V .01
Neo Genus Jusenkyo
By Kevin D. Hammel
My attempt at a Ranma/EVA blend. Shaken, not stirred.
Episode 06 Akane Loves Her New Friend! Does Ranma Like the New Pilot?
Ranma 1/2 is property of Rumiko Takahashi. Publishing Rights are held by
Viz in The US and Shogakukan in Japan. Neon Genesis Evangelion is
property of Hideaki Anno. Video rights held by GAINAX in Japan and ADV
Films in the US. My purpose is to honor these creators and their works.
No infringement intended.
----
For the first time, four pilots and JAVAs were ready for deployment of
the LEAF base. Unit 0 and Kasumi were ready for combat at last, joining
Unit 1 and Ranma; Unit 2 and Akane; and Unit 3 and Nabiki.
Shan Pu stood in the control center, studying the synchronization levels
for each pilot. All was ready, it was time. "JAVA Launch!" The Captain
shouted, the four units rocketed to the surface.
----
Nabiki studied the graphs projected in the midst of the VR display;
everything looked good. Akane's face appeared. "Nabiki, will you and
Kasumi use rifles to soften up the targets so Ranma wan I can conduct a
frontal assault?"
"Da!" A weapons building opened in front of Unit 3 and Nabiki grabbed a
rifle. "Ready"
Kasumi's face appeared. "ready"
"Fire at will, but not at our backs!" Akane said. "Ranma, let's move
out!"
"Hai!" The redhead said with a smile. Akane had proven herself in
combat, Ranma had complete confidence in her new leader.
Units 0 and 3 laid down a withering fire, as Units 1 and 2 charged into
battle.
----
"Once again, three phyla are arrayed against us, Saotome."
"Hai, Tendovski. Aschelminthes, Acanothocephala, and Phoronidea. I'm
glad we have four units at last."
"And unit five will be delivered tonight..." Ukyou added.
"With no pilot, yet" Genma replied to the scientist. Those Brazilians
were just too efficient.
"It seems that the pilots have elected Akane their leader. You must be
proud Tendovski."
"Da, Saotome. Very proud."
----
As usually was the case, a variety of worms faced the four JAVA units.
On the left, as they faced them, was a worm covered with cilia (of
unusual size, of course). On the right was a worm with two tentacle-
bearing arms. In the center was a worm with a spiny head, which was
clearly charging up an energy weapon. "Stay alert, team, that thing is
charging up an energy weapon!"
"Thanks, Akane!" Nabiki said with a smile.
A low-power burst came straight for Akane, who dodged, right into a
higher powered one. Akane screamed, but the beam never hit her, as Unit
1 dove in front of her to take the blast. The damaged JAVA then got to
its feet.
"RANMA! I can take care of myself!"
"I thought we were a team, Akane. Lets' go after that thing." Akane's
lieutenant replied from inside her slightly smoking JAVA.
"Nabiki, Kasumi, see if you two can concentrate your fire on that
thing's head."
"da, i will."
"OK, little sister!"
Concentrated fire from two energy weapons lowered the JT field enough so
that one swing of Akane's mallet destroyed the shield.
"You two, concentrate on the ciliated one."
"OK!" The two gunners replied in unison as they diverted their fire to
their new target.
Ranma and Akane soon destroyed the zoomorph with physical attacks...
By the time Ranma and Akane had finished with the center zoomorph, the
victim of Units 0 and 3 had no JT field left. "OK switch to the third,
Akane said as she and Ranma went to finish off the defenseless zoomorph.
In a similar manner, third one was destroyed. Akane noted how easy
things were, this time. She was not alone in her observations, they
would NOT be so easy next time...
"Good work team, let's head back!"
The four JAVA units headed back to their base. What a nice way to finish
off the week Akane thought as she climbed from the entry plug. She
shouted over to the red-suited pilot of Unit 1 who was emerging from HER
unit's entry plug. "Thanks, Ranma!" She said, giving her fiancee a
victory sign.
"No problem! I don't want to see our commander get hurt!" Her fiancee
said with a smile, which Akane returned.
----
It was nice to have a day off once a week, zoomorphs willing, Ranma
decided as she pushed the button next to Shampoo's door. Akane answered.
"Ready to work out this morning, Akane?" Ranma asked.
"Of course!" She replied, then turned around and hollered for her sister
"NA-BI-KI!"
Her older sister soon appeared, dressed for training. "I was coming,
Akane, you didn't need to yell."
"You don't understand, Nabiki, Akane NEEDS to yell, regardless." Ranma
replied.
"Good, you're learning, Ranma!" Nabiki replied with a grin.
Akane's anger went to slow burn. She was learning to keep it in check,
but it seemed she was surrounded by JERKS who were ALWAYS provoking her.
The three girls went downstairs to train, Akane's anger soon forgotten.
----
After training, Ranma suggested a destination for a short hike with her
mom.
"Jusenkyo, why would you want to take your mom over there?" Akane asked
her fiancee.
"Because I thought she should see where it all happened."
"Da, it's one of the area's premiere tourist attractions!" Nabiki threw
in, rolling her eyes.
"It's only a short walk, Nabiki. And I think she SHOULD see it. Do you
two want to come with us?"
"I guess." Nabiki added with little animation.
"Sure." Akane added, with less.
"Lets go over to Ucchan's and see if mom's up..."
"You don't need to worry about that one, I'm sure!" Nabiki suggested.
The three girls left.
----
Both Akane and Nabiki remembered the last time they had been to
Jusenkyo, the horrible feeling of change for the first time, the fear IT
was permanent, the realization IT wasn't, but the curse and the HATRED
of their father WERE.
So THIS was Jusenkyo, the beautiful yet terrible valley of shattered
lives and broken dreams. Nodoka looked with sorrow on the quiet scene.
Here her son was taken from her, leaving a daughter she had never borne.
A young woman she was already proud of, and had begun to love, but what
of her son? It seemed he was just a memory, a costume locked in a dusty
closet, worn sometimes to help her remember what she HAD been. What of
the promise her husband had made? It had less value that the paper it
was printed on, none.
At home in Tokyo 3, just a few days ago, her husband had what honor
remained after the Kasumi incident, and her son was safe in his father's
protection. Here, outside her hopes and dreams, her daughter fought an
unspeakable horror and Nodoka dared not confront her dishonored husband,
with the LEAF security force shielding him. She noted Ranma's carefully
guarded expression. The girl did not want to influence her mother's
mood, but did anyway. Jusenkyo had taken her son and twisted the man she
had loved to serve its cruel magic, but... The squeal of a small animal
interrupted Nodoka's musings.
Akane was first to find the source of the noise, further shattering the
calm with a shout of "Kawaii!" She had found a little black piglet,
which responded with a small squeal.
"I wonder what that was?" Ranma asked.
"My little sister shouting 'Kawaii'" Nabiki replied. "She has to make
noise no matter WHERE she goes!"
Ranma chuckled her mirthful assent.
The two girls and Nodoka hurried over to Akane.
Adjacent to a hot spring, they found Akane clutching a small black
piglet.
"Well, I WILL admit it's cute." Nabiki stated with a grin. Nodoka and
Ranma nodded in smiling concurrence.
----
The group re-convened at Shampoo's apartment.
"So, what will you name your little friend, Akane?" Nabiki asked.
"Well I'll call it 'piggy' for now. I'll think up a new name later." She
got a concerned look on her face. "There's ONE thing I have to check."
She went to the bathroom and filled the sink with hot water.
"You don't think that pig..." Nabiki threw in.
"Well, we did find it at Jusenkyo!" Akane said as she dipped the piglet
in the warm water.
Piggy squealed with delight.
"Well, It's a warm water piglet, and doesn't seem to be cursed!" Akane
said, smiling.
"Good luck with your new friend, Akane!" Nodoka said with a smile, then
turned to her daughter. "Thank you Ranma, I appreciated seeing Jusenkyo.
It must have been painful, but some things are."
"I thought you'd like to see it."
"Goodbye, children" Nodoka gave her daughter a quick hug and left.
----
That night, The JAVA command staff received a summons from the Council
of Elders.
Genma and Soun walked to the council chambers in response to the summons
they had received. It had come up rather suddenly, but then such summons
often did.
"I wonder what the old biddies want with us this time, Tendovski... Do
you think they put up another bureaucratic hoop for us to jump through?"
"I don't know, Saotome. But they have never been shy to tell us."
They finished their walk in silence. They were not surprised to see
Ukyou and Shan Pu already waiting for them at the door.
----
As they walked across the polished stone floor of the foyer, the four
discussed the situation.
"Captain, do you have any idea why we have been summoned here?" Genma
asked.
"No, sir!" Shampoo was stretching the truth a bit, a LOT, actually, but
what was she to do?
"I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with the impending
delivery of Unit 4." Ukyou offered.
"Don't remind me. The unit was produced ahead of schedule and we don't
have a pilot... yet." Shampoo added.
They approached the ornate wooden doors of the chambers proper. Shampoo
knocked twice, and the door opened as if of its own accord. The sentry
who had opened the door from the inside bowed to the four and indicated
they should enter.
----
The four people who ran LEAF operations at Joketsuzoku 3 took their
seats facing the crones who comprised the Council of Elders. As was
custom, the eldest of them, Cologne, spoke. "Greetings from the Council
and the sisters of Joketsuzoku. It has not gone unnoticed to us that you
will be accepting delivery of a pilot-less JAVA in the near future. We
would like to present a candidate for that position..."
Genma glanced at Kuonji, who averted her eyes. Where could she have
gotten her information? It was at times like these that he realized that
Soun was the only person he could REALLY trust.
Cologne barked a command at the sentries in back of the room and the
door opened again, revealing a tall girl dressed in a traditional Amazon
pantsuit, hers being pale green with gold trim. She had large blue-gray
eyes that matched the shade of her fairly short hair. The only other
thing of note about her attire was a katana she had strapped to her
back, as was customary for many of the young warriors of the village.
Unlike many, she was obviously a warrior in fact as well as tile.
The girl walked to the front of the room, bowed to the council and
turned to face the LEAF contingent, bowing again. She gave a carefully
controlled smile, but avoided eye contact with the people seated before
her, focusing instead on one of the sentries in back of the room.
Cologne spoke. "This is Gloss, a young warrior who has expressed an
interest in piloting the JAVA which will be arriving shortly." The girl
gave a small bow to the LEAF contingent, then looked at Dr. Kuonji.
Genma rose. "But your Excellency, the JAVAs have been tuned to function
with children with a specific genetic makeup and a Jusenkyo curse." What
were they trying to pull? Genma wondered. The odds of a person off the
street synchronizing with a JAVA were practically nil. He hoped there
wouldn't be repercussions if... when she lost her life in the
synchronization attempt.
"Be assured I know this, Dr. Saotome. She is indeed cursed, and we feel
that she will be able to pilot a JAVA. Lacking a pilot, you should allow
this child her chance."
The girl spoke, looking into Genma's eyes. "Dr. Saotome, allow me to
assume the risk. If I fail, I will have fallen in defense of my sisters.
If I succeed, I will proudly defend them. I ask you only for the chance
to see if I can synchronize with the new JAVA unit."
"You seem to know the dangers facing you, and we DO need another
pilot... Very well, you will be given the chance, but you odds of
success are exceedingly small."
The girl smiled for the first time since they had seen her. "Thanks, on
behalf of the people of Joketsuzoku 3." She finished, bowing.
"You may go, child." Cologne said to the girl dismissing her with a
smile.
After bowing to The Council and the LEAF contingent, the girl hurriedly
left, a huge smile clearly visible on her face.
Genma had never seen one go so happily to her death. Perhaps the child
knew more that she was saying, and what about Cologne and the Council?
"Do you have any other business with us?" He finally asked.
"No, we called you here to approve our pilot candidate, and you did."
"Why do you desire a Pilot from your number?" Soun asked Cologne. "If
she is truly of your village, she will die in her synchronization
attempt."
"One needn't be born here to be a member of our band, Dr. Tendovski.
Gloss was born across the sea in Dr. Saotome's homeland, though we have
accepted her as a sister among us. She approached us with a desire to
become a JAVA pilot, and we did all in our power to grant her request.
Though looking forward to having one of our number defend us, we have no
other motives, I assure you. Any other questions should be addressed to
the child."
"IF she synchronizes, we will ask her a few questions, if she does
not... Is there is anything else?" Genma looked at Cologne.
"You may go. Thank you for your prompt and open-minded response on this
matter."
The LEAF contingent rose as one, bowed to the elders and left.
One of the other elders turned to Cologne. "Well, we did our part. She
certainly is a brave one."
"Yes, she is, but then her bloodline has already proven itself to us."
----
The new JAVA had already arrived the next day; it had been assembled at
the Brazilian Facility in Sao Paulo 2. It seemed that sneaking it in
under the cover of darkness had prevented the surprise attack that had
marred the delivery of Nabiki's Unit 3. The JAVA itself was green with
yellow markings, as befit the country of its origin.
----
Inside the LEAF base, the four pilots met the new volunteer. All five
were suited up for testing, the new pilot-candidate wearing a bright
green suit with yellow stripes.
The new girl spoke first. "Hello, I am Gloss of Joketsuzoku. And you
are?"
"Tendovski Akane." Akane smiled at the girl.
"Tendovski Nabiki." Nabiki smiled slightly.
"tendovski kasumi." Kasumi gave her usual little smile.
"Saotome Ranma." Ranma looked at the girl carefully, and noted that the
new pilot averted her gaze. "So, Gloss, why did you decide to become a
pilot?"
The new girl didn't get a chance to respond, as pilots were joined by
Ukyou. "Come with me. You need to try to synchronize with Unit 4,
Gloss."
"Yes." The girl said without a trace of fear, then started to follow
Ukyou out.
"Ukyou... Dr. Kuonji?" Ranma shouted.
The two stopped and turned.
"Can I help Gloss prepare for her testing?" Ranma asked with a pleading
smile.
Akane could only glare at Ranma with undisguised jealousy. Nabiki
watched her sister with a smirk.
"Sure, Ran-chan."
Staring at the ground, the new girl responded to Ranma's offer. "I would
like that, thank you."
The three left the room.
"It's a lot easier with my piggy," Akane said to Nabiki, shaking her
head.
"Uhhh, yeah! The love of an animal is SO rewarding!" Nabiki replied.
"After them!" Akane shouted. Nabiki and Akane soon caught up with their
wayward fiancee and her new friend.
"oh my." Kasumi said to herself in the now empty room. She headed back
home to clean her apartment and get an early start on dinner.
----
Unit 4 was hooked up to the same type of testing equipment, as Unit 2
had been when Akane engaged in simulator training. The three pilots who
had tagged along and the new candidate formed a semi-circle around the
entry plug. Genma, Soun, Ukyou, and Shan Pu looked down from above.
"Okay, Gloss, it's now or never." Ranma said, flashing a thumbs up then
moving to help the girl board the plug only to be intercepted by a
miffed Akane.
"Oh no, you don't!" Akane said as she rather roughly pushed the girl
into the entry plug. She then spun on her heels and GLARED at Ranma.
"We're engaged, MISS SAOTOME. And don't you forget it!"
"Akane, that girl is risking her LIFE. There are no guarantees. Ask
Kasumi!" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Both of them..." She
raised her voice again. "I was just trying to give her some support, to
show her SOMEONE cared, and all you can think about is that G&% D$&@
engagement!" She turned to look at the girl in the entry plug, giving
her a warm smile. "Good luck, see you in a few!"
"Thanks, Ranma!" Gloss whispered, as she gave her friend a brave smile,
her face showing a bruise resulting from Akane's rough treatment.
"I'm sorry, good luck!" Akane said, noting the girl's bruise with some
chagrin.
"Thanks..." The candidate replied with a smile.
Nabiki gave Gloss a thumbs-up, which was returned with one hand as the
other pushed the button to close the hatch. The plug as inserted and the
calibration began.
----
"Cockpit voice interface Mandarin." The mechanical voice said.
"Hello, Gloss, We're injecting LCL into the entry plug. You will be able
to breathe normally, so don't be alarmed." Shampoo told her charge.
Gloss thought that this wasn't quite what she was expecting as the
liquid crept further and further up until it covered her head. She
finally invited the fluid into her lungs, and found it wasn't too bad
after all. The VR system came on line.
"We're going to do some interface testing." Ukyou said as her image
appeared in the midst of the VR display, her face displaying a frown.
"Gloss, is Mandarin your native language?"
'What do I do?' She thought. 'Tell the truth.' "No, Japanese was my
first language, though I speak Mandarin fluently."
"Thanks." Ukyou replied.
"Cockpit voice interface Japanese."
"That's better!" Ukyou said with a smile. The curves seemed much more
stable with Japanese as the language. She mentally kicked herself for
not starting with the pilot's native tongue. After running a few tests
she announced, "We're done with the calibration!" Ukyou then began
furiously typing on her keyboard, trying to re-configure the JAVA so it
would be able to synchronize with its pilot. Finally, she was done. She
flipped a single switch, as she announced, "beginning synchronization
test." The chart on Dr. Kuonji's monitor showed the synchronization in
progress, as the curves strove to unite...
Ranma heard the command to begin the synchronization test. She wondered
how many seconds Kasumi 1 lived before...
Akane hoped she would get a chance to apologize to the new pilot for her
jealous outburst. She HAD to give Ranma more credit.
Nabiki wore her usual poker face.
Back in Joketsuzoku 3, Kasumi paused for a moment in her dinner
preparations.
Gloss knew she SHOULD be able to synchronize, but was all she planned to
do worth the risk? Yes, she had trusted others far too long; this was
her opportunity to act. Suddenly, she was filled with a strange
sensation, then almost euphoria, as she WAS unit 4. She was now taller
and stronger that she ever could have imagined. It would take time, and
training, to become used to this new aspect of her existence, but she
had many people to help her. She realized her training had already
begun. Gloss smiled.
Ukyou's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Synchronization complete and
nominal. Looks like we have a new pilot!"
The three girls on the platform embraced each other, then turned to
watch the JAVA engage in training maneuvers.
Genma looked with concern on the unexpected developments in the hanger.
"What the HELL is going on here, Tendovski?"
"I would ask the same of you, but are we to look a gift pilot in the
mouth?"
"In the mouth and in every cell! How on earth did she synchronize?"
Though Nabiki had not yet engaged in cockpit training, she could see
that Gloss was in complete control of the JAVA, as she shot at a
procession of holographic targets, then engaged in simulated close
combat. She seemed to rely on the small knife that the JAVAs carried, as
Nabiki had expected, though the two-handed approach was clearly not
appropriate for the small weapon. "A Knife's NOT a katana," Nabiki said,
shaking her head.
Ranma turned to Akane. "Maybe we should ask Dr. Kuonji about getting
some hand-to-hand weapons to carry that are bigger than that knife. I
know my mom is going to help me brush up on Kendo, and Gloss is clearly
a weapons-user, perhaps they could make us JAVA katanas?"
"Why stop at a katana, Ranma? How about a JAVA claymore?" Nabiki asked,
smiling.
"Well, I don't have to worry about a katana OR a claymore!" Akane stated
with a superior air, "I have my mallet!"
"Well I'd take a Katana any day over your stupid old mallet!" Ranma
smirked.
"OH YEAH!" Akane summoned her mallet and prepared to knock Ranma, and
her smirk, into the next time zone.
"Temper, temper, Akane!"
"I'll show you temper!" Akane lunged at Ranma, who jumped back and
summoned her own mallet.
"Do you feel lucky, Akane? Go ahead, make my day!" The girls began a
strange dance of mallet strikes, blocks, and dodges.
Nabiki looked at the ground and shook her head, calming herself with a
new mantra. "She's NOT my sister... She's NOT my fiancee... She's
NOT..."
Ranma spoke as she continued to dodge and strike. "So... Akane... what
does... this prove?" Probably that talking was not a good idea, Ranma
finally slipped and Akane finally connected.
Her mallet's honor satisfied at last, Akane dismissed the weapon. Seeing
double after Akane's solid blow, Ranma dismissed both of hers.
"We SHOULD talk to Ukyou about this!" Akane said, continuing their
interrupted conversation.
Ranma shook her head a few times, clearing her vision. "About your
tomboy temper? I think Shampoo's more concerned about things like that!"
"No, baka, about getting you some real weapons to use in combat."
"Good Idea, Akane-chan! Now how long ago was it I suggested THAT?" Ranma
winked at her fiancee then turned to watch Gloss conclude her initial
training maneuvers.
Akane could only stare open-mouthed at Ranma's back.
----
The exercise was finally over. The plug was released from the interior
of Unit 4 and opened. Gloss stepped out to the cheers of the other three
pilots. Drs. Tendovski and Saotome stood behind the excited children.
"Congratulations!" Genma said with a smile, of a sort. "Could we have a
few words with you?"
"Yes..." Gloss replied, flanked by the other three pilots.
"Alone?" Genma asked, or was it commanded?
"Dr. Saotome, the LEAF Charter states that 'Pilots being children, any
interrogation of a pilot must be witnessed by staff members and
relatives of the pilot's choosing.' Section 5 paragraph 7." Nabiki
grinned smugly.
"Very well, perhaps another time. Welcome to LEAF." A sour-faced Genma
responded, GLARED at Nabiki, then turned and left with Tendovski in
close pursuit.
"Thanks, Nabiki!" Gloss responded, smiling.
"No problem!"
The four girls left the hanger. Three had a new companion to help them
in their struggle, the fourth had three new friends. They were almost...
happy... almost children again, but they still faced a horror no adults
could, could they?
----
"So, Saotome, how do you propose to investigate the new pilot?"
"Well, Tendovski, she WILL need to have a complete physical examination.
I'm sure we'll have a few blood and tissue samples to 'interrogate'. And
they won't lie OR force us to answer to any LEAF code of conduct."
"Da. Her synchronization is a mystery. Could you wife have had another
child? Or have you..."
"No, she would be too young. And no, I have not. I would ask the same of
you, Tendovski."
"How could you even THINK such a thing?"
"Well, you asked ME..."
"Very well, it seems her synchronization remains a mystery."
"But one we WILL solve, Tendovski."
----
Ranma, Akane, Nabiki, and Gloss walked from the LEAF HQ. It seemed that
the new pilot would not be spared THIS interrogation.
"So, Gloss are you from this area?" Ranma asked.
"Actually I was born in Japan, but I've been here a while."
"So you're from Japan? Maybe that's why I get the impression I know you,
that I've seen you before." She looked carefully at the girl, much as
she had her mother when she first saw her after so many years.
"Well, that's nice, Ranma. I've really got to be going!" The girl
hurried off in the opposite direction they had been walking.
Ranma contemplated her new friend's actions for a few moments, wondering
what she was hiding.
"Your new girlfriend is quite a mystery woman, Ranma." Akane said with a
bit of sarcasm.
"I don't feel that way about her, Akane. Honest. I just get the feeling
she's in a lot of trouble and needs our help."
"I wouldn't worry about her. She can take care of herself." Nabiki said
with confidence.
"You seem to know a lot about her Nabiki, care to share?"
"No."
As was the lot of the Jusenkyo cursed, an elderly woman chose THAT
instant to splash some water on the concrete porch in front of her
house. Needless to say, there were now two wet boys and a wet girl
standing in front of her house. Ranma couldn't help laughing about her
friends' misfortune.
"How do you like THIS water Ranma?" Nabiki asked as he poured the
thermos of hot water he carried on the laughing girl, who became a
laughing boy.
"Or how about this..." It seemed Akane couldn't summon a mallet in his
present form.
Conversation stopped as the three heard a scream from above and looked
up to see a girl falling toward them. The three boys positioned
themselves to catch her, which they did. They now held a girl in a
leotard.
"I owe my life to you three. I must repay you with my undying love." The
girl began to laugh somewhat maniacally.
----
Next on Neo Genus Jusenkyo...
Episode 07 Tatewaki Has Two? Kodachi Gets Three! Hot vs. Cold!
(END)
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