Chapter 26: Doomsday's End Part 1
---30 seconds until accelerator overload---
"Crap! This isn't going well." Jedi thought to himself. "But what can I do? The only options left to me is to fight, which I can't do, or use the..." That was when it hit him. Down in the lower right corner was a small gauge. Jedi hadn't switched off the re-entry rocket status monitor! It still showed that he had fuel. Could he possibly?
"If only BETH were still here to help me, I could do it. Now I am going to have to be destroyed by my best friend, and the only people that I could consider family in this new age."
Jedi tried to think back to the simpler days. Days when he wouldn't have had a worry in the world. He would come home from school as fast as he could so he could watch cartoons. This was back when his parents had been together. Neither was ever home, but he was still able to have fun. It had been hard, since he never got a chance to go out and meet people, but as he grew up, he learned how to be his own person, not one made by others.
---Caution: 25 seconds until accelerator overload---
Could he raise the armor? It would deflect the laser blasts of the cyborgs, but Julie's antimatter would take care of that. This was getting futile. There couldn't be anyway for him to survive the oncoming attacks, at least on his own anymore.
"Hey, did someone order room service?" Jedi was confused. The voice sounded like BETH's, but he knew that was impossible, since he destroyed it not even a few hours ago. "Hello? Is this thing on? That's great. I come to help, and all I get is ignored. This helps a lot. What am I supposed to do know? I could override, but that is something I won't do."
"BETH? Is that you?"
---Caution: 20 seconds until accelerator overload---
"JEDI! It's you! I thought that maybe you had been completely disconnected."
"What do you mean 'completely disconnected?'"
"When you launched your final attack during the Test, your shots hit all around me. While we were in your mind, almost all of the shots were not able to do damage. But your last attack was so powerful, that despite the safety protocols the damage was physically recreated. You overloaded my connections, and well, I have been unable to communicate for a while now. Thankfully a few of the nanobots were able to talk to me, and we managed to make a few connections."
"How long would it take for your connections to be fully repaired?"
"That's already done. I diverted a small amount of the main repair crews, it only took a second."
---Warning: 15 seconds until accelerator overload---
"BETH, were you able to read my mind? Do you know of the plan that could save us?"
"Yes, do you wish to try it?"
"I don't see any reason why now, it's our only chance of making it through this still functioning!"
"Okay, here goes. It'll take a few seconds to slow down to the appropriate speed. "
---Danger!!! 10 seconds until accelerator overload---
---9---
---8---
"Slowing down. Going sub-light now."
---7---
---6---
"Once we get underway, focus all repairs on the accelerators, they are going to need it the most."
"Okay"
---LEVEL 1 DANGER!!! 5 Seconds until accelerator overload---
"Cutting it kind of close don't you think?"
---4---
---3---
---2---
---1---
A laser blast whipped past Jedi's ear. He was back in normal time! The re-entry boosters should kick in....
NOW!
From the bottom of Jedi's feet emitted a giant blast of fire as he was carried upward.
"Where'd he go?" Jet looked around him in disbelief.
"He's using some kind of booster. Heh, he won't be able to use it long, come on Jet, I have a lock on his exhaust." Julie motioned and flew off in the direction that her sensors told her was correct.
"That's it, come on!" Jedi saw behind him that the two capable of flight were following him. The others were staying behind, why, Jedi couldn't say, but it was good news nonetheless. "BETH. Do you think that the nanobots in Julie can still be talked to? They came from me, so why can't we maintain a link with them?"
"I can try, but I have my doubts. Why would you want to communicate with them anyway?"
"Because I want to send a telegram."
"Huh?! What's this, it sounds almost like the old Morse code. Dash Dash Dot. Dash Dot Dot." A small window came up and translated the message.
"Julie, STOP Please, stop attacking me. I am under the effects of an attack that I made on Black Ghost. STOP For the next four minutes or so, I will look like him. STOP Your previous attacks have already done irreparable damage to my shields and the polymorphic weaponry. STOP If you continue to attack, I will be unable to destroy Black Ghost for good. STOP"
Could this be for real? "Areana." Julie had to get in contact with the Phoenix, it was the only source of sensor data that would be available. This was true because Julie had spent the last few seconds on the way in making last minute repairs to the cyborgs. "Do you have any sensor data from before we came over the horizon from the base?"
"I should, but the computer's on the fritz. All of the antimatter that has been on this ship lately has left a very severe radiation mark. I'm just about to be forced into an EV suit because of it. I'll send what I can though."
"This can't be for real! Jet, go back and tell the other cyborgs to stand down and go help the General."
"But I thought that destroying Black Ghost was our type priority?"
"Don't worry about it, I am going to take care of everything."
Reluctantly, Jet turned around and went back. Julie began to wonder if maybe this couldn't be a trap. If it was, she was falling for it. The only thing that proved that the message had come from Jedi had been how it had been received, via his nanobots. She hadn't wanted to get rid of them, since it only took a little work to upgrade them to her standards. Who was she supposed to believe? Her mind, which told her to destroy the person flying in front of her? Or her heart, which told her differently?
She had to make a decision soon, but which one?
Herald of light: Well, as the title says, the story is nearing it's end. I plan on ending it next week, hopefully posting the last chapters on Wednesday... I won't give any hints on what it's going to be like, that would be just down right cheating :D Besides, I am still trying to find a way to end our heros, er, story, yeah that's the right word.....Looks around bashfully Anyway until next time, stay on the edge of your seats!
