Maddox nodded. “That explains why they kidnapped her.”
“Captain, I have further bad news. You were correct about a New Man having come to Earth. I can hardly fathom the major’s data. Yet, it appears that Oran Rva is in the Solar System.”
The captain’s lips tightened.
“That makes little sense to me, though,” the brigadier said. “If Star Watch had an important Intelligence mission, we wouldn’t send the Lord High Admiral to do it.”
“No, we wouldn’t,” Maddox said. “But we don’t think like the New Men. They view themselves—they are—highly competent at whatever they choose to do. I imagine it might be more than that, Ma’am.”
“What do you mean?” O’Hara asked.
“Oran Rva’s goal must be to gain control of the doomsday machine. Might that control give him greater authority among the New Men?”
“You mean that this could be a power play among them,” O’Hara said.
“It’s just a guess, Ma’am.”
“That’s an interesting point, though,” the brigadier said. She grew quiet before asking, “Can you truly defeat Oran Rva and Kane? They are exceptional soldiers, I’d warrant.”
“We’ve all seen the Odin video,” Maddox said. “I doubt you think I can best them. But I’ve faced the New Men before and beaten them. What else do you suggest we try?”
“I suggest we wait a few more hours,” the brigadier said. “Let’s send teams of space marines in power armor against them.”
“I’m done waiting,” Maddox said. “Besides, we don’t have time. The doomsday machine is racing toward Earth. If we begin too late, it won’t matter if we win against the planet-killer or not.”
“I’m sending space marine backups,” the brigadier said.
“Fine,” Maddox said. “We’ll be the tip of the spear. My pilot is signaling me. I have to go. I have to let Second Lieutenant Maker concentrate so he makes the perfect jump.”
“I wish you well, Captain.”
“Right,” Maddox said. “I appreciate that.”
The brigadier’s image vanished. In its place appeared a visual of outer space.
“Ready?” Maddox asked Keith.
“Not yet, Captain,” the ace said “Galyan doesn’t have the wave frequencies down just right.”
Maddox exhaled impatiently. Then, he nodded. “Right, we’re likely only going to get this one shot at doing it.”
The minutes ticked away until a half hour had passed and then forty-five minutes.
Keith sat up. “Got some news, sir,” he said. “The doomsday machine has increased acceleration again. The Lord High Admiral has given the word. The Home Fleet is accelerating on its intercept course.”
“What’s taking Galyan so long?” Maddox asked, impatiently.
“Should I call him, sir?” Keith asked.
“Yes,” Maddox said.
A moment later, the deified AI stared at them from the screen.
“Galyan,” Maddox said, “how long until you’re ready?”
“In several hours I should be able to try the first—”
“Listen to me,” Maddox said, interrupting Galyan. “We’ve run out of time. I don’t remember the range of the planet-killer’s beam. I’m sure it badly outranges our vessels. If we defeat the machine but our Home Fleet is destroyed, that just means a slower death for Earth when the New Men renew their invasion.”
“I recognize the situation for what it is,” Galyan said. “A premature attempt will not aid us. I have already begun to suspect that failed attempts will freeze the doomsday machine’s entry lock.”
“How can you tell?” Maddox asked.
“It seems like a logical safety feature.”
Maddox shook his head. “That doesn’t change the fact that I have to stop the machine before it destroys Cook’s fleet. It’s time to act.”
“Perhaps you could persuade the Lord High Admiral to delay his present effort,” the AI said.
I doubt I’m going to have any luck with that,” Maddox said. “If I fail, the admiral will want to fight it out with the doomsday machine. Earth isn’t going to die without a struggle.”
“That is a noble sentiment. However—”
“We’re jumping, Galyan. You’re going to have to fire that wave frequency beam as best you can.”
“I cannot guarantee success.”
“I’m not asking for that. I just want you to give it your best shot. We have to go now before the doomsday machine builds up too great of a velocity. We’re going to be hard pressed to match it as it is.”
“Reasonable,” Galyan said. “Yes, let us begin the attempt then.” The AI paused.
“What now?” Maddox asked.
“I do not have any meaningful last words for you, Captain. My probability processors tell me you will fail, which means you will die. I doubt I shall ever speak to you again, Captain. I should give you meaningful parting words. But I can think of nothing proper, as I still do not sufficiently understand human motivations.”
“I appreciate that, Galyan. Thank you for the thought. You’ve been a good friend.”
“What did I say, sir?” Galyan said. “It wasn’t meaningful.”
“You’re wrong. It was very meaningful. You gave it your best shot, which means more than the actual words you didn’t say.”
“That is not logical,” Galyan said.
Maddox gave the AI a wintery grin. “Let’s beat the enemy, my friend. We’ve done it before. Now, you and I and the rest of the crew are going to do it again.”
“You hope,” Galyan said.
“Yes. That I do. Captain Maddox out.” Before he could motion the pilot, Keith cut the connection.
“Better start building up greater velocity,” Maddox told the pilot.
“Aye-aye, sir,” Keith said, opening channels with Valerie.
Since the small jumpfighter didn’t have giant engines like the planet-killer or anything like the needed amount of fuel, Victory had been accelerating, using the tractor beam to pull the tiny fighter with it. Now, they were going to match the correct speed and heading of the doomsday machine. Soon now, Keith would engage the jump mechanism and try to put them beside the distant alien doomsday device at just the right location.
As the old saying went, the balloon was about to go up.
***
“I’ll have to do this in two jumps,” Keith said. “I can’t give you the pinpoint accuracy you’re asking for from this far out.”
“The enemy did it,” Maddox said.
“I’m good,” Keith said, “but I’m not that good.”
“How close do you plan to appear in front of the doomsday machine with the first jump?”
“The closer we can get, the better chance we have of arriving in its magic radius,” the ace said.
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I’m thinking of appearing three hundred thousand kilometers before it the first jump. The second jump will put us in the magic zone.”
Maddox considered that. “Three hundred thousand kilometers from it will put us in the machine’s proximity zone. The planet-killer will be sure to fire at us.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, sir. The doomsday machine has its giant orifice. Will it warm up the killing ray to swat a tiny jumpfighter like us?”
“I have no idea. Maybe it has secondary weapons.”
“With a three hundred thousand kilometer range,” Keith said. “No, I don’t think so.”
“We lack sufficient data to know for sure,” Maddox said.
“For a fact, we do lack data, sir. But we made it onto Starship Victory the first time without enough information.”
Maddox didn’t say anything to that. Keith was wrong, though. Ludendorff had collected the needed data for them. “Yes,” the captain said. “Do it your way.”
Maddox believed in trusting each person to do his or her specialty. Keith was the master pilot. If he suggested this was the best way to do it, then they would do it the ace’s way.