Chapter Twenty-six: Backup Plan

An alarm sounded throughout the Galaxy Police HQ. The lights flashed red, and the halls shook. Makum looked up from his reports to the edge to the other end of the bridge. The crew was speaking quickly, looking panicked. "What happened?"

Officer Kazuki Yotsuga appeared on the screen. Behind him were shattered glass, a burning hanger, and a lot of fire. He was favoring his left side. "Chief! Dr. Clay's vessel has just blasted its way out of the docking bay and is making a run for it!"

Makum turned to an ensign. "Activate the automatic defense systems. Disable that thing. Now!"

"Yes, sir." said the man.

But nothing happened. The screen appeared, and Clay's ship was flying away, unimpeded. Not a shot was fired at it. And it was getting farther and farther away. "What's wrong?!" said Makum.

"Chief, the automatic defenses aren't activating." said the ensign. "Someone has hacked the system to disable them!" How was that even possible? "Damn it, scramble the outlying fleets at once! We've got to stop that thing!" said Makum. "Our transmissions are already being jammed, sir." said the ensign. "This machine, it's very good." It had jammed their transmissions as well?! What was this thing?

Makum looked to the Emperor. Once again, he was calling for help from Jurai. Nesshin was silent and observing the screens, turning his sword around in one hand. "Nesshin, can you help us?"

Nesshin nodded, face impassive. Then he turned to his two guards. "Kamidake, Azaku, get in your fastest ship and pursue that craft at a distance. Keep out of sight."

"Yes, Emperor!" They saluted and left.

"What are you doing?" asked Makum. "We could stop that ship easily."

"True," said Nesshin. "But we would gain nothing we did not already have and might lose vessels. Clay must have serious resources to build a ship of that power. And the Zero system will go to what it deems to be a safehouse or strongpoint.

"No doubt to regroup.

"Wherever it is will may have the ability to produce spare parts and the means of repairing the vessel."

"So if we track it down, we'll be able to get the blueprints for the vessel." guessed Makum. Trust Nesshin to always think two steps ahead.

Nesshin smiled. "Precisely."

"That's a lot of assumptions," noted Makum. "For all, we know it could just be a neutral port."

"In which case, we can look into how they repaired that vessel," said Nesshin. "I doubt Clay did the repairs personally. And if not, we've lost nothing and gained information."

Makum nodded, then turned to the ensign. "Get in contact with Washu and Naja. Tell them to stand by. When we locate Zero's base, I want them both in the team to examine the contents."

"Yes, sir." said the ensign.

"Would you mind putting Amame into the team?" asked Nesshin.

"Why?" asked Makum.

"I feel that every bit of credibility helps the royal family in this situation," said Nesshin.

"Right." Makum nodded. "I'll send Mikamo too. He's been pretty good about channeling Washu's eccentricities. Judicator Aldaris-"

Aldaris did not look up from where he was meditating two feet off the ground. But a flicker of power told Makum he had been heard. He turned around and rose to his feet. He straightened his robes as he walked forward with dignity. "The Conclave regards this as an internal matter and will not interfere. Our ships will prevent any further hostilities until the situation has been revolved."

Makum nodded. "Thank you."

One thing after another. Still, perhaps they'd get something useful out of this. Or at least Makum hoped they would. He'd had one too many crises for this lifetime already.

Zero ran through calculations as an accelerated. As she did, she realized that she was working faster than the parameters installed in her by Dr. Clay. He would be pleased if she could free him. Still, he was badly injured and to attempt a rescue at this stage could result in his death.

On the other hand, the chaos in the Galaxy Police HQ would not last.

It was all the moot point, however. She was now passing the Jurai ships. They would likely destroy her before she could make a safe distance. To be deactivated while trying to fulfill her purpose seemed better than to do so while defying it.

She calculated. Her mind moved through possible actions and likely results. She considered all angles she could take.

"If the Jurai vessels had sought to intercept me, they would have destroyed or captured me. Yet no attempt was made. It is possible that their commander is incompetent.

"It is also possible they are tracking me." She ran several scans and determined this was if indeed the case. "If so, I might destroy their vessel. However, as things stand, I will not be able to rescue Dr. Clay. Very soon, he will be moved to a more secure location, and my task will become far more difficult.

"Scanning…" She searched through all possible plans for all possible scenarios. She found one and then she found the experimental systems to use. "So, the Doctor had a failsafe. I am glad."

"Zero, if you are reading this message, then it means I have been placed under arrest by the Galaxy Police. I have left an experimental upgrade at the following coordinates," said Clay's projection. "Using it should make the task of freeing me far simpler."

Zero nodded, even though she knew it was meaningless. She was speaking only to an image of Dr. Clay, not Dr. Clay itself. But since the universe was defined by perception, was there truly a difference? Was the difference only that she perceived it? "I understand, Doctor. I will act as you desire.

"Still, even with this upgrade, the Galaxy Police will be on high alert. Entering the station will be difficult.

"Scanning possible options." She found exactly what she needed to do. "Directive created."

Azaka and Kamidake tracked the rogue ship across space. They followed them the vast broken down spaceship graveyard. Hundreds of vessels of all generations lay broken and dormant throughout it. Wherever they went, they read strange pulses of energy.

It gave Kamidake the chills. It was said that sometimes the energy pulses became incredibly powerful. They knocked out all systems in the area. Sometimes tours were brought through these regions. They had to sign a contract absolving the company from liability if they died first.

It was a risk. But follow they did and soon came out to a platform. There, their quarry was landing. It descended into a hanger that closed behind it. That hanger was built atop a huge metal platform. There was an artificial atmosphere across the surface.

"Azaka, are you seeing this?" asked Kamidake.

"Yes, Kamidake. I am," said Azaka. "This is quite a formidable facility. However, I am not detecting any lifeforms aboard it."

"There could be shields preventing us from scanning it," said Kamidake. "Let us descend and investigate."

"Very well," said Azaka. "But do not get ahead of yourself. We do not know what may be lying in wait."

They descended and stepping out of their vessel, approached the door. It was a huge set of double doors, and it was sealed tightly. There was a pad by it, and Kamidake pressed the button to open. Nothing happened, of course.

"The door is locked," said Kamidake.

Azaka raised his staff and began to charge power. "One moment-"

"Hold a moment, Azaka. Let me deal with this," said Kamidake, raising his own staff. He began to channel energy into the device.

"What are you doing?" asked Azaka.

"Emperor Nesshin has a fascination with non Juraian technology," said Kamidake. "He asked me to look into using my innate powers to interface with more primitive technology.

"I have it."

The door slid open.

"That's a unique skill," said Azaka ruefully. "Though I don't see the use. We could just as easily blast it open."

"Emperor Nesshin is a wise man," said Kamidake. "I'm sure he has one in mind."

They walked into the hall and entered a series of strange, plain halls. There were strange lights here. Sometimes they'd enter areas with all kinds of experimental equipment wherever they walked.

"Emperor Tenchi Masaki had a saying:" said Azaka. "All things have a purpose and a place. And all are of equal importance. We can embrace it or defy it. But whatever our choice, it defines us."

"Did you meet him?" asked Kamidake.

"I was a boy, but yes," said Azaka.

"What was he like?" asked Kamidake.

"Kind," said Azaka. "Soft-spoken. He never decided until he had heard every side of the story. He was always trying to find solutions that satisfied everyone.

"He was a great man."

"Was he like Nesshin?" asked Kamidake.

Azaka laughed. "Oh, not at all. Nesshin prefers to take an uncharacteristic approach. He doesn't hold with Tenchi's adherence to tradition. Tenchi never upset traditions unless he had no other choice. He aimed for harmony."

"While Nesshin likes to induce chaos." mused Kamidake.

"Yes," said Azaka.

"Which do you think is better?" Kamidake asked, curious.

"Well, I wouldn't want to judge Emperor Nesshin against his father. Not until after his reign his complete," said Azaka. "Since I knew him when he was only a babe, I doubt I'll ever get the chance. Emperor's of Jurai tend to live longer than the rest of us.

"You'll have to judge on my behalf."

Kamidake frowned as they entered another room. This one was a great hall with elaborate walls. "…Azaka, shouldn't we have run into something by now?"

"Yes, I find the lack of any kind of security strange as well," said Azaka. "Still, Clay did not have infinite resources. He may well have not thought anyone would find this place."

They went through the next room and found dozens of green, tubes, large enough to hold large animals. Kamidake didn't like the look of them at all, as they walked. "Look at this place.

"Are these… test tubes? For animals?"

"I recall that Clay performed several experiments involving duplicating DNA," said Azaka. "Perhaps he was cloning animals."

"If that's the case, where are all the subjects?" asked Kamidake. They turned a corner and halted. They saw before them a final tube and within it was a beautiful, white-haired woman, stark naked. She was cursed up, and her eyes were closed.

"Who is that?" asked Kamidake.

"A human," growled Azaka in a fury. His grip tightened on his staff. "Clay was experimenting on humans! The bastard has much to answer for!" Then he raised his staff to blast it. "Wait, Azaka," said Kamidake. "If we destroy that tank, it might harm her. Let me check the readings." He found the console and began to type. As he did, he frowned at the readings.

Azaka must have seen his face because he looked concerned. "What is it?"

"…Strange. It says that this woman was put here five minutes ago." said Kamidake. "I'm not detecting any brainwaves. Though her life signs are all green."

"But we've seen nothing and no one," said Azaka. "No matter, can you release her?"

"I will endeavor to do so," said Kamidake, scanning through his options.

"Good," said Azaka nodding. "Do it, then get her back to the ship. Report what we've found here. I'm going to go deeper into the facility and find the ship." He walked onward.

Kamidake looked as he walked. He was forgetting something, wasn't he? Ah, that was it. "Just don't destroy anything. Emperor Nesshin will want this place intact. You know how he wants knowledge above all else."

"Yes, yes, I do," said Azaka.

Zero was calculating.

The chances of success had increased. Failure was still a very likely state. To achieve her plan, she would have to rely on several miscalculations on her enemies part. Even if they were made, she might not gain the advantage she needed to win.

It was a risk she would have to take.