[We see Washuu's laboratory. It's a far reaching, dark
expanse, with no discernable boundaries. There's several
pieces of unidentifiable technology sitting in the darkness,
including a crucifix-similar harness that's currently
holding Tenchi up in the air wearing nothing but his boxers.
Several lights color the place and the beeps and whirrs of
machinery fill the area with ambient noise.]
Tenchi: [sighs] All I wanted to do is tell her that it was
time to eat. [He tugs at his harnesses] Washuu-chaaaaaan!
Washuu: [pops up from behind one of the devices. She's
wearing her nurse's outfit, all white with a red cross on
her chest and her hat] Hello, Tenchi! We're just going to
do a little routine examination before we head off to lunch,
okay?
Tenchi: Uhng... Do I have much of a choice?
Washuu: No.
Tenchi: [his stomach grumbles] I'm hungry Washuu-chan, can't
we do this some other time?
Washuu: You could afford to miss a few meals. [she pokes him
in the stomach with a thermometer] You need to stay fit for
all these ladies.
Tenchi: Um, [thinks] if you keep me too long, Mihoshi might
coming looking for me!
Washuu: [she gets a look of disgust] Urk. I certainly don't
want HER around here. [she smiles] But not to worry,
Tenchi! I've gone to the utmost care to make sure she can't
bother us this time.
Tenchi: You've said that before.
Washuu: [she tries to look saddened but is obviously faking
it] Aww, Tenchi, you don't believe in my ability as a
scientist? Don't you trust me? If I don't have your trust,
I don't know what I'll do! I'm a failure in Tenchi's eyes!
WAAAAHHHHH!!
Tenchi: Uhh, Washuu-chan, I didn't mean it that way! I
mean... you're a great scientist!
Washuu: [looks between her fingers at Tenchi] You really
think so?
Tenchi: Of course!
Washuu: [smiles and hugs Tenchi] Oh, Tenchi! That means
you'll help me with my experiment to prove you trust me?
Tenchi: Uhh...
Washuu: Thank you, Tenchi! It won't take very long, and
don't you worry, this time Mihoshi wont' be able to get in
at all! I've separated this laboratory completely from
reality, there's no way to get in. But just in case, I've
left my door in the staircase but linked it to a completely
different place!
[We see Mihoshi standing outside Washuu's door under the
staircase.]
Mihoshi: I wonder what's taking Tenchi so long. I should go
check on him. [She reaches for the door]
[We see Sasami in the kitchen cooking something in a large
pot. She lifts the lid and gets a spoon to take a sip of
the soup beneath.]
Sasami: [tastes] Hmmm, Tenchi will just love it!
[Suddenly, Mihoshi's head pops up out of the soup, splashing
cooked vegetables and broth everywhere (including on
Sasami).]
Mihoshi: [blinks] Washuu-chan?
Sasami: [sighs] That was our lunch, Mihoshi.
*******************************************************
Children Of Jurai
Episode 1:
"The Great Experiment;
Two Tenchis?!"
By Adam Leigh
*******************************************************
[Back to Washuu and Tenchi.]
Tenchi: I thought you said this was going to be an
examination.
Washuu: Well, they'll be a quick examination after the
experiment, of course! [She reaches up and pulls down a
helmet that looks like a giant colander with wires coming
out of it. Strapping it to Tenchi's head, she looks at it
for a moment and nods. She moves over to one of consoles
next to Tenchi.]
Tenchi: This isn't going to hurt, is it?
Washuu: Not if my calculations are correct.
Tenchi: [gulps] What are you trying to do, anyway?
Washuu: I'm glad you asked! [Washuu reverts back to her
normal outfit, a green and black uniform. She walks over to
a machine that looks like a large bell jar with two
electrodes in it.] This machine is going to try to copy the
power of the Light Hawk Wings using all available knowledge
concerning them and all physical and mental data I can
gather from you.
Tenchi: Can you do that?
Washuu: We're going to find out!
Tenchi: Um... Maybe we should eat first...
Washuu: Nonsense! We can do this now and eat later! Nothing
can go wrong! [She moves back over to the console and
begins tapping buttons at a lightning pace.]
[We see the steps coming down from the Masaki Shrine.
Katsuhito and Nobuyuki are walking down them while talking.]
Nobuyuki: So this may be my big break, they want me to
design the new Pioneer building in Tokyo. They must have
liked those model designs I did for them back in January,
they were almost excited to find out I was available.
Katsuhito: Yes, quite an accomplishment. Tenchi will be
happy to hear it.
[The two cringe at the sound of a large explosion. They
look towards the house to see a constant stream of black
smoke coming from it.]
Nobuyuki: I don't know how I'm going to get anything done if
I have to keep rebuilding the house.
Katsuhito: I wonder which one did it this time.
[We see Washuu's laboratory again. The place is now a giant
pile of twisted metal and plastic. Washuu is twitching on
the top of the pile, her clothes are all charred and
smoking]
Washuu: Urrrrrhh, why did that happen? Was the power from
the Light Hawk Wings too great?
Tenchi: [muffled] Washuu-chan...
Washuu: [jumps to her feet] Tenchi! [She begins digging
through the rubble. Eventually she finds two hands in the
wreckage. She gives a tug and pulls up onto the wreckage
TWO Tenchis. She looks between them, dumbfounded.] Hm...
Tenchi-1 & Tenchi-2: [sim] Thanks Washuu. [They blink and
look towards each other. They turn to Washuu.] Umm...
Washuu?
Washuu: This ... is unexpected.
[We see the Masaki living room. The two Tenchis have
dressed, one is wearing his old black school uniform (Tenchi-
black) and the other is wearing his brown work outfit
(Tenchi-brown). Katushito and Nobuyuki are standing behind
the couch while Ayeka, Ryouko, Sasami and Mihoshi are
standing in front of it. Washuu is off to the side, typing
on her holographic terminal.]
Ryouko: [looks closely at Tenchi-brown and Tenchi-black.] So
which one is the real one?
Washuu: As far as I can tell, they're BOTH Tenchi.
Ayeka: But how is that possible, Washuu?
Washuu: The generator I was using to replicate the Light
Hawk Wings must have back fluxed and caused a casualty loop
with a point-oh-four-oh inconsistency, throwing the reverse
stabilizer out of alignment and for seven point two one five
nanoseconds, replicated the same moment in time in two
places, thereby turning one Tenchi into two!
Ryouko: [blinks] So which one, again, is the original?
Washuu: There IS no original, Ryouko. Both Tenchis are the
same as the one Tenchi from before the experiment. Neither
one has more claim to the name or history of Tenchi than the
either, in fact, they don't have any claim at all.
Sasami: What do you mean, Washuu? How could neither of them
be Tenchi.
Washuu: Because as they both continue to exist, they
continue to have different experiences that will shape their
lives in different ways. As two separate entities, they are
not Tenchi.
Ryouko: So how do we get them back to only ONE Tenchi?
Washuu: I'm not entirely sure that's possible...
[Tenchi-brown and Tenchi-black look up]
Tenchi-brown: What do you mean, Washuu?
Tenchi-black: There's no way to fix this?
Washuu: Well, it's like I said, after separating, you've had
different thoughts and created different memories and are,
essentially, different people, and it's only going to get
worse as time goes on. If I tried to merge you two, three
things could happen: 1. One of your memories would have to
be destroyed, and basically result in one of your deaths, 2.
The merge of your memories into one brain which could result
in mental instability and wouldn't get the old Tenchi back,
and 3. Both of your memories after the accident would be
destroyed, again, basically killing you both, and you'd
become the original Tenchi with a minor memory gap.
Sasami: That's terrible!
Ayeka: I agree. Isn't there anything else we can do?
Washuu: Not that I can see. Like I said, they are both,
fully formed, complex beings, formed from the same original
person. True, they have identical memories up until the
experiment, and have identical physique, but they are two
people now. Joined in experiences, but nothing else.
Tenchi-brown: So we have to... [he swallows]
Tenchi-black: ...stay this way?
Washuu: For the time being at least, I can search for other
alternatives, but unless I can find something short of time
travel, you're going to have to stay like this, forever.
Ayeka & Ryouko: Forever...
Nobuyuki: Well, it seems like we have a new member of the
family!
Katsuhito: Yes, a strapping lad, just like your son.
Nobuyuki: Now I have TWO sons! [he bends down and hugs both
Tenchis] Don't worry, Tenchi, I'll love you both no matter
how many of you there are!
Tenchi-brown & Tenchi-black: [annoyed] Dad!
Ayeka: Somehow I think he's missing the point...
Katsuhito: Now you can work the field and clean the shrine
at the same time.
Mihoshi: Hey, Tenchi... umm, gee, how are we supposed to
tell them apart? We just can't call them BOTH Tenchi.
Ryouko: A surprisingly good point, Mihoshi.
Nobuyuki: Well, as their father, I believe I shall give them
names.
Washuu: Well, technically, I'm their mother, since it was my
experiment that created them from the original Tenchi.
Ayeka: But you created them from Tenchi, so he's really the
father, but I suppose he can't very well name them.
Ryouko: Which one should keep the name Tenchi?
Washuu: Neither of them should, neither of them is Tenchi.
Sasami: How do you think they feel about that? As far as
they know, they are both Tenchi.
Katsuhito: Perhaps you should ask them what they think.
[Everyone looks down at the couch to see that both Tenchis
are gone.]
Mihoshi: Where'd they go?
[We see the roof of the Masaki house. Tenchi-brown and
Tenchi-black are sitting on the edge looking off at the sun
setting in the horizon.]
Tenchi-black: Uhg, this has got to be Washuu-chan's most
unusual experiment yet.
Tenchi-brown: Yeah, you can say that again. [sighs] I
wonder what's going to happen now, I mean, now that there
are two of us.
Tenchi-black: Washuu-chan's going to be conducting even more
experiments on us now than ever.
Tenchi-brown: [chuckles] With the way her experiments go,
they'll be twenty of us by the end of the week.
Tenchi-black: [laughs] A whole army of Tenchis.
[They laugh for a few moments and abruptly stop.]
Tenchi-black: Do you want to go back to being one person?
Tenchi-brown: I don't know. [pause] Washuu says that we're
two different people now, do we even deserve to be one
again?
Tenchi-black: I don't know either. Maybe we aren't Tenchi at
all anymore, maybe we're both just copies and the real us is
somewhere buried in Washuu-chan's lab.
Tenchi-brown: If that's true, then what happens to us?
Tenchi-black: Are we just second rate copies, you mean?
Will they get rid of us? [pause] I don't think that'll
happen, it was silly of me to say it. But, there being two
of me, or two of you around looks like it's going to be hard
enough, what could happen if there were three? [pause] What
are you doing?
Tenchi-brown: [He has his eyes closed and his hands
stretched out in front of him.] I'm trying to see if we're
just second rate copies.
Tenchi-black: The Light Hawk Wings?
Tenchi-brown: [He clenches his teeth and his breathing
becomes shallow. His teeth grind with intensity. Suddenly,
he breathes out and begins panting. His hands rest on his
lap.] I couldn't do it.
Tenchi-black: I couldn't do it on command before the
experiment either... I mean, WE couldn't do it before the
experiment. It doesn't necessarily mean anything.
Ryouko: Tenchi!
[Tenchi-brown and Tenchi-black look behind them as Ryouko
appears on the roof.]
Ryouko: There you two are.
Tenchi-brown: Hey, Ryouko!
Tenchi-black: Hi!
Ryouko: What'd you two run off for?
[Tenchi-black and Tenchi-brown glance at each other for a
moment, then look back to Ryouko.]
Tenchi-black: We just needed to talk.
Tenchi-brown: This has been quite a strange day for us, you
know.
Ryouko: Have you two decided anything I should know about?
Tenchi-black: [he glances at Tenchi-brown then gets up to
stand.] Not really, just looking at the sunset, it's rather
nice looking. We should go inside, though, tell everyone to
stop looking for us. [He glances back at Tenchi-brown]
Coming?
Tenchi-brown: I'm just going to stay up here for a few
minutes longer. You go on ahead.
Tenchi-black: [frowns] Are you sure?
Tenchi-brown: Yeah, we don't have to do everything together
just because we're so similar, [pause] Tenchi.
Tenchi-black: Okay. [he turns and starts walking down the
side of the roof. Ryouko glances between Tenchi-black and
Tenchi-brown, then follows Tenchi-black off the roof.]
Tenchi-brown: [looks down off the side of the house when
they're gone.] We're already different.
[Ayeka comes walking out of the house beneath him and starts
looking around. She looks up at the roof and sees Tenchi-
brown. Tenchi-brown waves to her and smiles.]
********************
End Episode 1x01
Children Of Jurai
********************
Authors Note:
New series, yet again. I know, I have a lot of other
things that I should be doing (*cough* *cough* His Blood
Still Cries *cough* *cough*), but I need variety or else I
stop writing all together. This is just a nice, comedic
series that I dreamed up over the summer and finally got to
paper this past month. Nothing all too complex yet, testing
the waters, you know, with any luck this series will write
itself (ya, right).
Any suggestions as to what I should call Tenchi-brown
and Tenchi-black to differentiate them, aside from their
clothing?
"Tenchi Muyou! Ryo-ohki" was created by Masaki
Kajishima and was originally distributed by Pioneer and AIC.
Translation and publication in North America was done by the
Pioneer Entertainment corporation. This story, while
containing elements that are under copyright, are copyright
� 1996-2000 by Tempest Creations. All right reserved.
Adam Leigh
Tempest@mail.com
http://dogbert.simplenet.com/Tempest