Somewhere amongst the Japanese countryside, there existed a beautiful valley. Going down the middle of this valley was a path surrounded by beautiful trees with white flowers covering the branches. They provided ample shade, whilst still letting enough warm sunlight through to keep the path bright. The path led down to a small lake, stunningly situated and pristinely calm. The whole thing seemed to come straight out of a painting of paradise.
If you relaxed in the shade by the lake and looked out at the sky above it, you would see a rich deep blue screen, punctuated only by the occasional bird and a stereotypical small fluffy white cloud. It would be a scene of tranquillity. However, if you happened to be looking at the sky at about the time this story begins, you would also see a small metal object descending towards your position. Naturally you would be interested, and so you would stand up and walk out of the shade for a better look. Shielding your eyes from the sun with one hand you would notice that the craft was badly damaged, as if from some big battle. You would also notice strange markings on the sides of the craft, obviously part of the aesthetic design. Although you wouldn't recognise them from anywhere, you would get the sense that they are a form of identification.
As the craft descended into the large group of trees through which you had just previously walked to get where you would be now, you might decide to follow it. You would pass through the trees until you came to a small clearing, whereupon you would be the closest any human has been to an otherworldly spaceship. Unfortunately, you wouldn't have the luxury of being able to tell anyone, as a mounted laser turret would focus on you and fire, vaporising you instantly. It might seem cruel, but the existence of otherworldly beings was a closely guarded secret.
Luckily for you, you weren't there that day.
There was a knock at the door. An average-looking boy named Tenchi opened it.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
The young woman, perhaps twenty or twenty-five years old, had short dark red hair and purple eyes. She wore what appeared to be an armoured uniform, mostly silver protective pads, with green cloth joining them all up. Her ears stretched up the side of her head until they nearly met on top, like depictions of the mythical creatures elves. Apart from that she looked human. She was injured, though, with burn marks and scratches through her clothes and across her arms and face. "Greetings," she said. "Please don't be alarmed by my appearance. I mean no harm. I am going to tell you several things that may seem implausible to you, but please try to accept them." She paused. "I am what you would consider to be an alien. I was forced to make a landing not far from here due to extensive damage to my craft. It is currently repairing itself, but I am in need of food and shelter until the repairs are complete. I ask you to help me."
"Umm, okay," Tenchi said. "Come in."
"What? I'm sorry," the woman said to Tenchi's slightly offended gaze, "but aren't you in the least bit shocked by any of this?"
"Well, not really," Tenchi replied. "You see…"
A loud snap came from the kitchen. Mihoshi ran into the hall waving her hand around, which had a large mousetrap attached to it. She was crying out in pain.
"That's Mihoshi," Tenchi said.
"Mihoshi, what did I tell you about mousetraps?" Kiyone shouted, walking in after her. "The cheese is for the mouse, not for you."
"But if we're trying to get rid of mice," Mihoshi said, now free of the trap, "why are we giving them cheese? Isn't that inviting them to stay, so they can get more cheese?"
"That's Kiyone," Tenchi said. "She's…"
"Can you be quiet please? I'm trying to read," Sasami said, walking in with a book in her hand. She noticed the newcomer. "Hi Tenchi. Who's she?"
"Sasami," Tenchi explained.
"Sasami, what do you mean, 'who's she'?" Ayeka walked in, also carrying a book. "Oh, I see. Hello."
"Ayeka."
Ryoko drifted in. "Ayeka, did you steal my book? I wasn't finished reading it!"
"Ryoko."
Washu had chosen this time to try and get another "sample" from Tenchi. She came out of the laboratory.
"And that is Washu," Tenchi finished.
They were all in the main room now. Aeryn, the stranger, was about to tell her story.
"I suppose it's all my fault, really. I accepted this STUPID mission to capture L'Den."
"Who is L'Den?" Ayeka asked.
"L'Den is a terrorist. He tried to destroy the condenser facility on Kamen. When he failed he fled here. I volunteered as a one person army to retrieve him."
"Why only you?" Ryoko asked. "Surely it would have made more sense to send the whole Jurian army force in."
"This is a protected planetary system. Sending the whole army in wouldn't go down too well with the Galaxy Police, so I volunteered to sneak in here and settle things quietly. However, he ambushed me in his ship and a fight ensued. I destroyed him in the end, but my ship was badly damaged. I was forced to land here to make repairs."
"I thought you said your ship was repairing itself. How can it do that?" Tenchi asked.
"My ship is made of a new compound called biometallic plasma. It's as strong as metal and has the extra advantage of being able to regenerate itself. It's a slow process, though. That's why it's still only a prototype."
"A new compound, eh? Interesting," Washu lapsed into thought.
"Can we do anything to help?" Sasami asked.
"My ship will be fine. However, my emergency food rations were destroyed. And since my ship puts out a deadly bio-degenerative field when it repairs, I have nowhere to stay. I was wondering if I could stay with you, just for a little bit. I think a week would be more than enough time for my ship to heal."
"Sure you can stay," Tenchi said. "We've managed to accommodate six girls, umm, women," he quickly changed tracks as he caught their glances, "so one more should be no problem."
"I thank you," Aeryn said.
"I'm sorry about making you sleep on the couch, but there's nowhere else. Are you sure you wouldn't rather have my bed instead, and I'll sleep downstairs?"
Tenchi and Aeryn had gone for a walk around the lake, to get to know each other.
"No, Tenchi, it's perfectly alright. You've been more than kind to me already. I'm just glad I'm inside." Aeryn smiled sweetly at Tenchi, making him blush slightly. "You will let me know if there's any way I can ever repay you, won't you?"
Tenchi blushed again.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Aeryn was genuinely puzzled.
"What? Oh, no, it's me. Or rather, it's the girls, umm, women. They all adore me for some reason, and Ryoko and Ayeka are constantly fighting over me."
"Sounds like an interesting household."
"When we have one, at least. I wish they wouldn't fight, because every time they do they end up destroying at least some of the house."
"Oh. But I thought you'd enjoy all the attention they gave you."
"Maybe I would have, but they just give me too much of it. It just gets frustrating after a while, because they don't actually care about my feelings. They think they'll get chosen because they're the strongest one here, but I don't care about that at all."
"And yet you do love them?"
"Yes, but not LOVE love. I'd sacrifice myself for any one of them, but I don't think I could choose just one of them." Tenchi paused. "How did you know that?"
"Know what?"
"That I loved them."
"Well, judging from the way they act, they've been living here for a while, right?"
"Four months, yes."
"Four months. Surely if you didn't love them you wouldn't have let them stay that long."
"Yes, I suppose."
They walked on a bit.
"You know, you're really easy to talk to, Aeryn," Tenchi said.
"I know. I think it's subconscious. I give off these senses that make everyone I talk to feel at ease. I think it's because of my telepathic abilities."
Tenchi did a double take. "What?"
"I'm telepathic. I can sense the thoughts and emotions of other people. I can also talk to other people through thoughts."
"Well, do you mind not sensing my thoughts? They're kind of personal."
"Of course. I'm sorry. It's kind of automatic. I sometimes do it without even realising."
"How could you have known? Maybe your people are open with their feelings, and you just assumed it was the same with us."
"I can see why they like you, though. You're so considerate and kind. I've just met you, and I like you, too."
"Oh, well, you're kind, too. I mean, some people wouldn't be as understanding as you. They would have taken that offer of my bed in an instant."
"That's sweet of you to say."
They walked on.
That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Aeryn lay on the couch thinking.
Tenchi is really kind and hospitable, she thought. I really like him.
Thinking about Tenchi made her tired, so she eventually fell asleep. Once she was unconscious, her mind started to wander. It coasted around the house for a while, and then found its way outside. It soared above the trees, marvelling at the wide variety of life to be found in such and small space. It began to be attracted to a creature, following it, entering it, and learning all its thoughts. Quickly becoming disinterested in the creature, the mind left. If the mind had looked back at its previous host, it would have noticed it lying dead on the ground. Her mind began to think of other things.
Aeryn stirred and turned over. "T'nchi," she mumbled.
The next morning Aeryn woke to cries of help. But they were not from Tenchi, as was usually the case. This time Ryoko was calling for aid. Everyone was woken by the cries, and they all went into Tenchi's room to see what provoked the shouts.
Tenchi lay on his bed, seemingly asleep, but Ryoko was vigorously shaking him. It was obvious that it was no ordinary sleep.
"Tenchi, please, wake up," Ryoko begged.
"Get him to my lab," Washu said. "I'll try to find out what's wrong."
Tenchi was placed on a table in Washu's extra-dimensional lab. Many different probes and scanners appeared from the ceiling and started rushing around Tenchi. He was still unconscious.
"Do you know what's wrong with him yet?" Aeryn asked.
"Just a minute," Washu said distractedly.
Aeryn joined Ryoko and Kiyone in their pacing. Ayeka and Sasami were holding Tenchi's hands. Mihoshi was standing near to the table staring at the instruments flying around Tenchi.
"Why did this happen?" Ryoko asked, mainly to herself. She frowned. "Nothing like this happened before you came," she growled, glaring at Aeryn. "It's your fault. What did you do to him?"
"Ryoko, calm down. There are a number of reasons to explain why Tenchi's in a coma," Washu said. "I only hope that whatever it is can be reversed."
Ryoko sagged her head and scowled at the ground.
"Ah, the results," Washu said, as a myriad of shapes and symbols, legible only to her, appeared on her computer screen. She browsed through them. "Nothing's wrong chemically or anatomically. Physically he's fine. His transtemporal signature is stable, and the dimensional pattern is aligned. No foreign radiation… wait." Washu selected a section of information and expanded it. "There's a imporductive mentalite aura around him. That's strange."
"What's that?" Kiyone asked.
"A psychic field," Aeryn answered.
"Yes, how did you know?" Washu asked.
"I'm psychic."
Washu frowned in thought, and then tapped a few commands into her keyboard. A probe that had been previously scanning Tenchi flew over to Aeryn and started circulating her head.
"W, what?" Aeryn stammered.
Washu looked over the incoming information. She tapped in a command, and two graphs appeared on the screen. They appeared to be the same.
"As I thought. Tenchi's induced comatose state is caused by a mentalitic force, which has been created by Aeryn."
"Aeryn, what did you do to him?" Ryoko yelled. She dashed forwards at her, fist readied, but a force field blocked her way. "Washu, let me at her," she shouted, hitting the energy barrier. "She made Tenchi unconscious!"
Washu didn't concede. Instead she walked up to Aeryn and asked "Aeryn, just what kind of powers do you have?"
"Telepathy, empathy, telekinesis and clairvoyance," she replied. "But I don't know how…"
"You don't need to know how. At the moment, you're the only one who can revive Tenchi. Use your telecommunication to contact him, and try to bring him back."
"No, I mean, I don't know how to use them fully. They just, happen. I can't control it like that yet."
"Oh." Washu returned to her console. "I'll just have to try and reverse it myself, then."
"Is there anything I can do?" Aeryn asked.
"One thing, but it is extremely dangerous."
"What is it? Anything."
"The chances of success would be quintupled if you form a direct mental connection. I can do that for you. You can try and find him within his mind, and lead him out into reality. But as I said, it is dangerous. There is a ninety-six percent chance that you will join him in eternal darkness, and about forty-five percent chance that you will suffer permanent brain damage."
"If it's that dangerous…"
"It's not time critical," Washu said. "You can think about it if you want."
"Yes. Yes, I… Yes," Aeryn recited, immersed in herself.
Aeryn had gone for a walk. It was the same place she and Tenchi had gone the previous afternoon. She stopped at a point and sat down on a log overlooking the lake. The rising sun glinted over the water, and cast the sky in red.
It's dangerous, she thought. You probably won't survive.
"I know."
Do you want to die?
"Of course not."
So why are you even thinking about this choice? Surely it's obvious what to do?
"But…"
Yes?
"But I know him. It's not like that kid at school."
Torayanu Minfarn. The one who overused his telekinetic powers and killed himself due to mental collapse.
"Yes."
Why do you want to risk your own life to try and save him? It's not like he's anyone important, after all.
"He's important to me."
Are you developing feelings for him? You know that's not allowed.
"Well…"
Well?
Aeryn sagged her head. "Yes. Yes, I am."
"Now, I'm going to insert this neural connector into your spine at your neck. I'm not going to lie. This will hurt a lot. You might not be able to stand it."
Aeryn lay on an operation table next to Tenchi. She nodded. "I was trained to ignore most forms of torture, Washu. I can block out the pain."
"Just try not to faint. You need to be conscious."
Aeryn nodded again.
Washu took a round metal object with several pins protruding from it from her equipment table, and pressed it firmly into Aeryn's neck. Aeryn winced at the pain, more than she had anticipated, but was resolved to do this for Tenchi. The pain slowly subsided as she began to ignore her nervous system.
"Now I'm going to connect you directly to Tenchi. Just lie back, close your eyes and think of something nice. This will feel a little weird."
Aeryn did so. Washu took a thin cable, attached at one end to the connector in Tenchi's neck. She plugged it into Aeryn's connector.
A variety of colours flashed all over her vision. Strange shapes merged and diverged. Slowly they came to a standstill. None of them made any sense, but at least they weren't moving.
"Hi Aeryn."
Aeryn swirled around, to see Tenchi standing behind her. He wore his usual brown outfit.
"Tenchi? What…" Aeryn stuttered. "Where is this place?"
"It's my mind," Tenchi replied. "Or at least, it's a visual representation of my mind."
Aeryn walked towards him. "Why do I have a body?"
"It's kind of a mental projection of yourself. See, your clothes have changed."
Aeryn looked down. Her clothes had indeed changed. She wore, instead of her battle armour, a long light blue dress, of simple Jurian design.
"If this is your mind, what are all these shapes?"
"They are all different apertures into my psyche. Don't try and look at them too long, or you'll be engulfed by them."
"There's something else about you. You're more, well, able to speak, if you know what I mean."
"Articulate? Yes, that's another thing about my presence here. I have instant access to a dictionary and thesaurus of all the words I know. I can speak more properly here."
"Right. Anyway, Washu sent me to help you become conscious again."
"Yes, of course she did. There is a door over here," he gestured towards a sliding door with a button on a pedestal nearby. It seemed out of place amongst the shapes of Tenchi's mind. "This is the way out. The only problem is…" Tenchi pressed the button. The door shot open with immense speed, revealing blackness. He let go of the button and the door shut instantly with the same speed. "I can't get out before it closes."
"Can I try?" Aeryn asked. She walked up to the pedestal and pressed the button. The door opened as before. She let go and it closed. "I could keep the door open while you go through."
"But what about you? You'd be trapped in here then," Tenchi said.
"Technically I'm not a part of your mind. Therefore I can't get trapped in here." To test this, she walked over to the door and reached out a hand. Her arm passed through the door as if it wasn't there.
In Washu's lab, Aeryn's arm twitched. Washu noted this indifferently.
Aeryn pulled her arm back. "Yes. Once you've gone, I'll go through. I'll see you on Earth."
"Okay, Aeryn," Tenchi said. "See you there. And thanks for coming to save me."
"You're very welcome," Aeryn smiled. She pressed the button. The door opened and Tenchi walked through.
Tenchi's eyes opened to the sight of blackness. Then Washu's face appeared in his vision. Tenchi yelped and squirmed away slightly.
"Sorry about that," Washu said.
"No you're not. How's Aeryn?" Tenchi tilted his head towards her. Aeryn lay on the table perfectly still. "Aeryn?" Nothing. "Aeryn?" he asked in a more urgent tone. He looked back at Washu. She had a sad look on her face. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Tenchi. She died just as you woke up."
Just then, Tenchi's ears noticed the deathly continuous tone of a heart monitor.
"She's dead?"
Washu nodded.
"Can't you revive her?"
Washu shook her head. "All of her mentalite energy readings have stopped. Her mind has been separated from her body and soul. She cannot survive without it, nor it without her. Both of them would have ceased to be instantly."
A wave of sadness hit Tenchi. He gasped, unable to catch his breath. "But, I was just talking to her. In my mind. She's gone?"
He saw the cable attached to her neck. Tenchi reached up and touched his own connector, still in his neck, but with the cable removed.
"It automatically detached when you woke up," Washu explained.
"She's gone?"
Aeryn watched Tenchi step through the door. Once he was through, she let go of the button. As soon as the door shut, it disappeared, along with everything else. Aeryn didn't even have time to exclaim as everything turned black and she ceased to be.
If you relaxed in the shade by the lake and looked out at the sky above it, you would see a rich deep blue screen, punctuated only by the occasional bird and a stereotypical small fluffy white cloud. It would be a scene of tranquillity. However, if you happened to be looking at the sky at about the time this story begins, you would also see a small metal object descending towards your position. Naturally you would be interested, and so you would stand up and walk out of the shade for a better look. Shielding your eyes from the sun with one hand you would notice that the craft was badly damaged, as if from some big battle. You would also notice strange markings on the sides of the craft, obviously part of the aesthetic design. Although you wouldn't recognise them from anywhere, you would get the sense that they are a form of identification.
As the craft descended into the large group of trees through which you had just previously walked to get where you would be now, you might decide to follow it. You would pass through the trees until you came to a small clearing, whereupon you would be the closest any human has been to an otherworldly spaceship. Unfortunately, you wouldn't have the luxury of being able to tell anyone, as a mounted laser turret would focus on you and fire, vaporising you instantly. It might seem cruel, but the existence of otherworldly beings was a closely guarded secret.
Luckily for you, you weren't there that day.
There was a knock at the door. An average-looking boy named Tenchi opened it.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
The young woman, perhaps twenty or twenty-five years old, had short dark red hair and purple eyes. She wore what appeared to be an armoured uniform, mostly silver protective pads, with green cloth joining them all up. Her ears stretched up the side of her head until they nearly met on top, like depictions of the mythical creatures elves. Apart from that she looked human. She was injured, though, with burn marks and scratches through her clothes and across her arms and face. "Greetings," she said. "Please don't be alarmed by my appearance. I mean no harm. I am going to tell you several things that may seem implausible to you, but please try to accept them." She paused. "I am what you would consider to be an alien. I was forced to make a landing not far from here due to extensive damage to my craft. It is currently repairing itself, but I am in need of food and shelter until the repairs are complete. I ask you to help me."
"Umm, okay," Tenchi said. "Come in."
"What? I'm sorry," the woman said to Tenchi's slightly offended gaze, "but aren't you in the least bit shocked by any of this?"
"Well, not really," Tenchi replied. "You see…"
A loud snap came from the kitchen. Mihoshi ran into the hall waving her hand around, which had a large mousetrap attached to it. She was crying out in pain.
"That's Mihoshi," Tenchi said.
"Mihoshi, what did I tell you about mousetraps?" Kiyone shouted, walking in after her. "The cheese is for the mouse, not for you."
"But if we're trying to get rid of mice," Mihoshi said, now free of the trap, "why are we giving them cheese? Isn't that inviting them to stay, so they can get more cheese?"
"That's Kiyone," Tenchi said. "She's…"
"Can you be quiet please? I'm trying to read," Sasami said, walking in with a book in her hand. She noticed the newcomer. "Hi Tenchi. Who's she?"
"Sasami," Tenchi explained.
"Sasami, what do you mean, 'who's she'?" Ayeka walked in, also carrying a book. "Oh, I see. Hello."
"Ayeka."
Ryoko drifted in. "Ayeka, did you steal my book? I wasn't finished reading it!"
"Ryoko."
Washu had chosen this time to try and get another "sample" from Tenchi. She came out of the laboratory.
"And that is Washu," Tenchi finished.
They were all in the main room now. Aeryn, the stranger, was about to tell her story.
"I suppose it's all my fault, really. I accepted this STUPID mission to capture L'Den."
"Who is L'Den?" Ayeka asked.
"L'Den is a terrorist. He tried to destroy the condenser facility on Kamen. When he failed he fled here. I volunteered as a one person army to retrieve him."
"Why only you?" Ryoko asked. "Surely it would have made more sense to send the whole Jurian army force in."
"This is a protected planetary system. Sending the whole army in wouldn't go down too well with the Galaxy Police, so I volunteered to sneak in here and settle things quietly. However, he ambushed me in his ship and a fight ensued. I destroyed him in the end, but my ship was badly damaged. I was forced to land here to make repairs."
"I thought you said your ship was repairing itself. How can it do that?" Tenchi asked.
"My ship is made of a new compound called biometallic plasma. It's as strong as metal and has the extra advantage of being able to regenerate itself. It's a slow process, though. That's why it's still only a prototype."
"A new compound, eh? Interesting," Washu lapsed into thought.
"Can we do anything to help?" Sasami asked.
"My ship will be fine. However, my emergency food rations were destroyed. And since my ship puts out a deadly bio-degenerative field when it repairs, I have nowhere to stay. I was wondering if I could stay with you, just for a little bit. I think a week would be more than enough time for my ship to heal."
"Sure you can stay," Tenchi said. "We've managed to accommodate six girls, umm, women," he quickly changed tracks as he caught their glances, "so one more should be no problem."
"I thank you," Aeryn said.
"I'm sorry about making you sleep on the couch, but there's nowhere else. Are you sure you wouldn't rather have my bed instead, and I'll sleep downstairs?"
Tenchi and Aeryn had gone for a walk around the lake, to get to know each other.
"No, Tenchi, it's perfectly alright. You've been more than kind to me already. I'm just glad I'm inside." Aeryn smiled sweetly at Tenchi, making him blush slightly. "You will let me know if there's any way I can ever repay you, won't you?"
Tenchi blushed again.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Aeryn was genuinely puzzled.
"What? Oh, no, it's me. Or rather, it's the girls, umm, women. They all adore me for some reason, and Ryoko and Ayeka are constantly fighting over me."
"Sounds like an interesting household."
"When we have one, at least. I wish they wouldn't fight, because every time they do they end up destroying at least some of the house."
"Oh. But I thought you'd enjoy all the attention they gave you."
"Maybe I would have, but they just give me too much of it. It just gets frustrating after a while, because they don't actually care about my feelings. They think they'll get chosen because they're the strongest one here, but I don't care about that at all."
"And yet you do love them?"
"Yes, but not LOVE love. I'd sacrifice myself for any one of them, but I don't think I could choose just one of them." Tenchi paused. "How did you know that?"
"Know what?"
"That I loved them."
"Well, judging from the way they act, they've been living here for a while, right?"
"Four months, yes."
"Four months. Surely if you didn't love them you wouldn't have let them stay that long."
"Yes, I suppose."
They walked on a bit.
"You know, you're really easy to talk to, Aeryn," Tenchi said.
"I know. I think it's subconscious. I give off these senses that make everyone I talk to feel at ease. I think it's because of my telepathic abilities."
Tenchi did a double take. "What?"
"I'm telepathic. I can sense the thoughts and emotions of other people. I can also talk to other people through thoughts."
"Well, do you mind not sensing my thoughts? They're kind of personal."
"Of course. I'm sorry. It's kind of automatic. I sometimes do it without even realising."
"How could you have known? Maybe your people are open with their feelings, and you just assumed it was the same with us."
"I can see why they like you, though. You're so considerate and kind. I've just met you, and I like you, too."
"Oh, well, you're kind, too. I mean, some people wouldn't be as understanding as you. They would have taken that offer of my bed in an instant."
"That's sweet of you to say."
They walked on.
That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Aeryn lay on the couch thinking.
Tenchi is really kind and hospitable, she thought. I really like him.
Thinking about Tenchi made her tired, so she eventually fell asleep. Once she was unconscious, her mind started to wander. It coasted around the house for a while, and then found its way outside. It soared above the trees, marvelling at the wide variety of life to be found in such and small space. It began to be attracted to a creature, following it, entering it, and learning all its thoughts. Quickly becoming disinterested in the creature, the mind left. If the mind had looked back at its previous host, it would have noticed it lying dead on the ground. Her mind began to think of other things.
Aeryn stirred and turned over. "T'nchi," she mumbled.
The next morning Aeryn woke to cries of help. But they were not from Tenchi, as was usually the case. This time Ryoko was calling for aid. Everyone was woken by the cries, and they all went into Tenchi's room to see what provoked the shouts.
Tenchi lay on his bed, seemingly asleep, but Ryoko was vigorously shaking him. It was obvious that it was no ordinary sleep.
"Tenchi, please, wake up," Ryoko begged.
"Get him to my lab," Washu said. "I'll try to find out what's wrong."
Tenchi was placed on a table in Washu's extra-dimensional lab. Many different probes and scanners appeared from the ceiling and started rushing around Tenchi. He was still unconscious.
"Do you know what's wrong with him yet?" Aeryn asked.
"Just a minute," Washu said distractedly.
Aeryn joined Ryoko and Kiyone in their pacing. Ayeka and Sasami were holding Tenchi's hands. Mihoshi was standing near to the table staring at the instruments flying around Tenchi.
"Why did this happen?" Ryoko asked, mainly to herself. She frowned. "Nothing like this happened before you came," she growled, glaring at Aeryn. "It's your fault. What did you do to him?"
"Ryoko, calm down. There are a number of reasons to explain why Tenchi's in a coma," Washu said. "I only hope that whatever it is can be reversed."
Ryoko sagged her head and scowled at the ground.
"Ah, the results," Washu said, as a myriad of shapes and symbols, legible only to her, appeared on her computer screen. She browsed through them. "Nothing's wrong chemically or anatomically. Physically he's fine. His transtemporal signature is stable, and the dimensional pattern is aligned. No foreign radiation… wait." Washu selected a section of information and expanded it. "There's a imporductive mentalite aura around him. That's strange."
"What's that?" Kiyone asked.
"A psychic field," Aeryn answered.
"Yes, how did you know?" Washu asked.
"I'm psychic."
Washu frowned in thought, and then tapped a few commands into her keyboard. A probe that had been previously scanning Tenchi flew over to Aeryn and started circulating her head.
"W, what?" Aeryn stammered.
Washu looked over the incoming information. She tapped in a command, and two graphs appeared on the screen. They appeared to be the same.
"As I thought. Tenchi's induced comatose state is caused by a mentalitic force, which has been created by Aeryn."
"Aeryn, what did you do to him?" Ryoko yelled. She dashed forwards at her, fist readied, but a force field blocked her way. "Washu, let me at her," she shouted, hitting the energy barrier. "She made Tenchi unconscious!"
Washu didn't concede. Instead she walked up to Aeryn and asked "Aeryn, just what kind of powers do you have?"
"Telepathy, empathy, telekinesis and clairvoyance," she replied. "But I don't know how…"
"You don't need to know how. At the moment, you're the only one who can revive Tenchi. Use your telecommunication to contact him, and try to bring him back."
"No, I mean, I don't know how to use them fully. They just, happen. I can't control it like that yet."
"Oh." Washu returned to her console. "I'll just have to try and reverse it myself, then."
"Is there anything I can do?" Aeryn asked.
"One thing, but it is extremely dangerous."
"What is it? Anything."
"The chances of success would be quintupled if you form a direct mental connection. I can do that for you. You can try and find him within his mind, and lead him out into reality. But as I said, it is dangerous. There is a ninety-six percent chance that you will join him in eternal darkness, and about forty-five percent chance that you will suffer permanent brain damage."
"If it's that dangerous…"
"It's not time critical," Washu said. "You can think about it if you want."
"Yes. Yes, I… Yes," Aeryn recited, immersed in herself.
Aeryn had gone for a walk. It was the same place she and Tenchi had gone the previous afternoon. She stopped at a point and sat down on a log overlooking the lake. The rising sun glinted over the water, and cast the sky in red.
It's dangerous, she thought. You probably won't survive.
"I know."
Do you want to die?
"Of course not."
So why are you even thinking about this choice? Surely it's obvious what to do?
"But…"
Yes?
"But I know him. It's not like that kid at school."
Torayanu Minfarn. The one who overused his telekinetic powers and killed himself due to mental collapse.
"Yes."
Why do you want to risk your own life to try and save him? It's not like he's anyone important, after all.
"He's important to me."
Are you developing feelings for him? You know that's not allowed.
"Well…"
Well?
Aeryn sagged her head. "Yes. Yes, I am."
"Now, I'm going to insert this neural connector into your spine at your neck. I'm not going to lie. This will hurt a lot. You might not be able to stand it."
Aeryn lay on an operation table next to Tenchi. She nodded. "I was trained to ignore most forms of torture, Washu. I can block out the pain."
"Just try not to faint. You need to be conscious."
Aeryn nodded again.
Washu took a round metal object with several pins protruding from it from her equipment table, and pressed it firmly into Aeryn's neck. Aeryn winced at the pain, more than she had anticipated, but was resolved to do this for Tenchi. The pain slowly subsided as she began to ignore her nervous system.
"Now I'm going to connect you directly to Tenchi. Just lie back, close your eyes and think of something nice. This will feel a little weird."
Aeryn did so. Washu took a thin cable, attached at one end to the connector in Tenchi's neck. She plugged it into Aeryn's connector.
A variety of colours flashed all over her vision. Strange shapes merged and diverged. Slowly they came to a standstill. None of them made any sense, but at least they weren't moving.
"Hi Aeryn."
Aeryn swirled around, to see Tenchi standing behind her. He wore his usual brown outfit.
"Tenchi? What…" Aeryn stuttered. "Where is this place?"
"It's my mind," Tenchi replied. "Or at least, it's a visual representation of my mind."
Aeryn walked towards him. "Why do I have a body?"
"It's kind of a mental projection of yourself. See, your clothes have changed."
Aeryn looked down. Her clothes had indeed changed. She wore, instead of her battle armour, a long light blue dress, of simple Jurian design.
"If this is your mind, what are all these shapes?"
"They are all different apertures into my psyche. Don't try and look at them too long, or you'll be engulfed by them."
"There's something else about you. You're more, well, able to speak, if you know what I mean."
"Articulate? Yes, that's another thing about my presence here. I have instant access to a dictionary and thesaurus of all the words I know. I can speak more properly here."
"Right. Anyway, Washu sent me to help you become conscious again."
"Yes, of course she did. There is a door over here," he gestured towards a sliding door with a button on a pedestal nearby. It seemed out of place amongst the shapes of Tenchi's mind. "This is the way out. The only problem is…" Tenchi pressed the button. The door shot open with immense speed, revealing blackness. He let go of the button and the door shut instantly with the same speed. "I can't get out before it closes."
"Can I try?" Aeryn asked. She walked up to the pedestal and pressed the button. The door opened as before. She let go and it closed. "I could keep the door open while you go through."
"But what about you? You'd be trapped in here then," Tenchi said.
"Technically I'm not a part of your mind. Therefore I can't get trapped in here." To test this, she walked over to the door and reached out a hand. Her arm passed through the door as if it wasn't there.
In Washu's lab, Aeryn's arm twitched. Washu noted this indifferently.
Aeryn pulled her arm back. "Yes. Once you've gone, I'll go through. I'll see you on Earth."
"Okay, Aeryn," Tenchi said. "See you there. And thanks for coming to save me."
"You're very welcome," Aeryn smiled. She pressed the button. The door opened and Tenchi walked through.
Tenchi's eyes opened to the sight of blackness. Then Washu's face appeared in his vision. Tenchi yelped and squirmed away slightly.
"Sorry about that," Washu said.
"No you're not. How's Aeryn?" Tenchi tilted his head towards her. Aeryn lay on the table perfectly still. "Aeryn?" Nothing. "Aeryn?" he asked in a more urgent tone. He looked back at Washu. She had a sad look on her face. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Tenchi. She died just as you woke up."
Just then, Tenchi's ears noticed the deathly continuous tone of a heart monitor.
"She's dead?"
Washu nodded.
"Can't you revive her?"
Washu shook her head. "All of her mentalite energy readings have stopped. Her mind has been separated from her body and soul. She cannot survive without it, nor it without her. Both of them would have ceased to be instantly."
A wave of sadness hit Tenchi. He gasped, unable to catch his breath. "But, I was just talking to her. In my mind. She's gone?"
He saw the cable attached to her neck. Tenchi reached up and touched his own connector, still in his neck, but with the cable removed.
"It automatically detached when you woke up," Washu explained.
"She's gone?"
Aeryn watched Tenchi step through the door. Once he was through, she let go of the button. As soon as the door shut, it disappeared, along with everything else. Aeryn didn't even have time to exclaim as everything turned black and she ceased to be.