“I’m already on it,” Andros said from the science station. “The atmosphere is…odd. It’s making sensor readings difficult.”

  “There has been much volcanic activity on the planet,” Galyan said. “I also detect subtle alien influences.”

  “The Fusion?” asked Valerie.

  “I do not think so,” Galyan said. “I suspect the aliens who made the memory sticks are doing this.”

  “Oh,” Valerie said. “What happened to the people of Remus?”

  “I am still analyzing the situation,” Galyan said. “The planet is not how I envisioned it to be.”

  “I’ve found the fold-fighter,” Andros said. “It’s crashed, many of its systems down. I detect the transponder, however. It’s how I found it so quickly. I’m scanning for the captain and the others.”

  With a sudden stricken look, Valerie stared at Andros.

  “Keith will be okay,” Galyan said softly.

  Valerie turned to him. “How do you know that?”

  “He is with Captain Maddox. The captain always comes through.”

  “Keith,” Valerie said under her breath, shaking her head afterward. They’d been estranged for so long. She’d avoided Keith ever since receiving her promotion. Now, worried he might die, that she might never see him again, Valerie began to realize how she really felt about the cocky Scotsman. She’d been a fool to avoid him. Oh, Keith, you must stay alive.

  “Captain—I mean Commander,” Meta said from her comm station. “I’m receiving a hail from the planet.”

  Valerie shook off her dread for Keith and concentrated on the here and now. “Galyan,” she said, focusing, “do you detect any target locks on us?”

  “Negative,” Galyan said.

  “Put it on the main screen,” Valerie told Meta.

  A few seconds later, the main screen wavered and a beautiful blonde-haired woman with a cerebrater in her forehead regarded them. She had luxurious hair and wore a blue uniform.

  “Diana Varus,” Valerie said, shocked that she recognized the woman. “Hello.”

  The woman with the cerebrater in her forehead cocked her head. A moment later, she smiled.

  Valerie felt something bump against her mind. She grunted, slumping forward, rubbing her forehead.

  “You are…Valerie Noonan, Lieutenant Commander Valerie Noonan,” Diana said.

  “How can she know that?” Galyan asked Valerie.

  Valerie was still slumped forward and rubbing her forehead. She felt groggy and struggled to sit up.

  “I am glad we can meet, Commander Noonan,” Diana said.

  A new feeling swept over Valerie as she finally sat up. She smiled, feeling good, feeling as if they were sisters. She’d never had a sister growing up. It was a wonderful feeling.

  “I would like you to come down to Remus in a shuttle,” Diana was saying. “You should bring others with you in order to ensure your safety.”

  “I…think I’d like that,” Valerie said.

  “You cannot be serious,” Galyan said beside her.

  “Be quiet,” Valerie told Galyan. “Let me think.”

  “Are you in charge of the starship?” Diana asked.

  “I am,” Valerie said.

  “I am glad,” Diana said. “That will make all of this much easier. I…request that you drop your shield and close all your torpedo tubes.”

  “I…would like to do that,” Valerie said. “I think there are a few regulations standing in my way, though.”

  “No,” Diana said. “You are the acting captain. You can do what you like.”

  “How does she know all this?” Galyan asked. “Valerie, I do not think you are feeling well.”

  Valerie rubbed her forehead again.

  “I understand,” Galyan said. “You wore a cerebrater, and that has made pathways in your mind. I think Diana Varus is using that to control your thoughts.”

  “Send that fool away,” Diana said on the main screen. “He is confusing you.”

  “Galyan,” Valerie said. “Go…check something somewhere.”

  “If you continue in this way, Valerie,” Galyan said. “The others will relieve you of command. Do you not understand what Diana is doing to you?”

  “Please do not force us to fire on your starship,” Diana said. “Let us work together. Afterward, you can all join the collective and know true peace and love.”

  “How can we achieve this feat?” Galyan asked.

  Diana leaned forward as she stared at Galyan. “You are not real. You are a holoimage, an Adok.”

  “You know Adoks?” Galyan said.

  “I do.”

  “From where?” asked Galyan.

  Diana frowned, and then she smiled. “I see. This is interesting. You wish to discover the whereabouts of Adoks?”

  “I do,” Galyan admitted.

  “Then, you must come down to us, and I will tell you. You must also convince Commander Noonan to come down in a shuttle.”

  “Are you attempting to bribe me?” Galyan asked.

  “What sheer nonsense,” Diana said. “I am offering you gifts.”

  “Commander,” Lieutenant Barnes said, interrupting. “I’m detecting target lock on Victory. There are planetary weapons systems aimed at us and more coming online.”

  With a numbed mind, Valerie turned to muscleman Barnes. “What did you say?”

  “Lower the starship’s shields,” Diana told Galyan. “I will then tell you about the Adoks.”

  “Pilot,” Galyan said. “Reverse course. Take us farther from the planet.”

  “Commander,” the pilot asked Valerie. “Should I?”

  “You and I are alike Commander Noonan,” Diana said.

  Abruptly, Diana Varus’s image disappeared from the main screen.

  “What happened?” Valerie demanded.

  “She’s done something to you,” Meta said. “I broke contact.”

  “You will immediately bring her image back up,” Valerie said.

  “No,” Meta said. “I won’t. I’m also relieving you of command.”

  Valerie scoffed. “You don’t have the authority to do that. I’m the highest ranking person here.”

  “I don’t care,” Meta said, as she rose from the comm station and hurried for the captain’s chair. “You’re not thinking right. It might be because of the cerebrater you wore.”

  “Get back to your station,” Valerie ordered. “Or I’ll call the Marines to escort you off the bridge.”

  “Galyan,” Meta said. “Take charge of the ship.”

  “You lack the authority to give me the authority,” Galyan said.

  “Use your personality profile on her,” Meta said. “You know Valerie isn’t acting correctly. Pilot, get some separation from the planet now.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the pilot said.

  “Belay that order,” Valerie shouted, as she stood.

  “No,” Galyan said. “Meta is correct. Valerie is acting out of character. Continue to retreat.”

  Valerie stared at the pilot, stared at Galyan and then Meta. “I’m heading down to Remus. Don’t try to stop me.”

  That was exactly what Meta did, though. She lunged at Valerie, grabbed her arm and forced it behind her back. Valerie struggled, but to no avail against Meta’s superior strength and unarmed combat training. “I’m taking her to medical. You’re in charge now, Galyan. And remember this, we’ll find the Adoks when this is all done. I promise you that.”

  “Thank you, Meta,” Galyan said. “I believe you.”

  Meta forced Valerie toward the exit hatch even as Valerie shouted for Meta to release her.

  Meanwhile, Victory continued to maneuver away from Remus. The shield remained at full strength and Lieutenant Barnes watched for an assault from the planet, which did not materialize just yet.

  -59-

  It proved impossible to simply race up the subterranean corridors the way they had come and slip back onto the planetary surface. Armed guards blocked the way. Fortunately, the trio sneaked away before the cerebrater-wearing guards saw them.

  Maddox, Riker and Keith rested in an alcove. They hadn’t traveled that far from the place they’d opened fire and slaughtered the cerebrater converged.

  “I feel sick,” Keith said. He sat on the floor, leaned against a wall and fought to keep his eyes open. He was white-faced, his eyes red-rimmed and bleary.

  Boots drummed beyond the alcove as humans racing past their hiding spot. The alcove was small, but it kept them from view of anyone in the corridor.

  As the sounds of thudding boots dwindled, Maddox shook his head. “We’re not going to make it by retreating the way we first came. It’s reasonable to assume armed guards are blocking all the exits. So, we go down. In fact, we should continue the way Garth wanted me to go.”

  “Go to the thing he wanted to show you?” asked Riker.

  “Exactly,” Maddox said. “Can you keep going?” he asked Keith.

  “I don’t think so,” the pilot said. “I feel sick. My head is pounding. You should leave me here. If you can come back for me later—” He ceased talking as Maddox laughed softly. “What’s so funny?” Keith demanded.

  “We’re not coming back for anyone,” Maddox said. “But if you can’t go, we can leave you here for the aliens.”

  Keith stared at him. “You’d do that? After all I’ve done for you throughout the years, you’d just leave me in this hellhole?”

  “No,” Maddox said.

  “Because if you think that’s fair,” Keith said. “I have to tell you—” He frowned. “What did you say?”

  “No,” Maddox said.

  “What do you mean no?” asked Keith. “I’m deadbeat sick. My head aches, and I just want to go to sleep. There’s nothing more to say about it.”

  “Wrong,” Maddox said. “Are you ready?” he asked Riker.

  For an answer, the sergeant worked up to his feet.

  “Look,” Keith said. “I appreciate—”

  “Mr. Maker,” Maddox said, moving in front of him. “Shut up already.”

  “Sir?”

  Maddox reached down and hoisted a groaning Keith to his feet. Then the captain squatted, and he grabbed the lieutenant, lifting him so Keith’s stomach rested on his left shoulder.

  “Fireman’s carry,” Maddox said. “It might hurt your head, but it will give you a bit of a rest.”

  “Put me down,” Keith said.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it, Lieutenant,” Maddox said. “Now, if you could shut up for a change and you lean over my shoulder, we might be able to slip past any waiting zombies and reach the lower quarters.”

  “We’re doomed,” Keith said, even as he leaned over the captain’s shoulder.

  “That must be your concussion talking,” Riker said, joining Maddox.

  “I imagine you’re right,” Maddox said. “Don’t worry, Lieutenant, I have a lot of fire left in me. Carrying you is a chore, but you’re one of us, and I do not intend to leave any of my people behind. Besides, you’re too good a pilot for that.”

  “I am a good pilot.”

  “Some say you’re the best,” Riker said.

  Keith mumbled under his breath.

  “What did you say?” asked Riker.

  “You bet your sweet ass I’m the best.”

  “He must be feeling better,” Riker told Maddox.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Maddox said. “What about you? How are you feeling?”

  “Good enough, I suppose.”

  “That’s good; I’m not sure I could carry you as easily, Sergeant. You look as if you’ve gained some weight since the last mission.”

  “Just around my middle,” Riker said.

  “I thought so,” Maddox said. With Keith on his shoulder, with the blaster in his other hand, Maddox led the way, heading deeper into the underground complex.

  “Do you think we’ll find the aliens, sir?” Riker asked a little later.

  Maddox glanced at the stout sergeant.

  “I’d like a few words with some of them,” Riker said.

  “You’ve read my mind,” Maddox said. “That’s exactly what I’d like: a good old-fashioned complaint session.” He raised the blaster.

  Riker nodded.

  Then, they concentrated on moving unseen, every sense alert as they headed down the corridor.

  -60-

  They passed the scene of the massacre, the dead still lying over and near benches, and headed in the direction Garth had wished Maddox to go.

  Keith had grown silent as Maddox carried him. So far, the captain hadn’t shown any sign of strain. In truth, the extra weight was wearying him. But he didn’t know what else to do. Soon, they moved down steeper corridors and then came to a crossway.

  “Which way do we go now?” a winded Riker asked.

  Maddox lowered Keith, propping him against a wall. Maddox then crouched before the crossway, peering first in one direction and then the other. Finally, he shook his head.

  “You don’t know?” asked Riker.

  “No,” Maddox said.

  “They say any choice is better than none.”

  Maddox squinted as he reexamined the two possibilities. How could the planet have gone to seed so quickly? Remus had been a functioning society. What did he know about the Fusion? Precious little. Valerie said Diana Varus had gone there, and she, Valerie, had faint recollections about New Trotsky. What would Garth have wanted him to see? Why would Garth—the aliens behind him—want him to go to a place without a cerebrater controlling him?

  “That way,” Maddox said, pointing to the leftward corridor. “We’ll go that way.”

  “What do you think we’ll find that way?” Riker asked.

  “Our destiny, one way or another,” Maddox said. He shuffled around, facing Keith. “How do you feel?”

  “Awful,” Keith said. “But I think I can walk.”

  “Probably not fast enough,” Maddox said. “I’ll have to carry you again.”

  “No,” Keith said, as he slid up along the wall until he was standing. “Let me walk. I can do it.”

  Maddox stood, too, and he shrugged, realizing what he had to do. “Keep an eye on him, Sergeant.”

  “Sir?” asked Riker.

  “I’m going to scout ahead. You two bring up the rear at your own pace.”

  “Is separating wise, sir?” Riker asked.

  “In this instance, I believe so,” Maddox said. “No more questions, gentlemen. We’re in the soup. Action is the answer, and perhaps lots of killing. Keep coming until you catch up with me or escape in some manner.”

  “Good luck, sir,” Riker said.

  Maddox nodded. “To you too, Sergeant, Lieutenant. Until we meet again.”

  “Until then, sir,” Riker said.

  Keith mumbled a reply.

  Maddox turned and began to trot, heading into the corridor of choice, hoping he’d made the correct decision.

  Maddox opened up, sprinting down the corridors, realizing he had to make something happen quickly. If they didn’t escape from this place soon, they likely never would.

  After a time, however, the captain slowed down to a brisk walk. He couldn’t sprint forever, and he wanted to keep something left in reserve so he could fight when the moment arrived. He listened, advanced, listened more and heard a faint, strange slithering sound from ahead.

  It made his nape hairs rise, but in a different way from when he’d heard Grutch’s computerized voice over the comm. The Morag was different, a true bug-eyed monster. Yet, the Morag was understandable after a fashion. The slithering sounds he heard from ahead, they were a different order of alien.

  As Maddox advanced, he felt a sense of disgust mounting in him. And it felt as if the air changed, becoming reptilian or snakelike or…something worse than those things. The disgust turned to repugnance, and then loathing. He was certain now that he’d hate these new aliens in a visceral way. They must have kept hidden because they knew humans loathed the sight of them. It made sense. The aliens appeared to have a mass mind, a unified identity, something quite alien to humanity’s individuality. Humans cooperated out of a sense of benefit to each. The mass mind, the hive mind—

  Could the aliens be like bees or ants? What kind of mentality would intelligent bees or ants possess? Maddox shook his head. Bees and ants did not disgust him. They were different certainly, but not repugnant.

  The slithering sounds increased, and the hairs on Maddox’s head stood up. He found himself tiptoeing forward. His mouth had twisted into a grimace of loathing. He scrunched his nose and felt his stomach tighten until it began to ache from the strain.

  The next thing Maddox knew, he gripped his blaster, holding it so hard that his hand began to throb. He exchanged grips, shaking out his firing hand. He inhaled through his nostrils, forcing himself to shuffle faster. Whatever he planned to do, he needed to do it quickly.

  The sounds increased as he turned a corner and spied an open hatch ahead. He wanted to hurry, but found himself barely moving at a shuffle. He was reluctant to face what he expected to find, even though he needed to discover the nature of the new aliens.

  Slithering, hissing and churning—heat emanated from ahead. The open hatch beckoned and mocked him. There was movement up there, he sensed it and caught a glimpse of it through the open hatch.

  Sweat slid down his face and slicked his armpits. A groan lodged in his throat. Steeling himself, expecting the worst, Maddox neared the open hatch and eased to one side, peering through to the other side.

  Maddox blanched in horror as he saw into the chamber. It stank. No, it reeked with a foul stench. There was rotted food or some organic substance on the floor. And over the substance seethed a mass of writhing, hissing creatures, each a little larger than his pinky finger. They had the appearance of maggots, tiny appendages or centipede legs and little squishy jaws. They seethed over each other, caterpillar nibbling the mass of rotted food, and they generated heat, and a telepathic sense as well.

  Greetings, Captain Maddox, the mass mind said.

  The thought slammed against his consciousness, leaving a vicious residue that made his head ache.

  You are different from the others of your ilk. We can communicate with you directly.

  “What are you?” Maddox heard himself ask, his mouth bone dry.