The Lost Colony (Lost Starship Series Book 4) by Vaughn Heppner Page A
Authors: Vaughn Heppner
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kill-switch timer with a penlight in one hand and a small caliper in another. Delicately, the captain reached in and plucked the sabotage device out of the interior dash system.
“Take this,” Maddox said, handing Riker the penlight.
Riker shined the narrow beam on the spot.
Maddox reached in and twisted several loose wires together.
The flitter shuttered. The engine kicked on and lights reappeared on the dash.
The captain tapped the comm-unit and made an adjustment. It crackled into life.
“Galyan,” Maddox said.
“I have analyzed the situation, Captain,” the robotic voice said. “You are a victim of sabotage.”
“Thank you,’ Maddox said. “I have taken care of the situation. You may release us from your tractor beam.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“And Galyan,” Maddox said.
“Sir?”
“Thank you for your quick action. It saved our lives. We’re indebted to you.”
“It was my pleasure,” Galyan said. The AI paused before adding, “I am eager to renew our adventures. Earth orbit has become unbearably tedious. This episode tonight shows me I should be engaged in hot action, using my rarified abilities to defeat humanity’s enemies.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Maddox said.
“That is the best thanks of all then,” Galyan said. “Do you wish me to begin analyzing possible suspects?”
“I do,” Maddox said.
“Wonderful. Thank you, sir. It will help relieve the tedium of listening to the scientists rhapsodize about my past. It is not what I have done which interests me, but what I’m going to do in the future.”
“Uh, Galyan,” Riker asked. “Have you gained clearance for us yet?”
“I was just about to tell you. Dr. Rich has surfaced and left for Geneva. She is on a supersonic flight. I would suggest this means Dana has found evidence of past alien intrusion on Earth. I would love to ingest her data. Do you think I could listen in to her briefing?”
Riker sat back with a groan, massaging his eyes. He couldn’t believe this. Dana had left for Geneva? He could have been home asleep the whole time.
“Turn us around, Sergeant,” Maddox said.
“To Geneva, sir?” Riker asked.
“Exactly.”
The sergeant hesitated, waiting for the captain to tell him he was sorry for having interrupting the sergeant’s sleep time.
Maddox did no such thing. Instead, the captain leaned his head back against the bubble canopy and closed his eyes, falling almost instantly asleep.
Muttering to himself, Riker adjusted the flight path, heading back for Europe. He might even have turned on the autopilot and gone to sleep, but thinking about what Dana had uncovered kept him too edgy. Was Galyan right? Had the good doctor found real evidence of past aliens on humanity’s home planet? Had the Builders been here in ancient times? Riker wanted to get to Geneva and find out the news.
-9-
Dr. Dana Rich stared out of the jet’s window. It was bright morning in Western Europe, the sunlight bathing the beautiful Alps.
She had just woken up from a light slumber, having made the trip from the Mid-Atlantic in a little over an hour.
The doctor wore a red jacket and had let her dark hair cascade past her shoulders. It was presently tousled from her sleep.
Dana was in her late thirties and strikingly beautiful with brown skin and dark eyes. Born on Earth in Bombay, India, she had emigrated to the Indian Brahma System with her parents. A few years later, she had been the smartest student in the university system there, a girl in a world filled with boys. She had fled Brahma in the company of Professor Ludendorff, having lived with him on Brahma, creating a scandal for her family. The affair had ended in time and Dana had found herself back in the Brahma System. There, she had worked for the secret service against the Rigel Social Syndicate, a neighboring star system. Dana had been a clone thief, caught by Star Watch in the end and sent down to Loki Prime, the worst of the Commonwealth’s prison
“Take this,” Maddox said, handing Riker the penlight.
Riker shined the narrow beam on the spot.
Maddox reached in and twisted several loose wires together.
The flitter shuttered. The engine kicked on and lights reappeared on the dash.
The captain tapped the comm-unit and made an adjustment. It crackled into life.
“Galyan,” Maddox said.
“I have analyzed the situation, Captain,” the robotic voice said. “You are a victim of sabotage.”
“Thank you,’ Maddox said. “I have taken care of the situation. You may release us from your tractor beam.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“And Galyan,” Maddox said.
“Sir?”
“Thank you for your quick action. It saved our lives. We’re indebted to you.”
“It was my pleasure,” Galyan said. The AI paused before adding, “I am eager to renew our adventures. Earth orbit has become unbearably tedious. This episode tonight shows me I should be engaged in hot action, using my rarified abilities to defeat humanity’s enemies.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Maddox said.
“That is the best thanks of all then,” Galyan said. “Do you wish me to begin analyzing possible suspects?”
“I do,” Maddox said.
“Wonderful. Thank you, sir. It will help relieve the tedium of listening to the scientists rhapsodize about my past. It is not what I have done which interests me, but what I’m going to do in the future.”
“Uh, Galyan,” Riker asked. “Have you gained clearance for us yet?”
“I was just about to tell you. Dr. Rich has surfaced and left for Geneva. She is on a supersonic flight. I would suggest this means Dana has found evidence of past alien intrusion on Earth. I would love to ingest her data. Do you think I could listen in to her briefing?”
Riker sat back with a groan, massaging his eyes. He couldn’t believe this. Dana had left for Geneva? He could have been home asleep the whole time.
“Turn us around, Sergeant,” Maddox said.
“To Geneva, sir?” Riker asked.
“Exactly.”
The sergeant hesitated, waiting for the captain to tell him he was sorry for having interrupting the sergeant’s sleep time.
Maddox did no such thing. Instead, the captain leaned his head back against the bubble canopy and closed his eyes, falling almost instantly asleep.
Muttering to himself, Riker adjusted the flight path, heading back for Europe. He might even have turned on the autopilot and gone to sleep, but thinking about what Dana had uncovered kept him too edgy. Was Galyan right? Had the good doctor found real evidence of past aliens on humanity’s home planet? Had the Builders been here in ancient times? Riker wanted to get to Geneva and find out the news.
-9-
Dr. Dana Rich stared out of the jet’s window. It was bright morning in Western Europe, the sunlight bathing the beautiful Alps.
She had just woken up from a light slumber, having made the trip from the Mid-Atlantic in a little over an hour.
The doctor wore a red jacket and had let her dark hair cascade past her shoulders. It was presently tousled from her sleep.
Dana was in her late thirties and strikingly beautiful with brown skin and dark eyes. Born on Earth in Bombay, India, she had emigrated to the Indian Brahma System with her parents. A few years later, she had been the smartest student in the university system there, a girl in a world filled with boys. She had fled Brahma in the company of Professor Ludendorff, having lived with him on Brahma, creating a scandal for her family. The affair had ended in time and Dana had found herself back in the Brahma System. There, she had worked for the secret service against the Rigel Social Syndicate, a neighboring star system. Dana had been a clone thief, caught by Star Watch in the end and sent down to Loki Prime, the worst of the Commonwealth’s prison
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