Chapter 37: Surprises

Amy accessed the data link into the Earths internet and started searching through the records and history. Happily, she started downloading all she could find. On the chat programs, and peer to peer sites, she gathered movies, books, music and anything she thought the crew would like an then she froze as she started reading some of the historical documents.

"Oh NO!" Which caused her to dive into more pages and then she froze all her downloads, and locked her system down.

Flight 329 from Philadelphia to Reno was boarding and five-year-old Ashley Granger stood beside her mother. Johanna leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Bitch, you're going to your father, I am sick and tired of your fuckin' lies. Let that asshole of an excuse of a father take care of you from now on." Standing up she grabbed her daughter hand and escorted her over to the flight attendant.

"Ticket Ma'am?" Charlene Kellogg asked.

"Right here. My daughter is flying alone. She is being met by my ex-husband, at Cannon International." Leaning down again, she sweetly said, "Now you be good for Momma and enjoy your time with Daddy."

Ashley felt the tears drip down her face, as she replied, "I will, Momma."

"Have a good time, stop crying and be a good girl for the attendant," she said, and then kissed her cheek, she whispered, "Goodbye, bitch! And you thought you would steal my guy! I don't think so!"

Ashley burst into tears, as she was led onto the plane.

Johanna Granger turned and walked away from the desk, never looking back at the daughter who watched over her shoulder crying as she stood there with her attendant.

'What a bitch, ' Charlene thought as she watched the mother walk away.

"Come on, Ashley. You will be sitting next to me. I have crayons and paper for you to draw with if you want."

Johanna snapped her cell phone open and made the long distance call to Reno. She waited and waited for the phone to be picked up.

"Come on you asshole, pick it up," she said and then the answering machine came on.

"This is David Granger I am away for the weekend and will be back Monday afternoon around three pm, leave a message and I will get back to you."

"You son of a bitch! Be at Cannon in the morning, your daughter is on flight 329 and she's your responsibility from now on! I don't want the lying bitch back. Don't ever call me again."

Snapping the phone shut, she did a little skip of happiness, as she left the airport.

Tammy was sitting there reading the report on the repairs to the ship, when suddenly the voice behind her scared her out of the chair. Flying out of the chair, the pad went one way, and the stylus went another. She turned and saw Ken standing there with a grin on his face.

"Damn you, Ken, you scared me half to death."

Ken laughed and replied, "Sorry Tammy, I couldn't resist doing that." Walking around the chair, he gave her a kiss, and continued what he was saying, "So what's the damages?"

Tammy stood there being kissed by Ken. She smiled at him as he stepped back, and then turned serious.

"Sir, the last of the bow and stern rail guns will be back online in thirty minutes. All shield generators are repaired, and we have started to restore the inner hull now that the hull breaches have been sealed. We have nineteen dead. Two more bodies have been recovered in Environmental Room Two, and SAR has recovered one from the battle site, it looks like his body was sucked out of Missile Storage 10. To free up the medical beds Molly has released all the wounded to their quarters, and they are all back with their families except for Jenny, who is still under observation, and bored as hell."

Ken grinned as he remembered how his sister sat fuming in the med bed wanting to leave but not daring with Ted standing there watching over her. Listening and listing to Molly go on and on about electrical damage to the body and how she wanted to make sure she was going to be okay before she released her.

"Yeah I know, I checked on her before coming up here. Any word on Amy? Has she been seen?"

"No, she hasn't appeared, yet. I wonder if she is angry at us," Tammy said, as she shook her head no.

"I don't know, Tammy; I guess I better order her up, which is something I don't want to do because she is a friend," Ken said as he picked up the datapad for Tammy.

Smiling encouragement, she said, "Ken, my love, sometimes you have to do unpleasant things. So get it done, then you can apologize to her."

She guided him to his chair and made him sit down. She then stood at his left and waited.

With another sigh, he did as Tammy said, and deep down he knows he didn't want to do this, because as he said to her you do not order friends around like they have no feelings.

"Amy, this is a direct order, please report to the bridge."

Across the room, a sparkling mist appeared and when done, Amy stood there with her head down, and a trickle of holographic tears running down her beautiful face.

"Captain, reporting as ordered, Sir."

Ken got up and walked over to Amy and looked her in the face, and said, "Amy, please don't cry. We don't understand it all, but eventually we will. Now I need my damage control officer, is she able to report to work, or do you need to go see my mother and talk with her?"

A small sad smile came to Amy's face and she looked up at her captain, and said, "No, Sir. I am able to work. Damage to decks nine through thirteen has been repaired. The remaining decks will be repaired by tomorrow night. All shield generators are back online, hull breaches are closed and are undergoing permanent repair. The repairs to the portside lasers are at thirty percent completion. As we speak, the replicators are forming the new rail guns for the portside batteries. As soon as one is ready, it will be installed. It is taking about three hours to make each of the guns and all its equipment and installing them. I have twenty replicators making them. Power conduits from Emergency Power Room Three, to the portside weapons are up and running and the power room is back online. It is going to take about five days to repair Bay One. Sir, your private shuttle was destroyed during the attack. I have ordered the bots to manufacture a new one for you. It should be completed in six hours in Bay Number Two."

"Thank you for the report Amy, are you ok?" replied Ken as he listened to the report

"Yes, Sir. Sir, may I be dismissed?"

Ken looked at Amy and realized this was not the same AI they met a month ago, and said, "No, please meet me in my day cabin." Ken stood and said, "Tammy, you have the bridge."

Ken walked towards the ramp going up into his day cabin.

"Aye, Captain, I have command," Tammy said as she sat down.

Going up the ramp, he walked into his day cabin and over to the center of the room as Amy formed in the room.

Waiting for the doors to close, he turned and faced Amy, and said, "Ok my friend, what is wrong. You look terrible, you sound terrible, and you need to tell me what is wrong."

Amy stood there and looked at Ken, trying to figure out how to tell him, she opened her mouth to said, and quickly shut it. Shaking her head, she indicated 'no' and started to dissipate.

Ken watched the confusion and tried to convince her to tell him what was wrong, and stood there in shock as she shook her head no and started to disappear on him. Quickly he said, "Amy, this is your Captain speaking to you, you will reform, sit down and tell me what is wrong, that is a direct order."

Amy turned solid and sat down in one of the chairs, "Sir, I just cannot talk about it at this time."

Grabbing another chair, he turned it to face Amy, and sat down himself, and said, "Amy, I am your friend and Captain, something is bothering you and if it's bothering you, it affects the ship, and crew, and as your friend it bothers me. Now tell me, is it Jessica, has she been bothering you?"

She sat there and thought, how do you tell someone that all you thought you knew was wrong?

"No, Sir. It's not Jessica. We have reformed the link, and are reconnected. It is something else I learned, while going through your planet's Internet."

Ken sat up and looked at Amy with concern, and asked, "What have you learned?"

Amy shook her head and tears started dripping to the floor, and then she responded, "Sir, I..." clearing her throat she tried again, "Ken, I have been so wrong, I have endangered you, your family, and your world."