Finally! At long last (and boy this one's long)!
Constructive C&C needed. Thanks alot for prereading and enjoy.
Insert disclaimer here.
Chapter 8: Funeral Pyre
Ranma shifted nervously beside General Moroto. The Protoss were
coming. Akane was coming. Or was it just Phoenix? He did not know.
Who would he be more relieved to see? He shook off the memory of
Akane's flesh melting off her bones, her screams of pain. He also
remembered the Protoss teleporting off their shuttle. That's how they
must have saved Akane. Or recovered her corpse. He shuddered at the
thought of the mangled body of his ex-fianc� under the probes and tools
of Protoss scientists. The voice of one of the General's aides, a young
blonde Lieutenant, snapped him out of his reverie.
"Sir, Command reports that a Protoss shuttle and four Scout
escorts have entered our airspace." She paused, one hand on the plug in
her ear. "Passcodes have been confirmed."
"Give them the coordinates of the hanger," answered the General.
"Aye, sir." She repeated the order. "The shuttle and escorts
are en-route," she reported after a few minutes.
Ranma looked around at the large hanger bay. One of several
remote hanger bays that were connected to the X-Com base. This one was
empty, save for the General, his aide, Ranma, twelve marines in shining
blue and gray combat armor, two Armored Personnel Carriers, and two
jeeps.
"They are nearing the hanger entrance," said the Lieutenant.
"Open the doors."
With the sound of grinding gears and straining hydraulics, the
roof of the hanger parted. Ranma squinted at the sunlight that flooded
the room, which was cut off when the Protoss shuttle filled the open
door. The thrumming of the repulsor fields used to keep the shuttle
airborne shook Ranma to his bones. As the shuttle neared the ground,
three landing skids emerged from the bottom of the craft. As it landed,
Ranma could see the slight multicolored shimmer caused by its
forcefield.
"Close the doors. Honor guard, POST!"
As the hanger doors closed, the twelve marines marched in a
stately fashion towards the shuttle, forming between them an isle
between the shuttle and the General's party. Three marines unfurled
flags that they had been carrying. One had the X-Com emblem, a black X
with a white border on a dark blue background. The second was the flag
of the United Earth Government, which was the planet Earth surrounded by
stars. The third was crossed psi-blades on a gold background with pale
green trim.
The forcefield surrounding the ship vanished, and a blue and
white energy storm manifested at the start of the isle. "Marines!"
bellowed the guard commander. As the energy storm faded, several
Protoss appeared. "Ten-hut!" All twelve soldiers snapped to attention.
The Protoss entourage made its way down the isle.
A large Protoss in gold armor with green trim led the party.
His armor was adorned with various attachments and hangings, probably
medals and signs of rank. Following him to his right was a smaller
Protoss wearing flowing dark blue robes. Directly behind him were four
Zealots, whose armor was also gold with green trim. To the leader's
left was Phoenix.
Ranma gulped when he saw her. Half the height of the Protoss,
Phoenix would have seemed comical standing beside them, were it not for
the fact that she excluded a power, a confidence that was almost
palpable. Her gold armor was without any trim, and she moved with a
grace Akane never had. Ranma could almost feel the power she wielded
and her willingness to use it. She glared at each marine she passed as
though saying, 'Try me. I dare you.' Her long black hair was tied into
a single tight braid. As they approached, the General, his aide and
Ranma all saluted.
"In the name of the United Earth Government, and the X-Com
Defense Force, I, General Hikaru Moroto, welcome you to X-Com: Japan
South," said the General formally.
The Protoss leader put one fist to his breast. [En Taro Adun,
General. I, Praetor Halos, do accept your greetings, and extend my own,
on behalf of the Protoss people.]
"If I may introduce you to my party, " continued the General.
Lieutenant Deanna Harper, my personal aide, Captain Ranma Saotome, one
of our 'Ghosts', and, acting as our honor guard, the 132nd mechanized
infantry division.
[Greetings,] replied the Praetor. [This is my personal advisor,
Judicator Raetor, my personal bodyguard, and Phoenix.]
"Ah, yes, the Human-Protoss hybrid. I must say, you've created
quite a stir with our geneticists. When I left, they were begging me to
get some tissue samples."
[That is understandable. She is a remarkable achievement.]
Phoenix was staring at the humans like someone looking at a bug
on a slide.
[And this one here,] said the Judicator. [He is a 'Ghost'?
Most interesting...]
"Yes, Captain Ranma is one of our best Special Operatives."
[He doesn't seem like much, does he?] said Halos.
[Scans showed him to be a psion of the highest order.] A
momentary pause. [For a human.]
The Praetor looked down at Ranma, his eyes narrowing. [You hide
it well, human.] Turning back to the General he continued. [So what
now, General? I assume we are not going to have the meeting here.]
"No, of course not. If you'll just follow me." He led them to
the two jeeps. "Praetor, it would be an honor if you would ride with
me. Judicator, you and Phoenix can go with Ranma. You're guards can go
in one of the APCs." They boarded the jeeps, Lt. Harper driving the
General, who sat in front, and Halos, whose large body straddled the two
back seats. Ranma drove the second jeep, with Phoenix in the passenger
seat and Raetor behind them. The four Zealots and the X-Com honor guard
each boarded an APC. As they drove away they were joined by a four
member Vulture escort.
"We were planning a tour of our facilities, if you are
interested," said Moroto.
Halos tilted his head, as though listening to someone else.
[That would be an excellent idea. We are understandably curious about
your culture and organization.]
"As we are of yours."
[Yes, but you've already had a look in our home.]
Moroto flushed bright red, but did not respond to the barb.
Recovering quickly, he grinned. "Well, then consider this as us
returning the favor."
"So you're Phoenix, huh?" said Ranma.
Phoenix ignored him.
"Where'd you learn those Ki attacks?"
Nothing.
"Hey, are you listening?"
Phoenix turned her head to look back at the Judicator. Ranma
was sensitive enough to feel the conversation between them, but could
not listen in. After a few moments, Phoenix turned back to Ranma.
[No.] She then turned away.
Apparently she was not in a mood to talk.
"Stupid tomboy," he muttered to himself.
But he could feel her eyes on him the rest of the way.
The door to the main observation room overlooking the civilian
living area, or 'The Pasture' in military slang, since the disabled and
retirees ended up living there, opened. The room could easily seat
fifty people, and was a combination bar and lounge, with several large
glass windows. The group entered, the Protoss ducking though the human
sized doorway. The Protoss looked out over the city and were
immediately captivated.
[It appears we underestimated the number of survivors,]
commented Raetor.
The cavern itself was enormous. They could barely see the other
side. Filled with towers and houses, the city was teeming with life.
Cars ran though the streets. There were markets, malls even a stadium
or two. Instead of walls, the cavern was surrounded in a blue haze with
a 'sun' moving slowly across the sky, occasionally shadowed by white
puffy 'clouds'.
[How have you simulated the exterior conditions?] asked Halos.
"We developed holographic projectors to simulate the sky
outside. We found initially that living under completely artificial
lighting twenty four hours a day caused severe depression."
[How many people live here?]
"This cavern numbers about half a million. We also have several
smaller caves, but the total number is around eight hundred thousand
people."
[How do you feed so many people?]
"By having nominal air superiority."
Halos looked at the General sharply. [So the bargaining begins.
I imagine that is one of the things you have to offer us; allow our
supply shuttles though.]
"Well, one of the things. The tour is finished, and we can go
to the conference room now."
Throughout the tour, Phoenix had been having strange feelings.
She did not like humans, and felt uncomfortable around them. That was
understandable. They were inferior. Treating an inferior species with
any kind of respect was uncomfortable. However, this
strange...curiosity of the human called Ranma confused her. She could
not stop glancing at him. She tried to conceal her actions, but it was
obvious to her that he knew she kept looking at him. Every time he
noticed, he would stiffen slightly, and one eyebrow would twitch. And
when he had called her a 'tomboy,' she had suddenly felt a powerful urge
to hit him. Why would she feel that? She did not even know what a
tomboy was. And with her enhanced intellect, she was far from stupid.
On reflection, his insult was one made by an uninformed, inferior
mammal. He had no idea what he was talking about. His opinion meant
less than nothing.
Then why was she *still* annoyed with him?
When they decided to start the conference, she found that she
did not want to go. To stand around while two people haggled over some
kind of peace treaty or cease fire, how boring. She needed to do
something more constructive. Glancing out to the city, she was seized
with sudden inspiration.
[Praetor,] she said. Halos turned around, surprise evident in
his expression. [Praetor, I request that I be allowed to explore the
civilian habitat. Understanding their non-military social and economic
structure could aid in future negotiations.]
Both Halos and Raetor looked surprised. Raetor also looked
somewhat alarmed. The two aliens began talking privately. Phoenix
could tell that Raetor was against the idea, but Halos was cautiously
for it. After several moments of intense discussion, Raetor shook his
head in resignation, and Halos turned to General Moroto.
[General, Phoenix has requested to explore the civilian living
area. Would you be amenable to her request?]
Moroto blinked. "I don't see why not," he said cautiously.
"She would cause less of a stir than a Zealot. She'd need an escort, of
course." Looking around, his gaze fell on Ranma. "Captain?" Ranma
stiffened.
"Sir?"
"Would you be so kind as to be Phoenix's escort as she explores
the Pasture?"
Ranma's eyes widened slightly. "Uhhh...sure. I mean, yes sir!"
"Then carry on Captain. Remember, full diplomatic privileges."
That meant everywhere except highly restricted areas like Civil Defense
Command, Emergency Stores, and other such places of importance. The
General gestured for the others to follow. "If you could come this
way..."
Ranma and Phoenix stared at each other for several moments, each
wondering if this was a good idea after all. Phoenix suddenly strode to
the door and left the room, catching Ranma flatfooted. He quickly
followed.
"Hey, I'm suppose to escort you, not the other way around."
She turned and waited for him to catch up. [Then escort.] Her
mind-voice was even, but he could tell she was mad. The slight
narrowing of the eyes, the intense glare, all the old danger signs were
there. At this point she looked so much like Akane it was frightening.
"Sure, but I have to call us a jeep, and I need to make another
call." Going to comm unit, he contact Supplies and Requisitions and got
a jeep, then made that other call. When he was finished he motioned for
her to follow. "Let's go."
Phoenix, by the end of the tour, was in complete confusion. Not
about the tour itself. She was mildly impressed by the combination of
comfort and defense that went into the planning and construction of the
city. There were defense choke points, barricades, even anti-air
defenses in case flying troops managed to penetrate the outer defenses.
However, none of the preparations sacrificed much in the way of
aesthetics. The city itself was full of warm friendly people. Friendly
to each other, anyway. They tended to stare at her.
She was less than impressed by their disorderly lifestyle.
People everywhere making noise and confusion, traffic problems, and
something called a 'market economy,' where what was produced was
determined by the demands of the people. What a waste of time and
resources! Don't bother giving them what they want, give them what they
need. All else should go to fighting the Zerg.
What confused her was her feelings. Ranma would say something,
usually a veiled insult, and she would come within a hair of sending him
through the windshield. Then he would smile at her and she would
feel...warm was the only way to describe it. And she would feel a
slight fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe this human had
some kind of virus that she might have caught. Dala would know. She
had no idea what was happening to her.
And the headaches had returned.
They were not very strong, but they were there. One would start
with surprising intensity, then slowly fade away. Dala had assured her
that she would not be having these anymore. Maybe her premature release
from the regen tank when that human Nabiki had come caused Dala to make
a mistake.
For the past three hours, Ranma had been trying to get some kind
of reaction from Phoenix, besides a twitching cheek when he insulted
her, or mild interest whenever he talked about the city. He had done
everything he could think of doing except screaming that she was an
uncute, unsexy, violent tomboy maniac at the top of his lungs.
Well, he had one more thing to try.
"Well the tour's just about over. Just one more stop. I
imagine you're interested in seeing how a human family lives?"
Phoenix went from bored to mild interest. Ranma felt like
screaming. [Yes. But will they act naturally? Most humans have been
uncomfortable around me. There is no point in seeing family social
habits if they do not act naturally.]
"Oh, don't worry about that. You won't be the weirdest thing
they've seen. Trust me."
Five minutes later, Ranma pulled up to the Saotome School of
Anything Goes Martial Arts.
The land was surrounded by a seven foot stone wall, and had a
large wooden gate. Inside the walls were two buildings. In the back
was a large square single storied structure with a single entrance. Up
front was another single storied building. It was constructed in a
traditional style with a raised floor and paper walls.
[I am curious,] asked Phoenix as they approached, [that with the
limitations of resources that these people managed to get such a large
amount of land to construct their home.]
"Well, Nabiki, Pop, and I have some pull with the military who
have to okay stuff like this. Besides, we helped justify it by saying
the dojo trains people in hand to hand combat."
[Do they?]
"Well, Mom and Pop do. She's a full time teacher and Pop splits
his time between recruits at the base and students here."
[We're seeing *your* family?]
"Yep."
Phoenix glared at him.
Ranma opened the door and entered. "Hello! It's me, Ranma!"
He called taking off his shoes. Phoenix followed him, but, lacking
shoes, waited until he was done.
The foyer opened up into a main meeting room, which had a low
table and a TV on a stand at the far end. To the right of the main room
was a door. From that door emerged a series of smells that went
straight to Ranma's stomach. Ranma took a deep breath, savoring the
aroma.
Phoenix, on the other hand, felt distinctly uncomfortable. She
was...what was this strange sensation in her stomach? She had received
her daily nutrition requirements while in the regen tank as normal, so
was her body telling her she needed more?
Suddenly, a blinding pain ripped through her head. Then just as
she registered the pain, it was gone. No not gone, reduced to a dull
ache. What was going on?
From the door came a older human female with curly brown hair
that was graying at the temples. She had a bright smile on her face as
she came out and met her son.
"Ranma, I'm so glad to see you again so soon! And who's your-"
She gasped as she saw who the visitor was. She paled, and swayed on her
feet. Ranma was at her side in an instant.
"Easy, Mom, I've got you." After a few moments, she recovered.
"Mom, I'd like to introduce you to Phoenix." Ranma stressed the name.
"She's an emissary of the Protoss. Phoenix, this is my mom, Nodoka
Saotome."
Phoenix put one fist to her breast. [En Taro Adun, Matriarch.]
Nodoka glanced at her son. "Phoenix?" Ranma nodded. She
stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Welcome to my house...Phoenix.
Would you like some tea?"
Phoenix wanted to refuse, but the combination of the smells and
not wanting to cause a diplomatic incident by refusing forced her to
accept.
"Please have a seat." They sat, Phoenix kneeling awkwardly by
the small table. Nodoka left and returned a few moments later with
three cups and a tea kettle. She poured the tea and joined them.
Both Ranma and Nodoka sipped their tea. Ranma had an expression
of pleasure on his face as he savored it. Phoenix looked at the tea
dubiously. She picked up the cup and sniffed the liquid inside.
Another lance of pain jolted through her head and she had to fight hard
not to wince in front of the humans. It smelled good. She passed a
hand held scanner over the tea. The ingredients were harmless enough.
She looked up and saw Ranma and Nodoka staring at her.
[Due to my unique physiology, I have trouble processing some
nutrients.] She held up the tea. [This is fine.] She took a small
sip. It tasted...she could not describe it. The tea produced a variety
of reactions in her body that she was unable to analyze.
Unfortunately, having never eaten in living memory, her throat
closed as it made it's way down, and she choked. She waved back the
concerned duo. [I'm all right! I'm fine.] She took another sip to
prove it and it went down normally. Again the series of strange
physiological reactions. Quite pleasurable, actually. She took a third
sip.
"So," said Nokoda, "How long have you been working for the Protoss?"
Phoenix did not like the 'working for' comment. It implied that
she was some sort of mercenary. [All my life.] Nodoka was a bit taken
aback by that answer. [Do you do this often?]
"Do what?"
[Drink this...tea.]
"Oh, yes. Genma and I eat together usually twice a day, during
breakfast and dinner."
"Hey Mom, speaking of Pop, where is the old man?"
"He's in the dojo, dear."
Ranma stood. Phoenix was about to follow, but he waved her
down. "I'm going to say hi. You two go ahead and get to know each
other."
"Of course, dear."
[As you wish.]
Ranma closed the door to the dojo. Looking across the room, he
saw his father hastily putting together a large amount of electrical
equipment.
"Hey Pop. How's it going?"
"Ranma, my boy. Good to see you! Now, do you mind explaining
what I'm setting all this stuff up for?"
"We're going to cure a case of memory loss. Is it ready?"
"Err...no not quite."
"No!? Pop, I gave you three hours! What have you been doing?"
"Well we had breakfast with the Higari's. You know what they
can be like. Then I went for a walk in the park. It's so peaceful this
time of day I couldn't resist. Then-" He fell over thanks to an
application of Ranma's fist to his skull.
"Shut up, old man! Just get it done! How soon?"
"I'd say twenty minutes."
"Great, how am I suppose to delay her for twenty minutes?"
"Delay who?"
"Shut up and get to work, you old fool!" Ranma left the dojo
muttering angrily.
"So do you like it?" asked Nodoka.
Phoenix was experiencing her first piece of celery with Cheese
Wiz. Again it tasted good, but her throat locked. Forcing the food
down, she replied [I think so, yes.] She could get use to eating.
"Hey, you two." Ranma came back from the dojo.
[Where is your father?]
Ranma twitched. "He's...uhhh...busy doing some stuff in the
dojo. He be along in about fifteen to twenty minutes. Want to spar?"
Phoenix blinked. [What? As in fight?]
"Nah, not a fight, just sparing."
[I doubt my superiors would approve.]
"Mine too, but I won't tell if you don't."
She had to admit she was interested. She had not scored a hit
in their last fight, except when he intercepted her energy blast at that
Nabiki woman. [I accept.]
"Great! We can fight out on the lawn."
[Not in the dojo?]
Again Ranma twitched. "Err...Pop's in there and he doesn't want
to be disturbed. Besides, we get more variability of terrain out here."
[True.]
They went outside. Facing each other, Phoenix got in the ready
position. Ranma merely face her, his hands folded behind his back.
"You going to wear the armor?"
[Are you afraid to face me with it?]
"Nah, but I was wondering if a tomboy type girl like you would
need something like that."
Phoenix flushed, her skin darkening to a navy blue. The dull
ache in her head sharpened to dagger like intensity, then faded quickly.
Twin blades of red-white energy emerged from her forearms.
"Hey, we're sparing! We don't really want to hurt each other."
[These are Stun Blades. We use them in practice. They will not
cause any permanent damage.]
Ranma nodded. "And no energy blasts. If the bosses see them,
we're in big trouble."
Nodoka looked at the two combatants. "Ready?" she asked. They
both nodded. "Fight!"
>From that point on, Nodoka could hardly see them. Aside from refraining
from energy attacks, the two were fighting at their full ability and
were evenly matched. Their bodies were blurs, bouncing off of the
ground, the roof, trees and the outer wall. Nodoka shook her head
fondly and went back inside.
Ten minutes later, Phoenix was getting angry. Ranma had not
been able to score a touch on her, but neither had she on him. They
continued to attack each other, dealing lightning strikes to each other
and never getting quite close enough to hit. From inside the house came
Nodoka's call.
"Ranma?"
Ranma glanced in the direction of the call. Using the moment of
distraction, Phoenix managed to hit Ranma with a hard kick. The blow
sent Ranma flying towards the house. Just as Ranma was about to hit the
rice paper wall, it opened, and the Nodoka stepped out. She was
carrying a pitcher of juice and two glasses. The two were knocked back
into the house, and Phoenix could hear the crash as they landed.
The first thing that ran through Phoenix's mind was, I've killed
the Matriarch. The second thing that went through her mind was, I've
just started a war. As she quickly went to the open door, the third
thing she thought was, Who is that redheaded girl?
Ranma-chan moaned and sat up. She looked down and saw her mom
blinking, a dazed expression on her face. "Mom? Are you OK?"
Nodoka shook her head and sat up on her knees. "I'm fine dear."
Phoenix came in and fell on one knee. [I sincerely apologize,
Matriarch. I did not intend for such a thing to happen.]
Nodoka gave her a sunny smile. "It's all right. When you're
around my son for long enough you get used to things like this." Nodoka
looked down at her now wet kimono, and to Ranma-chan's wet uniform. "If
you excuse me I'm going to get changed. Ranma, I have some hot water
waiting for you on the stove, and I'll get you and clean uniform."
Nodoka left to get changed.
Phoenix stared at Ranma-chan. [Did she just call you Ranma?]
Ranma nodded. [Are you his... sister?]
Ranma-chan gave Phoenix a strange look. "No, I'm Ranma." She
got up and began taking off the wet uniform. Going into the kitchen,
she grabbed the kettle of hot water.
Phoenix followed, a confused expression on her face. [I do not
understand.]
Ranma-chan smiled. "Just watch." She poured the hot water on
herself.
Phoenix watched in amazement as Ranma and change from a girl to
a boy. [How - how is this possible?] Just as Ranma was about to
answer, Phoenix felt a wave of agony sweep through her brain. She
staggered, and leaned against a counter for support. Ranma was
instantly by her side.
"Are you OK?" asked Ranma anxiously.
[Away from me human! I need no help from your kind.] Phoenix waved off
the worried Ranma, who stepped to back and waited for her to recover.
The pain slowly abated, and when she had recovered, she noticed that a
large man in a white gi was standing in the door to the kitchen. His
expression matched that of Nodoka's earlier, a mixture of surprise and
disbelief.
"Hey Pop," said Ranma. He went through another round of
introductions, nearly choking when Phoenix bowed to him and called him
Patriarch.
"Well my boy, everything is all set up in the dojo."
"Great! Let's get started."
Phoenix was puzzled. [What are we going to do now?]
Ranma had a sly look on his face. "Were about to do something
called 'karaoke'. What you have to do is to sing lyrics to a song that
is being played."
[But why should such a thing be of interest to me? I don't
speak.]
"Come on, it'll be fun," said Ranma with a smile. "Besides, you
are the one that wanted to know more about humans." Phoenix shrugged
and followed.
Once inside the dojo, Ranma grabbed the microphone while Genma
sat behind an electronic keyboard. Looking back at his father, Ranma
asked "All set, pop?" Genma I gave him a thumbs up sign. "All right!
Hit it!" Genma hit the record button, and Ranma began yelling into the
microphone at the top of his lungs.
"You're built like a brick! Your thighs or too thick! Your face
makes a sick! You itch like a tick..."
The words hit Phoenix like a blow. Even as a small portion of
her mind rambled frantically trying to rationalize Ranma's behavior, the
vast majority of her consciousness was consumed with a rage. She did
not care if he was a diplomat, or that her actions might start a war.
All she wanted to do was to turn Ranma into a bloody smear on the
ground. Phoenix began to glow of bright blue as she channeled large
amounts of astral energy into her body. He was going to pay for
treating her like this! Both the veiled and the overt insults. She
took a step forward in preparation to beat Ranma into the ground, but
fell to her knees when a pain like she had never felt overwhelmed her.
She clutched her head as wave after wave of agony ran through her mind.
"Your thighs are too thick, thighs are too thick, thighs are too
thick --!" The voice quickly deviated from Ranma's normal voice and
increased in pitch until it was a high-pitched whine. Phoenix managed
to look up and saw Genma pressing different keys on the keyboard again
eliciting different insults.
"You're built like a brick, built like a brick, built like a
brick --!" Phoenix tried to crawl towards Genma, tried to make him
stop, but she could barely moved, barely focus past the pain.
"Your face makes me sick, face makes me sick, face makes me sick
--!" finally, unable to take it anymore, Phoenix collapsed. Her head
felt like it was going to explode. The pressure built, and built, and
built, until it had to be released.
Ranma and Genma, completely unprepared, collapsed in pain as
Phoenix's psychic shock wave tore through their minds. Nodoka, washing
dishes in the kitchen, cried out and fell to the ground.
Elsewhere, the blast did not go unnoticed.
Jasmine and Darryl Johnson looked across the metal table at a somewhat
nervous Kasumi. They sat within the confines of Biolab 3, and were
about to start their first mindlink session.
"Hello, Kasumi, my name is Darryl Johnson, and this is my sister
Jasmine. You can call her Jas, though. How are you feeling?" asked
Darryl amiably.
"I'm fine. I feel much better now that I've had some food and
rest."
"Good," said Jes. "Kasumi, you're probably been wondering
what's going on, what's happened to you, that sort of thing." Kasumi
nodded. "We'll try to explain it to you as best we can."
"First of all some history," continued Darryl. "The Zerg
invaded earth about five years ago. X-Com was the only military
organization equipped to deal with them. Most of the planet was
overrun, except for our bases, which we evacuated as many civilians as
we could. Now I know you think they're different, but to demonstrate
how devastating the Zerg have been to us, the population of humans on
this earth is about five hundred million."
Kasumi gasped. Five hundred million? From over six billion
people? "The-Zerg did that?" she asked faintly.
"Yes," answered Jes. "Well...not the Zerg, per say, but their
masters, the Overmind, it's Cerebrates, and the Overlords. They seem to
be driven to exterminate all life here on Earth."
"Why?"
"We don't know. We just know that they do. Now the problem
with fighting the Zerg is we have to go through hordes of their minions
before we can take out their masters. We have to sacrifice large
numbers of people and equipment just to kill one Cerebrate." The twins
looked at each other doubtfully, then turned back to Kasumi. "We think
you can help us."
"Me? How?"
Darryl answered her question with another question. "Kasumi, do
you know what a psionic is?" She shook her head. "Simply put, when
someone thinks or feels, they use astral energy, or ki, as it is more
commonly known. Now most people can only use the astral energy in their
own bodies, but some people have the ability to draw energy from where
ever it comes from. Don't ask, because we don't really know. All we
know is that some people can channel astral energy and do amazing things
with it. You are one of those people."
"I...I am?"
"Yes," continued Jes. "Also, you seem to be able to control the
Zerg. Do you know what this means for us? Instead of sending hundreds
of troops and vehicles to try to destroy a Zerg fortress, you could just
walk in and take them over. Not only could you save thousands of lives,
but give us new troops in the process. There's just two things you
need. The skills to do it, and the willingness to help."
"You want me to help you? How do I know you won't do to me what
you did to my friends?"
"Kasumi, we didn't understand what was going on. If you help
us, then we won't have to attack you or any Zerg you command. Think
Kasumi, of what you could do. The lives you could save! Women,
children, their parents-"
"What about my family? What happened to them?"
Darryl sighed. "We're not suppose to tell you this, but you
have a sister, Nabiki. She's alive."
Kasumi brightened. "She is? Can I see her? Please, you have
to..." She paused as she came to a realization. "Just Nabiki. But
what about Akane, and Father...?"
Darryl shook his head. "I'm sorry, but they were killed five years ago,
by the Zerg."
Kasumi dissolved into tears. Jes got up, went around the table,
and hugged Kasumi. Kasumi wept for several minutes before getting
herself under control. Jes picked up where Darryl had left off.
"Kasumi, we don't care why you do it. Whether it be loyalty to
us, revenge, or to protect those who can't protect themselves, but we
need you, Kasumi. You could save us from a war that's lasted years and
has cost us more than five billion lives. Please, Kasumi, will you help
us?"
"Can...can I see Nabiki?"
"I don't see why not. It might be awhile, though. The training
you'll undergo will necessitate that you spend a lot of time alone. But
when that's done, then, yes."
Kasumi stared at them for a long moment, then nodded. "Yes,
I'll help you."
Darryl and Jes issued twin sighs of relief. "That's good," said
Darryl. "Now, the training of a psionic normally takes about three
years, but we don't have that kind of time."
Jes continued. "So what we'll be doing is setting up what's
called a mindlink. What happens is that our minds will be linked and
I'll be sending you all the knowledge and training I've received. The
process usually takes a couple of weeks, but there are some dangers."
"The foremost of which is that both our minds could be damaged
if something goes wrong. We've taken all precautions, but there is a
small chance that something could happen," said Darryl. "Are you
willing to risk it?"
"What do you want me to do?"
"Okay, close your eyes. Look at us with your mind. Tell us
what you see."
Closing her physical eyes, she opened her mental 'eyes'. She
saw two bright sparks before here. "I see two lights in where the two
of you should be."
"Good. What I want you to do is to reach out with your mind and
touch Jes."
Kasumi reached out to the bright spark that was 'Jes' and
touched it. It 'tingled' and she quickly withdrew.
"It's okay, Kasumi," said Jes. "My mental shields are up so
you'd have work hard to hurt me. Do it again."
She repeated to procedure. This time she kept her 'hands' on
Jes. It tingled and she felt like she wanted to scratch her arms.
"Okay, we're going to shut off the barrier around the cell. We
have to do this because it interferes with the transfer."
Kasumi felt the wall surrounding the biolab drop.
"Kasumi?" said Jes. "I'm going to change the 'feel' of my mind.
It's going to feel 'sticky', and you'll begin feel funny. The best way
I can describe it is you'll feel a bit dizzy as the information in my
mind is copied into yours. This will be the most difficult transfer,
since you don't know very much yet, but as time goes on it'll get
easier. Ready?"
"I think so."
"Okay, here we go."
Suddenly, the tingly sensation vanished, and she felt the whole
room tilt sideways. On reflex, she tried to pull away, but Jes's mind
had indeed become 'sticky', and her mental hands could not pull free.
"Easy Kasumi, take a deep breath and focus on my voice. Everything's
fine."
Kasumi gulped and focused past her fear and on the link between
Jes and herself. The dizzy feeling decreased in intensity, and Kasumi
began to breath easier.
"Good. Keep it up. We'll only be at this for a few more
minutes until we take a break."
Before that, Phoenix's psionic blast hit them like the fires of
Hell.
Elsewhere, Praetor Halos and General Moroto were conduction
negotiations for a peace treaty.
[All I am saying, General is that you humans are an inferior
species to the Protoss. I mean no disparagement by this, it just simply
is. As such, we cannot give you any of our advanced technology. Look
at what you've done with nuclear fission! What would you do with our
discoveries?]
"Fight the Zerg, of course."
[Naturally, but after-]
Both Protoss clutched their heads as Phoenix's psionic blast
washed through them. The guards leapt into a defensive formation around
the group. General Moroto was about to call an alert when the phone
beside him rang. He picked it up.
"Sir, we have a psionic energy spike coming from the Pasture."
Looking at the two alien emissaries, who were beginning to
recover, he said sarcastically, "I gathered as much. Have you
pinpointed the source?"
"We think it's in sector 7G."
"Send a security team-" He was interrupted by the Judicator.
[Wait!] he said weakly. [I am receive a transmission from our
shuttle pilot.] Taking out a small communicator, he said [Continue.]
[Judicator, Phoenix's EEG readings have flatlined, and I'm
getting minimal vital signs. We have to take her back to base or she'll
die.] Raetor repeated what he had heard.
[You backstabbing humans--!] Psi-blades hissed out of Halos's
emitters, and his forcefield flared to life. Immediately, the guards
turned and pointed their guns at the hostile alien.
Raetor grabbed the angry Praetor. [Stop this, you fool! Can't you
see they're as confused as we are?] He was interrupted by the ringing
of the General's phone.
"Yes?"
"Sir, we have a medical emergency at Biolab 3."
The General's blood chilled. That's where Kasumi and the
Johnson twins were--. "Let the doctors handle it for now. Get me the
location of Captain Saotome."
There was a moment of silence on the other side. "He left a
brief itinerary. He should be at his parents residence." It was, of
course, in sector 7G. When it hit the fan, it had to hit all at once.
Moroto stifled a groan.
"Send an ambulance to that location. They are to transport a
Human-Protoss hybrid to Hanger 3. Ignore all others unless someone's
life is at stake."
"Yes, sir."
He hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and calmed himself.
Looking at the two aliens he said, "I'm having Phoenix transferred to
the hanger where your shuttle is. If we can end these theatrics, we can
then leave to join her." He turned to one of the guards. "Stand down,
Sergeant!" The guards reluctantly complied. "You have my deepest
apologies, Praetor."
Halos's psi-blades disappeared with a pop. [Come, Judicator.
Never have I so wished departure!] Halos stomped angrily from the room
followed by the Judicator, the General, and the guards.
General Moroto watched as the Protoss shuttle lifted off the
ground and into the air. He turned to the three paramedics who had
driven Phoenix to the hanger.
"What the hell happened!"
"We don't know," said one. "We got there and found everyone
unconscious. The only one who we thought was in danger was the alien.
Got her into the ambulance, but couldn't do very much since we had no
idea of how to treat her, so we drove her here ASAP."
Moroto growled. "Sergeant?" One of the guards stepped forward.
"I want that entire family locked up. Something strange is going on and
I want to know what."
"Sir, do you want us to get Major Nabiki as well?"
"No, leave her there. She's not going anywhere with her
injuries."
"Aye sir." He and his men boarded one of the APCs and drove
off.
The General boarded his jeep. He felt tired. Very, very,
tired. Damn that Saotome clan. Was it too much to ask to have one
normal day around that family? "Harper, find out what happened in
Biolab 3."
Healer Ka'Dalanis stared at the readings in shock. Phoenix's
brain was virtually mush. Neural pathways were collapsing at a horrific
rate that even the regen tank could not completely halt. This was even
worse than when Phoenix had returned from her first battle. Ironically,
the protein wall that blocked Phoenix's long term memory had also
protected it from the surge of astral energy that had poured through the
now dying cells. However, the wall was now deteriorating rapidly.
Ka'Dalanis put her head in her hands and began massaging her forehead.
[Well?] demanded Halos. [When will she be repaired?]
Ka'Dalanis looked at him in disbelief. [Repaired? Repaired?!
May Adun strike you dead where you stand! Phoenix is not a machine!
She's not some thing that can be fixed like a field generator! She is a
person! With thoughts, and feelings and desires! How dare you treat
her like this! When I 'repair' her, will you then send her out again
until she is pushed past all limits of endurance, only to bring her back
and ask why she is so prone to breakdown? When will you learn that she
has limits? When she is dead? Oh, forget it! Leave me and let me
work!]
Enraged, Halos stepped forward. [No, Healer, it is you who do
not understand! Phoenix is a weapon, a weapon designed on a holo-
screen, shaped by Protoss technology and ingenuity, and implemented by
you. You are nothing more than a mechanic of the body. If I tell a
mechanic to fix a shuttle, then he had better fix it, and, by Adun's
mighty name, you must do the same! You exalt yourself in your own eyes.
'The caretaker of Pheonix, the greatest creation this millennium.' You
think yourself above me. There can only be one commander, and I am he!
If I call Phoenix a machine, then that is what she is, and you are
mooning over nothing more than a fancy pair of psi-blades! If she has
thoughts, then they should be thoughts of destroying the Zerg. If she
has feelings, they should be limited to satisfaction at killing Zerg.
Her only desire should be to serve us! Do your duty, Healer, and fix
her!]
Ka'Dalanis wanted to kill him. In all her years of being a
Healer, she had never wanted to kill anyone, even the Zerg, until now.
Had she her old Warp Blade at hand, she would have taken it up and
killed him for no other reason than to rid this universe of an unfeeling
madman. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your point of view,
she could not do anything except agree.
[As you command, Praetor. But I do so for far nobler reasons
than you.]
[I care not why you fix her, just that you do.] Glaring down at
Ka'Dalanis one more time, he and Raetor left.
[Judicator,] said Halos, [I am concerned about the Healer's
stability. She feels too much for our weapon. I fear she may do
something rash.]
[Healers have always been somewhat emotional,] argued Raetor,
playing Devil's Advocate. [I imagine she is just concerned about her
charge's health. Once that crisis is passed, she will be of a more even
temperment.]
[Ah, but is that not the problem? Phoenix is not 'her' charge.
She is 'our' charge.] There was a long pause. [I will replace
Ka'Dalanis with someone else.]
[Is that wise, Halos? No one knows more about xenobiology than
her.]
[Someone else can be trained, Raetor. See to it.]
Raetor sighed internally. In all honesty, he could not blame
him. Ka'Dalanis was getting more and more attached to Phoenix and was
losing her impersonal perspective. He just did not want to have the be
the one to tell her. [As you wish, Praetor.]
'As per the Praetor's command, you are to be demoted to
assistant to Healer Pranala who will replace you as the caretaker of
Phoenix. When you are finished teaching her, you will be reassigned.'
Pranala?! thought Ka'Dalanis in amazement. She's nothing but a Field
Healer, not a xenobiologist! What were they thinking?
Ka'Dalanis looked down at her console. She had been able to begin
'repairs' very quickly. Since the case was similar to when Phoenix was
first injured when fighting the Zerg, Ka'Dalanis had been able to
prepare a batch of nanites to fix the damaged areas of Phoenix's brain
in a short amount of time. What would take the longest to do would the
repairing of the protein wall blocking off Phoenix's long term memory,
which had deteriorated to almost nothing. If it was not for that,
Phoenix would be ready by tomorrow. Rebuilding the protein wall would
take days.
Are you mine, Phoenix, or am I yours? she wondered. Her finger hovered
over the button that would release the nanites. If she pressed that
button, they would rebuild the protein wall, and Akane would once again
be blocked in the recesses of Phoenix's mind.
She had a choice. A choice between her duty as a Healer and her
duty to her people, between Phoenix and Halos, between her self respect
and her soul.
Not much of a choice at all, really.
She lifted her finger off the button, and with it, felt a burden
lift from her heart.
It was time for the Phoenix to die.
End Chapter 8
If anyone wants to say anything about me putting eight people on a
Protoss shuttle, I don't want to hear it!