Finally, Galyan appeared, and said, “Professor, are you well?”

  Startled, Ludendorff yelled and whirled around into a combat stance.

  “What is wrong with you?” Galyan asked.

  “Oh, Galyan, you startled me.” Ludendorff straightened. “You shook me out of—” Ludendorff abruptly ceased speaking as he stared at what he had built on the various benches.

  Galyan turned to appraise the items. One of them was the size of the Professor’s palm. It was mainly a cloudy crystal lens. Surrounding the crystal along the outer side was a strange alloy the color of copper. Closer inspection showed tiny engraved carvings or marks in the alloy. They formed bizarre, possibly electronic configurations. The second was a metal, articulated glove with gems embedded in the knuckles. The different colored gems struck Galyan as sensor nodes. On the wrist of the glove was a small display or screen, no doubt, where one could observe the sensor readings. The last was a flat disc. Inside was a shiny core. Around the disc were movable parts, little switches perhaps and tiny buttons. This seemed like the most delicate of the inventions.

  “This is astounding,” Ludendorff said. He went to the items, picked one up and fiddled with it. He tested settings and switches. He set the item down and tried this with others. Finally, he turned to Galyan. “I’m fine, my boy. Do not touch these things. It is all off-limits. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Professor.”

  Ludendorff yawned, stretched, then lay down on the floor and promptly fell asleep.

  Galyan stared at the Methuselah Man in wonder. He stared at the odd implements on the benches. He did not recognize their uses. Then, Galyan popped away. He needed to tell Maddox what had occurred.

  -41-

  Ludendorff awoke with a painfully stiff back from sleeping on the floor. He shot to his feet nonetheless and examined what he’d built. He began to experiment with the items…

  “By George,” he whispered. “Can this be?”

  Ludendorff dared to aim a device at his torso and press the switch. To his surprise and delight, he appeared abruptly across the chamber.

  “I believe I just teleported.” Ludendorff smiled grimly. “It was either that, or I just invented a memory lapse device.”

  Ludendorff walked to and sat on a bench. He put his chin against one of his fists, and, like the Thinker, he thought deeply.

  The original Thinker was a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, part of his Gates of Hell. Some believe the Thinker was supposed to be Adam, musing about the destruction his sin had brought upon mankind.

  Ludendorff did not consider that. Instead, he considered what Maddox had told him about his time on the rogue planet, the Ruby Planet and the watery planet with the sunken saucer ship. Ludendorff pondered teleportation and the things Omegan had related to Maddox. Three times, Ludendorff snorted with derision. What exactly the snorts indicated, only Ludendorff knew.

  The Methuselah Man stood and clasped his hands behind his back. He did not stride back and forth. Instead, his fingers flickered as he scowled—first at the decking, then at his inventions, and then at his thoughts.

  “No, no, I don’t think so,” Ludendorff muttered.

  He marched out of the science chamber and down the corridors, seeking Maddox.

  This time, the captain was in the cafeteria just finishing a hearty meal. Ludendorff plopped down beside him and indicated one of the crewmembers to fetch him some pie, coffee, and a steak.

  The crewmember looked at Maddox.

  Maddox nodded.

  Ludendorff looked up and gave Maddox a baleful stare.

  “Have I done something to offend you, Professor?”

  “Not at all, my boy. My intensity is not directed against you. It is directed against Omegan, the so-called Precursor.” Ludendorff said the last with scorn.

  “You don’t think Omegan is a Precursor?”

  “Not in any sense, my boy. Omegan has pulled the wool over our eyes. The computer cube is attempting to pretend to be something it is not.”

  “In what way?” asked Maddox.

  “Omegan was not here before the Yon Soths. It was not here before these crystals of Helion. No, Omegan was part of the Builders. My speculation is that the giant computer cube is a Builder artifact to the same degree the Supreme Intelligence of the Library Planet is one.”

  “That’s interesting and weird if true,” Maddox said. “Why would Omegan say what it did to me?”

  “Precisely, my boy! Thank you,” Ludendorff said to the crewmember who set down a steak, piece of pie, and cup of coffee before him.

  For a short time, the Methuselah Man cut into and devoured the steak, gobbled down the slice of cherry pie and sipped the coffee. He belched twice and gave Maddox a malevolent stare and an evil grin.

  “We have been duped,” Ludendorff declared. “I have been attempting to decide and decipher for what reason. I finally believe I understand.”

  “Go on,” Maddox said.

  “I believe Omegan is attempting to maneuver Leviathan and the Commonwealth into war.”

  “That strikes me as preposterous,” Maddox said. “That’s exactly what it told me it’s trying to stop.”

  “Balderdash,” Ludendorff said. “That is not what it is trying to stop. It is laying hints about Seekers, but there are no Seekers. That’s foolishness. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Yes, there are the Destroyers of the Nameless Ones, but Seekers that replicate, and have been held in abeyance all this time, and some mythical Prism Drive? This Prism Drive is just like the phase shift that we know all about.”

  “We may have seen a phase-shift ship once,” Maddox said, “but we don’t have one now.”

  “Of course I know all that. Don’t you think I know all that?”

  “Professor, calm down.”

  “No!” Ludendorff stood and threw his hands about as if he’d gone crazy. “Captain, I tell you, we must return to the rogue planet. We must use the instruments that this cube sought to turn against us.”

  “I have no idea what you’re getting at.”

  Ludendorff sat down and gulped some of the coffee, as it had become cool enough. “More,” he said.

  This time, Maddox pointed at a crewmember. The person brought a pot of coffee and set it on the table.

  Ludendorff snatched it and poured himself a cup. He would have gulped again, but he stopped at the last moment. He delicately touched his lips to the hot cup as if he were an intelligent simian.

  “Ah, still a little too hot.” Ludendorff set the cup down and looked at the captain. “Sir—and I use the word ‘sir’ deliberately to show that I understand your authority—you run this ship. I accede to that and have acceded to that. You won the candidacy. I totally understand why Omegan picked you, and it was correct in doing so. But I tell you, Captain, we are not headed for a park of Seekers. We are not headed for a place with a Prism Drive.”

  “Let’s go to these places and determine that for ourselves,” Maddox said.

  “That is a wretched and foolish idea, my boy.”

  “I don’t understand why. And if Omegan isn’t a Precursor but a Builder artifact—”

  “Yes, just like the Supreme Intelligence.” Ludendorff said, interrupting.

  “Okay,” Maddox said. “Why did the Supreme Intelligence send us out here then?”

  “That is the question. I believe the Supreme Intelligence is confounded or a Leviathan virus was inserted into the planetary computer banks. If it is the latter, the virus’ purpose was to send us to the Aquila Rift and likely to Omegan on the rogue planet.”

  “Why would Omegan go along with all this?” Maddox asked.

  “Because it is under Leviathan control,” Ludendorff said. “The cybers of Leviathan may have inserted bugs into it.”

  “How in the world could you determine all that through your dreams? Or is this just all wild guessing?”

  “No, listen to me. This is because of the assault vessel we saw crashed on the rogue planet. Do you think Leviathan would leave its own like that for others to see? No, no, this is a deep and intricate plot. I’m not surprised you don’t see it. In this instance, sir, the only reason I understand is because of my training as a Methuselah Man in my youth. I see an ancient protocol in play. It is causing Leviathan and the Commonwealth to clash in an interstellar war, in an inter-spiral-arm war, to eradicate each other.”

  “Wait. Leviathan is pushing for this when it could be against their self-interests?”

  Ludendorff appeared uneasy. “I misspoke a moment ago. In my excitement, I got turned around. Forces are using Leviathan tools or puppets to do its dirty work for them.”

  “Again, I ask you, for what purpose?”

  “So that the Builders may rise again,” Ludendorff said feverishly. “Don’t you see? We are the life force in the way. Leviathan is the life force in the way in the Scutum-Centaurus Arm. The Builders seek to rise again. All this noble talk of ‘the Builders this’ and ‘the Builders that’. Balderdash! It is a ruse. Yes, the Builders gave us a few miscellaneous items in technological processes. But now, the Builders wishing us well—no, I tell you, that is not the case.”

  Maddox toyed with a fork. “If there are no Seekers, then what? What did Omegan send us to find?”

  Ludendorff picked up his coffee cup. He sipped, and sipped again.

  “No answer?” said Maddox. “Did you get turned around again?”

  Ludendorff studied him. “You want answers? I’ll give you answers. I believe there are Destroyers of the Nameless Ones at this place. That is what Leviathan seeks, and I believe we will help Leviathan find them if we go to the coordinates that Omegan gave you from this sunken, squid-alien, saucer ship.”

  “What is your counter to this?”

  Ludendorff nodded. “We activate my new teleportation device. We go down to the rogue planet. We subdue Omegan enough to launch onto the Ruby Planet. There, we rescue the Ardazirhos, and we commandeer the great scooper.”

  Maddox leaned back, obviously astonished. “That’s a wild, maybe even an outrageous plan. Sounds like one I should have devised. Why would we do all that?”

  “So we gain control of the portals, and we go to whatever place Omegan is trying to keep us. I suggest it will be a planetary park where these Destroyers are parked.”

  “Professor, your story keeps turning around. You might need more sleep. What you’re saying isn’t all hanging together.”

  Ludendorff rubbed his face, but a stubborn look there wouldn’t go away.

  “What difference is there if Destroyers are at this place instead of Seekers?” Maddox asked.

  “Some of this is foggy. I admit it. But the protocols we’re seeing… This is a devious Builder plan to involve us all in a horrific war. On that, I am certain.”

  “I don’t know, Professor. The Supreme Intelligence has been helping us for years. Now, you’re making it sound as if it has turned on us.”

  “My boy,” Ludendorff said earnestly, leaning forward, “there is a secret protocol in play. No doubt, this faction of Leviathan has turned the Supreme Intelligence in the manner I suggested. We have a unique vessel that this secret cabal wishes destroyed. Or at the very least, they wish to capture you.”

  “Leviathan captured me once already and couldn’t keep hold.”

  “That’s my point. Someone in Leviathan tried to capture you already. Why you specifically? There is a reason, I tell you. A reason.”

  Maddox looked down at the fork he toyed with and then looked at Ludendorff. His features appeared neutral. “Did you say you built a teleportation device?”

  “I did.”

  Maddox frowned. “Can you tell how you all of sudden know how to create one?”

  “Raking the rubies gave me time for deep contemplation. How and why it should work that way…” Ludendorff shrugged. “There’s something about the Ruby Planet. Perhaps the something emanates from the scooper. Perhaps it emanated from the coercive Inquisitor.”

  “This all seems wild and speculative,” Maddox said. “I might even say it’s crazy.”

  “I know it might sound that way. But I can show you proof that I’m onto something.”

  “I would dearly need to see some proof before…I’d consider any of your suggestions.”

  “I believe I can show you exactly what happened to cause us to leave the starship and go to the rogue planet.”

  “That,” Maddox said, “I would like to see.”

  -42-

  Ludendorff and Andros went into Galyan’s AI core, and there made some changes. Ludendorff added a few new pieces of equipment, and then they came out.

  “Galyan, if you would show yourself please,” Ludendorff said.

  Maddox, Andros and Ludendorff waited outside the AI core. Soon, Galyan appeared.

  “How do you feel?” Ludendorff asked.

  “Disoriented,” Galyan said, looking dizzy. “I do not understand this.”

  “Would you please project what happened on the starship at…?” Ludendorff gave the time.

  “How do you want me to project this?” Galyan asked.

  “Through your eyes like a movie projector will be fine,” Ludendorff said.

  Galyan became motionless. From his eyes, he projected a holoimage. It showed a mote of light rising from the cloudy rogue planet. Soon, the mote neared and passed through Victory’s electromagnetic shield. Next, it passed through the armored hull and began to rove through the corridors. It entered Maddox’s quarters and touched Maddox and Meta on the forehead, leaving a tiny imprint of light that soon vanished. It did the same to Ludendorff and Riker. After that, the mote vanished.

  “Have any of you ever seen a mote of light like that before?” Ludendorff asked.

  “I have,” Maddox said. “It looked just like the Inquisitor on the scooper.”

  “That is what I wondered,” Ludendorff said.

  “Fine,” Maddox said. “We’ve seen this. Now, how does that change anything about what Omegan told me before?”

  Ludendorff seemed astonished. “For one thing, it shows a direct connection between the scooper on the Ruby Planet and Omegan on the rogue planet. The motes of light are the same or same type.”

  “And that means what?” asked Maddox.

  “To start,” Ludendorff said, “I should think it means Omegan isn’t some ancient Precursor.”

  “I don’t see that,” Maddox said.

  “Are we to suppose the scooper or the units on it are also Precursor objects then?” Ludendorff asked.

  “Maybe,” Maddox said.

  Ludendorff shook his head. “Suddenly, there are Precursors everywhere? I do not think so. Why would Precursor objects be on the Ruby Planet? You suggested the Ruby Planet was far from here. I’m inclined to agree. The idea of two Precursor regions just appearing now pushes credulity beyond the limit. Then we note that the alien mote of light on the scooper is in league or just like Omegan on the rogue planet. They both produce the same sort of mote of light.”

  Maddox stroked his chin.

  “Professor,” Galyan said, “I have a different question. How were you able to show footage—or cause me to show footage—of things that my sensors never picked up?”

  “The obvious answer is that something in your sensors picked it up,” Ludendorff said. “Ergo, there is a hidden backup system in you. It is unique to Builder security systems. I happened to remember that because of my recent dreams, and I’m not surprised the backup hasn’t been engaged until now.”

  “This is an Adok-built vessel,” Galyan said. “That precludes the idea of Builders.”

  “No,” Ludendorff said. “It is an Adok-Builder compromise. You know that. Among other things, it means there are a few hidden systems aboard the ship which, if I ever took the time, I’m sure I could find.”

  “I wish you would take the time to uncover them now,” Galyan said. “If I have other attributes and abilities, I would like to be engaging them as soon as possible.”

  “He has a point,” Maddox said.

  “Perhaps after this is all done,” Ludendorff said, “I can look around. For now, we must return to the rogue planet.”

  “I’m not convinced,” Maddox said. “First, Omegan said I should never return.”

  “Of course it said that,” Ludendorff replied. “It cannot hold the facade if you do.” Ludendorff snapped his fingers. “It wouldn’t surprise me if there are warships of Leviathan around the rogue planet, protecting Omegan from any such return.”

  “The idea strikes me preposterous,” Maddox said. “I mean Leviathan warships suddenly in orbit around the rogue planet. That would imply they were waiting or hiding while we were there.”

  “Or hidden in the molecular clouds far enough so we wouldn’t spot them,” Ludendorff said. “Maybe the Leviathan warships were waiting for Omegan to signal that it was fine for them to return. That would be after we left.”

  “Where’s the connection between Leviathan and Omegan?” Maddox asked. “You haven’t shown that in the slightest.”

  Ludendorff blinked several times and rubbed his forehead. “Would you believe me if I said it was a premonition, perhaps brought about by my dreams?”

  “You are copying the captain’s methods,” Galyan said. “That strikes me as sarcasm on your part, Professor.”

  “No sarcasm was intended,” Ludendorff said. “My dreams connect them. How, I do not know.”

  “Something has prodded Ludendorff,” Maddox said. “I do agree to that. He invented or fashioned those strange objects, one of them a teleporting device. That is proof the dreams have had a profound effect upon his mind.”

  “I do not dispute any of that,” Galyan said. “However, our Methuselah Man has not yet given us compelling evidence Omegan is not who it said it is. He is asking us to trust his premonition. We only do that for you, sir.”

  Maddox was thoughtful, glancing at Galyan, nodding, turning to Ludendorff. “Suppose you’re right. I’m not sure we could find the rogue planet again.”

  “That is an unfortunate possibility,” Ludendorff said. “The rogue planet might be harder to find this time because Omegan could be cloaking it. Still, we should make the attempt. If I’m wrong, we’ll only have wasted a day or two. If I’m correct, it might mean everything.”