Subject: [FFML] [FIC][R.5] The Omega Project Part One, 2 of 2
From: Jed M Bidwell
Date: 11/17/1999, 10:27 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com

        "Shit!" one of the techs shouted.
        "Do something, you morons!" shouted the man standing in the center
of the room. He wore a uniform similar to the soldiers patrolling the lab
facilities below, his purple instead of black. The arm and shin guards were
white, a white half-plate over his chest instead of the silver torso plate
of the guards. His white hair was styled in a crew cut, intense silver eyes
set above a short nose and almost blocky jaw.
        "We're trying, sir!" the technician on the far left exclaimed.
"Initiating Emergency Manual Override!" On Juggernaut's display, a series of
long code strings scrolled across its field of vision. The image stopped
jumping as control of its body was taken from the rampaging mech.
        "Manual Override activated," he said with no small amount of relief
in his voice.
        "Good," the man in the center said, "now take it back to the repair
bay and shut the damn thing down."
        "Yes, sir," the tech replied as he typed in comands to Juggernaut.
The display shifted as Juggernaut turned toward the door from which it had
entered.
        "Kazuya," came a smooth voice over the communications channel. The
voice was calm and quiet, but still sent shivers up the man's spine.
        "Y-yes, sir?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
        "Come to my office," the voice said, "I wish to speak with you."
        "Yes, sir," he said, his face going pale. Shoving aside his dread,
Security Chief Kazuya Nikoman turned smartly on his heel and left the
Control Room, one of many in the Kuno Industries complex.

=====================================

        "You wished to see me, sir?" Kazuya said after entering the
luxurious office. The room was nearly the size of a penthouse apartment, a
thick red carpet covering the floor from wall to wall. Works of art, some
priceless, hung on the walls alongside shelves of books made of rare camphor
wood. A modern art statue, which to him resembled a pile of junk, rested on
the far wall adjacent to the enormous window overlooking the dark Tokyo skyline.
        Directly before him rested an antique American desk, its dark polish
gleaming faintly in the soft light of the office. Behind it sat a man who
looked to be in his mid twenties, neatly groomed black hair resting over
violet eyes that held an intimidating, almost disturbing, intensity. His
pressed white suit was as immaculate as the office, with a single black rose
in the lapel.
        "I did," Wataru Kuno said. "I want to hear your report, and it had
better be good."
        "S-sir," Kazuya began,  "at 2200 hours, an intruder was detected in
block seven of the Research and Development Wing. Though the intruder was
using thermoptic camouflage, motion detectors were able to pick him up."
        "In other words you got lucky," Wataru said.
        "Once we were able to track him down," Kazuya continued, "he
decloaked and attacked."
        "X," Wataru whispered, a flare of anger in his eyes.
        "Yes, sir. He killed no less than eight men, and wrecked several
light security mechs."
        "I would expect no less from him," Wataru said, "it's a shame we
couldn't control him."
        "We should have destroyed him," Kazuya snarled, "that maniac is
responsible for the deaths of twenty men under my command!"
        "Nevertheless," Wataru went on as if the lives of X's victims were
of no consequence to him, "back to your report."
        "X managed to get into genesis chamber four and set off a thermal
detonator. The chamber is a total loss."
        "But one unit survived." Wataru turned the small monitor on his desk
so Kazuya could see it. On it was a thumbnail picture of a girl with long
red hair, followed by several paragraphs of scientific data. "Unit R-014-F
had activated prematurely and has managed to escape."
        "I cannot explain how it became active," Kazuya said.
        "Nor do I expect you to," Wataru replied, "I will be speaking with
Doctor Tetsuya about that." Something about his tone suggested that Tetsuya
would be in for a very rough night.
        "Shall I send out the retrieval teams?" Kazuya asked, knowing that
it was a moot question.
        "Of course," Wataru replied, "but bring it back quietly. Understood?"
        "Perfectly, sir," Kazuya replied, turning to leave the office.

===================================

        //Well, now what?\\ she thought as she crouched in the shadows. The
girl looked out at the scene before her, people moving back and forth
beneath the lights of the lampposts. Loud music blasted out from somewhere,
its rhythm pounding out into the night with the jumble of voices and blaring
horns. It was like watching a scene in a surreal movie where absolutely
nothing made any sense.
        The air was warm at least, so she wouldn't have to worry about
freezing out wherever she was. Her feet throbbed from slapping against the
hard and uneven pavement, her present unclothed state making the sidewalks
inaccessible to her. Why couldn't she have woken up in some clothes?

        A soft noise from behind brought her quickly around, eyes scanning
the darkness intently. Every nerve in her body kept shouting that she wasn't
alone, and had best be ready to fight.
        "Well, what do we have here?" a mocking voice said from the shadows.
>From the darkness stepped three men, their pale skin stretched over thin,
almost emaciated bodies. The first was a little taller than her, spiked hair
sticking out in all directions and in several colors. Second was no larger
than the first, his head covered in obscene tattoos. The last actually
looked a little healthier than the other two, though not by much. Their
ragged clothes hung off their bony frames, an unpleasant odor wafting off of
them.
        "Looks like some bitch out for a little fun," the second one said,
eyes lingering on her breasts and the patch of red hair between her legs.
        "Got a name, beaver treat?" the third asked. The girl didn't answer,
the feel of their eyes on her body nearly sickening her. 
        "Looks like the silent type," the second chortled, "but I bet she
can scream with the..."
        Before he could finish, her fist slammed into the bridge of his
nose. Blood gushed from his face as he fell backward, a low moan slipping
from his pale lips.
        "I'll take that fight outta you, cunt!" the first shouted, lunging
forward in a shoulder tackle. She came around with flowing grace, a
roundhouse kick connecting solidly with the side of his head. She felt the
bones of his skull crack under the force of her kick as he spun around like
a limp scarecrow before hitting the ground with his partner.
        Without pausing, she leapt up and over the third punk who had
attempted to grab her from behind. A savage haymaker punch sent him
crumpling to the pavement like a sack of flour. She looked at the three
unconscious men with a snort of disgust. They weren't even a good warmup.
        //How did I do that?"\\ she asked herself. During the battle, short
as it was, the moves had come to her easily. It was as if they were second
nature to her. But where had she learned them? And why did she enjoy it so much?
        She'd have to answer those questions later. At the moment, the more
pressing problem was clothing. She couldn't stick to these filthy alleys
forever any more than she could walk the main streets stark naked.
        Walking over to one of the unconscious men, she reached down to pull
of his dingy shirt. It smelled awful, like vomit and alcohol, but it was all
that was available.

=====================================

        She awoke in another alley, sunlight glaring into her sleepy eyes.
Squinting, she rose to her feet as she tried to ignore the smell of the
clothes she had stolen. Didn't those guys ever bathe?
        The girl still had no idea where she was. The city, whatever it was
called, was built almost like a maze. At least she was far away from where
she had started, and that huge robot that had called her a pig. Something
about it had seemed disturbingly familiar, though she couldn't place it for
the life of her.
        The alley was cleaner than the one she had found her present attire
in. Trash cans lined one wall, not a speck of garbage or graffitti anywhere
on the brick surfaces. She stretched her muscles, workng out the kinks
placed there by sleeping on the pavement. Her stomach rumbled inistently,
reminding her that she hadn't eaten she she had awoken in that strange room.
        She searched the pockets of the black denim jeans she wore, finding
nothing but holes. No money at all. How would she get food? Yet another
question she didn't have an answer for. Tired and irritable, sleeping on the
streets really didn't do much for one's disposition, she left the alley in
search of some sort of food.

        She began her trek once again, still with no clue as to where she
was. People crowded the streets around her, moving like a living river
through its concrete banks. She scanned the faces around her, not
recognizing a single one. Cars passed by on the busy thoroughfare, horns
blaring at each other as they rolled along.
        She walked for over an hour, hunger gnawing at her stomach as she
searched for any sort of nourishment. Finally, through the throngs of
people, she spotted a stand filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. People,
mainly women and young children, stood milling about the stand, inspecting
fruits which set the girl's mouth to watering. To her, the place looked like
heaven.
        She could feel their eyes on her as she approached, those with
children holding them close and pretending like she wasn't there. She didn't
care. All she wanted was something to eat. She stopped at before a tray of
apples, the red fruits practically calling out to her. The rumbling in her
stomach grew into a roar as her body demanded she eat something. She gave
in, plucking an apple from the tray and bringing it to her mouth.
        "You gonna pay for that?" asked a young man from behind the stand.
his hair was shoulder length, disgust in his eyes. She felt the gazes of the
women there shift to her, embarrassment setting in.
        "I'm so hungry," she said, "and I don't have any money..."
        "Then put the apple down," he growled, "and get out before you scare
off all our customers." She felt a flash of anger cross her mind, the desire
to flatten his face and take the apple a strong one.
        "Hey, pal," she said, "it's just an apple..."
        "I said get out!" he shouted.

        "Hey, don't blow a gasket, Keiichi," came a voice from behind her.
She looked back to see a man in a faded green shirt and blue jeans
approaching. His red hair fell to his shoulders, an athletic build showing
beneath his clothes. Smiling green eyes matched his grin, passing over her
once before returning to the man he called Keiichi. He stopped beside her,
pulling a few yen from his pocket. "This oughtta cover it."
        Keiichi took the money from the man, placing it in his apron. "Good.
Now get her out of here, Irish."
        "No problem," Irish said, motioning for her to walk with him. She
did, eating the apple with gusto.
        "Hey, slow down there," he said, "you wanna choke?" She continued
scarfing the fruit until only the core was left, which she threw into the
nearest trash bin.
        "Thanks, Irish," she said, almost as an afterthought.
        "Irish is just what he calls me," he said, "name's Sean." She
remained silent, wondering just what to say. How could she admit to a total
stranger that she didn't even know her own name?
        "Why?" she asked.
        "Probably 'cause I'm from Ireland," Sean replied with a laugh.
        "That makes sense," she said uncertainly. Was Ireland close by?
        "You okay?" he asked, concern in his eyes and voice.
        "Yeah," she said, though it was a lie. "Why'd you help me back there?"
        "Well, I..."

        "Hey!" a man shouted from behind them. They turned around to see
three men in dark suits approaching fast. Sean's eyes narrowed slightly as
he saw the man in the lead. Sean knew him as Ryo, a stooge for Kuno
Industries and asshole in general. "We've been looking for that girl."
        "Why?" Sean asked as she tensed beside him. If Kuno Industries was
after her, then he definitely wanted to get involved. The others would want
to hear about this too.
        "She stole something of minor value from us last night," Ryo said,
"some papers. We only want them back."
        "Hey, I didn't steal nothin'!" she shouted back.
        "Don't bother denying it," Ryo replied as the other two joined him.
        "She said she didn't steal anything," Sean snarled, "now blow off."
        "Don't interfere with us, gaijin," the one on the left said.
        "Just turn around and walk away," the one onthe right added.
        "I don't think so, son," Sean replied, balling his fists. Of all the
places he'd want to throw down with someone from Kuno Industries, a public
street in broad daylight wasn't very high on the list. However, you couldn't
always choose your battles. One took them as they came.
        The one on the right stepped toward the girl, reaching out for her.
Before Sean could react, she lunged forward with an uppercut that sent the
black-clad stooge back nearly to the fruit stand. 
        //What the..?\\ It looked like the girl could take care of herself.
Ryo stepped back in surprise as his lackey charged Sean. Before the stooge's
fist could connect, she was between them landing punches on the Kuno
Industries spook with inhuman speed. He hit the sidewalk gasping for air, a
knee to the head sending him down for the count.
        "You want some next, jerk?" she asked menacingly, taking a step
toward him.
        "This is not over," Ryo growled as he turned to leave. He vanished
into the assembled crowd, who had been whispering in fear and amazement.
        "Damn, girl," Sean said as he stepped up beside her, "where'd ya
learn that?"
        "Around," she said vaguely. "We're even now."
        "Huh?" he asked, soon realizing what she was talking about. "Oh.
Well, I can do better than that, girl."
        "What?" she asked, a wary curiosity in her eyes.
        "C'mon," he said, "I know some people who would definitely want to
meet you. They could help with whatever problems you're having with those guys."
        "You know who they are?" she asked, a hint of hope in her voice.
        "Yeah, but not here," Sean replied. "Let's go." Thankfully, she
nodded and the two set off. For a brief moment, Sean wondered if he was
making a mistake. What if she was actually WITH Kuno Industries? He
disregarded that thought almost as soon as it formed. His gut feeling told
him this girl needed help with them, and he would see that she would get it.

====================================

        She looked around the dimly lit room, men and women standing around
like soldiers guarding some sort of base. The tunnels they had taken were
more of a maze than the city above, and she wasn't certain she could ever
have found her way here without Sean's help.
        The guards had cast curious looks at her, not that she could blame
them. She probably looked like hell, and definitely smelled like it. Despite
that, they had let her through with Sean. From the way they acted around
him, he seemed to carry a good deal of weight here.
        They approached a simple wooden door with an armed sentry beside it.
His green jacket was threadbare and stained, as were the camoflague pants he
wore. He cradled a rifle in his hands, his mistrustful eyes boring into her.

        "We need to see the Commander," Sean said to the sentry.
        "She's busy, Sean," he replied in a gruff voice.
        "It's important, Takii," Sean said in a tone that would brook no
arguement. Takii looked from her to Sean, and back to her again.
        "All right," he consented, stepping aside. Sean gave a short bow,
which Takii returned, before opening the door.
        The room was small, a warped table and a few chairs taking up a
majority of the space. Three people sat in the room, with a woman in at the
head of the table. The woman looked up at her, her face going pale as her
violet eyes opened wide in shock. Sean and the two men looked from the one
woman to the other, confusion on their faces.
        The woman was oddly familiar, a mane of lavender hair spilling down
her back with strands of grey and two small balls on heach side of her head.
The face showed few signs of age, very fine lines at the edges of her eyes
the extent of it. Her face was strong and, at the time, shocked. A name came
to the girl as she looked at the older woman, a name that was as hauntingly
familiar as the woman  before her.
        "Shampoo...?" she asked, uncertain of what she was feeling.
        "This... this can't be..." Shampoo said in a weak voice, "Ran...ma?
Ranma, is that... you?"

===================================

        Well, that's it for this one! I have more ideas for this, a LOT
more, but I felt this was getting a bit long so I cut it off here. Next
chapter, look for X when he meets what may be Ranma, and find out about what
Kuno Industries is about.

        C&C? I prefer public on this piece, but I'll take private too.

Jed



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