Disclaimers:
- Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi
- The Universe of the Incal is based in the works: Incal of Jodorowsky and Moebious, Metabarons of Jodorowsky, Moebious and Gimenez, and Techno Priests of Jodorowsky, Zoran Janjetov and Fred Beltrand.
- This story is made for fun and is meant for the enjoyment of the fans.
- I have to thank Kirra for preread this chapter. Thank you very much.
- I thank all kinds of comments and suggestions, as well as illustrations based on the history.
- Please C&C.
- If anybody wants be a pre reader and help me you only have to e-mail me. I would be happy to accept. Thanks.
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This story started in the far limits of the solar system, in the space beyond Pluto, where only a few space probes had reached.
---------------------------------Incal Universe: Prelude.
The Metabunker appeared where, a short time before, there was only space dust. This way it got in a time where it didn't belong.
The big fortress-ship built by Othon, First metabaron, was more than a kilometre tall and several hundred meters in diameter. Its whole surface was built with a special type of alloy and it was completely even and without protuberances. It looked as a huge dark crystal of asymmetric faces.
Slowly the Metabunker started to move towards the Earth. At the same time Steelhead, coming from a far future, appeared inside it.
Steelhead, Third Metabaron, belonged to the most powerful family of warriors of the galaxy, the Castaka. He was only a baby when his father destroyed his head during a confrontation with his grandmother-mother; who, desperate, managed to save him replacing his lost head with a mechanical imitation.
Maybe this was that had turned him into the cruellest and coldest of all the Metabarons.
During his life he had killed hundreds of thousands beings of hundred of different species. He never suffered a single wound, until his encounter with the Supra-louse.
What had been a microscopic insect that fed on blood; had mutated during thousands of years until it had become a huge being that fed on planets. During this process, it gained intelligence; a malicious intelligence that called itself Diophanta, and whose only purpose was to devour everything, leaving an empty and lifeless universe.
Diophanta laid thousands of millions of eggs, which hatched out at the same time given birth to its horrible descendants. The Supra-louse gathered its new-born offspring and merged with them acquiring the size of a small galaxy, able to eat a solar system with only a bite. None could beat it.
It was then that Steelhead managed to access the inside of Diophanta, until he arrived at a planet sized cavity. There he detonated the bombs implanted in his body, each of them with enough power to destroy a star.
The pseudo-galaxy imploded disappearing its menace, and Steelhead was volatilized before appear at thousands of years in the past.
Steelhead watched his surroundings coldly, without any surprise.
He was in a large circular room with tall metal walls. Except for him the room was completely empty. He recognized the place at once.
'I am in the Metabunker. How is this possible?'
"I can explain 'how it's possible'" A voice answered his thoughts.
Steelhead turned around and found an old man in front of him, who wasn't there half a second ago.
The elder's skin and hair was completely white. He wore a long grey tunic without ornaments that covered his feet. A small animal was seated on his right shoulder. But the detail that attracted Steelhead's attention was the intensity of his small grey eyes.
'He isn't a normal old man.' Steelhead understood quickly. 'If he could bring me here, his powers must be…'
Steelhead didn't finish his thoughts. The smile of the elder showed him that his thoughts weren't private. It would be imprudent, if he showed any weakness in front of a potential enemy.
"Who are you?" Steelhead asked.
"My name is Albino." The elder answered kindly.
Steelhead didn't react by the irony of his name.
"It isn't possible that I survived the explosion that destroys the supra-louse."
"Yes." Albino cut off.
Steelhead stared him directly to his eyes and asked him.
"Then, am I dead?"
"Yes & no." The elder answered enigmatically.
"Am I alive?"
"No & yes."
Steelhead pondered the strange answers of the elder, without changing the expression of his metallic face.
"Have you been who bring me here?"
"Yes." Albino answered seriously, waiting the real question.
"Why?"
"During my life I fought against an enemy that tried to corrupt the galaxy and cover it with darkness. Finally I managed to defeat them, but my victory wasn't complete. Their roots spread out in more than one reality."
"And, why must I be concern with your fights, elder?" Steelhead retorted coldly.
Albino smiled as if he was waiting this answer.
"The enemy, that I fought, hides under the techno sect"
These words prompted the first reaction of Steelhead, who frowned slightly. After a few moments of silence he asked.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Neither you, nor me belong to this reality. I need you to train a weapon to disrupt their plans."
"I will need time."
"The time isn't a problem. You are out of its reach."
"You will have your weapon, elder."
Albino smiled with sadness upon hearing the answer. It seemed that the circumstances had forced him to make an unpleasant decision.
At this moment the little animal stood up and trotted until Albino's ear. It seemed as it was telling anything to Albino. This tilted his head to pay attention to his little friend, and nodded. After listen it, Albino turned towards Steelhead again.
"I forgot to tell you that you can't choose anybody. You only have four candidates. It is very important that you limit your choice between these. Everything that you could need to find them is in the central computer of the metabunker."
At this moment Albino's body started to shine.
"We will meet again when the weapon is ready."
Albino said while his body became translucent; and a moment later the elder had vanished.
"When it is ready, I will be dead." Steelhead explained to the empty room.
Tbc…