N.B. /.../ designates thoughts...
"..." designates spoken English...
"<...>" designates Japanese, but does include some
untranslated phrases...
And now, the feature presentation... 8-)
-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
PROLOGUE
30th October, 1938. Barnett College Campus, New York.
"Hello, Dr Jones!" The greying museum curator greeted his old friend
enthusiastically.
"Good afternoon, Marcus," replied the professor. The two were standing in
Dr Jones house on campus. It was small, unlike the upper class English Tudor
house that he owned, but he had used the available space well.
"I trust you're ready for tonight," inquired Marcus Brody. "Dinner *is* at
eight."
"Yeah, just waiting for the others." Jones, for once, had substituted his
battered old leather jacket and hat for something more appropriate. He still
looked fidgety in his beige tweed suit. But, the private celebration was in
*his* honour. However, even the smart suit and combed hair couldn't disguise
the hardened adventurer within.
Marcus looked around the house. Dr Jones always kept small souvenirs of
his adventures. For instance, over on the shelf there, was his dad's Grail
diary, autographed by Adolf Hitler. Sitting next to it, a purple meteor
fragment. Lord knew where the archaeologist had picked *that* up. There was
a tuft of a black beard, a Miyan statuette, even an orichalcum bead. That
last one had come from the man's last adventure. "Say, I never did get to
see one of those beads up close. Do you mind if I take a look?"
Dr Jones shook his head casually. However, as Marcus passed a bookshelf
filled with similar artifacts, he knocked into it accidentally. A jar of
water placed on the top shelf began to sway, toppling over to fall directly
towards the stunned curator....
<SNAP!> Marcus swung around to look at the archaeologist. Jones shot
Marcus an irritated glare, as he untangled his bullwhip from the jar. "Be
careful with this one, Marcus. It's dangerous."
Brody was confused. "Exactly how can a jar of water be dangerous?"
Jones carefully passed the offending jar to Marcus. "Read the kanji," he
said.
The jar was labeled in shaky Japanese. But Marcus was a historian, and a
scholar. "`Jyusenkyo: Jar of Nyanniichuan.' What is Nyanniichuan?"
"Jyusenkyo is another colony of Atlantis. A land-based colony. When it
was abandoned, it became a training ground for martial artists for a time.
Until rumour spread it was cursed. But it doesn't exist anymore. At least,
not in this timeline."
"I don't understand."
"Nyanniichuan means Spring-of-Drowned-Girl, while Jyusenkyo means Pool-of-
Sorrow. I never did tell you how I made it out of Atlantis, did I."
"Why no! You always skipped that part."
"I think, while we're waiting, that I should tell you about Jyusenkyo."
"Very well, if we really *do* have time."
"Okay, then. I'll start at the beginning. That being the end of Atlantis.
I was inside the inner chamber deep within the heart of Atlantis, and that
German scientist Ubermann was arguing with me about the God-Creation machine
standing between us. The guy wanted a guinea-pig, since Kerner had been the
last to try. And fail. Anyway...."
--**************--
15th August, 1938. 300 feet beneath the Mediterranean.
"For your sake, I hope this doesn't work!" The guy on the main platform
was sweating, and only partly because of the intense heat. He did his best
to hide it though. He was clothed in a loose and well-worn brown leather
jacket, and brown trousers. A fedora topped his brown hair, and a leather
bullwhip hung by his side (1).
The balding scientist turned to look at him in confusion (2). "Why not?",
he said in a high-pitched voice with a distinct German accent.
"Once I'm a god, I'm sending you straight to hell."
"I'm offering you immortality. Is that the thanks I get?"
"Ever hear the term `angry god'? Wait till you see me!"
"Hang on. Perhaps I haven't thought this through." The scientist took off
his glasses and cleaned them in a habital way while eyeing the archaeologist
suspiciously. "You *want* to go first," he accused. "You're scheming
against me despite my generosity. Well, you won't get the upper hand that
way." He signaled to the two Nazi guards who had their rifles trained on his
captive. "Step aside, Jones."
Jones hopped off the platform and moved back towards the red-haired woman
standing close by. /My pleasure,/ he thought with relief.
The German scientist turned to a slot in a stone obelisk, and began to
insert small shiny beads. "... 98... 99... ONE HUNDRED BEADS!" he cried
as the last one fell into place. A faint glow appeared on the main platform,
and the scientist hurried over to it, getting into position.
"Prepare to feel my wrath!" He looked at the archaeologist and his
red-haired companion triumphantly, then turned and composed himself to meet
his destiny.
The room began to vibrate smoothly. The center platform began to rise,
and a sparkling light fell upon the aged scientist. Power infused him as a
beam of energy fell upon him. His features began to distort as he absorbed
the energy. He didn't notice the shock that had manifested itself on the
other four occupants of the room. All he could feel was the power.
And then, the transformation was complete. In the scientist's place, a
green pulsating humanoid creature stood. It took a look at itself, and then
laughed maniacally. And then it began to test its powers.
Transforming into a sparkling sphere of ball lightning, it flew around the
room, barely missing Jones and his companion, glowing brighter and brighter,
and a hollow laugh was rising in pitch, echoing around the base of the
volcano.
But something was wrong.
The being crackled with spent energy, flickered one last time, and then
dissapated explosively. A pair of red lights gazed malevolently at Jones,
realising that it had been tricked. Then they dissipated, affected by a
wind unfelt by the others. There was a silence as they all witnessed the
death of Dr Hans Ubermann.
And then, Atlantis began to fall apart (3).
(1) As every great adventurer now knows, this style of outfit, while cool
looking, doesn't do zip for protection. Now, if *I* were a great
archaeologist-cum-adventurer, I'd get myself kitted with Power Armour and
maybe an Assualt Rifle. Of course, availability of this type of equipment
was rather low in the 1930s....
(2) Why does every mad (or at least dangerously brilliant) scientist wear
a white lab coat (everywhere they go), glasses, and are at least partially
bald? Maybe they have some sort of union or something.
(3) Some people may be wondering what Atlantis is doing in the
Mediterranean. Well, to be serious for a moment, Plato got his measurements
wrong. TENFOLD. Since his measurements gave co-ordinates, from references
in Europe, dividing these measurements by ten gave the true location of
Atlantis. Which was in the middle of the Mediterranean. Hey, don't ask me!
Go ask Lucasarts!
--**************--
"Indy!"
"Follow me, Sophia!"
Pausing only to grab the discs, Indy raced out of the room, dragging Sophia
Hapgood out with him. The screams of the two Nazi guards were still fading
as they left. The volcano was erupting, the seals that kept the water at bay
were breaking, and he wasn't sure whether he was going to survive this at
all.
They raced down a corridor, and ended up in a large lava-filled chamber.
A narrow bridge of rock spanned the gap from the tower where they stood and
the only exit to the chamber. As they started across it, the chamber rocked
with aftershocks, and a large chunk of the bridge collapsed into the molten
rock below. They were trapped on the wrong side of the bridge.
Indy gazed up to the rocky ceiling above them, and with a practiced flick
of his wrist, sent his bullwhip up to an overhanging outcropping of stone.
It snapped around the anchor and held tight.
The archaeologist took Sophia's hands and clasped them over the handle of
the whip. "Go," he ordered.
"What?!" Sophia was indignant. Jones expected her to leave him here while
she crossed to safety. She knew all about the legendary Jones curse (1).
Something would go wrong, she just knew it. She hadn't come this far to lose
him. "I'm not leaving you behind now, Jones!"
"I don't know if it'll take both of us. You're lighter, so go!"
"But..."
Sophia shrieked as she felt the ground leave her feet. She held the whip
in a death grip, legs flailing hundreds of feet above the once dormant
volcano. As ground appeared beneath her, she let go, landing awkwardly on
the other side.
"You *pushed* me, Jones," she screamed at him, who simply reached out and
caught the whip on its return trajectory.
He grinned. "You're across, aren't you? Now, get out the way, I'm
com..."
There was another huge rumble, and the entire outcropping, as well as a bit
more of the bridge, crumbled away and fell spinning towards the fires below.
Indy flicked his wrist swiftly, saving his whip. Sophia trembled slightly.
The curse had struck.
"Looks like I won't be leaving this way," he remarked matter-of-factly to
his shocked companion. "Get to the sub, Sophia. Don't wait!" With that, he
turned and ran back into the chaos.
Sophia stood there for a moment, tears in her eyes. "Don't leave me,
Indy," she whispered, before turning and racing towards the abandoned Nazi
sub that represented the only escape from the doomed Atlantis.
(1) The Legendary Indiana Jones Curse (TM): Basically, this dates all the
way back to when Indy was a young lad. Like as far back as when he
`recovered' the Cross of Coronado. Basically, the terms of the curse go like
this: So long as Indy believes that he's going to escape, and everything is
going to go to plan, something *bad* will happen. Like say, Nazis will show
up, and capture him. His rear wheel will burst, throwing him into a skid and
ruining his escape vehicle. The vending machine swallows his change. You
get the idea (2).
(2) Actually, everyone has some kind of curse like that on them. It's
just that Indy, for some obscure reason, has it occur more often than most.
--**************--
Indiana sprinted through the maze and passageways that made up the Inner
City of Atlantis. /There has to be something here.../ he thought
desperately. Jones was a survivor; he had nothing left but hope. /If I can
survive a twelve hour cruise tied to a periscope of a sub, I can survive
this!/
As he turned into a non-descript corridor, another huge aftershock took out
most of the ceiling. Indy dived to the side to avoid being crushed. As he
came out of the roll, he noticed his fedora had fallen off. He grabbed it
and placed it on his head, moments before a rock crashed to the ground where
it had lain (1).
The passage he was in was now blocked off on both ends. He sagged to the
floor, and decided to await his end in peace. Funny, but now that he had
resigned to his fate, he could see light shining in his eyes...
He covered the distance between where he was and the opposite wall in two
seconds flat, and immediately began scrabbling at the walls. His work was
aided by the continual vibrations that heralded the end of the lost city of
Atlantis. He broke through into a brightly lit chamber on the other side.
Time was running out. Indy took a cursory glance at the inscriptions,
using years of studying to translate them quickly and efficiently. /Inter-
colony transport: Jyusenkyo. Looks like our Atlantean friends had another
colony. Well, I've got nothing to lose.../ From the folds of his pocket, he
produced for the last time three round discs; the Sunstone, Moonstone and
Worldstone. Slotting them onto a spindle nearby, he rotated them until the
symbols on them matched the ancient code... /Morning light warming the tall
horns... Full moon riding above the noon sun... Darkness ruling the ancient
city... there!/ He slammed down the spindle and spun at the sound of a
small click. Noticing the newly-opened and now familiar mouth-shaped slot in
the wall, and placed his last orichalcum bead into it. A raised platform
began to pulsate quickly; instinctively, he stood upon it.
Beneath him, he could feel the stone cracking as lava forced itself up
through the flagstones (2). Above him, he could hear the earth buckling
under tremendous amounts of pressure from the water that threatened to crush
Atlantis. As blue water and red lava converged, he felt a sickly feeling in
his stomach. He felt tired and hungry, and somehow faint.
And then, a bright light engulfed him, and he blacked out.
(1) Indy's hat seems to get into more close call scrapes than Indy
himself! Just goes to show how materialistic we're getting these days.
(2) Amazing how he does it, every time. Whether he's riding a motorcycle
just on the limits of an expanding explosion, or escaping from tons of
seawater, Indy's always just on the edge of getting done in. Isn't movie
life great?!
--**************--
[Music fades in]
Fanfic Productions
present
A Terence Fergusson Fanfic
"Indiana Jones and the Curse of Jyusenkyo"
[Indiana Jones Theme Tune...]
Ranma 1/2 is copyright Rumiko Takahashi, and the material included here is
used without her permission. Thank you for not suing me.
Indiana Jones, is copyright Paramount Pictures. Material from "Indiana Jones
and the Fate of Atlantis" is copyright Lucasarts, and used without their
permission.
--**************--
Part 1 : Jyusenkyo Calls!
Chapter 1 - The gaijin with the hat and whip...
Episode 1 of 3
Indy had never been a man who enjoyed the state of unconsciousness. In his
line of work (1), unconsciousness meant death. All those punch-ups with
Nazis, temple guards, samurais... any one of them could have ended with his
demise in any number of new and fascinating ways. And the few times he had
been knocked unconscious had been rather unpleasant.
The other thing Indy hated about unconsciousness was the way his mind
reacted to it. His awareness would slowly seep back to him, bit by bit. He
knew that waking up this way just led to trouble, normally because Nazis
generally assume that an enemy's awareness is a bad thing, and thus keeping
them unconscious is the best way to handle them. Slowly regaining
consciousness just gives your captors more time to notice you're awake. So,
obviously, this is *not* a good thing.
Which is why Indy was lucky that he wasn't waking up in a Nazi prison cell.
However, he was soon to find that his current fate wasn't going to be an
enviable one.
(1) Funnily enough, most people think that archaeology is a quiet
pastime, where you just sit in the dirt, sieving it searching for bones,
pottery and lost buildings. Indy took a far grander view of this area, going
after myths and fables, and more often than not, actually finding them. So
far, known expeditions include the Cross of Coronado, the Ark of the
Covenant, the Sankara Stones, the Holy Grail, and the Lost City of Atlantis.
And none of them involved calmly kneeling on the dirt, sifting for relics.
All of them have involved adversaries of some sort, as well as various
traps, puzzles, locks, etc. Indy is one very lucky man.
--**************--
"<Oh, my, he's awake.>"
Indy grunted with exasperation. He was never going to get the hang of
waking up unnoticed. However, it seemed that he wasn't in any immediate
danger. It certainly wasn't the `Greetings, Herr Jones' he'd been expecting.
But then, Kerner and Ubermann were dead, weren't they? Something about that
line of thought was bothering him.
Any hint of pretense vanishing, Indy opened his eyes. He looked up at a
sparsely decorated ceiling. Rafters criss-crossed over it, giving it a
distinctive pattern. /Guess that scratches out hospital.../
He sat up. Or at least tried. A slender hand firmly but gently pushed him
back. "<No. You've got to rest,>" came the same feminine voice as before.
The fact that he'd been spoken to in Japanese since he awoke worried Indy
a little. But he knew the language fluently. There weren't many languages
Indy didn't know. "<Where am I?>" he asked tentatively.
"<In the Nerima district of Tokyo,>" came the gruff reply. Indy turned his
head to face the bald man who was sitting nearby. He was playing some sort
of game with another middle-aged man with long dark hair and a moustache
sitting across from him. The dark-haired man used the distraction to swiftly
rotate the board through 180 degrees.
/Tokyo. So I'm in Japan. Japan's not in the Mediterranean... uh oh./
"<So... this *isn't* Jyusenkyo?>"
That provoked an unusual reaction. The bald man in the white gi fell
backwards out of his chair, tipping the table he was sat at. The game
spilled all over the floor. "<Looks like I win again, Saotome-kun,>" said
the dark-haired man.
"<Otousan, don't tease Saotome-san. I'm sure you can have another game.>"
Indy looked up at the young Japanese woman who was currently holding him
down. Gently, but still down. Indy attempted to rise again, but without
much success. Mind you, he wasn't *really* trying.
"<Excuse me, my good woman, but I really am feeling better, and if this
isn't Jyusenkyo, I really must be on my way...>" He smiled briefly, hoping
that his self-appointed nursemaid would take this to mean that he *was* all
better.
"<You're sure you're alright? I mean fainting isn't healthy...>"
"<Yes!! I'm okay! I just, um, haven't eaten in a while.>" Thankfully,
Indy's grumbling stomach confirmed the excuse.
"<Oh, my! That's easily fixed.>" The woman got up and left in the
direction of, what was presumably, the kitchen. Indy smiled in relief.
Nearby, two grown men groaned in unison.
"<Not another freeloader!>"
"<There won't be enough food to go round!>"
The archaeologist sat up. He was still in his travelling gear, which while
a little bit rumpled, had survived his adventure in Atlantis. However, he
was missing a rather important detail. "<Where's my hat?>"
The bald man, identified as Mr Saotome, pointed at a brown fedora lying
next to Indy's pallet. He picked it up, shaking it to remove the moisture on
it, and placed it on his head.
"<And my whip?>" He was directed to a coat rack, where his trusty bullwhip
had been coiled onto one of the hooks.
Lastly, he checked his holster. His empty holster. The .45 automatic was
gone. /Rats. Where could it have disappeared to?/ As if waiting for that
cue, the pistol was offered to him, handle first, by Saotome-san. "<Nasty
weapon, that,>" he said. "<Old, but still nasty. I'd be careful with that
if I were you.>"
"<Thanks,>" Indy said, as he accepted the pistol, and slung it back in its
resting place in one smooth, almost casual movement. "<I don't believe we've
been introduced. I'm Dr Indiana Jones.>" He extended his hand to the two
men in greeting. They glanced at each other, but after some hesitation,
Saotome-san shook it in return.
"<I am Genma Saotome. This is my dear friend, and owner of this fine dojo,
Soun Tendo.>"
Indy raised his eyebrow at that. /A dojo? Suppose they must teach some
kind of martial arts. Wonder which type...?/
Perfunctory greetings exchanged, the three of them kneeled at a long table.
It looked odd to Indy's trained eye. The table seemed to have been patched
many times, and there was a distinct impression in the centre of the table.
He dismissed it temporarily when Genma spoke.
"<Dr Jones. You say you are looking for Jyusenkyo?>"
"<Yes. Actually, I expected to be there now. But somehow, I don't think
this *is* it.>"
Genma glanced at the archaeologist quizzically. "<Why, no. Jyusenkyo is
in China.>"
/China! How can a civilisation based in the Mediterranean find an outpost
in China?!/ Indy was just a little shocked at this revelation, but he hid it
well. "<Guess, I'll have to keep on searching then. I won't stay longer
than neccessary. It looks like I've got a long trip ahead of me.>" With
that, Indy rose to his feet, straightening his hat as he prepared to leave.
Genma stopped him. "<Perhaps, Dr Jones, if you'd stay a little longer, we
might be able to help you find the cursed training ground.>"
Jones turned and appraised Genma quickly. Deciding that help could be
gained from the old man, he nodded. "<Cursed training ground?>"
Genma blanched, realising he'd said a little too much. "<Uh, I will
explain later. When *everyone* is here. For now, please accept our
hospitality.>"
"<Saotome-kun!>" Soun was on his feet, more than a little angry. Genma
directed Soun into another room, leaving Indy alone for a moment. It seemed
that an argument was going to take place, one that Indy didn't want to get
involved in. Instead, he decided to contemplate his current fate.
/Here I am, in Tokyo. Relationships between us and the Japanese aren't
supposed to be going very well at the moment. Guess I should watch my back,
at least until I'm out of here. Wonder if Sophia got out okay.../
Looking around, he spotted a newspaper on an empty chair. He walked over
to it and picked it up. /Hmm, this is strange. This headline doesn't make
sense! And where did they get this picture from?! What is today, anyway?/
All colour bled from his face as he gazed upon the date at the top of the
paper. Shaking slightly, Indy walked over to the nearest window, and gazed
upon the Tokyo skyline.
Despite his earlier protests to the woman, Indy was feeling generally
unwell with this new development.
Today was the 7th of October, 1993.
--**************--
The rest of the day went far too slowly for Dr Jones. He was startled out
of his contemplative thoughts by the return of the young woman, who
introduced herself as the daughter of Soun, Kasumi Tendo. She laid out the
low table for lunch, and almost forced Indy down into an empty space next to
it (1). She then proceeded to watch every single bite go down, and protested
when Indy pushed the plate away from him, declaring he was full. Once he
had finally eaten everything on his plate, Indy thought it was over. It
wasn't.
Genma and Soun had joined him for lunch literally seconds after the table
had been set. Neither wasted any time on conversation, and immediately
ploughed into their food eagerly. However, no matter how much Indy tried,
Genma swore not to speak a word about Jyusenkyo until later.
Indy didn't have much of a chance to ask anyway. Kasumi had disappeared
with his empty plate only to come back with seconds. Indy stared at the
plate with trepidation. It wasn't the food that was on it; Indy had tried
many things in his life, some worse than others. The `monkey brains' sprung
to mind; a delicacy he had come across during his quest for the Sankara
stones. Compared to that, Japanese cuisine was as homely as apple pie.
However, one helping was more than enough, even if it was Indy's first meal
in twelve hours.
He managed to avoid death by ruptured stomach by surreptitiously swapping
his plate with Genma's. If he noticed, he didn't say a word; the second
helping was demolished within moments. Indy felt a twinge of guilt for
duping Kasumi, but it was better that than a gluttonous death (2).
Finally convinced that Indy wasn't going to faint or anything, Kasumi went
back to her usual household chores.
"<Is she usually that... um... overprotective?>" he asked Mr Tendo once
she'd left.
"<She's been looking after the house for years now,>" he replied. "<Ever
since... since...>" There was a pause. The calm before the storm. And
then the clouds broke.
Indy leapt from where he was sitting, avoiding being drowned by the sheer
hail of tears. He was just beaten in speed by Mr Saotome, who was
significantly closer to Soun, but had managed to get twice as far away as
Indy in the same time. A questioning look at Genma got an explanation.
"<It's his wife. She died a few years back. Affected him badly. We try not
to bring it up. He's a very emotional man.>"
"<Oh,>" said Indy. Still, he'd met stranger.
"<He'll calm down after a few minutes. Now, if you'll excuse me, Dr Jones,
I have to make a few arrangements. If I understand correctly, you wish to go
to Jyusenkyo?>"
"<Yes,>" Indy replied, a little suspiciously. He wasn't too sure that it
was coincidence that although he'd landed hundreds of miles away from his
apparant destination, he had instead happened upon someone who knew about
this Atlantean colony. Well, maybe archaeology had made some startling
discoveries in the last fifty years. He knew he had in the last five.
"<It's the only lead I have.>"
"<Lead?>"
"<Uh huh. I'm doing research into Atlantis.>" /Not the whole truth, but
it'll do until I find out more about this Saotome guy./
"<Hmm. Atlantis, you say? What's a training ground got to do with a
mythical city?>"
/Maybe they don't know so much after all. I wonder what survived after it
collapsed./ "<That's what I'd like to find out.>"
Genma shrugged, obviously not convinced about any sort of link. "<Well, in
any case, I know some people who will be interested in such a venture. I
will explain everything tonight, when all involved is here. Until then, Dr
Jones, perhaps you would care to do some sightseeing? Or perhaps you'd like
to visit Dr Tofu? I think maybe you'd have a lot to talk about.>"
"<Dr Tofu?>" Realisation struck. "<Ah, you misunderstand. I'm a
professor of Archaeology, not a medical doctor.>"
"<You may find Dr Tofu worth talking to anyway then, Dr Jones.
Besides, I have a lot to do. I'll see you tonight.>"
Indy was liking this idea less and less. /Interested in such a venture?
Like who?/ Before he could ask any more questions, Genma had gone. Leaving
Indy alone with Mr Tendo, who hadn't stopped crying yet. Kasumi had somehow
made herself scarce, and Indy was at a loss at what to do.
"Wherever you are, Sophia, I hope you're ok." Perhaps he *would* go
sightseeing. Lowering his hat determinedly, Indy stalked out of the door,
and into modern day Tokyo.
(1) Kasumi never forces. Kasumi asks. Politely. There's something about
her that makes any thought of refusing any request of hers impossible.
There's no threat involved or implied about them, but there's always the
chance that if you said no, you'd hurt Kasumi's feelings.
(2) Indy spent a lot of time over the next few days convincing himself
that this was the case. Pulling one over Kasumi is not something to take
lightly. It's like kicking a spaniel, except you don't need the whimpering
and sulking to make you feel bad. Besides, evidence seems to show that
Kasumi notices far more than she lets on.
[End Episode 1]
Terence Fergusson
-- Student of Advanced Murphodynamics
-- Stranded in an Anime-free College