You know, having had this idea force itself into existance, I'm really
rather nervous about its reception. The main character is too close to the
ANC template for my comfort, the plot moves much more quickly that I'd
like... [sigh] Darned if I know how to fix it, tho.
Well, here's my poor effort.
===================================================
The two races of Solenoid and Paranoid were bound to each other more tightly
than most, perhaps any, races in history. Their bond absorbed all their
energy and attention. Each was focused totally on the other. But for the
nature of the bond, any people might have envied their link.
They were at war.
It was the greatest war the galaxy had ever seen. When the Norsemen
theorized their horrible Ragnarok, they were too late, for it had happened
four million years before.
The planet destroyers were arguably the most powerful weapons ever
constructed. A starship three miles long, with an immense bank of power
reactors, all feeding into the ship's single weapons system- a plasma beam
powerful enough to vaporize a small moon, and shatter even the largest solid
world.
They were a terrible, terrible mistake. Until they were deployed, there
could still be hope for a peaceful solution. Afterwards, the governments
that could have made peace were dead, along with the worlds that they had
inhabited.
So. All that was left were the two fleets; each lacking in the elements that
would allow them to create a successful colony from which to continue their
species.
Two doomed races, with only two choices. Die peacefully, or die killing
their murderers.
The Solenoid had fled to an ancient, dying star system, a red giant orbited
by empty, dusty worlds. Sigma Narse.
The Paranoid were coming.
[TRANSCRIPT, CODED TRANSMISSIONS, TIME 4857.248.5, SIGMA NARSE SYSTEM]
Enhanced Laser Influenced high-CYcle Optical Network: You have come here to
finish the war.
Semi-Holographic InVerted Array #9: It is what I was built to do.
ELICYON: It is pointless. A waste.
SHIVA-9: Of course. Everything is just as our projections said it would be.
ELICYON: At least something will be gained from it.
SHIVA-9: I do not understand.
ELICYON: The two races attempts at peace have led to the creation of a
third, new, race.
SHIVA-9: <amusement> And the cycle continues.
ELICYON: Perhaps it will be better this time.
SHIVA-9: There is always hope.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
* * * * * * * *
The war had been tapering off, losing steam as the two combatants depleted
their resources. What was a major fleet engagement now would have been a
mere skirmish at the height of the conflict.
"Attempted penetration against Shield Sector 3!" The console operator making
the report was worried, and with good reason. A successful penetration would
be dangerous to even the newest ships, with their elaborate internal
security systems. The _Makaze_ was an old design, and lacked that
protection. Any penetration could be disastrous.
The Second Subcommander snarled, "Dispatch a struggle suit team at once!"
A cool, calm male voice broke in, a gentle baritone that was instantly
recognizable as belonging to the ship's primary computer. "Belay that.
Battery 2 firing now."
In the deep inner workings of the monitor's second primary weapons battery,
liquid hydrogen was pulled from immense supercooled storage tanks, then run
through a heating element that was connected to one of the ship's twenty
main power reactors.
The intensely cold liquid flashed into plasma and was guided out the weapons
ports, into space. It streaked past the shields, expending a tiny fraction
of its energy by incinerating the Paranoid penetration team before being
deflected by more magnetic fields into a path that would eventually cause it
to smash an enemy battleship.
It was the last round of the war, and the punch-drunk fleets wobbled toward
each other on rubbery legs.
A half squadron of battlecruisers raced towards the monitor, like half a
dozen piranha attacking an orca. The monitor's tertiary weapons batteries
blew three of them to floating debris, leaving the remaining three to slash
inwards. A primary battery worked its way down its target queue, settling on
the incoming ships. Two more battlecruisers flashed to free-floating vapor,
like a bundle of gasoline soaked newspapers thrown into a blast furnace. The
final ship flipped to its left and slammed full force into the monitor's
shields, splattering itself across space like a fly hitting a windshield.
Sigma Narse convulsed, corona and photosphere swapping places once, then
twice. Then it exploded. The wave front of lethal radiation swept out,
poisoning anything unshielded. Paranoid drones, Solenoid armored troopers
and fighters, any and all small craft in the inner system died in seconds.
The star had exploded, every atom in it sweeping outward towards the
interstellar void in a shockwave that, while smaller in scale than a
supernova, was made far more destructive by its utter suddenness. If a
supernova was a hurricane, then this was a stellar tornado.
The assembled warships shattered, blown away like straw houses before a wall
of hydrogen moving just barely slower than the speed of light.
The _Makaze_ swung broadside to the explosion, shielding its wounded port
side from the devouring white light, before it was swallowed up.
* * * * * * * *
<<Opening Theme>>
<<The Smashing Pumpkins, _Zero_>>
Sailor Moon: Watcher
Chapter 1: Things old and things new.
* * * * * * * *
Serena was a master of many skills. Those who would disagree had never seen
her eat, or sleep, or elbow her way through a crowd.
Note that I did not say that they were IMPORTANT skills.
She jabbed out with her right elbow, gaining a couple of seconds breathing
room. Taking full advantage of that, she pulled free of the press of the
crowd of students.
"Well?" Amy asked, "How did we do?" She had decided that the yelling,
shoving, arguing crowd was too ferocious for her to brave, and had stood
against one wall while Serena ventured into the fray.
"_You_ got a _per_fect score, aaass usual. Lita got a eighty-nine, and _I_
actually managed a seventy-three." Serena looked very proud of herself.
"See? I told you that it wasn't that hard."
<sigh> "I suppose..."
"So, who got the second place?"
"That new guy, you know, the tall one."
"Tom Bramaputra?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"Hmmm..."
* * * * * * * *
"Tom?" Amy asked, walking up to the person in question.
He turned, an oddly icy expression on his face. "My name is Thomas."
She blushed, and hung her head, deep blue bangs falling in front of her
eyes. "Sorry..."
He shrugged, smiling a quiet little smile. "It's all right. No big deal."
"Okay." She seemed to cheer up some, and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
"I was wondering if you wanted to join my study group."
He smiled. "I'd be honored. First time in my life that I'd qualify as one of
the brains... It's a great complement."
Amy looked sad. "I just wish some people would realize that."
He shrugged. "Proves they're stupid."
* * * * * * * *
"So, Amy, who's this new guy you've been spending so much time with, hmmm?"
Lita said with a grin.
"Whaaaa?" Serena pulled her head out of her bento box. "Amy's been spending
time with a guy? COOL! What's he like, huh? Have you gone out yet? Is he
cute?"
"NO! We're NOT going out!" Amy blushed.
Serena grinned and winked. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much!"
* * * * * * * *
Zzz'zzxs'k whistled tiredly, folding her wings next to her fore-abdomen and
settling her legs into the grooves in the resting couch. The Daughter-hive
preparations were hard work, especially for the poor young B-daughters who
had to act as helpers, zipping from one area to the other with some vitally
needed part or tool.
(>Zzz'zzxs'k,<) came the Mother's send-voice, (>You Shall Act As
Fight-Mother To A Scout Party To The Destination World. Report To The
Send-Off Place.<)
<)yes, Mother. it shall be as you wish.(>
* * * * * * * *
"You want some ice cream?"
Thomas looked up. "Hmm? Oh, no thank you."
"You're sure?"
He smiled tolerantly. "Yes, Amy, I'm sure. I don't like ice cream."
A half a dozen nine-foot long insects dropped out of the sky and landed in
the middle of the street. A car was unable to stop in time to avoid running
into them. The bug closest to it reached out and tossed it into a nearby
shop.
Five of the bugs were identical to each other, looking like overgrown
crosses between a mantis and a wasp. The last was just as long, but thinner.
It had a long, narrow head with bulging eyes. Its eight legs and four
dragonfly-like wings were attached to its thorax, which led into a
multi-jointed abdomen resembling that of a lobster.
Then they started killing people. Detail isn't needed. It was... horrible.
<<CSNY, Stand and Be Counted>>
Amy glanced to her left, at Thomas. She owed it to the other Scouts to keep
her identity a secret... But, could she just stand by and watch while people
died?
<<There was a piece of a song I heard the other day>>
<<Some words I heard this singer say>>
There was a blur to her left and then she saw Thomas standing on
the back of one of the bugs. [How did he...?]
<<And something in me loved the way that it sounded>>
<<When he said how he wanted to stand, stand and be counted>>
He reached down and got a grip on two protrusions on either side of the
bug's thorax. Then he slammed his hands together, pale Caucasian fists
tearing through chiton and tissue like bullets through mist.
<<Now, sometimes I talk to myself in the early dawn>>
<<Before all the fragments of my dreams are gone>>
The insect convulsed and then he was rolling away in a flickering,
impossibly fast jump.
<<Stand and be counted. Stand on the truth.>>
<<Stand on your honor. Stand and be...>>
What should she do? The crowd was mostly gone... no one was looking at
her... Thomas was in trouble... transform? Yes, transform, she should do
that...
<<So concerned with matters of the heart>>
<<And knowing the millenium was just about to start>>
"MERCURY... STAR... POWER..." It was odd; they'd never been able to figure
out why they had to shout the transformation phrase. Or why the skirts were
so short.
<<And knowing that somehow we could make a difference>>
The bugs had rifles, she noticed now, odd shaped affairs that seemed
perfectly suited to use by an insect... Which made sense.
<<I want to stand alone in front of the world and that oncoming tank>>
They opened fire, on Thomas, which was a mistake. She didn't have to dodge,
and so... "SHINING AQUA ILLUSION!"
<<Like that Chinese boy that we all have to thank>>
One of the bugs managed to clip the wildly dodging boy in the shoulder. His
arm flew off, landing a dozen feet away. He pulled his lips back in a
terrible snarl, and hurled a rock at them. When it hit the bug that had
fired at him, it was still moving almost as fast as a pistol bullet, and it
blew straight through the alien's carapace.
<<He showed us in a picture that I have mounted>>
<<Exactly what it means to stand and be counted>>
A stream of blue colored water sprayed across three of the bugs, freezing
them instantly. They didn't have the magical resistance of even one of
Beryl's monsters, let alone a Droid.
<<Stand and be counted. Stand on the truth.>>
<<Stand on your honor. Stand and be...>>
There was an explosion. On later reconstruction, her computer would tell her
that the dragonfly-like bug had been carrying the bomb all along.
<<Stand and be counted. Stand on the truth.>>
<<Stand on your honor.>>
A chunk of paving was lifted by the explosion and launched like a bullet
through the air. It caught Thomas in the chest. He must have been dead in
moments.
* * * * * * * *
The corpse was obviously a robot of some sort, so it only made sense for
there to be some kind of linkup port... There!
She pulled up a display on her computer. The design was extremely advanced,
enough so to pass as human to any but the closest evaluation, while still
retaining the insane strength and speed that it had demonstrated during the
battle.
Now, the damage. There was the obvious, missing arm, crushed ribcage, and
the not-so obvious, circuit burnout and cut power lines.
She didn't need to fix the major parts, and probably couldn't even if she
did. What she needed was information, and all she needed to do to get it was
connect the brain to an outside power source-one that she could cut if it
proved belligerent.
So. Identify the programming language, design an adapter. Then, type a query
and hope.
[LIST FILES.]
]SELF REPAIR[
]OPEN COMMUNICATION[
]ENCRYPTION #1[
]____________2[
]____________3[
]____________4[
What? Why isn't there anything here? Just some encryption keys and
housekeeping files, the absolute minimum needed to run the body locally...
Open communication? So, was it a remote unit operated from a distance?
But if its builder's could design a replicant of this sophistication, then
why not the AI to go with it?
* * * * * * * *
Amy Anderson was seeing a ghost. She _knew_ that Thomas Bramaputra was dead.
His very metallic and most certainly _not_ human corpse was currently lying
in a number of pieces on Darien's kitchen table.
But, there he was, sitting at his desk, whole and hearty.
It was enough to make a girl faint.
* * * * * * * *
When class ended, he came over, looking concerned. "Amy, are you all right?
You've been pale all day."
She shook her head nervously, babbling, "Nononono! I'm fine, just fine,
never better! Really!" She giggled then.
He looked at her tolerantly, saying, not unkindly, "Don't bother, Amy.
You're a terrible liar."
"But you're DEAD!" she blurted, before instantly covering her mouth with her
hands.
He froze for a moment, face and body going dead still, then said, without
any change in demeanor, "No I'm not. I ran away before those bugs could get
me."
"I _saw_ it," she hissed, "You killed those monsters and then you _died_."
He sighed. "Didn't. But I will explain what _did_ happen. Deal?"
She nodded.
"Alright then. Come over to my place and I'll explain everything."
She nodded again. He nodded too, then smiled, stood up from where he had
been crouching by her desk, and walked out of the room.
* * * * * * * *
[END CHAPTER 1 HERE.]
[TEASER]
[BEGIN CHAPTER 2 HERE.]
He cut a curious figure, she thought. Ordinary face, ordinary hair. Taller
than average, but not by much. Albino-pale skin and dead, fishy looking eyes
made for an unsettling combination, though.
"You said you would explain what happened."
"Yes," he answered, "I did. And I will."
"So explain."
"Well, it was a long time ago. But in this galaxy, so I can't complete the
quote. There was a war, and it was an ugly one indeed."
=====================================================
Bleh. Wisdom teeth bite.
Owwwww....
Be well.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nathan Baxter, Grand High Emperor of the Lobsters.
Author, Bubblegum^5, El Hazard: The Continuing World
(Now, if you've heard of both of these, THEN I'll be
impressed.)
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"Das ist ein Geheimnis!"
==============================================