----- Capn -----

	First, let me say thanks for the comments and help! I know it
takes time out of your day to do these things, but I really am grateful.
I've made all the changes you found needed correcting, some to the point
where I arranged a sentence differently, added a phrase, etc... The
final product is much improved. I've already sent it off to FFN, to
replace the old version which I uploaded earlier today.

	The FFN archive of "The Road to Cydonia" can be found here:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2314624/1/

	I will, as per SoP, also include that link when I put up new
chapters here in the FFML, as it will showcase 'final versions' of
previous chapters.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	Ryouga had yelled out her name several times before,
but calls > to her house had all caught the answering machine. This was
hardly > unusual. Akari had her farm to take care of, and even on normal
days > most callers either ended up with the machine or her grandfather
- the > latter of which being the more reliable of the two. Ranma was
surprised

	Huh.  If Gramps is more reliable than the machine, shouldn't the
fact that he never picked up the phone be worrisome?

	----- Capn -----

	That was a mistake on my part. I caught that mistake before I
posted to FFN and corrected it. The machine was supposed to be the more
reliable of the two. Akari's grandpa doesn't seem to ever leave his bed.
But... at least he isn't a panty-stealing pervert.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	They walked in silence for a few more seconds. The
whole > situation with Ryouga had put a real damper on everyone's mood.
Things > had been relatively quiet for a while now, since the disaster
that had > been the last Tendo New Year's Party. Ukyou was prepping for
college and > playing the waiting game to see what her Ran-chan would do
after > graduation, Kodachi was off visiting a university in Europe, and
Kuno > (much to everyone's joy) was struggling through the University of
Kyoto, > trying to get a degree in Business Management. Only the China
gang were > around to cause problems.

	Which any Ranma reader knows is merely a signal of newer, bigger
chaos coming over the horizon.

	----- Capn -----

	I'm going to involve (or try to involve) a fair number of
characters, eventually (I think). But the Kunos... I'm not so sure of. I
needed working room to keep them out of the way while I tried to get the
plot rolling. I don't want to overdo and confuse things with too many
chars right now.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	Amazons were certainly tenacious, that was for sure.

	> 	And, of course, Ryouga had either been wandering or
spending his > time with Akari. He dropped by every now and then to get
into a scrap or > have a spar (sometimes Mousse would jump in too) and
it was essentially > an arrangement Ranma really liked. All it had taken
was two years of > insanity, a series of unusual coincidences, and a
little luck. Then the > martial artist formerly know as P-chan just had
to show up, seemingly > exhausted and half dead, collapsed just outside
the Tendo's front gate. > No doubt his arrival heralded some new wave of
crazy Chinese Princes, > Amazons, and fiancees.

	You'd *think* that, wouldn't you?

	----- Capn -----

	There won't be any of those in this fic. "Learning Curve" only
had them (the first two) because of the Musk-Amazon war. There will be,
by necessity, some original characters... but I'm going to try real hard
to keep them all minor and supporting. This is the Ranma cast, and the
XCOM universe.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	"No no no!" Ranma had learned his lesson about that.
He smiled > in what he hoped was a charming way, and waved his hands
placatingly. > "There's that new East-West Fusion restaurant, Dai
Francisco... How does > that sound?"

	Like a case of Rolaids looking for someone to happen to.


	----- Capn ----- "Care for some Salsa with your sushi?"

	(I saw a place in Oakland that had something like that. Crazy.)

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	Ranma scratched the base of the pigtail, feeling a
little guilty > for not even trying to get a degree. He knew it didn't
really reflect > that well on the school, or on the dojo (not to say
that he was > seriously thinking of actually inheriting it any marrying
anyone), to > have a sensei without any higher education. But was that
really so bad? > He was a superb martial artist - one of the best, in
fact! He'd attract > students by virtue of his skill alone.

	Nicely balanced bit of characterization, there.

	----- Capn -----

	Thanks. The education angle will come up later, too, along with
issues of just what kind of future the two martial artists want for
themselves, and are willing to work towards.

	Also, if anyone here is actually going to Meiji University: it
looks like a fine institution, which is why I sent Nabiki there.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	Above the two, and above the Tendo Dojo specifically,
the stars > twinkled.

	Given what you're Xovering with, this is *not* a good thing.

	----- Capn -----

	There are no friendly skies in this fic. That ain't Lucy in the
Sky with Diamonds... that's a damn Floater, and he's got a Blaster Bomb!
RUN!

	----- /Capn -----


	> until they went by too fast to see. Nabiki was no computer
scientist, or > programmer, but she knew this wasn't normal.

	> 	Her first worry was that it had something to do with
all the > illegal downloads (and files) she had on her computer. And
there were a > LOT. Only a second later did it occur to her that it may
have been a

	"might have been"
	Heh.  So, Nabs is into P2P, eh?

	----- Capn -----

	I figured she would be. Those things come with DVD burners too,
now. The new laptops. It'd be too tempting for her NOT to get into that
whole business.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	'My...' Nabiki paused, and felt a sudden chill.
'What's > happening? What's going on?'

	She obviously never saw "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

	----- Capn -----

	Even if you've seen it, I figure it isn't something you always
think about. Most people would try and make rational sense of it. Even
someone like Nabiki, who has seen a badly drawn scribble come to life.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	She was still so young, with so much to look forward
to.

	> 	"Shampoo!" Cologne hit her on the rump with her
walking stick, > and the younger Amazon jumped out of her futon with a
surprised yelp. It > wasn't the nicest way to wake up her heir, but it
was the most > expedient.

	> 	"Quiet." Cologne commanded. "Come."

	Okay, Cologne's on the case.  The aliens are toast.  We can all
go back to bed now.
	...why do I get the feeling it won't be that easy?

	----- Capn -----

	"Nothing is ever easy." Cologne, unfortunately, is the invaders'
prime target in this attack. Ryouga's memories clearly point her out at
the most powerful of the local martial artists, as well as the most
knowledgeable.

	----- /Capn -----

	> 	His sensitive ears heard the door slide open. Filled
with an > unexplainable unease in the put of his stomach, he slowly
turned his > head and rolled onto his back. There was a glow beyond the
slowly > opening door that belonged to no hall lamp or light. Genma
Saotome's > eyes widened, as a small, slender, childlike hand, the
fingers half > again too long, became highlighted against the light.

	You *have* been watching "Close Encounters" lately, haven't you?

	----- Capn -----

	That movie creeped me out. Its one of those films that leaves
images that stick with you for years and years - only shooting sectoids
with a rocket launcher made it better. All better.

	----- /Capn -----



	> 	Genma reached for his 'I'm just a cuddly panda' sign.

	<facefault>  Right up to here, I thought he might actually do
something useful...

	----- Capn -----

	I was somewhat torn here between really wanting Genma to show
some backbone in defense of his flesh and blood... but that's just not
him, I don't think. Plus it was funnier: Cuddly Panda!! Also, the aliens
are a bit confused about the curses (that is strongly alluded to here),
and having Genma fight them here would have really screwed with my
future plans.

	----- /Capn -----

	> 	The creatures briefly exchanged looks, apparently
surprised to > see him. Or, more accurately, surprised to see him... as
a panda. Genma > gulped. One trained its weapon on him, while the other
pulled out > another gun, smaller, like a handgun. It was a dull green
and brown. He > doubted they would fall for the loveable-panda-and-his-
tire trick, so > Genma inched towards the window.

	Interesting -- the paralysis gizmo didn't effect him?

	----- Capn -----

	Human specific. The paralysis is caused by an alien psionic
(like a Sectiod Leader, or any Ethreal)... who can do more (in my
interpretation of things) than just Mild Control or Cause Panic. The
aliens don't identify Genma-panda as Genma-human, and so he never gets
mind zapped.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	Ranma opened his eyes, and saw the two visitors
standing in the > doorway.

	> 	He paused, shock and disbelief causing potentially
fatal > indecision. Was he still dreaming? A second later, he winced as
a > screaming voice cut into his mind. He held his head in his hands as
it > rose in volume, louder and louder. His body began to feel numb, but
he > fought against it, and tried to get to his feet. One of the
intruders > fired their larger weapon, though Ranma never heard the
sound.

	Okay, so Super Martial Arts Skillz do not automagically grant
one protection from telepathic assault.  Noted.

	----- Capn -----

	Exactly. I'm also using the Aliens set to the highest difficulty
rating: Superhuman. They're badass when it comes to psionics.

	----- /Capn -----



	> 	He stood, checked to make sure his boxer shorts were
on, and > followed.

	Okay, inquiring minds want to know -- how much gear can Mousse
carry in just his boxers?
	...NO, that was NOT a hentai question, dammit! ----- Capn -----

	Mousse is like Guybrush Threepwood. He's never without space for
all his inventory. He'll reach in and pull out a fishing rod, tackle
box, and three books on fly fishing. Give him a second, and he'll find a
folding steel chair in there too. And a pair of wax lips and gopher
repellant.

	----- /Capn -----


	> 	Lights descended, suspended outside, eerie like will
o' wisps. > To her left and right, she saw shapes move, gangly but
faster than > expected. The digital clock above the stove was off, but
the mechanical > one in the likeness of a beckoning cat, that Shampoo
had perched in the > dining area, was still moving. She felt their
minds, at least three, > distinct but frighteningly inhuman. She gritted
her teeth, trying to > understand the nature of the attack and develop a
countermeasure.

	> 	Her mental discipline held.

	But the *right* Super Martial Arts *technique* can.  Good to
know.


	----- Capn -----

	It doesn't do to underestimate Cologne. She figures out what'll
take Ranma and Ryouga ... a lot longer. What XCOM already knows.

	----- /Capn -----



	> 	It was a shriveled, desiccated, face.

	> 	YES

	> 	Like that of a corpse, risen from the grave.

	> 	YOU

	> 	In the blackened hollow pits where there may once have
been > eyes, something glowed, and the room shook and erupted into
flame. In > the stone bunker of the basement, hidden behind a number of
heavy > preserving jars, a small white and lavender cat and a cream
colored duck > heard Cologne's battle cry. It was not a voice either had
ever heard, > nor one they would ever forget.

	Videos of this fight would probably make a mint on EBay.

	Dang!  The End?  Just when it was getting good...
	Obviously the aliens must have noticed something about Ryouga
that intrigued them, and probed his brain looking for others with like
abilities.  Why did they let him go?  Maybe to lead them to Nerima,
though one wonders why they couldn't just pull the location out of his
brai-- oh.  Right.  This is *Ryouga* we're talking about.  Never mind.
	So, the scoreboard shows that they've got Nabs and Ranma, Genma
got away (for the moment), Cologne is about to give them more than they
bargained for (thought perhaps not more than they can handle), Shampoo
and Mousse are probably safe.  Akane, Soun, Kasumi, Ukyou, Ryouga, Tofu
and Konatsu are unnacounted for.
	This reminds me a bit of "One War, Three Sisters" (whatever
happened to that, anyway?), with the aliens' interest in the Wrecking
Crew's level of martial abilities.  Just what they want the Nerimans for
is unkown, but likely to be... unpleasant.


	----- Capn -----

	You hit it on the head. They're after martial artists, and the
biggest concentration of them in Japan is a little corner of Nerima:
Address Unknown.

	I do remember One War, Three Sisters. I read it a long time ago,
and while I was looking for other existing XCOM/Ranma crossovers (there
are, like, three... but nothing really like what I'm trying to do here)
I came across it again. I think OWTS just kind of... stopped. Which is
ok. It's done very well for itself, and become a well-known name. I
don't think any fanfiction author can ask for more than to be remembered
by someone (unless it is in a bad way, I guess).

As for the Alien Plans...
heh. Nothing good. For the Wrecking Crew, or for humanity in general.

	----- /Capn -----


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