Sailor X #18 Cyberqueen
By: John Brengman
The Luna Foundation
Earth glowed a somber rust color as light from the sun glinted dully off the energy field that now surrounded the planet…
A red beam stabbed downward at the planet and then funneled outward within the atmosphere until it mixed with the somber red of the rest of the Slave Shield…
The International Space Station hung as if trapped by the bright red beam it produced with its telescope-like protrusion. It glittered in the cold depths of space…
A silvery-gray shape was slowly approaching the space station. Recognition flashed: it was a Luna Foundation assault ship…in fact, it was one that had been sent to the Negaverse to terminate the rebel elements that were harbored there.
Everything seemed okay…but why was the ship moving so slowly, and why was it moving toward the space station, instead of toward its base on the moon?
And why had it not been detected before?
Deep within the consciousness that was the Foundation, a reaction started. Information was routed to the central systems and was processed. In a large circular room whose walls were covered with control panels and computer displays, the lone ship flickered onto several small viewscreens, each dedicated to a different node…a different part of the whole. Text messages began to cascade down display screens that had not been exposed to the human eye, then the decision was made…
GATES NODE activated.
HIRAGA NODE activated.
CYBERQUEEN NODE activated.
KIMAGURE NODE activated via remote connection to I.S.S.
GATES: Have all nodes assimilated the current data packets?
HIRAGA: They have.
GATES: Analysis?
KIMAGURE: Our analysis confirms yours. Assault Ship A113 has sustained moderate damage and was apparently involved closely in the battle after the automatic telemetry stopped. There are indications of temporal particles, which would explain why our sensors did not detect the ship before now.
GATES: Agreed. Our course of action is clear. KIMAGURE will prepare to receive the assault ship. Another node will board Assault Ship A113 and investigate this matter.
CYBERQUEEN: My secondary clone is available.
A nanosecond of silence went by…an eternity by computer standards.
CYBERQUEEN: Repeat: My secondary clone is available to investigate the situation.
GATES: You are the central node. Performance would suffer…
CYBERQUEEN: Negative. No downloads from the node matrix will be needed, and my secondary clone will be sufficient for the task.
HIRAGA: The logic appears sound.
GATES: Agreed.
CYBERQUEEN: The order has been given.
== * SM * ==
"I guess the temporal devices worked," Sailor Moon whispered into the cramped darkness of the cargo bays.
"Yes," came a voice out of the darkness. "From here the program we fed into the computer should direct the ship to go toward the international space station."
"And if it doesn't?" Sailor Mars asked from her crouch between the folds of stored uniforms.
"With the damage we did to the ship," Neptune replied. "It should appear as though the navigation systems are out."
"How long until we dock?" Venus whispered.
"If everything goes as we planned it," Pluto replied quietly. "We should be docking momentarily."
"Good," Sailor Moon quipped. "I hate long waits."
== * SM * ==
A voice echoed through the mechanical
sea of calculations, applications, and processes.
"The assault ship has docked with the orbital space station."
"Noted," the Cyberqueen said as from within a fast shuttle as it tapped the last few buttons of the ignition process. The cyborg then grabbed the steering throttle and pushed it forward. With a blaring roar, the shuttle lifted off from the launch pad.
"ETA at the orbital space station, eleven minutes."
== * SM * ==
The duo of guards stalked down the dark corridor waiting for the slightest hint of anything out of the ordinary. However, nothing stirred in the deep shadows that were disturbed only by the bright beams stabbing out from the flashlights they carried.
Suddenly the flashlights passed over two kneeling forms. Before the guards could react, laser bolts dropped them.
A lone guard turned onto a side hallway, his flashlight quickly flickering over the shadows.
A flash of light flashed behind the guard and he fell,
Sailor Moon stepped up to make sure the man would not be awakening any time soon.
"You should've used Energizer," she said as she turned away. Tapping a button on her wrist communicator, she said, "How are things coming?"
"Our team got three," Venus' voice reposnded.
"We've downed two," Neptune replied.
"I just downed one in the other hall," Mercury said as she came to stand next to Sailor Moon.
"That makes seven," Sailor Moon said.
"I doubt there's too many more out there." Sailor Neptune said.
"Remind me to thank Amy for her work on this," Sailor Moon replied as she cautiously scanned the corridors again, silently thanking Amy for the devices which masked their presence. "One team should stay out in case we're wrong. The rest of us will head to the control room and take control of the space station."
With that, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury started toward the front of the assault ship.
== * SM * ==
The small courier ship slowly approached the docking airlock on the assault ship's port side. Inside, Cyberqueen released itself from its seat and quickly made preparations to go aboard the larger vessel. As it watched the two ships getting closer through the view port, the computer announced, "Scanners show no life forms. Weapons fire indicated."
"Acknowledged," Cyberqueen said as it switched on its internal transmitter. If it sees or hears anything out of the ordinary, a likely possibility given the scanner information, the transmitter would let the Luna Foundation know about it, even if the cyborg itself didn't survive the encounter.
There was a gentle thud, then the computer said, "Docking complete. Stabilizing airlock."
== * SM * ==
Sailor Moon walked silently down the corridor, located on the port side of the assault ship. Normally these hallways would be very active as the crew and troops aboard readied the ship for battle. As it was, the emptiness was more than a little spooky.
Suddenly she stopped and drew her laser pistol.
The airlock was opening.
A woman stepped through the airlock. She wore a long white dress that was about as long as the golden blonde hair that cascaded down her back like thin waterfalls from two tightly-wound odangos. Even as she ducked to step through the airlock door, there was a calm, placid look to her. Her blue eyes slowly took in every detail of the corridor…
"Mother!" Sailor Moon yelped, tossing her pistol to the ground. She ran toward the other woman, who seemed momentarily confused. Then, arms outstretched, the two collided in an embrace.
"I've missed you!" Sailor Moon said through her tears.
"I know," came the reply. "I am glad to see you."
Sailor Moon looked up and saw a thin smile cross her mother's face. "I am so sorry I couldn't save you from that cyborg," she said.
"Everything is okay now," came the reply. "Are there others here?" Silently, behind Sailor Moon, knives extended from under the cyborg's fingertips..
"Yes," Sailor Moon replied. "Most of the Sailors are in the command module. We planned to attack the Luna Foundation and free you."
"You're glad that you don't have to do that now," the cyborg said softly. "I am safe now. We can go home."
"Yeah," Sailor Moon agreed as she looked into the cyborg's eyes…
…a shot rang out. A bloody blossom bloomed on the cyborg's head.
Sailor Moon stood shocked as her mother dropped lifeless to the floor. She glared down the hall and saw Sailor Mercury standing, a pistol drawn and pointed at her.
"Why?" Sailor Moon cried as the tears rolled down her face. "You killed the queen!"
"Really?" Mercury said as he waved her gun at the body. Sailor Moon looked down and saw the silvery razors protruding from under her finger.
"But.." Sailor Moon stammered.
Sailor Mercury knelt at the cyborg's head and turned it slowly to one side. She moved her hand over its ear lobe, revealing a dull silvery disk implanted behind the ear.
"What the…"
"She's a cyborg," Mercury said. "I shot her when I saw she was about to kill you."
"So, my mother…," Sailor Moon said slowly. "My mother was turned."
"I don't think so," Mercury replied quietly. "Remember, we just got done with a battle with the Cybersailors, and we killed some of them earlier."
"So…," Sailor Moon said.
"So," Mercury said as she stood up. "Perhaps Queen Serenity isn't dead."
"I hope not," Sailor Moon said as she arose to stand next to Mercury.
"Me too."
"If you're wrong…"
"If I'm wrong," Mercury replied. "We're all screwed."
== * SM * ==
A still shaken Sailor Moon entered the control room of the assault ship followed by Sailor Mercury, who seemed content to stand beside her comrade in case help was needed. Sailors Neptune, Mars, Pluto, Venus, and Jupiter worked at the various stations, getting the ship ready for the next step in the planned attack on the Luna Foundation.
Sailor Venus glanced over as Sailor Moon slumped into her chair. "What's wrong?" She asked, as all thoughts of her task vanished in the face of a friend in need.
"Queen Serenity has been shot," Sailor Moon said, too tired to even correct herself.
"We saw that," Neptune replied with a glare at Mercury. "It was almost certainly a clone."
"How did you know about that already?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Because the clone was transmitting a signal to the Luna Foundation," Venus replied. She tapped a button, and the transmission replayed itself. Sailor Moon winced as she heard the sound of Mercury's gun firing again.
"You mean they know we're coming?" Mercury asked.
"Yeah," Neptune replied evenly, "but not for long. We've modified Amy's program a bit. Not only will it take over all ship's systems aboard the courier and the space station, but we can order the station to fire a burst of radiation from its power core which will flood the area and make communications and scanning virtually impossible."
"That'll affect us too," Sailor Moon mumbled.
"Yep," Neptune replied quickly as she tapped a few more controls. "But we'll be well into our attack by the time it gets to be a problem."
"Sailor Neptune," Venus said. "I'm ready here."
"Same here," Neptune replied.
All eyes turned to Sailor Moon.
"Sailor Moon," Neptune said gravely. "You have to give the order. Give the order, and the space station will be knocked offline."
Sailor Moon stood. Nodding her head sharply, she muttered, "Do it."
With that, Sailor Mars tapped a couple buttons and pulled down on a lever…
…the lights aboard the orbital space station flickered weakly, then died.
…the red glow of the slave shield emitter faded and the beam stopped. The effect was instantaneous. The dull-red hue of the slave shield started to disappear, replaced by the deep blue of the oceans and the wispy white clouds.
…everywhere on Earth, millions of people had enough time to look up at the sky now bare of the rust-red of the shield just before they collapsed in nerve-wracking pain. The voice inside their heads gone, the populace suffered immediately, with almost fatal consequences.
== * SM * ==
"The Mercury virus is working," Sailor Venus said. The space station and the courier ship are under our control."
"Good," Sailor Moon said. "Let's get back to the Serena." She gazed out the window at the moon which hung dark and sullen against the star-speckled backdrop of space.
"It's time to finish this."
FINI
Fanfic ã1999 – John Brengman and Artemis Publishing
Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon,
ã 1992 by Toei Animation Co Ltd. and based on Kodansha's
manga production of "Sailor Moon", written by Naoko Takeuchi
This fanfic is freely distributed.
Release date: November 28, 1999