Natasha 23:  A Link to the Past	

The Empress' Dagger sped towards Mobliz.  Moral didn't appear to
be very high on board.  The Returners were unhappy due to their
failure to find the Bio-Metal Behemoth Remote Control.  The 
Mystery Men picked up in Doma stood on the deck..not much was 
still known about them.  Natasha was missing, however.  The
remaining Returners were surprised at how she busted onto the 
ship, ordered everyone to go to Mobliz, and then went down into
the hull of the ship.

She laid in the chainber of the solider who was most likely 
captain of this airship.  It was a very large and lavish room,
with appeared to spare no expense in the decoration of this room.
However, the style and beauty of the room was far from Natasha's
mind.  

Several things flew through her mind.  All of them pointed at 
that entity that claimed to be Emperor Gestahl.  There was no way
he was alive.  Someone KNEW who she was, and someone knew exactly
when and how to get to her.

Her eyes full of tears, sat down at the desk of the room.  On that
very well polished, oak desk sat a very neat looking black leather
book.  Natasha opened the book to see it was a journal.  It started
back when he was just a trooper, under a young Emperor, named
Gestahl.  She looked through the book looking at the various
entries.  He had run several missions...however none really caught
her eye until this...

*FLASHBACK*

The city of Vector gleemed in the light of the morning sun.  Just 
about two months before, Gestahl renounced his offical title as
king and crowned himself Emperor of this new military power, 
known as the Empire.  The rest of the world knew it was only a
matter of time before the Empire marched the globe in hopes of
world domination.  

Emperor Gestahl looked out upon the world.  Thoughts rang through
his head of world domination.  Figaro..Doma..those kingdoms would
be his.  Vector's military power was undeniable, and with the
help of his brilliant scientists, the Empire would also have the
technological advantage over anyone who opposed him.

Three months before, they discovered the magic power of Espers
could be drained and stored in the battery cells.  These cells
could be used in special mechanical suits of armor.  They lovingly
called their creations, Magitek Armor.  However, field tests
were still be run on the prototypes, and it would be some time
before this technology was mastered.  The shiny rocks left behind
by the Espers seemed to puzzle the scientists as well.  They 
seemed to possess magic power, but extracting any power from them
would take time.  Not that it mattered.  The power was probablly
worthless anyway.

Gestahl laid his crown upon his head and changed into his royal
Vector red robe before leaving the room for breakfast and such.
However, there was a knocking at his door.  This was unsual.

"Come in," the Emperor firmly said.

A solider came in, very well built, most likely a private, "Doctor
Clayton Forester has sent me to come for you, your highness," he
saluted his Emperor.

"Ah, most likely on the progress of Magitek power," Gestahl 
smiled, "Very well, please tell Doctor Forester I'll be there 
after I get some breakfast."

"As you wish, my liege," the solider bowed, then left.

******************************************************************

About fourty minutes later, Emperor Gestahl found himself walking
down into the depths of the labs of his brilliant Imperial 
Scientists.  It always struck him funny why his scientists were 
always so..so..messy, but it didn't really bother him.  They got
done what had to be done, and they did it quickly, and well.

Finally, he made his way into the lab of Doctor Clayton Forester. 
The lab was much more messy that the rest of the labs.  Acctually,
out of all the scientists he had, Doctor Forester didn't really
ever contribute much.  Atleast not as much as the others.

"Doctor Forester!" Gestahl smiled.

A whily middle aged man turned around.  His glasses mad his eyes
look much bigger than they really were.  His white lab coat was
covered in various colored splotches and his moustache appeared 
not to have been trimmned in a while.  His long brown hair went
in every possible direction, suggesting that he really didn't care 
much about his appearence.  

"Yes," the Doctor bowed, "I am honored you have come, your 
majesty."

"The honor is all mine," Gestahl motioned for him to get up, "You
wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes," Doctor Forester beamed, then yelled to the back of the
lab, "Frank!"

A shortm, portly neatly dressed blonde headed middle aged man 
emerged from the back of the lab, with a microscope in his arms.

"This is my lab assisstant," Doctor Forester grinned, "Say hello
Frank."

"Hello, Emperor Gestahl," Frank said with no expression on his 
face, "It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you," Gestahl smiled.

"Your Highness," Doctor Forester began, "In this microscope, Frank
and I have discovered something that will be of great interest
to you and your armies."

Gestahl looked down at a long blue worm with many thin black 
stripes running across its body.  It wiggled and flopped around
wildly. 

"And this is?" Gestahl asked.

"Frank and I call this a choromosome," the Doctor smirked.

"And what does it do?" Gestahl quizically looked up at the Doctor.

"Well, these are there are billions of these in each and every one
of our bodies," Forest exclaimed, "And each of those black bands
on its body consists a part of our genetic make-up."

"English, Doctor," Gestahl narrowed his eyes.

"OK...for example," the Doctor sighed happily, "That first band
might represent someone's hair color.  The second could be eye
color, and the third muscle tone."

"And how will this help me?" Gestahl asked.

"Now that I know what to do," Forester snickered, "I can create
the perfect genetic warrior."

"Perfect?" Gestahl cracked a smile, "Now you are talking my 
language, Doctor."

"Yes..now that I know what to look for, and what to do," Forester
wildly smiled, "I can most definately be able to do it."

"Very good work," Gestahl smiled, "Name what you need."

"All I need is a woman..and a man," Forester smirked.

"I shall be your man," Gestahl turned, "And I will have a woman
here for you in about a week.  In the mean time I suggest you
perfect this, Doctor."

"Understood, your highness."

****************************

A week later, the Emperor was back in the lab.  This time two
troopers were guarding the exit, and a young woman was laid
out on the table.  She was very beautiful and appeared to be 
around 18 or so.  She was asleep, most likely knocked out.

"I don't want anything wrong," Gestahl said, "I want him to 
be perfect!"

"Do not worry your highness," Doctor Forester replied, "He will
be perfect in every way you can think of."

"Ahh," Gestahl grinned, "Excellent."

"All I need to do now is implant the young woman..what is her 
name?"

"Madonna," Gestahl answered.

"Yes, Madonna...she will be pregnant like a normal mother should,"
Forester cackled, "All she will know is that she holds the 
Imperial Heir in her womb."

"All for the best," Gestahl said, "This project does not leave
this room, clear?"

The two guards nodded, and then Doctor Forester and Frank nodded
in acknowledgement to their Emperor.

"Very good."

"There," the Doctor smiled, "She is now implanted.  In nine months
your perfect warrior will be born."

"Excellent work, Doctor," Gestahl evily smiled, "Keep it up."

"I intend to, your highness," the Doctor nodded.

Gestahl turned to his two guards, "Take Madonna to my room, and
lay her in the bed..I will be htere shortly."

*END FLASHBACK*

"And I was one of the troopers who escorted Madonna to the 
Emperor's room," Natasha read, "The funny thing about this
project was that it remains unfinished..Madonna ran away and
most likely gave birth.  This perfect warrior could still be
alive.  Whoever he is...."

"Whoever he is," Natasha sighed.

This book did represent something to her though.  It contained 
dates and information on her creation.  The funny thing that 
struck her was that they could change the things just as 
physical appearance and such..but couldn't change the sex of 
the perfect warrior.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the fine wood door, "Natasha,
we have found Banon's airship and he is here..he wishes to 
speak with you about Doma and what we are to do next."

"I'll be right up," Natasha said, sliding the black book into
her pouch.

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