Chapter 9: The Aftermath 3

Jim was falling, damn you’d think they’d have a meal on this flight, spinning Jim looked at what he thought was the bottom or down. He could hear his sisters and brother screaming for him to save them, try as he might he wasn’t getting any closer. Groaning his arms hurt, what the hell had he run into? Jim was a little disorientated he was seeing people he knew but they seemed to be ignoring him and it was really starting to piss him off. Reaching out Jim saw Amber leaning over him or rather his body, huh? His body? Try as he might he couldn’t touch her now he was really pissed off what the hell was going on?

It had been a week since Jim and Mary had stopped the invasion of the Krong, a week of horror for both Amber and Mary. Jim should be dead from all the injuries he’d sustained, the doctors worked feverishly trying to save him. At times it seemed his body was straining to reach something, though what, no one seemed to know. Amber refused to leave his side as did Mary, still cursing under her breath that she’d listened to him in the first place. The empire, though they knew that the Krong had been at the borders poised to attack, didn’t know how they had been defeated only that the empress was at the bed side of someone that had aided in that defeat.

A week after they’d brought him in Jim groaned trying to get out of bed, nearly falling out of the bio bed. Amber had been asleep along with Mary when Jim started to struggle to get lose from the bed.

“Bout time you woke your lazy ass up,” Mary smirked, “You do realize I am pissed at you, I don’t like owing people and I especially don’t like owing you, you dick!” With that Mary turned and stormed out of the room.

Jim just stared after her wondering what crawled up her ass? Amber grasped his face kissing him long and deep. “I’m glad I didn’t have to resurrect you, I really didn’t want to have to kill you,” she whispered, tears of joy flowing freely from her eyes.

“Amber? Where the hell are we? Why the fuck can’t I move?” The irritation apparent in his voice, “the last thing I remember was telling Mary to get to the safe room, then waking up here.”

Sighing Amber had been afraid of this, the doctor’s said that some of his memory might be repressed, blocking out pain and stressful moments.”I’m still alive so I assume that the new tech that I integrated into the station’s systems actually held out,” Jim murmured to himself more than anyone else. “The station, were they able to save it? Please tell me that at least one reactor remained online.”

Amber just shook her head leave it to Jim to worry about his tech. “Yes, the station survived had it not been for the fact that I had been on the station for so long, we might never have found you in time. Since 4 of the reactors eventually came back online Dickie won’t allow anyone on board especially after we removed you. Once the second reactor restarted (amazing in itself) it followed us back home” Jim breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good,” touching near his ear Jim spoke, “Dickie status report.”

“Severe structural damage throughout station, auto repair has managed to secure structural integrity around main control and habitats. 4 reactors are non operable, it appears the last blast fused crucial circuits causing cascade failure throughout the outer 4, The extra shielding interior of the second ring saved the last 4 as you predicted, protocol 4 was instigated as soon as her lordship and you were off the ship I then plotted a course here after the second reactor was active again. Internal repairs are proceeding but slowly without the other 4 reactors, at present rate it will take a year before the station is space worthy.” Jim looked over everything that Dickie sent to his neural link, Jim knew it’d take a week to repair the circuits, to get the station back up and running to full capacity, now to just get out of here.

Amber rushed forward to grab Jim, when he almost fell trying to get out of the bio bed, “Dammit Jim! Are you trying to actually die? You’re going to need at least a week to heal!” Amber’s green eyes flashed with brief anger.

“I need to get to the station, my bio beds make these look like toys, remember you were healed a lot faster there than you would have been here,” Jim said almost pleading, “Amber, I can’t sit here a week I HAVE to get the station back online, there are more dangers out there that the empire needs to be protected from.”

Amber wasn’t too sure, shaking her red hair from her face she couldn’t really remember that much before she woke up in the med bay of the station.

“Alright but, I and Mary go with you, you will listen to me or I swear that I’ll turn Dickie against you and don’t doubt that I can’t,” Amber said her emerald eyes flashing again, the irritation apparent on her face, though she trusted him he was pushing it right now.

Looking at the display again Jim was deep in thought for a moment, “Dickie, status of the DMTM.”

“One device is operational, though at present levels of power consumption, I will only be able to move 1 at a time,” it replied in monotone.

“And bio bed 1 in the med bay?” Jim said.

“At present it is 75% operational, it will be slow to heal you but faster than the present equipment capacity,” Dickie answered.

Looking at Amber Jim sighed, “Ok I agree but I have to work some each day on the circuits or we may never get the station back online all the way.” nodding Amber called Mary as they prepared to go. Explaining to Mary just what they were going to do she smiled, “As if you could keep Jim away from the machines, from what he told me this is all he has of his family now,” Jim looked at Amber and quickly shook his head no, the action not lost on the ever alert Mary, she let it pass for now.

A week later the station was almost at full capacity, after Jim got the fifth reactor going things went a lot faster. Amber ran the empire from the station a few, very few of her personal guards were brought aboard, Jim allowed them extremely limited access to a little of the station. As Dickie predicted once the reactors were back online Jim healed a hell of a lot faster than he had in the imperial infirmary. He allowed Mary and Amber to assist him which though she didn’t know everything he’d done to improve the station, Mary knew what the systems were, as she’d helped to develop many of them. Though they’d had a definitive victory, Jim wasn’t that sure the Krong were truly gone completely, he had to make sure no one else was going to die from these filthy bastards. Finally all systems back on except for the cloak, Jim started to work on a way to put his fears to rest. For days Jim worked with the two women to integrate his mind scanner into the ships systems.

Jim smiled when it was finally ready to go, from what he’d seen there wouldn’t be mind slaves to the Krong if they were truly all dead. Starting with the palace first Jim was pleased that there weren’t any there, moving out ward in ever increasing circles Jim tried to be patient hoping that they’d really gotten all of them. Sighing Jim knew from the last time that the Krong were insect like, there could be colonies of them out there waiting to pounce at anytime, he had to make sure they were gone for good. Moving slowly Jim made sure not to miss anyone; 5 miles out from the palace he found the first. Pointing the DMTM at the man they “pulled” him on board (Jim and Mary had it retrieving as well as pushing now.) Securing him quickly Jim got the extractor and removed the Krong, as he was afraid there was a colony hidden just outside of the boundary of the empire.

Jim destroyed the Krong and searched for more, Mary was pissed off she’d hoped that they were gone for good, 12 hours of battle was a bit much. It had taken everything she had to last, then to almost lose Jim? You’re damn right she was pissed. Jim smiled when he heard her hiss, like she always did when she was mad. Amber was also seething they wanted the death of all her people especially Jim? She wanted to exterminate them all right now. After finding 5 more from the same planet, Jim was shocked when he found another from another planet, this one a lot closer within the empire. Returning all 6 of the people, Jim set out not caring if anyone said a thing; it was only a 2 day journey at light speed. Approaching the planet Jim was prepared for them to come out after them, when there were no ships Jim did a planetary scan and found that the Krong here had no ships, smiling Jim activated the planet killer and watched as the planet started to crack then explode, Jim smiled wider, good, it was at full capacity again. The next one would take a week to get to.

The whole week they traveled Jim and Mary worked the shields finally increasing them to twice what they’d been in the last battle. They’d protected 2 of the four reactors on the outer ring with more shielding, they managed to get power consumption down 50% more, they’d just gotten the weapons a 25% power increase, when they arrived a day outside the empire boundary, at the next planet. This time they sent ships, though compared to the last battle this was over in an hour, as was the planet. Retreating back to empire space they made their way back to the home empire planet. After arriving Mary and Amber went planet side while Jim started to scan the planet again. Only 2 hours into it Jim was pissed when he found a group of 10 in another city. Dammit! Removing all of them Jim was pissed it appeared they were from 5 different planets, shit! One was only a few hours away! Calling Mary and Amber Jim told them he’d found more 5 more. Having repaired 2 of the 3 broken DMTM’s the women were back in no time though Amber was still unsure, she didn’t really like going through things.

Arriving only an hour later they met no resistance, Jim cracked the planet with ease. Two more days they arrived at the second planet Meeting no resistance they were about to shoot when a world ship appeared from behind the planet along with a few thousand fighter beetle shaped ships. Cursing Jim knew that even with the improvements they were still a little vulnerable especially against a massive world ship.

“Dickie deploy vapor drops all along the front lines,” Jim ordered.

“Compliance,” Dickie quipped back.

“Vapor drops! Those are dangerous Jim!” Amber yelled.

“It’s ok, Amber we used them in the big battle they were a huge help,” Mary replied.

“No! You don’t realize vapor drops utilize the most unstable explosive in the empire, if you found a way to stabilize it I would like to know how,” Amber told Jim. Just nodding Jim watched as the first wave disappeared in a brilliant flash of light.

“Alright, deploy guns shields and arm turrets, let’s go girls time to exterminate some bugs,” Jim said a huge smile on his face. Two guns were more than enough to handle them but the additional gun helped them dish out destruction a lot faster. Destroying the world ship’s engines Jim pushed it with a small energy beam towards the planet. They all watched as the satisfying explosion wrecked half the planet, Jim took out the rest moments later. Sighing Jim told them it’d be a week before they got to the next planet, it was 2 days past the empire boundary. Jim was starting to wonder if they’d ever be free of this race, “Maybe you should declare war on them” Jim said, “that way it’d be with the people’s blessing.”

Amber thought for a while, “The only way we could do that would be to reveal who you really are Jim.”

“NO! I will sacrifice almost everything but that, there has to be another way,” Jim growled.

“None that I can see Jim, besides I think the people deserve to know who saved them,” Amber said a little surprised at the stout refusal he gave.

“Maybe one day but not now, for now he is dead and will remain that way,” Jim said looking straight at Amber shaking his head no again, this once again noticed by Mary. “What the fuck is he hiding now?” thought Mary. Almost a week later they were closing in on the planet, they’d seen no ships or sign of the Krong the whole way. Approaching the planet they were met by thousands of ships again, though this time they got readings of humans on the planet. “What the fuck?” Sighing Jim wiped the ships out in short order, radioing the planet a human voice came through. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You destroyed our whole planetary defense squad,” the voice screamed.