Free The Lost Command (Lost Starship Series Book 2) by Vaughn Heppner Page A

some time. Finally, as he stared out of the side canopy, he said, “If nothing else, Beth Paris has shown me I’d better have a partner for what I plan. I don’t know who else to ask, Sergeant. I need your assistance for this little expedition.”
    It struck Riker that Maddox was worried about Meta. That surprised him. Maddox was a slick operator, normally cool and reserved with the ladies. There had been indications of a liaison aboard the starship on the journey home, but Riker had assumed it had been caused by Maddox’s boredom. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
    “I still say we should call the brigadier,” Riker said.
    “No! The brigadier would be confident of tracking Meta down dead or alive. The Iron Lady is more concerned about the overall picture. I’m interested in getting to Meta while she’s still alive.”
    “The war is more important than our personal interests, sir. Besides, did you ever think that Octavian might have special training? He will if he belongs to the New Men. We can’t hope to barge in and rip Meta loose from Nerva. This will take careful preparation.”
    Maddox faced him with a soft smile on his lips. “I disagree completely. We must strike with furious resolve. We must match the enemy speed for speed. That means I must act tonight, because I’m the only one on our side who can react as fast as the enemy can. Meta’s life is in our hands.”
    “What’s your plan, sir?”
    “A face to face meeting with Octavian Nerva,” Maddox said.
    “Octavian would only allow such a thing in complete safety,” Riker said.
    “True.”
    “He’d have his people strip us of our weapons and possibly bind us first.”
    “That does seem likely, I agree,” Maddox said.
    Riker shook his head. “I hope you’re not suggesting you’re going to overpower his bodyguards, take one of their guns, put it to Octavian’s head and offer to trade his life for Meta’s.”
    “The basic idea is right,” Maddox admitted, “but wrong in a critical detail.”
    “One or two details won’t make any difference, sir, as there is a gigantic flaw.”
    “Oh?”
    Riker spoke with gravity. “If Octavian works for the New Men, it’s more than possible they will have trained him in their advanced thinking.”
    “You’ve already mentioned that.”
    “If Octavian is acting on his own because of Caius’ death, we should remember that he is one of the oldest of the Methuselah People. His advanced wisdom could trump your skills.”
    As Riker spoke, he studied the captain’s face. The lad was so enamored with his unique skills that he often forgot others could possess unusual attributes.
    Over two hundred and fifty years ago, scientist-explorers had discovered a breakthrough in longevity treatments known as the Methuselah Cure. The critical source came from New Australia, a world fifty-three light-years from Earth. A rare plant grew in the depths of the world’s ocean. Dredging the plant in specially built submarines was dangerous and ultra-lucrative. So far, no one had been able to duplicate the growth process anywhere else.
    Since that time, refinements in the Methuselah Treatments had broadened in scope. More people scraped together the vast sums of wealth needed to pay for the drugs and medical procedures. Octavian had been one of the first recipients of the treatment in the early days before the plant, making him one of the oldest or possibly the oldest person alive.
    The man was nearly three hundred years old.
    The Methuselah People had certain similarities with each other. Extreme age fossilized key personality traits. In Octavian’s case, it was bitter ruthlessness. Great age also brought about extreme caution. The elder Nerva protected himself with prejudice, having one of the best security details in existence. The man seldom took unnecessary risks, having long ago decided to model his operations on spiders. He sat in his web, only approaching those carefully trapped by his threads. Now, the captain thought he