came on inside. The flitter’s nose lifted as the air-car continued its flight path but without any internal power. The dash was as dark as ever.
The sergeant’s brow furrowed. How could the flitter be flying—oh, right, Galyan must be using a tractor beam from orbit. The AI could do more than simply pull a craft closer, but used the tractor beam to guide the flitter.
Muttering under his breath, Riker pried open the panel. It took him fifteen minutes of sweaty, delicate work, but he found a strange little timer where one shouldn’t be. Hmmm, if he—
“Don’t touch that,” Maddox said.
The sergeant grunted, lurching back, surprised at the captain’s voice.
Maddox glanced outside, at the dark dash and then at the sergeant. “You managed to contact Galyan, I take it.”
“Yes, sir,” Riker muttered.
Maddox frowned. “You must have contacted him before the event.”
“Right again, sir.”
Maddox nodded. He took a small penlight from a pocket, clicked it on and shined it on the tiny timer in the electronics.
“Do you know what that is, sir?”
“Another complexity,” the captain said. “Did you take the flitter to the shop after our Asia flight?”
“That’s standard procedure, sir, especially after a cross-country jaunt from Shanghai to Geneva.”
“Then we must presume someone hostile to Star Watch had access to the craft while in the garage. Meaning, this was an inside job. Ah, look at this.”
Riker leaned forward, peering at the tiny device.
“Did you see the dot on top?” Maddox asked.
“I do, sir.”
“That is the activation mechanism.”
“It’s unlit, sir.”
“The timer must have absorbed energy from the flitter’s electronics. It’s a kill-switch. The lack of energy also deactivated the timer.”
“I’d gathered as much, sir.”
“Does Galyan know our destination?”
“He does, sir.”
Maddox pursed his lips. “Give me the gist of what you told Galyan.”
Riker did so.
Maddox studied him afterward, making the sergeant uneasy. “From now on, Sergeant, you will inform me if you put any spy systems onto me, including Galyan.”
“I’ll try my best, sir.”
“That isn’t a reassuring answer.”
“I suspect not, sir,” Riker said, who heartily disliked his secret orders. They explicitly said he could not reveal them to the captain.
“What is it?” Maddox asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, sir,” Riker said.
Maddox fixed those strange eyes on him and gave him a level stare.
The sergeant could feel the captain’s mind spinning. The man had an uncanny ability to come up with answers.
A hint of a frown appeared on the captain’s face. “I see,” Maddox said.
Riker swallowed uneasily. The captain couldn’t have logically figured out the secret orders, could he?
Maddox turned away, tapping a finger against a knee. “I’m still on the list, am I?”
“List, sir?” Riker asked.
“Hmmm, you’ve been sworn to secrecy, I presume. Yet…the secret command troubles you. That’s small comfort. How am I supposed to…?”
“Sir?” Riker asked.
“Never mind,” Maddox said. “You shall carry on as ordered and I will do my duty to Star Watch as my conscience dictates.”
Riker knew the lad as well as anyone did. While the sergeant didn’t have exalted brainpower like Ludendorff and Dana Rich, he was experienced in human nature. The secret order cut against Maddox, wounding him, although the captain would never admit it to anyone. He was a proud young officer. Maddox was also a loner by inclination and circumstance. His hybrid nature hadn’t done him any favors in this regard.
“Are you with me, Sergeant?” Maddox asked softly.
Riker knew what the captain was asking. “One hundred percent, sir,” he said.
“Even if…” Maddox left the question unasked.
“Yes, sir,” Riker said, “even if.”
Maddox nodded curtly. He couldn’t show anyone how much the answer meant to him. “Then, let us proceed.” He regarded the
The sergeant’s brow furrowed. How could the flitter be flying—oh, right, Galyan must be using a tractor beam from orbit. The AI could do more than simply pull a craft closer, but used the tractor beam to guide the flitter.
Muttering under his breath, Riker pried open the panel. It took him fifteen minutes of sweaty, delicate work, but he found a strange little timer where one shouldn’t be. Hmmm, if he—
“Don’t touch that,” Maddox said.
The sergeant grunted, lurching back, surprised at the captain’s voice.
Maddox glanced outside, at the dark dash and then at the sergeant. “You managed to contact Galyan, I take it.”
“Yes, sir,” Riker muttered.
Maddox frowned. “You must have contacted him before the event.”
“Right again, sir.”
Maddox nodded. He took a small penlight from a pocket, clicked it on and shined it on the tiny timer in the electronics.
“Do you know what that is, sir?”
“Another complexity,” the captain said. “Did you take the flitter to the shop after our Asia flight?”
“That’s standard procedure, sir, especially after a cross-country jaunt from Shanghai to Geneva.”
“Then we must presume someone hostile to Star Watch had access to the craft while in the garage. Meaning, this was an inside job. Ah, look at this.”
Riker leaned forward, peering at the tiny device.
“Did you see the dot on top?” Maddox asked.
“I do, sir.”
“That is the activation mechanism.”
“It’s unlit, sir.”
“The timer must have absorbed energy from the flitter’s electronics. It’s a kill-switch. The lack of energy also deactivated the timer.”
“I’d gathered as much, sir.”
“Does Galyan know our destination?”
“He does, sir.”
Maddox pursed his lips. “Give me the gist of what you told Galyan.”
Riker did so.
Maddox studied him afterward, making the sergeant uneasy. “From now on, Sergeant, you will inform me if you put any spy systems onto me, including Galyan.”
“I’ll try my best, sir.”
“That isn’t a reassuring answer.”
“I suspect not, sir,” Riker said, who heartily disliked his secret orders. They explicitly said he could not reveal them to the captain.
“What is it?” Maddox asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, sir,” Riker said.
Maddox fixed those strange eyes on him and gave him a level stare.
The sergeant could feel the captain’s mind spinning. The man had an uncanny ability to come up with answers.
A hint of a frown appeared on the captain’s face. “I see,” Maddox said.
Riker swallowed uneasily. The captain couldn’t have logically figured out the secret orders, could he?
Maddox turned away, tapping a finger against a knee. “I’m still on the list, am I?”
“List, sir?” Riker asked.
“Hmmm, you’ve been sworn to secrecy, I presume. Yet…the secret command troubles you. That’s small comfort. How am I supposed to…?”
“Sir?” Riker asked.
“Never mind,” Maddox said. “You shall carry on as ordered and I will do my duty to Star Watch as my conscience dictates.”
Riker knew the lad as well as anyone did. While the sergeant didn’t have exalted brainpower like Ludendorff and Dana Rich, he was experienced in human nature. The secret order cut against Maddox, wounding him, although the captain would never admit it to anyone. He was a proud young officer. Maddox was also a loner by inclination and circumstance. His hybrid nature hadn’t done him any favors in this regard.
“Are you with me, Sergeant?” Maddox asked softly.
Riker knew what the captain was asking. “One hundred percent, sir,” he said.
“Even if…” Maddox left the question unasked.
“Yes, sir,” Riker said, “even if.”
Maddox nodded curtly. He couldn’t show anyone how much the answer meant to him. “Then, let us proceed.” He regarded the
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