Free Probe Predators by Saxon Andrew Page B

her left hip. Our ancestor didn’t have that mark; do you?” Dee stared at Trip with wide eyes, “DO YOU?!” Dee nodded and felt the first tear star rolling down her cheek. “I never thought you existed. I knew I’d always live alone. And now, here you are.”
    Trip pulled her into his arms and Dee’s arms remained at her sides. After a moment she whispered, “It was your portrait I was staring at all those hours.” She raised her arms and hugged him tight. Trip turned and walked with her back to the edge of the hangar. They sat on the edge of the floor and Trip said, “You really don’t know me.”
    “Are you saying that because you’re scared?” Trip lowered his eyes and nodded. Dee took in deep breath and slowly exhaled, “I don’t understand how the genetics of this works but you and I know each other better than any other couple in existence. I can see you, Drey.” Trip was startled. “I can feel you.” She looked in his eyes, “It’s time you emerged and claimed your destiny.”
    Trip looked at Dee, “You are my destiny.”
    “We share a destiny. Do you see it now?” Trip nodded. Dee put her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. Trip kissed her and something inside him came alive. Dee held him tight and knew she wouldn’t be staring at portraits any more.
    • • •
    “Your Majesty, we’ve had a development.”
    “And what would that be other than the one facing us at the moment.”
    “It appears that Trip has found Denise Montgomery.”
    Angela sat up in her chair, “WHAT!?!”
    “I know you wanted to keep them separate but the Mansion’s computer selected her to be the new Caretaker.”
    “Oh crap.”
    “They have spent the last two days together.”
    Angela fell back in her chair, “Well, that just cuts it.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “You’re not aware of what we did to Trip’s parents?”
    “No, I’m not.”
    “They have pretty much cloned Andrey Montgomery’s DNA in him. He is pretty much a living replica of the Dark Officer.”
    “At this moment in time, I think we could use him.”
    “The issue is that with all the other genetic modifications done to High Genetics over the centuries; we’re not really certain what is going to emerge out of the brew that is Trip. You know how dangerous the original was and he almost made a horrendous mistake at the end of the last war.”
    “You’re talking about killing the Renegades.”
    “He also wanted to remove half the civilizations in M87 at the war’s end. Our scientists thought that we would get a great warrior as long as the entire package wasn’t activated.”
    “That’s why you wanted to keep them apart.”
    “Yes, Drey loved Dee immensely and if they came into contact, the fear was that the entire Drey would emerge. I’ll bet you see the difference immediately.”
    “You’re leaving something out.”
    “Yes, Dee was also an experiment.”
    “Were you an experiment?”
    “You’re good.”
    “You said you have Dee’s ability to see things and you can interpret my flashes. That’s not exactly normal patterns of behavior.”
    “I do have some skills, but not like the one Trip just ran into. She was developed after they played with me.”
    “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I just don’t see a downside to this. We get one of the Union’s best warriors and a psychic to boot.”
    “Drey Montgomery wrote before he died that if he knew life was going to be so stale, he would have never ended the war with the Family or M87. What if Trip finds that feature inside him?”
    Moe paused and after five seconds said, “He could make the war last forever.”
    Exactly, and loss of life in the Union won’t matter as long as he can play at his game of destruction and death. His powerful personality will drive the Union to become an aggressive civilization looking for a fight. There’s too much out there to avoid all of them if you go out looking for trouble.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “Make sure he