Chapter 21: Healing and Mechs

Lisa slowly woke up and opened her eyes. As she moved her eyes, they settled on her sister's face.

In a scratchy voice, she said, "Hi, Sis. Can I have a drink of water? I'm really thirsty."

Tammy brushed the hair out of Lisa's eyes.

"Hey, Sis! Yes, you may have a drink. How are you feeling?"

Reaching over to the bedside table, she lifted a glass of water with a straw in it to her sister's lips.

"Take your time drinking. Well, we now know what was wrong with you, and it will never harm you ever again."

Taking a sip of water, Lisa continued, "I feel very weak. I am hungry, as well. What was wrong with me? Can I sit up?"

"Yes you can sit up."

Lisa took a deep breath and slowly tried to sit up, but she felt very weak.

"I feel different. I don't know why, but I do."

"That's the nanobots," Amy said as she came into Lisa's field of vision. "What you are feeling is the bots purging your system of the disease." Looking to Tammy she continued, "Tammy, you will need to help her sit up."

Tammy put the glass back on the table. Tammy slid her arm under sister's back, and helped her to sit up.

"Take it easy, Sis, we are here to help."

Looking around the room, Lisa saw the only other bed in her area that was occupied was Jen's.

Looking over at Amy, she asked, "Is Jenny ok? I thought she would be awake, by now."

Amy looked over at Jenny. "She will be ok, now, because she is now talking to the bots. I had to work on their program all night. I figured out where I went wrong. She should wake up in about twenty minutes. Do you want some food?"

Lisa's stomach grumbled in hunger, and she replied, "Yes, please. Is there any chicken left?"

"Yes." Amy looked at the replicator and it formed a plate of food for Lisa. "Tammy, the food is on the pad for Lisa, could you get it?"

Smiling at her sister, Tammy said, "Yes, I will be right back, sis."

Tammy went over to the replicator and picked up tray with the plate full of hot food, a glass of soda and silverware. Bringing them back to Lisa, she was surprised that a table had formed over Lisa's lap. She set the items down on the table.

"Here you go Sis. Enjoy your meal."

Lisa started eating with relish. She quickly consumed the entire plate and cleaned her lips with the napkin.

"Yummy! That was good. I feel stronger, too."

The plate, silverware, drink cup, and table, suddenly slid to the side as Lisa moved her legs.

Tammy moved around the bed and reached to steady Lisa before she could fall off the bed.

"Take it easy, Sis. You will be a little weak when you try to stand."

Lisa slipped off the bed and stood on shaky legs, legs that grew stronger every minute. Stretching her arms above her, she looked at the rows of beds and then a woman walked out of a room and started coming towards them.

"So what happens now? Who is that?"

Amy looked over at Jen, and then back at Lisa.

"Nothing for you, your chips were implanted while you were healing. Therefore, you do not need any further treatment. As for Jenny, we just need to wait for her to wake up. That is Doctor Molly O'Neil; she's the ship's medical doctor."

Lisa took a deep breath and her nose crinkled up as she caught a whiff of herself.

"I need a shower! I smell as if I've been in the sun all day. I thought she was in Las Vegas?"

Molly walked over to Jen's bed, overhearing her comment and smiled at the young girl.

"Hello Commander, I see our patient is awake."

Checking the bed's readouts, she saw they were in the green and she said, "Yes, I was in Las Vegas, but I returned with a batch of recruits. They are undergoing training now. Tammy, why don't you take Lisa to your room, and let her get a shower and some clean clothes."

Amy moved over to Jenny's bed and she saw her eyes start to flutter.

"Wake up, Jen, you're safe."

Tammy looked up from Lisa as she heard Amy's voice.

"Is she waking up?"

Amy checked the readouts, and replied, "Yes she is."

Jenny slowly woke up, and looked around the room. Her eyes focused on Amy's face.

"How did I get here?" she asked.

Molly walked over, and said, "Ken brought you in. You were very sick, but you're better, now."

Jen smiled at her two friends, and replied, "Thank you, you two. Especially you, Amy. You're always saving us."

Molly sat on the edge of the bed, and asked, "Jenny, can you tell us what happened?"

Jenny thought for a minute.

"I remember, now. It was as if I was outside my body, looking around at the world. I could see myself and everyone else, but they could not see me. I was yelling for help, but no one would look at me."

Jenny sat up, and saw Tammy and Lisa at another bed.

"Hi, you two. Lisa, are you ok now?"

"Yes, I am doing a lot better now, thanks to Amy."

Leaning in, she whispered in her sister's ear, "Go kiss your lover."

Lisa pushed Tammy over towards Jenny.

Surprised, Tammy stumbled towards Jenny's bed and then looked back at her sister.

Giggling, Lisa said, "I will tell you, later."

Tammy straightened up, and walked over to Jen and took her hand as she sat on the edge of the bed. Leaning in, she gave her a passionate kiss.

When they separated, she said, "Jen, are you able to tell us what happened to you? Ken said they found you, yesterday, curled up in a ball in your closet."

Jen looked at Tammy with love in her eyes as they separated from the kiss and looked at her in confusion for a second.

"I remember going down for the mail." Jen concentrated for a second, then smiled and said, "I got a letter from Carla."

Tammy thought on the name, and asked, "That's your pen pal in England?"

"Yes, I stuck it in my pocket."

Jen reached into her back pocket and pulled out a folded envelope. Suddenly she went white as a ghost. The nanobots tightened down on Jen's arteries as her heart started beating faster, and her blood pressure rose.

"Oh my God! He drove by the house."

"Who drove by the house, Jen?" asked Amy from where she was monitoring Jen's vital statistics.

"The Brander did. Amy, he looked just like his picture you showed me, and just like the historical tapes," Jen said, shuddering from the memory. "He looked at me like I was a slab of meat on his plate, or his next conquest."

Tammy wrapped her arms around her best friend, and said with concern, "When did you see him?"

"It was around 3:15 in the afternoon. I went down to the mailbox as I do every day. His car was acting up, or I think it was. When I looked in his eyes, all I could feel was the evil. I turned and ran back up to the house. The next thing I knew I was waking up here. Speaking of which, why am I here?"

With a silent sigh, Amy answered, "That was my fault, Jen. When I programmed your nanobots, I didn't add the subroutines to combat stress and psychological problems that could arise from field conditions. It has been so long since I programmed nanobots, that it slipped my memory circuits. Therefore, when you saw him, your mind simply shut down. Your nanobots were not able to catch the problem, and stop it. If they had been correctly programmed, you would not have had a collapse at all. I am really sorry for allowing this to happen to you."

"It's ok, Amy. You saved me when I thought I was going mad. You are always saving us. You have done nothing but good to us, since we found you, first Ken, and then Molly here ... and now Lisa and me. It is we, who could never repay you, enough. And if you had a physical body, I would hug you tightly."

Amy looked at Jen in mild shock. "Thank you Jenny, your words are enough. I know I shall never have a body, again. It is enough to have your thanks."

Tammy looked up from the hug she was giving Jen, and gazed at Amy, as she blurted out, "Body again? What do you mean?"

Amy looked over at Tammy in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Confused by Amy's words, Tammy said, "Amy you said, 'I shall never have a body, again.' What did you mean by that?"

Amy scanned her memory of the conversation.

"I don't know why I said that. I was programmed in a lab, not born. My body is this ship. I must have messed up what I was saying I will run a full diagnostic, later."

Molly stood there confused by what she has heard and decided to check on it later.

"I am releasing you all. Take your time, and go get some sleep in a real bed."

Turning, Molly walked into her office and started accessing the computer memory banks.

Nodding her head at Molly's orders, Jenny said, "Ok, thanks, Molly, see you later."

Just as Tammy was about to ask more questions, the doors opened and a little ball of fur ran in, and danced around the bed. Jumping on Tammy's leg, she climbed up into Jen's arms. Jen hugged the little dog to her as her brother came in.

"Hi, Ken."

"Hi, Sis, so how is my baby sister doing?" asked Ken as he gave Jenny a hug.

"I'm feeling better, thanks to Amy and Molly," she said, and then turned to the others, saying, "Can I get out of here?"

"You're asking the wrong person, you need to ask the medical officer on duty."

Jen looked at Ken in confusion, and then it dawned on her.

"Molly, can I please get out of here?"

"Yes, you may. I released you, and said for you to get some rest. Or, you can join the rest of the crew for breakfast."

"Thanks, Amy, Molly," Jen said as she gathered up her letter and set Cherie on the floor. Jumping off the bed, she stretched her muscles. She headed for the door with Lisa, to follow Ken out into the hall. Tammy followed as Cherie rushed down the hallway to another door. She jumped at it until it opened for her.

"Well, I know where breakfast is, now." Jen said with a chuckle.

She went to the door, and paused as it opened for her. Stepping in she saw all her friends and family there.

Maria and Martha were serving up the food to everyone as they came in. Dropping their spoons of food into the steam table pans, they rushed to their daughters and took them into their arms. Martha whispered her love to Jenny, as Maria just looked into her daughter's eyes. Both women led their daughters to seats at the table, ordering them to sit while the mothers went and got them some food.

Lisa looked at her mom, and said, "Just juice for me, Mom, I already ate."

Maria looked at her daughter, and replied, "One juice coming right up, baby."

Maria went over to an urn and poured Lisa a tall glass of orange juice. Setting the glass down in front of her, she started to place a straw in it and laughed.

"I guess you won't need this anymore."

Taking the offered straw from her mother, she answered her with a smile on her face.

"No, I won't. But I won't pass them up."

"Well, I am starved, Mom, even if Lisa isn't. Can I have French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, and a big glass of milk?"

Before Martha could get to the replicator, it turned on and the meal appeared on the pad. Taking the tray of food, she carried it over to her daughter and set it down in front of her.

"Here you go, sweetie, you enjoy this. I need to ask your brother some questions."

"Ok, Momma, I will."

Martha went over to Ken and asked, "Ken is she ok? Will she have anymore of these attacks?"

"Yes, Mom. She is ok. Amy said she will be fine from now on, and wouldn't have anymore attacks."

Ken gave his mom a hug of encouragement as they walked back to the table. Sitting at the head of the table, Ken watched his friends and family eat. Even Andy White was looking a lot better, as he sat at the other table, talking with Ted.

Ken turned on his laptop and started trying out the features of the new computer. He brought up the ship's schematics, weapons, and the tactics of the late captain. Everything he needed was right there at his fingertips. Shutting down, he closed the computer as everyone started carrying their dishes to the replicator. Reaching over, he drained his coffee and stood up.

"Ok, people, listen up."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Ken.

"This is the game plan, for today. Tammy and Jenny are going to show you the ship while Ted and I get to together and do some work that needs to be done by us. We will meet up for dinner at five pm. If you get hungry, there are replicators throughout the ship, so just grab something. In addition, Molly has recruited about one hundred people and you will be seeing them around the ship. I want you to introduce yourselves, and get to know them. From this day forward, we are not American, French, Russian, Yankee or Southerner. We are citizens of the Federation. I will see you at dinner. If you get tired and need a nap, take one. Most of all think about what you are giving up. Ted, follow me, please."

He walked out the door with his computer case in his arms. Ted got up and followed.

Ted caught up to Ken, as he stopped at the transport tube.

"Hey, Ken, what's up."

"You will see. Go to your quarters. There is a uniform there for you. I will meet you on gamma deck in fifteen minutes."

"Ok, see you there."

Ted stepped in to the tube and said, "Chief of Security's quarters."

Ted was off like a flash of light. Shooting through the ship, he was into the Marine's area of the ship, in seconds. Ted was deposited near his quarters. Going into his quarters, he found a uniform lying on his bed. He stripped down, and put the new clothes on. Then he noticed that there were color-coded neural feeds throughout the suit.

"What the hell are these for?"

As he was examining the clothes, he noticed a strip of paper on the floor, where it had fallen, unnoticed. Picking it up, he saw written in Ken's handwriting, 'You'll see.' Shaking his head, he started getting dressed.

Ken stepped into the tube.

"Captain's quarters, please."

The tube shot through the ship, depositing Ken outside his quarters. Ken walked into his room and set the laptop on his bed. Stripping down, he started pulling the suit on, and sealing it shut.

Walking out of the room, he stepped into the transport tube.

"Gamma deck, please."

Ken shot through the ship again, and he was deposited onto Gamma deck. Ted appeared less than a minute latter.

Ken looked at Ted and said, "You ready?"

Ted looked over to where Ken was leaning against the wall.

"Am I ready for what? Also, I look ridiculous in this outfit."

Ken smiled at Ted and turned away.

"You will see. As for the suit ... sorry, can't help that."

Ken walked down the hall and came to a door marked 'Ground Assault Bay One'. The doors opened, and they walked into the room and came to a dead stop. Standing in the center of the room stood two Cheetah Class Scout Mechs.

Ted looked at Ken and grinned, as he said, "Prepare to get your ass so kicked."

"Maybe, Ted, maybe. Let's go see. Take your pick of which one you want. Both have the same weapons configurations."

Ken watched Ted walked up to the Cheetah on the right; it was painted bright blue with white lightning bolts on it. Ted turned to Ken.

"I want this one. Now, how do I get... " Before he could finish, the door opened at the top and a ladder descended. "Oh, that's how."

Ted climbed up, while Ken moved to the red one, with stars painted on it.

Climbing into their Mechs, they both found helmets waiting for them on their chairs. Each of them sat in their chair and started attaching wires to the different color-coded circles on their suits. Pulling on the helmet, an H.U.D. came up with four holographic screens. Each was marked individually: front, rear, left, and right. Powering up their Mechs, they practiced turning them, walking, and swiveling the torso. As they looked around, the H.U.D. followed their eyes, keeping the screens at eye level. Placing their feet on the pedals, they strapped their feet down. They started gliding forward around the Mech bay. A few minutes later, they activated full power to their Mechs. Ken contacted Ted.