Lost Empire

Chapter 47

Derrick felt really bad as upset as Shelby had been. Hell he felt horrible though as Tempro had pointed out there was really nothing that they could have done. Well nothing beyond what they had. Tara's last message was still ringing in his ears. The amount of courage and bravery she had displayed made him feel worse that he couldn't save her.

They were finally starting to dock with Tempro when there were several alarms going off. "Intruder!?" Derrick's head snapped around to stare at Shelby. "What in the hell did you do?"

"I couldn't let her die like that; I couldn't Derrick not after what they both did." Shelby started to explain to Derrick.

"Again, I am this time demanding, what in the hell did you do?" Derrick said as calmly as he could.

"I had to do it Derrick I felt I owed it to her I..." Shelby started again.

"WHAT!" Derrick almost shouted. "Did you do?"

The view screen changed showing a tall, blonde woman unconscious on the bio-bed. 'Strange, ' Derrick thought 'why does she look so familiar?' "I saved her Derrick I had to." Shelby whispered.

Shaking his head he'd have to confer with Tempro to see just how badly Shelby had screwed up this time now. Sighing Derrick thought of Tempro waiting for the A.I. to appear. "We'll have to decide what we are going to have to do now."

Sighing he felt Shelby finish her docking. "Tempro I think we have a problem." Derrick said a moment later.

Tempro immediately appeared, "I am not detecting anything wrong Sire. As a matter of fact I just felt a missing part of time slide into place. What seems to be the problem? I ... oh dear!" Tempro said as soon as he saw the view screen.

"Yeah I kind of thought that myself when I saw her. You do know who she is I take it?" Derrick said with an exasperated sigh.

"Yes Sire, she is Tara Devonnie, she was reported lost with her ship also named Tara." Turning toward Shelby, Tempro's mouth was hanging open. "How did you know?"

"Know? I didn't know I just had to save her. For all she did, I had to." Shelby replied.

Tempro could only shake his head suddenly realizing that this was supposed to happen, though it still surprised him when something like this did. "More has shifted to what it should be Sire. I was wondering how we were going to repair the error in time. Here Shelby did it without the knowledge I posses which," here Tempro shook his head again. "Was somewhat useless this time."

Derrick was watching the exchange between the two A.I.s with interest. "You can hardly be faulted Tempro. Not every facet of the past can be known. Even for a hero as she obviously is."

"Yes Sire, she was quite the hero. After this battle she was listed as dead, killed in action with her ship. Years later a woman matching her description appeared in a province near the one you grew up in. I believe it was called Tierra oculta." Tempro informed Derrick.

Derrick's head snapped around from the view screen, "Tierra oculta? Hardly near mine, it's on the other side of the planet. As I remember one of my outfit was from there Daniel Norman, Captain Callie's father--." Derrick suddenly stooped in mid sentence a strange look on his face. "My god! Shelby do you have the DNA of Captain Callie still?"

Shelby could only stare at Derrick then a moment later she nodded, "yes Derrick I have all of their DNA. Especially after I took yours that first time, as I remember someone saying it helps to be well prepared."

"Good I want you to take a sample of Captain Devonnie's, run a comparison of it with that of Captain Callie's." Shelby still unsure of what Derrick was on about nodded and started the test. "I'm afraid it will take a few hours Derrick."