CHAPTER 53

Derrick wasn't happy, not happy at all, he needed to get out of here and get things done. All this pomp and crap was starting to wear really thin on his patience. He'd just released part of the shield around the palace but wasn't ready to complete yet. He felt that there were still far too many threats out there to let his guard down yet. Mary on the other hand was thrilled to no end to have human bodies within the confines of the palace again, after over 200 years. Hartwell and many of his men were walking around still in a somewhat of a fog.

Derrick pulled Hartwell aside a few hours later, "What did your command say about all the proof that we provided them?"

"That's the thing," Hartwell answered, "after I relayed most of it, they told me to maintain a radio blackout. I guess they are also afraid that command has been inundated with spies. I had always thought that command was the one place that wouldn't have spies," here Hartwell shrugged, "guess I was wrong."

"I was afraid of that; these bastards have had quite a bit of time to infiltrate the ranks. I had Mary relay a message to the top officers about the tests that we have designed. I'll let them know the results as soon as we test it out on that one crew member." Derrick told him, though he was still afraid that this test was going to be as terminal as those in the past had been.

Sighing Hartwell wasn't all that happy about having a spy on board, though the thought of losing a crew member didn't appeal to him either. "So..., how are you suggesting that we handle this?" Hartwell asked Derrick.

Thinking, Derrick was at a loss for a moment, "Hmm," he said, then an idea started to form. Motioning for Hartwell Derrick started, "I got an idea, first we'll bring her here then..."

1st specialist Ensign Callie stared at the huge room that she was in. What a complete waste of space and money she thought walking around the throne room. Shaking her head she didn't even know why she'd been picked for this assignment; she was a tech specialist not a soldier. Sighing she'd have to get with the Rear Admiral later about reassignment. Walking further in she saw a tall man with sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes greeting everyone that was passing through.

Stopping suddenly she reached into her pocket to make sure that the weapon was there. Smiling, she walked toward the man, a determined gait now to her step. Looking up at the approaching female Derrick smiled and extended his hand toward her. "I want to personally thank you for your...," Derrick started.

Callie pulled the weapon from her pocket and fired at Derrick laughing as she stated, "Die you imposter to the throne, the nobles will never let you rule!" Then to her horror the beam of the weapon passed through the Emperor striking the ground where he was standing. Swiftly a syringe appeared at her neck as she slumped to the ground, the surprise still on her face.

Derrick appeared a moment later, "Take her to the interrogation room I'll be there in a few minutes, I want you there also Hartwell, we need to record all of this." There was a flourish of activity while the young woman was transported to the aforementioned room. Derrick watched as Mary attached several restraints and began scanning the woman looking for everything she could. Amazingly her old scans had found nothing, but the new ones that Derrick had suggested were beginning to find all manner of hidden weapons, poisons, and powerful micro explosives. Shaking his head Derrick saw that several more scans that he'd added to Mary's repertoire of tests still hadn't been used. Again as Mary started over Derrick's eyes grew wider as the hidden arsenal began to steadily grow.

A few minutes later Derrick nodded when the last of the hidden weapons were taken off. Shaking his head Derrick knew he had his work cut out for him. Nodding to Mary, Derrick stepped to another projector and literally vanished only to appear across the room moments later. Nodding again Derrick watched as Mary administered another injection. With a groan the young woman's eyes fluttered open.

"Rear Admiral, what is going on," came her startled question.

"Well you tried to assassinate the Emperor, for one. We also know that you are working for one of the two factions that wish to eliminate the emperor." Hartwell told her a slight growl to his voice. Derrick smiled then nodded to Mary who started an odd green beam on the woman's head.

At first nothing happened then the woman's face twisted into a sadistic smile. A different voice soon erupted from her mouth. "So your pathetic, ancient tech detected me after all, so this will be an actual challenge after all. Hello you mechanical bitch!" The voice shouted at Mary. "I know that nothing will phase you, at least not 'til she is dead."

"As you suspected, the programs would have had me administer a lethal amount of radiation. All levels are constant, you may proceed my lord." Mary told Derrick a moment later.

"HA! Enjoy your little victory! I have... WHAT!!!??? You discovered all of them, it is not possible! You have not had the time to..." Looking at Derrick the woman's face twisted into rage. "You will learn nothing. I have been conditioned well beyond your level of..."

"Who ordered the execution? Taiolan or Shiolan? You will answer me now or suffer pain unlike any you have ever known. We can extract you and simply drain what we want from you, but I figure you'd rather die this way." Derrick told the voice coming from the young woman.

"You wouldn't dare, even if you had the capability," the voice spit back at Derrick.

"Oh we have it and more," here Derrick sighed and nodded to Mary. A large arm came out of the wall with a set of ancient headphone looking apparatus attached to it. Nodding again the arm descended and barely touched them to the woman's head.

The voice began to laugh, "You haven't the guts to..." Derrick sighed and nodded to Mary, as the current began to flow through the equipment an eerie scream began to issue from the woman's mouth. "NO! NO! It's not possible stop! You're killing me!"

Smiling Derrick said, "Like it matters you're dead any way you look at it, so you going to talk?"

The woman's face twisted into another mask of rage as she spit at Derrick. "Go to hell you undeserving Republic scum!"

"Fine have it your way, oh by the way you will be returned to your soul core. Well in a way all the pain that you feel in death will. Well, enjoy, I will." Derrick told the voice then moved off as the woman's hand produced another weapon and fired at him. Again the beam passed through Derrick, "Tsk, tsk, so sloppy, alright Mary no more."

Mary nodded with a little smile on her lips as current again flowed through the equipment. This time the voice screamed even louder for a few minutes then was gone, Callie's body finally free relaxed. Derrick looked at the part of the personality that they had captured; hell of a way to start a reign as Emperor he thought.

"Alright Mary," Derrick said as the hologram of him disappeared and he reappeared across the room near the door. "Begin extracting all that you can before it expires."

"I have already begun as I felt that we would not have much time. I will display all that I retrieve as soon as the process is finished." Mary told Derrick with a small smile on her face.