Chan Wei Lik wrote:

Another solid episode. Well done!

Thank you.  :)

I'm glad you decided to have default-Ranma try to build a dimension-jump
device instead of using ridiculous martial-arts technique. One question, our
scholar-Ranma sees martial-Ranma in his sleep. What does martial-Ranma see
in HIS sleep? A lecture on quantum physics by scholar-Ranma?

Something like that.  One big difference between Scholar-Ranma and
Martial-Ranma is that Martial-Ranma does not have the genetic enhancements
which boosted intelligence in Scholar-Ranma.  The brain-boost that
Scholar-Ranma had was thus only temporary.  Scholar-Ranma actually got more
from Martial-Ranma in the end.

I was never intending to have Martial-Ranma build a Resonator, since I have
other plans for his future.  He is going to take a sideline for a while,
and I plan on focusing on Scholar-Ranma for a while.  His life is
unexplored territory, so I'm finding it more satisfying as a writer to
explore his universe.  When you think about it, most pure Ranma fanfics
would take place in what I've called Quantum Band 16 in my story.  On the
other hand, Scholar-Ranma is a product of a timeline that is VERY
different, so I get to play with basically virgin writing territory.

Seems like 5 minutes wasn't enough for you, once refugee-Ranma settles in I
suppose he'll continue his research right? Also, it seems inappropriate for
him to state the following:

Not the Ranma of this timeline, and not the Ranma of his old timeline.

He would simply be Ranma, a fusion of two lives. <<

I take it that this was his only d-jump from his native dimension? In that
case how could he know about the mental contamination issue? Neither of the
other jumpers we know of knew about this until they spent more than an hour
in another's body. With the limited resources at his disposal, I doubt he
could have seen this possibility. I believe you want to justify
jumper-Kodachi's actions but this isn't the way to go about it. It's just
not realistic, I'm sorry.

Well, he was operating from information gotten from Genma's notebook, which
could have discussed this effect of using the device.  The Empire had given
him the components from Genma's lab and the one surviving notebook.  How
long does it take before the mental contamination begins?  It's at least
longer than five minutes and something less than an hour.  I suppose it
could be some sort of geometric progression based on time, but I'm not
planning on working out the formula. :)

Scholar-Ranma was a desperate man, and desperate men do desperate things. 
He knew about what could happen to him, but his treatment at the hands of
the Empire gave him no choice in his eyes.  He had to escape in the only
way left to him, and I thought it was dramatic irony that the Empire had
given him the means.  I wasn't out to 'justify' Jumper-Kodachi by any
means.

Surprisingly, I have received a few comments on whether I would be
returning to American-Ranma as part of the storyline.  I may, but I have
also thought about doing it as a side-story.  Several of the worlds that
I've touched on might make interesting side-stories as well.  I'm such a
slow writer though that I think I'm going to remain focused on the main
plotline until I finish it, then I may start cranking out side-stories.

So can either martial-Ranma or refugee-Ranma put together their own jump
devices? Since their universes are based on ours, they can get their hands
on better computer technology than their counterpart. Of course this is
based on my personal assumption that computer tech hasn't been around as
long in the Imperial universe as it has in ours.

The problem that both those Ranmas face is the reduced intellectual
capacity that they have compared to Scholar-Ranma.  This is NOT to say that
they're stupid by any means, but one of the gifts that Scholar-Ranma has is
Eidetic Memory (or total recall).  Martial-Ranma and Refugee-Ranma are in
worlds where that isn't true.  Refugee-Ranma is going to find himself
forgetting things over time.

Last but not least I can suggest an 'improvement' in the device. Although I
consider a physical transfer out of the question, it seems to me that a
mind-swap with a transdimensional counterpart is conciveable. Set it up so
that the transfer can take place as long as one party is in a jump device
and it be just cool. What do you think?

It would be interesting. :)  A mind-swap would really crank up the chaos
factor too.  It sounds like a high-tech version of the mind-swapping rope
from KOR.  It's not something that I planned to do in my story though. 
Perhaps, when I finally get around to doing some of the side-stories, I may
have a different version of Scholar-Ranma that comes up with a version of
the device that does this instead of the merger/overlay method.

Physical travel between universes is on the horizon.  I will probably begin
exploring that aspect in Chapter 14 or 15 (tentatively called "Empires of
Time").  I'm still slogging through Chapter 13 right now (working title
"Love, Imperial Style").

Keep sending me C&C.  I love to read it. ^_^

Jurai Knight