Free The Lost Patrol by Vaughn Heppner Page B

your shuttle,” Maddox told Hank. “Then, take him to Victory .”
    Riker cleared his throat. “We’ll have to tell Star Watch about the New Man, sir.”
    Maddox nodded absently. “I want Shu in your shuttle as well,” he told Hank. “Take her and the New Man to Galyan’s special sickbay.”
    Maddox stepped away as the Marines obeyed his orders. He understood what the hairline scars indicated. Some time ago, he’d studied Admiral Fletcher’s reports about the New Man Pa Kur. Strand had operated on the New Man, leaving such scars.
    How had Shu known what she did? What did the Spacers truly believe about him? He was supposed to be di-far . He hadn’t asked to be that.
    “Sir,” Riker said, “the brigadier is calling. She’s demanding that you come down to Geneva right away.”
    “We’ll be there soon enough,” Maddox said.
    “Shouldn’t you tell the brigadier that, sir?” Riker asked.
    “No. There’s something I have to do first.”
    “What’s that?” Meta asked.
    “You can join me,” Maddox said. “I’m sure you’ll find this interesting.”
     

-12-
     
    Having shed the vacc suit in the shuttle, Maddox stood in a special sickbay on Victory , one controlled by Galyan through his robots.
    Shu 15 presently lay in a clear tube. She might have regained consciousness by now, but at Maddox’s orders, Meta had given her an injection to keep her unconscious.
    A holoimage of the Adok Galyan appeared as a small humanoid with ropy arms and deep-set eyes. He had fine lines crisscrossing his face.
    Whatever you’re doing,” Meta said, “doesn’t seem right. You should ask Shu before engaging in any medical procedures upon her person.”
    “I have a theory,” Maddox said. “If I’m right, we can begin to understand the Spacers better.
    “I take it you’re talking about Shu’s intuition.”
    “I do not accept the kind of intuition she’s suggested.”
    “I didn’t either at first,” Meta said. “But after seeing what she did on the hauler…”
    “You’re thinking emotionally. Galyan, I want you to scan her for unusual substances.”
    “Scanning…” Galyan said.
    A white light in a tight circular band moved across the clear tube. It stopped a moment midway up Shu’s torso. Then, it resumed, slowing again by her skull.
    “I have completed the scan,” Galyan said. “The body contains two small devices, one in the lower abdominal region and another in the forward skull. It appears both run off the body’s electrical discharges.”
    “What are the devices?” Maddox asked.
    “Unknown,” Galyan said.
    “It appears Shu didn’t know those things through intuition,” Meta said in a bewildered tone. “I don’t understand. How did you know?”
    “I didn’t,” Maddox said. “I merely wondered about the various possibilities, wishing to test each in turn. Galyan, how difficult would it be to extract the devices?”
    “Not difficult at all,” Galyan said.
    “I mean with a minimum of cutting,” the captain said.
    “My analyzer suggests you really mean without any cutting at all.”
    “Would that be possible?” Maddox asked.
    “Negative.”
    “Can you fully analyze the devices without extracting them?”
    “Not with one hundred percent efficiency,” Galyan said.
    Maddox crossed his arms, frowning down at Shu. “You will analyze the devices to the best of your ability without extracting them. If you believe Shu is a danger to us while awake, you will keep her sedated until I return.”
    “I understand.”
    “Excellent,” Maddox said. “I believe it is time to examine the New Man. After we’re finished with him, you can complete your examination of Shu.”
    “Captain,” Galyan said. “I have received a message from the brigadier. She told me to tell you that she expects you in the Lord High Admiral’s office in twenty minutes.”
    “Hmmm…” Maddox said. “Tell her you are still hunting for me.”
    “She knows I am in direct contact with you and has demanded for