Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor X ❯ SX18: Cyberqueen (The CYBERWAR series) ( Chapter 18 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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 ©1999 - John Brengman and Artemis Publishing

Sailor X series inspired by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon,

© 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