As pointed out to me by Adrian Tymes, I accidently sent the teaser instead of the complete chapter 4. So now this is the complete chapter 4. My apologies for any confusion.
Okay standard disclaimer. Starcraft is owned by Blizzard Entertainment, Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi, and X-Com is owned by Microprose. Everything is used without permission, and not for money. If anyone else says so, they're lying!
This chapter is also on my website http://abnighthawke.homestead.com/ABNightHawkeMain.html
Chapter 4:
It was as though some ancient god had dropped a rock into clay. A
crater had formed at the center of the blast, while further away, the
energy had melted the ground to a jagged surface of glass. Massive Zerg
buildings had been blown to organic sludge.
The Zerg had been the first to die. The sheer physical power of the
blast had turned water to vapor in an instant, causing flesh to burn and
blood to boil. The psionic interference generated by the blast interrupted
the telepathic control of the Overlords, and any Zerg that survived was cut
off from the group mind.
Scattered about the landscape were gleaming figures of gold and green,
their bodies twisted in agony and pain. The Protoss had been the second
victims. For miles around, a psychic shock wave had spread, killing anyone
with enough psionic ability. The Protoss, being the most sensitive, had
been overcome immediately, their synapses in their brains literally
disintegrating from the onslaught.
Finally, there were the humans. While taking no casualties from the
blast itself, fully half their force had been killed by the Zerg during
the assault on their base. They had retreated back to their hidden
underground fortress shortly after their victory.
A lone Zergling, answering a faint telepathic call, ran to the remains
of the main Zerg Hive and began to dig. Protoplasm flew everywhere, as
the creature used its claws to burrow into the building. It quickly
reached it's goal, and it gently took it in its claws. It pulled gently
at first, then with greater urgency. It could feel the distress of what
it held. Shaking with the effort, the Zergling pulled with all its might.
With a loud slurp and a pop, the object came free. A female human
landed beside the Zergling. She was naked, and had long brown hair that
ended at the small of her back. She was covered with a translucent organic
slime, the remains of the Hive.
The Zergling clamored to its feet. Moving to the young woman, it
crooned softly, and nudged her, but she failed to respond. It crooned
louder and pushed a little harder. She began to shake, and with a violent
shudder of her shoulders, she vomited a large amount of liquid gel that had
been in her lungs. She grimaced as she forced air though her tortured
throat. Coughing, she spat out the last of the disgusting matter and
collapsed in exhaustion.
She was finally brought out of her catatonia by feelings of distress
and loneliness that ran through her mind like a thick haze. She wiped her
eyes clear and looked towards the crooning and purring sounds near her.
Not three feet away was the Zergling that had pulled her out. Behind
it was another one, who was also giving off the same cackle/purr. With
a shriek of terror, she jumped to her feet and scrambled away from the
monsters. The Zerglings jumped back, but quickly overcame their
apprehension and approached her, giving off the same croon as before.
Feelings of fear and loneliness filled her mind and she shook her
head, trying to clear the intrusions. The Zerglings approached her
cautiously, and she backed away until she was pressed against a ruined
wall of the Hive.
She tried to speak, but she started a coughing fit instead. She
doubled over and fell to her knees, her body shaking. A Zergling came
up and nuzzled her consolingly. When she recovered, she looked at the
creature beside her.
"You're not so dangerous after all, are you?" She reached out and
tentatively scratched its exoskeleton. The Zergling shuddered with
delight and pushed itself into her hand. The other, also wanting the
same attention, pushed itself against her. She laughed, and did the
same to him.
She staggered to her feet, and shivered as a cool wind blew across
her. She looked down at herself, then her two companions. "I don't
suppose either of you two know where to get some clothes, do you?"
Surprisingly, one of them walked a few feet away and tapped at a
small pool of protoplasm with a claw. She walked over to it and knelt
down. "What do you want me to do? I don't understand. I want clothing."
Again the Zergling tapped the pool. An image filled her mind of her
touching the pool. "This isn't clothing. It's...I don't even know what
it is." A third time, it tapped its claw against the pool. She sighed.
"All right, if you say so." She reached out and put her hand in the pool.
Responding to her desire, the protoplasm flowed up her arm. It
quickly spread down her body and along her other arm. She stumbled back
away from the pool and the connection was broken. The protoplasm stretched
itself, trying to cover her, but there was not enough. It managed to
cover from her upper chest and arms to mid thigh. She moved, and the
suit moved with her offering no resistance. She slowly put her hand back
in the pool and the process continued until she was covered from neck to
toe with a purple and green organic body suit. The only thing not covered
were her hands and her head. She smiled tentatively and looked down at
the Zergling.
"I don't know how this happened, but thank you." She scratched the
creature under the chin and it purred happily. By this time they had been
joined by three more Zerglings and two Hydralisks, who had been attracted
by her subconscious telepathic radiance. Most of them were in various
states of injury from the previous battle. They projected scenes from the
fight, humans and Zerg killing each other, and the Protoss using their
cruel blades to decimate their brethren. Her head throbbed against the
mental onslaught.
"Stop! Please stop!" she cried. Immediately, the mental din ceased.
She looked around at the creatures before her. "Well, I can see why
someone might want to hurt you. I mean, I was afraid of you at first,
too. But I'm sure if they know that you're friendly, they'll take care
of you. Don't you think?" Not use to having so much free will, the Zerg
merely looked at her. "Where did the men come from?" The Zerglings
looked south and hissed angrily. The Hydralisks growled deeply. She
could feel their anger and fear. "Now, now, don't worry. I'll protect
you. Now let's go."
And so, with her entourage, Kasumi Tendo walked south.
Kerrigan, Queen of Blades, ruler of the Zerg Swarm, raged around the
command room of the Hive. The soft squishing sounds her feet made as she
walked across the organic floor were drowned out by her screaming curses.
The walls were bleeding where she had torn them open with her claws. They
had done it! Against all odds, the Protoss and humans had destroyed her
most important bases. And they did it together! She had been fostering
mistrust between the Protoss and humans through her infected agents, but
they still worked together. And what was that weapon they used? It was
psionic in nature so it had to come from the Protoss. In a rage she blew
apart eleven Zerglings with her mind. Beckoning the twelfth one to her,
she slowly tore it apart and ate the pieces. By the time she was finished,
and much calmer, she received a call from Daggoth, her chief Cerebrate.
She looked at the viewscreen and growled. [Tell me Daggoth, why
should I let you live after you let them destroy that base?]
[Mistress, please bear with me. All was not lost with the base's
destruction. The material you were looking for has been found. We can
now commence with the splicing on all Zerg.]
Kerrigan's mouth formed a horrifying smile. [Really? Excellent.
Then we won't need *her* any more. But that's still no excuse, Daggoth!]
[Mistress, please forgive me. I did not anticipate nuclear weapons,
and that psionic attack-]
[Yes,] interrupted Kerrigan. [Tell me about it. What did the
Protoss use?]
[The thoughts I received from the Zerg shows that it was a human
who created the energy blast.]
[What!? Impossible! Before my...rebirth by the Overmind, I was one of
X-Com's most powerful psoinics. Even now, with my improvements, I could
never do something like that! You must be wrong.]
[As you say Mistress.] Daggoth paused for a moments then plunged
ahead. [Mistress, I must report an anomaly with the Zerg that survived the
attack.]
[What's wrong with them?]
[I don't know. I cannot regain control of them. I can feel their
presence, but the interference from the attack prevents me from controlling
them. There is also something else, but I cannot identify it.]
[Send an Overlord and get them back. I will be overseeing the results
of the first splicing tests.]
[As you command, my Queen.]
A day had passed since the attack and the doctors finally let Nabiki
visit her husband. Nabiki entered Ranma's room at the hospital, who was
laying back reading a book. The title was 'Of Mice And Men'. "Trying to
get some culture, are we?" she asked.
Ranma looked over the book, then said in a petulant voice, "Took your
time getting here."
"Oh, well, if that's the way you're going to be -" she huffed back.
Ranma put the book down, grinning. "You're not fooling anyone, you
know."
Nabiki grinned back, and sat beside him. "Neither are you."
Ranma sighed tragically. "I don't know about that. The docs won't
let me go 'cause of this concussion." He touched the bandages around his
head and winced slightly. "I keep telling them it's not that bad. Akane
use to give me worse..." His voice trailed off. A lengthy silence
separated the couple. Finally Ranma asked, "Did...did you tell them?"
Nabiki shook her head. "No. And I'd appreciate you not telling
them either."
"Hey, you don't have to tell me twice! You might want to talk to
the medics who brought me in. I blabbed to them a bit as I was coming to."
Nabiki smiled slyly. "Already done."
Another long silence.
"So, what do we do now?" Nabiki asked.
"Do? We rescue her, that's what!" Ranma started to sit up higher,
but his broken ribs twinged and he grimaced. Nabiki pushed him back down.
"'We' are not doing anything. You are going to rest for another day.
And if you don't stay there, I'll get the docs to use a mindblocker on
you." A mindblocker was the preferred method of subduing a psionic, who
could use his mind to resist drugs.
"And what about you?"
"What do you think? I'm going to the Protoss base."
"Not without me you're not!"
"You're in no shape to come with me."
"You're not going alone!"
"Don't you dare do to me what you did to Akane!" Nabiki flared
angrily. "I am not a china doll to be put on a shelf and admired, and not
allowed to do anything!"
"At least wait until tomorrow night -"
"I can't. Word is that the Protoss got hit by the Zerg east of their
base. Some of their Photon Cannons were taken out, and I have to go through
their lines before they fix them."
"Then I'll come with you!"
"There's no way you could Cloak yourself right now. Not with a
concussion." Ranma opened his mouth to protest, but Nabiki interrupted.
"No, Ranma! I have to go tonight! And you're in no condition to go with me!" Nabiki turned away from him angrily.
"Nabiki...I...I'm-" Again she interrupted.
"Your worried about me," she said in a cool, even tone. "You don't
want me to get hurt. Right?"
"Well...I...yeah," he said lamely.
She turned back to him, a slight smile on her face. "You never were
very articulate about your emotions."
"What!? You...I...yes I am!" he replied indignantly.
Her smile turned into a grin. "Yeah, all the wrong ones. That's one
reason why Akane hit you so many times." Ranma blushed scarlet. "I'm
going, and your staying, and that's the end of it okay?" Ranma nodded
reluctantly. Nabiki leaned down an kissed her husband. "If I'm not back
by morning, then let someone know where I went." Kissing him again she
left.
"Oh thanks! Try to reassure me, why don't you!" Ranma yelled at her
back. "Stupid girl!" he muttered.
Nabiki poked her head back in the room. "Hey Ranma! Who's stupid?"
she asked, then held up a glass of water. "And who's the girl?" She threw
the water on him, and walked away.
"Hey!" Ranma-chan screeched. "What'd ya do that for?!"
End of Chapter 4