Chapter 70

0001 - Tempro
0003 - Conner- Thomas
0097 - Ace - Zimmel
0098 - Lucy
0101 - Shelby (mother ship)
0125 - Lars
0200 - Ellen
0250 - Tendra
0301 - Rodrick
0403 - Johnathon
0667 - Marco - Brown
0778 - Jan
0798 - Celeste - Shelby (human)
0805 - Toran
0808 - Radella
0908 - Tara - Mara
1000 - Sherry

Ungrown - unnumbered

0999 - Zan - still lost

Rescued from Tendraxians so far

6 on Shelby
8 on Lucy

Known and OR numbered

0501 - Thaddeus
???? - Lena

I have had a few readers ask how the Tendraxians were able to access the A.I. boxes. I am sorry for the confusion they never really accessed them completely, more a way to fool them with a type of mental warfare. That is why the A.I. boxes were confused at first not believing what they were seeing was real. I hope that this clears up the confusion. Also, many might or might not have noticed that as soon as they interacted with Lucie, that almost all of the A.I.’s gained a great deal of sanity.

Both Kimison and Rayburn were perplexed. They had worked for two days, adding as much data as they could. With the adjustments that Kimison had discovered, they were making far better progress. Though, with them needing no less than two terabytes of the data, adding only ten gigabytes at a time was slow going. Kimison was glad that he had discovered a way to add more than two.

Then there was the fact that they had to wait for over an hour to allow what they had added to stabilize. Still, after two days with only four hundred eighty gigabytes, they felt they would never finish. They didn’t even have half a terabyte yet.

Both of the males had tried unsuccessfully to expand what they knew. To add more data in a more stable manner. So far nothing was working, this was what had led to their frustration.

Tempro had been keeping an even closer eye on the two, especially since Kimison had managed to shut Tempro down. He was also keeping as close an eye on the brain enhancer as they called it.

Tempro was still upset that Kimison had managed to get past him so easily. He had been working nonstop to make sure that it didn’t happen again.

‘Well,’ Tempro thought, ‘he hoped that Kimison couldn’t do that to him again.’ A moment later he was drawn from his thoughts by Kimison.

“Tempro? I know that you don’t expect it. I have to say this to get it off my chest.” Kimison stated.

“Sir? Would you like me to call the Emperor?” Tempro replied.

“No,” Kimison said his head down slightly. “I have to apologize to you, for what I did to you.” Kimison held up his hand to quiet Tempro when he tried to speak. “I was feeling desperate, I couldn’t get around the problem. Hell, I am almost there now, I feel that I only got around it a small bit. I forgot that you are as alive as I am, I am truly sorry that I hurt you as I did.”

Tempro appeared before Kimison his mouth hanging open. The colonel was apologizing to him? “Sir, there is no need to...”

“Yes, there is, you are alive, you deserve to be treated that way. Not like a machine that is only to be used, then left alone. Alone, to only be used when the need arises I have been there Tempro, locked away ‘til the next battery of tests.” Here Kimison was vigorously shaking his head. “I will never allow that to happen to you again, I remember, so please forgive me.”

Tempro couldn’t speak, this was by far the most like a living entity he’d ever been treated.

Tempro bowed his head to Kimison, a stray tear falling from his eyes. “Thank you, sir, you and the Emperor are the only ones to ever treat any of us like we are alive.”

Kimison nodded, “I will endeavor to remember from now on.”

Then just as suddenly, Kimison turned back as a new idea came to his mind. I hope this works. Looking at Rayburn, he nodded as he started to adjust faster and faster while Rayburn added the data. His hands almost a blur, Kimison hoped that he could keep this up. When the data hit twelve gigabytes, Rayburn’s eyes went large when he saw that the data stream was stable. He didn’t know what Kimison had done, though it appeared to be working.

Lucie returned almost half an hour later with the three females in tow. Upon entering they all rushed to the bio-bed that a fourth Tendraxian female was still unconscious on.

Lucie checked on the readings then called Johnathon. “Johnathon, has her condition improved?”

“No prime Hartwell, though it has stabilized. I am afraid that her physiology, is far more unknown to me. I am attempting to access all databases that I can. I am doing all I can to bring her out of her comatose state. I...” Johnathon suddenly stopped as; a steady beeping grew stronger.

Lucie was staring at the readings, still not quite sure about a lot of them. Unfortunately, this was one of them. “Johnathon? Is she dying?”

“Strange,” Johnathon stated as several instruments came out of the bio-bed. “Oh my.” Suddenly the beeping became even louder as several of the instruments pointed toward Lucie. “I say prime Hartwell, her life signs are climbing. It appears that this started as soon as you came closer to the bio-bed. Another ten minutes, I’d say she’d be out of danger. Apparently, the energy that allows them to travel in transwarp, is also healing her body.”

Lucie could only stand there her mouth hanging. She was the cure? Ok, this was going from weird, to just plain bizarre!

She turned, looked back at her brother who was looking through several files. “Did you know about this?” She asked.

Johnathon could only look at her with astonishment. ‘Damn,’ he thought, ‘he knew that she had spent a hell of a lot of time in transwarp space. Looking at the readings again he shook his head, good god the readings were off the scale!’

“I knew that you being there helped to counteract the energy that prevents them from entering transwarp space. Though, I had no idea that it would also help to cure the malady, of them being poisoned by it. My god Lucie, it’s like you filter the energy for them. They are probably the only ones that WON’T die from the ripalon energy.” Johnathon revealed.

Lucie looked at the unconscious female then back to her brother. She was about to speak when Bee spoke up. “She will live?” She looked at the other two Tendraxian females next to her. Then almost as one, they all knelt on the floor as they bowed to Johnathon, this elicited a groan from him.

All three were almost chanting, “thank you lord sir for sparing her.” The longer this went on, the more uncomfortable he got.

“Please stand I did nothing; it was my sister.” Johnathon was saying trying to get the females off the floor.

Bee’s head suddenly snapped up as she looked at Johnathon with a confused look. “She is your sister? Lord sir, we have never heard of a male saying that he had a sister. Your people have very different customs. No male on our world would ever admit to such a thing.”

Johnathon looked at Lucie shocked a moment, then he felt his ire start to rise.

Lucie recognized this as she walked to Johnathon quickly, “Calm brother. If you lose your temper, it will set back everything I managed to do with them.” All this was in a low whisper.

After he took a deep breath, Johnathon released a shuttering a sigh. “Thank you, not sure I want to have to get them to this point again. Now if we could get them to warm up to the commander.” Johnathon whispered back.

Lucie shook her head as she said, “Good luck with that. They have been conditioned to fear him. I’m not sure I can break through that, or anyone else for that matter. Then again, the Empress did make an impression on them that’s for sure.”

“We can only hope Lucie, we can only hope,” Johnathon said.

Onboard the Jitaku ship, Onai’s brother Riku, was going through the readings again. For all intents and purposes, General Daniel Norman, was where he had wanted to be. When he left Jitaku, all those years ago, he had left explicit instructions.

As he fingered the medal that was under his shirt, a grim smile came to his lips. “I will not fail you my Kyūseishu (savior) I will do as you have asked.”

While adjusting several of the wavelength outputs, Riku nodded as he saw the readings start to even out. A moment later there was a humming then the image of Isamu Sakuta appeared.

“Leader,” Riku stated as he bowed. “I have further information on Kimon’s clan mate.”

Isamu nodded, noticing that Riku was touching the medal within his shirt. “Continue Riku.”

“Hai rīdā, I have managed to make the mind shield stable. It appears though, that his mind, is starting to overpower it. I therefore request...” Riku started, only to quiet when Isamu nodded again, then held up his hand.

“I considered this after your last request. I, therefore, asked the Dempsy clan to assist with this. It was after all their Nō isha (brain doctor) that administered the mind shield. They should be there soon; I now have to contact his lordship about this.” Isamu stated then the room was silent as the hologram disappeared.

Riku was still bowed saying a silent prayer for Daniel Norman.

He looked at the information hoping that he could keep his Kyūseishu stable. With a sigh, he hoped that he was as good as his sister and father thought that he was. He couldn’t allow anything to happen to the man.

After adjusting several readings again, he was glad that the Nō isha, was already on the way. The sooner that they got here, the better he would feel.

Derrick was relaxing onboard Shelby; it wasn’t that long after both ships had returned. Human Shelby, of course, wasn’t about to let Derrick out of her sight.

He’d just managed to get his eyes closed finally feeling the tension easing from his body. A few minutes later there was a chiming signal.

With a sigh, his eyes snapped open. “Yes, Shelby,” he asked.

“Derrick I have communication with an Isamu Sakuta. He is asking permission to speak with you.” Shelby conveyed.

Derrick sat up immediately.

Derrick straightened his clothes telling Shelby, “Please put him through.”

There was a shimmering in the air before Derrick then an older Oriental male’s visage appeared.

The male bowed low then stated his eyes still to the floor. “Greetings exalted one, I hope that I have not intruded.”

Derrick also bowed slightly shocking the older male. “No Isamu Sakuta, as I stated before your planet has always conducted its self with honor.”

The older male seemed to blush at the praise that Derrick was bestowing upon him. Then just as suddenly, the male’s tone grew serious.

“I wish to impart information that I feel you should have.” The older male stated. When Derrick only nodded the male continued. “As you know, General Norman was a visitor to our world many times.”

Derrick listened as the older male went into intricate detail of the incident, Norman’s heroics. Then he told of the many times that Norman honored him and the council. He also told of Norman being accepted into the Dempsy clan.

Derrick knew of some of this, though the longer on the older male went, the more Derrick’s amazement rose.

“I have told you all of this so that you know that a doctor will arrive there soon. I did not want it to be a surprise to you. Like all great leaders, you should know all of what is going on with your closest men.” The older male finally finished.

“Thank you Isamu Sakuta, again you bring great honor upon your people and planet. I will make sure all is ready when this doctor arrives.” Derrick replied.

“You are truly a wise leader exalted one. Be well, I hope that one day you will grace us with a visit.” The male stated bowing again.

“I will make it a point to get there, though for now, I have an invading force to repel,” Derrick told the male then slightly bowed to the older male again.

After the hologram shut off, Derrick had a wide smile on his face. Damn, it was good to know that he had such great men in his command.

“Shelby,” Derrick stated.

“I am connecting you to Celeste’s med-bay now,” Shelby replied with a sweet smile.

Derrick could only shake his head; he’d forgotten again that Shelby could read many of his thoughts. It was he had to admit, a great time-saver, though it could still get irritating.

A moment later the med-bay appeared before him. “So,” Derrick started as he saw that Kimon was still on the bio-bed. “You are healing rapidly. Good, I hope that both of you are ready in the next twelve or so days. I have a mission for you Dempsy.” Here Derrick turned toward Onai. “ I know that you will not permit him to leave your sight ‘til you are joined.”

Onai looked at Kimon then back to Derrick. “You are correct your lordship.”