The Twice and Future Caesar Read Free Page B

ship.
BOOM pom pom pom BOOM pom pom pom
.
    Captain Carmel finally ordered, “Mr. Ryan. Throw a bucket of water on my dogs. They’re not going outside.”
    Four months after Caesar Numa ejected
Merrimack
from the Zoen star system at the galactic edge, the U.S. space battleship still patrolled the galactic Outback. This was not American space. The Perseid arm of the galaxy was dominated by colonies of the Pacific Rim nations of Earth. The United States had no colonies here.
    Merrimack
’s company and crew of 1145 hands made her the largest U.S. presence in Perseid space.
    The Perseid arm of the galaxy had been a festering ground for Romulus and his rabid followers, the Romulii, even before his public rise to power. Romulus had founded most of the Roman colonies in Perseid space while his father Caesar Magnus was still alive.
    After Romulus’ meteoric rise and meteoric fall, his followers were still fanatics. More than ever. The Romulii became an underground subversive faction of the Roman Empire, disloyal to the legitimate Caesar Numa Pompeii.
    The United States was not an ally of Rome or its current emperor, Numa. Between Romulus and Numa, Numa was the lesser of two evils. It had been Caesar Romulus who declared war on the United States of America two years ago. The U.S. didn’t want to see that Caesar back in power.
    Romulus was missing.
    War’s end had left Romulus in Caesar Numa’s custody, incapacitated, and existing in an induced coma on the Roman capital world Palatine under heavy guard.
    At some time between then and now, Romulus’ rabid followers had spirited their comatose leader away from Numa’s custody. Worst guess had him way out here in Perseid space, being rehabilitated in preparation to bring him back to power.
    A healthy Romulus could mobilize worlds. Romulus had been adored. Still was.
    That Romulus might be alive and recovering in Perseid space was a nightmare that must never see daylight.
    So the Joint Chiefs had not ordered
Merrimack
back to Near Space.
    Captain Carmel ordered, “Launch Argus.”
    Argus, named for the mythical hundred-eyed giant, was a flotilla of drone scouts controlled by the Wraith—Specialist Tim Raytheon—the ship’s chief V-jock and drone wrangler. Wraith was young, bony, and pale. He received a rejuv three times a year to keep his reaction times sharp.
    Dingo Ryan ordered, “Mister Raytheon, turn over some rocks in this system. You’re looking for just about anything. You know what belongs and what doesn’t.”
    â€œAye, aye, sir.”
    The drone flotilla Argus deployed with no more noise than the hissing of missiles through their launch tubes.
    As the drones dispersed, Commander Ryan moved to Calli’s side. “It’s a big search area, Captain,” he said quietly.
    The rough dimension of the Indra Aleph star system was 500 billion cubic astronomical units.
    â€œIt is that, Mister Ryan,” Calli allowed.
    But it was smaller than infinity. By galactic measure,
Merrimack
was just about stepping on the Romulid lair.
    Dingo said, “I’m surprised Romulus’ followers don’t have him in a labyrinth.”
    Romulus was beloved by his fanatics for his dangerous and twisted sense of entertainment. Calli’s brows lifted. A labyrinth did sound like Rom’s sort of fun.
    She said at last, “Is there anything to say they don’t?”

12 Ianuarius 2448
Asteroid 543
Indra Shwa Zed Star System
Perseid Space
    T HE CRAMPED GRIMY CORRIDOR looked like it used to be white. The lights buzzed within dirty fixtures. Flickered on and off. Something yellow-green dripped off a moldering ceiling that was so low that Nox had to crouch. The drops sizzled on hitting the concrete floor and gave off a sickly sweet vapor. A dark bloody brown crust dried around the fallen drops. Flat, pincered bugs the size of flounders with serrate legs clung to the peeling walls on either side of him. Their