Thanks for the response!  
		
		> First off, I want to say that I have really enjoyed
the fic thus far.  I
		> hope that you can pull everything together!

	I do have plans for everything that has been introduced as a
plot element so far.  It may take me a little while to get it all
written out though.  I hope that all of my readers will continue to bear
with me. :)
Well, I'll bear with you, though I won't take it lion down. :-)

		SNIPSNIPSNI

	Due to small variances in the structure of each timeline, there
will be small "replication differences" that will prevent each timeline
from being an _identical_ match from any other timeline.  As the
timelines continue to split and branch off, the differences between them
can become very different, and one of those differences can be the
genetic structure of Ranma Saotome.  In Scholar-Ranma's case, when he
was conceived there was a genetic error that didn't take place in the
Ranma in Band 16.
What about the bands close in?  What about bands -1, -2 etc.  Shouldn't
there be a reality where R-Q0 (I like using the quantum band
hyphenation, it keeps things clearer in my head.) could jump into a
version of himself where he is physically and mentally limited by the
genetic damage - or more severely bands where no match would be found as
his doppelganger would be deceased?  Um, that's happened now, hasn't it?

	The "template" that Ranma is using in his device is the core of
his identity, which could be called the soul for lack of a better term.
This central "essence" is filtered by the experiences of life into
radically different forms, but the primary spark is identical.  That is
why someone like Scholar Ranma can interface with someone like Martial
Ranma.  Deep inside, in that place where only philosophers and holy men
explore, they are identical.  I haven't really emphasized this idea in
my story, but I've kept it in the back of my head as the reason why the
Resonator works.
This could get very deep and metaphysical quickly.  I remember a story I
read years ago where an inventor invented a quantum machine that he
could use as a television set on other realitiies.  In one scene, he
focussed on a man sitting on a park bench, as he went through the
realities the person went from being a normal looking man to a
body-builder type to being very effeminate and finally became female and
cycled all the way to looking like a normal woman.  The clothing styles
went blurring by.  In essence, the soul is spread across all the
multiverses and it gets multiple chances at life.  Possibly at the end
of life, the soul sparks coalesce back together and form a new gestalt
being.  Like I said, deep.


		> R-Q16 is generally seen as canon Ranma (or close to
it).  Canon Ranma
		> did not suffer from any genetic defects as a child (as
far as canon
		> goes).  Without the mental enhancement, he is expected
to slowly lose
		> any gains that R-Q0 left behind.  I find this wrong.
I believe that
		> R-Q16 would have as much of a connection with R-Q0 as
R-Q0 has with him.
		> R-Q0 has an avatar of R-Q16 resident within his mind.
R-Q16 should also
		> have the same.  If not, then R-Q) should be able to
leap into anyone's
		> doppelganger that he has a quantum signature for.  Ie.
He could visit
		> the any Nabiki or Genma in addition to any of his
other selves.  In
		> fact, he should be able to "visit" Genma-Q0 or
Nabiki-Q0.  Something
		> that the Intelligence Directorate would dearly love to
get their hands
		> on.

	Well, as I tried to explain above, they are different
genetically to a certain degree, but the device works on a different
principle than a simple genetic and mental matching.  If an IDENTICAL
mental and genetic match was required, then Scholar Ranma would be more
limited in his choices.  I wasn't looking at it from that perspective.
	As to the fading memories of Martial Ranma, that is due solely
to the lack of eidetic memory that Scholar Ranma has, but Martial Ranma
doesn't.  It may be a cheesy answer, but it makes my plotline easier to
work with if Scholar Ranma isn't accidently "cloning" his brilliance
across the timelines. :)
	As to the concept of inhabiting the scanned duplicate of another
person...  perhaps that was what the alternate timeline hoped to do.  It
does offer up scary possibilities for the elite class of that society.
Based on the explanation that I gave above, I would say that any such
efforts is probably doomed to failure, at least in my story. :)

I read a short story where the entire entertainment industry had become
voyeuristic.  You were allowed to choose the person you wanted to "be"
and were fed everything they felt, saw and thought throughout their day.
These "stars" were given the best of everything.  Very dark story.
However, the protagonist didn't know about it.  He was an astronaut
returned to Earth.  He found out when they tried to recruit him and let
him glimpse what his wife was thinking and doing.  He flipped when he
realized that his wife had a constant "viewership" of 2 - 3 million and
tried to kill her.  The story ended with him in jail for causing the
death of several thousand women who had been "watching" through his
wife. 
  
		> I like the fact that R-Q0 made a mistake and that his
application of the
		> theory is more of a side effect than the main effect.
"Sliding" will
		> definitely complicate matters.  Just as long as
Continuum Police
		> Detective Mihoshi doesn't show up...

	There are a few "Time Patrol" type agencies out there that
Scholar Ranma will be meeting.  They primarily exist to defend their
"borders" of timelines.  One of them is to be encountered soon by Slider
Ranma (or H Ranma as some readers refer to him), who will chase him to
Scholar Ranma's timeline.  This will give Scholar Ranma access to
physical travel, and will set up some of the plotlines for the central
action of the story.

I like my designation of him as R-Q7 , that's much shorter and easier to
write.  Hint, hint.  Actually my thoughts after the jump were:  Where is
he?  If he's on Q0, then he will be in hot water immediately.  I look
forward to your next installment.

Mike