Dear Listmembers,
I understand that my post was too large for some people to read.
I am reposting chp. 8-9 for those people.
I am very sorry. I will try to keep future posts
under 100 kb
This segment is 93 kb.
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Please do NOT send e-mail to janne@mindspring. I am using this
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to send larger packets at one time. If anyone is interested I have
posted two fanfictions on the RAAC.
"Love is a Battlefield" and "Bloodfist" under the name Allyn
Yonge.
I would like to thank my three present pre-readers KazamaJun,
Thiemo and Ken Wolfe for their
patience and invaluable assistance. They have made this fanfiction
immeasurably better. Any
omissions and mistakes are entirely mine.
Again, to all the people who read chapters 3-9 THANK YOU
for all the kind words. Again, I am trying to answer everyone individually
but it is going to take time. ^_^ (And now, back
to work revising. (And spell check, and grammar check
and . . .)
BEGIN CHAPTERS 8- 9
The characters of the Ranma � universe are the creation
and possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. They belong to
Rumiko
Takahashi and her licensees (Shogakukan Inc., Kitty-Fuji TV, Viz
Communications Inc.) No copyright infringement is intended.
The characters of Sailor Moon are the creation and possession of
the brilliant Takeuchi Naoko.
They belong to Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai, Toei Animation, DIC,
and all others associated
with rights. No copyright infringement is intended.
[fanfic][sailormoon/ranma] [dark/waffy] Furies
Chapter 8
". . .have lost our last intelligence asset on the ground."
"And our remote sensing capability?"
The intelligence captain scrolled through his notes before
answering Sailorpluto.
"Beryl can not block us, but she now has the capability
to detect even pin-hole probes. We essentially have no covert
intelligence ability."
"And your solution?" Sailoruranus's tone suggested the
captain provide either a solution or his resignation. However
the captain was un-disturbed by the blond senshi's tone.
"Since we could not avoid detection, we encouraged it."
Sailorpluto raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry.
"A malfunction at the planetary communication center
caused " The captain consulted his notes again. "Thirty two
billion six hundred forty million eight hundred thousand and
twelve pin-hole gates to open simultaneously throughout Queen
Beryl's realm."
This surprised a bark of laughter from Sailoruranus.
"I hope that the proper apologies were sent to Her
Majesty, Queen Beryl." murmured Sailorneptune.
"They were indeed, Sailorneptune." the captain replied.
"Along with a stern message to the communications center
from Queen Serenity with orders to be more careful." the
captain looked embarrassed. "Uh, and a message to my office
as well, asking for copies of everything we obtained." he
paused "and a sealed message for you, Sailorpluto." the captain
handed Sailorpluto a small wafer. Sailorpluto broke the seal
and scanned the brief missive. The captain watched in
fascination as the tips of Sailorpluto's ears turned a delicate
pink.
"Very well captain. But I will review all materials
BEFORE they are sent to the Queen."
"But the Queen. . ."
"Does not need to see things like this!" Sailorpluto
activated a viewer with a savage motion. The air above the
table swirled with formless colors that coalesced into an image
of . . .
The captain closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Beside him he
could hear Sailorneptune make choking noises as she buried
her head in Sailoruranus's chest. The captain noted with some
satisfaction that Sailoruranus also looked pale and sick. Only
Sailorpluto remained unaffected. She dissolved the image with
another gesture.
"I do not believe that it will serve any purpose to
disturb the Queen with this sort of thing, do you captain?"
"That was a nasty trick to pull."Uranus said savagely
as soon as the captain had departed. She held Neptune in her
arms, rocking her gently as she stroked her hair.
"That idiot was going to send raw imagery to the
Queen." Pluto snapped back. " I just wanted to remind him of
the kind of things that were liable to show up in Beryl's realm."
"He's not an idiot." Neptune's voice came out muffled
from her position buried in Sailoruranus embrace. "He's a very
hard working young officer and we're lucky to have him."
"You're right. I'm sorry. If you think it necessary I'll
apologize to him."
Neptune wasn't fooled by Pluto's tone. She new very well that
Pluto's first and it sometimes seemed ONLY priority was the
Queen. She and Sailoruranus had worked with Pluto their
entire adult lives. Indeed, Pluto was the only family they had.
And she also knew that Pluto would cook both of them over a
slow fire and serve them up with a garnish if she thought it
would bring a smile to Serenity's face.
"You might offer him a promotion to senshi." Neptune
offered. "I've been watching him. He has potential, and it's not
as if we have a surplus."
Pluto looked surprised, then thoughtful.
"The idea has merit. But do you think he would be
willing to undergo the translation to sensh? He strikes me as . . .
ah. . .perhaps too attached to his present life."
"Young idiot." Sailoruranus snorted.
"Oh?" Neptune questioned archly. " I seem to
remember someone who cried, and cried and cried during their
translation."
"I was a stupid, stubborn, snotnosed little bastard who
didn't know what was good for. . ."
"You were an adorable little boy who was scared by
what was happening to you." Neptune giggled suddenly "and
you had the most adorable dimple on your. . ."
Sailoruranus clamped a hand over her lover's mouth.
"You WATCHED me!"
"Uh huh" Neptune nodded, grinning unrepentantly.
"The whole thing from beginning to end. I was always sorry
you lost the dimple along with. . ."
Pluto cleared her throat .
"Perhaps we should move on to the next issue in
private, before we all drown in this hormone storm."
A transfer portal opened at Pluto's command.
Sailoruranus blushed and tried to jerk away from her lover.
Neptune clamped her arms tighter around her waist and looked
at Pluto through lowered lashes.
"And perhaps you'd like to read us that note from the
Queen?"
Silvery laughter echoed in the room as the portal closed behind
the three senshi.
*******************************************************
Normally the eerie whispers and darting shadows of the time
gate made Sailoruranus . . .uncomfortable. Not this time.
"Are you insane!" Sailoruranus whispered. "Do you
know the penalty for tampering with the time line? Assuming
you don't turn us all into a steaming pile of goo, they'll build
an entirely new hell just for us."
Pluto gazed calmly at Siloruranus for a moment, then turned to
Sailorneptune.
"You're our intelligence analyst. What's the latest on
Beryl's 'Shadow's"."
"Before we lost our real-time assets we knew that one
was operational with another in the early stages of completion.
It appears to be a slow job, maybe two standard years to
complete a single 'Shadow'. There were also indications of at
least three more, and possibly a fourth, in the planning stages."
"And if they use them in an attack, what will be their
effect?"
"It will be a slaughter. Best estimates show sixty to
eighty percent losses on our side before we can stop them if
they employ two 'Shadows'."
"And if they have three, four, five, six. . .or more
Shadows? Then what?"
"We can't stop them." Sailoruranus said reluctantly,
"We couldn't do more than delay them." She looked up at
Pluto. "But Beryl's put everything she has into the 'Shadows'.
Her conventional forces don't amount to more than a token
guard force. And the 'Shadows' are just a cruder form of our
own' phase generator' technology. Our system is much stronger
and more versatile . . ."
"And it doesn't work, now does it?" Pluto returned
coldly. " That's the problem. The biggest gun in the world,
broken, is worth less than a big rock that does work. And Beryl
has got a very big rock."
"All right, what exactly do you have in mind?"
"Our only hope of stopping the Shadow's is to find
someone who can use the phase generator and survive.
Neptune has provided me with the results of the latest
simulations." Pluto held up a small data-crystal. "Any
individuals that meet these characteristics should have a 97%
chance or better of using the 'phase generator' and surviving.
No one in the entire Imperium meets these criteria. . .now. But
at some time there must be at least one person who does. And
that's all we need. One successful candidate. One will be
enough to stymie Beryl. And from that one person we can
produce more ."
Sailorneptune grimaced.
"That sounds a lot like Beryl's Aritfaxs. Why not just
build an artificial person to your specifications and use it. It
would be faster and they can only execute you once ."
"Don't you think I haven't tried?"
Uranus was startled. She'd been kidding, but it looked like
when Pluto decided to break the law she didn't want to miss
any.
"So far we haven't been able to duplicate Beryl's
processes. We can not create a complete artificial person.
Every attempt has died or become. . . unstable shortly after
maturity. But, if we have a living example of what we need,
THEN we can duplicate it, improve upon it. But we need that
original template first."
Pluto drew in a deep breath and faced her sister senshi.
"I know this is highly illegal and very dangerous. If it
goes wrong the best we can all hope for is a swift death at the
hands of the Royal executioner. At worst. . . well you might
wish you were in the hands of Beryl. But I think we can
succeed. I think we can find the person we need, activate the
weapon and save the Imperium."
"Gee boss, what do we do after lunch?"
*******************************************************
"Higher papa, higher."
The little girl squealed with delight as her father tossed her in
the air and caught her.
"Higher." she demanded "Higher. I want to fly!"
"That's enough flying right now. We have to get on the
road if were going to make the Fair by night fall."
The little girl and her father exchanged conspiratorial glances
as they answered.
"Yes mama."
"Yes dear."
She gave them both a look of fond resignation.
"Honestly, I can't tell which one is the child and which
the parent. I think I've got two children sometimes."
"YES MAMA." Father and daughter chorused, then
broke down laughing.
Mother, father and daughter headed down the mountain their
packs loaded with goods for the trade fair.
"Do you think people will really like this papa." The
little girl anxiously thrust her small fist toward her father. He
looked down at the object gleaming in her hand.
"Yes dear, I really think they will."
"Are you sure, are you really, really sure?"
He reached down and plucked the item gently from her hand.
He'd been an iron smith for forty years. He'd married late and
his little daughter was the spoiled darling of his life. If she'd
given him mud-pies with bug toppings, he'd have declared
them ambrosia and eaten every one. But this. . .he examined the
small figurine with awe. He was a good iron smith and he
knew it. Hinges, plowshares, wheel rims even knives and twice
swords he'd crafted. He was a good workman. Careful, with a
good eye and steady hand. And his wife. . . he glanced at the
beautiful young woman on his other side and marveled again at
his good fortune. His wife had all the female accomplishments.
Her woven work, her embroidery sold well at the fair. His eyes
dropped again to the fragile thing cradled in his hands. He
couldn't explain this. A spider web, spun from glass. It
stretched between two branches of a tree. In the lower corner sat
the spider, every detail, every fine hair lovingly detailed in
glass. There was glass dew beaded on the web, and in the upper
corner a small moth was just touching the web, not yet aware of
its fate. And every color, every shading and marking of spider,
moth and tree were reproduced in the glass. And his daughter
had a score of other glass jewels in her pack; mice, birds,
clouds, even a leaf floating down a stream. All carefully packed
in straw.
"Yes, baby, I'm sure the people will like it. Now let me
put it back so it doesn't get broken."
He had. again, a sudden impulse to smash it, to smash
everything in her small pack and head back up the mountain.
His daughter had no idea that this one item was worth more
than their home, his forge, tools and every thing he had made or
could ever hope to make in iron. But he wanted what was best
for her. And some noble would see her work and become her
patron. She would want for nothing for the rest of her life,
might even find a place at court. She would never spend
another cold winter on the mountain, or a hungry summer. The
price was high, for his wife and him. She would go off with her
patron and they would stay. They might not see her again for
years, or ever. Life was hard on the mountain. But if that was
the price for her security, her happiness they would pay it and
gladly.
*******************************************************
"This looks promising."
"What have you got?"
"This is the best match we've found so far. I say we
extract."
"What have we got for mass/energy exchange?"
"That's the best part. There's a typhoon just off the
coast."
"Do it."
******************************************************
He couldn't understand what he was seeing at first. The top of
the mountain seemed heave and shake. Then he did understand,
but couldn't believe. In his thirty years living on the mountain
there'd never been an avalanche this late in the year and in
living memory never from the top of the mountain. He dropped
his pack, grabbed his wife and daughter and ran. Behind him
three hundred thousand cubic tons of snow moving at ninety
kilometers per hour followed. He sprinted for the tree line. It
was a faint hope, but the trees and rock might slow the snow
enough . . .disrupt the flow enough. . . He was strong from
years of hard work, his wife was young and swift. . .They
should have had a chance. . .If he hadn't tripped. . .if the ground
hadn't seemed to reach up and claw at her ankles. They fell,
father, mother and daughter. They fell.
Fifteen hundred kilometers away a small fishing village was hit
by a typhoon at that same instant. A young mother was caught
out fishing when the storm hit. A drifter was swept off the
beach where he was sleeping and out to sea. And the storm
suddenly died down. Everyone said that it was a miracle they
survived.
Two people lived, two people died.
The equation balanced..
The universe was satisfied.
*******************************************************
"Papa! Mama!"
The small girl struggled against the soft bindings. They had
gone to a lot of trouble to get her and they didn't care to have
her injure herself.
"Paaaapaaaa! Maaaammaaaa!"
Dirty . . . bruised . . .frightened. But alive. And not a ripple in
the time stream. Pluto's eyes burned with triumph. They had
their weapon. . .
The little girl turned her dirty tear stained face and Pluto could
see her eyes. Huge grey eyes, like a soft sea mist. With an
effort Pluto wrenched herself away and her gaze fell on the
open pack at the childs feet. From it spilled a treasure in glass,
birds, insects, clouds. In the ten thousand thousand lifetimes
she'd seen and lived at the Time Gate, she had never seen such
delicate, exquisite work and knew she might not see such again
for twice ten thousand thousand. A mental command brought
one of the pieces to her hand, a tiny butterfly, its brightly
colored wings poised to fly away. "Serenity would love this."
she thought "and she would love the little girl." Unbidden her
eyes were again drawn to the frightened, weeping girl.
Something inside of the little girl called to a part of her.. This
could be her daughter!
Rendered forever childless by her duties and by the radiation
sleeting through the time gate she'd never thought to have
children. Her belly clenched suddenly with the thought. "A
daughter." she thought wonderingly. An end to loneliness.
Serenity had filled one hole in her heart. Suddenly this little girl
showed her another, one she'd never know existed. Pictures
raced through her mind. Sitting in the gardens with Serenity
watching their children play. Teaching her daughter to read,
buying her presents. Glowing with pride as her daughter
created beauty from sand and fire, light and shadow.
Shadow.
Her fists clenched and a shudder rocked her body. The image
of her daughter creating beauty was replaced by Serenity
broken, dead, defiled. The Shadows prowled the ruins of the
Imperium like maggots feeding on a corpse.
"Are you all right? Your hand is bleeding."
Pluto opened her fist and shards of bloody glass fell to the floor.
"Move her to the test facility. I want the first stage
implants installed and on line before that second 'Shadow' is
operational."
Chapter 9
The Imperial Palace was situated in the center of a three
hundred square kilometer section of old growth forest. Some of
the "astri" trees stood almost a kilometer tall and predated the
Imperium. Within site of the palace itself towered "Cloud
Song" oldest and at twelve hundred fifty meters, tallest of the
giant "astri". Legend had it that Serenity, the first of that name,
sheltered from her enemies in it's branches during the first days
of the revolution. From that spot she rallied her forces, planned
her campaigns and, so the stories went, set out on the final
genocidal assault that destroyed the Z'rten. From the ruins of
an Empire that for ten thousand years lived on the blood, flesh
and terror of their enemies Serenity had forged the Silver
Imperium. She built her palace within sight of the tree saying
only that "Cloud Song" was the best and most honest of all her
advisors.
Five hundred meters above the ground another figure had taken
refuge this day.
Augmented senses scanned the palace and grounds. Every
millimeter of terrain was searched and mapped. Every room of
the palace that wasn't covered by class 1 shielding, every
corridor, every hallway, service passage and cubby hole was
meticulously probed with delicate electronic senses, cataloged,
cross indexed and the information stored with robotic
perfection. Even the shielded apartments yielded valuable
information. The shielded areas had something to protect . .
.something . . .valuable. Only after every roving patrol, every
fixed guard station was pinpointed; every trap, trip-wire and
alarm probed did the did the silent figure move, dropping from
it's five hundred meter perch as easily as a house cat hopping
down from the kitchen table.
She staggered, clutching at the wall for support. Her vision
blurred and her ears were clogged with a harsh thrumming
sound. Something was wrong.
"Sys . . .sys'ms. . .S ystem. . . .C. .check."
##Accumulators at 96%. Primary Weapon locked.
Energy weapon, no access. Kinetic Weapon, no access.
Infiltration mode engaged. Optical Effect generator working.
Active sensors on standby, Passive Sensors at 0.35. Shield
generators ON. BioEnhancement operating at maximum.##
The whisper paused. ##Warning! Second Stage Warning. Use
of BioEnhancement at War Emergency power for extended
periods will degrade neural pathways. Cellular integ. . .##
"Override. Cancel warning." the voice fell silent.
"What's wrong with me?"
##Command not found##
"Mission capability compromised. Isolate fault."
##Biological components exceeding design tolerance.
Protein envelope shows multiple breaches and out-gassing of
parasitic byproducts.##
"OK, I've got running sores and I stink. What else."
##Not underst. . .##
"Continue!!"
##Core temperature 5 degrees above optimum.
Increasing numbers of viral and bacterial agents detected.
Blood filtration system beyond design capacity. System failure
imminent. Tissue necrosis evident in the following areas.## An
internal diagram appeared in her mind. Her liver and kidneys
were highlighted, with an alpha-numeric display to the lower
right providing detail.
##Oxygen carrying capacity compromised, system
saturated with fatigue poisons. Degradation of. . .##
She shuddered and would have fallen without her implants to
hold her up. Blackness threatened to overwhelm her.
"Stims." she ordered the voice.
##Negative.##
"Stims." she ordered again. "Mission priority override."
##Negative. Core programming forbids self-
termination. Stimulant usage at lethal threshold.##
"No! How long. . ."
The voice seemed to understand this question.
##Mission at T plus 225 hours, 22 minutes, 18 seconds.
Weapon has been active for T plus 225 hours, 22 minutes,19
seconds. This exceeds design specifications by 153 hours, 22
minutes,20 seconds.##
Her thoughts clawed their way through the heavy clinging mud
of fatigue and sickness. She was so close she thought weeping
with fatigue and frustration. She banged her fist against her
thigh. So close. Ten billion kilometers. Over 200 hours. And
now, when she was within METERS of her target, within
minutes of completing her mission. Princess Serenity was going
to live because she couldn't stay awake.
******************************************************
##Warning! Guard Patrol ahead. Autonomous Defense
Mode Initiated.##
She wished the voice would shut up. She was so tired. Too tired
to make sense of that stupid voice.
##Combat Capabilities 0.06. Initiating Escape and
Evasion sub- routines.##
She wanted to weep with frustration. Every time she was almost
asleep that stupid voice would wake her up. The meaning of the
words niggled at the back of her mind, but the meaning just
wouldn't come. The voice sounded impatient, worried even.
Maybe if she answered it, it would shut up and let her sleep.
"Wh' h'ppn."
##Input not understood##
Stupid voice.
"Whus hap'ning."
##Escape route compromised. Enemy forces closing in.
Detection/capture immanent. Defense sub-routines require
command input##
She struggled to open eyes glued shut by exhaustion The
blinding light sent a stabbing pain through her head.
Stupid voice. Using all those big words. She'd show it.
"Shu'up. Tr'n off ligh' n let me sleep. Jus go way be
quiet."
There was a momentary pause.
##Command input accepted. Initiating new Escape sub-
routine.##
The shambling stinking scarecrow raised an arm and placed it
against an apparently featureless part of the wall. There was a
brief flair of heat and light. Then lights went out and alarms
went off all over the palace. Intruder alert sirens whooped
along side the shrill ohee-ohee of fire-alarms. Then the
sprinkler system went off. In the confusion, no one noticed the
lone figure make it's way through the dark confused corridors.
By the time the fault in the security system was isolated and
repaired the figure was already deeply asleep in a bed in the old
part of the palace that had not seen use in over a century.
*******************************************************
"Higher, papa. Higher. I want to fly!" Papa threw her
higher and higher. The mountains looked like hills, her house
like a toy. Then papa, mama, the mountain all vanished.
"Work through the pain! Haven't you learned
anything! If you can't get this much right you're useless."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I try to be good. But it's hard. It
hurts. I'm sorry."
"Don't talk, focus. Focus!"
Pain flashed through her body. She arched against her bonds till
her joints cracked and she cried blood as vessels in her eyes
burst.
"Now FOCUS. Bring the ball through the hoop. Don't
let the sides touch."
She concentrated, focusing on the swirling colored motes. She
concentrated through the pain, bringing the gnat sized objects
into focus, controlling the delicate sensory implants with
virtuoso skill. Like threading a needle in a hail storm, standing
on one leg in a small boat, while someone drove burning iron
into your joints. It just took practice. And just like that the
microscopic ball flew through the infinitesimal hoop, with
microns to spare. And the pain. . . stopped. Peace washed over
her body and she slumped sobbing and sweating in her bonds.
Distantly, disinterestedly she could hear voices.
"How did it go?"
"Magnificently. You were correct. I would never have
imagined she could reach this stage so quickly. She maintained
control at all times. And there is no evidence of the psychosis or
delusional behavior that was so troublesome with the previous
subjects. We have actually exceeded the threshold imposed by
the new generator technology by 20%. Phasing up or down
should actually be quite pleasant. . . in comparison."
"And the primary weapon?"
"The generator has already been installed. We should
be able to do our first power up by tomorrow evening."
The voices faded as she was wheeled away, still strapped to the
test frame. She could see brightly colored cloth swirling next to
her head. It was one of them. Beautiful and bright she'd
thought they were angels when she'd first come here. Now she
knew. She's been bad. She didn't know why or what. But she'd
been bad. She'd told them she was sorry. She told them she'd
be good. She almost never did that anymore. It just wasted
time. A tear leak from and eye that shouldn't have had any
more tears to cry.
"I'll be good." she whispered . " I promise, I'll be
good."
*******************************************************
She bolted awake, her sleep fuzzy mind trying to separate
dream from reality.
"I brought you a tray."
She whipped around in the bed at the sound of the voice. Hugh
sky-blue eyes blinked solemnly back at her.
"I brought you a tray." the voice repeated, "you can eat
it in the bath."
A tiny hand, pale as star light, reached out to tug her gently off
the bed. Dazed she followed the insistent tugging till she found
herself confronting a tub the size of a small lake filled with
fragrant herbs. Tugging and pulling the small hands soon had
her filthy clothes piled in a heap at her feet.
"Get in now. I'll help you."
Her small helper dropped her own robe to the floor and stepped
naked into the tub with her.
"They call me 'Stormy'.What's your name?"
"I. . .I. . ."
At her look of miserable confusion her petite helper patted her
softly on the shoulder.
"I know, I don't like my name either. Stormy's just a
nick name. How 'bout I come up with one for you?" she
thought for a moment. "I know. 'Misty', 'cause your eyes look
just like a morning mist. Well, fog, really . . . but calling you
foggy wouldn't be as pretty. Is Misty OK?" She asked
anxiously.
Stormy seemed to take silence as consent and as simply as that
she had a name. She'd had one "before", a name and a life, but
that was so long ago as to be beyond a dream. But now she had
a name again. She was no longer the "subject", the "project" or
"Weapon 4". She was a person. Stormy, seemingly unaware of
this internal turmoil pushed Misty gently but firmly into the
tub.
"Wait just a minute and you can eat." Stormy scrubbed
away at the grime and oil that blackened Misty's arms.
"OK, now you can eat while I finish the rest."
With that she swung out a tray loaded with small sandwiches,
cold cuts, cheeses and a pitcher filled with cool, sweet spring
water. Misty grabbed the pitcher and drained it in one
prodigious gulp. She followed this by cramming fist fulls of
food into her mouth as fast as she could swallow without
chewing. Stormy ignored the spray of food particles and
gasping gulping noises as she contentedly bathed her new
friend.
"Lift please." She brought the sponge down in long
gentle strokes.
"I hope you like the cakes, they're my favorite."
Stormy didn't seem to expect an answer. Or perhaps the way
Misty inhaled the delicate honey-cakes, mixed indiscriminately
with cheese, bitter relish and parched nuts was an answer in
itself.
"Are you ticklish?" Stormy scooted down and lifted one
of Misty's feet into her lap. She paused, brush held expectantly
in one had. "Tell me if you are, 'cause I don't want to get
kicked in the head. I mean I've got a friend. She TELLS
everybody she's not ticklish . . . .BUT . . . We were trying on
shoes one day, and I ran a finger down her sole. . .trying to get
the shoe on. She's got really, really big feet. Well not that big,
but bigger than mine. And I'll tell you, she let out a shriek and
almost took my head off." Stormy's chatter paused for a
moment and she rubbed her cheek reminiscently. "So anyway
tell me if you are . . .ticklish that is."
" I don't know. I've never been tickled."
"REALLY?" Stormy looked at the small bare foot in
her hands, a mischievous glint in her eye. Then she shook her
head regretfully. "No, you need to rest first." She proceeded to
scrub both grimy feet with the precision and detachment of a
pathologist cleaning a specimen. "All done. Now, hold your
breath."
"Huh?"
"Hold your breath silly. Like this." She demonstrated,
sucking in a large gulp of air, puffing her cheeks out.
Misty did so, uncomprehendingly.
"We need to wash your hair." So saying Stormy
yanked on the feet resting in her lap, pulling Misty completely
under water. She came up sputtering to find Stormy already
behind her, a large dollop of shampoo in her hands.
"Just relax. I'm really good at this. Probably 'cause I
get so much practice."
The combination of a full tummy, warm water and gentle
fingers massaging her scalp was like a drug. Helplessly her
head fell back to rest against a surprisingly strong bare
shoulder.
"Just relax, I'll be through in a minute."
The warm soapy water and the soft voice touched some
forgotten, forbidden fragment of her lost life. A tear fell from
her eye, then another and another.
"You're crying. What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I don't know. I'm sorry, I'm. . ."
"Hush, It's all right. It's all right. I 'll protect you. It's
all right."
It was absurd, foolish. To think this tiny girl could protect her
from . . .them. But she was so tired. So afraid. She wanted to
believe . . .
. . ."Did you have a nice sleep."
When she 'woke again it was still daylight.
"You fell asleep in the tub, so I just put you to bed."
Misty peeked under the covers that had been drawn over her.
"I brought you some clothes." Stormy handed her a
bundle that seemed to consist of the same lacy pink froth
Stormy was wearing. Misty looked in horror at the "cute"
confection and Stormy broke out in a braying laugh that
sounded more like a turbine with a broken impeller fan than
something produced by a human throat.
"If. . .if you could ONLY have seen your face!" The
memory threatened to send Stormy off into paroxysms again.
"Sorry . . .I couldn't resist. Here, THESE are for you."
She handed Misty a bundle, consisting of short boots, work
pants and shirt of a heavy cloth.
Stormy grinned at the look of relief in Misty's eyes.
"I couldn't resist. We have company coming and I had
to dress up." She twirled, petticoats and over skirt flaring in a
deadly vortex of lace and ruffles.
"I love dressing up, and I adore lace. . . but this!"
She giggled again.
"Anyway, I'll be gone most of the day. I brought you
another tray and some books. You can go out into the garden if
you want." she indicated large doors of frosted glass. "They're
pretty overgrown because no one comes to this part of the
palace much any more. Except me. This is my own special
place." She looked at Misty seriously. "And now it's your's
too." She glanced at a bracelet strapped around her wrist and let
out a shriek as a row of numbers and letters flashed briefly.
"Ohhhh! I am sooooo laaaattteee! Gottagogoodby!"
And disappeared through the door in a taffeta storm . . . .
. . . ."Is this what you wanted?" Stormy poured a bag
of tools out on the floor.
Misty had been in this room for over a week. Every day she
woke up to find Stormy by her bed. Every day Stormy brought
food, books, games. Sometimes they'd talk, well Stormy would
talk while Misty listened fascinated, even when she didn't
understand the alien concepts of . . . friends . . .freedom . .
.laughter but soothed somehow by the gentle voice. Or Stormy
would try to teach her how to play a game, or they would walk
in the garden, wilde and overgrown after a century of neglect..
Two days ago Misty had asked for some tools. Stormy didn't
ask any questions. She never asked questions. And Misty had
too little knowledge of human nature to think this strange. She
hadn't seen a human being in ten years.
"Yes, this is just what I needed."
"Ewww! Doesn't that hurt?" Stormy watched in
horrified fascination as Misty opened up her abdomen with a
quick neat slash.
"No." she answered truthfully prying up a rib with her
fingers. "I have a high pain threshold." She reached behind the
ribs and pulled out a small grey cylinder with a wet sucking
sound. She pulled a thin wire from a small orange box that was
among the tools Stormy had brought her and plugged it into an
access port in the cylinder.
"Run diagnostics."she commanded the whispering
voice.
She watched the test unit display change as her implants ran
through diagnostic routines.
"Yes, this is just perfect. . . see!" She held out the tiny
instrument in a bloody hand.
THUNK!
"I'm sorry Stormy." Misty didn't sound sorry. She
honestly didn't understand why her friend was upset.
"That's OK, you couldn't know." Stormy sat with her
face carefully to the wall while Misty worked.
"Uh, how much longer?"
"I don't know. Be silent."
Stormy grinned at the blank wall. Misty had a lot of social
skills to learn. It would be so much fun teaching her.
##Energy weapon on line. Kinetic weapon on line.
Primary Weapon locked.##
She hugged her self in delight. She'd never expected this much.
Her chance of success had just increased by several orders of
magnitude. There were holes in the security system. She'd
proved that when she escaped. She couldn't kill herself. She
couldn't kill Pluto or any of the senshi. She couldn't kill the
Queen. She couldn't kill the Princess. Ah, but therein lay
another hole in the programming. Mistake, oversight , act of
goddess. It didn't make any difference. She couldn't kill the
Princess, but they'd never told her what the Princess looked
like. There was nothing to prevent her from killing a perfectly
unknown person who happened to occupy the Princess's
apartments. She couldn't kill herself. . . but when she killed the
Princess. . .
*******************************************************
She waited for the Princess to return to her rooms.
She'd accessed the security computer and downloaded the
Princesses schedule. She should be returning from the dinner
party in just a few minutes.
##Sensors detect movement. Three to five individuals
moving toward ambush. Do you wish to refine data?##
"NO!"
No, the last thing she wanted was a clear picture of who was
coming. If her implants recognized anything that identified the
Princess they would lock her down tighter than any chains. She
calmed her breathing. Soon it would be over, she would be free.
They would never hurt her again. And best of all, it would hurt
HER, hurt her plans, whatever they were. She savored the
thought as she waited for the one person who could grant her
release. She would kill the Princess. . . then someone would kill
her.
"Weapons off safe. Standby to power up."
She had to wait to power her weapons till the last minute. She
wasn't sure how good the palaces internal sensors were and she
didn't want to be detected at the last moment. She could be
ready to fire in under a second. Agonizingly slow to her
enhanced senses, but sufficient for her task. She could hear foot
steps now, no need for augmentation they were so close. The
door latch started to slide.
"Power to weapons."
The door quivered and swung inward.
##Weapons hot.## the voice whispered. ##Targeting
data?##
"Targeting set to manual control."
##Manual targeting confirmed.##
She swung both guns up and centered on the opening door. The
blast would kill every one in the corridor. She would have fired
through the door, but it was armored. The time it would take to
burn through the door might be enough time for her target to
escape. A figure entered the room and she started to
fire at . . .STORMY! She froze in confusion as she recognized
her friend. Then other figures crowded into the room. SENSHI!
Alarms began to scream in her head as fail-safe routines started.
Her augmentation shut down, leaving her weak and vulnerable
as any normal human. She'd anticipated that this might happen
and planted a few surprises of her own.
"Run Simulation. . .Palace Coup."
She felt a hesitation, then her augmentation spun back up as the
idiot savant computer in her skull accepted input telling it that
this was a war game simulation and not real senshi. It wouldn't
fool the computer long, but she didn't need long. As power
came back to her weapons she brought them to bear again as a
brightly colored figure, twice her size, smashed her to the
ground.
"Mars, Mercury get the princess out of here!"
She froze. . .Princess. . .her augmentation recognized the
regalia, the jewels, Imperial signet. . .another set of fail-safes
went off. This time she didn't just loose power. THEY had tried
to teach her not to disobey. THEY had tried to teach her not to
question them. BUT . . .They had also taught her to withstand
pain. That lesson made it difficult for them to discipline her.
But THEY were clever and cruel as they were beautiful and
bright. They turned her own mind against her. Even as Jupiter
pinned her to the ground she screamed and bent almost double
in convulsions, throwing the big senshi across the room.
Psychotropic drugs flooded her system, stripping away reality.
A buried program activated, filling the void with night terrors,
phantasms and fears carefully stolen from a young girl and
hoarded against need.
The horrified senshi backed away from the convulsing,
screaming figure.
"Princess, get back!"
"Misty, it's me. Stormy."
"No,no,no. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Don't hurt me any
more. I'll be good."
Misty tried to crawl to Serenity.
"Make it stop. I'll be good. I promise. I promise. Please.
I'll be good."
The Princess dropped to her knees and hugged her friend to her.
"It's me, it's me! What can I do!"
Misty curled into a small weeping ball at Serenity's feet.
"I'll be good, make it stop, make it stop I'll be good!."
"Princess! Princess!"
"What, Mercury!"
"Tell her she's being good!"
"What!"
"Hurry, tell her she's being good!"
The frantic Princess grabbed her friend and whispered fiercely
in her ear.
"You are good, you are good."
The convulsions lessened.
"You are very good. You are my friend. My good
friend. You are a good girl, a very good girl. The best."
She held the shuddering girl, repeating this litany over and over
'till her voice was gone and the girl fell into an exhausted sleep.
"Well that was exciting." Sailorjupiter limped back to
her friends from the kitchen bearing a tray with glasses and a
pitcher of spices wine."I take it you know her?"
"She's the friend I told you about."
Sailormars stared at her princess.
"You didn't tell us she was a homicidal maniac."
"That's not fair!"
"FAIR! This maniac almost fried us and you talk about
FAIR!"
"Actually, there are a couple of interesting things about
the princess's new friend."Sailormercury was looking at her
computer and entering commands.
"OH! Something interesting aside from the fact that she
tried to kill us with a pair of CANNON!"
"Calm down Mars."
"Well, excuse me if almost being assassinated makes
me CRANKY!!"
"Look at this." Mercury pointed to a schematic on her
computer screen. "Now this is her pharmocopia. Most of the
drugs are pretty standard, pain killers, antibiotics, stimulants.
But this little section here, contains a very powerful psycho
tropic drug. It's usually used in treating mental illness. . ."
"I told you she was a nut case." Mars muttered.
Mercury ignored her and continued.
"And this" she pointed to a blinking icon "is a
miniaturized dream state actuator. This is used in treating
certain deep seated phobias and psychoses." She tapped a few
keys. "I'm going to play back what happened just after the
princess opened the door. Here you can see she is about to fire.
She recognizes the princess and freezes. Now this was a
voluntary reaction. Then we enter the room behind the princess.
Our 'friend's' implant's "
"Her name is Misty."
"Sorry, Misty's implant's go wilde and try to shut her
down. But someone, probably Misty, is a very clever programer
as well. There was a routine coded that told the implants that
we were all just a simulation. No senshi here, just a computer
simulation of senshi. That fooled the master computer but
THEN something else happened. I'm not sure exactly what but
it was centered on you." Mercury indicated her princess.
"ME?"
"Something triggered some core fail-safe that dumped
the drugs into her system and started the dream-state actuator.
But instead of being used to CURE a phobia or psychosis it was
use to give them. Some one arranged to drop her into her worst
nightmare and them magnify it."
"Will she be all right?"
"I don't know. She should be dead. By normal
standards that was a lethal dosage of drug. On the other had it
looks like someone has completely rebuilt her. She's even got a
complete "MolFac' installed inside her body. I've never heard
of. . ."
"Wait, wait, 'Molfac?"
"Sorry. Think about when you go to the healer and they
inject tailored molecular machines to fix a broken bone, or
repair a torn ligament. Well, she's got a factory inside her to
manufacture the machines. As long as it's got power and raw
materials it can keep her up and going no matter the damage.
And it's been used . . .a lot. My scans indicate that every bone
in her body has been broken, multiple times ,over a period of
years. It's harder to tell with soft tissue but her repairs are so
extensive that she looks like a quilt."
"Who would do somethin. . ." Jupiter's voice trailed
off. "Oh shit. Them!"
"Yeah, with friends like them, who needs enema's."
"That's an old joke, Mars. And not very funny."
"Oh yeah, well how 'bout this. What's the difference
between Sailorneptune and Queen Beryl?
Queen Beryl wears a longer skirt."
"I've got one!" Jupiter chimed in. "What's the
difference between Sailoruranus and Queen Breryl?
Queen Beryl has a sense of humor."
"Ok, Ok." Venus reposted. "What's the difference
between Sailorpluto and Queen Beryl?"
"I don't know."
"Neither does anyone else!"
Usagi sat on the floor with Misty curled in her lap like an
abandoned kitten. She looked up at her jesting friends.
"What are we going to do?"
The senshi looked at their princess.
"We could hide her. My uncle has a hunting lodge. . ."
"That's no good Mars. Even if we fooled the demon
bitches, Pluto could find her anywhere she hid."
"We've got to think of somewhere Pluto can't find her .
. .or someone Pluto can't intimidate." Mercury put in.
"Well, the only two I can think of that would go against
Pluto are the Goddess OR Her Majesty . . ." Jupiter joked.
"Well, we can't depend on miracles," Venus
deadpanned. "So I guess it's the Goddess."
"I think . . .I think I have an idea." The princess looked
at her friends. " I need to go get something. Look after Misty
while I'm gone. Don't take any chances with the Outer's or
Sailorpluto. If you have to . . .go to my mother. I think I'll be
back before anything happens but. . ."
"Yeah. But why not just go to your mother now?"
The princess looked up at her big friend.
"Because I don't want to put mother in the position of
having to choose between Sailorpluto and me. She has enough
to worry about with all the trouble Beryl is causing."
The princess walked out of her apartments followed by the
commander of her guard.
"This is a big mistake. We should just give her back."
"Venus," The Princess looked betrayed "you've seen
what they did to her, what they'll keep doing."
"They must have a reason. . ."
"Oh yes. They always have a reason.."Her bitter
condemning tone would have shocked most of the palace
residence who knew only the cheerful smiling princess.
" They can justify anything . . . Sacrifices must be made!" She
mimicked. " The problem is, by the time they're through
sacrificing to save the Imperium . . .there won't be anybody left
alive to save. Well not this time. They don't get her. Not now!
Not ever!"
"We can't stop them ." Venus held up her hand to
forestall objections. "You are our Princess. You command and
we obey. Besides" Venus gave her liege a wry grin. " nothing
would give me more pleasure than to hand those two their
heads" She saw Misty's surprised look and explained.
"I was visiting some friends at the super-metal mining
facility about ten years ago. That's in the asteroid belt so it falls
in the Outer's jurisdiction. Well, there was an outbreak of
Nerve Fever. In a closed system like the belt habitats it's
horrible. And since the incubation period is almost four weeks
the whole system was contaminated before anyone knew it. It
was so bad they had to call on the Inner System to help with
treatment and evacuation. I was on one of the unaffected
habitats that was used as a staging area." Venus chuckled "Up
to that time I knew I wanted to be a senshi, but I wanted to be
an Outer. Guard the Frontier, first contact with aliens, the
whole bit. Well, I got to see Inner and Outer senshi in action.
The Outer senshi all looked like they'd just stepped off a
recruiting poster. Especially Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune.
And their groups of refugee's . . . No crying babies, every one
in their queue, no pushing or shoving. It was text-book perfect.
Then you could walk down and see the Inner's working.
Uniforms rumpled, and dirty. They looked like an unmade bed.
Babies crying, children playing in the halls people pushing and
shoving in line. It was a real mess. I thought they were a joke.
Then, one day, I watched the Outer's process a new batch of
refugees. They sorted, cataloged and moved them along like
they were so much trash that had to be disposed of. And I found
out why their refugees were so polite. They were terrified of
the Outer senshi I watched them separate a little boy from his
parents. The parents had tested positive for the virus, but the
child was clean. So the parents went to quarantine and the child
went to holding. Well this kid had a stuffed animal, a bear or
horse or something. And he was clutching this thing and crying
for his mama and papa. Problem was this stuffed animal wasn't
on the Outer's approved list. Only NECESSARY items, as
decreed by the all knowing Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune. I
watched one of the Outer senshi SNATCH the doll out of that
child's hands and dump it. I hated them for that. They could
have made an exception. The Inner's did all the time. But not
the Outer's. That would be too untidy, too inefficient.
"Sacrifices have to be made." That was the first time I ever
heard that. I found out later that's the un-official Outer Senshi
motto." Venus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We
can't stop them if they come. Maybe in a few years when we're
older, stronger. But they'll be hurting when they leave."
Princess Serenity slipped a heavy chain over her head and
dropped it over the surprised Sailorvenus's head.
"This is my personal seal. When you speak it is with
my voice. When you act it is by my will. If any one attempts to
take Misty, you tell them she is under MY personal protection.
Tell them any attempt to remove her from my care will be
treated as an act of treason and I will so charge them in the
High Court."
"You do know what this means, don't you?"
"Well, at the very least I'll find out who means the most
to mother, Sailorpluto or me."
*******************************************************
"Good morning sleepy head. Have a nice nap?"
Misty bolted up right to see . . .a very large . . .breast? It spoke
again.
"Not a morning person? You're just like the rest of
these slug-a-beds. I just LOVE mornings." the voice caroled.
She scooted back to gain some perspective and discovered an
even larger girl attached to the mammoth mammary, which
turned out to be one of a matched pair.
"Hey, Venus! Rise and shine. You need to show our
guest around while I fix breakfast." A huge right hand blurred
toward the bed covers.
THWAK!
"Owwwwie." A tousled bond head popped up from
under the covers.
"Save it for Mercury you sadist. SHE likes it."
Venus rolled of the bed rubbing her injured dignity and glaring
at her sister senshi. Jupiter laughed and padded back into the
kitchen.
"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny." Venus looked down at the
bewildered girl on the bed.
"Uh, Misty isn't it."
The small dark head bobbed once.
"OK Misty, lets get you cleaned up, then fed. We have
a long day ahead. . . I hope" she muttered sotto voice.
"Mercury, time to get up."
She prodded the small senshi who lay drooling cutely into her
pillow. She giggled slightly at Venus's assault, only drawing
her arms in slightly to protect her ribs. Venus poked again,
harder. This caused Mercury to curl up on her side , knees just
under her breasts, one hand going to her mouth like a small
child.
"Yuch!" Venus grimaced. "Even asleep she's adorable.
HEY Jupiter" she shouted to her culinary comrade. " How can
you stand this! She makes my teeth ache, she's so sweet."
"She has her moments."
"Ha, I've got it. A low powered 'Crescent Beam'."
Venus started to power up. "Might even leave her eyebrows."
"Aaaakkk! I'm up, I'm up!" Mercury bolted out of the
bed, hands held protectively over her eyebrows.
"How nice you could join us. Now lets get going."
"Jupiter, it's your turn to get Mars."
"Aww. Do I haffta?"
"I did it the last two times. Now move."
Venus and Mercury shepherded Misty toward the bathroom
while Jupiter grimly stalked toward the bed and the remaining
senshi.
"I bet you wondering why you're naked." Mercury
asked her charge as they headed for the bath.
"'Cause we like looking at naked girls?"
"Shut up Venus!" Mercury snapped. "Your old clothes
were covered in vomit. And there was no sense in putting clean
clothes on you to sleep when you were so dirty yourself."
Venus chuckled evilly.
"Good one Mercury. Now explain why WE are all
naked."
Mercury took a deep breath then let it out slowly.
"WE are naked because my analysis indicated that it
was the sens . . ." She paused as Misty tensed beneath her
hands. "because our uniforms caused you to react badly."
"And because we like to look at naked girls." Venus
chirped.
"I think it's the crystal." Jupiter intoned as the padded
by . . .a comatose Mars slung over one shoulder like a bag of
rice. She disappeared around a corner headed toward the cold
section of the bath.
"Uh oh!"
"Quick, down!" Venus grabbed Misty and hauled her
down behind a cabinet as Mercury hurled herself under a low
bench.
SPLOOSH!
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!COLD!"
"Uh. . .
"MARRRRRRSSSSS!
"It's not my fault."
"FIRRRRREEEEE!"
"Mercury made me do it?"
"SSSSSSNNNNNAAAAAAAKKKKKKEEEEEE!!!"
"I'vegottagocheckonbreakfastbynow!"
Jupiter thundered past as if the hounds of hell were nipping at
her heels, instead of a fiery serpent nibbling just a little higher.
"Well that went well."
Msity gazed at Venus in bewilderment.
"She didn't set off the sprinklers."
"ONE time, and no one ever lets you forget.
The senshi of fire squished into the room, looking like a
drowned cat and smelling like burnt wool. She looked around
the room. "Hey, why is every body naked?"
"It's the crystal." Jupiter came into the bath carrying
two heavily laden trays.
"Jupiter's got this theory that long exposure to the
crystal has made the Imperial family. . . a little strange."
"Hey, it explains the short skirts. And remember
Serenity the First had a TREE as her chief advisor."
Misty was settled into the steaming water, two senshi on
either side of her.
"You know, eating in the bath was one of Stormy's
better ideas. It's fast, comfortable and you're all clean when
you're done."
"And you get to look at nake. . ."
"Will you knock it off." Mercury bopped her friend
lightly on the head."
"Ummm. Why do you call her 'Stormy'?"
"Ha! Well Serenity is the Imperial family name, but of
course each Sovereign has her own personal name and later
chooses her Reign name. Well 'Stormy' HATED her personal
name, so every one called her 'little Serenity'. That wasn't
much better as far as she was concerned. She was always
getting into so much trouble that someone finally said she had
as 'little Serenity as a typhoon.' From then own she was called
Stormy."
The five girls washed and ate in companionable silence.
"Well, now what do we do?" Jupiter asked the walls.
"Get dressed, if there's anything in Stormy's closet that
will fit" Venus looked at her giant companion who grinned
back
"Or won't strangle us in lace." Jupiter added. Venus
looked dismayed at the prospect.
"Why don't we just 'port something from our rooms, or
buy new?" Mars asked?
"Because THEY may be out looking for our friend
Misty. The Royal Apartments are shielded. No one can tell
who, if anyone is in here right now. And even THEY might
hesitate to blindly invade the princesses apartments. But if
THEY knew we were here then . . ."
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Every one jumped as the door shuddered under massive blows.
"Shit!" Venus cursed and leaped to her feet. "Mars,
Mercury take Misty and run for the Queen's apartments. She
may shelter you, at least until she talks with Stormy."
"We're not going to leave. . ."
"Don't argue. I promised Stormy that we wouldn't let
them take Misty. This is our best chance."
"And if the Queen won't give us shelter?"
"Don't let them take her, not alive."
Venus took up position beside the door.
"Jupiter, open a hole with a thunder bolt when I open
the door. That'll be your signal Mercury. Lay down a 'Shabon
Spray' and try to break out down the corridor. I'll cover with a
'Crescent Beam' as long as I can. Mars, you just burn anything
still moving. Ready?"
Mars fire burned with an angry flame while frost rimmed the
ground around the grimly determined Mercury. The stench of
ozone filled the air as fat balls of electricity dripped like sweat
off Jupiter to plop on the ground with an evil hiss. Venus felt
her own body swell to bursting with golden power as she
readied her "Crescent Beam." She swore to herself that she
would burn Sailorneptune a new asshole before she went down.
She reached out and gently unlatched the door, then slammed it
open.
"SUPREEEEM. . .
"SHAAAABONNN. . .
"THUN. . .
"CRESEN. . ."
"FIRE. . ."
"BEAAAA. . .'
"Hiiiiiiiii! I brought Coooookkkkiiiieeeessss!"
"!!!!!!!!!!"
*******************************************************
". . .my hands were full." the princess wailed.
"That's no reason to scare us half to death."
"Hey, these cookies are good!"
The senshi glared at Mercury.
"Well they are."
"You are such a child about sweets." Jupiter said
fondly. "Here have one of mine."
"F'ank 'U."Mercury mumbled through a mouthful of
crumbs.
Venus rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"If we can get back to the problem at hand. What are
we going to do about Misty and . . .THEM?"
"This!" The princess pulled a box out of her pocket.
"S-T-O-R-M-E-Z S-T-U-F" Mercury traced the letters
on the box . "K-E-P-P O-U-T. I hope for the sake of your tutors
that this is an OLD box"
The princess stuck her tongue out at the senshi of water.
"This is all my best things. I had to go to the summer
palace to get it." She dumped the box on the floor. Sea shells,
brightly colored pebbles and a birds nest spilled out across the
carpet.
Mars let a handful of pebbles run through her fingers.
"Well, yes I can see how this would strike terror in the
hearts of. . ."
"Not that silly, THIS!"
She dug through her pile of small treasures and held up a palm
sized broach.
Mars stretched out a hand toward the object, then snatched it
back as if she'd been burned.
"Where did you GET that!" she hissed
"Grand mama gave it to me."
"Grand mama! You wouldn't happen to be talking
about Serenity Iron Tongue also known as Serenity Maneater
and Serenity BUBBLEHEAD!!"
"Well, she was a little eccentric."
"ECCENTRIC!" The senshi of fire screeched. "She had
all of her lovers flash frozen. . ."
"Only after they were dead." the princess excused
". . .and made them CABINET MINISTERS!!"
"Grand mama said she could get more work done, and
it was so much quieter."
Mars glared at her princess , puffing like a walrus with adenoid
problems.
"THAT GRAND MAMA!! You got that." She pointed
to the offending object "from HER!"
"I think it's beautiful." Misty reached down. . .
"NO! Don't. . ." Mars screamed.
. . .and picked it up. It was old iron, black with age. A dragon
and a phoenix twisted together in a savage embrace. The
dragon had pierced the phoenix's breast while the phoenix
claws were driven deep into the dragon heart. Blood ran
together from both wounds to join in a single ruby drop, the
only splash of color on the unrelieved black.
" . . .touch it." Mars finished weakly.
"What's the problem, Mars?" Jupiter asked.
"The problem is, that the last time someone had one of
those"she pointed at the broach in Misty's hand "they turned
the 'Old Stone Fort'" she lurched up from the floor and
stomped over to the sliding doors that faced the gardens "or
what used to be the Old Stone Fort'" the doors slammed back.
Every one winced as sunlight streamed into the dimly lit room
"into a crater three kilometers across and six hundred meters
deep."
She pointed to an ornamental lake in the distance.
"I don't suppose GRAND MAMA gave you an
instruction book to go with that . . .damn . . . thing."
"OK, Mars, you've had you're little tantrum. Now why
don't you provide a little detail."
Mars glared at Venus for a second before plumping back down
beside the group.
"Two thousand years ago the senshi didn't exist. The
Imperial family was warded by the Blood Guard. Each year
that a Royal baby was to be born a young woman, heavy with
child, would come down from the Iron Mountains. She and the
Royal mother-to-be would stay together for that year. Blood
Guard were joined with their charge before life and after death,
so the stories go, drawing their first and last breath together. In
between, they would sleep in the same bed, eat from the same
bowl, drink from the same cup. The thought of one would
come from the lips of the other." She looked at her companions
"Two thousand years ago the last of the blood guard and all but
one of Serenity's line were murdered during the 'Revolt of the
Barons'. Serenity Ironback, known as Serenity the Sorrowful
lived to birth her child, then followed her Blood Guard into the
next world. No one ever came down from the Iron Mountains
after that, and expeditions sent into the mountains found
nothing or never returned."
"That's so sad." Mercury hugged her self as a chill
went through her body.
"There were attempts to revive the Blood Guard of
course. The last, four hundred fifty years ago resulted in an
explosion that vaporized the 'Old Stone Fort'. No one has tried
since. Of course, no one has had one of those." she pointed at
the broach. "If it's real, then it might well solve our problems
with Pluto and the Outer Senshi. Even Sailorpluto can't arrest a
ball of hot gas and bone fragments."
"They probably tried to force it."
The senshi all turned to Misty at the sound of her voice.
"It won't work if you force it." this time it was their
Princess.
"What did the broach have to do with the Blood
Guard?" Jupiter asked.
"No one knows, except that it had something to do with
an exchange of oaths. Oaths which" Mars added looking
pointedly at her Princess "no one knows anymore because they
were never written down anywhere."
"It can't be written on paper." Serenity said
"It's written on the soul." Misty added
"The oath is personal. . ."
"Between the two. . ."
"Who are one. . ."
Their hands met and somehow the broach was clenched
between them.
" forever. . ."
Mars looked startled, then concerned.
"Uh, guys. I don't think this is such a good idea. Maybe
we should think about this."
The two figures were on their knees, facing each other.
"My blood when you thirst. . ."
"My fire to warm you. . ."
Jupiter grabbed her princess around her waist and heaved.
Muscles bunched in her shoulders and veins popped out on her
brow. She would have has better luck pulling the palace up by
the roots.
"My flesh when you hunger. . ."
"My steel to defend you. . ."
Mercury was rapidly tapping commands into her computer. She
glanced a readout, startled.
"This does NOT look good. I think. . ."
"I am the blood, with wings to carry"
"I am the guard, my life is yours."
A whirlwind of light surrounded the two. Blood dripped from
their clenched hands where the iron broach bit into tender flesh.
The horrified senshi watched as blood from the two swirled
together, dripped from their fists. . . and disappeared.
"I am the soul, with heart to shelter."
"Before this life. . ."
The light grew brighter, the wind faster, cutting their flesh like
glass splinters. The senshi were forced unwillingly back against
the wall.
"And into the next. . ."
"Forever."
A freezing blast of flame, beautifully terrible slammed them
into blackness.
*******************************************************
"How is she. . .how are they."
Mars had come awake at the bottom of a tangle of senshi. She
had clawed her way from under to find her princess and her
princesses 'Blood Guard' unconscious, hands still locked
together. Now the looked down at the two figures on the bed
then back at Mercury.
"How are they?"
"Asleep, as far as I can tell."
"Nothing else!" the fire senshi asked anxiously.
"Well.. ." Mercury drawled consideringly
"WHAT!"
"I believe this 'Blood Guard' thing must have worked."
She looked at her computer display. "Respiration, pulse, even
blood pressure and core temperature . . . match." She quirked a
grin at the slack jawed Mars. "Also, their alpha waves and
REM match. I think they're even dreaming the same dream."
"Well, I'm not leaving her alone with this. . .this. . ."
Mars glared at Misty curled against HER princess, then looked
challengingly at Mercury."
"I think Stormy would appreciate that." Mercury ran a
quick scan. "In fact, why don't you lie down too. You took a
nasty crack on the head."
Mars looked mutinous, then nodded. She toed off her shoes and
slipped in beside her princess.
"I'm not going to sleep." she growled at Mercury. "Just
lie down a second 'till my head stops hurting."
"Of course. I don't expect anything else."
Mercury concentrated on her computer. The click of computer
keys was accompanied by little grunts of frustration or hrumphs
of disbelief. A low buzzing sound interrupted her concentration.
She hit a function key. The buzzing got lower. Mercury hit the
key again with a little "mew" of frustration. Startled when there
was still no response from her computer she looked up. A smile
spread over her face as she saw the senshi of fire fast asleep,
curled protectively around both her sleeping princess and her
princesse's "Blood Guard." Mercury gently drew a coverlet
over the sleeping girls and quietly left the room.
"How's it going?" Venus whispered.
"They're all asleep."
"Even the pyro?"
"I used a little psychology. How's it going here?"
"Great. Let me introduce you to 'Misty Brightwater,
Centurion in the Blood Guard." Venus handed a sheaf of
hardcopy to Mercury.
"What! Centurion! Blood Guard? I thought we were
going to HIDE her not. . ."
"Relax. This Blood Guard is a provincial militia named
in honor of the original 'Blood Guard.'. Militia are constantly
rotating through the Capitol for training and equipment
upgrades. Plus everyone knows the princess is always taking in
strays. One more lonely homesick girl won't be noticed. It's
perfect. Hiding her in plain sight."
Mercury looked awestruck
"How long do think we can hide her? And what
happens when THEY find her?"
"I don't know. Under the law she and Stormy are
LEGALLY the same person."
"HUH?" Jupiter was reading the papers over Mercury's
shoulder.
"That's how 'Blood Guard' and the one they guarded
were regarded in the 'First Empire' and the law is still on the
books. I guess with the real 'Blood Guard' all gone it never
occurred to anyone to change the law. But LEGALLY they
can't touch her now. But THEY've never been too concerned
with the law."
"But how long do you think it will be before THEY
find her?" Jupiter asked again.
It took nine months, eighteen days.
******************************************************
". . .was NOT!"
"Yes you were. I saw you." Mercury turned to 'Misty'
who was in her normal place, just behind and to the right of the
princess. In fact she was so precise in her placement that many
in the Palace had started calling her Storm's Shadow or just
Shadow. She didn't seem to care what anybody called her, she
only answered to the princess.
"You were there, you tell us. Wasn't Stormy flirting
with that prince from Earth?"
'Misty' turned expressionless eyes on Mercury.
"Do you really want to know?" she asked tonelessly.
Mercury nodded in the affirmative.
The Blood Guard stopped and turned to face Mercury squarely.
"You are certain?"
Mercury gulped a little at the serious tone. She could see out of
the corner of her eye that her sister senshi and the princess had
all stopped to listen.
"Uh, yes, I am certain."
"Very well." The Blood Guard advanced a step as
Mercury retreated.
"I will tell you." The put her hands on either side of
Mercury's head and leaned close 'till they were nose to nose.
"But then I have to kill you."
Mercury's magnificent brain whirred with the precision of an
atomic clock; then hiccoughed as it processed that last
statement.
"Eeeeeep." Mercury scooted back so quickly she fell
and slid across the floor on her rump.
Misty's lips quirked in an infinitesimal smile.
"Gotcha."
##Alert! Entering Shielded Area##
Misty absently noted the whispers message. This was normal
when entering the Royal apartments.
##Alert. Entering Shielded Area. Active Sensors to
standby. Passive Sensors reduced to .24.## The shielding
scrambled active sensors with feedback and reflector ghosts,
and even passive sensors were hashed unless greatly reduced in
sensitivity.
##Area clear within scan range.##
The scrolling map in her head showed an area empty except for
the icons identifying the princess and her senshi. She would be
glad to have the princes back in her apartments and under
cover. Dancing struck her as only slightly less dangerous than
clearing a mine field. It was especially troublesome that there
were no dances for THREE people. Misty had improvised by
learning to steer her own dance 'partner'(Venus joked that
Misty had a dance 'hostage' ) along side the princess and her
partner.
Mars head snapped up from talking to Venus.
"Wha. . ."
##WARNING!## The whisper was urgent now.
##Energy spike. Portal opening. Multiple portals
detected."The walls shimmered like ripples in a pool of water.
##WARNING. Hostile detected. Multiple hostile's.##
Black figures erupted from the floors, wall and ceiling.
Misty swept a hand knocking the princess to the ground. The
rest of the senshi moved to form a defensive circle around her.
"Comm systems are jammed. I can't get out."
Mercury's voice was low and urgent.
"We don't want the princess. We just want her."
The tallest of the black clad figures pointed directly at Misty.
Misty looked at the hallway, crowded with heavily armed and
armored figures, then back at her princess peeping out from the
center of her senshi's protective circle. She knew where these
black clad figures were from, knew who the one in front must
be; Sailoruranus.
"I'll come with you."
"NO!"
"Good choice. Come over here."
Misty walked away from the senshi and toward the speaker.
"Now put these on." The figure shoved a set of heavy
shock-restraints into her hands.
"No, Misty. Don't. . ."
"It's OK Stormy. Remember what we talked about."
But Stormy wasn't thinking about the law, or plans or anything
else. The shock of being attacked in her own home, almost in her
own rooms had driven such mundane thought from her head.
The black-clad spokesman grew impatient at the delay and
grabbed Misty by the hand. Misty jerked back reflexively, her
body remembering old pain these hands had given. The
situation went to hell. . .
'Black-clad' clubbed Misty with a nerve-burner thinking she
was trying to escape. . .
Misty cried out in pain and shock. . .
Stormy broke away from her senshi and ran toward her friend. . .
'Black Clad' lashed out blindly at the half-seen figure coming
up behind. . .
Stormy flew backwards in a spray of blood hitting the wall and
sliding to the ground like a broken doll. . .
"Weapons hot." Misty commanded.
CRESCENT BEAM!" A savage golden beam scorched
through the air, narrowly hitting 'Black Clad" who dove for the
ground. Venus tracked the beam left, blasting chunks from the
ablative armor worn by the swarm of black clad invaders.
##Selecting Armor Piercing Anti-personnel Incendiary.
Power at 0.02.## The computer automatically selected a
weapons mix that wouldn't kill everyone, friends included, in
the close confines of the corridor when fires.
"SUPREME THUNDER." Jupiter's attack rolled
harmlessly off black armor. The invaders knew who they would
be up against and had come prepared. They came forward,
confident of their immunity. Jupiter snatched the first armored
figure to reach her off it's feet. Grasping it by the ankles she
began to swing it in great sweeping arcs, attempting to batter her
way through the crowd surrounding her.
##Input targeting criteria##
"Identify princess and her senshi as friendly. All others
hostile."
##Input accepted##
Mercury had abandoned her futile attempts to summon help.
Finding her SHABON SPRAY as useless against the black
armored figures as Jupiter's thunder, she launched a gallant and
suicidal barehanded attack on an armored figure striding
purposefully toward her downed princess. She leapt on the back
of the invader, and wrapping her legs around it's torso began
smashing it's armored head with the Mercury Computer. The
figure reached back with black gauntleted hands to pluck
Mercury from her perch.
"Fire."
The stream of 4mm darts moving at mach 25 turned the black
armored head into a rapidly expanding pinkish grey mist.
Mercury dropped to the ground with a little "oooph", and rolled
clear as the headless figure fell to the ground with a rattling
clang. As she pulled herself groggily to her feet her computer
made a small electronic sound of distress and Mercury looked at
the display.
"They're opening another portal." She cried. "We can't
hold them."
The air shimmered and twisted with the energies of a large
transport portal opening. As the portal stabilized the dismayed
senshi could see could see more armored figures and what
looked like a stun cannon.
"MARS WAR FIRE!!"
The blast of super-heated plasma blew through the black
armored figures just emerging from the portal reducing them,
their stun cannon and sixty centimeters of armored bulkhead to
a fine ash. The portal abruptly popped out of existence like a
soap bubble in a furnace.
All fighting stopped as the stunned combatants, on both sides,
looked at the warrior of fire who stood swaying on her feet..
"HA! You better not mess. . ." her eyes rolled up in her
head and Mars dropped to the floor like an empty laundry bag.
"Got her! Let's go!"
Venus twisted in the grip of two armored invaders to see Misty
fall under the point-blank fire of six neural disrupter's. Her last
sight, as an armored fist hammered her into blackness, was of an
unconscious Misty and the hoard of armored figures winking
out of existence.
*******************************************************
"Aaaaaa" Sailoruranus hissed as Sailoneptune sprayed
wound-sealant on the burn running from wrist to shoulder.
"I could do something for the pain it you'd let me."
"Leave it. Pain is instructive. Maybe I'll learn something
from it." She pounded her good had on the table.
"Dammit. This was supposed to be a simple pickup.
Grab the girl, in and out. Quick clean, no one hurt." She looked
grimly at her companion.
"How bad is it?"
"We're clean." At Sailoruranus's look of disbelief she
went on.
"It's true. We'd already taken care of the security net.
And Mars's fire actually did us a favor. Any residual traces we
might have left were destroyed by her blast. There's no evidence
of who we were."
"They'll suspect. . ."
"Suspicion is not evidence. Pluto can convince the
Queen that it was Beryl."
"What are our losses?"
"Twenty four dead. Most of those when Mars blew the
portal. Thirty more wounded. Three of those may not make it."
Siloruranus swore harshly.
"What were those idiots thinking! They were
outnumbered, surrounded. Hell, they didn't even have light
armor. All they had to do was give us the target and no one
would have gotten hurt." It didn't occur to Sailoruranus to
include "the target" in the list of people who would get hurt. Or
even in the list of people.
"They're just children." Sailorneptune said tolerantly.
"They're too emotional to make good decis. . ."
She broke off as the admittance chime sounded.
Sailoruranus stiffened.
"I'll see who it is." Sailorneptune left the bedroom,
while Sailoruranus fretted. She could hear the door open, then
voices. Indistinct, they quickly became clearer.
". . .honored to have you visit Majesty. But I'm afraid
that this isn't a very good time. Sailoruranus isn't feeling
well. . ."
Hastily Sailoruranus tugged her tunic over her burned arm with
a grimace of pain.
". . .can not go in there."
Sailorneptune blurred through the air and slammed against the
wall with a force that shook the walls. Sailoruranus jerked to her
feet in shock as Queen Serenity appeared in the entrance.
"Can not?" the voice was mildly questioning. The eyes
were not.
"In my own palace, you tell me that I 'can not'?"
Sailoruranus knelt before the Queen her mind racing. Something
in their cover story had broken, but what? How much did the
Queen know? She tried to stall for time."
"Gracious Majesty, if Sailorneptune has given offence I
am sure. . ."
"Where is she?"
"She Majesty? I don't . . ."
Sailoruranus screamed as she was slammed against the wall.
Her vison blurred as a giant hand smashed again and again into
her middle. Finally she was released sobbing and vomiting to
fall to the floor. Delicate footsteps clicked over to where she lay.
She opened one eye to stare blurrily at the hem of a silver gown.
"You may tell me what I want to know." the voice was
delicate, soft and cultured, "or I will take it from you." The
voice was indifferent to Sailoruranus choice.
"I. . .I" she wiped a pink froth from her smashed lips.
She could feel broken ribs grate. "I don't know what you mean
graci . . ."
Queen Serenity blazed with power as she prepared to rip
Sailoruranus's mind apart like a used tissue.
"DON'T!"
Feebly Sailoruranus let her head roll to one side to see
Sailorneptune scrabble across the room on her belly.
"Please, don't hurt her. I'll tell you. . ."
"Don't! Not for me. We have to. . ."
"She'll take it from you anyway. And you'll die for
nothing. Nothing!"
Sailorneptune sent a frantic mental command that opened a
sealed portal.
"There. She's in there!"
Queen Serenity reappeared carrying a limp form. She stared
coldly at the two fallen senshi.
"The senshi you commanded are under arrest for high
treason. It has been a while since the executioner has had any
work. I imagine after the first dozen it will come back to him."
Sailoruranus struggled to her knees.
"Majesty! Please, the senshi were under my command.
They were only following . . ."
"Orders? This may serve to instruct your successor as to
which orders should be given and which orders should not."
The Queen paused and turned back to Sailoruranus.
"Did you know that you struck my daughter?"
Sailoruranus sucked in an involuntary breath, then gasped as her
broken ribs protested.
"No, Majesty. I never . . ."
"My daughter says as much. She tells me that she came
from behind, suddenly. That you could not have know it was
her." The Queen paused, lost in thought. " My daughter does not
understand that sometimes sacrifices must be made for the
greater good. She believes instead that the good should be
increased . . . so that all may share." Queen Serenity looked
down at Sailoruranus. "I have sheltered and protected my
daughter all her life. I did not wish her to learn about the ugly
side of the Imperium; the greed, lies and betrayal that fuel court
life. I wonder if I shall thank you for instructing her so well?"
*******************************************************
"Serenity, I have some good news. It seems as if Beryl's
research and development facility has suffered an accident.
There is . . ."
Sailorpluto halted as Queen Serenity held up a hand.
"A palace coup."
Sailorpluto grinned.
"I didn't realize you wanted to play. My news can wait."
She started forward.
"Betrayed by my closest advisor."
Sailorpluto reached for the Queen.
"What is weapon 4?"
Only someone who knew the guardian of time well would have
sensed her slight hesitation.
"What do you mean."
Her head snapped back. A ring on the Queens hand ripping a
long deep furrow in her perfect skin. She reeled back, the shock
of the blow more devastating than a sword to the heart. She
stretched out a hand. . .
"DO NOT TOUCH ME!"
"Please, let me . . ."
"LIE!" The Queen drew in a long shuddering breath.
"Don't bother. I know about weapon 4, and what you have
done."
"Then you must know I did it for the Imperium,
for y. . ."
Sailorpluto stumbled back as the Queen surged forward in a
rage.
"Don't say you did it for ME. Don't you dare say that
you kidnaped, murdered, tortured for ME!! Don't you tell me
that you had my daughter and her companions ATTACKED for
ME!"
Pluto fell back, white faced, before the Queens rage.
"Ser. . .Majesty, I had to do it. Beryl is. . ."
"Beryl."The Queens harsh laughter shivered across the
room. "What need have I to fear Beryl when I have YOU!"
Pluto staggered at the accusation , catching herself on a table
before she could fall.
"At least Beryl never pretended to love me! At least
Beryl never betrayed my trust!"
Pluto raised a trembling hand. The Queen cut her off with a
savage motion.
"NO! Not a word! I should kill you with my own hands.
She glared at the guardian of time. " The Weapon 4 project is
finished. I want all records of it and all other projects you are
running ,on my desk in the morning." She immediately killed
the spark of hope in Pluto's eyes. "Send one of your lackey's
with the records. I don't won't you polluting my air with your
presence."
Pluto tried one more time.
"Majesty, by the love we shared, may I speak?"
"Speak." The words grated unwillingly.
"Beryl and her Shadows are dangerous. I had to find a
weapon to fight them. That is why. . ."
"What need to fight Beryl if we BECOME her!"The
Queen's fists clenched 'till the knuckles whitened. "I loved
you." she said suddenly. "I loved you from the first moment I
saw you in my mother's court. I thought you were the most
beautiful, the most perfect creature in the universe. I thought
that you were lonely. That I could help you.. . And I loved you
with all the helpless, hopeless passion of an infatuated twelve
year old. Everyone told me how cruel you were, how inhuman.
That you were nothing but a creation of the crystal, with a
heart to match. When you came to my rooms that first time. . . I
thought that the Goddess had answered my prayers. I didn't
know it was the devil" She rose from her seat to tower over the
kneeling Pluto. "But I am sworn to protect the Imperium and its
people. I will not sacrifice their lives to avenge my own betrayal.
I can not afford a division in the Imperium now. You and the
Outer senshi may live . . .on sufferance. You and they will retire
to the outer system." She turned to go.
"Serenity, please. . ."
The Queen stepped through a portal.
"please. . ."
*******************************************************
A door that didn't exist opened from a place that had no name.
A tall figure with long dark hair stepped through and looked at
the six girls tumbled together like a basket full of kittens. Kittens
that had been through a very hard day. She selected one slight
figure that was nestled up against a tiny blond girl with absurdly
long hair. She motioned with her staff and both she and the girl
vanished.
*******************************************************
"It's very difficult to carry on a conversation if you keep
trying to kill me."
Misty snarled and lunged again at the guardian of time. Again
she bounced off an invisible shield.
"You should be pleased."Pluto continued. "Queen
Serenity arrested the Outer Senshi and condemned them to
death, after first breaking several important bones. And I have
been banished." Pluto noted 'Misty's feral snarl. "Now you and
your princess and her senshi can live happily together. . . until
Beryl comes. The you can have a choice of hoping she dies in
the fighting or you can kill her yourself. I don't think you want
her delivered alive into Beryl's hand's."
"I can protect her."
"As you protected her today? And the Outer senshi
weren't even after the princess."
"I can. . ."
"Do nothing. But I can. I can give you power. Power to
defeat Beryl. Power to protect your princess. If you come back
to finish the project."
"Why are you asking? Why don't you just take. You're
good at that."
"Because you are under the Queen's protection now. If I
take you she will come after me. I can't fight Beryl and Serenity
at the same time. But you can come of your own free will."
"Why me? Why am I so important?"
Pluto sighed to herself. It would have all been so much simpler if
they had managed to obliterate the girl's personality completely.
But as usual the technical people had overestimated their
capabilities. It would have been nice though. So much less
trouble.
"Because the weapon we have developed to combat the
Shadows, to allow you to exist between dimensions has killed
everyone who has used it or driven them mad. You are the only
one who can survive the pain of transition between dimensions.
The only one who can withstand the madness of zero-space. You
are the only one who can fight the Shadows and win."
*******************************************************
". . .upgrades worked perfectly. The new power
receptors are even better than we anticipated."
"And how long before we can duplicate Weapon 4?"
The director smiled.
"We have already started. We should be able to decant
the first batch within six months. Initial programming and
implant installation should be relatively straight forward with
what we have learned. I think we should have no more than a
40% wastage."
"How soon to produce completed weapons?"
"Eighteen months for the first six." After that, with the
facilities we have, I think we can produce two weapons every
four months."
Pluto tapped the table in front of her thoughtfully.
"I think that is acceptable. Beryl is still rebuilding her
R&D facility after that fire last year. And she seems to be
concentrating a great deal of effort in the mono-pole mining
facility." A briefly wistful look crossed her face as she
remembered Queen Serenity's almost childish glee at her ploy to
distract Beryl. She banished the thought ruthlessly. "I would
like to see. . ."
An alarm rang and a face appeared on the communications
screen. A terrified tech looked out at her.
"Sailorpluto, a message from the capitol! They are under
attack!"
Pluto froze for a stunned moment, then lunged for the console.
She entered a code. Her heart thudded in her chest while she
waited for the screen to clear.
"Sailorpluto, thank the Goddess. We've been trying to
get through to you but . . ."
"The Queen! Where is the Queen."
"I don't know. I think she went to 'Cloud Song' to rally
the troops but. . ."
"Give me Commander Tarn. If he can hold the curtain
wall I can . . ."
"Tarn is dead. The wall is down. The Shadows are
already in the palace grounds. We must have . . ."
Pluto stared at the blank screen. A portal snapped open behind
her and Sailoruranus supporting a wounded Sailorneptune
stumbled out.
"Pluto . . .the Shadows. They destroyed the senshi
barracks. The power grid is down and the portal system is
failing. We need to warn. . ."
Pluto ignored the senshi and turned to the director.
"How long to get the Combat Support Unit back on
line?"
"The CSU? Why I don't know, several hours,
perhaps a day. As I mentioned we are re-calibrating the
power. . ."
"Strip the facility. Empty the infirmary. Unless they're
six weeks dead I want to see everyone on the transport grid with
a weapon in fifteen minutes." She thought a minute. "Put the
CSU on autonomous repair mode. Tell it to signal as soon as it's
ready."
"What do you have in mind Pluto." Sailorneptune asked,
sagging with exhaustion.
"We're going to port directly into the palace. The
Queens tower is the most heavily armored part of the palace. If
we can hold it long enough . . ."
"The Princess!"
Misty burst into the room, panting heavily.
"Something is wrong. I can feel it."
"The palace is under attack. We are leaving as soon. . ."
"NO! I'm not waiting on you. You don't care about
her."
There was a flare of light as Misty wrenched open a portal to the
Moon Kingdom and vanished.
*******************************************************
The palace was burning. She could see people and stone melted
together. The primary weapon activated without conscious
thought. The familiar screaming pain was swallowed by her
terror for the princess.
"Active sensors at maximum."She ordered the whisper.
"Locate the princess."
##Searching.##
A nightmare shape rose suddenly before her black and twisted; it
screamed and writhed as it burned in the fires of zero-space. A
huge hand scattered buildings and peoples like toys as it lunged
for her.
"Kinetic Weapon. Select super-dense. Maximum
acceleration"
##Super-dense Selected. Acceleration set at .3c## the
voice whispered.
"Initiate phase lock."
##Phase lock complete.## came the whisper
"Fire."
Ordinarily an object that was in zero-space, that peculiar place
between dimensions, was invulnerable to outside forces until
that object chose to leave the safety of zero-space and touch
normal-space. Unless that outside force had the ability to phase
into zero-space as well.
20,000 rounds per minute of super-dense 4 mm needles blasted
out of the "barrel" of the coil-gun at a little over fifty thousand
miles per second. The swarm of super-dense needles blow-
torched through the Shadow destroying it's containment field
with. . .unfortunate and fatal results. The Imperium's last blood
Guard raced through the expanding gas cloud that had once
been one of Beryl's elite shock troops.
##Accumulators at 0.38##
She cursed her carelessness. She'd used too much power killing
that first Shadow and without the CSU there was no chance
of. . .
##. . .nitiating power tap. NO RESPONSE. Initiating
power tap. NO RESP. . .##
"Cancel" she told the idiot-savant computer. " CSU not
available."
##Acknowledged. 18 minutes combat capability remains
at present power drain.##
A pair of Shadows converged on her from the flanks. Her
internal map showed the princess just beyond them. The energy
weapon burned the legs off one, the kinetic weapon blasted the
second in the torso. She didn't wait to see the results but raced
on toward her duty and her friend.
##5 minutes combat power.##
Ahead, she could see the huge figure of a woman looming over a
tiny seeming figure in armor and below that. . .
##Princess!!##
She sent power to her contra-gravity and JUMPED.
##4 minutes power. First warning. Prepare to shut down
phase generator.##
The giant figure laughed and reached for the fragile blond figure.
##Target lock.## she put the targeting pip in the center of
the cruel laughing face.
"Select Kinetic weapon. Fire."
##Null, response. Magazine empty##
"Select Energy Weapon. Fire."
##Null response. Power below minimum level for Energy
Weapon.##
A long metallic staff appeared in her hands. It shimmered and
twisted as it formed into an ugly beaked war hammer. She sent
power to her contra-grav again and JUMPED!
##2 minutes power. Beginning fail-safe shut down of
phase generator.##
"OVERRIDE!!" she snapped.
##Failure to shut down will result in. . .##
"OVERIDE! IMPERIAL PRIORITY!!" she screamed at
the computer.
##Override acknowledged.##
She was almost there. Three more jumps. Power to contra-grav
and JUMP.
##40 seconds to shield collapse.##
And JUMP!'
##15 seconds.##
The giant sneering face dominated everything now. That and the
pitiful figure hanging in the air before Beryl.
## 8 seconds.##
She brought the hammer over her head. Fiery hooks ripped at her
body. The world shimmered and shook as dimensional shear
slowly ripped her body apart. The dying containment shield
flared and hissed as it devoured her body and shredded her sanity.
And JUMP!
She soared into the air high above Beryl. She could see the evil
face slowly start to turn upwards, comprehension slowly come to
the eyes.
##3 seconds.##
She was screaming the hate and rage and fear of a lifetime
directed at this one moment, this one target. She would fulfil her
purpose. She would kill Beryl. Then she could rest.
##2 seconds.##
The hammer came down in a savage arc, to smash that giant
skull like a rotten fruit. As the hammer neared the end of its arc a
bright white light swept over the doomed capitol. As it moved
over the ground it swept away the dead and dying, sins and
sinners, clean and unclean . . . leaving nothing in its wake.
##1 sec . . ##
END CHAPTERS 8 through 9
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