Hi all,
This is a little Quantum Destinies Side-Story to (hopefully) tide you
over until I finish editing Chapter 15 for general release in a day or
two. Chapter 16 is delayed a little until I finish another side-story
that leads into certain events in that chapter.
Merry Christmas,
Steve
-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: QD_Gift.txt
*** Earth 0.000,0.000
Kinnosuke Kashuoh watched the snow falling outside the window of his
room as he leaned against it, his breath fogging the glass for a moment
with each exhalation. A discarded book of substantial thickness rested
on the desk immediately to his right, one of many textbooks from the
Imperial Academy. He had been lost in the author's words for the past
few hours, studying his favorite subject matter, recombinant genetics.
He enjoyed the inherent intricacies of it, but he was also expected to
have a firm grounding in it, as future inheritor of the Kashuoh Family
fortune. After all, said fortune had been built upon exploiting the
rearrangement of the building blocks of life, providing tools, toys,
and weapons to the Empire. Some of the most popular were even made in
a semblance of mankind's own image.
The past few decades had seen that fortune grow, almost exponentially,
propelling the Kashuoh Family to the forefront of the Minor Families of
the Empire's nobility. As the majority stockholders in Genom, itself
arguably the largest provider of biotechnological marvels in the world
today, money and power had become their birthright. Once they might
have been known only as con artists and thieves, but those days were
past. Now they played for far higher stakes in the realms of politics
and high finance. The Kashuoh Family was well-known for using Genom's
resources to acquire significant segments in many areas of industry,
beyond its initial zone of control in biotechnical products. Wealth
had brought with it a hunger for ever more power and influence.
Kinnosuke possessed that hunger in abundance, but he chose to hide it
behind a quiet exterior, biding his time as he carefully planned out
his future path with meticulous detail. He kept to himself at the
Academy, and he had no friends to speak of. But he was aware of what
went on around him. He had quickly noticed a very intricate web of
commerce and information exchange that flowed around him, and he was
quite astonished to learn that it was orchestrated by one girl, Nabiki
Tendo.
He had spent the past few months surreptitiously watching her every
move from afar, growing ever more fascinated by her tactical acumen in
governing over her power base as it expanded. The upperclassmen had
gradually (and in most cases, reluctantly) ceded control of all their
enterprises to her, some even joining her ranks. Even the instructors
were not beyond her abilities to control, but she used her influence
there sparingly. She quietly ruled from the shadows, cold, mercenary,
ruthless, and apparently without moral qualms. While studying her from
a safe distance, Kinnosuke had come to an inescapable conclusion.
She was perfect for him.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A Midwinter Night's Gift
A Quantum Destinies Side-Story
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By Jurai Knight (sthesken@earthlink.net)
Ranma 1/2 and its characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This story
is inspired by her works and the stories from some of my fellow fanfic
authors. Among these are D.B. Sommer's "Shampoo 1/2", Jim Bader's "A
Very Scary Thought -aka- Nabiki 1/2", and John Biles' Elseworlds
series. All C&C is welcome.
The main story may be found at this website, or you can email the
author for them:
The Quantum Destinies Homepage
http://home.earthlink.net/~sthesken/fanfics/qd.html
This story takes place before Chapter One of Quantum Destinies. It is
a prologue of sorts, and a kind of Christmas story.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kinnosuke turned away from the window when he became aware of his name
being called. It was a familiar voice, and he smiled when he saw its
source. Once, she had only held a designation in Genom's database of
active units, as a Puma-class replicant, serial number 9815-PS2-1138.
But for Kinnosuke's entire life, she had been known by another name.
"Good evening, Nana," said Kinnosuke pleasantly. He regarded her, an
impressive female humanoid almost two meters in height. Like all of
her kind, she was broad of shoulder, well-endowed, and possessed of an
athletic build. Her dark blue hair fell down her back like a mane,
almost drawing attention away from the catlike ears atop her head and
her slit-pupilled eyes. She was dressed in traditional garb, a pale
green kimono and golden obi.
She bowed and said, "Dinner is prepared, Kashuoh-san." She smiled at
him as she lifted her head back up.
"I am feeling hungry," he realized out loud, hearing a faint rumbling
from his stomach. He paced across the room and out the door, and the
blue-haired Puma fell into place two steps behind him.
"Your grandfather will not be joining us for dinner."
Kinnosuke was not surprised, but he was disappointed. The old man
rarely spent any time with him, leaving his only grandson's care to the
synthetic humanoids that made up the entirety of the manor's servants.
Nana was the only mother he had ever known, his parents having both
died in some sort of accident when he was still an infant. Each of
their portraits hung in one of the manor's galleries, and he wondered
sometimes what sort of people they had been.
Entering the dining room, he hardly noticed the two servants bowing to
him. He swept by them, two pretty young women of Nordic appearance,
their faces identical, even down to the vacuous smiles on their faces.
They were each dressed in a pale blue kimono, and their teal-colored
hair was worn up in a traditional hairstyle. A bar code was tattooed
across the nape of each girl's neck, signifying their origins in one of
Genom's inception facilities.
He and Nana sat down to eat, and platters of food began appearing on
the table before them, brought by the two ever-smiling young women.
Kinnosuke regarded them idly, as one might a pet that temporarily drew
attention to itself. He saw the cheerful looks on their faces as they
served the food, and he knew that they would appear equally contented
performing any household task, from doing laundry to scrubbing floors.
A female replicant was commonly known as a Lilith to consumers around
the world, named after the mythical figure, while male replicants had
become known as Samaels. The two units currently serving dinner to
Kinnosuke were standard, Genom-manufactured, household servant models,
possessing lower-end human intelligence as well as rigid personality
governors that rendered them content with their lot and even happy to
serve. The Puma-class replicant more familiarly known to Kinnosuke as
Nana was another sort of Lilith, designed to function as a personal
bodyguard. But many other types also existed, ranging from servants to
inhumanly attractive consorts for the wealthy and powerful. Samaels
were more often sold to be personal bodyguards and soldiers, but Genom
also produced a few versions that could act as servants and companions.
Nana watched her young charge out of the corner of her vision as she
quietly ate her dinner. She could sense his disappointment, and it
saddened her. Her ears flattened slightly, reflecting her mood, as she
took a bite of her dinner. But then her mood immediately brightened.
She savored the taste of fresh fish. Rainbow trout, she noticed with
pleasure, taken from one of the household's private breeding ponds in
the North American Prefectures and flown in several times a month. It
distracted her from her young charge for several moments, before she
returned her attention to him.
The replicant smiled wistfully as she observed him, briefly recalling
random memories acquired over the years, of the little boy he had once
been, and of the toddler he had been before that. She remembered him
taking his first steps towards her, as well as the first time he had
called her 'Nana.'
She even remembered when she had first laid eyes on her young charge, a
nurse-model Lilith handing this cloth-wrapped bundle to her. She had
been amazed at the sight of him, so tiny and helpless in her arms, yet
he was also the future Lord of House Kashuoh. Now, he was almost fully
grown into a man. She had done her duty, and she felt a quiver of
satisfaction at a job well done.
"You seem distracted, Nana," observed Kinnosuke between bites of food.
A hint of concern rested in his voice and glinted in his gaze.
"Pardon me, Kashuoh-san. I fear I was lost in thought."
"You were smiling, so I guess they were happy memories."
Nana smiled more broadly, and then she said, "Yes, they were quite
happy ones." She paused a moment, noticing that he was nearly done
with dinner. "We should get ready to leave, if you are done with your
meal."
"Go? Go where?" Kinnosuke set down his chopsticks and dabbed at his
mouth with a napkin. "I still have some studying to do." That last
was a small lie, for he had memorized the chapters assigned in class
weeks ago.
"Your grandfather has instructed me to bring you to Genom," replied
Nana. "There is a surprise for you tonight, a gift for you."
******************************
The snow was falling more heavily as the limousine pulled up to the
gates of Genom's Tokyo operation, a sprawling facility on the edge of
Nerima. It was fairly nondescript in appearance, especially at night,
yet it extended over a large tract of land. The guard at the gate
stepped out of his little booth and slowly trudged over, a carbine
unslung and in his hands. Another guard waited inside, watching the
proceedings.
Kinnosuke's driver, another replicant, stopped the car and waited as
the boy lowered his window. A single guard approached, and he handed
over his identity card to be run through a portable scanner, receiving
it back a moment later. He saw the guard lazily wave at his companion
in the booth, and the gate slid open with heavy, ratcheting clicks of
the drive chain.
A short drive later, the car stopped once more and the driver got out,
stamping his feet slightly in his boots as he came around to open the
door for Kinnosuke and Nana. The pair got out, and Kinnosuke led the
way inside, for he immediately recognized the building they had stopped
in front of. It was Building Eight, Research and Development.
"Wait in the car until we return," Kinnosuke ordered the driver, who
bowed in reply.
Kinnosuke felt a quiver of excitement run through him as he trudged
through the slushy snow leading to the door, Nana following along
behind him. Upon reaching it, he swiped his identity card through the
magnetic reader and tapped in a quick series of numbers. The red light
on the lock changed from red to green, and there was a clicking sound
from the door. He pulled it open, and he walked inside, holding the
door open for the Puma to follow.
The temperature inside the building was a pleasant relief from the cold
outside. Nana was especially grateful for the warmth. Even though she
could tolerate a wider temperature range than a normal human, she still
preferred to avoid cold weather.
Kinnosuke smiled at her for a moment when he saw the look on her face
after they stepped inside. He shrugged off his coat when the door
closed behind them, hanging it up on a nearby hook that held a number
of other coats.
"We are to proceed to Laboratory Four, Kashuoh-san," said Nana as she
was removing her own coat. Beneath it, she had changed her usual
household outfit to a rather paramilitary-looking armorcloth jumpsuit
in dark green, emblazoned on one shoulder with Genom's symbol. It was
zipped up to her neck, but it hugged her body snugly. A heavy pistol
rested in a holster, slung low on her hip. She looked like any other
Puma-class replicant bodyguard.
A short walk brought them to the correct lab, and Kinnosuke repeated
the same procedure he had used to get into the outside door. There was
an electronic buzzing sound, and he quickly pulled it open. Inside was
a darkened chamber, only lit by a few scattered computer monitors. The
air was filled with the faint humming of electrical pumps, but the room
was otherwise silent.
"Come in, boy," wheezed a frail voice from somewhere inside the room.
"Grandfather?"
"Hurry it up, Grandson," said the wizened voice with a hint of dry
amusement. "I'm not getting any younger while you stand in that open
doorway like a ninny."
Kinnosuke stepped into the room, and the lights snapped on. He blinked
for a moment at the brightness, seeing his grandfather, Kado Kashuoh,
seated in one of the technician chairs. The old man blinked owlishly
back at him, a smile on his face. He stood up when Kinnosuke entered
the room, still followed by a silent Nana.
"About time you got here," wheezed Kado in a semblance of a chuckle. A
twinkle appeared in his ancient eyes. "I was thinking of keeping your
present for myself." He studied the boy before him, feeling a surge of
pride run through his withered frame. Kinnosuke was a handsome lad, a
tribute to genetic modification. Kado laughed aloud for a few moments,
looking forward to the day he presented the boy to those fools now in
charge of the Empire's pathetic excuse for a eugenics project. He
would show them humanity's future, the ultimate man. All of the risks
he had undertaken, the deals he had entered into, and every one of the
many sacrifices he had made, would be worth it for that day.
Kinnosuke looked around the lab space, briefly ignoring the wheezing
laughter of his grandfather, noting three large cylinders in the back
of the chamber. They appeared to be standard inception tanks for the
creation of new replicant units, judging from the equipment he saw.
Was that all this was about? He walked over to study one of the units
more closely.
"Can't wait to see my surprise, eh?" chuckled Kado. He sat back down
and tapped a few keys on the console. "Then let me show you what I've
gotten you."
Kinnosuke watched the steel covering slide down flush into the floor,
revealing a cylindrical tank made of a clear substance that reflected
no light. Within the unit was a girl, suspended in an artificial,
heavily-oxygenated form of amniotic fluid. Her eyes were closed as her
naked body floated in the liquid, peaceful in repose. Red hair floated
around her head like a halo, and her cat-like ears twitched now and
then as she slumbered.
"Behold the prototype for the first of Genom's newest Lilith models, a
catgirl somatype, the Tiger," intoned Kado. "She's faster and more
intelligent than the earlier Puma, with a greater degree of self-will
and a wider knowledge base." He tapped a few more keys, and the next
steel cylinder dropped down, revealing a leggy catgirl with dark hair.
"The Lynx, the second of Genom's next generation of replicants. Her
neuroreflexes have been boosted to the limits allowed us by current
biotechnology, requiring a slight sacrifice in physical strength to
avoid tearing her frame apart from the stresses. Her brain has also
been hardwired with an experimental ability at tactical analysis." A
last sequence of keys was struck, and the final cylinder fell to rest
flush with the floor. Within it was a statuesque blonde catgirl,
taller than the other two by a couple of centimeters, and a little
heavier framed.
"The last of Genom's newest prototypes," said Kado with pride. "The
Panther, built for strength and physical endurance. While marginally
slower than either the Lynx or the Tiger, her musculature will be
capable of lifting over a metric ton when she reaches full maturity."
Kinnosuke studied the three naked girls, peacefully sleeping in their
artificial wombs. He had noticed that they appeared young, only in
late adolescence. He turned back to face Kado, only to see the old man
nodding at his unspoken questions.
"They are my gift to you, my boy," said Kado with a smile. "Your very
own personal servants and bodyguards, a trio of adolescent catgirls to
be your companions. Of course, this is also an opportunity for Genom
to test out these three prototype models under field conditions. Merry
Christmas, Grandson." He tossed a small spraycan to Kinnosuke, which
the boy snagged out of midair with ease. Then, after standing up from
the chair he had been seated in, he began hobbling towards the door.
Nana moved to assist the old man, feeling his hand quickly move to
fondle her rump as she did so. He cackled lecherously as she smiled
affectionately at him.
At the door, Kado paused and looked backwards at Kinnosuke, saying,
"I'll leave you alone to get acquainted with your new pets now. A
quick spray of the neurophage compound you're holding will prepare them
to imprint upon you as their new master." He fondly patted Nana's
backside once more, even as his gaze roved over the rest of her body.
"Take your time."
The door shut behind the departing pair, leaving Kinnosuke alone with
the three slumbering figures. He stepped over to the main console, but
his attention kept drifting back to the trio. He smiled as he took
some time to study them, his gaze roving across each one.
******************************
Kado led the Puma to a nearby room he had prepared for this special
occasion. A comfortable chair sat before a bank of monitors, all of
which were currently blank. He picked up a remote control unit and
activated them all, as well as starting up the recorders. He wanted to
preserve every one of these moments for posterity.
"You've done a fine job raising the boy, my dear," he said, sitting
down in the chair with a sigh.
"It was my pleasure to serve, Kashuoh-sama," replied Nana with a smile.
She knelt down and rested her head against the old man's knee. "The
task was an enjoyable one."
Kado reached down and stroked Nana's hair affectionately, hearing her
respond with a faint purring. The path that led to this moment had
been a risky one, but the future of the Kashuoh Family appeared bright.
Through Kado's efforts, a new era for humanity would soon be ushered
in, and Kinnosuke's three gifts were the doorway.
******************************
Kinnosuke briefly wondered if the old man had forgotten to provide any
clothing for the three catgirls, but a nearby locker dispelled that
notion. Inside were three Genom-issued armorcloth jumpsuits, similar
to the one that Nana had been wearing, as well as three pairs of boots.
Since he had only seen his grandfather in the building, that probably
meant that the sets of cold-weather garb he had noticed when he had
hung up his own were for them as well.
Sitting down at the console, he flipped a switch, activating a pump
that quickly began draining the amniotic suspension fluid from the tank
of the first catgirl. For simplicity's sake, he had decided to name
each of them after their series designation. As the substance bled
from the tank, her body remained in a semi-standing position, held up
by a lightweight armature that rose from the floor of the cylinder as
the liquid was evacuated. A slight sheen of slime remained behind on
her skin and in her hair.
Flipping another switch, Kinnosuke watched as warm water sluiced down
from a spray nozzle in the top of the tank, rinsing away the remnants
of the suspension fluid from the catgirl's body. A quick check of the
monitors showed that her vitals were good, and her cerebral activity
was slowly rising up from sleep mode. He walked the short distance to
the cylinder, watching as the seals parted with a faint puff of air,
and then the front portion slid forward a couple of centimeters and
down into the floor. The can of neurophage in hand, he sprayed a dose
of it into her face, knowing that it would absorb into her bloodstream
directly through her skin.
The catgirl blinked her eyelids open lazily, revealing green eyes that
held a momentary confusion within them. She coughed out a gout of
fluid that narrowly missed Kinnosuke's boots. When the brief bout of
coughing had finally purged her lungs, she saw an unfamiliar figure
standing in front of her, and her confusion immediately cleared. A
powerful wave of emotion coursed through her entire being, pure love.
She stepped forward on slightly unsteady legs, even as subliminal
programs within her brain came online. Her stance firmed, and she
stood up straight. She now knew who she was and her purpose for being.
"Hello, Master," said the catgirl with a smile. "I am a Genom Tiger,
serial number 0001-TX1-1, the prototype unit for this series. I am
programmed to act as a bodyguard and personal companion, as well as to
provide security for any premises that I am stationed at. How may I
serve you, Master?"
"You can start by calling me by name," he replied with a smile, his
gaze briefly roving over her body. "I am Kinnosuke Kashuoh."
"Yes, Kashuoh-san." The catgirl bowed. "I am at your command." She
gazed lovingly at her new master, savoring the tender feelings she felt
within her in his presence.
"There are clothes in the locker over there," Kinnosuke said, his
finger pointing. "Dress yourself and wait quietly while I awaken the
others."
"Yes, Kashuoh-san." Tiger walked across the room, somehow combining
elements of both a march and a strut into her stride. She rummaged
through the locker, finally pulling out one of the greenish jumpsuits
and snugging it on over her frame.
While Tiger dressed, Kinnosuke moved back to the main control panel and
repeated the procedure he had just done with the next tank. He watched
as fluid drained from Lynx's chamber, and her body was sprayed clean
with warm water, briefly admiring the coltish grace of her long legs.
He spared a moment from his lechery to thank his grandfather for such
fine gifts. All three catgirls were magnificent creatures.
As the second chamber opened, he sprayed the catgirl's face with a dose
of neurophage. Her expression mirrored Tiger's upon first awakening,
Lynx's blue eyes holding a momentary confusion before she coughed her
lungs clean of fluid. When they finally focused on him, it was like a
light appeared within her, and her gaze softened as she smiled at him.
She appeared startled when he took her hand and helped her out of the
chamber, and her step was demure.
"Hello, Master," she said with a bright smile. "I am a Genom Lynx,
serial number 0001-LX1-1, the prototype unit for this series. I am
programmed to act as a bodyguard and personal companion, as well as to
provide security for any premises that I am stationed at. How may I
serve you, Master?"
Kinnosuke repeated similar instructions to what he had told Tiger, and
watched for a moment as the dark-haired Lynx smiled and bowed before
hurrying to obey. He then turned his attention to releasing the blonde
catgirl. The procedure so far had been oddly fascinating, a high-tech
version of birth.
Lynx pulled on one of the jumpsuits, but her eyes remained fixed on her
new master. She felt another surge of love run through her at the mere
sight of him. After slipping her arms into the sleeves, she reached
down and carefully pulled the zipper up from her waist to the high-neck
collar, feeling the material hug to her body like a second skin. She
then pulled on a pair of boots and stood silently, waiting for her next
orders.
The third chamber cycled open, and Kinnosuke sprayed the blonde-haired
occupant's face with some of the neurophage compound. He waited as she
opened steel-colored eyes, momentary confusion that led to a brief fit
of coughing. When she finally straightened back up, her eyes met his,
and her expression softened ever so slightly. She stepped forth from
the chamber with boldness, and her stance was almost mannish.
"Hello, Master," said the blonde catgirl with a smile. "I am a Genom
Panther, serial number 0001-PX1-1, the prototype unit for this series.
I am programmed to act as a bodyguard and personal companion, as well
as to provide security for any premises that I am stationed at. How
may I serve you, Master?"
Kinnosuke was caught a little off-guard by the differences between the
three catgirls, even right out of the inception tank. The Lynx-class
prototype was rather demurely coquettish, and the Panther-class unit
was distinctly tomboyish. Tiger fell into place somewhere in between.
Kinnosuke gave the same orders to the blonde catgirl as he had to the
first two, and she marched over to get dressed. When she was through,
she took her place alongside the other two catgirls, and their gazes
remained firmly on him as they stood at attention. He was already
making plans. Having such a capable-looking trio at his command would
make his planned conquests much easier. He smiled at the catgirls.
Tiger broke the silence first by asking, "What is your desire, Master?"
All three catgirls waited expectantly for his response.
Kinnosuke thought about it for a moment, then he broke out into a smile
and said, "Let me show you your new home."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This was a little idea that came to me a couple of days ago while I was
working on Chapter 16 of Quantum Destinies and demanded to be written.
It is a brief glimpse at some of the characters used in my story, an
origin piece of sorts done in a few scenes. Lilith and Samael are
mythical characters from rabbinic folklore, but they fit surprisingly
well in this context to describe replicants, beings of human-like form
that are not human. I also plan on expanding upon this theme in future
chapters of QD.
This is a rough draft that none of my pre-readers have even seen yet,
so any comments are welcome.
Merry Christmas,
Jurai Knight
December 25, 2000