Shounen Tachiagaru part 1
an alternate-future Saiyuki story that I don't know the ending of
finished May 31, 2011 (5/31). I dreamed it; I don't know what happens next, but there's something about the way this one feels that I'm so happy with.
No sex, gore, violence; some cusswords; nothing more.
"Shounen tachiagaru" basically means "boy, come forth".
In the dusty light of sunset, Field Captain G.J. Sha stood and gazed down at the contents of the crate from Tenkai Command.
He was a tall, lean, suntanned figure in desert camo, with a scarred and weatherbeaten face that looked older than it was. He'd been in command of the 5th Western for three years, and every month of the past year had been worse than the one before. He'd been petitioning Command for months, telling them that the Nomad attacks increased in number and violence every week, that this outpost was the worst besieged on the Western Front, and that if any brigade ought to have a SAN unit it was his; and at last they'd listened. More than listened. This wasn't just a Special Anti-Nomad unit, the stencil on the crate made that clear: SAN-031. Holy shit. This was the state of the art, the last word in monster demolishing.
And on top of all that, the damn thing was beautiful.
Sha laid down his transblade, with which he'd cut open the shipping crate and many layers of packing foam and restraints, and surveyed his brigade's new weapon. It stood just short of two meters tall, with a lean, chiseled torso and wiry arms, its whipcord muscle and bone a seamless match for its cyborg machinery. Probably a monk, at least the human part: he remembered hearing that men who volunteered for the SAN program tended to be monastic and ascetic types, looking for an ultimate way to non-attach and transcend the flesh, or some such. Its only item of clothing bore that impression out, loose, grey-blue trousers of some light material. It had cheekbones you could carve with, a sharp chin and a determined mouth, and unexpectedly shaggy, golden-blond hair. Had it been human, it would definitely have gotten more than one look from Sha on a night of shore leave - not that he'd won one of those anytime lately. He grinned wryly and pushed back his red hair; he really did need a night off if even the artillery was starting to look good to him...
but he was still wondering what color its eyes would be when it - he - opened them. Blue? Maybe green? Well, the next step would tell him that.
He rummaged through the packing material and found the little box he needed, sealed, and neatly labeled. SAN-031 UNIT, DETAIL: 5th WEST, PATTERN REC: G.J. SHA CAPT. Pattern Rec? - he pressed his thumb into the seal lock, and a recorded voice began to speak in a clear, precise tone.
"Captain Sha, you are about to take command of the SANZero unit detailed to you, and will assume responsibility for its full tour of duty. To facilitate optimum operation of this highly sophisticated battle unit, pattern recognition is necessary. You must be standing directly before the SANZero when it is activated so that it may obtain your retina scan. Once it has verified the scan, it will be under your command and will obey your orders without hesitation. If you understand and accept, press the thumb pad again."
Without hesitation? - He looked at the beautiful killing machine again. He knew its specs: a personal Sutra Field unbreachable by any known force, a handgun capable of vaporizing Nomads on contact, using bullets that weren't mere ammo but something like crystallized force-of-will: the whole thing an unholy blend of science, magic and all-out mayhem. Under your command, without hesitation...
He grinned darkly and pressed the pad.
"Activating," said the device. "Please stand directly in front of the unit and open your eyes."
In the seconds it took, he wondered what to call it - him. SAN? SAN31? Nah...
The SAN's eyes opened: clear, icy ultraviolet: somehow, Sha wasn't surprised.
"Hi, SANZero. Welcome to 5th West Hell."
And he really did need a break, yeah, because he swore there was an instant's recognition in the amethyst eyes.
"Captain Sha. As expected."