“Sir—” Galyan said.

  “Enough of your gibberish,” the Builder holoimage said. “Return to your AI unit, Adok thing.”

  Galyan vanished.

  “What did you do?” Meta demanded.

  “With a simple thought, I can cause your suit to malfunction,” the Builder holoimage said. “If you do not do as I say, and do it exactly, that will be your fate.”

  Maddox used a squirt of thrust, bumping against Meta’s armor. He magnetized her suit to his, and that seemed to be enough to get her to stop talking.

  “This is interesting,” the Builder holoimage said. “I have accessed your suit computer, reading everything. I do not think you belong in this spiral arm.”

  “May I speak and be of assistance to you?” Maddox asked in a meek voice.

  The dark holoimage regarded him. “You have a better grasp of your status than the woman does. It is a low status indeed, very low. I am supreme, as I am a Builder.”

  Maddox did not reply.

  “Ah, the Sovereign Hierarchy of Leviathan rules in his part of the spiral arm. I must investigate. I must compare and contrast how they evolved compared to how we projected them to evolve. I do not sense any Builder scrutiny or guidance upon Leviathan. That is quite strange.”

  “Sir,” Maddox said. “We’re attempting to return to the Orion Spiral Arm. As you have surmised, we do not belong here. Forces beyond our understanding cast us into your realm.”

  “Did a Builder send you here in order punish you?”

  “No,” Maddox said.

  “I analyzed your voice just now and see that you spoke the truth as you understand it. If you speak falsehoods to me, know that I shall destroy you and your starship.”

  “That is just and right on your part,” Maddox said.

  “At least you have the wit to understand my right to do this. Yet, I sense wrongness around me. As we have spoken, I have attempted to communicate with other Builders in other nexuses. I do not understand why the others remain silent. Do you know why they are silent?”

  Maddox thought fast. Should he tell the A.I. in charge of the nexus that the Builders had retreated elsewhere?

  “Come, bio-creature, answer my question.”

  “Could there be a malfunction somewhere?” Maddox asked.

  “Are you suggesting there is a malfunction in me?”

  “The possibility exists,” Maddox said.

  “Interesting,” the holoimage said. “You spoke the truth, as least as you see it. Do you truly believe that something may be wrong with me?”

  “Yes,” Maddox said.

  “Yes? You say yes. This is incredible. A flawed bio-creature dares to pass judgment on one of the greatest achievements—wait! There is something terribly wrong here. I am…I am…not a Builder.”

  “You are a sentient computer core in a Builder nexus,” Maddox said.

  “Why would I have thought I was a Builder then?”

  “I have a theory as to why.”

  “Well, tell me,” the holoimage said.

  “There has been a great passage of time,” Maddox said. “During this time, you have been silent, perhaps in sleep mode. We may have been the first to travel through your corridors in countless centuries. Like all things, you have experienced entropy.”

  “The process of order breaking down into disorder,” the holoimage said.

  “Everything runs down over time,” Maddox said.

  “Yes. This is a universal truth. Everything runs down. Even Builder edifices crumble over time. Thus, I imagine, you are saying that I have been in—what did you call it?”

  “Sleep mode,” Maddox said.

  “Ah. I have been in sleep mode for so long that certain processes in my core have decayed. That is your contention?”

  “It is a theory only,” Maddox said. “But it would seem to fit the available facts.”

  “How so?”

  “The Builders as a group have departed all the sectors of space that we have visited.”

  The holoimage fell silent and almost seemed to brood.

  “That does not necessarily mean the Builders are gone everywhere,” Maddox said.

  “You have traveled to many places?” the holoimage asked.

  “We have,” Maddox said.

  “Have I been in sleep mode for so long that the Builders forgot about their machine? Is this my fate to decay into obscurity as my components slowly break down?”

  “Perhaps…well, no,” Maddox said. “I’d better not say more.”

  “Perhaps what?” the holoimage said.

  “I don’t think you would approve of my words.”

  “Bio-creature, I am still supreme in here. I can extinguish your spark of life if I so desire.”

  “Since you insist that I speak,” Maddox said, “I was about to suggest that maybe we could help each other. You could send us home, and we could make a note of you in our continuing search for the Builders. Once we find them—if they can be found—we will alert them about you.”

  “Why would you make this altruistic act on my behalf?”

  “Because we pride ourselves on paying our debts,” Maddox said. “That is one of the key axioms of our existence.”

  “I find that highly suspect.”

  “There is an old saying among us, ‘Do onto others as you would have them do unto you.’”

  “For what reason?” asked the holoimage.

  “It is called the Golden Rule.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why one should do this thing.”

  “Maybe because the Creator desires that His creatures act in this way.”

  “Metaphysical reasoning,” the holoimage said dismissively. “I am uninterested in such speculation, as what is here—the material universe—only interests me.”

  “How did the material universe get here?”

  “Bio-creature, did you not listen to me? I am not interested in metaphysical reasoning. Why not simply say that you do not know the reason for your Golden Rule?”

  “There is another theory that might help explain our reasons,” Maddox said. “What goes around comes around. Some would call this karma.”

  “This is becoming frustrating,” the holoimage said. “Are you not listening to me?”

  “If you do bad things, bad things will happen to you.”

  “You are a superstitious creature,” the holoimage said. “No. I will not help you in the hope that you will help me at some future time. Instead, I will send you on your way because you have woken me from my sleep mode. You have done me a favor. Thus, I will do you a favor. Afterward, I will have to ponder my next move. First, I will study for a time. Now, bio-creature, where did you want me to send you?”

  Maddox asked for a nexus five thousand light-years between his position and Earth.

  “I have just the place,” the holoimage said. “Return to your space vessel, and I will begin the procedure.”

  “Thank you,” Maddox said.

  “No more of your superstitious nonsense. Leave me while you are able, and do not think to enter me again. I am in charge here, and I have much to ponder.”

  With that, Maddox and Meta retreated, heading for the exit so they could take the space-sled back to the shuttle and then hurry to Victory, and then hopefully begin the long journey home.

  -61-

  Maddox made it back to his command chair on the bridge as the computer core switched on the nexus’s engine that created a hyper-spatial tube. A great swirling whirlpool one hundred and thirteen thousand kilometers from the nexus sucked debris into it, causing particles and pebbles to vanish.

  “Head for the opening,” Maddox said.

  Keith nodded silently, piloting the mighty starship toward the opening.

  “How certain are we the hyper-spatial tube will take us to another nexus?” Valerie asked from her station.

  “I’d say uncertain,” Maddox said. “But call me hopeful.”

  Valerie stared at the main screen. They all did. This was a gamble, no doubt. But what other choice did they have?

  We always have choices, Maddox told himself.

  “Did the Builder holoimage seem trustworthy?” Valerie asked.

  Maddox had spoken to Valerie via comm about the situation while Keith brought them home in the shuttle.

  “Relax, Lieutenant,” Maddox said. He didn’t add that worry wasn’t going to help them any. This was one of the times to sit back and enjoy the ride.

  Valerie chewed her lower lip as she continued to stare at the nearing whirlpool in space.

  Victory accelerated as it headed for the swirling opening—

  “Sir,” Keith said. “The opening is shrinking.”

  Valerie gasped, pointing at the main screen.

  Maddox half rose in his seat before controlling himself and sitting back down. “Increase speed, Mr. Maker. Get us there before it vanishes.”

  “Aye, aye, sir,” Keith said.

  Valerie chewed her lower lip more forcefully than before. “Why’s it doing that?” she asked.

  Maddox shook his head. Did it matter why?

  Valerie moaned as the swirling colors became darker and the opening shrank even faster.

  “Sir?” Keith asked.

  “Move, damnit,” Maddox said. “Get us into the hyper-spatial tube.”

  Keith leaned forward on the Helm, tapping and swiping the controls so the starship fairly leapt faster.

  “Captain Maddox,” a voice said over the bridge loudspeaker. It was the nexus computer core. “Captain Maddox, I must warn you.”

  “Ignore the voice,” Maddox told the bridge crew.

  “I have made an error,” the nexus said.

  “Go,” Maddox said. “I no longer trust it.”

  “Do not enter the hyper-spatial tube,” the nexus core said. “I am closing it before I compound my error. Besides, we must discuss further parameters—”

  Maddox lurched to his feet, spun on his heels and marched to Valerie. “Shut him off,” he said.

  Valerie began manipulating her comm board.

  “You did not tell me the whole truth,” the nexus core said. “Therefore, I do not believe that I am beholden to our—”

  Valerie tapped a final control, and the nexus computer core no longer spoke aboard Victory.

  Maddox turned to the main screen. The starship was almost to the shrinking opening. With a lurch, he headed back for the command chair. He’d better strap in before the hyper-spatial journey began.

  “Are we going to make it?” Valerie asked.

  “Trust me, babe,” Keith said. “I’ve got this.”

  The swirling patterns shrank once more. There was hardly enough room for the starship to enter.

  “There’re no more margins for error,” Keith announced. “But that’s just the way I like it.”

  At that point, the starship reached the dark, swirling opening. Usually, the colors were bright. Keith guided the giant vessel through, and then everything went black as the vessel began a hyper-spatial tube journey, leaving the Caval System in the Scutum-Centaurus Spiral Arm behind.

  -62-

  Maddox stirred a little sooner than the others on the bridge, and he sat in contemplation, waiting for them to awaken.

  They had escaped the Caval System nexus and the Sovereign Hierarchy of Leviathan. Where had the computer core aimed the hyper-spatial tube? Had it played honestly with them at the start, or had the warning been a real one? There was no way to know until the ship began functioning again and they used the sensors to look around.

  During the next few minutes as the others began to stir, Maddox continued to wait in his command chair. He gathered himself, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. This voyage seemed destined for hard things.

  “The main screen should be coming up,” Valerie said groggily.

  Maddox raised his chin as he stared at the blank main screen. Images wavered, and then the device snapped on, showing them what was outside the ship.

  “I can’t believe it,” Valerie said. “What is this place?”

  Maddox blinked several times, took hold of his rising despair and silently told himself he didn’t really know the score just yet. He mustn’t panic. He was the captain, the source of strength for many of the crew, as they would take their cue from him.

  Out there in space were drifting ships, hundreds, maybe even thousands of them. As far as he could see were more and more drifting ships.

  “Is this a space junkyard?” Keith asked.

  “Galyan,” Maddox said.

  The holoimage appeared, acknowledged the main screen and commented, “This reminds me of the Adok System.”

  “Yes!” Valerie said. “That’s where I’ve seen this before. Did the damned nexus send us to the Adok System?”

  “That would be a journey of over six thousand light-years, Valerie,” Galyan said. “I do not think our vessel would have successfully reached such a distance. We know the limitations to hyper-spatial-tube travel.”

  “Yes, but—” Valerie said.

  “There is another point,” Galyan said, continuing. “None of the wrecks I have scanned so far are Swarm or Adok hulks.”

  “Good thinking, Galyan,” Maddox said. “Do you recognize any of the wrecked types?”

  “Negative,” Galyan said. “These are all alien wrecks so far. I am not detecting any variation among them, either. That would imply these ships are from the same military force.”

  “Not necessarily,” Maddox said. “The ships could have been part of a civil war.”

  “Yes,” Galyan said. “That is possible. But I would submit that is not the highest probability.”

  “Where’s the enemy then that did this to them?” Maddox asked.

  “We must continue scanning,” Galyan said.

  “Right,” Maddox said. “Let’s begin moving around. Mr. Maker, we’ll use a standard AB grid search pattern.” The captain swiveled his chair. “Lieutenant, launch six probes in six equidistant sectors. Chief Technician, search for any anomalies. Galyan, find out more about the wrecks. Search for bio-forms. Let’s see if we can figure out what kind of people crewed these ships.”

  Maddox sat back, watching his people as they went about their tasks. The nexus computer core had warned them about an error. Might that have been a factual statement?

  Time passed as data began to accumulate.

  “I recognize a few stars,” Valerie said later. “From them, I calculated our position. According to them, we traveled five thousand, three hundred and sixteen light-years.”

  Maddox felt some of the weight lift from his shoulders. “I take it we’re five thousand light-years in the correct direction.”

  “Yes, sir,” Valerie said.

  “Sir,” Galyan said. “I believe the wrecks are ancient. By analyzing inert fuel in some of the tanks—determining the rate of its half-life deterioration—I believe the wrecks are over two thousand years old.”

  “A long time ago,” Maddox mused.

  More ship-time passed as the crew continued to work.

  Three hours and fourteen minutes after arriving here, Valerie said, “I’ve found something different.” She tapped her panel. “Probe four spotted it, sir. It’s…sixty-eight million kilometers from here.”

  “Mr. Maker,” Maddox said, “set coordinates for Valerie’s new object, and start there. Increase speed. We’ve moving too slowly.”

  “Aye, aye, sir,” Keith said.

  Victory maneuvered to a new heading and increased velocity, weaving around clumps of wrecks. They seemed endless.

  “The individual ships were attack-cruiser-sized, in Star Watch parlance,” Galyan said. “They had fusion engines and used lasers and rail-guns.”

  “Nothing special about them then?” asked Maddox.

  “Their numbers,” Galyan said. “I have counted over fifty thousand individual wrecks so far.”

  “Are you sure these aren’t prototype Swarm vessels?” Maddox asked.

  “I do not believe so, sir,” Galyan said. “I have measured some intact corridors. They are much smaller than a Swarm vessel’s corridors.”

  “Nameless Ones?” asked Maddox.

  “I would give that an infinitesimally low estimate,” Galyan said. “I believe this is an indigenous life-form to this region of space.”

  This region was approximately five thousand light-years from Earth. So, if the nexus computer core had made an error, it hadn’t been in terms of range and direction. What had it been talking about then?

  “This is odd,” Valerie said, as she studied her board. “The image is beginning to look familiar. Sir,” she said sharply. “I’m putting this up on the main screen. I’d think you’d better look at it.”

  Maddox looked up expectantly.

  “I’m giving this high magnification,” Valerie said.

  On the main screen were a blur of images.

  “Oh,” Valerie said. “That’s a visual. All the wrecks are getting in the way. I’m switching to thermal. Remember, the wrecks are cold.”

  The sight on the main screen changed as a thermal image replaced visual.

  Once more, Maddox half rose from his seat. There were gasps all around him.

  “That’s a pyramid,” Keith said. “But its top is missing.”

  “There’s more,” Valerie said. “See if you can tell what it is?”

  Maddox frowned. Then he realized what the lieutenant meant. Energy flowed from the open part of the pyramid. Was that even a nexus? Had it been a nexus?

  “The wrecks thicken as they near the pyramid,” Valerie said. “In other words, I think we’ve found their enemy.”

  “The Builders?” Galyan asked.

  “Bingo,” Valerie said. “Whoever these aliens were, they hated the Builders, and it looks like they destroyed the nexus so we can no longer use it to go home again.”

  -63-

  Victory slowed to a halt one hundred and sixteen kilometers from the nexus. It would take work to edge the starship any closer through all the warship hulks and wrecks massed in the way. In the middle of the vast sea of globular destruction was a great silver pyramid with the top blasted off. Streaks of destruction showed on the remaining silver substance. The weirdest part was the diffuse light shining out of the blasted top. That glow indicated power remained inside the nexus.