CHAPTER 3

Derrick was about to say more when an alarm went off.

"I have a ship like yours. 80 light years away from here, under attack," E said above the alarm, "It appears to have 20 ships closing on it!"

Damn, I wish I was there to help, thought Derrick. A winding up of energy behind him caught his attention. 5 seconds later they were there holy shit! He'd had no sensation of moving! If I had weapons, he thought, I'd take out the weapons and engines.

40 flashes of light from the left and right on the view screen, hit all but one of the raider ships engines, the rest took out their weapons.

"I am sorry I missed Derrick," E apologized.

"The hell with that, don't let them get away!" Derrick yelled.

"Attempting to lock, target out of range, entering hyperspace," E said.

"Damn it!" Derrick cursed, if only we could catch and stop it. Again there was a winding up of energy, on the screen they were in hyperspace? What the hell? They were quickly catching the last ship! 2 flashes struck the ship with pinpoint accuracy, Derrick watched as it shuddered, then returned to regular space. A strange beam hit the other ship, then it was drug behind them as they jumped back to the other 19 ships.

"Derrick, I am receiving a message on a lower forbidden frequency," E reported.

"As of today, all frequencies are no longer forbidden," Derrick said, "let me hear."

A soft crackling, then a voice Derrick knew came over it, "woo-wee! I don't know who you are, but you sure saved my bacon! Thanks partner"

Derrick was about to answer when E. stopped him. "Derrick, I don't think it's a good idea to tell anyone," she said, "they might try to force you to work for them. I could not allow it, as per protocols."

Derrick stopped a moment thinking about it, she's probably right they just might try to use him.

"A very wise and rational decision Derrick," E sweetly said.

"Find the space ranger frequency and alert them about the 20 disabled raider ships in this vector," Derrick ordered.

"Affirmative...Rangers dispatched, I suggest protective cover Derrick," E advised.

"Proceed," answered Derrick.

20 minutes later several large Ranger ships arrived. Derrick was extremely nervous till E explained.

"I have activated our light cloak, it has rendered us 90% invisible to their scans and vision," said E.

Derrick only nodded , more nervous as the number of Rangers increased in the area. E assured him they were more than hidden.

They waited till long after everyone left before they even moved.

Finally breathing easier, Derrick decided to take a tour of the ship. Following beside him the hologram was silent as they walked from the command deck. Derrick had walked about half the length of the ship, when it suddenly came into a large open bay. There in the center of it was the tech box he'd found.

Moving closer to it, Derrick was about to touch it when E warned him against it. The thing was, now there was more to the box than there had been before.

"E? What is this?" he said, indicating the new areas that had been added.

"That is what is left of EIG-0999M. After analysis, I found he was still alive, though barely. After he exploded, this indestructible casing is all that was left of him. The energy producers were damaged, so he was almost completely shut down. I started his regrowth cycle and am providing energy till he can take over." E explained.

Derrick nodded, regrowth cycle? Energy producers? Looking over the box, Derrick didn't see any energy producing parts, but then again, she had said that the ship was growing.

Walking further on, Derrick marveled at everything. He saw anti-matter weapons, plasma weapons with enough capacity to destroy a planet, several generators, for God only knew what. The best (or worst) were the engines. More like huge generators (E had explained that they worked on gravity attraction, but the rest was lost on him).

They had just started back when several alarms went off.

"Derrick, I have an unidentified ship approaching our position, detecting minimal armament and weapons. I suggest your removal to the command center," E said.

As Derrick started running E advised him, "use the IMT, it is much faster."

Derrick stopped and nodded, a second later he was on the bridge. Damn, he thought, have to get used to that, a soft giggle sounded in his mind.

Looking at the large view screen, Derrick saw a Ranger ship approaching.

"Can he detect us E?" he asked.

"No, he is still almost a light year away, shall I take evasive action?" E answered.

Almost a light year? Damn! "Yes E, deter any detection of us from them short of destroying them," ordered Derrick.

For the next week they dodged passing ships, Derrick trying to decide their next course of action. Derrick's eyes grew wider each day as he watched the now unexposed tech box growing almost into the same shape as the bridge on board E.

"E? condition of 0999?" he asked one day.

Sighing, E replied, "initial growth is to almost 5%, 0999 still hasn't the power to emerge, though prognosis is increasingly better each day. I am now detecting a 10% increase in cerebral activity, though it may be another week before enough systems have grown allowing even partial emergence. Unfortunately, conditions in bay 1 are not as conducive for maximum growth."

"Is there anything we can do to increase it?" Derrick asked.

Silent for only a moment, E responded, "I can increase O2 levels and energy infusion, but we risk a greater chance of being detected, even with the light cloak."

Derrick nodded, "Alright, increase but keep all sensors at full. Anything within a light year, advise me. After we assess the danger we can adjust from there."

Derrick walked out, the hologram looking lovingly at the large shape, Whispering, "thank you Derrick."