Chapter 54

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)

Both men looked at Mita expecting an explanation for her statement. An even bigger look of concern came over her features. Sighing she shook her head, she’d stayed quiet for too long. This was her child damn it! Not some random experiment.

Mita looked at Gunter, “Do you remember what my name was before we married husband? I thought at first you weren’t going to marry me; especially when you heard my last name.”

Gunther could only stare at Mita then said, “Yes I remember it was Aoki.” Then Gunther shrugged as if the name meant nothing to him.

A little relieved Mita turned to look at Derrick her fears returning at the look of shocked revelation on his face. “Dr. Hideo Aoki! I remember a little now. Father took me to see him. I seem to remember being very sick but not much else.”

Mita nodded then bowed slightly, “You are the first I have ever heard of remembering anything of that time. You were as I remember one of the first few cases that actually survived; the very first, of the first generation.” Here Mita hung her head, “It is fortunate that you remember none of the pain. You screamed so, it was hard to take. I was so young at the time I didn’t understand wha ... what father was doing.”

“Your father!” Gunther shouted, finally remembering his father in law. Shaking his head he was beginning to feel stupid not recognizing the man. “Here I thought he was this nice older man!” Shaking his head again he tried to remember exactly what the man had been called. Suddenly his eyes went wide, “Doctor Death!”

Mita hung her head nodding affirmative to her husband. But the look of disgust in his eyes shocked her the most. “I didn’t know for the longest time. I remember hearing well muffled screams though at the time I didn’t connect them with father.” Here she turned to Derrick, “then I met you one day. After we talked for a bit I felt I had made a friend. The first true friend I ever had, and then you were gone.”

Derrick’s eyes went wide as a memory flashed before his eyes. “Mi, Mi?” Derrick whispered as his body started to shake. “I remember you were younger than me. I made you a promise we’d see each other again.” Turning his head away Derrick continued. “I’m sorry I was never able to keep that promise. Your friendship and the promise are what helped me through it all.”

“It appears that the Doctor was possibly responsible for the sudden deaths of thousands; both children and Adults.” Mary interjected. “At the present time there are only about twenty cases that survived his administrations. You sire are in the best condition. Almost all of the first cases died, at present you are the only one of the first year, first generation that survived. That’s astonishing, to say the least Sire.”

“Sire?” Both Mita and Gunther said.

“What in the hell is she on about?” Gunther asked.

Mita had both her hands covering her mouth as she could only stare at Derrick. Then her eyes went wide as she slowly sank to her knees. “I’m sorry,” she whispered bowing her head. “I accept what punishment you declare your majesty.”

Derrick groaned as he went to his knees in front of her touching her face. Gently pulling her chin up, he stared into her eyes. “Why are you sorry? It wasn’t you it was your father plain and simple. Besides I think it was you that gave me the strength to live.” Mita’s eyes went wide as she tried to recoil from Derrick.

“I could have stopped father I know it. Had I known and not been so stupid and childish.” Mita said tears slowly falling from her eyes.

Derrick shook his head, “Don’t be so sure. As I remember your father was deep into all of it at the time. A few years later yes, though not I think, at the first.”

Mita was slowly nodding her head then she looked at the visage of Mary. “May I hug my friend? I recognize you so I don’t want to do anything to alarm you.”

“I will allow it as I have scanned you when I came here.” Then she turned to Derrick, “that is Sire, if you allow it.”

Derrick’s face wore a look of irritation then he sighed. “I will always allow it, like her husband and the others I trust her.”

Mita’s eyes went wide as a look of shock spread across her face. “You trust me?” Further shock seemed to take over her whole body as she sat there only able to stare at Mary and Derrick.

A wide smile was on Derrick’s face as he reached out grabbing Mita in a bear hug. “As I said it was your father not you. Though I see that you, yourself went into the medical field. You met the Lieutenant when we were in the republic wars?”

Mita nodded, “He was brought in with a weapon injury to his leg.” Here she turned to Gunther. “You never said how you got that either. You think you could order him to tell me Sire?”

Again, Derrick groaned though not as bad as before. Turning toward Gunther he smiled wide again as he said, “It was Rayburn and Kimison wasn’t it?”

A huge look of shock appeared on his face as he could only nod. “It was right after our first year of the Republic campaign. I think you were gone at the time. They started arguing about lord knows what, as they always seemed to when you weren’t there. Sergeants Norman and Jimison jumped in to try and separate them. They had both pulled weapons when I jumped in. I managed to wrestle the weapons from them or thought I had when one discharged.”

A smirk crossed Mita’s face, “We all thought that the wound was self inflicted. Considering the close range to his...” here Mita got embarrassed. “Uh ... private parts.” Here she looked at Gunther with a true look of love. “Most would be screaming in pain. Not Gunther, he lay there as I applied all the salves and burn creams. I think, I think that was the day I fell for him.”

“Yeah, I remember that, were you trying to be a hero or something?” Came Norman’s voice from behind them.

“As I remember you still kicked both their asses even with that wound. I thought you were going to shoot them, hell I would have. You gained a hell of a lot of respect from the both of us that day.” Jimison said as Both Mita and Gunther turned to see both men leaning against the wall.

Gunther’s mouth dropped open as he stared at both of his friends. Both who were supposed to be dead, dead for a few years now. “You ... you are both dead. I saw the video of you being blown into space. I saw you gunned down by Republic troops.”

Both men smiled then they nodded to Derrick. “Well actually,” Derrick started. “They are dead to their time. I...”

“Sire? I think she is waking up.” Mary drew up close to Shelly as her eyes flicked open. “Hello little one. Feeling better?” Shelly nodded as she reached up to Mary to pull herself up.

Shelly’s eyes went wide as her hand passed through Mary. Motioning Mary down, she whispered low to Mary. Mary’s eyes went large as she went to Mita.

“Is she alright? I’ve been afraid that the delay codes I used were being ignored by the nanomites. Damn if father didn’t make these more complex than the first set.” Mita said.

Interesting Mary thought as she ran another scan of Shelly then was nodding. “What were the codes? I wish to see if I can slow them further. The shock I administered will only last a week. Then I am afraid she will be where she was again. Though I think a week without the seizures will be good.”

“Yes! Anything to help, Mary. Please just save her I thought father was helping her then this started. If he were still alive he could easily stop this. I wish I had been able to save more of his notes that I had.” Mita told Mary. With that Mita told Mary all the codes that she had including all of those that were incomplete. “What did she say? Mita indicated Shelly.”

Mary got a strange look on her face as she said. “She said she wanted to sit up. When her hands passed through me she giggled a bit. It was then she told me she was sorry then she called me the see through lady. Strange though I have never been called that, it is true. I am after all a hologram.” Mita smiled as she recalled the other hologram’s reaction.

Mary went through all the codes then compared all of them to those that Tempro had gotten from Derrick. Interesting she thought they were almost identical. From what she saw what Mita had done was probably the only thing that had saved the little girl. Looking further she began to find certain events that had caused the premature activation of the nanomites.

Mary turned toward Derrick as she was running the codes. “Sire? I am receiving a transmission from the Empress. Apparently she is upset that you haven’t contacted her as of yet.”

Derrick swallowed hard remembering the last time Shelby had back handed him to the deck. “Open a channel Tempro.” Derrick directed.

A moment later a hologram of Shelby appeared. “Why in the hell are you at the imperial planet? I’ve that piss ant Risen in a cell. I want IT gone! When...”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Shelby was damaged helping to boost Tempro’s double IMT. It was being interfered with by the ripalon energy at the old ship yards. I blame myself.” Here Derrick hung his head. “I...”

“Damn it Derrick! Don’t start this self destruction again! I had a hard enough time getting you out of it last time. Unless of course you like being face down on the deck? I’m sure I could arrange for you to experience it again!” Shelby said a little wicked smile crossing her lips.

Derrick held up his hands in defeat, shaking his head she was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Shit as of yet he’d only seen her slightly upset. Full out angry? Here Derrick shuddered, no thank you!

“How damaged was Shelby? I take it she blew out her complete IMT system?” Shelby asked then gasp when she saw Derrick nod then lower his head. “My god! You almost lost her didn’t you? MARY! Check his entire nervous system! Is he operating at full capacity?” Shelby asked.

Mary’s stunned look was quickly replaced by concern as she rapidly started scanning Derrick for the next five minutes. “I am finding several healed burns and cuts since the last time I saw the Emperor. I am also detecting plasma burns from the regen matrix of an EIG. Sire you went into an EIG when there was an active Matrix? Again I have to ask you, Sire do you wish to die? That is one of the most dangerous things you have ever done!”

“So he’s healing well,” turning toward Derrick Shelby told him sternly, “I expect a full report!” Then her hologram flickered as several alarms went off. “WHAT!!? Get here soon Derrick. It appears that Risen has escaped! Celeste start scans, find him!” Then the hologram vanished.

Gunther laughed a moment, “‘Bout like being a father isn’t it? Least it sounds like it to me.”

Derrick could only shake his head as he went to a console. Typing as fast as he could he smiled when he started to get results. The travel into the past had been eye opening that was for sure, most certainly informative if nothing else.

It was several hours later that Mary began to formulate several new codes. These she was sure would allow Shelly to develop further without the seizures.