CHAPTER 57

They had retrieved 8 boxes each almost free of any sabotage, only one signal had been a large piece of metal from a ship. They actually had to travel a short way past the galactic rim. Derrick was cataloging who all they had found by their numbers so far they had - 0097, 0125, 0200, 0301, 0403, 0667, 0778, 0908. Derrick had just finished when Shelby broke into his ruminations.

"Derrick, Derrick, Derrick! I found her! I found her!" Shelby was practically screaming.

Derrick ran for the control room, "Shelby report what have you found?" Derrick asked once again.

Crying huge tears Shelby said, "I found Lucy! I was so unsure at first then I started to detect the new signal you had all of us to install. She is the only one of us that isn't whole, it has to be her!" Shelby was still screaming in almost disbelief.

Derrick started to look over the readings sure enough there was the new signal that he had them installed. Sighing tears were also starting to fall from Derrick's eyes; he'd made a promise that he'd find her. It had taken a bit of time but he'd kept that promise. Problem was she was last in line to be re-gen; Derrick knew that all the ships would react the same way. Damn it but he didn't want to have it and waited a month to see her again.

"This is fantastic news, I just wish I didn't have to wait so long to see her again," Derrick told Shelby.

"I know Derrick but she would say that they were first and had been waiting longer than she. Don't worry Derrick I am working to decrease regen time. I believe I have it down to thirteen days now." Shelby told him.

"Really? Maybe I ought to look at that, we could possibly decrease it more." Derrick told Shelby as an idea was starting to form in his mind but he'd have to check it out first. He really didn't want a repeat of the Critical incident that effectively crippled the trans-warp for a short time.

"As you wish Derrick," Shelby answered, appearing in front of Derrick along with Conner both had tears streaming down their faces.

"I wish to thank you for allowing me to help find as many of my brothers and sisters as we have. I am so honored that you chose me for this mission." Conner told Derrick bowing low to him. "I also wish to thank you for finding as many of my children as you have Derrick. Without you I would still be a drift looking for anyone to help me. I owe you so much, we all do, know that we will do everything we can to protect you and carry out all your orders." Shelby told him as she also bowed low, "My Emperor," She whispered.

Derrick did a double take at Shelby; did she just call him her emperor? Sighing he thought that perhaps her circuits were starting to regress back to being as blocked as they were. Walking to the control panel he looked at all the circuits he'd already freed up, no nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Had he imagined what he thought he'd heard? He wasn't sure but as an afterthought he should keep a closer eye on Shelby for a while.

Looking over her circuits a second time Derrick had to make sure he didn't lose Shelby, not after all that they had been through. "Uh Derrick?" Shelby asked a moment later, "is everything alright? You seem to be overly concerned about something. Are you detecting a problem with my circuits?"

Sighing, Derrick knew he wouldn't be able to hide this from her but it was about her. Would she tell him the truth even with him knowing almost everything? "I'm not sure Shelby; I thought I heard you say something I have never heard from you. Since day one you have never called me anything but Derrick. This somewhat worries me." The look of concern on Shelby's face was indeed growing then her eyes and face softened.

"I don't really want to call you anything but Derrick, though soon while you are in the throne room," here Shelby grimaced, "I will have to call you sire or your lordship."

"Not if I have a damn thing to say about it!" Derrick growled, "You are the only one besides my mother and Grandmother that is allowed to call me Derrick, always! By god I will make it a royal decree if I have to!"

Shelby was smiling, tears of joy were falling from her eyes. She hadn't thought Derrick had felt this strongly about the whole thing.

Turning Derrick looked at the back wall of the control room, "I know you've been listening Mary, I want this to be held up I don't want a damn mandate or something else telling me that she can't, do you understand?"

Mary appeared a moment later bowing her head, "Yes Sire; I am writing this as we speak. Shelby, the Imperial mother, and the Imperial Grandmother will never be required to address you by your title. It is enacted as of this moment." Mary again bowed a huge smile on her face; good things were starting to move forward as she'd hoped they might.

Derrick nodded his approval and then turned back to Shelby, "Alright we need to set up the schedule of the ships. We know that 0097 will be the first. Let's set them up now, the sooner the better."

"Yes Derrick, at present I have 0798 moved to bay one, I have placed 0097 in bay two they are both in re-gen. I estimate that 0798 should be conscious on another day." Shelby took a moment as she looked at the brain boxes, and when they were found. "The next will be 0667, then 0125, 0403, 0200, 0778, 0301, 0908 then finally Lucy. Derrick?" Shelby said an idea came to her. "We need to let all the ships that are finished and as they finish know exactly what Lucy did."

"I believe that you are right Shelby, like you said she never felt like a real EIG 'til this mission. I believe that this would be a huge boost for her. Besides I think that the others will be proud of her too." Derrick told Shelby.

"The only thing I hate is that we have to go back to the palace." Looking straight at Shelby Derrick stated to her, "I do NOT intend to be stuck in the palace all the time, I will not! I just hope that Mary doesn't pull another set of rules out and zap me again to carry them out!"

Mary smiled at that comment unless his life was in peril the emperor had enacted the override codes; therefore he could do almost anything he wanted. Mary's smile though turned to a frown when she thought of the many dangers that he had already placed himself in.

Not that happy, Derrick nodded to Shelby, smiling, she nodded back that she'd understood the instructions. "Alright Mary," Derrick told the Palace A.I., "ready to return." A moment later, Derrick was in his room, a rather spacious room at that. "What is the status of Sergeant Rayburn? I've been worried that you wouldn't be able to help him without me."

"I thought I might need your assistance at first but after the first treatment, your compatriot is 75% healed. He has a remarkable mind much like yours Sire. Both of you have been a welcome experience to this unit. I will perform the second treatment later today. Also I wish to report that your other compatriot, Corporal Kimison is now free of the malady that was affecting him." Mary informed Derrick, happy that she had good news to give him.

"Have you had any progress in finding Thomas? I was told he went into the salvage business like I did but I can't remember ever seeing him." Derrick told Mary.

Here Mary hung her head; it was the only assignment the emperor had given her that she hadn't been able to fulfill. "As of yet I have found no evidence of him. It appears that he joined the same company you did then basically disappeared. It is a mystery to me but I am pursuing every record I am coming across."

"Good if you need permission to enter any system you have. I want him found, use every damn computer out there if you have to." Derrick told a now smiling Mary. She had been about to ask Derrick that very thing; smiling wider she was really going to enjoy serving this man.

Derrick had just entered the throne room when Hartwell walked up to him. "Glad to see you're back, so you want me to let Ensign Callie back on active duty?"

"Yes, Mary has cleared her there is no trace of the other personality left in her. We need her to have what we planted in her head be extracted by the sect that did this. As soon as they access it we'll know which one it is." Turning to Hartwell, Derrick continued. "You do realize that as soon as this happens they will more than likely declare a private war on us."

Hartwell nodded, "I just hope that we can take them out if it comes to that. Our weaponry isn't as advanced as yours."

"I've thought of that and I have more than a few ideas to aid the rangers, though I need to have all of your command scanned. That is after Mary goes through their records." Derrick told a wide-mouthed Hartwell. "After that we'll know who we can trust, I think we need to invite the highest ranking officer here and begin with him. That way, I think the rest will fall in line, plus if we have a few more of the EIG ships I think they might listen a lot more."

Hartwell was smiling from ear to ear, "I think that would most definitely do the trick. Do you have anything special in mind to get the man here?"

This time it was Derrick who was smiling, "Oh I think the man will come no matter what, as of yet I haven't seen a shield yet that Shelby can't get through."