Cleopatra 2525; Echo of a Hero By Tyval Chapter 6: Sarge and Raina made the final connection and were rewarded as the lights flickered back on. " Aha! We did it," Sarge cried triumphantly. Sarge and Raina did that odd high-5 move Cleo had taught them and smiled at each other. The silence between was awkward. That morning they had been enemies, but after the events of the last few hours everything was changed. The mutual attraction they had always felt was impossible now to ignore. " Uh, we'd better join the others," Raina awkwardly said. Upstairs in the main control room, Questar, Hel, and Cleopatra grinned at each other as the power to the G.O.L.D. complex was restored. " All-right! Now we're cooking with gas," Questar smiled as he started re-booting the control-computer. " Huh? Cleo, did you undertand what he just said?," Hel whispered. " Of course, you mean you didn't?," Cleo whispered. Hell rolled her eyes. ' Those people from the 20th century must have really been weird,' Hel thought. " Working," a feminine electronic voice said," Please identify." " Questar, rank G-2, assuming rank G-1 at present, prority clearance A-1," Questar said. A green scanning ray bathed Questar in a strange glow. " Fingerprint scan confirmed, voice print confirmed, retina scan confirmed, D N A scan confirmed, brain wave scan confirmed. Identity cofirmed, welcome Questar," " Computer, activate information files," Questar said. " Information files on-line," the computer responded. " Computer, requesting files on this facility, who built it without my knowledge, and how did I end up here?," Questar ordered. The mouths of Hel and Cleo dropped open in surprise. " What? You mean you don't know how you ended up here?," Cleo asked. " And you don't even know about this facility?," Hel asked. " No, I don't. I'm the number 2 man of G.O.L.D. and I never saw this base," Questar told them," Whoever built it had to be G.O.L.D. though. Tara's room was an exact duplicate of her main room at G.O.L.D. HQ in Los Angeles, the arsenal is stocked with our weapons and even a flying car, and this facility was protected by Mechas 4 robots. It has to be a G.O.L.D. base, but how did it get built without my knowledge, by who and for what purpose?" " Information access denied," the computer intoned. " What?! Computer, this is Questar, rank G-2, assuming rank G-1, I have priority clerance A-1, you will access that data," Questar angrily said. " Access denied," the computer said. " This is madness," Questar said," Computer, I have absolute priority clearance to all information including the most top secret. I want that information now, priority A-1." " Access denied, restricted data can only be accessed by China Dragon or by Shiro Sanlemoto," the computer said. Questars fist shattered the monitor. " Fucking toys," Questar snarled as a second monitor came on-line. " Um, Questar, you don't have amnesia or anything, do you," Cleo asked meekly. " Hardly," the question made Questar smile again," With my powers I would know if there were gaps in my memory. But the last thing I can remember was that I was talking to China Dragon in 2050..." " 2050, but I was frozen in 2001 and you look the same as you did then," Cleo gasped. " Yea, not bad for a 90 year old man," Questar laughed," Or is it almost 600 now. I stopped aging in my 30's, but I didn't really notice it until I was about 50 or so. I'm not immortal really, I just don't get older. I can bleed and die just like anyone. Poor Mace, Max, my brother, that was the one power we didn't share." At the mention of his beloved brother, Questar's eyes became moist. His brother had still been alive in 2050, barely. In the scant few hours since his de-frosting, Questar had not had time to think about his lost friends and family. Now, the emotions, pent up, threatened to overwelm him. " Excuse me, I-I need to check something out," Questar said as he quickly exited the room. " Where is he going?," Sarge asked as she and Raina entered the room as Questar left. " I think he just got officially welcomed to the 26th century," Cleopatra said, fighting back her own tears. She had gone through this too, but Cleo had had few relatives or friends. Questar had many to mourn. ................................... " Some hero I am, some big savior of Earth," Questar thought aloud. Questar looked around the trashed room that had been an exact duplicate of his own room at G.O.L.D. HQ an hour before. Huge holes and dents showed where he had punched and kicked the walls. The door to the room had been ripped off and thrown into a corner. Pictures and video tapes of his friends and family were scattered on the floor. But Questar was a martial artist and a hero. His rage and grief were gone now as he focused his chi and sat in the lotus position. This world needed him. Human, mutant, halfling, it didn't matter. ' There has to be some of us left,' Questar thought,' This is Cryo chamber 7. It doesn't matter if I don't know who built it or why at the moment. That means that there must be at least 6 more, #1-#6. There were a dozen empty beds just in this one. Why? And what of those of us who were immortal or almost so. Emerald's people have life spans of 1000 years, Tara might be old now, but she could make 500 easy because of her hybyrd nature. And what of China Dragon, Vodar, and Golden Girl? They were supposed to actually be immortals.' Questar shook his head. There were too many questions. Questar had buried many friends during his time with G.O.L.D. His brother had been 70 and was dying of radiation poisoning when Questar had seen him last. To Questar that had only been a day before, but in reality it had been almost 500 years. A soft female hand touched his shoulder. " How did you know where I was Cleo?," Questar asked, knowing who it was even without using his powers. " It's not hard to find someone who can punch through steel walls. I just followed the path of destruction you left," Cleopatra said as she softly hugged his neck from behind. " You went through this too. I guess I just got selfish. Some hero huh?," Questar said," This world needs Superman or Captain America." " I think we got something better," Cleo whispered," We got a man." " Cleo," Questar whispered as he brushed back her hair. Cleo held his hand and felt the blood from his knuckles where he had punched walls repetedly. A normal mans hands would have been jello instead of slightly skinned. Cleo thought and hoped that Questar would make love to her, but Questar knew that neither one of them were truly ready for that yet. Questar softly kissed her and they held each other tightly for a long time. ............................................... " I love this room," Hel smiled as Sarge, Raina, and her finished cleaning up the room/lesbian dungeon that had been built for Tara. The girls had even stolen another big screen tv/vcr from one of the other living quarters rooms to replace the one broken by the elevator explosion. The room had escaped much of the damage despite having seen some action. The women were exhausted from all the fighting they had done, but all the sex toys were making them horny. Raina and Hel flopped down on the soft oversized bed. Sarge looked in the bathroom, her eyes growing wide as she saw the large shower and a hot tub big enough for 4 women. ' Wow, those G.O.L.D. people really knew how to stock a base,' Sarge thought. " Hey Hel, Raina, check this out," Sarge called. Hel moaned as Raina helped her off the bed. Hel and Raina were just as impressed as Sarge when they saw the opulant bathroom. Just then a familiar voice was heard from behind them. " Ah, I finaly made it," Mauser said. " Mauser! What are you doing here?," Hel asked, surprised at this turn of events. " Voice needs you to contact him via the G.O.L.D. com-links," Mauser said. " Okay," Hel wearily sighed," C'mon guys." " No Hel, this message is for you, Questar and I alone," Mauser said. " What? You know, I get sick ofthe elitism you and voice practice Mauser," Sarge angrily said," Voice only speaks to Cleo and I when she wants something and I get sick of it." " I'm sorry," Mauser said shaking his head. All three women did a double take. No robot ever used the word 'I' to describe himself even one as sophisticated as Mauser. And no robot ever said that he was sorry was something. " Okay, now even I am getting freaked out," Raina said. " All will be explained soon," Mauser said," Voice is finally going to reviel everything, just please be patient for a little longer. It is imperitive that he first talk to Hel and Questar." None of the women noticed that Mauser refered to Voice as 'he' that last time, but all of them knew that something had been said. Hel shrugged her shoulders and wearily followed Mauser down the hall. Hel smiled as she found Cleo and Questar asleep in each others arms. ' Made for each other,' Hel thought," I just hope I get some of him too. Cleo better share.' " Hey sex fiend!," Hel shouted," Wake up!" But Questar was already awake as he vaulted out of bed, flipped in mid-air, landed, and held Mauser off the ground by the throat like a rag doll with one hand. " Another one!," Questar growled," Say goodbye to your gears robot!" " No wait Questar!," Cleo shouted as she woke up," That one's ours!" " He's a friend Questar," Hel said as she grabbed Questr's arm. ' What reflexes, even when he's asleep,' Hel thought,' And these arms, whoa! I like girls, but he's magnificent!' Questar released Mauser who oddly rubbed his throat. " A friend huh?," Questar said. " Yes, he's called Mauser," Cleo said as she stood next to Hel. " Actually I'm not really Mauser anymore, but I am still a friend," Mauser smiled, further freaking out Hel and Cleo. ' That voice? Where have I heard that voice before?," Questar thought. Questar had known the sentient robots of Mehas 4 and had encountered robots who laughed, cried(in their own fashion), felt real pain, and real joy so wasn't as surprised as the women were at Mausers recent actions. " Mauser, or whoever you are now, what the hell is going on?," Hel asked. " Please, just come with me to the main control room," Mauser said," Voice has some vital imformation he needs to impart to you. Cleo, please wait for us in Tara's room." ' Huh, how did he know that that was Tara's room,' Questar thought,' This is getting too weird. And his voice, why is it so familiar?' " It's okay Cleo, join the others," Questar said," Lead on R2-D2." Hel and Questar followed Mauser back to the main computer room. The computer had re-activated 5 of the G.O.L.D. robots and had them out doing repairs and clean-up. Mauser quickly punched in a code to establish communiction with Voice. Hel also knew the code and watched to make sure that Mauser punched in the right one. " Greetings Questar, and you too Helen," Voice said, but in a male voice that shocked Hel. Hel had only heard a female voice before, but somehow knew that this was the real Voice. A strange sad smile was on Questar's lips. " I am sorry you are surprised Helen," Voice continued," Yes, this is my real voice, or was. Questar, it's good to see you again old friend. But then, I don't really do that either anymore." " Is that really you?," Questar said knowingly. " What's left of me," Voice answered," I'm afraid I really am just a brain floating in a jar." " Questar, what's going on here? Do you know who or what Voice really is?," Hel asked in suspense. " Oh I know who he is all right, and even though I owe him my life a dozen times over I have some serious questions about why I just spent 500 years in a freezer," Questar said," In fact, I think we should stop calling him Voice and call him by his real name. Shiro, Shiro Sanlemoto. The smartest man of the 20th and 21st century and member of G.O.L.D."