prereader copy.this is gonna be it for SMGR, it looks like
trying to access AOL and keep the Mindspring settings 
caused some major system problems. over half the stories 
i had are gone as well as some of my programs. SSDD.
SAILOR MARIONETTE GENESIS R:
    way too damn many copyright holders here. thanks
to all my prereaders. enjoy!
by gregg sharp, MetroAnime@mindspring.com
 CHAPTER 12: Revelations & Recriminations

 Nabiki put the slide into the analyzer and
hit the button. Figures filled the screen moments later
and Nabiki gasped.

 For all that she'd suspected it since first
seeing that scab on the Ranma-unit's arm, actually 
seeing the confirmation was still...

 There was money, and there was power.
Information was often a great power all to itself.
Sometimes it could be parlayed into money. Other
times, though, it could transcend money.

 This was one of those times.

 The Marionette androids, these 
almost-human seeming Drones, were able to laugh
and cry, bleed and eat, and function exactly as the
ancient and extinct males were reputed to. 

 Nabiki's eyes went back to the screen
and then flicked over to meet the eyes of her 
co-conspirers, who were staring at the exact same
screen.

 "Oh," Belle Dani looked faintly 
embarrassed as she considered the implications.

 Ami blinked. "So it's true. They're
NOT androids after all."

 "Cyborgs," Nabiki jerked her thumb
at the screen. "Not built in imitation of the male
gender, or built as replacements for them, but
built FROM them before the plague." 

 "So why the secrecy? Why don't
THEY remember?" Ami steepled her hands in
front of her. 

 Belle hesitated to speak, after all,
these two were considered geniuses in their
respective fields whereas she had always
been a mere Nurturer caste. "Could it be that
they were left until the plague had died out,
and that they might still be vulnerable to it?
If their secret were widely known, the enemy
might well re-introduce it."

 "Maybe. What's this mean, Belle?"
Nabiki tapped the screen.

 "It says 'Blood sample analysis 
complete. Normal human male. No synthetics
detected. Type undetermined.'"

 Nabiki sighed again. She seemed
to do that a lot around Belle. "No, Belle, I mean
what does it mean by that?"

 Ami spoke up, medical research was
one of her specialities. "I know. Belle, can you
draw a drop of Nabiki's blood for the analyzer?"

 Belle complied under Nabiki's nervous
gaze. Then she replaced Ranma's slide with the 
new one and activated the unit.

 //Blood sample analysis complete.
Human female. Synthetics detected. Type 10-DO.//

 "So that...means...no..." Nabiki's face 
turned pale as she started working that one out.

 "Synthetic proteins," Ami said with a sigh.
"This is something I uncovered during my research into
Kimiko's Syndrome. Descended from production group
number ten, Derived Oriental geneplex. Meaning that
you were produced from the Japonesse birth creche.
Kodachi Ku-NO or birth creche number nine, Near
Oriental. Ami Mizu NO indicates that I am from the
birth creche at Mizuma, Near Oriental. Belle Dani is..."

 "Dai-ni, birth creche number two. So..."

 "There were no human survivors from 
that plague. There were robots, however, as well
as an experimental form of artificial life." Ami ignored
the look of horror on Nabiki's face. She'd had a similar
reaction when she'd puzzled it all out years ago. "The
birth creches manufacture artificial humans."

 "I...see." Nabiki did see. "Damn, this is gonna
kill Akane..."

 "I _have_ told her not to rub Ranma's face in
the 'merely an artificial construct built to serve true humans' 
that's her usual put-down, but you know how well she listens." 
Ami shrugged. "The rulers prefer that only the scientists and 
researchers who work with such things know about this. Each 
of the rulers has their own agenda, you know. Neither Ayeka nor
Azusa can tolerate the thought that they are merely synthetics,
so open discussion in either land is considered sedition.
Empress Ku Lon feels her people don't need to know the
ugly details of their origins, and Queen Scarlet feels that
history is of no consequence."

 Drifting dust from the ceiling tiles told them that
the Intruder was still out there.

 "What about the enemy, what is it?"

 "Other than they are built with the same sort of
technology that was used to originally create us? I don't
know. I was hoping we could find that out."

 "So, Akane is wrong." The voice was low and
full of emotion. Only Belle looked unconcerned.

 Ranma and Keichi stood in the doorway, Keichi
still dripping water from the rain.

 "I think we need to talk, _masters_." Ranma's
expression was not particularly happy.
-------------------------------------
 The rain beat down on a certain Gunmek, which
sat with its engines and lights off. The turrets weren't in
a lockdown position, however, and the hydraulic legs had
been extended so that the machine was braced enough
that the big gun could be used before the engines had 
reached 50%.

 "No sign of the Intruder." Akane brought the
light-intensifier goggles back down and stared out at the
inky blackness of a rainy Orion night.

 "Wouldn't expect it to be out in the rain." Makoto
Kyuno unwrapped a fresh pack of gum, offering a stick to her
neighbor before she put it away. "Statistically, the rainy nights
have much less Intruder action than clear nights. That was why
they tried those water cannons over in Reichland, figuring that
the beasties had an aversion to water."

 "It proved they don't LIKE water, is what it proved."
Ukyou closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. She was
tired. The Intruder would show when it would show. In the
meantime, she'd like to get some sleep.

 "It's too quiet," Akane declared.

 "Enjoy it, Tendo," Ukyou snapped, finally tired
of the other Japonesse. "When it does move, we've got to
be rested, this'll be a tough one."

 "Hey, the gauss cannon nailed the last one."
Akane started scanning the blackness again. "This time
it'll be MY kill."

 "Won't work," Makoto said, looking up at where
Akane was standing in the overhead hatch. "The Intruders
always adapt. The strategy you used to kill the last one will
be ineffective against the next one."

 "Just watch me," Akane promised. "I'm Warrior
caste too, you know." It wouldn't do to be shown up AGAIN
by a Merchant and a mere Meritan soldier. Makoto was not 
even true Warrior caste, being Casteless.

 "Quiet, you want Kodachi to find us?" Ukyou
warned her sometimes rival.

 Akane stopped talking, her imagination detailing
how delighted Kodachi would be at being cooped up with
her two loves in the tight quarters of a gunmek.
---------------------------------------------------
 "Ranma? I..."

 "So, I'm human. And you're actually not. Sorta
changes a few things, don't it?"

 Nabiki flinched, remembering certain things she'd
said over the past few months.

 "Belle..."

 "Keichi..."

 "I..."

 "I..."

 "Would you two kindly KNOCK IT OFF!" Ranma
and Nabiki both snapped at the young lovers, who were 
ignoring everything outside their own little world, per usual.

 "Belle, it doesn't make any difference to me." He
stared meaningfully into her eyes.

 "Keichi, I don't care either." She grasped his hands.

 "Are they always like this?" Ami scratched her head.
She doubted that the Intruder attacking would register on either
of the two right now.

 "All the time," grumped Nabiki.

 "C'mon, man, I mean..." Ranma stared at his 
compatriot. Well, it was also true that Belle had never raised her
voice to Keichi, or made him go stand out in the rain, or insulted
him, or treated him like a mindless drone...

 Ranma found himself envying the mechanic.

 "Might as well ignore 'em," Nabiki said with one last
look of disgust. "Whenever they get like that, neither of them
are gonna be of much use."

 "So, what ELSE have you been holding back?" Ranma
glanced from Ami to Nabiki.

 "Only suspicions and theories, nothing has been 
proven as yet." Ami folded her arms and regarded Ranma with a
cool look that the Ice Queen might have envied. "As Scientist
caste, I do not release or act on idle speculation until there is
supporting evidence."

 "Well, aren't we lucky that Nabiki here is Merchant caste.
They don't operate under any such guidelines." Ranma leaned closer
to Nabiki. "Well, Nabiki? Anything you care to add?"

 "I don't know what you mean, dro...Ranma." Nabiki
blinked. "I'm not Scientist caste, merely a Merchant. My training is
primarily as a bookie and banking agent. What kind of information
do you think that _I_ am especially privy to?"

 "Fine, be that way." Ranma glared at both of them. "So...
waitaminute...that means."

 "Human with synthetic proteins, yes, Ranma. Why is it
that Kodachi has been after you? Why is it that the powers that be
over in Reichland are so set on destroying their own drone? Excuse
me, cyborg. The stated reason has been an upset in the balance of 
power, hasn't it?" Ami watched with some satisfaction as Nabiki 
figured it out and turned pale. 

 "Oh my," Nabiki said, thinking of the...possibilities.
The look she turned towards Ranma combined disgust and a
certain fascination. "No wonder Azusa has been after your 
Otoko circuit."
-------------------------------------
 The crackle of plasma overhead could be clearly
heard over the trickling rain. Shampoo checked her weapons
and the charge on her powersuit. She'd found the gunmek,
but heard Akane's voice and decided not to get closer.

 Then there was the Birth Creche where the others
were. She was currently on top of the building, using the audio
pickups to monitor the conversation inside.

 Finding the two seperated parties had been easy
for someone with her skills. Deciding what to do with the
revelations going on, THAT was different.

 When in doubt, Shampoo decided, toss it up the 
chain of command and otherwise ignore it. She keyed the
recording into an encryption burst and sent it towards 
Japonesse. Cologne should still be there.
--------------------------
 A warning whistle went off in the gunmek,
causing Ukyou to slap the button before she was fully
awake. A glance confirmed that it was an encrypted burst
sent on a narrow beam towards Japonesse. An automatic
relay had detected the message and forwarded it to her
attention.

 Not from the Intruder, decided Ukyou after a
moment, yawning. Nichieju code, so she suspected that
Shampoo didn't have enough sense to get in out of the
rain.

 A couple more buttons were pushed, and Ukyou
suppressed another yawn. One of the reasons that Shampoo
hadn't been invited was that nobody wanted the Nichieju to
know that their codes had been cracked.

 Ukyou's eyes widened as she scanned the text
transcription before her. Ukyou glanced over at the two
other sleepers and hit the delete key. No reason to bring
this to their attention. 

 Besides, she'd always found the drone attractive.
Now that it was revealed that he was, in fact, really a he...

 Ukyou smiled slightly. Let Kodachi have Akane,
there were now other alternatives.
------------------------------------------
 "Princess Azusa! We have intercepted a 
transmission."

 "What is it, Josephine?" Azusa looked over her
collection, only sparing a little attention for her flunky.

 "An encoded burst of information sent via
radio waves, but that's not important."

 Azusa reached out with one delicate hand and
tugged on the silk rope labelled "Rose Marie." A trap door
(labelled "William") opened up under Josephine and the messenger
dropped from view. "Azusa really doesn't want to be bothered 
by comic relief. Azusa have many things on her mind."

 "Such as, my princess?"

 "Such as," pouted Azusa, "the otoko circuit. Where
is it? Why don't I have it?"

 "Soon," purred Kodachi, "soon, my princess. The
living heart of that cybo...drone will be in my hands and you
may have your precious circuit. Then, may I have..."

 "Yes, yes, yes," Azusa waved it off. "I've already
agreed. Akane 10DO and Ukyou Q1G will be demoted and 
placed under your personal authority for all time. You just be
sure to get me that otoko circuit this time."

 "That will be MY pleasure," Kodachi said, then
started to laugh.

 Azusa frowned. It wasn't a cute laugh. She'd 
commanded that she would only be surrounded by cute things.
Well, maybe she'd get the otoko circuit soon and Azusa could
rid herself of Kodachi KuNO.
-------------------------------------
 Cologne clucked to herself. Shampoo had screwed up
by sending this on such an open channel. With any luck it hadn't
been intercepted, copied, and rebroadcast.

 Cologne wasn't a big believer in luck.

 Nichieju powersuits had been on ready status for some
time. Rink, Pink, Ling Ling, Jam, and a half dozen other surviving warriors
could be ready in seconds to deploy, get the males in question, then
retreat. A new start, somewhere else on the planet.

 Princess Azusa could have the status quo. With the Nichieju
scattered and their nation destroyed, the only option for Cologne was to
start anew. How and where remained the questions. And if she didn't have
to remain in this area where she could access the birth creches...

 Cologne watched the rain for a moment. It was time that she took
a more personal hand in the events.
===============================
              Well, that's it for Chapter 12. 
Yes, i know a lot of you spotted the little surprises as early as
Chapter One, but not everyone did, and i suspect there were a
few people genuinely surprised by these events.