Lost Empire

Chapter 38

0001 - Tempro

0003 - Conner

0097 - Ace

0101 - Shelby (mother ship)

0125 - Lars

0200 - Ellen

0301 - Rodrick

0403 - Johnathon

0667 - Marco

0778 - Jan

0798 - Celeste

0908 - Tara

0999 - Zan

1000 - Sherry

__________________________

Lucy - 0098

Derrick was feeling like crap, it was his fault all his fault. He just had to push the limits of the re-gen and he'd almost gotten all the ships destroyed! Shaking his head he was starting to feel as if he really wasn't the best choice for this job.

Mary looked on as she felt Derrick slipping further and further into depression. The victory they had just won was the greatest since the fleet was created; though it seemed that nothing of that was getting through to the emperor. Looking over at Shelby, Mary could see that she was worried also.

"Derrick," Shelby asked, "anything I can do?"

With a heavy sigh Derrick told her, "No Shelby there's not really anything, especially after today. I could have destroyed the fleet, ended the empire even as it is just starting to re-emerge again. No, I don't think there's much of anything that anyone can do for me." Slumping in his chair Derrick sadly shook his head at the data in front of him. How could he have been so damn stupid, so impatient!

Mary shook her head also; this was bad, really bad. She'd seen the crippling effect that this type of mood could have on the emperor before. Then a thin smile crossed her lips, then again she hadn't had the resources then that she did now.

Kimison had just finished with the final psychological tests on the grand she as he and Rayburn were starting to call her. "I am seeing no adverse psychological effects of the transfer." Kimison was telling Rayburn.

"I figured as much when I saw the readings earlier. What I am more worried about is her stability now that she is a living human. I mean her personality is over a thousand years old. It would seem a living entity even a living mechanical entity would experience some type of instability." Rayburn replied.

Kimison sighed deeply, "Look you ass the readings don't lie..." Kimison started to yell.

"True they don't but we are dealing with humanity something that was and is ALWAYS unpredictable! God get over yourself!" Rayburn yelled back.

"Really, why couldn't you just ask," came a soft feminine voice from behind them.

Suddenly quiet both men turned slowly to stare at the blonde 5' 8'' woman. She was standing there with her arms crossed her green eyes wide at their bouts of anger at each other.

Both men bowed low, "I'm sorry our spat awoke you your highness."

"Spat? No gentlemen it sounded like the beginning of a war. As long as you two were friends and you still fight like enemies. If I was still in my digital form I'd have shocked the both of you. Well at least 'til you both listened to me. I still might after Derrick and I are together." The slender woman told them.

Both men looked at each other, did they really sound that bad? Here they thought the commander had been joking about that. Here she had detected it after a few weeks! "I apologize your highness! We have been like this the entire time we served together. The commander said it was our strongest and weakest point." Rayburn said.