Lost Empire

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Light shone off the gleaming black skin of the ship. Over three miles long, it had been one of a new race of living A.I. ships engineered to guard the vast Imperial boundary territory. For eight hundred years the small fleet of fast, sleek ships protected the empire. Many enemies had perished attempting to enter and take the empire. Though the fleet slowly died, the greatest of them was never defeated nor was she ever badly injured.

Finally two of the three remaining empire guardians were destroyed defending the borders. It has been a glorious battle, she'd fought bravely destroying the rest of the invaders after the last of her compatriots had exploded. Her rage knowing no bounds, as she took out the last two hundred ships. Her crew reported the victory and the destruction of two of the last three remaining elite ships. The Emperor personally congratulated them, telling them to await transfer and replacement. That had been two hundred years ago. The ship lovingly called Shelby by all her crews, began to grow lonely after the last of her crew died fifty years later. fifty years afterward she sent a message on the Imperial net for assistance. Confused when she received no reply, she hoped for recall. Soon however, she began to hunt for a biological humanoid to question, to get the answers she so desperately craved.

Derrick O'Toma looked over the readings, stretching his six foot two body. This salvage run had to be the worst. Brushing his sandy brown hair from the scar on his cheek, and from his light brown eyes, he sighed, sitting back in the command chair. What the hell did the company expect? Out here? There hadn't been anything out here since the last two of the elite living ships of the old empire were destroyed. Damn, he'd loved to have gotten his hands on one of those old ships, there hadn't been anything like them in over one thousand years. Too bad the last emperor had such a great distrust of the ships. Derrick felt that they were what had helped keep the empire as great as it was for so long.

Bored, Derrick set the sensors on auto sweep, adjusting the ships controls to react to anything detected. Getting up, he went to lay down, cursing his luck for having drawn this run. He'd just lain down, when he heard a voice, at least he thought he heard a voice. Looking around he shook his head, returning to the control cockpit, he opened the computer com.

"Computer," Derrick said a little annoyed.

"Online, awaiting orders," came the monotone, mechanical voice.

"Scan ship, query, are there any other life forms on board besides my self?" Derrick asked.

"Working," it stated, after five minutes it answered, "Analysis complete, no other life forms on board besides Captain Derrick."

Shaking his head, Derrick decided that the five weeks out here alone were starting to get to him.

Lying back down, Derrick felt his eyes close, God he was tired, a little metal, a few circuits not even worth the trip. Huh? Derrick thought this was an unusual dream, as a gray mist area stretched in front of him.

*"Hello, I am Elite Imperial Guardian, EIG-0101F, to all humanoid entities who can detect these cerebral waves, I am in need of assistance. Again, any humanoid entity who detects this transmission, please respond."* A voice came from somewhere far away in the mist.

*"What the fuck was that?"* Derrick thought.

He felt a sudden rush, then a beautiful, blonde, green eyed, slender, naked woman was standing in front of him. Derrick could only stare at her perfect appearing body.

*"Dam!"* Derrick thought, *"This is an awful erotic dream, look at her! She's gorgeous!"*

Blushing a bit when he realized he was also naked, he went on, *"My god! she's perfect!"*