen insights, often sidestepping or ignoring Captain Maddox’s role that lead to Star Watch’s destruction of the enemy’s invasion warships—most of them, anyway.
It appeared that some maulers had retreated: perhaps back to the Scutum-Centaurus Spiral Arm from which they’d come.
Behind the big desk in his office in Geneva, Haig stared at her as if he could pierce her reserve through sheer willpower. Haig was a firm believer in the Humanity Ultimate Doctrine as espoused by the Humanity Manifesto. That meant he didn’t care for those the HUs considered as freaks, mutants, or sports. That meant the New Men, and those like Maddox, Meta, and even Ludendorff.
Valerie kept her head up, trying to smile. She was a striking-looking woman with long brunette hair, a lean athletic build, and a quietly competitive nature. She believed in following the rules, maybe because she’d had such a chaotic childhood back in Greater Detroit.
Her uniform was spotless, and her facial skin almost flawless. She worked at that.
“There is the new and improved Kit Carson,” Haig said, as he peered at the tablet in his hands. “You once commanded it, I believe.”
Valerie nodded, which he seemed to ignore, as Haig didn’t look up while he spoke.
“The upgrades include stealth technology and a small hangar bay, as it includes a small shuttle for surface ventures,” Haig said. “Of course, the scout is scheduled for a dangerous but highly important mission. I haven’t gotten around to finding its crew yet. Would you be interested in that—the mission, I mean?”
Valerie frowned. Why would the Lord High Admiral of Star Watch bother finding a crew for a Patrol scout? That seemed strange.
Haig looked up from his viewing of the tablet in his hands.
“Is there a problem with that?” he asked.
Valerie wondered if she should ask for clarification. That could be a mistake, as Haig didn’t like Maddox. Therefore, Haig mustn’t like anyone who had served under Maddox, especially for as long as she had. Would that jeopardize her chance of getting her own command again? Perhaps she could temporize.
“I’m Patrol trained, sir. That means I attempt to gain all the information I can before making a decision. What exactly does this mission entail?”
Haig cocked his head as if she’d spoken nonsense. “I thought Patrol officers were used to making decisions on limited information. Surely, you can decide now from what I’ve told you.”
“Well…” Valerie said, finding an odd stubbornness building in her chest. It was the same kind of stubbornness she’d used against Maddox on countless occasions when he suggested some of his cockamamie schemes. What the Lord High Admiral had just said sounded similarly silly. “That doesn’t mean I don’t try to learn all I can as fast as I can when I have the opportunity. This seems like one of those times of opportunity… Don’t you think?”
Haig stared at her, as if he didn’t care for the rebuttal, which he probably didn’t.
Valerie felt that it was time to beat a retreat, so to speak. Instead of listening to that insight, however—due to her stubbornness—she forged ahead. “I’d really like to know what mission you’ve slated for the Kit Carson.”
It took Haig a moment before he said stiffly, “One into the Beyond.”
Valerie nodded as if silently asking, “And?” although she didn’t open her mouth.
“A survey mission in the direction of the Empire of the New Men,” Haig added reluctantly, clearly understanding what the nod meant.
Valerie raised an eyebrow. She didn’t care to deal with New Men again. It was bad enough having to deal with Maddox all these years. The New Men were even more arrogant and rude than the captain was.
Haig inhaled through his nostrils as he set the tablet on the desk. He sat back, fingering his chin as he continued to study her. He seemed to reach a decision.
“Two Patrol scouts on two separate occasions failed to return from a similar survey mission into the region in question.”
Valerie shook her head, perplexed. “Why would you want to keep that from me before I decided?”
For just a moment, Haig scowled. He smoothed that away, although he asked, “Are you questioning me?”
“I suppose I am.”
Before Valerie could add anything more to smooth that over, which she wanted to, as that sounded too impertinent, Haig said, “I thought Patrol officers leapt at the chance of a dangerous mission into the Beyond. They love the threat of danger.”
“…I enjoy exploring the unknown,” Valerie said shortly. “That doesn’t mean I have suicidal tendencies or practice reckless behavior.”
Haig frowned and picked up the tablet he had set down. He swept his fingers over the screen as if searching for something. He must have found it, for he read a moment and then looked up at Valerie.
She waited for it.
“It says in your profile that you’re cautious. Yet, you question me quite freely about this. I might almost say you question me impertinently. That doesn’t strike me as cautious in the least. Or do you usually speak to your superiors like this?”
“I’m sorry, Admiral. I’ve served under Captain Maddox…” Valerie trailed off before finishing the thought. She didn’t want to say anything negative to Haig about the captain, as that felt too much like betrayal.
“Does Maddox encourage such behavior from his subordinates then?” Haig asked.
Valerie almost smiled at the idea. “We’ve served so long together, there’s a family atmosphere on the bridge of Victory. The captain is given to… some might call it outrageous ideas. I’ve learned to question him closely when I have the opportunity. As I’m sure you’re aware, in the end, most of the captain’s ideas prove advantageous to the Commonwealth.”
Haig grunted in a noncommittal manner, perhaps not wishing to hear any praise of Maddox.
That flustered Valerie. She’d just said that out of a sense of obligation to Maddox. She hated feeling like a traitor. But Maddox had been on an extended vacation for some time. In the meantime, Galyan refused to take Victory anywhere. It had started to feel as if the Lord High Admiral and Galyan were locked in a battle of wills. Valerie didn’t want any part of that.
It had been over a year since the last encounter against the maulers of Leviathan. Valerie wanted to get back into space instead of stuck with office work on Earth. One could almost say she was starting to go stir-crazy.
“We’re attempting to broaden our understanding of the New Men and their expanding Empire,” Haig said. “I don’t know why these other two Patrol scouts haven’t returned home. I need a cautious commander, a veteran Patrol officer to check it out for me. It’s one of the reasons we’re having this meeting. If you fail to return home, I might have to send a task force out next. That might provoke the New Men before we’re ready. Thus, I don’t want to do that just yet.”
“I would need to select my own crew,” Valerie said.
Haig nodded absently as if that didn’t matter.
Valerie let out her breath. She’d been sure that would set him off. Surprisingly, it hadn’t.
“I’ll give you a week to get a crew together,” Haig said . “If after that time, you don’t have the needed personnel, I’ll have the Patrol office assign you the necessary personnel.”
In the last few years, Patrol customs had changed. Valerie’s request of choosing her own crew had become semi-official policy in the Patrol Arm of Star Watch. Haig must have known that.
“You will coordinate with Patrol HQ, of course,” Haig said. “I would expect you to leave on the survey mission within the month.”
Valerie nodded. That sounded about right.
“Well then,” Haig said. “Is there anything else you wish to discuss about this?”
Valerie thought a second before she shook her head.
Haig stood.
Valerie shot to her feet. She was a little taller than he was.
Haig reached across the desk and shook her hand. “If I don’t see you before you leave, good luck, Commander.”
“Thank you, sir,” Valerie said.
It seemed he was going to add something more. Then he relaxed, sitting back down.
Valerie took the cue, turned, and exited the office. She had her own command again, or would as soon as she selected her crew. She had a few people to ask.
This would be good. Valerie was sure of it. A semi-dangerous survey mission out near the New Men couldn’t be that deadly if she practiced cautious common sense. The scout had cloaking, and she knew how to deal with problems.
The truth was this would probably be a routine mission. The Lord High Admiral had tried to frighten her.
Valerie almost smirked at the thought. What could possibly go wrong if she was wise about her command decisions? This voyage would probably be more like a vacation compared to the things she’d undergone with Maddox.
Believing this, Valerie left Star Watch Headquarters with a light step, having no idea what was in store for her and her crew.
-2-
Nimble Sergeant Treggason Riker leapt out of an open window as a shotgun boomed behind him in the cabin, blowing apart a lamp to his immediate left.
The sergeant’s feet hit the dirt outside, and he rolled. Then he was up and sprinting, hearing the clack of a pump shotgun sliding a new shell into the firing chamber.
A woman screamed from deeper inside the cabin. Moments later, another shot sounded, and buckshot hissed over Riker’s head. A deep-voiced man bellowed with rage as he jacked yet another shell into the shotgun.
This was a fine mess.
Riker sprinted, wearing only blue underwear and a set of Dudes on his feet, with his sergeant’s jacket clutched in his left hand. He had left his shirt, pants, gun, and other paraphernalia back inside the bedroom with the disheveled beauty, a buxom and quite naked woman with a wild head of red curls.
Riker raced downhill, dodging pine trees and hurdling over a small toy wagon with a pile of sand and a plastic pail in it.
The woman screamed again. She shouted the man’s name, “Leo! Don’t! It’s murder!”
A harsh laugh sounded in response.
Riker looked back over his shoulder at the cabin in the woods.
The huge, bald-headed man, Leo, leaned out of the window Riker had just exited. The big, fat man had the pump shotgun in his hands, making it look like a toy. He aimed the shotgun at Riker and yanked the trigger so flames and buckshot flew out the barrel.
Riker threw himself flat against the ground, skidding through the pine needles and getting a few in his mouth.
Buckshot flew over him, peppering a pine tree ahead of him.
With athletic and surprisingly nimble grace, Riker rolled back onto his feet, running once more as he spat the needles from his mouth. The flexibility of youth was definitely helping him.
Once more, the huge Leo pumped the shotgun, loading a new shell into the chamber.
Riker began to weave, sprinting even faster, sliding the jacket over his bare skin as he put it on.
The thick-haired sergeant, with lipstick smears all over his face, looked young, like a man in his early twenties without any excess fat. He was muscular and youthfully fit, about average height. In reality, in terms of years lived, he was an old man. He had served with Captain Maddox for a long time in the Intelligence Arm of Star Watch. The Old Guard had put him with Maddox in order to give the then-young Maddox an old wise head to stop him from doing stupid stunts.
During all that time, Riker had been sensible after a fashion, filled with the wisdom of age. Then the old sergeant had gone with Maddox to a different dimension, an altered space-time continuum. There, Riker had undergone a transformation. He had become young again. He once had a bionic eye, arm, and leg. Flesh, blood, bones, and powerful muscles had replaced those.
There was no good reason why Riker shouldn’t have maintained the wisdom he’d accumulated over his many decades of experience. Such a thing any reasonable person would believe. Something had changed in him, though. Mostly, or so Riker had come to believe, the big change was the pumping testosterone and energy of youth surging through him. Riker got a chance to replay things, using the knowledge he’d acquired as an old man. That meant he got in far too much trouble that he never had when he was young the first time around. One of the greatest problems for young-again Riker was women and his constantly raging libido.
Could you imagine that? Old Treggason Riker had trouble with women because he knew exactly which buttons to push to get them into bed with him. It was afterward that the trouble usually started.
Sometimes, Riker thought he might be going mad. Lately, he had made all sorts of vows and promises to himself as the guilt at his actions piled up. He went to church more. He read his Bible. That helped some. Then he would see pretty tail sashaying before him. The first few times he could control his urges. Then it became too much and he started plotting how to sweet-talk the young beauty into bed with him. Soon enough, he woke up after having spent a pleasurable time with her in bed, or on the sofa, the kitchen table, on a blanket in the woods—
The shotgun boomed, and this time the buckshot was well behind him. Riker could move like the wind when he needed to, or so it felt like. This was one of those times, all right.
Sure, Captain Maddox could outrun him, but not as easily as he once could.
Riker had dallied with the little redhead in the cabin. They had met in a bar earlier today. He hadn’t had any idea she was married. He’d learned his mistake approximately eight minutes ago when the beauty in question had sat up at the sound of a heavy lock turning. She had said, “I think that’s my husband.”
Riker had barely slipped on his underwear and Dudes, grabbed his jacket, raced through the cabin, and jumped through the window in time.
As he ran through the woods, the ubiquitous guilt began to trouble his conscience. That was the old Riker speaking, scolding him for being a lecherous playboy. He knew better. Love wasn’t sex. Sex was a tool true lovers used to pleasure each other, a gift from God to mankind.
Riker used to give sage advice about these things to others. Did that make him a hypocrite? Had some of that advice been easy to spout because he’d lacked the fire of youth? Had regaining youthfulness changed him to such a degree just because it had lit his balls on fire with lust?
The problem wasn’t just the fire in his veins, but that he knew too much about life and the ladies this time around. That extra knowledge got him in all kinds of trouble.
“I’m going to change that,” Riker said aloud. “I’m going to start doing the right thing in every situation.”
Unfortunately, Riker had said that before, many times in fact since his transformation.
Still, he had gotten clean away from the shotgun-wielding fat man. All’s well that ends well. The problem for Riker this time around was that this was just the beginning of it.
-3-
Sergeant Riker had miscalculated in a big way. He wouldn’t learn that until eighteen hours and twenty-three minutes later.
He was fast asleep in his bed, in his cottage, after a riotous forty-eight hours of drinking and womanizing. He had fallen into bed drunk and slept hard. Now, as three cruel-eyed men crept through his house, Riker snored softly, unaware of the danger.
The three intruders located him easily enough by following his snoring and using a floor map of the cottage.
Riker learned of their entry when a harsh bright light shone in his eyes. Squinting, he smacked his lips and started to ask questions, if unintelligible ones.
