Robot Empire_Dawn Exodus by Kevin Partner

Author:Kevin Partner [Partner, Kevin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Trantor Press
Published: 2017-10-25T23:00:00+00:00

Relentless

Captain Indi’s skin prickled as the man approached. There was something about Chancellor Lucius that invoked an uncomfortable mix of loathing and fear – emotions he daren’t show. Lucius had a reputation for absolute ruthlessness and he had power, at least for now.

“Status, captain,” Lucius said as he glanced at the display.

They were standing on the bridge which was Indi’s domain, though the captain felt as though he was the junior ensign and the grey man beside him the senior officer. He bit back his anger. “We are within ten thousand clicks of the thief’s last known co-ordinates, Lord Chancellor. I have ordered the ship to dead slow as we approach so we can pick up any sign of debris.”

“You still believe it was destroyed?”

Indi nodded. “I do, Chancellor, it is the most logical conclusion.”

The captain regarded his bureaucratic superior out of the corner of his eye. It seemed to him that Lucius was scanning the displays as if looking for something. The man had been acting oddly since he’d joined the hunt the day before; not quite the assured, confident, politician Indi was used to dealing with. Something was wrong, something that couldn’t be explained by the theft of an object, however valuable.

Lucius turned to leave just as Navigator Bex called from her station in the pit beneath the command platform. “Captain, sensors are picking up an anomaly.” Lucius turned on his heels and peered over the rail at the display hovering above the navigator’s head.

“Report, Navigator,” Indi barked before Lucius could speak.

Bex’s head bobbed up and down as she manipulated the positional computer. “Local ladar is reporting a malfunction, but I’m not convinced. The readings are those of a large body, but there is no object in that position on our maps.”

“Analysis,” Lucius said.

“Well, sir,” Bex replied, looking up from her computer and nodding up at the display, “as you can see, the array is reporting an object, this isn’t a random glitch. It’s either a freak malfunction or a new object has entered the system undetected.”

“And which is the more plausible explanation?” asked Indi.

Bex shrugged. “Hard to say, neither seems likely, sir.”

“It’s clearly a malfunction,” Lucius said, “I suggest we continue our search using conventional methods and not sensor ghosts. Report when you have something concrete to share, Navigator - in the meantime I suggest having your equipment checked and, next time it reports an anomaly, assume it is an error before announcing that you’ve discovered a new planetoid. Resume the agreed search pattern.”

Captain Indi stepped in front of the Chancellor and pointed directly at Bex. “Belay that order, Navigator.”

“How dare you overrule me?” Lucius hissed before turning to the pair of marines standing either side of the entrance to the command platform. “Arrest Captain Indi and remove him from the bridge.”

The marines didn’t give the slightest sign that they’d heard Lucius’ words.

“Lance Corporal Schultz and Marine Yang, please escort Chancellor Lucius to the brig,” Indi said.

Schultz, the taller of the two, snapped a salute and approached the Chancellor who wordlessly fell into step beside him.

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