The lost cyborg lost sta.., p.37
The Lost Cyborg (Lost Starship Series Book 21),
p.37
Dax certainly believed his logic impeccable. No one could shatter it, except possibly for Enigmach. The Grand Strategist would have a stake in Dax’s evil outcome, however. Should anyone trust Enigmach’s judgment then? Dax decided: not in the slightest.
Therefore, Dax would go through with his plan. His survival mandated it. The most likely candidate wanting to hear his side of the story would be Grand Strategist Tactix.
When the maulers finally entered the Loggia System, Dax began his initial maneuvers for accomplishing this task.
-79-
The great metropolis planet of Loggia hove into view as the war master and other sub-commanders headed in orbital craft for the metallic planet.
The fifty-plus maulers remained in the outer system under super-mauler guard.
Loggia was unique from all other planets in the Sovereign Hierarchy of Leviathan. Throughout the centuries, it had been one hundred percent urbanized. That meant great towers, monumental structures, mansions, factories, sprawling amusement parks and museums covered the entire planet. That included many and varied parks, although none of those could truly be called forests. Most of the edifices were composed of metal. It made Loggia the perfect capital planet for a Cyber Empire.
On Loggia lodged Great Leviathan. He kept his exact whereabouts secret so that assassination attempts, even with antimatter missiles, would probably fail.
From his seat on an orbital, Dax looked out a small porthole as they neared one of the myriad spaceports.
Loggia, great Loggia glittered in space like a great metal jewel, like a great iron ring on some master warlord’s finger. Cybers had uniquely created the planet throughout the centuries. Others brought more metals and ores down from the greater star system.
Far above the metallic surface floated sub-metropolises tethered to the planet by sky cables. They swayed in Loggia’s near-perfect atmosphere.
Who could claim a planet like this? Surely, Loggia proved the greatness, the power, the uniqueness of the capital planet of Leviathan. The cybers were the greatest life force in existence. This Dax believed with all the others. The Spacers, the humans of Earth, and the ancient and extinct Aetharians with their Phantasma Synth Crystals had never been enough to thwart the greatest spymaster of Leviathan.
Dax considered himself such.
In his orbital seat, Dax swelled with pride, confidence and assurance. He partly achieved this by activating the cybernetic organs within him to induce these states. He was going to need every ounce of confidence, every logic circuit to help him persuade Grand Strategist Tactix of the rightness of his cause.
The year and a half of absence from the planet hadn’t dulled Dax’s cunning.
The orbital landed in Met-653 Spaceport. There, Dax passed through Truth Monitor Stations and a Debriefing Chamber. Through various tricks and sleights of hand, he evaded Enigmach’s agents who would be keeping tabs for his eventual arrival.
The strategists of Leviathan, including the grand strategists who plotted the empire’s invasion plans, were among the highest aristocracy of the cyber system. As such, many had clients who sought their help and provided aid in return. It was similar in political system to the Ancient Roman Republic of Earth. Even so, Dax slipped through the net and remained hidden from Enigmach.
After many magnetic train rides and subway passages, Dax found himself deep underground in a supreme sanctuary subterranean district. There, armed cyborg troopers brought him into a vast antechamber. A beautiful sky scene moved across the ceiling of the antechamber.
Dax knew it was an imitation, holographic sky, but it was impressive nonetheless, with three faint moons hanging in wonder.
Dax stood before several marble slabs as he waited. Zeroing in with optics, he spied cyborg troopers watching him from a distance. They aimed blast rifles at his chest. If he did anything unwarranted, they would fire.
Eventually, a long, lean cyber approached. This cyber had a vast and complex head with computer additions plugged into an otherwise bald noggin. A long, red, trailing cloak followed him as he walked.
Soon enough, this one stopped and towered over Dax.
“Yes,” the cyber lord said. “You wished to speak with me?”
Dax strove to appear calm. “You are Grand Strategist Tactix?”
“You asked to see Tactix, did you not? I just said yes. Logically, then, you should know who I am.”
Dax inclined his head. “Excellency, may I tell you the ill fortunes we encountered during the invasion of the Commonwealth?”
“This is the first anyone on Loggia has heard of this. That is despite the remnant commanders of the invasion fleet reporting to the Military Institute. Proceed with your tale. Wait, I have just detected an anomaly. Are you not Enigmach’s premier spy?”
“I am, Excellency, but I feel—no, please let me rephrase. I do not possess your logic and computing power of mind. Yet I am certain that Grand Strategist Enigmach has failed Leviathan and I have the facts to prove it.”
Go on,” Tactix said. “You almost make this sound intriguing.”
Dax proceeded to tell Tactix almost everything that had happened during the invasion. He left out any mention of the phase ship and other peculiarities that might throw him in a bad light. Surely, Tactix would learn of them in time, but that time wasn’t now. Dax told the story, fixating on Venna the Spy and the evil entity entering her through the shattered Phantasma Synth Crystals.
“This strikes me as odd,” Tactix said, interrupting the extended tale. “It appears that you are correct in your assessment, Senior Dax. I mean regarding Enigmach. You were right to seek me out and inform me of these infractions. What reward do you require for your action?”
Dax inclined his head. “I serve the Sovereign Hierarchy of Leviathan. I serve as a spy, and I feel I am a good spy. My wish is to continue in this capacity. But whatever you say—”
“No more,” Tactix said, interrupting him again, holding up a thin metallic hand. “It is clear that you must become one of my spymasters. If you prove as adept for me as you did in forestalling utter disaster to our invasion and the possible revival of those on Ector—you have done me and the empire a grand service indeed.”
Tactix withdrew a glistening computing cube from a chest cavity. “I have everything here you have said. It is all I need to rectify certain unseemly matters.”
Dax bowed his head, certain that Enigmach’s days were finished. In this, the old adage worked for him: Better you (Enigmach) than me.
“Be assured, Senior Dax,” Tactix said, “that your days as a spy are far from over. I will reward you according to the service you do me.”
“Thank you, Great One. Thank you. I am glad to serve.”
“I understand,” Tactix said. “I understand completely.”
-80-
Several days later, the Grand Strategists of Leviathan met. Unfortunately, where there had been three Grand Strategists plugged into the great computer in the subterranean chamber, there were now but two: Tactix and Hyperion Codex. Of Enigmach, there was no sign.
“It is a pity that Great Leviathan saw fit to eliminate Enigmach, destroy him down to his component parts, and melt all of it,” Hyperion Codex said. He was the senior of the pair.
“Indeed,” Tactix said, “I had foreseen that happening to Enigmach when I gave the news to the High Command, but my patriotism toward Great Leviathan was such that I felt compelled to explain every facet of this disastrously failed invasion of the Commonwealth.”
“Yes,” Hyperion Codex said, “I understand your motivations, both overt and covert. I also concur with how you operated. Have you decided on a mission yet for Senior Dax?”
“You know about the spy?” Tactix asked.
“I believe it wise to keep up on such matters.”
“I’m impressed at the breadth of your information service.”
“One does not become the Chief Grand Strategist on his logical ability alone. A finely running network is mandatory.”
“You have made your point,” Tactix said. “You are first. I have no intention of challenging that.”
“We understand each other then.”
“We do,” Tactix said. “As to Senior Dax, I am unsure how to utilize the master spy. For now, I will await the perfect assignment for him. Dax gave me priceless information and also became a traitor to his former master.”
“That is a correct assessment,” Hyperion Codex said.
“If Senior Dax worked for you,” Tactix said, “how would you handle him?”
“That is a delicate issue,” Hyperion Codex replied. “First, what is the senior’s key motivation?”
“Ah…” Tactix said. “The key motivation to Senior Dax is his inordinate desire for advancement.”
“You speak about ambition,” Hyperion Codex said. “Or would you call it something else?”
“No. Inordinate ambition says it best.”
“Now,” Hyperion Codex said, “in your estimation, is that a bad attribute or a good attribute?”
“So far, it has proven to be an excellent attribute,” Tactix said. “It drove Dax to prioritize advancement over loyalty to a fool.”
“Then, I would remember that when giving Dax an assignment. He turned in Enigmach’s hands. Make sure Dax does not turn in yours.”
“Wisdom,” Tactix said. “I would eliminate Dax immediately, but I wish to encourage similar actions from others and thus demonstrate that I reward them lavishly.”
“A tricky operation,” Hyperion Codex said. “Surely, it promises vast rewards while forcing one to move carefully with subordinates.”
“That has been my experience.”
“Do you have any last words regarding Enigmach?” Hyperion Codex asked.
“I do. I have always felt that Enigmach was arrogant, hasty, and unwise in certain of his procedures. He cloaked this arrogance in seeming logic, but we see the outcome of using ancient and alien shamans’ tools.”
“Yes,” Hyperion Codex said, “you are correct, particularly in the last point. Taken as a whole, your logic is flawless. Enigmach is gone and good riddance to him. We two have gained greater status because of his ineptitude. He was a pretender and now we will have to choose another to take his place.”
“If you permit me…”
“I do,” Hyperion Codex said.
“I suggest we choose one who is less zealous in his efforts to rise above us,” Tactix said.
“Are you suggesting we choose one who has more meekness?” Hyperion Codex asked.
“That might be the appropriate term.”
“What about the Commonwealth in the Orion Spiral Arm?” Hyperion Codex asked. “What about Star Watch and Captain Maddox?”
Tactix thought for a time. “I believe we should continue with the spy missions. It is less costly than sending expensive assault fleets of maulers. Perhaps we should continue with the spy missions until the Commonwealth is weak, embroiled in conflict and battle.”
“Through secession wars, perhaps?” Hyperion Codex asked.
“That would be the best outcome. Perhaps engineering a war between the New Men and the Commonwealth would also be advantageous. Then perhaps inserting the fleet of fifty maulers would finish the volatile situation for good.”
“That is an extraordinary and vast thought indeed,” Hyperion Codex said. “You are a true Grand Strategist of Leviathan.”
“As are you, Hyperion Codex, as are you,” Tactix said. “With the paring away of the dead wood named Enigmach, perhaps we should feast our brilliance and rejoice in having an ambitious fool take the fall for us.”
“Ah,” Hyperion Codex said, “you speak bluntly and forthrightly.”
“Just this once,” Tactix said.
“Agreed,” Hyperion Codex said. “We will speak about this no more. It was a bitter, costly failure, but it was all Enigmach’s fault.”
“Senior Dax proved that for us,” Tactix said. “Now, if you will allow me, what is the next matter on the agenda?”
“I allow it,” Hyperion Codex said. “Let me see…”
The End
From the Author: Thanks Reader! I hope you’ve enjoyed THE LOST CYBORG. If you liked the book and would like to see the story continue, please put up some stars and a review to support the series. Let me know what you would like Captain Maddox and the crew to challenge next!
Vaughn Heppner, The Lost Cyborg (Lost Starship Series Book 21)
