Author's Note: Here's Chapter 8. There's a cameo here from another animated robot near the end of this chapter, so look out for it.

Disclaimer: Refer to the prologue

Story Title: Corrupted Programming

Chapter Title: The Birth of Queen Jennifer the First

Cluster Command Ship, somewhere in deep space

Reprogrammed. That's what Jenny had heard the orange-gold robot say. Now the word resonated within Jenny's mind, filling her with a sense of dread. She once again forced herself to try and retake control of her body. It had been futile before, but desperation filled her and made her attempt it despite the futility. She would not be turned into some kind of puppet. No way, never. Never!

Looking through her own eyes, she saw that her controlled body was following a red roach drone who calmly led the way to wherever they were going. She focused her anger and desperation on the red drone, willing with all her might to take control of her weapons systems and blast the drone out of existence. But no, aside from the movements controlled by Viruz, she couldn't ever make her body twitch.

'RAAAHHH!!!' she silently screamed as she mentally clawed at the figurative cage in her mind. She felt the amusement that Viruz drew from her rage. That, of course, just made even more angry and desperate.

'I can beat this! I can beat you, Viruz!' Jenny mentally lashed out. 'And when I do I'll rip you into pieces!'

'Be at ease, XJ-9,' Viruz purred in her mind. 'Soon you will no longer need to struggle.'

Jenny silently screamed at him some more, but Viruz did nothing except to chuckle in amusement. Still fuming within, Jenny saw that the red drone had stopped in front of the door. Her controlled body obediently stopped as well. She saw the drone raise a hand toward what appeared to be an intercom button.

"Chief Engineer Fixit," the drone said. "Your subject has arrived."

"Really? Excellent!" a voice with a vaguely British-like accent answered. "Do bring her in."

The door opened and the red drone stepped inside. Immediately Jenny's body followed against her will. As Jenny continued her futile attempts to get control she looked around her. She was in a laboratory that looked a lot like a set from a Frankenstein movie. Suddenly, a blue robot stepped into her line of sight. It was designed to look like a praying mantis.

"XJ-9!" it said with the same voice Jenny heard over the intercom. "It's so marvelous to finally see you. I've heard many, many incredible tales about you."

Mentally Jenny cursed at the blue robot, but outwardly her body just stared into space. Seeing this the blue mantis robot, Fixit, frowned and leaned closer to inspect Jenny. "Hmm… a purple glow in the eyes. No doubt the handiwork of High Commander Viruz."

He thoughtfully scratched his chin with one mantis-like foreleg and waved away the red roach drone with the other. The red drone left without a word as Fixit continued to stare thoughtfully at Jenny.

"I do hope he hasn't overwritten your core programming, XJ-9." Fixit muttered. "It would make my job much faster if he didn't."

With that he went over to a terminal. After a few taps on the terminal's keyboard a metal pod came out of the floor and encased Jenny's body. Realizing that the pod was a reprogramming device, Jenny's attempts to retake control became all the more desperate. But her attempts were just as ineffective as her previous ones.

Then, she felt some of her outer coverings being taken off only to be replaced by new ones. She barely had time to contemplate on the violation of her person her mind suddenly exploded with an influx of raw data. Her mind reeled as the new data overwhelmed the old, integrating and writing themselves onto her core programming.

Still reeling from the data influx, her mind started to catch images. One was of her shaking hands with Viruz and agreeing to help him. Another was of her convincing Brad to go with her to the Cluster. Yet another showed her saying good-bye to her Mom just as she left with Viruz and Brad.

"Wait a minute…" her mind noted numbly. "That's… not right…"

Then her mind was overwhelmed and everything went white.

Cluster Stealth Wasp, low Earth orbit

As the refurbished Stealth Wasp flew out of the reach of Earth's gravitational field Dr. Wakeman started to key in coordinates on one of the craft's control terminals. Beside her, ADAX studied several photographs and diagrams. The doctor had told him to look them over so that he would familiarize himself with who they were rescuing.

"Hmm…" ADAX said as he studied a few pictures of Brad. "Goofy looking."

Mrs. Wakeman ignored that as she continued to calibrate the craft's navigational systems. ADAX set aside the pictures of Brad and stated looking over the pictures and schematics of Jenny. ADAX arched up non-existent eyebrows and whistled appreciatively.

"Not bad, not bad at all." He said. "I'm almost sorry that she's technically my sister."

This time Dr. Wakeman didn't ignore that comment. She looked up from the instrument panel and shot ADAX a look.

"What?" ADAX asked. "I can't comment on how hot my sister looks?"

The doctor just shook her head despairingly and put her attention back to the instrument panel. After a few more taps she finally said. "Very well, that should do it. Prepare for wormhole travel."

"You sure you put in those coordinates right, Wakeman?"

"Yes, ADAX, I'm positive that the coordinates I input will get us to our destination. With a 6% margin of error, of course."

"Six percent?" ADAX asked, sounding unsure. "Just how bad would it be if, thanks to a cruel twist of fate, we get one of the six percent?"

"We could end up on the wrong side of the galaxy," Mrs. Wakeman answered. Then her voice took on a mischievous tone. "Or we could end up within a star or a black hole."

"Great," ADAX muttered. "Just friggin' great. You choose now of all times to show that you do have a sense of humor, albeit a twisted one."

"I wouldn't worry, ADAX." Dr. Wakeman reassured him. "It is highly unlikely that an error will occur, the odds are against it."

"Wakeman, you're talkin' to me here." ADAX said. "You know how I feel when somebody tells me the odds."

Mrs. Wakeman didn't reply. She activated the wormhole drive and a cosmic portal opened. She flew the craft into it, after it entered the wormhole then started to shrink until, finally, it disappeared.

Cluster Command Ship

Grand Marshal Yomex sat on his command chair. In front of him were several communications monitors. Viruz stood beside him, regarding the faces on the monitors' screens with a smirk. It was then that Yomex spoke.

"The time is at hand, my comrades." He said. "All fleet commanders prepare your respective battle groups for the jump to Cluster Prime. Ready your crews and ships and wait for my signal."

"Yes, Sir!" The fleet commanders, all Smitus-types, answered as one. Each of the commanders gave an elaborate boast before signing off. At each boast Viruz snorted in contempt. Smitus-types knew how to boast, but very little about effective commanding. In other words they were all talk and nothing else. Of course, he kept that thought to himself.

Finally , all of the faces on the communications screens disappeared as they signed off. All except one, it was a silver humanoid robot with a skull-like head. Over its body was draped a white cloak. "General Grievous, you wish to say something?"

"Yes, Grand Marshal," the general replied. "You gave orders to the fleet commanders, but what about me and my ground troops, will we not join the fight?"

"You and your landing forces will stay behind until I give the order. Take no insult from this, but your troops are basically useless in space combat." Yomex pointed out. "Only after we have downed the planetary shielding grid over Cluster Prime will you and your troops come into play. In the meantime, you must sit back and wait."

"Very well, Sir. I shall await your command." General Grievous answered. He then reached into his cloak and pulled out two cylindrical devices. Suddenly, blue and green energy blades shot out of the cylinders with a snap-hiss sound. The general performed an elaborate salute with the weapons and signed off. Viruz looked at Yomex.

"He always did have a flare for dramatic exits."

"Yes, he does." Yomex replied, nodding.

"Excuse me, Sirs." A green roach drone said, interrupting the two. "We have an incoming intercom call from Chief Engineer Fixit."

Yomex nodded. "Put him through."

The green drone pressed a button. A voice then spoke out. "Sorry to interrupt you, Sirs."

"It's quite alright, Chief Engineer Fixit." Yomex said. "You have something to say?"

"Yes, Sir." Fixit's voice said. "Only this: Queen Jennifer the First has been born."

Upon hearing that, Viruz beamed widely and looked at Yomex. The Grand Marshal nodded and smiled as well. "Excellent, Chief Engineer. Most excellent."

Author's Note: Well, that's all for now. In case you didn't catch the cameo, General Grievous is that droid general from the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated micro series. Anyway, please review. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.