Author's Comment -
The following is a project I've been milling around in my mind for some time. It's a direct sequel to the events in GaoGaiGar Final because I just wasn't happy with the ending, and like any rabid fan girl… I was dying for more… only to have my hopes dashed when Project Z or whatever fell apart. There will undeniably be spoilers in the following chapters.
I hope you can appreciate the thought and time I've put into this. Note that I will be taking certain liberties and stretching some facts where I see fit. I will also be using Romaji spellings for some names (sorry, but I will be using the 'Gai' spelling, not 'Guy' because I feel like the English variant takes away from the kanji's original meaning - 凱 (Gai) means 'triumphant or victorious'). Thanks for reading and please… constructive criticism is encouraged!
Quick pronunciation guide -
Bai-Xe (BYE-SHE)
Pylon (PIE-lon)
Copula (cop-YU-la)
Genesic (djen-eh-sik)
GaoGaiGar: Rectified
- Here's Your Latest Intelligence!
As the final battle between the Gutsy Geiod Guard (GGG) and the 11 Masters of Sol came to its epic close, the matter replication device was destroyed and our heroes were left trapped in the Trinary System - sacrificing themselves to save Mamaru and Kaidou with the J-ark's last ES missile. The clone Papillon Noir, no longer to able contain a form, dissipated as well as Gai - who's life force was ultimately drained with his last attack.
…Or was it?
Is there still hope for our forgotten heroes?
Episode One: Revival
Stars.
Billons of them - specks of light twinkling in and out in grand spirals of color. Gradually, luminous polychromatic plasma clouds splattered across like some abstract art against a black canvas. Each little orb within, it's own world ignorant of the past plight faced by a group of daring heroes far from their own galaxy, blurred across the vision of a lone spectator as he traveled through time and space.
No, that wasn't right. It wasn't exactly his 'vision' because he was sure that he wasn't really 'seeing' it… more like, he 'felt' it… felt the universe…or became one with it… as the impending tunnel of white light beckoned its new boarder. This must be death - crossing over as some effect of expelling all his energy. Or, maybe it hadn't been completely his? There was an inkling that it came from something else, somewhere else… in the before, that had dissolved to stardust along with him.
But, who was he anyway? Or who had he been? What had he been? Did it matter?
Slowly, memories became only impressions, cares were irrelevant and fear… did not exist.
Enlightenment…
Then… the peace was instantly shattered as he pierced the veil. Flesh, bone, blood, fear, pain, love, the reality of feeling - came back all at once as he rematerialized amongst a sea of stars, floating aimlessly in this universe anew.
Where?
What?
…Was that supposed to happen?
There was a warm green glow surrounding his bare battered body - some mysterious yet familiar aura protecting him from the elements of space. He realized he didn't need to breathe, which was good since he couldn't move a finger let alone heave an intake of the nonexistent air.
An overwhelming ache ran through every inch of his lean figure, especially a burning on his left arm and chest, where a scar under his right pectoral harkened back to an intense confrontation. His being screamed to go back to the 'nothing-something-ness' that he had come from, like a popped balloon that suddenly regained form. Agonizing and strained, he was briefly aware that his body was only becoming weaker with each passing moment.
An auburn mane crowned his head, the coils encircled his body with their excessive length. His brow pulsated - muddled by pain and tinges of thoughts. Through an exacerbated mental channel - nudges, sounds and senses, memory flashes of the girl he loved and his life once lived, a billion buzzing blips of perception and questions lined the periphery of his psyche. Voices resounded but they were barely distinguishable.
He was confused.
And sad for some reason.
And in pain.
And so very tired.
Slipping away again… in a different way….
A faint friendly presence fleeted by his mind's eye as he let himself fall back into the oblivion… neon crystal fractals encasing the last of his visage…
A curt gasp escaped Bai-Xe's lips as she was jolted awake. She sensed something… powerful, but familiar.
It took a second for all three of her aqua eyes (a pair under thick lenses and the third situated horizontally in the middle of a high jade-colored forehead, flanked by long white bangs) to adjust to the dim strobing light of her quarters resonating from the tanked Phosphorus Flying Fish in front of her. She had been studying the exo-planetary minnow before dozing off, a plethora of papers spread about her desk attested to it, and was relieved to see that it had decided to show its 'true colors' so to say, which were only visible in the dark.
Her three delicate multi-segmented digits strummed against her chin in thought, the thin fur that cloaked her forearm briefly tickled her neckline, as she studied the rhythm of the changing colors. Something was off though. Not just because her thoughts were elsewhere, but because color seemed to come from elsewhere as well. She looked to her left at one of the various monitors that lined her study wall and her eyes widened.
It hadn't been just a feeling!
She fumbled out of her chair in excitement and tip-toed with insectoid legs quickly through the mess of plant specimens, books and journals toward her door, grabbing a display screen as she ran out - leaving the forgotten fish to stare at its newfound competition.
Red flashing words scrolled across the monitor screen.
SUBJECT FOUND.
Bai-Xe felt her hearts (her people had two) pumping blood overtime as she raced through the halls of the exploration vessel Taranis. Other ship-hands, scientists and agents (distinguished by their multi-fashioned uniforms of navy and white) from various intergalactic locale decorated the kaleidoscopic atmosphere, yet looks still landed on her as she made her way toward the captain's bridge. Her long hair did nothing to conceal derogatory whispers from the acute hearing of her ovine ears. She tried to ignore them.
Punching in her access code as fast as she could muster, she barreled through the sliding door riddled with the anxiety that came from both wanting to tell something really exciting and knowing that you'd have to do it in front of a group of people.
"C-Captain P-Pylon!" She stammered, falling over upon entering the vast control room. It had a small drop-off from the door and down she went, flat on her face, sprawled out and flinging the display screen forward ahead of her. There were chuckles from several of the control-hand occupants lower from the main platform, but she felt a sturdy compassionate arm lift her from the floor.
There was the dark-haired woman who was not to be trifled with, Captain Deborah Pylon, curvaceous yet rugged from the sand-blasted planet Impetere, smiling against a backdrop of blinking computers and an enormous tri-panel vision screen that currently displayed the exterior of space. She let out a mellow laugh. "Bai-Xe, there's a step there."
"Ah! Yes, uh, thanks…" Bai-Xe began a little timidly. "I guess I - I wasn't paying attention… I - I just really need to tell you something…!
A scoff came from across the dais, and a slithery, skin and bones, balding man dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking agent stood up at his station. "Oooh, I can't wait to hear what insightful information the exobiologist Ms. Zun has for us…!" his shrill voice laced with sarcasm, "…did you discover a mollusk that emits gamma rays… or a weed that can sing show tunes this time?"
Bai-Xe began a retort but Deborah cut it off "Parley, sit down and shut your trap. I doubt she'd come up here if it wasn't something of extreme importance…"
He did so, with an indignant "Ha-rumf!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Bai-Xe replied, gathering her bearings. She skipped down to where her display screen lay at the dainty metal feet of one female computer operator, Conduit, the completely robotic chief engineer and technician of the crew. Bai-Xe picked the device up and after pecking her finger against the touch screen for a moment, leaned over to her. "Conduit, if you wouldn't mind bringing up these coordinates for me, please?"
Conduit raised her brow with surprise when she looked at the screen, but nodded. Keying in some digits, the left side of the large visual monitor blinked into another scene of space - slightly discolored through less-enhanced lenses - where an obvious massive structure of green crystal floated through the cosmos.
"What… in the Void is that?" a gruff voice from behind exclaimed. It was Copula, the burly sunglass-wearing veteran officer, second in command to Pylon, who barely looked the part with his lack of military attire in favor of a bare chest a mess of white hair and some multi-pocketed beige shorts. His left cheek had a scar that extended to his neck and his hair was salt and pepper growing every which way around his head. He had an affectionate nickname as the "Gorilla Guerrilla"
"A G-Crystal…" Bai-xe mused out loud. A lump came to her throat as she thought back to something from before.
"A what!?"
She was snapped out of her reverie. "Uh - I mean, it's called a G-Crystal!" She cleared her throat and tapped her display quickly again. "One of my roving space pods just outside of the Tanabatha Nodule transmitted these images after it picked up on its resonating frequency… though, from the time codes, it seems that it's been a while ago…" she tapped her screen a few more times to show a new image of the same area without the structure. "…As you can see, it's gone now…." she cleared her throat, "and it's imperative that we find it…!"
"Oh!" Parley pipped. "A giant rock in space… no way! Why should we waste our time on that!? Don't tell me you think the Interplanetary Coalition would take up an interest in jewelry making!"
Offended on a few levels, Bai-Xe spun around to face him. "You don't understand! This isn't just some giant rock! It's…" She stopped herself. She had to choose her words wisely, "…a very, uh… rare source of insurmountable energy."
"She's right!" Conduit chirped as she gazed wide-eyed at her desk screen. "The energy levels coming from the vicinity are off the charts! Dare I say even… dangerously so!" She had a concerned look about her. "Even if the images don't show the mineral anymore, the source is obviously still in Tanabatha somewhere…"
A hush fell across the room and Captain Pylon herself shoved past the others to get a good gaze at it. After a pause, she narrowed her eyes, glanced to the larger screen and back down to the exobiologist. "I'm glad you brought this to my attention, Bai-Xe."
She barked toward her second. "Copula! Alert your subordinates over there pronto!"
He smiled as if he'd been given a present. "Must be legit."
"Yes," an air of urgency permeated her words as she paced back toward him, "With energy levels like that, the material has to be extremely volatile! There have been rumors of ConTech operatives commandeering commercial vessels there recently and I surely don't want something so dangerous in their hands. If Bai-Xe's pods picked up on this signature, than there's no doubt in my mind they have too."
Bai-Xe bit her lip and gulped. That… would not be good.
Copula saluted and booked it out of there, knowing better than to dawdle. Deborah continued to snap out orders in succession as she paced, the control room quickly becoming a flurry of activity as reports were sent and scanners were monitored. "Bai-xe…" she stopped in front of her and, putting her hands on her shoulders, asked softly, "Is there anymore information you can give me on this thing?"
Bai-xe stared out at the murmur of activity from the control operators, back at her small monitor, then up at her captain again, thinking about just what she needed to say.
"Yes," she whispered. "it's… crucial that the Copula Brigade use extreme caution with him…"
Deborah blinked. "Him …?"
Bai-xe swallowed, knowing full well that what she was about to say was going to sound ridiculous. "The energy wasn't exactly coming from the crystal…" Deborah's eyes widened at this. "…but, rather, the man inside it…"
An easy breeze and the smell of sea salt wafted by the chestnut-haired young man lounging underneath a familiar tree. He liked to come here to do thinking, gazing at the ocean from the hill, and it had become a natural meeting place between himself and a longtime friend… who was now a lot more.
His mind was miles away as he stared at the wispy clouds overhead. The sounds of gulls and waves came back to him, lulling him into a trance. His eyes slowly drooped as he listened to the sounds, close yet distant… but one lingered a bit more. A sweet voice… and it seemed to grow louder...
"Gai!"
His eyes snapped open when Mikoto barked at him. She held her hands to her side and stared down at him with a pouty look in her crimson eyes. "Didn't you hear me calling?"
The small redhead wore a dressy green blouse that showed just enough cleavage and checkered skirt today and she had a peculiar hairstyle that made her look like she had antennae or some kind of bunny ears, but he wouldn't have her looking any other way. She was unique and special to him, and she saved him so many times, even if she didn't know that extent. He studied her for a moment.
"Sorry, I guess I lost myself there for a moment…" He finally managed, rubbing the back of his head. "You look good today, Mikoto…"
She blushed and giggled. "Well thank you, Gai… you know just what to say, don't you?"
"Heh, I try to…" he smirked friendly. "It's the outfit I got for your birthday, right?"
"I'm surprised you remember something like that," she replied, leaning down into him, "But yes." She nuzzled his nose with hers.
"I don't forget what you look good in…" he held her chin in his hand and leaned in for a kiss.
"Oh, is that so?" She giggled a bit more as he took her in his arms. She squealed playfully as he rolled her onto the ground, positioning himself over her so he could gaze into her crimson eyes.
"Then again…" He made a show as if contemplating, "you look good in everything…" He winked at her.
"Oh, Gai…" she rolled her eyes and blushed at the same time. "I'm just glad you haven't forgotten me all together."
He stopped. Something about that comment struck him. The wind started to pick up and an overcast began to roll in as he studied her. Some buzzing or car alarms were barely audible in the distance. She laid there in front of him with her slight smile starting to fade and it was all he could do to stare back at her. "I… don't know what you mean…"
"I… was afraid…that I lost you again… Gai…."
Something in the pit of his stomach gave him a bad feeling.
"Why do you say something like that, Mikoto?" The buzzing became louder and bit by bit he could pick up individual voices and tones joining in, but he dared not look away from her to search for the source of commotion.
She reached to his face, almost in slow motion, and when her fingers touched his cheek, he realized that he couldn't feel them. Panicking on the inside, he tried to ignore the growing pain and heat he felt against the skin of his back, chest and left arm.
The droning noises seemed to grow louder with each passing moment. Mikoto's voice started to falter from focus. "You won't forget me, will you?" The question lingered. Frustration rocked him and he understood that this wasn't real, but some altered vision of past trysts.
His azure eyes fought back tears as he choked out a whispered response… "I could never forget you, Mikoto… ever…" he wanted to hold her, as if that would keep away the inevitable.
"I won't forget you either… Gai…" She smiled meekly. "but I think…" sounds like thunder and dynamite filled the now grey scene, once a tranquil memory, "it's time for you to wake up…"
Another explosion rocketed him back to reality - the mechanical binds constraining his splayed sweat-drenched body shook, flinging his already throbbing head into the thick pane of glass directly in front of his face. Woozy, he peered through dripping blood into what lay before him - beyond the window, the source of the muffled background noises.
A siren blared on the other side along with the hum of machines, some several computer hard drives bleeping incessantly, blinking alert lights circled and a scurry of different figures ran back and forth enveloped by chaos through a tight chamber that looked to be some sort of observation tank with he as the subject. Here he was, in the flesh, suspended upright with several needle like things jabbing into his spinal column feeding some kind of pulse through his nerves and flashing scrutinizing rays of various hues traveling all over his body. This was obviously not somewhere he wanted to be. He felt his heartbeat thump rapidly. He wished this was the dream instead of what had been.
'Mikoto….'
Scientists and soldiers darted betwixt each other as the alerts blared, snapping orders to one another. Easily a dozen gun-toters cocked their weapons and hurriedly lined the entrance door, awaiting any kind of attack, and others' voices could be heard through their radio devices, yelping away their positions.
"Intruders spotted!"
"Permission to fire!?"
"Men down, men down!"
"Subject and unit 6 must be secured!"
"Captain San awaiting clearence!"
"No response from ConTech Base!"
"Aaaaaahhhh!"
Gai struggled painfully. His left arm still burned and his chest felt like it was going to explode. "Hey- Hey, what's going on - what is this!? Who are you people!?"
A droid scientist looked up. "The subject is awake!" It screamed in a high-pitched metallic voice.
"Well, great, not like we don't have enough problems…!" a sizeable, tatted-up humanoid with a brow that rivaled a caveman and clutching a massive cannon-like gun entered the room. He was garbed in the same attire as the guards, though he brandished several stripes on the breast of his vestment and chewed on some kind of cigar "Damn ICORus sending their dogs to nip at our heels and now we're trapped with some unstable test subject…" He slid a keycard against the door lock and instantly it bolted shut. "Still, I'd rather take my chances with a lit fuse than tango with the Copula Brigade if I can keep from it."
"Rest assured, Captain San," the robot tinkled, "initializing safety protocol now…" He pressed a button and the next thing Gai knew was a surge of a violent voltage coursing through him.
"Gaaaaah!" He cried out in anguish and fought back tears of extreme pain as he strained. Through gritted teeth, "…Obviously you're not 'friends'…" He was some sort of test subject to them, apparently. He didn't really get it. Nor did he really want to.
He continued to struggle against the torture. He didn't really remember what had happened to him. Had he been floating in space before? Who was ICORus? The Copula Brigade? What the hell was going on? A billion questions seemed to buzz louder than the sirens and the agony of loss seemed to overshadow the pain of the seizing force driving through him. Was he going to die like this - like some caged animal in a glass box? Well, if that was to be, he was going to make sure he went out fighting and as angry and uncooperative as possible.
Hot-blooded nature willed him forward, tensing and turning and twisting and reaching back in his mind for every small bit of strength he had. Each exertion offered him another dial of pain as the voltage only rose in intensity until he thought he was surely on fire. He roared in agony, but continued to strain against it. He clenched his fists inside the metal cuffs. A vein threatened to burst in his temple and neck. He was sure his stomach or something inside him had burst already because all he could taste was blood and bile.
The clamoring audience outside began to stare now with some infectious anxiety toward him. This creature was more resilient than they thought.
"Why is he still conscious!?" San shouted, panicked, at the droid.
The robot scientist looked over the configurations, dials and energy levels going crazy on the screen, and back at the subject. "It… does not compute…"
"Does not compute?!" San questioned angrily.
Gai screamed out in rage, issuing up the last of his mettle, and knowing this was the last one he would muster.
"Aaaah! Mikotoooo!" The name issued out of his cracked vocal cords right as a surge of energy emanated out from him like a shock wave and shattered the glass shield, rebounding through the hall, causing systems to go haywire, fidget and burst. Spectators screamed and ducked. He crunched, his bonds snapping off the ceiling and floor, and for a second, dumbfounded surprise overcame him, as well as his spectators, whose eyes threatened to leave their heads.
"The subject has broken the bonds!" the droid screeched.
He slammed against the floor, hard, relieved but knowing he was still far from freedom. Heaving and wheezing and wondering what he had just done, he managed to pick himself up, glimpsing that slight green glow issuing from underneath his left manacle. He couldn't think about it right now though, too many other things were pestering him.
'Mikoto… give me strength…'
Computer systems fizzled, sparked, and smoked but not a peep was ushered from the stunned spectators. They stared in disbelief, with their mouths agape, at this beast carrying the power of a god raising himself feebly from the floor. Blood and sweat dripped off his body, the once-functional restraints still locked on his limbs like metallic bracelets, his chest heaved with every breath he let escape and his matted mane frayed out like a haggard lion. The eerie ambience of pulsating red lights and blaring sirens blanketing this feral man sent fear straight to the soul. Shadows lined the edges of his face as he held it low, gradually lifting to meet the awestruck dilated gaze of Captain San. The cigar he'd been suckling fell from a maw laden with ragged razor teeth that became only more prominent with each upturn of his lips.
"Now then…" Gai gurgled, "anyone want to answer my questions nicely…?"
- See you at Next!
