Chapter 9: Beginning of Freedom

Ted recovered first, as he looked at his baby sister, and said, "Lisa what are you doing here? What do you mean the ship has..."

Lisa faded away, re-appeared in front of him, and replied, "That is what I meant big brother."

Ted felt the blood drain from his face as he looked at his sister. His thoughts flashed to Amy, trapped in her capsule, and he lost his temper.

He growled, "No! I won't have it!"

Walking over to the com unit, he pressed an icon on the panel, and said, "This is Captain White of the Oregon. I need Admiral Thompson to come to the Oregon right away! It's an emergency!"

Ted whirled on his sister and Jenny and said, "I will kill him! I swear it!"

Jenny saw the anger in her husband's eyes and said, "Ted, you know Ken. He would never have allowed this, calm down until we know the whole story."

Lisa looked at her brother and said, "Ted, please listen to me." She felt the doors start to open and she overrode them, slamming them closed, and continued, "No one forced me to do this. I was asked, and I accepted."

Ted looked at his sister, and said, "I don't want you on my ship. I do not want you in one of those coffins!"

Lisa sighed, and responded to Ted's angry outburst, saying, "Well, big brother, what you want and what you get are two different things. I am this ship's AI/interface, and there is nothing you, or anyone else, can do about it. My body has been modified to merge with this ship and this ship only..."

She stopped talking for a second, as her sensors recorded Admiral Thompson and her sister coming aboard, then she continued, "Now, as I was saying ... I accepted this position, of my own free will. If you force me to leave the ship, I will die. Do you want that?"

Ted looked at his little sister, and said, "No! I don't want that, but I also don't want you here."

Lisa felt Ken and Tammy at the door and said, "Admiral Thompson is here, along with Tammy."

At her words, the doors opened and they stepped onto the bridge. The crew jumped to attention as a marine bellowed.

"Admiral-on-deck!" shouted the marine guard.

"At ease, everyone," Ken said as he walked to the center of the bridge and came to a stop as he saw Ted, Jenny and Lisa standing there, and continued, "What's wrong Ted? And Lisa, what are you doing here?"

Ted looked over at Ken and said, "What's wrong? I will tell you what the fuck is wrong," he said as he walked through his sisters image and over to Ken, and continued. "That is what the fuck is wrong."

Ken stood there in shock, looking at Lisa, and finally said, "Lisa, what have you done?"

Tammy looked at her future husband and said, "She has done what she wanted to do. There is nothing we can or cannot do about it."

Ted looked at his sister and said, "I want her off of here, or I want a new ship."

Before Ken could say anything, Tammy stepped up and slapped her brother's face, and snapped, "Grow up, Theodore! This was and is Lisa's decision. Don't cheapen it for her. She did this out of her love of the human race, and the planet Terra."

Ted whirled on his sister, and said, "You knew? You knew she was doing this?"

Tammy smiled at her sister and looked back at her brother, and said, "Yes. There are some thing's sister's tell each other, that they don't tell their parents or their brothers. She also had another reason. It is a way for her to show her love for you! It's her wedding gift to both of you. She wanted you two safe, and this is the only way she could do it. She had been originally assigned to the Yamato, but when Ken decided to give you the Oregon, she asked for your ship. The capsule was reprogrammed to your ship, and sealed to her and to the ship's AI. She can leave for a few hours, but then she must return to her capsule."

Ted and Ken stared at Tammy as she talked.

Ted looked at his two sisters, and said, "What about Mom and Dad? What do you think they will say when they find out that our sister is in a coffin?"

Tammy looked at her brother, and sighed, "Ted, what Mom or Dad says has no bearing on Lisa's life. She is an adult of the Federation. She can do what she wants, and this is what she wanted. It's her way of saying 'thank you' for saving her life."

"What life? Now, she will never have a normal life... " Ted stopped as he saw the tears running down Lisa's face, and then Lisa disappeared, as he continued, "Ah, crap. Where did she go?"

Tammy sighed, and replied, "You did it again, bro! Open mouth and insert both your feet, along with your ass. Now go apologize to her. She is probably in your day cabin."

Ted looked over at his sister, and said, "Okay, I will talk with her." Walking up the ramp, he went into his cabin and walked to the back wall where the door to the AI chamber was located. As he neared it, the door opened and he saw his sister curled up in a ball and his heart broke as he heard her sobs. Going over, he sat down beside her.

"Sis ... Lisa, I am sorry for acting like an ass. It's ... it's just that I wanted you safe ... on the moon, not going out there where you could be killed."

Reaching out to touch her, his hand went through her image. With a sigh he continued, "I know you don't have to accept it, but I am sorry I hurt you."

Lisa heard her brother's words as she stepped from the capsule. Her spectral robe kept her image in front of Ted as she walked up to him and knelt behind him.

Slipping her arms around him, she felt him tense, and she said, "Ted, I love you very much. Yes, I am your baby sister, and I always will be. Nevertheless, I chose this, not you. I don't think I could kill anyone or anything by myself. But being tied to the AI allows me to defend this ship and help fight it. Besides, I am happy. You know I have always been the loner, the one who sat and dreamed. You would not believe the dreams I've been having while I am in there. I can see the universe, I have felt it."

Ted turned and looked at his sister. He pulled her into his arms and cried onto her shoulder.

"You're my baby sister! I'm supposed to protect you, not the other way around!" As he hugged her, he could feel that she had become a woman and asked, "Lisa is there anything on under this web like outfit?"

Lisa giggled and said, "Nope, nothing but li'l ol' me."

Ted dropped his hands and turned around, as he said, "Please put some clothes on."

Lisa smiled at her brother's antics and said, "I cannot stay out for long, anyway. Just know that I love you, and I will be here when you need me."

Leaning down she kissed the top of his head. She walked back to the open capsule, and laid down in the jelly like liquid. Grabbing the cloth facemask, she held it to her face, and settled back into the liquid. Nanofibers came out of the spectral cloth and connected her to the capsule again. Her breathing slowly dropped as her heart rate decreased to five beats a minute. She took a single shallow breath, and lay there in the capsule, as it sealed itself.

Ted turned and looked at the capsule, and got up. Going over to it, he looked down at his sister's body. He could just barely make out her face under the strange gossamer facemask.

"I love you, Lisa, and I will do better. I promise you," he said to her.

Lisa's voice came over his com unit, "That's all I wanted, Ted. I will be here for you, and for Jenny." Ted leaned in and kissed Lisa's capsule near her cheek as she continued, "Now go out there and apologize to Ken. He knew nothing of my plans, and he is your best friend."

Lisa's image appeared next to Ted, and she kissed him on the cheek.

Ted touched his cheek, as though feeling her lips and said, "Okay, Lisa. Just so you know, I could almost feel your kiss. My cheek tingled from that. I only want one thing from you."

Lisa looked at her brother and asked, "What's that, Ted?"

Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out, and looked Lisa in the face.

"I want you to come to dinner once a week. I mean in your physical form, not like this."

Lisa smiled, and her dimples showed as she hugged him. She used the force fields in the room to act like her physical body.

She replied, "I would be honored. Now go apologize to Ken."

Ted sighed, and said, "I will, Sis, and I love you."

Ted walked out the door and heard it close as he crossed his office. He went back onto the bridge. Walking up to Ken, he said, "Ken, I am sorry. I shouldn't have accused you like I did."

Ken looked at his best friend and brother and pulled him into a hug, and said, "Not your fault. I am angry, too. I will get to the bottom of this." Releasing him, he turned to Lisa and said, "Lisa, who did this to you? I want to know where on the ship it was done, and how!"

Lisa stiffened at Ken's voice, and said, "Sir, I cannot tell you anything about that. I am prevented from doing so because of the alpha programs that have been installed in me. You will also not be able to find the laboratory where it was done."

Looking up into Ken's face she felt the tears run down her face as a sharp pain ran through her Nanofibers, and she cried out, "I'm sorry Sir, I just... " Her face twitched in pain and before she could finish Ken cut her off.

Ken watched the pain shoot through the image of Lisa. He had seen the same pain that he had seen when he had questioned Amy and Jessica.

"Stop, Lisa, don't say anything."

Ken walked around the room as he pulled a cigar out of his pocket, and started chewing on it, and said, "Damned Alpha programs are as bad as those Navy Seals."

Ken's mind flashed back to the trial of the U.S. Navy Seals.

Captain Ripley stood up and said, "Your honors, we will prove that on November 3^rd, 2004, Commander Hutcheson and his Navy Seal teams boarded and took control of Lieutenant Jamie Conner's shuttle by force. They told her to fly to the ship. They said they would execute Corporal Mitchell Land and Private First Class Sandy Towels if Lieutenant Conner did not fly them to the ship. They stated that their planned mission was to kidnap Admiral Thompson, and his entire family.

"I place into evidence four warrants signed by Supreme Court Judge Thomas Jessup. The warrants state that Admiral Thomson was to be arrested for treason against the United States, for serving in a foreign power's military. Admiral Thompson and his family gave up their United States citizenship on June 13^th, 2004.

"I call Commander Amy Towers, and ask her to present the video evidence of Admiral Thompson being sworn in."

Amy appeared, and said, "This evidence is presented by me and was recorded on June 13^th 2004 at 9 am. In it Admiral Thompson gave the following statement that you will all see and hear."

The screen came to life, and it showed Ken and Amy standing there.

"I, Ken Andrew Thompson, do hereby give up all my allegiance to my home country and agree to follow all the laws and orders of my superior officers, and of the Terran Federation."

On the screen, Amy continued her oath of allegiance to Ken, who followed along. "I swear to defend the constitution of the Terran Federation, and according to the articles of war, to defend the human race against all enemies domestic and foreign. I agree to obey the legal orders of my superiors, and to die if I must, to uphold them."

Ken's image continued speaking on the screen. Ken stiffened in his chair as he thought of everything that had happened.

Amy's image came to attention, and saluted Ken's image.

"Welcome aboard, Captain Thompson. I as the ship's AI do hereby transfer control of the ship and its computers to you, at this time. I await your orders. Congratulations, Sir. What are your orders, Sir?"

"That concludes this part of the testimony," Amy stated.

Commander Ted White looked over at the defense table and said, "Cross examine?"

Captain DeWitt stood up, and looked at Amy. "How can we believe that this is real?"

Captain Ripley stood up and said, "Your honor, this evidence is..."

Ted looked at Captain Ripley and said, "Overruled, Captain Ripley. The witness may answer."

Captain Ripley looked at Commander White and said, "Yes, your honor," as she sat down.

Captain DeWitt, said, "Commander Towers, can you please answer my question."

Amy looked out at the defendants, and said, "These recordings are time and date stamped into the permanent memory banks run by the ship's AI. I have no access to them other than to view and display them."

Captain DeWitt listened to Amy talk, her next question already formed, and she asked, "Then how do we know this is from you."

Suddenly, from the speakers, a very loud male voice was heard, "These recordings came directly from my memory banks. No one may tamper with them."

Ashley DeWitt covered her ears, and shouted, "Your honor, I wish to declare a mistrial."

The voice continued talking at a lower volume, and said, "There will be no mistrial. This trial will proceed according to Federation Law. You asked a question, it has been answered. Now proceed."

Everyone looked around trying to figure out who the voice was, when Ted tapped the gavel lightly on the table, and said, "Thank you, Washington." Looking at Ashley he said, "Anymore questions for this witness?"

Captain DeWitt stood up, and said, "No, your honor."

She sat down as the prosecutor stood up, and said, "Your honor, I call Lieutenant Jamie Conner to the stand."

Jamie stood up, walked up to the chair, and stood in front of it.

Captain Ripley looked at Jamie, and said, "State your name, rank and post please."

Jamie looked at the defendants, and said, "Lieutenant Jamie Conner, shuttle pilot. My call sign is Sunspot."

Captain Ripley looked down at his computer pad, and said, "Lieutenant Connor, can you tell the court in your own words what happened on November 3^rd, 2004?"

"Yes, Sir. We set out on another rescue mission, looking for more survivors from the explosion that devastated Reno and Sparks. As I was flying to Northeastern Sparks, I saw a light waving from the darkness. Realizing it was a flashlight, I contacted base advise them of my intentions. As I set the shuttle down, I saw what I believed at the time was a survivor lying on the ground. Corporal Mitchell Land went out to help the survivor and he injected the injured man with anti-radiation serum and carried him into the shuttle.

"When he got into the shuttle, the Seal commander took Corporal Land and Private First Class Towels hostage. Using the ploy of having a map that indicated where we could find other survivors, he then lured me out of the cockpit. After I exited the cockpit, he threatened my crew and me with bodily harm.

"When I agreed to follow his orders, he called the other members of his command, and thirty-six more Seals came aboard. Commander Hutcheson threatened to murder my crewmembers if I did not fly him and his men to the Washington. After I flew them to the ship they tied us up, and injected a sleeping drug into us."