Some people said they did not recieve this part so sending again...sorry to
those who recivered 2
Long
The Few, the Proud, the Male Gender.
{Here are just a few scenes I've came up with on a drive to Texas. I think
the only way to make this fic work is to make it a true multiverse crossover.
If your thinking of posting it as it, please let me clean it up first. What
I really wanted to do was throw these at you and let you rewrite them. I
don't think I would want to take over the fic because I'm already having
enough trouble with the two I'm working on now, but if you want to make it a
collaboration, I'm game. So, here is my very rough draft and I hope you
enjoy.}
Multiverse : The Few, the Proud, the Male Gender Chapter Two
Original idea from Gregg Sharp
Written by David L. Battley
Co-authored by Long Ngo
Finished December 19, 2000
Part 2.
Through wet eyes and blurry vision he knelt in front of the family grave. In
front of him were the necessary items he brought up from the house: incense,
a bouquet of flowers, a cup, and a bottle of sake. He poured a cup of sake
and set it upon the stone base. Clapping twice, the young man lowered his
head and prayed; his ponytail was blowing in the wind as his tears made cold
tracks down his face.
*I wonder if you will be able to watch over us as we go, Dad, just as Mom
watches over us.* He thought of his female house guests, *I hope you can,
only don't watch us too close, OK?* that brought a small smile to the young
man's face that moments before had nothing but sorrow.
He stood up and looked down from the hill where the grave sat overlooking the
shrine, lake and home. His home. Which was the starting point of so many
adventures, was boarded up, ready to be abandoned.
There really wasn't anything else to do. Washu had said the virus had ran
its course, but still lay dormant, unable to affect the women and remaining
men who appeared to be immune to it. It lay there waiting for the next
generation of males to reach puberty. If, by some miracle, they had been
born immune to the virus, things would be back to normal, all things
considered. If not, they stood the same chance of survival as this
generation, one in five male baby born will survive and only a fifth of those
survivors able to produce children. With fewer and fewer fertile children
born each generation, it meant a slow death for humanity. Many are saying
that humanity will not last long enough to kill itself; a virus was doing it
for us, faster and more efficient.
Washu was more than happy to spearhead the search for a cure. The fact that
the virus, constructed on such a backwater planet as Earth, could cause such
widespread and selective destruction was admirable to her. The fact that it
had resisted her best attempts to stop or cure galled her to no end. Someone
had unintentionally thrown the proverbial gauntlet at her feet; she swore she
would prove, once again, why she was the greatest scientist in the universe.
"He had his faults, but he was a good son-in-law, a good husband, and a good
father. He will be missed."
"Grandfather!" Tenchi shouted in surprise. He turned around sharply to find
Katsuhito had sneaked up on him again.
"Come on. It's time to leave. Everybody is waiting."
He walked with his grandfather down the steps that led away from the shrine
and the resting place of his mother and now father. "I still don't see why
we have to leave at all. It feels like we're abandoning..."
Without any forewarning, Tenchi found himself shoved roughly into a tree and
held by his collar starring into the wild eyes of his grandfather. For the
first time in his life, Tenchi saw not the old and calm grandfather that had
raised him when his mother died, but a man who had been pushed to his limit.
"Do you think I like this any more than you?" he hissed. "Do you think I want
to leave this place? This is the place I made my home. I fell in love here.
My daughter is buried here. I would NEVER leave without..." Katsuhito's
rant faltered as he suddenly seemed to realize his position; he swallowed his
anger and gently let his grandson go. " A man, who should not have had to
see his daughter and then son-in-law die before him. Tenchi, I promise, we
are not abandoning the Earth. We will return someday and when we do we will
bring a cure with us. Earth may never be what it once was, but I swear I
won't allow it to die," Katsuhito continued, but this time there was no
anger. Instead there was a feeling of loss, determination, and regret all
rolled up into one.
"I'm sorry, Grandfather," Tenchi apologized with a little bow, a little
ashamed at misjudging his grandfather so.
Katsuhito put his arm around the boy, "So am I, Tenchi. I guess this whole
mess has affected me more than I thought."
At the bottom of the hill a group of girls stood together next to a pair of
spaceships, one mechanical the other made of crystal.
Ayeka looked around her trying to take it all in. "I will miss this place.
The earth has a natural beauty very different from Jurai, but it is still
very lovely."
Ryoko looked at the path that led up the hill to the family grave. "That's
for sure," she said with a smile. Even though she wasn't immune to a
beautiful sunset or a cherry orchard in spring, there really was only one
thing on this planet that continued to catch her eye again and again. She
turned to the others, "So, what will you two do now?"
Kiyone, dressed in her Galaxy Police uniform, looked over at her partner.
"Well, first we go back to headquarters to make a report. After that we will
just have to wait for reassignment, I guess."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about the report, Kiyone. I already sent one,"
Mihoshi suddenly responded with a smile plastered on her face, justifiably
proud of herself.
"You did?" Kiyone was shocked by her partner's initiative but just couldn't
rid herself of that familiar sinking feeling.
"Yeah. You're always saying I should take my job more seriously so I thought
I should make the report as soon as possible."
"Is everything from your lab gone from the house, Washu-chan?" Sasami asked.
"Of course. Everything is dimensionally adjusted to fit inside Ryo-oki. If
anyone comes snooping around all that they will find is an empty house.
Ain't I just the greatest scientist in the universe?" Washu exclaimed,
trying to lightening the mood.
"Miyaah!" said Ryo-oki in her space ship form.
"Will you really be working with the scientists on Jurai to devise a cure?"
"Yup. I think I could use all the lab assistance I can get. Plus it got
Ryoko the amnesty she needed to freely go into Jurai territory."
"Like I need it," Ryoko snorted. "Besides, it might not even hold up. It's
not like you talked to the king about it, all's you got is the old man's
word."
"His word is solid, Ryoko-chan. I trust him. Besides, if he's going to lock
horns with his father on the earth's behalf, he's going to need all of the
support we can give him. Which means..."
"I know, I know. 'Be on my best behavior'. I've heard it all before." She
turned to glare at Ayeka who was giggling behind her sleeve.
"Look, here they come now," said Sasami.
"Tenchi!" Ryoko shouted in joy. There was no word in any dictionary in any
of the worlds she had visited that described to her how happy she was that
her Tenchi did not die like so many of the other males on this planet. Ryoko
didn't want to think what would have happened if her one true love ever died
and she found out it was due to foul play. Telporting in a blink of an eye
towards Tenchi, she wrapped herself around her man. Of course, if he would
just acknowledge her as his woman, things would be a whole lot better. For
Tenchi's part, he barely tolerated the treatment, since struggling only
seemed to make the space pirate more persistent.
As it stood for both of the girls, calling his home world a 'plagued planet'
earlier didn't do anything for getting on his good side. They each had their
dream, whether running free through the stars with Tenchi as her only
companion or taking their proper place side by side among the nobles of
Jurai, neither had anything to do with the out of the way world they
currently found themselves. Both were eager to leave.
They loaded onto their respective ships, Mihoshi and Kiyone on their
mechanical standard issue interstellar craft and everybody else on Ryo-oki.
They intended to part company as soon after they left the system, but in the
meantime, they kept in contact with each other.
Kiyone's voice came over the com-link. "We will be clearing Earth's
atmosphere in 3... 2... 1..."
"We are not alone," Ryoko said. "Oh-ho. Very impressive." She pulled up a
screen showing what waited for them outside, two Juraian battleships and a
contingent of Galaxy Police cruisers.
Washu crossed her arms, "I don't think this is a welcoming committee."
A shot was fired from one of the Jurai ships that cut directly between
Ryo-oki and the Yagami.
"What?!?"
"Why are they firing?"
"It was a warning shot" said Katsuhito.
Another screen opened on the deck of both ships. "This is Commander Rishtal
of the Juraian battleship Hoshi-Oh. You are to return to the planet surface
at once or face destruction."
Ayeka ran forward, "This is Princess Ayeka, First Crown Princess of Jurai,
heir to the throne of Jurai. What is the meaning of this, Commander?
Explain yourself!"
Rishtal was visibly shaken, "P-Princess?!" Looking behind the First Princess
of Jurai, he discovered Sasami as well. It took a moment for the commander
to compose himself but when he looked again his face was set to hardened
regret. "I am sorry, Your Highness, but the colony planet 0315 has been put
under quarantine. You must return to the Earth."
---------------
"Quarantine?!" Kiyone screamed at her own halo-screen.
"Officer Kiyone, secure this channel."
After pressing a few buttons she said, "It's secure and this had better be
good."
"A full quarantine has been placed on the Sol system to prevent the
possibility of the virus spreading."
Kiyone rubbed her forehead, "Mihoshi's report."
"Indeed. However, this does not relieve you from your duty as Galaxy Police.
Your new standing orders are as follows: You are to find and prevent, by
any means necessary, any current resident of earth from leaving. This
includes unmanned vessels as well. You are authorized to use lethal force as
you see fit. A drone ship will follow you back to the surface with
additional equipment and armaments. You are the first line of defense in the
quarantine. Should any succeed in get past you, drone satellites will
destroy them without warning. That is all."
-----------------
"You can't be serious! What does my father say?" Ayeka shouted.
"He ordered the quarantine for the safety of the empire. I am acting on his
direct orders. You must return the surface, Your Highness."
Katsuhito spoke up, "What else is my father doing about this? He cannot just
allow this planet to die."
Commander Rishtal lowered his eyes. "Lord Yosho!?" the commanded exclaimed.
"I was Lord Yosho, First Crown Prince of Jurai, heir to the throne of Jurai.
I no longer have the privilege to hold that title. My heir, Tenchi now
assumes all rights and privileges due to him. He is now the First Crown
Prince of Jurai, heir to the throne of Jurai and bearer of the Light Hawk
Wings," Katsuhito announced, which left more than a few people in shock.
To find all four successors to the throne of Jurai on this out and out planet
was not pleasant news, it was near horrendous. As a citizen, there was
nothing he wanted more than to help these four individuals but as an officer
of Jurai, he knew about sacrifices and for this he would mourn later, in
private. "This is a one hundred percent quarantine. No samples will be
brought up, no scientists will be allowed in. Earth... is... on it's own.
I'm sorry. The only reason this planet hasn't been vaporized yep I believed
was because of your presences on this planet," he explained to Lord Yosho.
Looking directly into the screen again. "You have five minutes to comply.
If you do not we will be forced to destroy you. Commander Rishtal out," the
last part leaving a never bitter taste in the Commander's mouth.
"Damn him!" Katsuhito exploded.
"They can't be serious." Ayeka said in disbelief.
Several floating crystals started blinking red. "They've got a weapon's lock
on us," Ryoko said.
"I think they're serious," replied Tenchi.
"What do we do? They wouldn't really fire on us, would they?" asked Sasami.
"I think we can blow through them," Ryoko replied grimly. "It's better than
going back there. Strap yourselves in, this could get bumpy."
"No. Ryoko, we have to turn back."
"What? But, Tenchi..."
"They're right, Ryoko, we have to go back home."
"Home? What home? It's not home anymore, Tenchi, it's a prison. We can't
go back."
"We can't risk letting the virus loose on another world. Can't you see that?"
"But... But..."
Kiyone reappeared on the holo-screen, "Well, Tenchi, shall we go?" She was
surprised to see Ryoko stand up from the pilot's chair only to be replaced by
Washu. Together, the two ships and a drone full of equipment silently fell
to earth.
-----------------