Chapter 48

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 looked up a moment as Tara watched him. If she didn’t know better the man was an Elite Imperial Guardian Prime. That was impossible! She knew all of the primes that were left with the ships they were on.

“I don’t know just who you are but it appears that you are also EIG personnel. Though for the life of me I don’t know just who you are.” A perplexed Tara told Derrick.

Again sighing Derrick looked up again then nodded. “In a way I am a prime, though at the moment I do not exist. I...”

“My god! You are on the time EIG some time in the future! That ship was destroyed hundreds of years ago. Wait! If you are telling me this then I cannot go home. So you intend to kill me. Why then tell me what you have?” A now defiant and proud Tara asked of Derrick.

“Really! Do I look as if I wish to kill you? As I was about to explain I can’t actually tell you who I am or where I am. I am here to give you another chance to live. I am not so cruel as to just erase you completely from time. Though I am afraid that is almost what I will have to do.” Derrick said as he tried to explain.

Tara’s eyes narrowed as she looked closer at Derrick. “Your manner of speech, the way you carry yourself. If I didn’t know better than I’d say you are an emperor.”

Derrick could only look at the woman before him; damn she was almost as perceptive as he was. No wonder Callie and her father were like they were. Again Derrick looked up then nodded, “I was advised that I cannot tell you much. I am a fair man, I thought I’d get any input into the new person you will be.”

Tara’s eyes got large then she bowed to Derrick. “I am honored that you as an emperor are giving me this privilege. I take it you are here because of children in the future that are linked to me and my line?” When Derrick nodded Tara smiled, “it is good to know that I wasn’t as useless as I thought I was.”

For the next few hours Derrick and Tara discussed what and who she might be when she was released back into life.

“Sire?” Tempro stated after they were done. “I really must protest you going yourself to do this. I cannot maintain as good a lock on your bio signature as I did before. You are closer to being in sync with those here than you were in Emperor Gregor’s time.”

“I know Tempro but if we let her wander then she could be killed or taken. There is a heavy slave trade at this time.” Derrick advised Tempro.

“Yes Sire, that also goes for you too. I have read they were usually in groups. From what I have read they were rather large groups.” Tempro advised Derrick.

“Yes I know Tempro, I will use precautions. We have to go as soon as we are finished with her reset.” Derrick replied.

Derrick, Shelby, and Tempro were monitoring Tara the whole time that she was out. As of yet none of them had detected anything wrong. They were almost done with the process when several alarms went off. As the machinery started to shut off Tempro threw a worried look at Derrick.

“It appears that the last little bit of her old self is resisting far harder than we thought it would.” Tempro reported with a worried look.

“Yes, I was afraid that something like this might happen. We are going to have to incorporate it into her new memories.” Holding up his hand Derrick nodded. “I know this is unknown to you Tempro.” Walking to a console Derrick started to type at an almost blurring speed. Tempro watched for a moment then his eyes flew wide as the new information inundated his circuits.

Finally nodding Tempro spoke. “I will do all I can Sire, it will not be easy though I think not impossible.”

Kimison and Rayburn were going through everything that they had worked on. They were still at a loss as to what they could do to help the commander. Kimison sighed then suddenly grabbed Rayburn as he pointed at a list of things from the past. Even as they were watching they saw that the history was changing, what the hell?

“Empress?” Kimison called when he saw that it was happening again. “Could you look at this please?” He shouted.

Shaking her head she was almost glad of the diversion. Drawing close she saw that something was obviously spooking both of the men as they wore shocked looks on their faces. “What seems to be the problem,” she asked as she looked over their shoulders.

“I was doing a scan of history trying to see if there was anything I could do to help the commander. I noticed that history was different than what I remembered it being. Then as I watched it started to slowly change back to what it should be. I am at a loss as to why though.” Kimison explained to Shelby.

Shelby’s eyes went wide then she thought a moment. “Celeste, when Tempro entered the time rift was there any side effects?”

A tall fiery red head appeared, “I have been going over when Tempro entered the rift Empress. It appears when he activated his portal he also released energy that covered all the ships. It also appears he affected all the ships that were in orbit of the imperial planet.”

“What were the effects of this energy?” Shelby asked of Celeste.

“It appears that the energy allows us to exist outside of normal time though I am unsure of how long. As of this moment I am not reading any decrease in the magnitude of it.” Celeste told Shelby.

“There gentlemen I think that explains why you are able to see what you have. If you see anything else please advise me. Now then from what you have seen can you tell where they are?” Shelby asked.

“At first we thought it was all the way back to Emperor Gregor’s time. Then we started to get hits from five hundred years ago. It appears he’s half way back.” Kimison told her.

“Five hundred years,” Shelby shook her head. “It might as well be a thousand.” She whispered.

Suddenly a signal was received. “Empress I am receiving a call from Lucie Hartwell.”

“Put it through.” Shelby advised.

“This is Lucie Hartwell. Requesting permission to return. May I?” Lucie’s voice stated causing Shelby to chuckle a moment.

“Yes you may Lucie. I forget that you aren’t military. It’s fine dear return with the two.” Shelby replied.

“Oh thank you ma’am! It’s so empty out here, alright Sherry!” There was a windup then a moment later they were appearing not far from the others.

Onboard, Lucie was doing a double take. Where was the emperor’s ship there were only ten here there should be eleven! “Are my eyes playing tricks on me?” Lucie asked.

“Is there a problem prime Hartwell?” Sherry asked.

“Prime? I can’t be a prime Sherry I haven’t been assigned to one of you.” Lucie told Sherry astonished.

“I’m sorry pr ... Miss Hartwell. We worked so well together, I had started to think of you as a prime I apologize.” Then in an almost whispered voice Sherry continued on, “I will miss you ma’am.”

Lucie’s head snapped around as she stared at the now tear laden hologram. “I will miss you also Sherry.”

Sherry’s head nodded then her eyes opened wide, “I see of what you were talking of! Mother! Shelby is not here!”

“WHAT!” Lucie said as she started Sherry scanning the area. “You’re right there’s no sign of her!”

“It’s alright Lucie, we know where they are at the moment. Though it might be a bit before they are back.” Came the voice of the Empress behind them.

“They?” Asked Lucie.

“Yes,” Shelby said her voice breaking. “The emperor was onboard when she vanished. Plus it appears that the emperor put orders into Tempro after he was built. Tempro is also back there.” Shelby was about to disconnect when Kimison and Rayburn started to shout that they found a way to help.

Derrick unlocked the door drawing a weapon before he moved within. Damn it this was a really bad area that Callie’s ancestors were moving into. No wonder they were all so damn tough! Tempro had been running scenarios for the last few hours still he had no real answer for Derrick. It appeared that this place was not in Tempro’s records.

“I am sorry Sire it appears that this one time that I am really unable to help.” Tempro told Derrick before he’d left.

So Derrick thought, I am just here to make sure I could actually get her in here safe before the others arrived discovering her. Sighing Derrick shook his head, how in the hell was he going to do this without killing a few people?

As he was moving forward Derrick recalled that Daniel used to regale him with stories of his ancestors. Shocked a moment there was something that Daniel had said that was at the edge of his mind. Damn it! The harder he thought about it the harder it was to remember anything the man had told him.

Damn it! Derrick could only shake his head all this smartness and he couldn’t recall a conversation from a few years ago!

Tempro was keeping a tight watch on Derrick as he could. Shelby was also though for some reason she was having a far better time of it than her brother. Tempro was trying to recalibrate when he detected a small fissure like rift open not far from where he was. Checking again he blinked again rereading what he saw.

“Sister, are you able to keep a lock of the emperor? I am detecting a time anomaly. Apparently someone else is traveling through time.” Tempro advised Shelby.

“Please keep a scanner on it I am having no trouble following Derrick brother. As Derrick said he will have to set rules about time travel when we are back. From what both of you have stated it is extremely dangerous. Especially if they are not as well equipped as you are.” Shelby replied.

“I have to completely agree with him, wait something is emerging it appears...” Tempro was quiet for more than a few minutes leading Shelby to think Tempro might be damaged.

“Brother Tempro, are you damaged? I am reading all your systems are functioning at optimum levels. Do you require assistance?” Shelby asked starting to become worried.

A moment later Tempro shook his head then his eyes flew wide. “I am functional. That was a data stream from our time! Somehow Corporal Kimison and Sergeant Rayburn were able to open a small rift. It appears that bathing them all with Anti-Chronoton energy had the desired effect. I am integrating the data no ... Oh my! We have to call the emperor right now there isn’t much time!” Shelby nodded as she thought of Derrick.

Sighing Derrick could hear several voices further within the structure. How in the hell was he supposed to clear the place so they could safely deposit Tara Devonnie now as a new person as Ara Tade?

[Derrick?] Came Shelby’s thoughts.

[I’m a little busy trying to not get killed Shelby. I hope this is important.] Derrick thought back to her.

[Tempro can’t connect with you. Apparently Corporal Kimison and Sergeant Rayburn found the missing information that you need. Tempro says that a report from records of Tierra Oculta stated that all but one slaver in the building was found dead. The report was from an hour from now. Tempro says that the one left sounded crazy according to the report. Please... ] Suddenly Shelby was silenced as Derrick heard a piece of equipment being switched on.