Kane watched in fascination as the hazy shape moved closer. At last, it flickered, and a tall New Man in a gray stealth suit stood before him. The New Man slipped the helmet from his head.
Kane’s eyed widened in shock. “Oran Rva,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
“Given your previous history,” the New Man said, “I knew you would fail in the ultimate objective. Thus, I decided to use you as a decoy. You played your part well, given your limited abilities. Now, I will take control of the situation. In Earth’s final days, Star Watch Command will discover what it means that I am among them.”
“The Throne World can destroy Earth?”
“Practice patience, and you will see. First, I will sow chaos among those who are about to die.”
“If Earth is doomed, why are we here?”
“You will assist me in a glorious task,” Oran Rva said. “Before that can happen, I will need the old Kane. Now, attend me as you open your mind.”
The New Man spoke code words.
Kane groaned in agony as pain seared his mind. Weights burned away. Sections of his brain opened, and the settings recalibrated to their original points. The Rouen Colony agent realized Oran Rva had used him indeed. Kane understood something else. That the commander had come in person to Earth meant Oran Rva was about to embark on a mission of fantastic scope.
Maybe there’s still a way to recover from my failure.
-27-
Five days after adding the extra computing power to the AI, Maddox listened as Galyan spoke to Dana and him in the science chamber.
The room was bigger than any science lab aboard a Star Watch battleship. There were many familiar tools, though: scanners, scopes, sensors and analyzers. There were also unique Adok devices: sonic stethoscopes, parallax tubes and probability processors. In the past five days, Galyan had built another combat robot. It handled what everyone had come to refer to as the Builder egg.
“I have several more tests to perform,” Galyan told them. “First, I should inform you of what my probability processors have discovered in relation to the Builders six thousand years ago.”
“The Adoks knew the Builders?” Dana asked.
“That is an interesting question which I cannot directly answer. No. That isn’t the way to say it. Sometimes my language program has a difficult time translating my native tongue to your bizarre mode of speech.”
“I’ve wondered about that,” Maddox said.
Dana glanced at the captain. He ignored it.
“It is in the nature of the Builder drones and their fusion beams that I have concentrated upon,” Galyan said.
“Wait just a minute,” Dana said. “Did you catch what just happened?” she asked Maddox.
The captain shook his head.
With growing excitement, Dana asked Galyan, “The drone’s red beam is a fusion beam?”
“Exactly,” Galyan said. “The drone fusion beam we witnessed in the Xerxes System was remarkably similar to the planetary fusion ray we used against the Swarm six thousand years ago.”
“Star Watch has been wondering for some time what the New Men’s red ray is,” Dana told the captain. “Galyan knows. It’s a fusion beam.”
“A combination of elements creates the deadly ray,” Galyan explained, “deuterium nuclei fused with tritium nuclei to create helium with a tremendous release of energy, the power of the beam. My probability indicators cause me to reject the notion that the Adoks and Builders independently constructed fusion rays in the same era at two separate locations.”
“Are you suggesting the Builders gave you the tech?” Maddox asked.
“Before I answer that,” Galyan said. “Let me ask you a question. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that a single Adok Star System had the industrial capacity to face a vast Swarm invasion fleet, one that I now believe came from myriads of their worlds?”
“It does,” Maddox said.
“I have concluded the Builders aided my people against the Swarm,” Galyan said.
“Fusion beams and greater industrial capacity,” Dana said. “They are indicators, certainly, but it’s a big leap to say the Builders gave you those things.”
“If I had not remembered the Adok mythic tales, I would agree with your analysis,” Galyan said.
Once more, Dana glanced at the captain. He shrugged. “Very well,” the doctor said. “I’ll bite. What mythic tales are you referring to?”
“The ones I have been able to access since my greater awakening,” Galyan said. “There are legends in Adok history that refer to the mechanical people. They taught gifted Adoks certain technical marvels. There was a rumor in the last years before the Swarm invasion. Some claimed the mechanical people had taught Dark Garrison the secret to the planetary fusion ray.”
“Who’s Dark Garrison?” Dana asked.
“The Adok who invented the planetary fusion ray and also solved the riddle to making surface-based, orbital-reaching space cannons,” Galyan said.
“Why do the legends refer to them as the mechanical people?” Maddox asked.
“Because the star beings were part flesh and part machine,” Galyan said. “The other term was cybernetic organisms.”
“Star beings, star people, the Builders?” Dana asked.
“My probability indicators lined up a similar match,” Galyan said. “I have come to believe the Builders secretly aided the Adoks. That is how we had the weapons and sufficient industrial capacity to build a fleet that destroyed the Swarm invaders.”
“Why doesn’t Victory have these fusion rays then?” Maddox asked.
“The planetary cannons were vast,” Galyan said. “The Adoks hadn’t miniaturized them sufficiently to put on a starship.”
Dana rubbed her hands together. “You’re an archeological goldmine. It’s too bad we’re in the middle of a life-and-death struggle. It would be far more interesting to learn about the universe six thousand years ago.”
“I would prefer that myself,” Galyan said. “I have discovered that my original self was a man of peace. We Adoks did not war among ourselves as you humans do. Perhaps that was why we lacked sufficient war-fighting skills. Then again, it may be why our industrial output was so great. We never bled off productivity in useless squabbles among ourselves.”
“You were a race of angels, eh?” Dana asked.
“I do not grok the reference,” Galyan said. “In attempting to understanding humans better, I have read through your major religious tomes, particularly the monotheistic ones. Your angels fought a war in heaven, one of them becoming the Devil. How does that refer to peace-loving Adoks?”
“We’re not here to debate theology,” Maddox said, “but to get ready to face the doomsday machine. Now you’ve told us your news. I want to know about the egg. Do you have any idea what it holds?”
“I have one last experiment to try,” Galyan said. “It is a chancy affair, but theoretically possible. I do not want to say just yet what I expect to find.”
“What does it matter if you say or not?” Dana asked.
“I would ask that you indulge me in this.”
Maddox shrugged. “No problem, Galyan. When are you going to conduct your test?”
“Now,” the holoimage said. “Could you please step outside?”
“I’d like to watch,” Dana said.
“It would be too dangerous for you.”
“I’ll risk it just the same,” the doctor said.
“I cannot allow that,” the holoimage told her. “Please, step outside and allow me this last test. The danger is likely in a direction you could not conceive. I do not want to explain now. In another hour, it is possible I will know what the egg contains.”
“Very well,” Dana said reluctantly.
Dana and Maddox exited the chamber, standing in the corridor as they waited.
Finally, Galyan appeared outside with them. “It is as I feared. You may come back in.”