Chapter 16

It had been almost 12 hours and Mary had been following the progress of Rear Admiral Joseph Hartwell. After sending him to Abrir Oculta Providence to retrieve Derrick's family she could only wait. Checking in on Derrick every few minutes there still hadn't been any improvement. Not really one to worry that much Mary was actually hoping that his family would jar his memory. It was far too dangerous to try most of the other remedies that had been prescribed. It appeared that while increasing his intellect and cognitive abilities Derrick's head set process had also loosened his tight grip on the present, hence only a slight knock had rendered him with no memory.

Mary was just hoping that the jar of seeing his family would be sufficient enough to bring him back. Finally she saw that the Rear Admiral had left Abrir Oculta heading toward the imperial planet. Opening a channel Mary needed a progress report, "Rear Admiral," she started slightly startling the bridge crew, "Did you have any problems?"

"Uh no, by the way what do I call you?" Hartwell asked Mary.

"At present my current title is imperial advisor and head law holder. Also I am at an emergency contingency 'til such time as the emperor releases me from it. This means I will do everything within my power to protect the imperial planet and the emperor." Sighing at the confused look on Hartwell's face she said, "Just call me advisor Mary, it's about as close as most will get to my full title."

Hartwell nodded making note of it, "We have both Sherry O'Toma and Milley O'Toma abord. We should arrive in ten hours."

"Unacceptable. Shelby, please transport the ranger ship here. Shelby should have you here in a minute or so," Mary advised Hartwell.

Looking out a huge, sleek, black skinned ship flashed in directly above them, emitted an eerie beam then they both flashed and were in the vicinity of the imperial planet. Most of the bridge crew was staring opened mouth at the view screen. The science officer walked up to Hartwell with a look of surprise and want on his face, "Sir according to the stellar readings we just crossed over half of the galaxy in five seconds! OMG! I want one of those!"

Hartwell chuckled a moment his self in awe, "You and me both Anders, you and me both." He said almost in a whisper. Suddenly there was a commotion in the passageway connecting the bridge to the rest of the ship.

"I don't care what he said I want to see that idiot NOW!" Sighing, Hartwell knew the sound of Milley O'Toma's voice anywhere. She might be old but she was still as feisty as she was when she was younger. Pushing her way onto the bridge she stood next to Hartwell's chair with her arms crossed. "So when are we due to get there?" She asked before she looked at the view screen. "Is that the imperial world? I knew that the Rangers had fast ships but this is..." Milley's mouth dropped open when a 3 mile long ship came into view. "OMG!" She was whispering, falling to her knees, "I thought he was telling stories, they are real then the rest of it has to be true also!"

Hartwell looked at her strange what was she talking about? "Ma'am?" Hartwell asked her, "What are you talking about?"

"That," she whispered in awe, "it is just as my husband described it, I just thought it was one of his wild stories."

"You know what it is?" Hartwell asked her a little shaken now.

"Yes," she said never taking her eyes off the sight before her, "it is an Elite Imperial Guardian, all these years I humored him and he was actually speaking the truth!"

Shelby couldn't resist and appeared on the Ranger ship's bridge, "it is good that someone remembered us!" she said as she smiled at Milley. Then she was gone as the Ranger ship's holograph equipment wasn't that good.

"What was that?" Milley asked.

"That was a hologram of the Artificial Intelligence personality on board the ship you see there I believe." Hartwell tried to explain to her, as well as the rest of the bridge crew that were listening with rapt attention.

"Artificial Intelligence? Personality? What in the hell are you talking about?" Milley said finally starting to come to her senses.

"When I met the emperor, he told me he had four of these ships at his command. Derrick was helping him, though he, nor I knew who the man was." Hartwell told her.

Milley O'Toma could only shake her head Derrick was helping the new emperor? Remembering back before her husband had been found dead, she was starting to remember quite a bit. What was it he had told her numerous times? AH! That he, their son and Derrick were descended from the imperial line. It was still a bit of a shock for her to take, wait they were descended, that meant...

Leaning close to Hartwell she whispered, "Derrick is the emperor isn't he?" Hartwell's eyes grew wide then looking around he gave her a look as if to tell her not to ask again. Nodding, she thought for a few moments before she spoke again. "So when will we know about Derrick?" She asked.

"Well... ," Hartwell started.

Suddenly the voice of Mary was heard, "Ah! Good! You're participation is greatly appreciated, please have the two females on the bridge so I can effect a transfer."

Snapping her head up Milley growled at the voice, "I have a name, I am going nowhere without an explanation, especially with one as rude as you!"

"I apologize Mrs. O'Toma but you and Derrick's mother are required as soon as possible to be with him." Mary found it extremely distasteful and disrespectful to say the emperor's first name, but in order to keep up the charade she felt he would want her to. Milley's face was suddenly worried hearing Mary's words.

"I'll get Sherry and call you when we are ready, I just hope Derrick isn't injured too bad." Milley said as she ran from the bridge to get Sherry. Almost running to their room Miley grabbed a confused Sherry. "We have to hurry; the voice said that we needed to be there with Derrick as soon as possible. I am worried that he was harmed far more than these idiots in the Rangers told us"

"My god, Derrick has survived so much and now they and you tell me he is on an alien looking ship? It took both of us so long nursing him back to health, I'm hurrying Milley!" Sherry O'Toma said, as Milley grabbed her arm and started pulling her with more strength than Sherry thought Milley had.

Arriving back on the bridge Milley and Sherry nodded to Hartwell, "Advisor Mary, they are both here on the bridge," Hartwell spoke into the communicator.

"I wonder how..." Milley started, "long we'll have ... to wa ... what the hell!!??"

"Welcome aboard," A blonde, green eyed, slender woman smiled as they both stared at her. "I am EIG-0101F though I was ordered to go by the name given me. If it is more appealing to you, please call me Shelby, Derrick insists that we use our names we were given. Actually I prefer the name also more than my EIG designation."

"Obviously Derrick has been extremely busy since we last saw him," Milley told a wide eyed and gaping mouthed Sherry.

Finally finding her voice a slightly trembling Sherry looked at Shelby, "Just where are we?"

Shelby smiled even wider and her face softened, "You are on board me, well the ship; you see the ship and I are one."

"We were told you are an Artificial Intelligence personality," Sherry said.

"Yes I am, though I and the ship are integrated in a way. Hmmm think of it like this I am the brain, the ship is my body does that help?" Shelby smiled sweetly. Sherry shook her head looking at Shelby as if the hologram was crazy.

"Enough of this," Milley said, "Where is Derrick? From what we heard earlier we are worried that he is injured far more than we were told. I demand to see my grandson immediately!"

"Yes of course Mrs. O'Toma, please follow me or would you rather go via the IMT?" Shelby asked.

"If that is the there, then here in a few seconds, I think I'll pass unless I have no choice." Milley told a still smiling Shelby. Shelby started to walk towards a door that slowly slid open, from the other side they could faintly hear a slightly distressed Derrick's voice.

"I don't care what your orders are! I want out of this contraption! You said I wasn't a prisoner; let me out of here NOW!"

Milley shook her head as did Sherry, yes that was Derrick, same temper and all. Walking a little further they finally rounded a corner. There on a steel table was Derrick with a myriad of machines trying to tend to him.

"You always were a stubborn one weren't you Derrick," Milley said as she watched Derrick struggle with trying to fight off the machines.

"I am not stubborn gram, I am just tired... ," an opened mouthed Derrick started at the two people that had entered the room. "Gram?" Derrick started an amazed look on his face. "Mother? Oh my god! Is it really you two? I'm so confused I don't know where I am or what any of this is, god it's good to see a face that I know!"

"You sure you know us Derrick? I have heard that a person with amnesia can think they know but are only seeing flashes of memory." Milley told Derrick.

"No Gram, I remember you and mother I remember you getting me and trying to tend me after the beating I took," Derrick told Milley. "Beyond that everything fades to nothing."

Mary who had been watching looked over the now updated readings; good, the jar of seeing them had opened part of the blocked memory. Sighing, Mary thought now to bring the rest of it out before they went on too far. Accessing all of her medical records she started painstakingly going through them all again trying to find the right treatment.

Shelby was greatly encouraged when she saw that Derrick's readings were starting to align back to what they had been before the incident. Although Shelby was somewhat confused as to why just seeing his relatives had caused this to accrue. Derrick was looking around the room trying to figure out exactly what was what but still for the life of him nothing but the table looked familiar. Looking further he saw that a young blonde, green eyed woman was watching everything that was going on, why did she look so familiar also? Derrick thought the young blonde was gorgeous but the harder he tried to remember the more that his head ached. Finally laying back a groan escaping his lips, Shelby told his grandmother and mother they needed to let him rest. Besides Shelby thought she'd like to talk to them alone anyway.

"I feel that you both want answers," Shelby told them after they were alone.

"Yes, first off how in the hell has this injury happened to my grandson!" Milley O'Toma almost shouted at a startled Shelby.

"I assure I was taking every precaution that I could, but as we both know Derrick isn't the greatest listener in the universe." Shelby shot back at her.

"Huh as advanced as you are you could have prevented it!" Milley snapped at Shelby. "I tried Mrs. O'Toma," Shelby replied tears now starting to fall from her eyes,

"I tried my best to protect him but he is so stubborn Mary has had to shock him before to get him to rest. Believe me Mrs. O'Toma I want nothing to ever harm Derrick, never." This last was almost a whisper as Shelby couldn't see that straight from the tears.

"Oh my god you really are alive and you're in love with Derrick!" Sherry O'Toma said suddenly her eyes wide as the realization hit her. "Just how long have you been in love with him?"

Shelby actually blushed as she struggled to answer Sherry's question, "I'm not sure, I think it was just after Derrick opened up more of my emotions, he always puts us machines before his self."

"Humph! Yep! That sounds like our Derrick, alright young la ... whatever you are, what can we do to help?" Milley O'Toma told Shelby. "We'll do what we can but we aren't medically trained, we're at a complete loss with this."

"According to Mary, she was the voice you heard before I brought you on board me. Just seeing you, has already started to straighten out his brain readings, unfortunately all the memories he has at the moment are up 'til he was beaten outside the base."

"Ho ... how did you know about that?" Sherry asked Shelby.

"I have been in his mind a few times to try and help him, though at the moment I am afraid that his reaction to me being there might do far more damage than help. So we are trying a few less painful and intrusive ways to snap him back to us. As I said your presence has already awakened quite a few of his memories." Shelby explained.