Wild Boot: THe Net Games
By David Farr
Tenchi Muyo is copyright of AIC: Pioneer LDC, INC. ReBoot is the property of Mainframe. Ranma 1/2 is copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan,Inc. All are used here respectfully for the purposes of fanfiction. This story may be redistributed only if unchanged and no fee is charged.
*****
The relative quiet of the soaring towers of Mainframe's factory district was shattered by the sudden appearance of the system's Guardian cadet, zooming by on her zip-board. Leaning to one side, Akane yawed away, dodging a series of file-lock blasts.
"Halt Akane Tendo!" Sasuke cried, hanging on to the side of the first ABC for dear life.
"Surrender or we'll have to use force!" Gosunkugi exclaimed from a similar position on a second.
Akane stuck out her tongue gave them the red eye over her shoulder. "You'll have to catch me first!"
Sasuke looked over at his partner. "Did you see what she did?"
"That was... that was RUDE!" Gosunkugi was nodding comically.
"GET HER!" the pair chorused.
Akane dove downwards, weaving in and out of the buildings, followed closely by the two ABCs. She raced under a bridge and pulled up sharply, coming to rest next to her red mecha. "Now Fuchikoma!"
Obediently the mecha stretched out its manipulators and tracked the two ABCs as they shot out from beneath the bridge. Blazing energy spat from its palm cannons, accurately slamming into the engine pods of the vehicles. Smoking, with the two bots wailing and still hanging on, the ABCs arced downwards and exploded violently against a wall.
"Come on Fuchikoma, let's go home."
"Yes ma'am!"
*****
Fuchikoma: I came from the games,
Battling robots, cyborgs and terrorists,
To fight for this Sprite
Akane Tendo.
*****
v 2.3.1: Gathering Storm.
*****
Kuno, obsessive, but brilliant, virus of Mainframe stood admiring his latest masterpiece. Its form was perfect; from the large hose snaking out from the huge pump to the two large containers of dark seething green and red energy perched above and the currently deflated bag hanging limply from one end. Yes, it was indeed his best work, in both form and function.
Behind him the elevator whirred up into place, causing him to start to turn. "So you have managed to bring me the fair..." his words trailed off as he caught sight of the bot parts lying on the platform. "I see you have failed me again."
"Err... not so much failed..." Gosunkugi began his head dome not able to do much more than talk.
"Just not succeeded," Sasuke continued, eyeing the grasping hand lying in front of his hands and trying to figure out who owned it.
"Yeah, yeah, that's it, we have not yet begun to fight!"
Kuno sighed and rested his forehead in his hand. "Imbeciles."
*****
The view from the top of the Principal Office was incredible. You could see the entire system; from the access bridges immediately below to Lost Angles and from Silicon Tor all the way to Kits sector, where once Ranma had an apartment. There was peace, that Akane could be thankful for. No more rampaging monsters, the last one, Miss Hinako, was now spending her time teaching. No signs of virals either, thankfully.
A pair of metal hands slapped across the Guardian cadet's eyes. "GUESS WHO!"
Akane didn't bother guessing, instead she grabbed and flipped her assailant. She gasped as she saw the red bug mecha arc over her head.
"I can see my house from heeerreee!" Fuchikoma cried as it dropped out of sight.
"Oh, Fuchikoma!" Akane scrambled to the edge of the roof. Below she saw the mecha stand up, shake itself and scuttle away.
"That was a mean thing to do. It was only trying to cheer you up," comment a snide voice. Akane turned to find Nabiki hovering a little further up the domed roof on a zip-board.
"It surprised me!"
Nabiki tilted the board forward slightly, floating down the roof to hover before her. "I believe that was the idea. Hope you didn't hurt it too much."
Placing her hands upon her hips, Akane glared at her sister. "What did the two of you come up here for?"
"To break you out of your funk." Nabiki grinned. "I thought you might want to join me for a quantum shake at Al's. You've been sitting up here staring out into drive space for most of the cycle."
Long moments passed as Akane stared at her sister, trying to figure out what angle she was trying to push. Finally it occurred to her that it didn't really matter.
*****
The arena was a simple sphere, funnel-like goals at either end. Nabiki floated before one and Akane the other. Both wore padded outfits, designed to take the impacts of an energy ball and held a long thin scoop in one hand.
Playfully, Akane tossed her scoop from one hand to the other. "One more point and I win," she grinned.
"Don't gloat sis, I bet you at the strategy game earlier!" Nabiki had squatted in mid-air, blocking as much of her goal with her body.
The buzzer sounded and a funnel on the ceiling spat out a glowing ball. It bounced of the wall and was hooked into Nabiki's scoop. Immediately she heaved it across the room, rebounding it off the mid-point towards her sister.
Akane effortlessly collected the shot in her own scoop, and threw it back. Watching it streak past her, way off the mark, Nabiki wondered what her sister was up to. The wall gave a slight "thung" as the ball struck and arced back towards Akane.
Catching the ball again, the youngest Tendo daughter threw it, aiming towards the edge of her sister's goal. Nabiki dove to the side, the scoop grazing the edge of the ball, just barely altering the vector. Reflected again, the ball bounced back to Akane, who moved out to grab it. With an expert flick she sent the ball soaring again.
Moments too late Nabiki realised she had over extended herself and dove to intercept, bearly missing. Dismayed, she watched the ball spiral down the funnel into her goal.
A buzzer sounded the point and the end of the game.
"Wanna go again?" Akane asked, eagerly floating from side to side.
Nabiki hovered, panting. "No thanks, I think you've worn me out. How about we go for a snack?"
"Okay," Akane jetted over to her. "Al's or the Nekohanten?"
"Nekohanten," her sister replied. "We don't have time to wait for a meal at Al's."
*****
Kasumi was busy. It was an almost constant state for her at the moment. Repairs to the system and the CPUs after Kuno's attack were going well. Personnel were not so easy to replace. As much as she wished otherwise the CPU binomes were far from being the most able of forces at the best of times, but with many of the veterans deleted in the last battle the level of skill was at an all time low.
"Enty, do you have the latest projections on the graduation of the current class of CPU cadets?" Kasumi asked, turning to her aide.
The nerdish binome straightened the frame of his glasses and stared at a PADD. "Yes ma'am, we should have at least another ten CPUs ready by ninety-five-forty. After that the next batch will be ready at," he hit the page down key a few times, "ah sixty-seventy next microsecond." He looked up helplessly.
"Is there anyway we can spare the resources to speed things up?" Kasumi inquired, worry creasing her normally calm face.
"Not really," Enty answered. "Besides they have a fairly high priority already, it's unlikely more resources will help. It's just, there is a minimum time that an upgrade can take."
Kasumi nodded. She'd known that, but she needed to hear it anyway. "Then we'll need to come up with a more imaginative solution. Enty, find me Doc, Cid, the Professor and Scotty. Have them meet me in my workroom at eight-five-hundred."
Enty's glasses slipped as he started in shock. "Your workroom?!"
*****
Mousse sat watching the corner booth with interest. Since arriving in Mainframe with his beloved, and now lost, Shampoo, he couldn't remember ever seeing any of the Tendo sisters spending quality time together. Nabiki and Kasumi had always been too busy managing the system while Akane spent a lot of time training or playing games. Yet now, within a matter of cycles he had been visited by all three of them, then the elder two and now the younger two seemed to be enjoying each other's company.
Between the sudden increase in viral activity and the loss of Shampoo and the others, things had become busy, and dangerous, within the system. Mousse was hardly surprised that Mainframe's most important family was becoming closer. It just disturbed him that Nabiki seemed to be making herself so invaluable to her sisters. That was unlike the mercenary he owed money to.
Deciding a little eavesdropping was in order, he quietly coasted along his rail towards them.
"I don't know, Mike looked kind of cute in the dress," Akane was saying.
"But FUCHIKOMA?" Nabiki demanded. "What was she thinking?"
"Who else were we going to get? Mousse?"
The two sisters looked at each other, then burst into laughter, an image of the file-server in a sailor-fuku springing into minds.
Mousse cleared his throat loudly. "Excuse me. Is there anything else you need?"
Neither girl could reply, their faces still contorted in barely controlled laughter. Both, however, managed to shake their heads, leaving Mousse to glide off once more. Behind him the pair exploded into gales of laughter once more.
*****
The door slid silently open, allowing the entrance into her cluttered workroom. There were three new inhabitants here for once, in the form of the four sprites she wished to converse with.
The first was a one binome who's hair stuck out as if it was carrying a static charge. The slightly crazed look on his face would not usually fill Kasumi with hope, yet she had to admit, Doc was one of the more imaginative inventors in Mainframe. She also noticed he still hadn't changed out of that old lab coat.
Second was the Professor, a zero binome. His name was Xander or something, she could never remember, but it began with X. Some accident in the past had deleted his legs, and now he hovered in a yellow metal chair everywhere he went. Not really a scientist, he was more of an ideas man, someone who would probably find unusual ways around a situation.
The one binome wearing the world war one pilot's uniform, complete with a goggle in his windswept hair, was Cid Highwind. His vehicular genius was undeniable, as was his skill with the pike. As the four turned to look at Kasumi he took a long puff on his cigar and blew a smoke ring in her direction.
The final member of the Kasumi's hand picked think tank was the numeral six. He spoke with a thick Scottish accent, and wore a red uniform with a triangular symbol emblazoned on the chest. For some reason she kept thinking of him as a member of security. Never the less he was a miracle worker when it came to systems engineering.
"Gentlemen." Kasumi stepped in, allowing the door to slide closed behind her. "I have called you here to discuss the continued defence of this system, specifically in regards to the virus Kuno."
Cid took his cigar from his mouth and blew another cloud of smoke. "Must be %$#*ing important to get us together down 'ere! You never let anyone into your &$%* lab!"
Kasumi didn't bat an eye at Cid's crude speech. "I've become aware of spies within my staff. The virus Kuno will know any plans I make through normal channels, and that means I need to start being sneaky."
"And we're supposed to sneak for you." The Professor looked less than pleased.
"Intellectually, yes, but it is on a Need to Know Basis. That means no one knows more than they need to, my sisters included."
"E'en Nabiki?" Scotty inquired.
"Especially Nabiki. Your resource budgets come from me, and if anyone complains or asks questions, tell them to take it up with me!"
All four sprites nodded, acknowledging her orders.
"We're getting ahead of ourselves." Doc interjected. "Define the problem and we'll find the solution."
Kasumi nodded. "Of course. The problem is this. Kuno's forces outnumber and outgun ours. While I'm sure we could hold out against his attacks, the cost, both in processes and resources, would be great. I find that unacceptable. What I want is a way to defuse the situation without losing any more sprites."
"Hmm, tough call," the Professor said thoughtfully.
"I have it!" Doc whipped out a file folder. In the display was something that looked like a colourful inverted Y. "If we install my Reality Distortion Engine in a hovercar, get Marty to fly it at eighty-eight kilopixels per nanosecond, he'll be catapulted back in time and can stop Kuno from ever compiling."
Kasumi shook her head. "No, thank you. I don't want to deal with the time paradox that would create."
Doc deflated. "Oh."
"Perhaps we can send a small group of powerful sprites to use a stealth jet to sneak into Silicon Tor and delete Kuno permanently," the Professor suggested.
A cloud of smoke wafted into the zero's face. "That would be *$%&ing great, if we had a &*$#ing stealth jet."
Kasumi nodded. "And the only person in the system you could possibly describe as powerful couldn't sneak to save her life." She sighed. "Even if she is my sister."
Cid thoughtfully took a draw on his cigar. "Now if I had a ship to begin with, I might be able to do something. The &*%$ing CPU cars are useless."
"Ukyo's vessel is still in the hanger, you might as well use that." Kasumi said, almost as an aside. "If you can get past the security systems that is."
"Oh, don't worry, I know a little lady who can get past anything."
"Well, requisition what you need." She turned to the final member of the think tank. "Any ideas Scotty?"
"Aye lassie, I do. But it's only a theory."
*****
The two sisters stepped out of the restaurant onto a strangely quiet Baudway. No vehicles hummed down its length and no binomes stood talking. Even the construction tent was missing, but neither Akane nor Nabiki noticed, their spirits were too high.
They did notice however when the area about them darkened. Suddenly a spotlight highlighted two binome silhouettes, one a zero, the other a one.
"Prepare for trouble!" a woman's announced.
The zero binome produced a rose and sniffed it. "And make that double!" It was a man.
Stepping forward, the one binome revealed she was wearing a white jacket and skirt with a black skintight shirt. A red letter R graced her chest. Her hair was swept this and that, ending up stabbing off to one side. "To protect the world from devastation!"
Her partner stepped forward, flourishing the rose. He also wore a white jacket with the letter R on it. The zero's blue hair hung down limply, covering the sides of his eyes. "To unite all peoples within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
The one binome stabbed her hand outwards. "Jessie!"
Drawing up next to his partner, the zero took another sniff of his rose. "James."
A large letter R appeared behind them, backed by a starscape. "Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
A strange cat creature dropped down between them, its paws raised in a begging gesture. "Mewoth! That's right!"
Akane turned to her sister. "Tell me these guys don't work for us." There was a pleading tone in her voice.
"They don't work for us." Worry had crept into Nabiki's voice.
The pair of binomes pulled out backpacks, slinging them onto their backs. Both whipped out hoses with wide cones on the end and waved at the two sisters. Laughter and a cloud wafted towards the pair.
Overcome by the gas, Nabiki slumped to the ground. Akane coughed as she forced herself to take a step forward and then another.
Team Rocket took a step back as Akane loomed over them, her hands reaching for their clothes. Both screamed as the Guardian's hand reached for them, and again when she fell.
"Mewoth, get her off us!" The pair cried from beneath the unconscious girl.
*****
Cid Highwind glanced nervously at his "security expert." The young zero binomes was dressed in tight fitting shirt and wore her large cross upon her back. She had always been an excited girl, sneaking, running and stealing everything that wasn't nailed down.
"Don't %$#* this one up girl!" the old pilot and engineer told her.
The girl rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Come on, how hard can it be?"
"This is UKYO'S ship! And she was the best &%$# hacker this system has every seen. Don't underestimate her!"
Yuffie stuck out her tongue at the older sprite, then pulled a small black box. She fiddled with a dial on top then pointed it at Ukyo's ship.
The headlights on the front of the ship flashed and it made a curious double beep. For long moments the pair watched it long sleek shape, waiting for some hint of trouble.
Yuffie tossed back her head and gave a happy bark of laughter. "See, I told so!"
Cid looked at Vertigo One thoughtfully. "I wouldn't have thought it would be so &%*$--" He was interrupted by a cannon dropping out from under the nose. It swivelled around and fired a huge jet of fire, leaving a crispy pair of binomes standing there. "-- easy," he groaned.
The pair collapsed into a heap on the ground.
*****
It felt like hordes of nulls were dancing on her head. So much so that she reached up to clear them off. The movement sent pain lacing through her head, forcing a groan from her lips.
"Ah, finally, the star has awakened!" She knew that voice, it was the most vile, horrendous sound she had every heard. It was Kuno.
"Great Kuno-baby, maybe you can explain why you sent those two morons after us." Nabiki, and she wasn't that far away from the virus.
Akane sat up and looked about. Her sister was standing next to the impressive figure of Kuno, glaring at him. Akane recognised the room as the same place she had been dragged when the henchbots had accidentally kidnapped her. Kuno's main work area high in the tower. It was nothing more than mesh platform with familiar machines resting about the edges. However there was one addition. A monstrous looking machine topped by a pair of energy vats.
'No Ranma to the rescue this time.' The thought made its way unwanted into her head. She apprehensively eyed the new addition to the virus' inventory. A bag easily big enough to hold a half dozen humanoid sprites, those seething vats of glowing energy, whatever it was, it wasn't good.
"My dear Indexer, I had absolutely no desire to see your lovely visage." No statement could be more sincere. "My business was entirely with your fair sister. However you may watch as I transform her into my loving accomplice!"
"NEVER!" Akane spat, leaping to her feet. The pair both glared at her.
Nabiki shifted her stance to stand hands on hips, glaring defiantly up at the virus. "She has a point. You can't force her to act against her code."
Their conversation was interrupted as another sprite appeared with a loud pop. All three stopped to examine her, confused by the sudden interruption.
The newcomer's bitmap was brown, and she wore a tight form-hugging uniform that made her look like a air hostess. In her hands she played with a small pink cube. "No, that's still not right," she announced, almost weeping, and twisted part of the cube. "Oh, I'll never get back now." And she vanished.
Kuno, Nabiki, and Akane stood staring at empty space for a moment, wondering if she would reappear.
Kuno shook his head to clear it. "Where were we?"
"I believe Akane had just vehemently denied that she could ever become your loving accomplice, and you were about to tell us your evil plan," Nabiki stated.
"Ah, of course." Kuno turned and strode across to his new piece of hardware. "This invention will allow me to warp that very code, bringing out her darkside and making her my willing BRIDE!" He laughed. "It is a pity that I have the resources for only one treatment, or else I would include you in this experiment."
Nabiki tutted and shook her head. "Kuno-baby, you have gone completely random!"
"WE SHALL SEE!" The virus gripped a massive lever hidden behind the machine. It fell into place with a loud clunk, and the roar of the machine starting drowned the echoes out.
Akane watched in horror as the hose shook and rose, taking on a life of its own. The mouth of the hose would easily swallow a sprite, and even as she stood there she could feel the wind of its suction whipping past her. Striking out like a cobra the hose dived towards her.
Gasping Akane threw herself to the ground, jamming her fingers between the wires of the mesh platform. The suction increased, lifting her feet and body off the ground, leaving her fingers as the only anchors. The thin wire bit into her fingers and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold.
"AKANE!" It was Nabiki, screaming above the sound of the vacuum. "PROTECT THE SYSTEM!" Out of the corner of her eye Akane saw her sister flash by.
Instinctively Akane's hand shot out, catching her sister's wrist. The sudden weight caused her to jerk, forcing the wires deeper into her finger. A gasp escaped her lips.
"Let me go!" Nabiki yelled.
"Not again!" Straining she started pulling her sister up.
Suddenly she felt Nabiki's fingernails digging into her wrist. "One of us is going in, and its not going to be YOU!"
The pain and pressure became too much for Akane, and her hand slipped open. "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Nabiki fell backwards, conviction showing on her face. The vacuum's roar quietened as she vanished into the hose. Moments later the limply hanging bag shot outwards as a humanoid shape was thrown in. Immediately the hose fell to the ground, dead once more. In the following silence the squelch of two plungers thrust the contents of the two vats into the machine could easily be heard.
Akane, her fingers still trapped in the mesh, watched as the murky green and blue energy filled and mixed within the ball, lifting it and the captive inside. Drops of energy rolled down her cheek.
"Not again," she whispered. "I've failed again."
A single pained scream seared the air and snapped Akane out of it. She leapt to her feet, her fists balling, ready to shatter the machine.
Kuno stepped between her and her target, energy sword raised. Behind him the machine started to sink into the floor. "Your sister has saved you, but I will not allow you to return the favour!" He dove forward, faster than Akane thought possible.
A loop of metal wire fell about her, tightened and jerk her into the air. "MA'AM!" Akane looked up, glad to see Fuchikoma, resting at the lip of the Tor's skylight.
She turned back to look down, the order to free Nabiki dying on her lips. The hardware had already sank into a depression in the floor, concealing it from the mecha's weapons. Defeated Akane knew she only had one option.
"Fuchikoma! Get us out of here!"
*****
Kasumi watched her sister and Fuchikoma mounting the steps to the Principal Office. Akane was in bad shape. Her feet scraped across the ground as she walked, and her head hung between slumped shoulders. It took her a long time to make her way up those steps, watched over by her mecha the whole time.
It was all Kasumi could do not to wince when Akane brought her eyes up. There was a haunted look, worse than what Kasumi had seen after Ranma's death. And self-loathing.
"Kasumi, I--"
"You can't blame yourself Akane, she sacrificed herself for you," Kasumi reached out and hugged her sister. "She knew the system needed you more than her, that she could be replaced while you couldn't."
"That's--"
The older sister pulled back, and smiled down. "We'll get her back," Kasumi continued, overriding Akane. "But first we have lots of work to do. Her access must be shut down. We can't risk Kuno using her against us." She turned and strode into the Principal Office.
"But..."
*****
Deep beneath Silicon Tor the pulsating cocoon rested atop a dais, watched by its creator. Its contents had curled into foetal position, floating in the disgusting mixture. A hundred nanos had passed with it resting there as it worked its horror on Nabiki Tendo.
Finally the figure inside stirred and reached out a hand. Long shards of metal pierced the skin of the bag, and sliced open disgusting material. Amidst a waterfall of foul energy she tumbled out and lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
Kuno stepped forward to admire his work. The most obvious change was her clothing. Gone was the respectable business suit, instead she was encased in jet-black skin-tight armour. As he watched she raised a hand to her face and seductively licked the energy off her shining metal claws. Finally she looked up at him, her eyes shining a deep red.
"So, Kuno-baby, wanna take over a system?" Nabiki inquired, evil dripping from her voice.
Kuno threw back his head and laughed.