Chapter 45

0001 - Tempro
0003 - Conner
0097 - Ace - Zimmel
0098 - Lucy
0101 - Shelby (mother ship) - Derrick
0125 - Lars
0200 - Ellen
0301 - Rodrick
0403 - Johnathon
0667 - Marco - Brown
0778 - Jan
0798 - Celeste - Shelby (human)
0908 - Tara - Mara
0999 - Zan
1000 - Sherry - Lucie (for the moment)

Derrick hi-tailed it out of there as fast as he could. Ok took care of that according to Tempro almost all of the future or his time was back to where it should be. Feeling the disc in his pack, he cursed he still had to get that one in Mary.

“A little more Sire!” Derrick heard Tempro say, Finally rounding a corner Derrick heard Tempro confirm. “Now commencing sire.” Then Derrick flashed out.

Back in the palace Gregor was still searching when he got a technology alert. Looking at his wrist comp. his eyes got large! IMT technology! So this cousin or whatever he was, had in his possession IMT technology huh? He had to contact his cousin as soon as possible. Something wasn’t sitting right with him about this mystery man.

On board Tempro, Derrick walked into the command deck. “I am afraid that the IMT beam was detected. It wasn’t as sophisticated as in our time but it still picked up a residual trail.” Tempro advised Derrick.

“Move us now!” Derrick ordered as Tempro moved the ship out of IMT range just in case. “Are you detecting any sign of chase or other scans?” Derrick asked.

“No Sire not at the moment. It appears that you have now set in motion the forming of the two sects. I am afraid though that without the last disc Mary ceased to function a hundred years before you became emperor. Almost all other factors are more where they should be. Also I am afraid that most of the habitable planets were destroyed from many of the weapons that were scavenged from the wreckage of the palace. I’m sorry sir.” A saddened Tempro told him.

“That’s about what I thought. There has to be a way to get it into her.” Derrick said as he sat going over all the precautions that he’d taken to do this last mission. Now he was going to have to find another way around the security and Gregor again! “You say there is no way to IMT right there in front of Mary?”

“No Sire. All parts of the main frame are shielded for almost everything. Also I am detecting added security for entering any new data into Mary.” Tempro told Derrick.

“Alright send me everything that you did before. I need to look over everything again. There has to be something that I have missed.” Derrick replied already in deep thought about the situation. “Also I need updates about Shelby.”

“Yes Sire, at present she is in almost full regen. I estimate she should be there a few more days. I’m sorry Sire beyond that I cannot say as the regen matrix plays hazard with the sensors.” Tempro advised Derrick.

“It’s alright Tempro just knowing that she is getting better is a big relief.” A sad Derrick said.

“Sire it wasn’t your fault. Anyone of us would have done the same for you. You treat us more as partners rather than tools to be used and discarded. It means far more to us than you think it does sire. Please know we all would do anything we could for you!” A serious Tempro told Derrick.

“Yes well that is comforting Tempro, still it tears me up inside when one of you is damaged or destroyed. As you said all of you are far more than just simple tools. In quite a lot of ways you are family to me. Now then, let me work on this problem I know I am missing something.” Derrick told Tempro as he went back to deep thought.

Lucie was on the edge of her seat, my god she thought the voice is growing so weak! “We have to go faster Sherry! The voice is so weak! I can barely hear it anymore!” Lucie suddenly cried.

“Yes Miss Hartwell, increasing speed now!” A moment later they stopped beyond the edge of the galaxy. “Now running scans attuned to the second standard the emperor gave us. As of yet I am not detecting anything.” Sherry turned toward Lucie seeing that the young woman was again staring straight ahead.

“I can barely hear it,” Lucie was whispering. “I can feel it so weak straight ahead!” Lucie suddenly said as Sherry started to advance forward. Sighing Lucie felt the voice, almost to a low whisper.

Even as they were moving forward a sudden alarm start to sound. “Miss Lucie! I am detecting it! Very close only a million miles!” Sherry shouted excited.

“Good! Remember Sherry, same protocol as before. We have to make sure they are safe for us before we bring them on board.” Lucie advised Sherry.

“Yes Miss Hartwell, now closing distance all scanners are at full. Now within a thousand miles, running full phase of dangerous explosive detection.” Sherry informed Lucie.

“Time to completion of scans?” Lucie asked.

“It shouldn’t take long Miss Lucie. First scan complete now running secondary scan.” Sherry said a moment later. Lucie nodded as she watched the readings that were coming in. She still wished she could comprehend even half of what she was seeing. She had to rely on Sherry, she still wasn’t sure Sherry was that dependable with what had happened before.

Waiting on the last of the second tests to finish Sherry sighed. How in the hell was she going to be of help if she couldn’t understand even half of what she saw? A moment later another alarm was going off. Looking at the readings she nodded, even she understood what a high radiation reading was.

“Can you decontaminate it Sherry?” Lucie asked a moment later.

“Yes Miss Hartwell, it shouldn’t take more than an hour. Do you wish me to continue with the other three sets of tests?” A hopeful Sherry replied.

“Yes Sherry, I think that is best. The emperor established them for a damn good reason and I’m not about to go against them. I’ll be in the library contact me when you have finished decontamination.” Lucie said.

A slightly dejected sounding Sherry stated, “yes Miss Hartwell. I will contact you as soon as it is finished.”

Lucie nodded as she turned to walk away to the library. She hated to see Sherry so despondent, though after last time’s near disaster she was going to make sure they all came back!

Lucie had just finished reading up on the different alarms, utterly boring, when Sherry called her. “Miss Hartwell? The brain box is free of dangerous radiation. Shall I start the last of the second battery of tests, or should I move on to the third set?” A now anxious sounding Sherry said.

“Please finish the second then go on to the rest.” Lucie told Sherry watching her face drop.

“Yes Miss Hartwell, finishing second battery.” Sherry said sadly as she finished the second set of tests.

Again Lucie could only shake her head. Sherry was acting almost like a teen-- nodding her head Lucie got an idea.

Shelby backed away from both Kimison and Rayburn as they started moving between panels again. The way they were going at it Shelby thought, you’d think they were trying to open a portal. Looking closer her eyes went wide when she saw that they actually were!

“I suggest you stop right now before you blow us up. None of the regular ships have the power or equipment to accomplish what you are trying to do.” Shelby told both of them as she stood behind them with her arms crossed. “Perhaps some time in the brig might help?”

Both men slowly backed away from what they had been doing. “I’m sorry Ma’am, I feel useless not being able to help the commander.” Rayburn replied.

Sighing Shelby nodded, “I feel quite the same Sergeant, Derrick has Shelby and Tempro. As you remember he has a complete history of how time SHOULD be. Plus he has more power than three ships put together. Unfortunately he is also deficient in the weapons department. You also have to remember my Derrick is an extremely resourceful man.”

“Oh yes ma’am we know that,” Kimison told her. “Though I have found that at times he does need a little help. Not a whole lot, just a little.”

Shelby thought about it a moment, she had to admit even as brilliant as Derrick was he did miss things. Shaking her head she thought about that, true he’d miss some times. She’d never seen him miss very much at all. “Alright, I’ll allow you to help, though it WILL NOT include more people nor ships going back through time. Do I make myself clear?”

Both men wide eyed nodded their heads affirmative. Then both began to move at a slower pace, she might not be as large as the commander but many of her looks were. The few looks she’d thrown at them left both of them knowing she was deadly serious.

Kimison and Rayburn pulled up all the information they had gathered on the time portal. If they could recreate it they just might be able to send something back. Problem was the power requirements seemed to be off the charts. Then there was the fact that the empress was watching them like a hawk.

Shelby again sat in the command chair, damn she felt helpless not able to do anything for Derrick. Then a sly smile crossed her lips, maybe not help in the past but here and now; that was a different story.

As quietly as she could, Shelby called Celeste. A moment later a tall, fiery redhead appeared in front of Shelby. “Yes my empress? You called for me?”

“Celeste, I want you to advise me of everything that both Sergeant Rayburn and Corporal Kimison do with what they are working on. I do not, nor will not put you or any of the other ships in danger. I know that the time portal takes an exorbitant amount of energy. I also know that one ship would be seriously crippled if not destroyed attempting to open one. I know that with the generator redoubler twice the energy can now be produced.” Shelby advised Celeste.

“I had thought that with almost double power we would be able to accomplish far more.” Celeste asked.

“Usually yes,” Shelby replied. “Though in this respect we are talking about a far larger output of power. That plus the fact that Tempro has special shielding to protect him during portal travel. Obviously nothing has been worked on lessening the damaging effects of Chronoton energy.” Suddenly Shelby nodded as she arose and walked back to Kimison and Rayburn. “I just had a thought.” She said as she approached them.

“A thought your highness?” Rayburn said a little unsure as he slowly turned toward Shelby.

“Yes, the Chronoton energy that is needed to open the portal is highly disruptive to the systems of the EIGs. If you are able to actually open a small portal you will need to develop a new shielding. I am not about to place another ship in peril. I’m already afraid that Shelby has been severely damaged by the Chronoton energy. I am just hoping she can complete her re-gen onboard Tempro.” Shelby advised both men.

Kimison’s eyes went wide as he had just come across that very fact. “I tend to agree your majesty. Though at the moment we are just now starting to understand the portal formation. Thank you your majesty, at least now we have a good direction to move in.”