CHAPTER 76

Now four days into their work they finally felt they were getting close, and then at the end of the day Kimison started to yell again. "Yes, by god I think we've both of them!"

"I think I've also completed this Kimison!" Rayburn shouted from the other side of the lab. Tempro could only shake his head at what they had gotten he wasn't sure but if it was as good as the last then it would most certainly be worth the time they had put in.

Mary appeared a few moments later having heard both men's shouts. "Well it is extremely good to see the both of you working together as you have been. You both wanted to see me?" Mary asked.

Rayburn picked up a small 5 inch by 3 inch piece of metal that almost appeared to be a Ranger badge. "I'll go first," Rayburn said to which Kimison nodded. "We both have been worried about the emperor being shot or stabbed. I started thinking of those possibilities. Often there won't be an opportunity for him to have a hologram projection system to use. Now then Mary," Rayburn said as he pressed a small button in the centre of the metal badge, "fire at me."

Mary looked at Rayburn as if the man had lost his mind. Several tubes came out of the wall, first one fired. The beam came within a foot of Rayburn and stopped. Mary's mouth dropped open as she upped the charge of the beam and fired a second then a third then a fourth. All the beams stopped at a foot, Kimison had been monitoring the whole time and stopped Mary after fifteen minutes.

Kimison's face dropped when he saw that the power output had been as limited as it was. "I'm sorry Mary, the power output was exhausted." Sighing, Rayburn started to look at what had gone wrong.

"Sergeant," Mary stated a minute after Rayburn started looking over his drawings. "When you said to fire at you I did as you asked though you never stated to what power level you wished. You obviously don't realise the power level I used, do you?"

Rayburn's head snapped up at that, "I thought you used the standard levels." Rayburn told her.

Mary's face was suddenly serious as she replied, "Sergeant I was at full power, I could have crippled half a dozen ships or more with the amount of power I used. Do you think that an attacker would use that much against this?"

"Wait, you used a fully charged particle beam on me? WHAT!? Are you trying to kill me?" Rayburn suddenly shouted.

This time it was Mary's turn to smile, "Well sergeant you did ask me to fire at you, when I saw that nothing happened I attuned more power and levels. So I ask again, do you think an attacker would use this much power against it?"

Rayburn had collapsed into the nearest chair with a look of complete shock on his face looking over at Kimison. He had the same look on his face. "Damn you mean the micro generator put out that much!? Here I thought it was far more limited than that." Kimison was whispering.

Rayburn shook his head, he'd taken a fully charged particle beam and lived. Suddenly a smile lit up his face hell with the amount of power that the micro generator provided they could have withstood standard levels all damn day! "Show her the one you were working on. I think she'll like that even more." Rayburn said with a huge smile.

Kimison only nodded at Rayburn as he picked up another thicker badge looking piece of metal, this one though had three holes in the front of it. "I know that you are always worried about not being able to be with the emperor to protect him. I have been working on this since the first, it is a micro-holoprojector but with a difference. I know you have thousands of terabytes of information; I know you have a few terabytes for your personality. I have incorporated 2 terabytes of storage into this."

"2 terabytes would barely contain all that is me. I am afraid that I wouldn't be able to operate the..." Mary started.

"No, no, no, I mean you create a copy of your personality in this, so you could have a mobile hologram to stay near the emperor. Afterwards you could reabsorb the data back into your mainframe," Kimison corrected Mary.

Mary looked at the device. It was true that actually being there to watch over the emperor would make her feel a whole lot better. "We will try; tell me exactly what you wish for me to do." Mary told Kimison. Kimison looked over at Rayburn who just smiled Mary was about to have a shock that was for sure.

Kimison took the badge and put it on a chair pressing 2 other buttons. Smiling, he then told Mary to copy her personality and upload it to the micro-projector. Still a little unsure Mary tentatively started to copy and upload. A mere five minutes later Mary's Hologram appeared on the ship with the badge on her chest. Kimison had the biggest smile on his face as he was monitoring the whole time.

"How do you feel, Mary?" Kimison asked not to look up from the readings he was taking.

"I am a machine I do not..." suddenly Mary's mouth fell open, "wh... what is this? Why can I feel the deck? The air in here?" Moving to Kimison she placed a hand ON his shoulder. "You found a way to make a solid representation of my hologram with tightly focused shield emitters! Oh my! This will take some time to get used to." Mary seemed to be having a little trouble walking around.

"Hang on a second Mary," Kimison reached over with a strange machine as he started to adjust several of the power levels and controls. "There I think that you should have more control now."

Mary had tears in her eyes as she suddenly rushed over to Kimison hugging him fiercely, then over to a smirking Rayburn hugging him as fiercely as well.

Tempro had appeared a few moments earlier and had tears in his eyes. His mother was as beautiful as ever; she more than deserved to be the first that this technology was used on. Mary appeared a moment later and watched as the solid hologram hugged both of the men. A shocked look was on her face.

"I have to say Mary, you make a definitely good human copy, you have conquered the senses rather quickly." The hologram of Mary said.

"I'm afraid it was me, Mary," Kimison told her. "I adjusted the shield emitters to where solid Mary could move and interact more freely."

"This was most unexpected but as you said it will make watching over the emperor far easier than long distance." Mary told both of them. "The personal shield will also provide a degree of protection that I cannot provide." Bowing to both of them Mary told them, "I withdraw what I said earlier you both are far superior to the engineers and technicians of the first emperor. I am sorry that I doubted you, the stable generator seemed a masterpiece of engineering but this." Here Mary was shaking her head her mouth slightly agape, "these marvels you both have created are far, and beyond what I thought you two would do."

"How much longer do you think that the tests will take?" Kimison asked, wondering if he'd have to try and discover a way to increase the size and payload.

"As of yet I have not detected any problems with the device, the modulator can be exchanged with a bigger one can it not?" Tempro asked a moment later.

"Of course that way you could increase...!" Kimison's mouth dropped agape. "Oh my god!" Kimison said as he slapped his forehead.

"What the hell's wrong," Rayburn asked, a little worried that the amount that they had done was starting to have serious effects on Kimison's mind.

"The Modulator!" Grabbing Rayburn Kimison shook him, "the damn modulator! That's all we'd need to adjust!"

For a moment Rayburn was a little confused then his eyes opened wide as he finally dawned on him what Kimison was on about.

Derrick had watched all the Rangers advance; they were going to be a force to deal with soon if they all lived that long. Sighing Derrick hoped they lived that long he really liked a few of them.

Mary appeared a moment later, "Sire I bring news from Kimison and Rayburn. It appears that after your news about Kimison's half brother they have been working nonstop on several projects." A 3 foot long glowing pole with a modulator at one end appeared. "Kimison called this a stable generator redoubler."

Derrick was staring at the device with concern, then his face was elated, "Yes! Shelby I want you to install this immediately!" Shelby nodded as Derrick instructed her where to put it and how to attach it.

"Sire," Mary said, drawing his attention back to her. "They have also created what Rayburn called it a triple layered shield emitter. I tested it at full power while Rayburn wore it."

Derrick's eyes flew wide, "Is he alright? You didn't vaporise him did you?"

"No sire, the device took the full particle beam blast for fifteen minutes, before the power was exhausted." A proud looking Mary told Derrick. "As I remember Kimison said now he can get shot at and laugh his ass off. Sorry Sir I am only repeating his words." Derrick was about to fall out of his chair with laughter.

"Yes that sounds like Kimison, this," Derrick turned the small Ranger shield shape over in his hands. "This will most definitely come in handy. Anything else? Derrick asked.

"Yes Sire," Mary said, hoping the emperor wasn't angry with her. A shimmering in the chair next to Derrick had him looking that way. There was a soft hum then Mary was sitting in the chair next to him!

"Well I'll be damned! A mobile holographic projector! Wait, how is it staying on the hologram?" As Derrick reached out and touched the hologram emitter he brushed against Mary's chest. Snatching his hand back Derrick's mouth was hanging open, holy shit! Mary was solid! What the hell!? Shelby could only stare at her mother also, Mother was solid? How?