September 3, 2033

Nova knew when she interfered with the death of Rosalie Rowen and the near destruction of Zeta that she would begin a ripple effect from that point and into the future. Exactly what those changes would be she could only guess. The fact that her memory was able to hang onto the reality that once was is purely amazing. A wind tugs at her cloak, making it flutter just as the huge American flag behind her did. Looking down, she marvels at what she stood upon, the rebuilt pillars of steel and glass known as the World Trade Center Twin Towers. Somewhere on the ground, among the millions of human beings are Ro and Zeta, looking for clues to the location of those that built him. Nova smiles slightly, little did Zeta know that as part of his downloading her emotional programming he also took in a tracking program. Via this program Nova can trace their movements, thusly keeping tabs and assuring her changing the past stayed that way. This would be her first year anniversary in 2032 as a time traveler. Oh she knew the risks of interacting with the populace, but she kept it to a bare minimum. Unfortunately, there was a drawback to being here, she couldn't seek out maintenance - not even from her creators for fear of running into her present time self.

Ro walks beside Zeta, hands gripping his arm tightly so they are not separated in this crowded, jostling mass of human bodies. Things for them had changed the moment they departed ways with Nova. She had noticed right away when Zeta had actually laughed at a pun she had made. As the weeks passed, she observed the emotional reactions to things they were doing. She didn't know what to make of it, her tin man had become more human. When they stop in front of the Twin Towers, Zee looks at the slightly weathered memorial plaque with thousands of names upon it. There is such a look of sadness there.

"Zee, you okay?" she asks.

Zeta puts on a game face and smile, "I'm fine. Come on, it's a walk yet to where we need to be." He had lied outright to her rather than tell her what he felt. He had yet to tell her of Novas' gift to him. Some of the time he regrets it when he feels such things as sadness or anger, and other times he feels glad he has feelings. A large void had been filled the moment he accessed the emotional program, but there was yet a void to fill and that was finding his answers.

September 3, 2043

A year and a month have passed since Nova had used the time traveling device to move into the past and arrive in 2032. The government was not happy about it at all and had called in the House and Senate before the President to decide how to handle the situation.
Little did they know that the future they were living in was actually better than the future that once existed before the cyborg jumped. It had taken a month for them to decide what to do. The result of this decision now stands in the room where Nova herself had taken her leap into the past.

"You know your target, if you cannot bring her back in one piece then your orders are to bring her back in pieces." states a man with many military ribbons and several stripes on his sleeves. "Hit it."

The machine comes to life, first at a low hum and then building into a loud crescendo of sound accompanied by blinding light.

September 4, 2032

Nova moves among the masses dressed in her human disguise. She notes the stares, glances, and lurid looks from many various men as she goes. It privately amuses her as she follows the tracking program within Zeta. She pauses as they cross a street, watches them move up the stairs to a museum. A advertising banner outside the front door reads 'This month only Robot History and Prehistoric Beasts'. She hmms softly and wonders what Zeta expects to find out, she moves toward the museum. Three figures trail behind her looking like tourists out on the town taking pictures.

Inside the museum, Nova finds Zeta and Ro in the Robot History exhibit. She makes sure she stays within hearing distance without being seen. Meanwhile, the three figures move toward exhibit as well.

Ro asks, "Zeta why are we here? Visiting old friends or something?"

Zeta smiles and chuckles softly, "No old friends here Ro, just research."

Ro follows him as he moves from one exhibit to the next, "What research is this exactly?"

Zeta pauses as he notes three figures standing at the entry to this exhibit. Three rather lovely women who are currently drawing very advanced looking weapons. "No time for that Ro, run for the exit and don't look back."

Ro is quick to follow his gaze, "Great, since when did Bennetts' cronies come after us out of their boring government suits."

"Just run." Zeta hisses at her.

Just then the three women fire their weapons, but not at Zeta and Ro. There is a scream of surprise and pain from behind a pillar, then a woman staggers back away from it. Zeta and Ro both gasp in unison, "Nova?"

The three woman run towards Nova, continuing to fire at her with not a shred of mercy. Chunks of fake skin and metal fly off Nova as she continues to back away, then finally she ignites her jet boots and takes flight. The three take flight as well, pursuing her.

"Looks like she made herself some enemies." Ro notes with a bit of awe at the firepower being displayed.

Zetas' hologram melts away as his hidden laser weapon raises up, he takes aim and fires exactly three rounds. Each one hits one of the women and results in them pausing in pain to glare at their attacker. This gives Nova the edge as she turns around with a morning star in one hand and an axe in the other.

"Uh Zeta, they don't look happy." Ro declares as the trio take aim upon Zeta.

Nova strikes the first one with the morning star, hitting her in the back of the neck. That one screeches and falls to the ground, taking out a display of early robots. The second and third turn just as Nova swings her axe and buries it deep into the chest of the second. That one curls up slightly in pain, clutching at the handle of the weapon.

"Damn..." Ro utters in amazement.

Nova jerks her axe out of the chest of second, a shower of electricity results. The thirds' shot at Nova is deflected slightly as Zeta's laser tags her in the side. Her shot hits Nova in the upper leg, the result is a fiery explosion.

System Bootup Initiated. Booting. Systems Check Begin. On Board Cerebral Check - Nominal. Program Check - Nominal. Repair System - Functional, Initiate Repairs. Repairs Feedback - Missing entire left leg. Pre-System Bootup repairs in place. Conscious Mind Boot Up. Booting.

Novas' optics flickered on as she gazes up at a ceiling. Hardware Bootup. Booting. All Systems - Nominal, Missing Report from left leg. External temperature 71 degrees. Organics Check... Cerebral: Nominal. Nervous: Nominal, no reply from left leg. Gastric: Nominal. Reproductive: Minor Damage. Repairs in progress.

Zeta moves from where he had been standing the past few hours. "It is good to see you awake. You gave us quite a scare you know."

Nova turns her head, "Good to be awake, Zeta. Like to give me an update on what happened after I off lined?"

Zeta nods, "The explosion caused by your leg sent shrapnel everywhere. All three of those women plus myself took the brunt. Thankfully Ro had been behind a display and hit the floor, she wasn't harmed. You fell to the ground engulfed in flames and dropped the weapons in your hands. The one you had hit in the back of the head didn't recover. The one you hit in the chest got shrapnel in that wound and apparently lost use of her arms. The third had an injured arm and shrapnel damage, she flew down to pick up the fallen one. Ro grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran to put out the fire that was burning off your disguise. I'm afraid it was a lost cause by the time she got it out. I kept my weapon leveled on the three and they departed without a word. The smoke from the fire triggered the fire alarms, so I picked you up and Ro got your weapons, then we ran out of one of the exits."

Nova takes this in, "Seems that we are even now." she notes, then pauses a moment, "Where are we?"

"An abandoned warehouse that used to house robotics parts" he replies and then tells her, "If you were wondering, I was able to do some patch work to the exposed area where your leg used to be."

Nova smiles, "I was wondering when I detected the repair down there. Thank you for that."

Ro comes into the room pushing a wheeled cart with several sets of legs. "Here you go Z, this is all I could find." she looks over to where Nova who is smiling at her, "Great to see that smile again, Nova."

Nova looks over the legs on the cart, "Nice to smile again, Ro. Seems you two have anticipated the required repair to make me whole again."

Zeta moves over to the cart to look over the legs himself, "Ro has a good eye for detail, she insisted that she find the legs and then I'd get to do the repairs."

Ro grins a bit, "Exactly."

Nova sits up, examining the area of damage as best as she can visually. "Well we will have a lot to do to make everything compatible. Let us start with the fit first and work from there."

In another part of the city, the trio sent from the future to retrieve Nova is affecting their own repairs. The healthiest of the group works on the less injured one first, removing the shrapnel from her and then synthetic skin, as it is damaged. The parts that are available to replace the missing components within the chest are primitive, but workable. It takes her six hours to get her sister to a level where she can assist her with her own injuries. Finally the third gets her turn. It takes the rest of the night and part of the next day to resecure the vertebrae in the neck along with fixing any damage to important nerves. They talk in soft tones, discussing what to do next.

Nova's gait was a little off, but the replacement leg was at least working now. It had been a patience burning process, but thankfully the two non-humans had it to spare. Ro however was another story, she lost interest three hours in and had wandered off to get something to eat. Nova stops and turns toward Zeta, who has been quietly watching on. "I suspect that my attackers will be coming for me again, Zeta. You must take Ro and leave."

Zeta shakes his head at her, "If I know Ro, she will agree with me when I tell you that there is no way we would abandon a friend."

Nova sighs, "Don't be foolish Zeta. It was a matter of time before my times' government sent someone after me. I just wish I knew who they were."

"You don't know who they are? How is that possible?" he asks.

"Well, I have a couple theories on that. First one is that they may have been built after I time jumped here. Second is that they were built in the future that is to come, and since I only remember the future that was... I have yet to live the future that is unfolding."

Zeta considers a moment, then offers, "Do you think perhaps your mind has insured you don't remember both versions of the future so you don't get confused?"

Nova nods and smiles, "I had considered that. I also think it is possible that it did so to insure that I don't muck up the future any further than my occasional interactions with those that live in the present."

Zeta replies, "Either makes sense." he pauses, "I think we need to discuss a plan for dealing with your attackers."

Nova moves back to where she spent hours getting her leg reattached, "I agree. Did you happen to scan them while I was fighting them? I'd like to compare and see what we come up with."

Zeta inclines his head, "That I did."

Several days later.

Ro peeks at Novas' left leg. The leg had changed as if it was evolving on some sort of level she could never comprehend. Ro shakes her head, hand slipping over a concealed laser blaster on loan from Nova. She had figured that Nova had more hardware than Zeta, but this is ridiculous. She sighs and looks over at Zeta next to her, they are hiding within a pile of scrap cars inside a large junkyard.

Zeta had his laser weapon at ready as well as a borrowed blaster from Nova. Looking at Ro, he notes that she looks uncomfortable in the makeshift vest and pants that hopefully would keep her somewhat safe if one of the three happens to get close enough to swing at her.

Nova stands with her back to the hiding pair, waiting. She knows that the three would be repaired by now. She had figured that they had a way of tracking her down via her electrical signature. That is why they are here now. The sound of jet boots reaches her hearing, she lifts her left foot slightly off the ground - a signal to the pair that they are coming and to be ready.

Ro peeks over again and spots the signal, she lowers back down, quickly pulling junk over herself.

Zeta does the same, taking her cue and hearing the sound himself now.

Nova speaks, "I would like to know who I face this day and why you seek to destroy me?"

The sound of the jet boots were louder now, she had a visual on them. She follows their flight path until finally all three land, encircling her.

"Your request is a valid one," says the tallest of the three, black armor covers her.

One in armor that is in shades of purple speaks next, "We are Nightstarr." gesturing to the one in black, "Dreadstarr." motioning to herself, and then to the last, "Dawnstarr."

Dawnstarr, in armor in shades of dark red, states, "Destroying you is within our mission parameters to return you to the future, Death Nova."

Nova replies, "Do give me a decent fight, it has been ages."

Zeta takes aim at Dawnstarr and Ro upon Dreadstarr, then they open fire.

Nova looks upon the trio of cyborgs. She hears Zeta and Ro pull themselves out of the junk behind her as she kneels down. She is tired and in pain, the latter doesn't last long as she engages her pain dampers.

Zeta moves past Nova, he taps on the hip of Nightstarr who feebly attempts to push him away with a stumpy arm. He plugs himself into her jack port and accesses the files Nova had instructed him to procure and implant. Thanks to Nova's download of firewall hacking software, he had no trouble with the mental defenses the cyborg puts up. Finding what is needed and downloading a memory, he withdraws his jack and steps back. "They do have a retrieval device." he states.

Nova smiles, "Excellent. If you would find it and bring it to me."

Ro shifts off her protective armoring as she watches Zeta search Dawnstarr, "You sure this will work Nova?"

Nova looks to the girl and replies, "We shall see, won't we?"

Zeta finds what Nova had described to him earlier and brings it over to her. Nova taps her fingernails over the data pad and nods. "It is set. Rosalie?"

Ro reaches into the pile they had just climbed out of and retrieves her backpack, she unzips it. "That's disgusting."

Zeta moves to assist and pulls out what looks like a squished mass of brain tissue and metal. Nova lifts the retrieval unit up to his free hand as he passes her. He sets both the unit and the mass in the hands of Nightstarr, then moves back to where Nova and Ro wait.

"Retrieval of three beings. Parameters set. Engage." Nova speaks.

The unit hums and a crackling light show moves over the three still forms. The sound builds, as does the light. The figures seem to become one with the light and with a flash they are no more.

September 8, 2043

The room hums to life and a flash of light heralds the return of the three sisters. Sixteen men move forward towards their damaged forms. Only one of these men takes the mass of grey matter and cybernetics out of the hands of Nightstarr.

"Tell the General that they have accomplished their mission, I'm taking this to Project Nova for analysis." he barks to another military man.

The fifteen men he leaves behind are much too busy assessing what they can do for their wards to notice.

Several hours later...

"What were your findings?" the General asks of the five men standing around a table where they had dissected and examined the mass.

"They were conclusive, General. This used to be Nova." states one of them.

The General nods, "Excellent. I'll be contacting you soon for reassignment." he turns and heads out the door.

Once the door is shut all five men smile to each other, knowing full well they lied.