Activation Signal Affirmative.

Boot BIOS Ver 3.0001a.

Accessing existing memory....Failed. No stored data.

Accessing input devices....five standard devices found.

Activating visual cortex....success.

	The figure before me was wearing a uniform of sorts, colored black and
green and yellow, with unusually vibrant red hair that spiked up on top
and fell long behind her like ... like ... well, like something that
spikes up on top and falls behind it.  The ... woman? ... yes, woman
bend down and looked at me up and down and opened her mouth like she
was ... saying something?  I wondered what.

Activating audio pickups....success.

	"Hmm, that good," I heard her slightly nasal voice say suddenly. 
"You're learning quick, muuuuuch better than my previous designs."
	"I agree," a deeper voice said beyond my range of sight.

Activating motile functions....success.

	I looked to the new person, this one a taller man, as he spoke again,
"I wonder if it's because of the gems."
	"Hmm.. doubt it," the woman said flatly.
	"Why is that, Professor?"
	"Because those aren't the gems in her wrists."
	The man looked suddenly surprised and grabbed my arm to look at what
the woman professor referred to as the 'gems.'  "Impossible, the look
just like them."
	"Ahh, Washuu the second's secret ability!"
	The man dropped my arm and looked to the woman.  "Washuu the second?"
he said with disbelief.
	"Of course!  What better name to give my greatest creation!"
	"I don't know, but it could get confusing with the half dozen other
machines you've named after yourself."
	"If you think you're so smart, why not name her yourself?" the woman,
I assume her name is Washuu, put her hands on her hips and raised an
eyebrow at the man.
	The man stared back and turned to leave. "It's your experiment, I'm
only interested in the data."  He walked out of the room and beyond my
ability to detect him.
	Washuu sighed and looked down sadly, "Kagato... you just don't
understand."

Activating nasal and tactile functions....success.

	I moved my hand to feel the smooth surface of the 'gem' implanted in
my wrist.  It was cool to the touch but inside of me I felt a warm
power emanating from it.  Whatever it was, it was hardly ornate.  I
felt ... strong ... safe, having it near me.

Activating vocal operators....success.

	"Wuuu... Waaahh ... Washhhuuuu ... Washuu?" I struggled through,
trying get the attention of the woman before me.
	Her eyes lit up and focused in on me.  Clasping her hands together in
front of herself, she yelled out, "My baby's said her first word!"
	Oh boy, I thought instinctively.

Personality Matrix created.

**** < < < < < < < < < < < < <

Sleep period interrupted, activating system.

BIOS Ver 5.96 currently active.

Bringing personality matrix online.

	"Uhhnn, what?"
	Something clamped down on my mouth and my eyes shot open.
	Two green eyes stared back.
	"Shhh!" Washuu whispered.  "Quickly, we've got to get out of here."
	She released my mouth and placed the Gems in my hand.  Instinctively I
absorbed them into my wrists and neck, the past six months turning many
usual activities into habits, and got out of my sleeping chamber.
	The laboratory was dark, the Science Academy kept them dimmed late at
night but this was darker than usual.  Something big was up.  "What's
goi�" I started before she covered my mouth suddenly again.
	Don't talk with words, her voice echoed in my mind.  Speak with your
mind.
	H�how, I felt myself thinking.
	Exactly, my daughter, she responded telepathically. You've got it
right.
	What's going on? I worried.
	Kagato has convinced the Science Consul to turn you over to him.
	I tilted my head as we slipped past a series of security areas heading
towards the surface.  Washuu, my mother, has said that I am capable of
simply transporting to the surface, but in my six months of existence I
have yet to discover how.  Obviously it was the wrong time to inquire
so I simply followed silently.  At least, silently in voice, in mind...
	How? I thought I was your daughter, I asked.
	It is more complicated than that, my child.  You are of my body, my
mind, and my work, so you are indeed my daughter.  But you, the Souja,
and Ryo-ohki, all fall under my Masu investigation project which is
under Science Consul authority.  If Kagato has convinced them that you
are not a sentient being, he could have gotten them to reassign my
project to him.
	What are we to do then?
	We need to get away, perhaps to one of the worlds under the protection
of the Galaxy Police.  They're a new force, but they have the power to
keep their pact of protection.  They will give us asylum.
	"I think not, Professor," came the evil sounding voice of Kagato.
	I tensed up as Washuu moved herself between me and where the voice
came from.  The lights around us slowly dimmed out of existence and
were replaced by a pair of spotlights, one above us and one above
Kagato.
	"Kagato!" she said vehemently.
	"You'll not get out of here with the only tool capable of breaking the
Jurai Empire's army."
	"WHAT?!"
	"Don't be a fool," he said slowly, adjusting his glasses.  "You know
the data from the gems indicates they are completely compatible with
the energy emitted from the house of Jurai's royal trees.  Even Tsunami
has no chance against..." he smirked and looked at me. "Ryouko."
	"How..." Washuu seemed flabbergasted, the first time I'd ever seen her
that way.  It made me genuinely frightened.  "Her name is Washuu,
Ryouko was just her project title. She's beyond that, Kagato! She
lives, she isn't a machine built to do someone's work, she is a living
being!  I'll make the Science Counsul see that!"
	"Impossible," the words just seemed to roll of his tongue.  "I've ...
uh, liquidated, the Science Counsul."
	For a moment I felt a flash of ominous energy touch me, like Kagato
was projecting his mind at me and I saw ... bodies.  The bloody bodies
of the Science Consul, dead by Kagato's hand.
	"Enough of this!" Kagato clenched his hand and shook it at Washuu.
"Hand her over or die trying to protect her!"  A green energy crackled
around his fist and exploded into a glowing blade.
	Washuu took a step back and pushed me behind her, she looked a little
scared but had a stronger, determined look about her.  "That blade..."
she started.
	"Surprised? After the success of Ryouko I decided I needed...
enhancements.  The masu are incredibly easy to manipulate."
	"You're corrupt, Kagato, someday they'll be a reckoning!"
	Kagato breathed out, not a sigh, but a preparation for battle. "I
doubt that."
	The events that occurred next happened too fast for explanation. 
Kagato lunged forward with his sword ... but he didn't.  I saw the
sword and his hand approach Washuu but at the same time it looked like
he was still standing still.  I tried to bring my sword to bear but
Washuu pushed me aside and stood before the coming onslaught, raising
her hand before her, charging up cosmic energies that I could not
explain.
	An instant later, it was over.  Kagato was standing above Washuu who
had been magically encased in some sort of crystal.  It must have been
hollow for she was pounding on it to let her free.  Kagato merely
smiled.
	"It was meant to be this way, Washuu," he was almost snarling as he
talked. "Student surpassing teacher.  I won't rob you of that honor,
you have always been my teacher, you only taught me too well."
	"You didn't learn anything, Kagato!" I heard her dampened voice as she
slammed her fist against the crystal, trying to grab for Kagato's foot.
"Science is not meant to be used this way.  You must have respect if
you are to learn!"
	"Ah, but I do have respect. I have respect for everything you've
created for me, a wondrous arrangement of toys to use to conquer this
small universe."  He adjusted his glasses again and raised his hand. 
In his gloved palm rested a strange metallic crest with brass snakes
intertwined across it.  Resting it on the crystal above Washuu, he
laughed.  "Farewell, teacher."
	The crest sunk into the crystal and latched itself onto Washuu's
chest.  After a few convulsions, she settled down, peace and quiet.
	And I saw everything I'd learned up until now flash before my eyes.
	"Now," Kagato breathed. "For the prize."
	He moved towards me ominously and reached for my�

Personality Matrix Shutdown....failure, corruption evident.

BIOS Crash.

Shutting Down.

				-Fin-

Authors Notes:
	Allow me to do a bit of talking here.
	First, I don't know what it is about Tenchi Muyou, but it seems like
the easiest series to do oneshots in.  This is my third I believe and I
always feel best about them.  I don't know why, but that's how I feel.
You may dissagree of course.
	Second, unrelated but if you read my works you'll care, I'm going
through a rough time at school this year, I don't have the time I used
to.  But I'm trying to pump out more fanfics despite that.  For now,
though, I'm going to concentrate on The Eyes of Stone Faces, and
another secret sailor moon project I'm currently working on. 
Everythign else ... out the window. Sorry, it'll come back eventually.
	Third, saw my first Sailor Moon fansub this weekend. Damn, there goes
the rest of my paychecks for this month.  It's worth it though, the R
movie is undoubtably the best Sailor Moon I've seen, and getting the
chance to see all of S will be benficial, especially to how I write
Michiru and Haruka. :)

	Ciao!

Adam Christopher Leigh
Omicron@sprynet.com
"All these worlds are yours..."