CHAPTER 33

Derrick held up his hand to quiet Mary. "I gleaned this after quite a while with all the information I took in, it is the only assumption that makes sense. I also know that almost half of the EIG's are Shelby's."

Again he held up a hand to quiet Shelby and Mary. "It isn't your fault you did all you could to hide it, I am a little bit smarter than we all thought at first. I also know that Tempro is yours Mary," Derrick said as he saw Mary smile at Tempro who had a shocked look on his face.

"I know far more than you think, I just had to have a little time to assemble all the information in order. I..."

Derrick started when several alarms went off."How many Mary?" Derrick said as he watched several blips approach the Presidents ship.

"I'm reading a total of 4, approaching at a higher velocity than you'd expect a planetary shuttle." Mary replied. "SIRE!" Mary shouted, "I am reading 4 high yield explosive devices on board those objects approaching the president's ship!"

"Shelby! Trans-warp! As close as is safely possible!" Derrick shouted sitting in the command chair.

The now familiar engine whine sounded, then they were there a second later. Derrick had Shelby grab the President's ship with a beam, then they were gone all within 1 minute.On the planet several of the revolutionary leaders were cursing when they saw the huge ship wink in grab the ship then wink out.

Opening a channel they started to yell at Derrick, that is 'til Derrick came on all the channels. "I have spared the Republic world so far, because I realize that there are some, though very few, oppressed people still there. Do not make me regret that decision, I have enough of a grudge with the planet and the people now, that I WILL NOT HESITATE to destroy it! Do I make myself clear?!"

There was no immediate reply, so Derrick had Mary target the palace, told them they had 1 minute to evacuate, then had her level it, it only took 2 seconds.

"Now then, I expect that I won't have any more incidents?" This time there were several voices shouting they would not make another move against him and his ships.

Laughing after he disconnected he looked at Mary, "You think too harsh?" He asked her.

"No sire I thought it was a most effective demonstration, plus I think it will help in the cleanup of that planet."

Mary said as she and Derrick laughed at her joke.

Looking at Shelby now he had to decide what to do with the little creep he sure as hell wasn't going to bring him on board. Hmmm couldn't kill him yet that had to be public when Derrick ascended the throne, damn! Where in the hell was he going to put him? There was always the jail though Derrick knew the man had probably bought almost everyone of law enforcement there was. That's when he thought of the Rangers, though he wasn't all that sure that they'd go along with him on this.

Well, he wouldn't know 'til he tried, "Mary I need to contact the Rangers, though you haven't received an answer from them yet, I believe that it is time to move forward and bring them on board." Derrick told Mary.

"I also believe that this is a good idea though I think that you should delay for a short time. As I remember you said that you wanted to hear this message first." Mary reminded him.

Crap he'd almost forgotten about the message, though why did he feel this way? That he HAD to hear it before he went forward with his plans? Again looking over all the readings Derrick decided to wait.

It was almost an hour later when Tempro contacted them, "Sire?" Tempro asked.

"

Yes I am...," Derrick started then was standing on board Tempro, "... ready to come aboard." Sighing Derrick just shook his head.

"I apologize sire but I was told to bring you aboard as quickly as possible. I was told that you aren't to leave this room 'til you have heard this message. Are you ready sire?" Tempro asked.

"Yes," Derrick said as he sat in a chair, looking around it appeared that the entire lay out of the ship was completely different from the others.

As he sat there looking, a small hologram of an older man came on, "Hello Derrick." the voice said then the hologram smiled. "Checking out Tempro I see, this is nothing just wait."

"Wait, your the voice from before, Tempro I thought you said this was a recording." Derrick said.

"It is sire, it is interactive," Tempro informed him.

The voice laughed, "Well, it is mostly interactive. I do still have a signal to Tempro, just in case. I know you have questions, let's see if you do after I finish ok? Good, now then as I told you earlier you are the emperor, though as you guessed it will take a while to re-establish the empire. You have quite a bit of work to do though you will have help, Mary has already sent the proof that the Rangers required, they are the first to fall in line behind you. I realize that you think Shelby has settled your mind but she didn't, you might say she anchored you. Mary will finish it though I think you will want Shelby there to help."

"Sorry to interrupt but just who in the hell are you? I know you said to wait. You seem so familiar I just can't place you." Derrick asked.

Laughing a moment the hologram looked Derrick straight in the eyes, "I really am surprised you don't recognize your own face." Derrick's mouth dropped agape, "There we go! Finally everything is starting to make a little sense. We know ourselves Derrick, had we left you alone you'd never come to this point, well not for a lot longer. As you may have guessed Tempro is a time ship, though as you will discover in a little while he is a whole lot more."

Derrick was still speechless though this was starting to answer a lot of the questions that he had.

"Now then, you have already started on the path toward re-establishing the empire, as I said Tempro is a whole lot more. There were several experimental procedures that were never really implemented, for now there are only two that you need to concern yourself with. Though knowing us and we do, you'll soon be knee deep in the others too."

"So you are me, you left this to get me moving, ok I get all that, even why considering all the paradoxes of time.

Why not let me go through this in my time?" Derrick asked.

"God I've forgotten just how stubborn and stupid I could be! I had to, had I not then by my time not even half the empire would be back yet. Now pay attention! There are 2 experiments that you have to complete they are considered dangerous even in my time though you are the reason that we can even think about using them let alone actually trying them. You will need a Queen one day or the line will die with you.

I also know that you trust no woman outside our mother and grandmother. There is an experiment to, they only way I can describe it is creating a mate that is idea. Though I think you would be more concerned with the A.I. transfer. Ah! I see this got your attention!

Good I'll leave you to it. Oh! Yes you'll find more EIG's and you'll find Lucy again though, it will take a bit of time, I am afraid, sorry." With that the hologram was gone.

The short blonde haired hologram of a man appeared, "Sire I now am to grant you full access to everything."

Derrick could only nod as he surveyed everything that he saw, Christ! Most of it Derrick recognized, well over half of it, he'd only dreamed of. The possibilities were endless IF he could get a lot of them going as the older version of himself had said it was almost all experimental. He sat there thinking that his older self was counting on him; hmmm did this actually confirm the fact of the theory that time was not set and could be affected? Interesting Derrick thought very interesting.

"I am assuming that with as vast a library and computer core, you are equipped to pose possible effects on time when certain events are changed in the past as they relate to the present?" Derrick asked of Tempro.

"Why of course sire, I live to serve you, though I have to warn you sire, many major events of the past you cannot change. I am afraid that to change them would also change you, therefore altering you. This I cannot allow as you are as you should be, sire." Tempro stated as he bowed low.