INTERLUDE
Establishing Shot: Darkness.
YURI (V.O.)
<whispered> Kei? <beat> Kei?
KEI (V.O.)
<flat> What.
YURI (V.O.)
I can't sleep.
There is a long silent moment.
KEI (V.O.)
Try again. Try harder.
YURI (V.O.)
How are you supposed to try hard to
sleep?
KEI (V.O.)
I don't know, but I'd guess that it
involves *not* talking to your
roommate who is also trying to
sleep.
YURI (V.O.)
So you're having trouble getting to
sleep too?
There is another long silent moment, broken by the sound of something
hitting a wall repeatedly.
YURI (V.O.)
What was that?
KEI (V.O.)
What do you *think*? Me hitting my
head against the wall! <shouts>
Lights!
The lights come up, revealing their bedchamber. KEI has the top bunk,
YURI has the bottom. They are dressed in flannel pyjamas.
KEI
Why are you having trouble sleeping?
YURI
We haven't been able to get any more
information about the situation, and
it's starting to worry me ...
KEI
We've gone into situations without
knowing anything before this, Yuri.
YURI
And what always happened?
KEI
<quick> Nothing that was ever our
fault.
YURI
But we always looked like idiots.
KEI
Which wasn't our fault.
YURI suddenly jumps up onto KEI's bunk, and KEI scrambles out of the way.
YURI looks at KEI intensely and holds her hand out.
YURI
Let's *do* it.
KEI stares at the hand, not comprehending, and blinks. Suddenly,
understanding dawns.
KEI
Oh! The psychic thing! Right! I
thought ... never mind.
KEI takes YURI's hand in her own, and they both concentrate fiercely.
Cut to a shot of Earth from space. A gentle song can be heard being sung
in many faint voices. Suddenly, burning cracks cut across the Earth,
causing the song to become a scream. The cracks pulse outward, and the
Earth explodes. A horrific laugh is heard.
WOMAN'S VOICE
I! WINNNNNNNNNN!
More laughter.
Cut to KEI and YURI. KEI suddenly jerks back, a horrified look on her
face.
KEI
`I win'? What the --
YURI
Is that what happens if we go along
with the plan ... or if we give up
on it?
An Inevitable Outcome Feature
Written and Directed
by C. Richard Davies
TOGETHER AGAIN
2937 Chapter
Based on the works of
Naoko Takeuchi, Rumiko Takahashi,
Suzuki Toshimichi, Haruka Takachiho,
Hiroki Hayashi, Yuuki Masami,
and various interpretations therof.
Dedicated to Gryphon, MegaZone, and ReRob.
And to Ellen DeGeneres.
(Even if it *is* intended
as a ratings ploy.)
ACT FOUR
Establishing Shot: The emergency room from the previous Act, now in
shadows. Everyone and everything is at rest. In the distance, we can
hear a clicking noise. A door slides open, and MERCURY steps in,
deliberately moving quietly ... and pausing as she hears the noise. She
turns towards an office space, under the door of which we can see a faint
green light. MERCURY frowns, and heads slowly towards the door. She
pauses, listening, for a moment, and then suddenly flings the door open.
JUPITER, her left arm in a sling, is seated behind a desk, looking up at a
holographic display that hovers above the desk, working a mouse with her
free hand. She looks impassively at MERCURY, who is startled to see her.
MERCURY
Lita, I'm glad that you're up and
about, but you really should get
your rest.
JUPITER
The truth doesn't rest.
There is a long pause.
MERCURY
Have you any idea how corny that
sounds?
JUPITER
<nods> But it's accurate, somewhat.
There was a breach in our security
yesterday, and it's my job to under-
stand why it happened, so that we
can make sure it can never happen
again. <beat> So I can't sleep.
MERCURY
I see. Well, what have you figured
out?
JUPITER
It's not so much figuring -- that's
your department -- as it's putting
the pieces that we have together,
and trying to figure out what sort
of picture they present. <beat> And
I can say that it's a very ugly
one, Amy. A very, very ugly one.
JUPITER taps a control, and the holographic display twists to present
itself to MERCURY's view. It's RYOUGA's medical information. MERCURY
lifts an eyebrow.
MERCURY
You really should not be prying into
my patients' medical --
JUPITER
Hibiki Ryouga. Born 1977. Victim
of a Jyusenkyo curse, the exact
details of which have been kept
under a privacy seal that I couldn't
crack. <beat> And also not, as our
intelligence had led us to believe
for quite some time, a vampire. In
fact, his exceptional longevity is
the result of having partaken of
mermaid's flesh. But not in the
most common form of that very rare
condition -- eating mermaid's flesh
and risking transformation into an
inhuman entity -- but through an
occult ritual involving replacing
one's liver with a mermaid's liver.
<beat> There are three main
drawbacks to the ritual. One -- the
subject must be dead before the
ritual begins. Two -- the subject
will be driven by an uncontrollable
urge to consume the livers of other
beings. And three, which is the
most crippling -- all the memories
of the new immortal's life before
his or her transformation will be
lost.
MERCURY
I know all this.
JUPITER clicks the control again, and the display changes to a page of
text with a diagram of a human body, indicating the exact location of the
liver.
JUPITER
You should. The section on mermaid
flesh in "Means of Immortality",
your first major work of magickal
scholarship, is very complete.
<beat> But the connection might be
overlooked except for one little
fact. Hibiki said that *we* created
him.
MERCURY
The ravings of a madman would have
little weight in court.
JUPITER
<angry> God's sake, Amy, this isn't
a matter of courts! <beat> And if
I've learned one thing from all this
it has to be that Hibiki wasn't
insane. Dedicated, fanatical,
possibly even obsessed -- but very,
very sane. <beat> I know that I
didn't do this. I wouldn't know
where to start. Raye might know,
but she'd never do something like
this. Mina -- no. If Serenity
wants someone to be immortal, she
can use the Silver Crystal. I'd
guess that Pluto has her own ways.
We both know where Saturn is.
<beat> And that leaves you. And you
know how.
MERCURY has made her face a mask. She stares silently at JUPITER.
MERCURY
What do you want me to say?
JUPITER
I want to know why, Amy.
MERCURY is silent, staring down at the floor for a long moment.
MERCURY
Lights.
The lights in the darkened office come up to full power. MERCURY looks
up, and we can see that her eyes are beginning to water.
MERCURY
It was ... the early 2050s. We had
just perfected the braindump based
on what we learned from the Sigma
Narses probe -- the entire mind of a
human being, contained on a single
optical disc. And a decade before,
Romanova ... Nene ... had given us a
way to look at magic that we could
use within the scientific paradigm.
<beat> We all experimented with our
powers, didn't we?
JUPITER
<nod> That was when I discovered my
ultimate attack.
MERCURY
I developed most of the techniques I
... derived from Neptune at that
time, as well. <beat> But most of my
enthusiasm went towards discovering
-- or maybe rediscovering -- the
workings of the magical science of
the Silver Millenium. <beat> It was
around then that he came into my
life.
JUPITER looks as though she's about to say the name, but MERCURY holds up
a hand as she gathers her thoughts.
MERCURY
He was as slow to age as any who are
subjected to a curse from those
pools -- or are the originators of
them, but that's another story. But
his rival had blundered into true
immortality with our help.
JUPITER
He got you to take sides.
MERCURY
I didn't think it would be that way.
I hoped to help him deal with his
obsessions. But as I worked with
him ... he's so sweet, Lita. So
very gen--
JUPITER stands up with the aid of a cane, and stares at MERCURY.
MERCURY
When he's not in battle. <beat> In
any event, after I finished doing
the research for the book, he asked
me if there was really no way to
preserve a subject's mind after the
Mermaid's Liver Ritual. I thought
about it, and I realized that the
mind of a person newly resurrected
by the ritual wasn't all that
different from the mind of a newly
grown clone ... and since we had
been preparing to play back brain-
tapes onto clones for at least
twenty years ... <beat> We made a
recording of his mind, and I
promised that after he died, I'd use
the ritual to bring him back, as an
immortal, and upload the recording
onto his brain. And then he went on
his way. <beat> I didn't find out
that I was pregnant until he'd been
gone a week.
JUPITER
Oh, Amy.
MERCURY continues as though she had not heard.
MERCURY
He came back sooner than he'd
expected -- there was a plague on
the colony where he'd been training.
There wasn't even time for an update
of the braintape. <beat> He died.
I view what happened next as heroic
measures. <closes eyes>
JUPITER
You performed the ritual, and played
the braintape back onto his brain.
<beat> What went wrong?
MERCURY
I thought ... I really thought ...
that it would be resurrection. Not
cloning. <beat> He came back, but
there was a coldness in him now.
The gentleness was still there, so
was the fire ... but they weren't
the same. Before the operation, I
hadn't had time to tell him about
our child. Afterwards ... I didn't
want to.
MERCURY's eyes open, and they are swimming with tears as she looks at
JUPITER, who gazes back with a gentle expression.
MERCURY
<brokenly> I was *just* trying to do
the *right* thing!
MERCURY begins to sob, and JUPITER rushes forward to gather her in an
embrace.
JUPITER
I know, Amy. Believe me, I know.
Eventually, MERCURY has calmed down. She rests in JUPITER's arms, her
face bleak.
MERCURY
What are you going to do?
JUPITER's face is also bleak.
JUPITER
What can I do? This situation was
out of control from the minute it
started. You were only fulfilling
your duty as you saw it. I can't
judge you. <beat> You're going to
have to tell Serenity.
MERCURY shudders.
JUPITER
Amy! You don't think she'll punish
you for something like this ...
MERCURY
No. Worse. She'll *look* at me.
<beat> Those eyes that are so like
Serena's and so unalike will look at
me, and see right through me ... and
then she'll forgive me. <beat> And
that will be worse than anything ...
JUPITER nods, and leans on MERCURY as they start to walk out of the room.
MERCURY
I suppose I should be glad that Raye
wasn't here for this ... I can just
imagine her reaction.
Cut to a close up of RAYE sneezing. The scene changes to show RAYE
sitting across a chessboard from SHAMPOO in a posh room. A window shows
the stars.
SHAMPOO
Someone talking about you?
RAYE
Guess so ...
She gazes intensely at the chessboard, and finally moves a white knight.
SHAMPOO
Intriguing.
RAYE
Um-hm.
SHAMPOO
Check in two.
RAYE
<angry> Explain!
SHAMPOO demonstrates, smiling superiorly, by moving a black pawn within
striking range of the knight. She then moves the knight to capture the
pawn, which leaves the white queen open to another black pawn. RAYE opens
her mouth to protest, but SHAMPOO holds up a hand. She replaces the
knight ... and then moves the black queen to take it, imperiling the black
queen but once more leaving the white queen open to the black pawn. RAYE
fumes. SHAMPOO returns the board to its state just after RAYE's last
move, and smiles even wider.
SHAMPOO
Pa-ass.
RANMA (O.S.)
Would you mind telling me why you're
wasting time playing that dumb game?
SHAMPOO turns smiling (but her smile doesn't reach her eyes) to look at
RANMA, who is sitting in front of a large picture window that shows a
distant, slowly retreating Earth and moon, and beyond them, the sun.
SHAMPOO
How do you think I ought to waste my
time, *husband*?
RANMA
Don't *call* me that.
SHAMPOO's smile drops.
SHAMPOO
You are coming of your own free will
to Mars, Saotome Ranma. The minute
that your feet touch Martian soil,
you are *mine*. <beat> There's not
a court on Mars that would fail to
uphold my claim to be your wife. If
I feel like it, I can drag you
before one of the Martian Elders,
and demand that we be bound once and
for all.
RANMA
I'd rather die, thanks.
SHAMPOO
I'm aware of that. So I'm not
going to press the issue this time,
if you don't push.
RANMA shakes his head, almost amazed.
RANMA
You don't get it, do you? How can I
*not* push after what you've done?
<beat> Not four hours ago, you
admitted to having been happy at the
*murder* --
SHAMPOO
<soft> Execution.
RANMA
-- of the only other woman I've ever
loved anywhere *nearly* as much as
Akane -- after which you informed me
that Ucchan had been responsible for
*her* death, without any sort of
explanation as to how this absurdity
took place!
SHAMPOO
You weren't ready to listen to an
explanation then.
RANMA jumps up and looms in front of SHAMPOO.
RANMA
<snarl> I'm ready to listen *now*.
RAYE studies the chessboard intensely as she speaks.
RAYE
No you aren't. You're ready to yell
denunciations and beat people up.
Listening isn't part of that.
RANMA stares at her.
RANMA
Do you *mind*?
RAYE looks up and glowers at RANMA.
RAYE
Yes. I do mind. You see, Shampoo's
sort of a friend of mine, and you're
sort of someone I don't care one way
or another about.
RANMA
Do you have any idea what --
RAYE
Sort of *hell* she made your life in
Nerima? <beat> Yes, she's told me
about it. I find a lot of things
that she did reprehensible --
SHAMPOO
And I like you too.
RAYE pauses to poke her tongue out at SHAMPOO.
RAYE
-- but I believe in letting bygones
be bygones. <beat> I'm not going
to tell you to listen and mark well
what she has to tell you, Saotome.
If I didn't have a healthy respect
for your brains, I'd tell you to do
the opposite, trusting in your
learned stubborness.
RANMA glowers at RAYE, who meets his gaze calmly. Blue lightning crackles
out from his eyes to a point halfway between their faces. Nothing comes
from RAYE's eyes.
RAYE
<sneers> Not in *this* lifetime.
RANMA crosses his arms over his torso, and turns to look down at SHAMPOO.
RANMA
Please, please, please tell me.
SHAMPOO
How can I refuse such a sincerely
phrased request? <beat> Picture it:
Japan, 1983.
RANMA
Oh, for godsake ...
SHAMPOO
<smile> Let Shampoo tell story own
way? Japan, 1983. Two young
martial artists meet.
A crayon drawing of a superdeformed version of Ranma and Ukyou appears on
the screen and tinny music plays under SHAMPOO's narration.
SHAMPOO (V.O.)
Each is the sole heir to their
families' schools of kempo -- what
the Chinese call ch'uan-fa, and the
Westerners have called kung fu.
Each young fighter is capable and
proud. Needless to say, they are
off to a rocky start.
With tinny battle cries, the SD Ranma and Ukyou charge each other, and the
animation displays chaotic violence. Eventually, SD Ranma is stting on SD
Ukyou's shoulders, grinning. SD Ukyou cries tears of frustration.
The image changes to show a "shoujo" drawn Ranma and Ukyou in a tight
embrace. Neither is wearing a shirt. Ukyou is male.
SHAMPOO (V.O.)
It was the sort of rivalry *slash*
friendship that would have lead
inevitably to something that would
have really excited readers of
yaoi manga --
RANMA (V.O.)
That's *sick*.
RAYE (V.O.)
Shut up, this is interesting.
RANMA (V.O.)
It's my *life*.
SHAMPOO (V.O.)
-- but for one or two little
details.
"Shoujo" Ukyo grows breasts.
SHAMPOO (V.O.)
And another thing.
Quick series of shots from Ukyou's arrival episode of Ranma 1/2 ... Genma
running off with the Okonomiyaki cart, Chibi-Ranma waving bye-bye,
Chibi-Ukyou chasing after them and falling down in the dirt, Chibi-Ukyou
silently bearing the whispers of her classmates, Chibi-Ukyou cooking
okonomiyaki against the raging sea.
SHAMPOO (V.O.)
So, because she was dumped by a
suitor while in kindergarten, and
teased about it, she elected to
abandon her gender and live as male.
Cut back to SHAMPOO's dubious yet amused expression.
SHAMPOO
Doesn't that seem a little ... over
the top?
RANMA
Say *what*? You, who chased me over
most of China, have the *nerve* to
suggest that what she did was --
SHAMPOO
This isn't *about* me. This isn't
*about* what I did or didn't do.
Please don't interrupt. <beat>
Near the end of your first year in
Nerima, she caught you, but you made
her forget the years that she'd
spent hating you by telling her that
she was cute. <beat> This caused
her to reclaim her original gender,
and to abandon her plans to beat the
crap out of you. An easily deterred
girl ...
RANMA snorts.
SHAMPOO
Over the next year and a half, she
tried many schemes to eliminate the
one that she saw as her primary
competition for your heart -- Akane
-- from the game. She was, it must
be said, less violent in her aims
than ... others, but --
RANMA
Like, say, *you*.
SHAMPOO sighs, and counts to ten in Mandarin. She smiles, and picks up
where she left off -- accented.
SHAMPOO
But still show no respect for what
Ranma want -- only think of what she
want. True, try to match Akane with
Ryouga ... but think Ryouga dumb!
<beat> All come to boil at wedding
that parents of Ranma plan -- Ukyou
go after Akane with death in --
RANMA
THAT WASN'T HER FAULT!
SHAMPOO stares at RANMA, calmly. RANMA glowers.
SHAMPOO
You want tell part this?
RANMA
<beat> A few weeks before the fight
with Saffron ... Ucchan got really
sick. Everyone thought it was just
flu and overwork ... but it wasn't.
It was a disease that attacked her
mind ... <beat> When she attacked
Akane, that wasn't really her, it
was the sickness ... but Konatsu
made her go to a psychiatrist, and
she got better. A little while
later, she explained what had
happened ... Ucchan was so upset!
She couldn't even bring herself to
talk to Akane, she was so horrified
at what she'd done. <beat; angry>
You see? She had an excuse for
what she did, Shampoo! What's
*yours*?!
SHAMPOO stares at him angrily.
SHAMPOO
I am a warrior. I live my life
according to a Way. That Way
demands that you be my husband --
regardless of what *I* think about
the matter -- and that those who
would oppose our union must die or
be eliminated in another way. I do
*not* intend to apologize for my
Way, Saotome Ranma. I do not ask
for any to justify their Way to me.
RANMA
What do you mean, what *you* think,
what about what *I* --
SHAMPOO
You think I *want* a lying, foul-
tempered, sex-changing freak for a
husband?
RANMA jerks back from the venom in SHAMPOO's tone. When she speaks next,
she imitates female RANMA's voice.
SHAMPOO
"I try to keep it secret, but the
male side is just a disguise."
RANMA opens his mouth ... then slowly closes it. RAYE looks slowly from
one of them to the other.
RAYE
That was a little over the top, I
think ...
Cut to PRISS' sleeping face. There is a sudden, repeated buzzing noise.
Her face clenches. The noise comes again. PRISS opens her eyes, and
she's not happy. The noise comes once more. PRISS rolls over, picks up
her cellular phone, and taps a button.
PRISS
Assisted-Suicide-on-Demand, please
name your chosen mode of death and
we'll be happy to facilitate your
desires.
NURIKO (TEL.)
Ms. Asagiri? This is Lieutenant
Nuriko.
PRISS
Why the hell are you calling me at
... <checks time> six A.M?
NURIKO (TEL.)
We've had a breakthrough in the
investigation. If you could come to
the station at once --
PRISS
Sure, sure, sure ... I'll be there
in twenty minutes.
NURIKO (TEL.)
Than--
PRISS hangs up, yawns, and gets up out of bed.
Cut to the posh room. RANMA, SHAMPOO, and RAYE have not moved since we
left them.
SHAMPOO
In any event, not long after you
became a bigamist, I felt compelled
to investigate why Ukyou had not
attempted to interfere in your final
wedding to Akane. My investigation
was rather profitable -- I found out
all that you have related to us.
RANMA
You did?
SHAMPOO
Or, to be more accurate, I found out
that that was what Ukyou wanted you
to believe was the case. <beat> The
truth was similar, but contained a
grave difference. Ukyou told you
that she had been cured of her
mental problems. That was not the
complete case. She had been cured
of the disease that had *caused* the
mental problems. They themselves
still troubled her.
RANMA
How'd you find out all --
SHAMPOO
Most of it, I worked out from the
files of information on her mental
health that her `therapist' wrote,
before she abandoned therapy.
<beat> I stole them, and found out
a lot more about her psychology than
I ever wanted to know.
SHAMPOO abruptly stands up, and walks to stare out the window.
SHAMPOO
It was awful. And the worst part
was that I had no one to trust with
the knowledge. You wouldn't have
believed me. Obabasama would have
told me to kill her -- to cut her
down like a mad dog. But you would
have defended her, and I knew that I
was not ready to defeat you. I had
found friends ... but I did not want
to add to their burdens with this
knowledge. <beat> So, I watched as
she continued to enjoy your respect,
while I was hated and despised. She
even reconciled with Akane ... or at
least, let Akane think that she was
all right with matters. <beat> And
then a certain group made the fatal
mistake of offering her anti-
agathics.
RAYE
It seemed like a good idea at the
time. You, Ranma and Akane were
naturally long-lived due to the
Jyusenkyo. Lita and Ukyou became
pretty good friends in the wake of
the crisis in Nerima, and she was
sponsored for agency ... and you
sort of failed to warn us that she
wasn't entirely sane.
SHAMPOO
I hoped that she'd die in your
service. <beat> In any case, when
you moved the Joketsuzoku to Mars in
2023, Ukyou came along, claiming
that she was seeking her spatula-
heir. In reality, she was seeking
to learn our secret tech--
RANMA
Oh, come *on*. If she'd wanted to
learn the Joketsuzoku techniques,
she could have asked *me*.
SHAMPOO turns back to look pityingly at RANMA.
SHAMPOO
<sigh> And you would have wanted to
know *why* she wanted to learn how
to do the Tenshin Amaurigaken with
her spat, and she couldn't tell you
that she was seeking to liberate you
from the demon that secretly ruled
your life, now could she? You would
have misunderstood. <beat> In any
event, Ukyou learned many of the
secrets of my people. The years
passed, and she aged only a little.
By the mid-2040s the Joketsuzoku
were joined on Mars by the first
colonizers, and the Nu Ucchan's was
one of the first restaurants opened
in Graviton City. <beat> Another
two decades passed ... and a pair of
travellers from Earth came to visit
an old friend. They didn't pay any
calls on another old friend on
Mars --
RANMA
Because you weren't our friend!
SHAMPOO
-- and when you went to leave,
the disaster occured. <beat> Why
was it that you weren't on board
the shuttle when it blew up, Ranma?
RANMA
I ... I was paged ... there was a
call for me at one of the phones in
the terminal ...
SHAMPOO
And why didn't the airport comm
officer transfer the call to the
terminal on board the shuttle?
<beat> I answer my own question --
he was bribed.
RANMA
How --
SHAMPOO
I beat it out of him.
RAYE looks at her with an exasperated expression.
RANMA
Okay ... so the phoney phone call
that I got was a little irregular,
you still can't tie Ucchan to any
of this.
SHAMPOO
The man who bribed the comm officer
worked at the Nu Ucchan's. He was
also a known member of the Free
Mars movement, which may have been
why he was recruited, to throw an
ordinary investigator off the scent.
*I* wasn't fooled for a minute, of
course.
RANMA
Of course.
SHAMPOO
So I went to ask Ukyou whether or not
she'd done it.
RANMA and RAYE stare at her, shocked.
SHAMPOO
She already knew that I hated her.
I had nothing to lose but my life.
<beat> She confessed to everything.
RANMA
You're out of your mind!
SHAMPOO crosses the distance between them in an instant, and leans over
him.
SHAMPOO
NO, Saotome, I'm *not*. She said,
`Of course I blew up the shuttle
that Akane was on, Shampoo.'
RANMA
She was making a j--
SHAMPOO
You were still in the hospital from
the blast! Do you think she would
joke about something like that?
RANMA
If she was as insane as you're
making her out to be --
SHAMPOO
There was always a pattern to her
acts, Ranma. She was completely,
utterly, and psychotically dedicated
to the vision of your well-being
that she had conceived. <beat> I
will not repeat those of her plans
that she told me about that day.
Suffice it to say that you would
have gone mad within a year.
RANMA
And how the hell did this pattern
include telling you all this?
SHAMPOO
She wanted to provoke me into
challenging her. She believed that
the techniques that she'd learned
would give her the edge in our final
conflict. <beat> That is to say,
she *mistakenly* believed --
RANMA
Why?
SHAMPOO ticks off the points on her hand.
SHAMPOO
One. Eliminate one she saw as a
rival -- even a potential one -- for
your affections. Two. Eliminate
one who was aware of her madness.
Three. Ukyou really hated me.
RANMA
Okay, bright eyes, then how come you
didn't challenge her? What happened
to the Amazon "never-ever-back-down"
way?
SHAMPOO
It learned a measure of subtlety,
from the devious outlanders it came
into contact with.
RANMA makes sarcastic injured noises.
SHAMPOO
Since I knew that I could have made
her into ramen with *very* little
difficulty, knowing as I did the
counter to every secret technique
she had learnt, I chose to retreat
instead. If I had dealt with her
as I wanted to, I would have seemed
to be in the wrong. Instead I made
certain plans.
RANMA's eyes bulge out.
RANMA
You did. My God, you *did*. You
*did* set her up to fight Cologne!
SHAMPOO stares at him impassively.
Cut to TENCHI's sleeping face. His eyes slowly open, and he rolls over
... to see AYEKA's sleeping, smiling face. TENCHI is shocked. He starts
to move out of AYEKA's clutches. AYEKA's eyes remain closed and her smile
doesn't change as she speaks.
AYEKA
Don't move, Tenchi. I've waited
long enough to get this close to
you, I'm not letting you go just
yet.
TENCHI
Ayeka ...
AYEKA
Do you remember how much I cried?
TENCHI
Yes, Ayeka. And each tear hurt me
just as much as they did you ...
AYEKA
I know. <beat> I think you have
two virtues that make one curse,
Tenchi. An overly gentle nature and
an iron sense of duty. I don't know
how you manage to live with them
both.
TENCHI
The same way that I was going to
live with -- <beat> How can you
forgive me?
AYEKA
I love you. It comes naturally.
TENCHI
You shouldn't do this sort of thing.
AYEKA
Nothing happened, Tenchi.
TENCHI
The scandal mongers wouldn't think
so.
AYEKA
<sad> Do you truly care so much for
your --
TENCHI
Not for mine. For yours. <beat> I
love you too much to let them paint
you as a concubine, Ayeka. It's bad
enough having to watch them snub
Ryouko because they think she's one.
AYEKA
<faint> I know. Just let me rest
here in your arms ...
AYEKA is silent for a moment after trailing off, and then begins to snore
delicately. TENCHI smiles at her, and gently presses a kiss on her
forehead, which makes her smile broaden. TENCHI leans back into the
pillows.
TENCHI
<sotto voce> I wonder how she got
Ryouko out of the way ...
Cut to a balcony on the side of the Crystal Palace. It is a cold, gray
morning. RYOUKO is perched on the railing, shivering slightly.
RYOUKO
"Meet you back at the balcony," she
said. "We'll pick up where we left
off," she said. "I liked the way
the conversation was going," she
said. <beat> I'll give her fifteen
more minutes, and then I'm out of
here.
Cut to the posh room. SHAMPOO has not moved from where we left her, but
RANMA has gotten up and is only being held back from doing her bodily harm
by RAYE's held Mars Flame Sniper, with which she is targetting him.
RAYE
One move, one hint of a ki build up,
Saotome, and we'll see just how
immortal you really are.
RANMA
I can move faster than you can even
think, Senshi.
RAYE
I don't *need* to think to let this
go. <beat> Sit down.
RANMA sits, his battle aura still very much in evidence.
RANMA
I can't believe you're letting a
self-admitted murderer --
RAYE
As I said. She's my friend. <beat;
more to Shampoo than Ranma> Even
when she pulls surprises like *this*
out of her bag of tricks without
telling me about them ...
SHAMPOO
I was saving it for a rainy day ...
RANMA
You set Ucchan up to die. Yes or
no?
SHAMPOO
One thing at a time, Ranma. <beat>
You recovered in the Graviton City
Hospital, under Ukyou's careful
supervision. She eased you through
the worst of your anguish at having
lost Akane to the one opponent that
you could not def--
RANMA
SKIP THE GODDAMN POETRY!
SHAMPOO
Ukyou slowly but surely worked her
way back into your heart. I don't
know all the details of how you and
she finally came together, and I
don't want to. By 2065, the two of
you were right on the verge of
making it legal. <beat> And then
the Senshi called you back to Earth
for a final mission.
RAYE decides that RANMA isn't going to attack SHAMPOO any time soon, and
lets her Mars Flame Sniper down. Her hand is still glowing red.
SHAMPOO
It wasn't long after you left that
Ukyou learned of her pregnancy. The
mission proved to be of greater
complexity than they had imagined,
and you were so far undercover that
you couldn't get in touch with Ukyou
at all. The weeks stretched into
months. Kuonji Gennosuke was born,
**********, 2066. And then the
false news of your death in that
secret martial arts tournament came
to us. <beat> If I had been a bit
wiser, I would have declared all
debts null and void, told Ukyou to
take your daughter and get the hell
of Mars. But I wasn't.
SHAMPOO turns to look back out at the stars, and the Earth (which is
measurably smaller in the window than it had been). RANMA shifts in his
seat, and RAYE glares at him.
SHAMPOO
Perhaps it was the thought of your
daughter in a madwoman's care that
made me do it. Perhaps it was just
me being who and what I am. <beat>
Decades before this, when I had
first duelled Cologne to take her
place on the council of Joketsuzoku
elders, I had spared her life on
one condition -- henceforth, in any
battle that I held an interest in,
she would win or lose as I saw fit.
<beat> I told her the story that I
have told you, and told her, when
the time came, to win. A forged
note from one of Ukyou's informants
among the Joketsuzoku, saying
"Cologne knows all", took care of
the rest.
SHAMPOO turns to look at RANMA, who is glaring at her with a fury unlike
any that he's ever shown before.
SHAMPOO
And then, being you, you turned up
alive, well, and more powerful than
ever. And you were as angry then
as you are now.
RANMA
Oh no. No I wasn't.
SHAMPOO continues as if she hadn't heard him. Her eyes are far away.
SHAMPOO
The warriors of Cologne's school
formed a human wall to keep you from
her. You moved through them like a
hot blade through butter, and stood
before her at last. She had known
you were coming -- and she was ready
for you. <beat> The Martian
heavens rang with the sound of your
battle --
RANMA casually demolishes the table and chess board by tapping it with a
single finger.
RANMA
I know what happened. I was there.
Skip the poetry, I said.
SHAMPOO stares at the ruins of the table in shock.
SHAMPOO
How --
RANMA
Practice. <beat> In short, what
you're saying is that you set up the
murder of a woman I loved, who had
given birth to one of my children,
because you *thought* that she had
killed Akane. <to RAYE> Great
friend. You must feel special.
RAYE looks at SHAMPOO with a faintly disturbed expression.
RAYE
Shampoo ... is this all there is?
Is there anything that you can say
in your defense?
SHAMPOO is silent for a long moment.
SHAMPOO
One thing. <beat> Have you never
wondered, Saotome Ranma, why it was
that in the years between your
marriage to Akane and my humbling of
Cologne, that my attempts to ...
interfere in your relationship
decreased in number?
RANMA
<icily> At the time I thought you'd
gotten it through your head that I
wasn't interested. Evidently --
SHAMPOO shakes her head, and there is a long pause.
SHAMPOO
<accented> This part of story need
be told this way. No can tell
otherways. <beat> Realize, with
final marriage, that Ranma love
Akane. Is shock. Akane *beat*
Shampoo in war of hearts. Should
give kiss of death? No ... Ranma
protect. Realize, after first
week of marriage, that Akane only
win *battle* of hearts. Not war.
War can still be won. If Shampoo
learn *how* Akane win battle,
Shampoo prevent ever winning again.
Stop fluke. So study Akane.
Study carefully her ways.
As SHAMPOO continues to speak, her accent becomes less and less
distinctive, fading out completely in her final words.
SHAMPOO
Shampoo know already that Akane not
equal in true battle. So how she
win? Slowly, Shampoo came to see
parts of Akane's person that she
had not seen before. She saw kind
nature, often hidden by rage that
she was learning to control. She
saw a courage equal to that of the
bravest person that Shampoo had
ever known. She saw someone that
she could have liked ... if she
wasn't in the way of what Shampoo
thought she wanted. In the end,
I saw someone ... that I wanted to
be like.
RANMA is staring at her, clearly bewhildered by this vocal performance.
SHAMPOO
So I went before the other Elders of
the tribe, and told them the whole
tale of my dealings with Saotome
Ranma and Tendou Akane, and asked
them to dissolve the three ties I
had to you: the kisses of death I
had given to her and your girl form,
and the declaration of marital
intent I had given to you. <beat>
As I expected, they did not give me
permission to end my engagement to
you, Ranma. As Cologne did, they
valued the potential children of
our union too much to let you slip
by. With regards to your female
form, they strongly urged me to take
any steps necessary to reverse your
curse -- which I was planning on
doing anyway -- and in the event
that I was unable to do so, undid
the blood feud.
SHAMPOO turns to stare out the window again.
SHAMPOO
I was reprimanded for having given
the kiss of death to Akane. After
all, she had never beaten me in
any concrete way. And the elders
were intrigued by the tales that
I told of her. For you see, it is
only if an outsider woman defeats
a Joketsuzoku that she must die.
Other women ... are sometimes
welcomed into the tribe. <beat>
In short, Akane was declared a
provisional Joketsuzoku --
RANMA
SHE WAS WHAT?!
SHAMPOO
-- and the penalty for the murder of
a provisional Joketsuzoku, prior to
her formal initiation, is death.
RANMA stares, boggled, at SHAMPOO.
RANMA
You *murdered* Ukyou ... because you
thought that she'd killed Akane ...
whom you suddenly decided that you
*liked*?
SHAMPOO
Grossly oversimplified, but more or
less true.
RANMA turns to stare at RAYE, who meets his gaze calmly.
RANMA
And you're *buying* this?
RAYE
<hesitantly> Shampoo ... can you
back any of this up with evidence?
SHAMPOO
Most of my explanation, yes. Any of
my theory, no. <beat> The papers I
mentioned have long since gone to
dust, but the archives of the
Council of the Joketsuzoku Elders
will bear out the part of the story
involving Akane's unknown induction
to the clan.
RAYE
I see.
RANMA
*I* don't. How can you just stand
there and listen to how she planned
and executed a conspiracy to commit
murder?
RAYE gives RANMA a look of mixed disgust and exhaustion.
RAYE
Saotome, where are we?
RANMA
On a spaceship heading to --
RAYE
Mars -- a planet where I have no
jurisdiction. I am in pursuit of a
fugitive from my Queen's Justice,
and one of the Princes of Mars has
graciously consented to let me
pursue her onto Martian soil. As
Shampoo recently said, Joketsuzoku
law is the basis of the Martian
legal code -- and so, if the act
that she performed nearly eight
hundred years ago was not a criminal
act in the eyes of the Joketsuzoku,
the authorities are unlikely to turn
Shampoo -- who I believe possesses
folk hero status among the Martians?
SHAMPOO
Last time I checked ...
RAYE
So you see my problem. They're not
likely to let me arrest her.
RANMA
This *stinks*. You're letting her
walk after she admitted to having
planned --
RAYE
Saotome, why are you so unwilling to
even listen to Shampoo's reasons?
You've completely dismissed any
possibility that she might be
telling the truth!
RANMA glares at RAYE.
RANMA
Let me ask you something. Suppose
someone said that your Queen had
done something terrible, but this
someone was someone you really,
really hated -- who'd been a thorn
in your side for a thousand years.
<beat> Would you believe it?
RAYE
No. <beat> But there's a problem
in your logic, Saotome. The last
time I checked, Shampoo hasn't been
a thorn in your side for a thousand
years. When did you see her last?
RANMA
That's not the point!
RAYE
<angry> She's left you alone for
the better part of eight hundred
years, you insensitive jerk, so
don't start whining about thousands
of years to me!
RANMA comes to his feet in the blink of an eye, and his battle aura is
fully active. RAYE cooly meets his gaze.
RAYE
Well? What are you waiting for?
After all, beating up people who
like Shampoo is almost as fun as
beating *her* up, isn't it? Come
on! Prove you're a man! A manly
man!
RANMA looks like he's about to explode ... then slowly his aura fades, and
he marches towards a pair of doors on the far side of the compartment,
which slide open to let him past, and slide shut behind him. RAYE looks
on with a satisfied expression.
RAYE
Showed him ...
SHAMPOO
<very cold> That wasn't necessary.
RAYE turns to look at SHAMPOO, who is glaring at her furiously.
RAYE
Shampoo ...
SHAMPOO
We're going to need him, when we get
to Mars in a few hours. And more to
the point, no matter what he's done
to me, *I* *still* *care*. <beat> I
can no more stop caring about him
than you can stop loving your Queen
when she does things that you
disagree with. And gods know you've
told me enough times how often she
does that. <beat> And it was *four*
hundred years, not eight.
SHAMPOO suddenly heads for the door that RANMA just exited, but turns down
the passage in the opposite direction than the way that he went. RAYE
stares at the doors, nonplussed. Our view focuses on the scattered chess
board. One of the white knights has broken in half.
Cut to a city street in Crystal Tokyo, down by the waterfront. The sky is
still thick with cold gray clouds, and the entire ambience screams that
it's about to rain, but it hasn't started just yet. A sallow-faced man in
a black trenchcoat (TRAKAL) walks down the street, before ducking into the
front door of a large building, whose sign proclaims it the Hidalgo Mining
Company, Closed for Repairs.
The interior of the building has been converted to a temporary staging
area for several stolen police Labors, which are currently being gone over
by several teams of technicians, who seem to be preparing schematics.
Watching over this is the figure of DZARTENKIN, a large man with a full
bushy beard and a bald head, who is watching with amusement. He turns at
the noise of TRAKAL's entrance. DZARTENKIN speaks with a "cinematic"
Russian accent.
DZARTENKIN
<heavy sarcasm> Ah! Trakal, my dear
friend, so *nice* of you to join us
so *promptly* --
TRAKAL
We may have been busted.
DZARTENKIN
<sharp> How?
TRAKAL
One of my agents at Immigration got
word to me that Internal Affairs
was doing a crackdown, and that he
expected to be taken for the false
I.D.s he's issued us.
DZARTENKIN
Zdrastvyute! We're this close to
cracking the secret!
He indicates a minute amount of time with his fingers, and then runs his
hands through his hair.
DZARTENKIN
How long will your agent hold out?
TRAKAL
He won't. But he only knows that he
was contacted by agents of one of
the better known Anti-Monarchist
secret societies, since that's what
I let him think that we were. We
have a few hours before they figure
out what we *really* are.
There is a sudden explosion of noise, as though several hundred police
sirens have suddenly blazed to life. DZARTENKIN jumps.
NURIKO (AMP, O.S.)
Attention! This is the Police! We
have you surrounded! Come out at
once, or we will be forced to come
in after you.
DZARTENKIN looks at TRAKAL with a betrayed expression. TRAKAL's own
expression doesn't change.
TRAKAL
Huh. Wrong for the first time this
century.
Outside, dozens of hovercars have encircled the building at several
altitudes. On the ground, seven large Labors, each slightly larger than
the ones being examined in the building, have their large blasters trained
on the entrance.
NURIKO is standing up in the sliding top window of one of the hovercars
with a bullhorn at her mouth. NOA is at the wheel, looking pensive, while
PRISS is in the passenger seat, covering her ears with her hands (even
though her ears, like both NOA's and NURIKO's, are already protected.)
PRISS
So these guys are actually agents
for a foreign government?
NOA
Yes. Your suggestion that the
thefts were an inside job prompted
the Internal Affairs department to
do a complete sweep. <beat> Just
in time, too, with the vote coming
up ...
PRISS
But why would they want to get
ahold of --
NOA
Perhaps rumors of the Centauri
Republic's vast Mobile Suit forces
are greatly exaggerated. <beat>
Nuriko, has there been any movement
yet?
NURIKO
No ... wait a minute ... scanners
picking up a buildup in sector --
The right front of the building disintegrates in a blinding flash that
also takes out of the nearby Patrol Labors, knocking it down for the
count. One of the stolen Labors, carrying a large energy cannon that is
mounted on its right arm, bounds out of the hole that it has just blown,
and starts to target another of the Patrol Labors. (It needs to be
emphasized that the stolen Labor is moving with MUCH greater fluidity and
speed than the others.)
NOA
All units, Evasive Scramble!
The hovercars immediately begin to move out of their encirclement, trying
to avoid stray fire from the firefight that has begun below, as several of
the Patrol Labors bring their weapons to bear on the rogue, and begin
firing.
NOA
<outraged> WHICHEVER ONE OF THOSE
IDIOTS STARTED FIRING FIRST IS
GOING TO BE EATING HIS BADGE FOR
LUNCH!
NURIKO
Chief, I think *they* fired first!
NOA
Is it Alphonse?!
PRISS mouths the word with a confused expression.
NURIKO
No. One of the others.
NOA
All right. We'll let it go. THIS
time.
The stolen Labor collapses under the massed blaster fire from the Patrol
Labors, its torso burnt and melted. Another stolen Labor ducks out of the
hole in the building, getting off several shots from a heavy rifle, before
ducking back in. The car with PRISS, NOA, and NURIKO is now high above
the firefight.
PRISS
Let me guess -- milspec weaponry?
NOA
A familiar situation to you too?
PRISS
Yeah ... but we had some heavy gear
of our own back then.
NOA
So do we. Is Ikari ready?
NURIKO touches a hand to the headset.
NURIKO
On your orders.
NOA closes her eyes, and lets out a long breath.
NOA
Execute.
At her word, a hoverplatform drops down from the sky rapidly, carrying a
single Patrol Labor and a heavy tripod mounted laser rifle with multiple
emitters (it looks like a gatling gun) that promptly opens up at the
partially covered stolen Labor. The rogue gets off several shots before
going down, one of which hits the platform's controls, causing it to spin
out of control, dumping the Labor and rifle to the ground before dropping
into the bay.
NOA
Is he --
NURIKO is silent for a long moment.
NURIKO
Banged up, but alive.
NOA lets out a deep sigh of relief, then notices that PRISS is looking at
her confusedly.
NOA
Ikari Kaoru was on guard duty the
night of the thefts. He viewed them
as a personal affront ... and was
very insulted that the thieves only
disabled his Labor, instead of
killing him. <beat> Death is light
as a feather, duty heavier than a
mountain. Or so some believe.
PRISS looks as though she's trying to decide whether or not she's been
insulted.
NOA
Two down, two to go.
NURIKO
Maybe not. Sensors indicate that
there's only one large body inside.
NOA
No. Dammit, they can't have gotten
one of them off-world this soon.
NURIKO
No ... but they're getting it
disassembled in a hurry.
NOA is very still, then nods.
NOA
Taking us down.
The car descends to ground level, wheels lowering from the chassis a
second before touchdown. NOA steps out of the drivers side, carrying a
heavy helmet in one hand and a large pistol in the other. She grimly puts
on the helmet, fastening it tightly. PRISS rolls down the window.
PRISS
Hey, could I get an update here?
NOA
There's a fifty-fifty chance that
the Labor they've got left is my
personal Labor. I'm going in to
find out for sure.
PRISS
Okay ... what if it is?
NOA
Then I'm going to bring him back.
PRISS
And what if it's not?
NOA
Then they've murdered him, and I'm
going to tear *them* apart. Slowly.
Inside the now burnt out building, several technicians are scrambling over
a labor, trying to get it in perfect order. TRAKAL watches over them,
almost seeming to pout at the way things are going. Suddenly, one of the
mechanics dashes over to him.
MECHANIC
Sir, we've got it up and ready.
TRAKAL
Good. Mr. Ramirez, you're a credit
to your profession and to the cause
of Centauri.
The MECHANIC salutes reflexively.
MECHANIC
Allegiance or death!
TRAKAL
Both, actually.
TRAKAL produces a holdout gun and shoots him, and begins to mow down the
other techs with a series of well-placed shots. Finally, he drops the
gun, reaches up to his head, and pulls away his face -- actually a very
life-like mask -- revealing himself to be a semi-humanoid alien who bears
a vague resemblance to a rodent crossed with a canine. TRAKAL now leaps
up to land in the Labor's exposed control console. He seats himself, and
the console lowers into the main body of the Labor. In the darknes of the
cockpit, he straps himself in, and puts on a helmet similar to the one NOA
is wearing, which he connects to the control panel. He clasps his hands,
and closes his eyes in concentration. Outside, the Labor comes to life,
just as NOA rushes into the staging area. She looks up.
NOA
Alphonse!
TRAKAL (AMP)
So this is the neuropsychoimpulse
operating sytem ... very clever of
you monkeys to have come up with
this.
NOA
Operative Trakal of Centauri
Intelligence, I presume?
TRAKAL (AMP)
I see no reason to deny it. You
certainly won't be able to make a
report of my remarks.
NOA
Then it's true that the Centauri
still haven't mastered thought
control.
TRAKAL (AMP)
Oh, they're very close ... but you
monkeys managed to get there first.
But like the history of your species
in the galaxy proves, it's not who
got there first, but who wrote up
the deeds. After the Centauri put
the thought control in all their
mobile suits, I imagine that it will
have been a Centauri invention all
along.
NOA
You just don't get it, do you? Time
and again it's been shown that it's
not the technical tricks that win
a conflict, it's the heart and soul
of the one struggling. That's what
determines the victory -- not a new
operating system that's filled with
flaws, anyway.
TRAKAL (AMP)
Like what?
NOA
Like, the controls tend to attune
themselves to a single pattern of
thoughts. And that in Alphonse's
case, that pattern is mine.
TRAKAL (AMP)
So what you're saying is that you,
because you're `attuned' to the
system, are going to be able to
take control of this thing from
me, when I'm actually hooked into
it? <barks> Don't make me laugh.
NOA
Here's where we find out.
NOA quickly reaches up to flick a switch on the back of her helmet, and
her face clenches in concentration. Inside, TRAKAL is startled to see
that the control panels are starting to go berserk. He snarls, and begins
to concentrate himself. A savage battle of wills ensues -- there are
several closeups of NOA and TRAKAL's faces, sweat beginning to pour down
their brows, TRAKAL's eye beginning to twitch, ultimately leading to a
sudden explosion of blood in NOA's nose that causes her to let out a
shrill cry and collapse. TRAKAL relaxes for a moment, clearly exhausted.
TRAKAL
Guess ... *my* heart and soul ...
is better than yours ... monkey.
One of Alphonse's arms lifts up halfway, clenched in a fist ... then
suddenly stops.
TRAKAL
What?
TRAKAL exerts himself, and the fist comes further up ... but it seems to
be quivering.
TRAKAL
What's going *on* here? What's
fighting me?
TRAKAL strains, and the fist swings out to hover just a few feet over
NOA's collapsed body. TRAKAL continues to strain, but the fist just
quivers.
TRAKAL
<furious> WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
CRUSH HER YOU STUPID GIANT ROBO--
TRAKAL's cockpit suddenly shoots up to become exposed, and his words are
suddenly cut off as Alphonse's arm bends back smoothly, delicately plucks
him from the cockpit, and flings him at high speed against the wall.
There is a splurting noise as he hits off camera. NOA lifts her head,
still bleeding from her nose and obviously a bit out of it.
NOA
Well ... well. I guess all those
theories were right. <beat> Good
baby. Good Alphonse.
NOA loses consciousness. Slowly, Alphonse takes a step forward. It bends
down to give the appearance of looking at NOA. It slowly, ever so slowly
reaches down to pick her up, and moves her up to set her in the cockpit,
which is then slowly lowered back into the body. Alphonse then seems to
power down.
Cut to a Martian spaceport. RANMA storms out of a passageway and into the
main concourse, which is filled with people dressed in traditional
Joketsuzoku garb holding up signs saying "Welcome Revered Elder" and
chanting SHAMPOO's Chinese name. RAYE and SHAMPOO follow a few seconds
later, not looking at each other. SHAMPOO looks more resigned than
anything in response to the outpouring of "affection". She tries to work
her way through the crowd, but encounters difficulties in getting past a
certain group of her "fans" -- who oddly resemble Lum's Storm Troopers --
until RAYE comes to help her out, physically moving the people who are
trying to come into contact with the greatest warrior that the Joketsuzoku
have ever produced. SHAMPOO gives RAYE a weary smile of thanks, and they
make their way through the crowds, reuniting with RANMA (who seems to have
gotten through unmolested and unobserved) on the other side.
RAYE
Your contacts said that Gennosuke
landed at the Barsoom spaceport a
little over three hours ago. <to
RANMA> How far is Barsoom from where
you buried Ms. Kuonji?
RANMA thinks for a moment.
RANMA
No idea.
RAYE
<stares> Are you going out of your
way to be difficult or --
SHAMPOO
Mars.
RAYE
-- do you just not care what will
happen if your vampire daughter uses
the Dark Crystal to --
SHAMPOO
Raye. <beat> Barsoom was only
founded four hundred fifty years
ago.
RAYE looks wordlessly at SHAMPOO, then turns to look at RANMA, who is
looking back at her with a bored yet annoyed expression.
RANMA
Never been there, never wanted to be
there.
RAYE
I see. <beat> How far is the grave
from Graviton City, and in what
direction?
RANMA gives this question even more thought.
RANMA
Roughly 250 kilos ... south-east.
RAYE thinks for a moment.
RAYE
Barsoom is a bit over five hundred
kilos east-north-east of here.
<beat> I presume that she knows the
location.
RANMA
<nods> I took her out there the last
time I visited, when she was
thirteen.
RAYE
Okay. She's got a lead, but we can
cut it down a bit.
RANMA
Why not just teleport there? I know
you can do that schtick.
RAYE
We can, when we're inside Crystal
Tokyo's magical defense grid, or when
there's two or more of us acting in
tandem. <beat> It's been theorized
that it could also work if I had the
`assistance' of someone with a lot
of magic in their veins, but I'd
have to enter into a deep telepathic
link with whoever it was. <beat>
And I'd really rather avoid going
into your mind, Saotome.
During the following exchange, our focus is on SHAMPOO, as she looks back
and forth between RANMA and RAYE, like someone watching a ping-pong match.
RANMA
Not as much as I'd rather avoid
having *you* in *my* mind.
RAYE
Of course. Vile darkness always
fears purity and light.
RANMA
My thoughts exactly.
RAYE
I'm *so* glad we concur.
RANMA
It happens *so* rarely.
SHAMPOO
<weary> Are you finished with the
veilled insults yet? You're cutting
our lead down to a few seconds ...
RANMA and RAYE glare at each other. SHAMPOO sighs.
SHAMPOO
I'll go and get a car. Try to get
them out of your system before I
get back.
SHAMPOO strolls off. RAYE follows her with her eyes, and then turns to
look back at RANMA with a flat, unfriendly expression. He meets her gaze
easily.
RANMA
You really don't like me.
RAYE
I didn't when we met, and my
opinion hasn't changed in the years
since. <beat> You are a pig-headed,
obnoxious, impolite, chauvinistic,
*jerk*. I don't understand what she
sees in you.
RANMA
Genes. <beat> Good genes for tough
warriors, on both sides. A rarity
among the Joketsuzoku, but the basis
of one of their most sacred laws.
That's all that she or her great-
grandmother were ever concerned
with. <beat> I don't understand
what *you* see in *her*. She's just
as pig-headed, obnoxious, impolite
and chauvinistic -- in terms of
culture *and* sex -- as you seem to
think that I am.
RAYE steps towards RANMA, her eyes glowing dangerously.
RAYE
When I was twenty-five years old,
the two people I loved most in the
world were taken from me in a single
night. All I wanted to do was curl
up in a ball and die myself. Do you
know who held me while I cried
myself senseless? <beat> She
*hates* that sort of thing. Any
kind of female intimacy is abhorrent
to her. She once told me that when
she glomped onto you in your girl
body, it was all that she could do
to stop herself from screaming.
RANMA looks startled at this.
RAYE
But she stayed with me all that
night. <beat> Have *you* ever done
something that you hated for someone
that you cared about, Saotome?
RANMA stares at her in silence.
RANMA
Yeah.
RAYE
Then maybe once you understood the
concept of gratitude and respect,
but gods forbid that you ever show
any of it to the crazy chick from
China.
RANMA takes a step towards RAYE.
RANMA
She has done *nothing* to earn my
gratitude *or* my respect, Hino.
RAYE
Oh yeah? She kept your memories of
your precious `Ucchan' pure for
close to nine hundred years.
RANMA
They are *still* pure. I don't buy
word *one* of what her lying mouth
poured out.
There is a honking noise off to one side. SHAMPOO has rented a car that
resembles an Aston-Martin with a hovercraft system instead of wheels. It
pulls up the curb at about a hundred kph (60 mph), braking very swiftly.
SHAMPOO is seated behind the wheel with a maniacal expression. RAYE and
RANMA stare at her with vaguely frightened looks on their faces.
RAYE
<yell> *I'm* driving. <to Ranma>
Well, I hope you have a marvellous
life, Saotome.
RANMA
Huh? What are you -- <beat> You
need me to tell you where the --
RAYE
No I don't. You just told me. 250
kilometers, southeast of here. The
only thing that we'd need you for
would be a more precise location.
It can't be that hard to find.
RANMA
Wanna bet?
RAYE
I *am* betting. <beat> I don't
like you, Saotome, and I don't need
you for *anything*.
RANMA
I'm coming anyway. I'm not gonna
let you kill my only surviving
daughter.
RAYE turns to walk towards the car. She speaks without looking at RANMA.
RAYE
Come with us, or don't, exactly as
you please, Saotome.
RAYE walks up to the driver's side, and gestures for SHAMPOO to slide
over, which she reluctantly does. RANMA stares at them for a few moments,
then quickly walks over to silently open up the rear door and slide into
the back seat.
RANMA
Let's go.
The car speeds off.
Cut to the doorway of PRISS' appartment. The large window in the doorway
is marked with a number 5. PRISS approaches it, yawning and seeming
otherwise exhausted. She pulls out her key, starts to fumble with the
lock, and suddenly twists and draws her heavy combat pistol from its side
holster on someone standing behind her, her face tight with anger. Our
view changes to display a certain MR. YOTSUYA (a tall robed man in his mid
to late thirties with a constant bored expression) who is holding a
stopwatch which he has just clicked.
YOTSUYA
A remarkable display. You exceed
the typical fast draw by at least
one half of a second.
PRISS looks as though she is seriously considering pulling the trigger.
Ultimately, she sighs, replaces the gun in its holster, and turns to
continue opening her door.
PRISS
No, Mr. Yotsuya, the party to
celebrate the outcome of the vote is
*not* gonna be in my room. <beat>
Was there anything else you or your
alchoholic floozy wanted to know?
RIPPONGI AKEMI (a red head in a negligee that leaves very little to the
imagination and who seems to be more than a little tanked) pops out from
behind YOTSUYA, and gives PRISS the evil eye.
AKEMI
That's not very neighborly ...
PRISS
Neither was trying to lift the keys
to my bike and go for a joyride.
PRISS finally gets the ancient lock to work, and steps into her
appartment.
PRISS
Do us all a favor. Don't try and
break in.
She goes into the appartment, shuts the door firmly behind her, and we
hear the sound of several security measures -- deadbolts, electronic
systems, and the like -- being set up.
AKEMI
She's no fun at all.
YOTSUYA
Ah, for the good old days.
Inside, PRISS doffs her jacket, and slumps onto the bed.
PRISS
Well, at least that's over. <beat>
Maybe I should go vote. <beat> Nah.
PRISS turns her head to see the Journal. She stares at it for a long
moment, as if half expecting to have yet another hallucination of SYLIA's
head. Nothing happens, though. PRISS slowly reaches out, lifts up the
book, and rolling into a sitting position, sets it down in her lap. She
stares at it for another long moment, before opening the book to the first
page.
MACKIE (V.O.)
This journal was written over a
thirty year period by Dr. Katsuhito
Stingray, the father of modern
robotics, and his daughter, Dr.
Sylia Stingray, who is now known to
have created the Knight Sabres, and
who is widely believed to have been
personally responsible for the
nuclear explosion which devastated
Genom Tower four years ago. Aside
from the commentary and footnotes,
there has been no editing of the
manuscript. The original journal is
believed to be the only volume of
the journal of Dr. K. Stingray
(hereafter referred to as Dr.
Stingray, while his daughter shall
be referred to as Sylia) which
survives, comprising his reflections
from 2011, when he first began to
achieve the breakthroughs that would
eventually lead to the creation of
the first cyberdroids, to 2016, when
he turned the journal over to --
PRISS abruptly begins to flip through the pages of the journal.
PRISS
<muttered> 2016, 2016 ...
She arrives at the page. [SYLIA (AGE 6) sounds much like SYLIA in a good
mood, with just a bit of hyperactivity thrown in.]
SYLIA (AGE 6) (V.O.)
Daddy wants me to write in this book
every day, he says its very very
important. <beat> But it's HARD to
write something every day! I don't
wanna write "Nothing happened, same
as usual", all the time! Momma said
I should just write how I feel, but
I don't know all the words for how I
feel sometimes ...
PRISS
<chuckles> Now there's something I
never thought I'd hear her say ...
`I don't know'.
PRISS flips ahead a few more pages. Something catches her eye. [SYLIA
(AGE 8) has gained a little more maturity and sounds a little sadder.]
SYLIA (AGE 8) (V.O.)
Momma is gone. <beat> Daddy has
said that she won't be coming back
from America. She hasn't stopped
loving me, and it's not Mackie's
fault, and it's not Daddy's fault,
but she's not coming back. <beat>
Why can't she come back?
MACKIE (V.O.)
Footnote: Rally Stingray (born
Lorraine Vincent) disappeared while
on a personal trip to the United
States in 2018. She was never found
alive or dead, no ransom note was
ever delivered, and her fate remains
a mystery to this day.
PRISS
Geeze ...
She flips a few more pages, and stares at one for several moments. [SYLIA
(AGE 12)'s emotional state is obvious and her maturity is irrelevant.]
SYLIA (AGE 12) (V.O.)
WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?
PRISS flinches, and turns a single page.
SYLIA (AGE 12) (V.O.)
Oh father father, what have you done
to me? <beat> My mind feels as
though it should explodespontaneous
combustion never proven but I think
it may happen soon. <beat> The
hardest part is seeing your face as
he kills youmustdiemustdiemustdie
for you aren't afraid, you pretend
to be afraid, but in your eyes is
only the cool certainty of your
vengeanceburntheyburntheyburn.
<beat> Whose thoughts am I thinking
is this you, some part of you that
you have tricked fate into letting
preserve even after your mortality
is consumed by fireburnburnburn. Is
there room in my mind for me? Or
are these horridbeautiful weapons
that you have given me the tools to
create meant to take my place?
PRISS is growing more and more perplexed by all this.
PRISS
What the hell?
Cut to the throne room of Crystal Tokyo. SERENITY is seated on the
throne, her hands resting on the arms, as NOA (who looks like hell) and
JUPITER enter and come to stand before her.
SERENITY
Good day, Chief Izumi. <beat> I
apologize for summoning you before
you have had a chance to recuperate
from your injuries.
NOA
I'm all right, your Majesty. Just
a bit ... exhausted.
SERENITY
Yes, understandably. Attempting to
interface with a thought controlled
mecha which is being dominated by
another mentality can be exceedingly
draining.
NOA visibly swallows.
SERENITY
Izumi, would you please explain to
me exactly how it came to pass that
a milspec system such as the neuro-
psychoimpulse operating system was
installed in your Patrol Labor?
JUPITER coughs, drawing SERENITY's attention.
JUPITER
If *I* may explain, your Majesty?
SERENITY
If you are better able to, please do
so.
JUPITER
Around three months ago, the Realm
Intelligence Agency uncovered an
incredible military secret of the
Centauri Republic -- while their
mobile suit fleet is vastly superior
to ours in numbers, they lack a
great deal of our fleet's technical
sophistication. Notably, they had
not recaptured the neural interface
systems of previous eras. In
theory, that evened up the odds in
any direct confrontation.
SERENITY
A theory I would rather not see in
practice.
JUPITER
Of course. No more than would the
Centauri. And our agents discovered
that the Centauri were aware that we
*had* discovered how to implement
direct thought control. Naturally,
seeking to triumph in a potential
conflict with us with a minimum of
bloodshed on their part, they had
begun a project to acquire the
technology. Interestingly enough,
the elements of the Centauri
government involved in this project
were closely allied with those
elements of their government which
had an interest in gaining control
over Earth and the Sol System.
SERENITY
An understandable congruence of
interests, wouldn't you say?
JUPITER
Indeed, your Majesty. <beat> Of
course, our agents made Lady Mars
and Lady Mercury, who as Commanding
Admiral of the Fleet and Chief
Scientist of the Realm, held the
greatest responsibility for keeping
any military technological secrets.
<beat> They immediately contacted
me in the interest of increasing
security at all installations which
might be targetted.
JUPITER pauses as if she expects SERENITY to say something. But SERENITY
just gestures for JUPITER to continue. With an uncomfortable expression,
she does.
JUPITER
I was already aware that the
Centauri had conducted alliances
with various anti-monarchist groups
on Earth, and the beginnings of an
active espionage ring ... disturbed
me. And then, as I was authorizing
an increase of security for the
Lunar base, it occured to me that
what we were doing was assuming a
defensive posture, as if we were
already under seige. I wanted to
take a more aggressive stand. And
that's when the plan developed.
We --
SERENITY
You decided to install thought
control systems into Patrol Labors,
well aware that they are generally
kept under less intense guard than
Mobile Suits, in an effort to lure
the members of this espionage ring
into a trap?
JUPITER pauses, considering, then nods quickly.
JUPITER
If the agents had gone after the
Mobile Suits, they would quite
probably have been killed in their
efforts, and we wouldn't have had
any idea as to how many more that
we might have to deal with. Since
the police are supposed to *catch*
criminals, I believed that it would
be more likely that they would be
intercepted for questioning.
SERENITY
I see. *Were* any of the agents
captured?
JUPITER
<nods> One of the pilots of the
stolen labors, a Mr. Dzartenkin,
whom we've had under surveillance
for some time as a potential agent
of the Centauri, suffered only minor
injuries in the battle. Having
considered his options, he has
elected to tell all. Of course,
we're verifying all that he reveals
with a psychic probe. <beat> In any
event, after the theft of the labors
was successfully commissioned last
week, we realized that if we began
looking immediately for the agents
that had infiltrated the police, we
would alert them to our knowledge of
their existance. So it was proposed
that a Palladin should be brought in
from outside. Palladins, as your
Majesty is aware, are brought in
because of their non-traditional way
of doing things.
SERENITY
I see. <beat> Essentially, you
placed technology that could
potentially tip the balance of
power in the galaxy in easy reach
of the agents of an unfriendly
government, in the hope that they
would prove to be easily captured
and made to reveal the full extent
of their operations on Earth, and
used Ms. Asagiri to do *another*
fools errand. Is that correct?
JUPITER nods once. SERENITY turns to NOA.
SERENITY
Have you anything to add, Chief
Izumi?
NOA
Yes, your Majesty. Two things.
<beat> The first, that I was the one
who approached Lady Jupiter with the
ideas she has described today, after
she had discreetly asked for input
as to how to handle the situation.
SERENITY looks at JUPITER, who nods a second time.
NOA
And the second is that as an
unforseen outcome of this affair, my
Labor has developed sentience.
JUPITER clearly was not expecting this *at* *all*. She whirls to look at
NOA with a mixture of horror and awe on her face. SERENITY is also
surprised, but seems to be more interested in JUPITER's reaction than in
the news itself.
SERENITY
How extraordinary. To what do you
credit this?
NOA
The fact that the computer systems
of the Labor were constructed to
imitate the neural pathways of a
human brain, and so when they were
combined with the thought control
mechanism, the sudden input of data
previously unavailable forced them
to develop sentience in order to be
able to handle the new information.
<beat> I also believe that the
fierce emotions that the developing
sentience was exposed to as I and
the Operative struggled for control
of the system may have had something
to do with it, but this is not
supported by any theories about
self-awakening intelligences that I
am familiar with.
SERENITY
Well. I hope that you are ready to
assume responsibility for this new
intelligence which has been created.
<beat> In light of the fact that you
did, I am sure, take all reasonable
precautions to prevent the thought
control technology from being
misappropriated, despite the
necessity of it being briefly in
unfriendly hands, I find no fault in
your actions, Chief Izumi. I hope,
however, that you considered all the
potential for disaster *before* you
suggested this strategy to Lady
Jupiter.
NOA
Yes, your Majesty. <beat> If I may
ask, is it permissable to inform the
members of the Division what exactly
this affair was about? Thus far,
the only ones who know about the
situation are my second, Lieutenant
Nuriko, and Chief of Maintenance
Morisato.
SERENITY
Of course. They deserve to know,
beyond any doubt.
NOA
Thank you, your Majesty. <beat>
And Ms. Asagiri?
JUPITER's face hardens.
JUPITER
Ms. Asagiri does *not* have a need
to know this --
SERENITY
<mild> Oh?
JUPITER turns to look at SERENITY, who is gazing at her placidly, and
cannot quite meet her gaze.
SERENITY
As the Palladin is not under your
supervision, you are not obligated
to do so, Chief Izumi. Rest assured
that she *will* know, soon enough.
NOA
Thank you, your Majesty. Well, if
you'll excuse me, I've a new kid to
take care of ...
NOA begins to back away from the throne.
SERENITY
Yes, once more, congratulations on
the birth of your third child. Has
he been given a name yet?
NOA pauses, and looks a bit startled at SERENITY, who is gazing at her
calmly. NOA suddenly smiles.
NOA
Actually, when he achieved a mental
age of about eight years, he decided
that he didn't like the name I'd
given him when he was born. So he
chose a new one for himself.
SERENITY
Remarkable. And it was?
NOA
Shinji. <beat> Good day, your
Majesty.
SERENITY's smile grows as she watches NOA walk cheerfully out the doors to
the throne room, not diminishing as she turns to look at JUPITER, who is
staring at her with blank incomprehension.
SERENITY
A somewhat obscure joke.
JUPITER
Serenity, I wouldn't blame you if
you were furious with me but --
SERENITY
Lita. I am not angry with you. I
am not even upset with you. I *am*
somewhat concerned for you.
JUPITER
Huh?
SERENITY
I am concerned that you did not feel
that you could trust me with this
information. <beat> Why?
JUPITER looks at SERENITY, who is looking at her with forgiving eyes and a
peaceful expression, and closes her own eyes in a face of anguish.
JUPITER
Because we're supposed to *protect*
you!
SERENITY
From whom or from what were you
trying to protect me this time?
<beat> Lita. I am the ruler and
guardian of this world. You *are*
supposed to defend me against all
threats, but information which will
allow me to fulfill my duties is
not a threat. <beat> Now, if this
was an attempt to allow me to
retain some measure of innocence --
JUPITER
<weak> Yes ...
SERENITY
-- then you are in even greater need
of a day off than I had believed.
<beat> Lita, I have long since come
to terms with the realities of my
situation. The responsibility of
protecting the citizens of the realm
has required that I reconsider my
definitions of integrity. Only as
long as the things that I must
sometimes do or permit to be done
continue to bother me, shall I rule
in Crystal Tokyo. If ever there
comes a day when the minute guilts
that I feel no longer bother me,
I shall forthwith resign, destiny
be hanged.
JUPITER
But that's just it! I didn't want
to add to the burden of guilt by
transfering --
SERENITY
<weary> Lita! You would not have
transferred anything -- you would
have allowed me to carry some of
your burden! <beat> Is not that
the way that it was when we were
young?
JUPITER does not look directly at SERENITY as she says her next line.
JUPITER
Too much has changed since then.
SERENITY looks at her with an anguished expression, then sighs.
SERENITY
Jupiter, you will take the remainder
of this day and the entirety of the
next as a holiday. Hopefully, the
rest will allow you to regain some
perspective. <beat> And in two
days, you will tell Ms. Asagiri the
facts of this matter.
JUPITER's face goes hard.
JUPITER
I --
SERENITY
There will be *no* debate on this
matter, Jupiter. I have made a
promise to Ms. Asagiri, and I will
*not* let your anger against her
interfere.
JUPITER
Don't you realize --
SERENITY
Yes. <beat> I am also aware of all
of the circumstances. I know why it
happened, and I know exactly what
was running through her mind *as* it
happened. If you also possessed
that knowledge, Lita, I do not
believe that you would find it so
easy to condemn her. <beat> Do you
remember a night when you tried to
fool the Dark Kingdom into believing
that Serena wished to abandon the
Sailor Scouts?
JUPITER
<brokenly, close to tears> And to
... complete the trick, Serena ...
gave the Scepter to ... <beat> why
didn't y-- Serena trust me to not
give it away?
SERENITY
Because she knew that you were too
gentle to watch her suffer if you
could alleviate it. And while Raye
is many things ... soft-hearted is
not one of them. She could bring
herself to wait until the last
possible moment to save her ...
which is why she is a general, and
you are a bodyguard. Or will be,
when you have rested a while.
JUPITER nods once, and turns to head towards the door. She pauses just as
she has opened the door, to look back at the Queen on her lonely throne.
JUPITER
I wish ... <beat> I wish a lot of
things.
And then she exits.
SERENITY
So do I. <beat> So do I.
Cut back to PRISS' bedroom. She is reading the journal intently. [SYLIA
(AGE 21) is more or less the SYLIA of the series, but a touch more cooly
analytical. *Just* a touch ...]
SYLIA (AGE 21) (V.O.)
I may have found my second agent, a
recidivist female musician of the
genre termed "retrothrash". Her
police record indicates that she
possesses remarkable strength for
a female, and a degree of expertise
in dirty infighting that rivals men
twice her age. She came to my
attention when she began making a
nusiance of herself at an ADPolice
precinct, asserting that they were,
to quote from the transcript of an
interview conducted during her brief
incarceration as a public nusiance,
"fucking up completely" on the
investigation of her boyfriend's
death. Her assertion that her lover
had been murdered by agents of GENOM
was the factor that truly attracted
my attention. I shall be observing
her closely.
PRISS
Recidivist? What in hell is that?
SYLIA (AGE 21) (V.O.)
I have recruited her without much
incident.
PRISS
You call me trying to put a knife
through you not much incident?!
SYLIA (AGE 21) (V.O.)
She has agreed with my aims of
bringing down Genom, claiming to
desire revenge for their murder of
her love. I have conducted my own
investigation, and discovered the
truth behind the affair. First, the
gangleader's claims of possessing
secret knowledge of the activities
of a "certain organization", which
were interpreted by Ms. A. as
referring to Genom were a) grossly
exaggerated, and b) in reference to
one of the few yakuza syndicates
that the corporation does *not*
possess a significant measure of
control over. He was, it is clear
to me, killed as part of a conflict
within his gang that Ms. A. appears
to be unaware of.
PRISS is beyond shocked by this, her mouth is hanging open.
SYLIA (AGE 21) (V.O.)
Ms. A.'s quick identification of the
largest megacorporation in the world
as the body possessing the largest
degree of responsibility for the
death of her lover -- and I use the
word in a loose way, since according
to the information I have gathered,
their relationship had deteriorated
to the verge of a complete breakup
shortly before his death -- is also
easily understood as a symptom of
her self-destructive personality.
She desires a death in flames, and
an assault on Genom Tower would be a
suicidal move if ever there was one.
Set against this is a clearly shown
desire to be a part of *something*
-- joining her gang, her band, and
ultimately my team. I could find
parallels in the tales of many of
the Grail Knights, whose desire to
be a part of the quest was more than
enough to compensate for the almost
certain death that they courted, and
also the Bushido code that allowed a
samurai to willingly die at his
lord's command. A useful trait, if
it can be properly channeled. As I
intend to do.
PRISS sets the book down, looking completely stunned. Slowly, her face
twists into an expression of utter rage and humiliation.
PRISS
You. BITCH!!!!
She flings the book across the room. It slams into the wall and falls to
the floor, falling open to a page marked "2033". As we hear PRISS sobbing
in the background, our view closes in on the page. [SYLIA (AGE 23) is the
SYLIA of the series ... but this is a side of her that we rarely saw.]
SYLIA (AGE 23) (V.O.)
How could I do that to her? <beat>
She was crouched there, weeping over
the husk of one she loved ... and I
asked her to betray that final plea.
<beat> "I won't! I won't betray my
friends!" I would never have asked
her to betray Green or Pink ... why
did I allow myself to believe that
what she felt for S. was any less a
bond -- simply because it arose from
her "enhancements"? Rather, because
I allowed myself to believe that it
did. I allow myself to believe
based on facts that I allow myself
to believe, and Blue is shattered.
<beat> How could I do that to her?
Cut to the Martian dessert. The car carrying RAYE, SHAMPOO, and RANMA
speeds along through the frigid wastes, towards a large rock formation.
The GEV system is very noisy.
RAYE
<shouted> Is that where it is?
RANMA
<shouted> Yes.
RAYE
<shouted, disgusted> Let me guess --
you hewed her tomb from the living
rock with your bare hands.
RANMA
<shouted> Yup.
Suddenly, the orange sky of Mars is split by sudden black lightning,
converging on the rock formation. The car slows to a stop.
SHAMPOO
What's wrong?
RAYE tries to start the car repeatedly.
RAYE
It's gone dead. Completely. <beat>
Can you feel it?
SHAMPOO looks confusedly, while RANMA stares with a sick expression.
RAYE
We're too late. She's started.
Our view moves swiftly across the plain to come to the rock, moving up
onto the very top of the stone -- where GENNOSUKE stands, her vampiric
nature never more apparent than right now, holding the Dark Crystal in her
hands. Dark power surges all around her. For a moment, all is as silent
as death, a silence broken by a single word.
GENNOSUKE
Mommy.
And then the dark power explodes forth. Beneath the rock on which
GENNOSUKE stands ... something shifts.
Cut to an darkened office, where SHEILA is seated at a word processor,
typing furiously. Her phone rings, and she picks it up while continuing
to type with one hand.
SHEILA
Hello, Sheila Tenkai.
A few breaths are the only response. SHEILA stops typing, and looks at
the phone with an annoyed expression.
SHEILA
Heavy breathing. Listen, whoever
you are -- this doesn't frighten me,
and it doesn't turn me on. Now, if
you were to start talking about how
much you've been admiring me from
afar -- provided that you're a --
PRISS (PHONE)
Sheila?
SHEILA
Priss? <beat> Priss, what's wrong?
PRISS (PHONE)
I ... I tried phoning Raye, but she
doesn't seem to be ...
SHEILA
Priss ... are you alright?
PRISS (PHONE)
No. <beat> I ... I need --
SHEILA
Hang on. You're in Ikkoku-kan,
right?
PRISS (PHONE)
You know --
SHEILA
I lived there when I was getting my
-- that's not important, I'll be
there in a minute. See you soon.
PRISS
I --
SHEILA hangs up, stands, pulls on a jacket ... and takes off at a run. We
see her dash out of a university building, jump into a car, and lift off
in the blink of an eye. Moments later, she arrives at Ikkoku-kan, and
rushes in, through the hall, up the stairs, and to the door of room 5.
She listens, for a moment, but hearing nothing, slowly opens the door.
PRISS is sitting, curled up in a ball, on her bed. The book is lying in
front of her.
SHEILA
Priss?
PRISS
<flat> Hey. Howsit going.
SHEILA steps into the room, closing the door behind her.
SHEILA
I've been better. Is that --
PRISS
Tell me about yourself.
SHEILA
Huh?
PRISS
You know everything there is to know
about me, and I don't know anything
about you. Tell me about yourself.
SHEILA
Uh ... full name, Sheila Ten'ou-
Kaioh, born 12 September 2001 --
Virgo, blood type AB. Height 170
cm, weight --
PRISS
That's *not* what I meant. <beat>
You had ... two mothers. How'd
that happen?
SHEILA
As I understand it -- it involved
this cursed spring in China and
artificial insemination. <beat>
One of my parents splashed herself
with this ... "instant" variety of
water from this spring, and ...
well ... Aunt Amy always got really
embarrassed telling me about it.
PRISS
What happened to them?
SHEILA
<sigh> A few months before my second
birthday ... they were both killed
in the same battle that caused the
death of Serena. You know about
that.
PRISS doesn't answer, doesn't look up.
SHEILA
Anyway, they both died ... before I
really developed any clear memories
of either of them. <beat> Mom was
really broken up by all the death.
She'd loved Serena, of course, but
I think my parents' loss hurt her
almost as much. She took me in ...
and for the next thirteen years,
there was no Lady Jupiter. She
refused to talk to any of the others
about "Sailor business" ... and she
wouldn't talk to Serenity at all.
She told me, later, that she wanted
me to have a normal childhood and
adolescence. She succeeded ... for
a while, anyway.
PRISS
What went wrong?
SHEILA
Boy, that's really cynical. I mean,
you don't know that anything went
wrong. Something could have changed
for the better. <beat> What went
wrong? There was this crazy woman.
I forget her name. She saw me in a
shopping mall this one day, and just
up and decided that I was some girl
that was responsible for all her
problems -- like her brother's
death. I never did understand ...
anyway, she kidnapped me, tying me
up with these weird ribbons in this
deserted mansion. <beat> And Mom
came to get me with Aunt Raye. It
was the first time I'd ever seen
them in their uniforms. They were
so ... magnificent. <beat> Mom
blasted the crazy woman with one of
her lightning bolts, and she went
down. Then Mom, she came and untied
me, asked me if I was all right, and
when I told her that I was, she gave
me to Aunt Raye, and said that she'd
follow after a while. Aunt Raye ...
she took me out of there -- I think
that she knew what was going to ...
anyway, I got loose, and I ran back
to grab hold of Mom, and hold her
and all that ... and I found that
she was hitting the crazy woman.
<beat> Over and over. The poor
maniac couldn't fight back, she was
just lying there, letting Mom hit
her again and again and ... <beat>
Finally, there was this crunching
noise ... and I heard myself let
out a scream. Mom turned around
then, and she was staring at me as
though she couldn't grasp the idea
that I'd seen her doing ... <beat>
You have to understand, she didn't
*hurt* me. She just *scared* me.
But when Serenity arrived, after
she did something to turn Mom's
power off, she explained to me that
Mom was ... sick. That she'd been
sick ever since Serena died, and
that Mom'd just shown that she had
been right to avoid using her powers
-- Serenity said something about
great power and great responsibility
that I later found out she'd gotten
out of a manga. Anyway, since she
was also too sick to take care of
me, I was going to be put in cryo-
sleep for a while, until she was
well. <beat> That's how I spent
most of the next eight hundred
years. They let me out now and
then ... first time in 2038. Mom
had been given back her powers by
then, but I didn't see her. I
didn't get to see her until ...
<beat> Priss, what's wrong? Why
did you call me?
PRISS looks up. Her face is tearstreaked.
PRISS
I found out that my "mom" did some
questionable things too.
SHEILA
Your mom? <beat> You mean, in
Ms. Stingray's journal, she had
found out some things about your
m--
PRISS
No. <beat> That was how she
thought of herself, at the end.
"It's not right for a mother to
outlive her children." That was the
last entry in her journal. She'd
started to think of me, and Nene,
and Linna as her kids. <beat> I
could have handled that, I mean, she
always seemed so much older than I
was, not three years, more like ten
... but ...
PRISS reaches out to shove the book towards SHEILA.
PRISS
Read.
SHEILA
Uh ... are you sure that --
PRISS
*Read.*
SHEILA comes over, sits down on the bed beside PRISS (keeping a safe
distance at all times), picks up the book, and starts to read aloud.
SHEILA
"23 April 2034. I completed the
upgrade early this morning. I am
very pleased with the improved
arnament systems on all of the
suits, even the strange ECM-based
equipment that Nene designed last
month, that I still can't quite
figure out. A preliminary field
test indicates that it's workable,
however. I will contact the others
tomorrow, to get started on the
contract that we have just been
offered. I think I will actually
contact Blue this evening ... she
apparently has a concert." <beat;
turns a page> "She hates me."
SHEILA blinks, stares at the page, and looks at PRISS, who is sitting with
her head in her knees. SHEILA looks back at the page.
SHEILA
"She hates me. It's obvious, now.
And I can't blame her." <beat> "I
was late for her `gig', which was
apparently a farewell concert, since
she intends to move onto `the big
time' starting tomorrow. I hoped to
at least congratulate her on her
success, so I stayed, standing in
the shadows of the club. <beat>
"After everyone had left but the
janitor, she came back out onto the
stage, examining the instruments,
the lights ... and last, the mike.
She stared at the mike for a long
moment before she picked it up and
started to sing, a capella. It
wasn't one of the songs that she
usually did -- it started soft, and
slow, and --"
PRISS
Play.
The sound system in the corner of the room begins to play as per PRISS'
spoken request. The song is "What A Fool I Am", as recorded by Raye Hino,
2896.
SONG
I -- I've never realized
What I've given up for you
You -- you never gave me the chance
To be what I wanted, to love you as I am
Just like the love you never gave me
Doesn't stop me from wanting you,
And all the crazy lies you told me
Doesn't stop me ... from loving you
What a fool I am
What a fool I've been
Falling in love with you
Helplessly
What a fool I am
Oh, what a fool I've been
Begging my love for you
Endlessly
Now -- now that I've come to know
You never really cared
Still -- still in my heart I hold
This everlasting love
If only you reach into my heart
If only you could feel the love I have
Then maybe you'd come to realize
There's one in a million ... me.
Still I got to want you
Still I got to need you
Still I come begging ...
For your love ...
PRISS
<flat> Off.
The music stops. SHEILA looks at PRISS (who is still curled up) with a
shaken expression, then resumes her reading.
SHEILA
"... it can only have been about me.
No one has ever asked her to give
as much up as I have ... and for
what? A crusade against a foe that
I long ago realized that we could
never defeat?" <beat> "She has
given everything for *my* causes,
and when have I ever shown her any
gratitude ... or even compassion for
her losses?" <beat> "The hardest
part is the idea that she loved me.
For so long, I have been struggling
with my attraction to her ... she is
so beautiful, so vulnerable, so ...
needing love ... and to learn that
she could have loved me is almost
more than I can --"
PRISS does not look up.
PRISS
She goes on like that for a few
pages. "I am such a terrible person
that no one could ever love me, boo
hoo." And you know, not too long
ago I would have agreed with her.
<beat> It wasn't about *her*! I
didn't even *think* of her when I
wrote it! It was about --
SHEILA
Sylvie.
PRISS nods, shaking.
PRISS
I wrote it the morning after ... and
I only ever sang it that one time
... and it had to be the one fucking
time that she came to one of my
shows ...
Suddenly, PRISS looks up with a furious expression, reaches out, and tries
to grab the book from SHEILA, who is startled but doesn't let go.
PRISS
DAMN YOU, SYLIA! WHY THE HELL DID
YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A GODDAMN EGO
FREAK?! IT WASN'T ABOUT YOU! HOW
DARE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH ME AND
NEVER TELL ME ABOUT IT! WHY DIDN'T
YOU SAY SOMETHING?! WHY COULDN'T
YOU --
SHEILA
-- give you the chance, to be what
you wanted, to love her as you were?
PRISS
YES! <beat; whispered> Oh fuck.
She drops her grip on the book, and SHEILA gently sets it down on the
floor. PRISS has a completely horrified expression on her face.
SHEILA
That's the problem with love songs.
What they mean to someone will
depend on what that person feels ...
and like any true piece of art, what
the songwriter intended isn't the
issue.
PRISS
<whispered> No ... no, I *couldn't*
have ... I ...
PRISS suddenly begins to cry. SHEILA looks at her a moment, before
holding open her arms. PRISS collapses into her embrace, sobbing.
Cut to outside the door of room 5. We can hear PRISS' sobbing, and
SHEILA's gentle words of solace. Our view rotates to show JUPITER, who is
standing just outside the door with a furious expression. Her hand
crackles with lightning momentarily. She shakes her head, and turns to
walk away.
JUPITER
<mutter> She's going to break her
heart. I *know* that she's going to
break her heart.
Cut to a passageway in the palace. SERENITY walks aimlessly through the
hallway, examining the crystal structure idly. Suddenly, a MALE PAGE runs
up to her.
PAGE
Your Majesty! The results of the
vote have just been released!
SERENITY closes her eyes.
SERENITY
And what were they?
PAGE
Approximately 52% of those voting
*rejected* the proposition of ending
the alliance with Jurai, your
Majesty.
SERENITY lets out a long, shuddering breath.
PAGE
Voter turnout was the highest since
the last monarchal referrendum, at
97%. Would you like a complete
summary of the results, your
Majesty?
SERENITY opens her eyes, and smiles at the PAGE.
SERENITY
No, young man, that won't be
necessary. <beat> Please inform
the Royal Publicist that I shall
make an address on this topic ...
shortly.
PAGE
Yes, your Majesty.
SERENITY starts to walk away, then turns to smile again at the page. He
smiles back, but looks somewhat confused at the same time. She turns to
walk away again, to the doors of the throne room. She rests her hand on
the door for a few moments, as if preparing herself for something ... then
opens the door.
Inside, a reddish-brown haired woman in a black leather jumpsuit (FUJIKO)
is sitting on the throne, with one leg thrown over the arm.
FUJIKO
Hello, your Queenship. Congrats on
the vote going your way ... it's
gonna be the last thing that will
for a while.
SERENITY
Really? Tell me, Ms. Fujiko, what
is there to stop me from summoning
enough guards to fill this room --
or if you are jamming the radio, to
defeat you myself? I am very far
from helpless ...
FUJIKO
My employers took that into
consideration.
FUJIKO produces a bracelet, and tosses it to SERENITY, who catches it
easily.
FUJIKO
Standard power dampening bracelet.
If you'd put it on, please?
SERENITY
Why in the world would I do a silly
thing like that?
FUJIKO produces a grenade-like device, which she keeps a very firm grip
on.
FUJIKO
Thermal detonator, with an unusual
trigger mechanism. First, there's a
standard "dead-man's" switch. If I
release it, boom. But there's also
a magic-sensitive trigger -- any
significant build up of magical
energy within a few hundred feet,
boom. In other words, you can
always try to blast me ... but even
if you build up the energy to do it
in under a second, it'll still go
off when I release it. And while
you can probably teleport away
before the bomb goes off ... can
everyone else in the Palace?
SERENITY is very still for a moment.
SERENITY
There are over two hundred people in
the palace at any given time. Your
employer desires to see me so much
that he is willing to kill --
FUJIKO
Looks like it. So? Are you gonna
put that thing on? 'Cause my thumb
is starting to ache ...
SERENITY
<sigh> I really do not understand
why some people cannot stand to make
appointments ... very well.
SERENITY places the bracelet around her right wrist, and clicks it shut.
We see a brief sizzle as it clicks, but nothing else seems to happen.
FUJIKO
Hey, I can see your point. But on
the other hand, I'm getting paid a
lot to escort you to my employer --
so I'm just as glad that he didn't.
Shall we go?
SERENITY
I suppose we should.
FUJIKO hops off the throne, walks to the door, and holds it open for
SERENITY, smiling nastily. SERENITY walks calmly out the door, and FUJIKO
closes it behind them.
To Be Continued.