TRTSS24: Ranma Who's Trek! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, DW and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Special Note: This story focuses on the Saotome couple's adventures with the 11th incarnation of the Timelord known simply as "The Doctor".
Author's Note: I've decided to change the format of this story. I apologize ahead of time for this inconvenience. As always, C&C are welcomed.
Part 21: "The Hungry Earth" & "Cold Heart" (III)
A short time later, the Doctor assembles everyone in the main part of the chapel.
"Are you mad?" Nasreen said. "How do you know you can trust these creatures?"
"Yes, they attacked Dad, and poisoned him," Ambrose said.
"I'm fine, I tell ya," Tony said, as Rory takes a look at Tony neck wound, which he had gotten from the invader, whose name was 'Alaya', a member of the warrior caste.
"You're not, unfortunately," the Doctor said. "You got bitten by a slow-acting poison. At best, you have only twelve hours before going into a catatonic state."
"Then we should force this creature to help my father, and get back the rest of my family!" Ambrose said. "I'm not going to stand around and watch my family be wiped out!"
"You will mind your place," Ranma said.
"Don't talk to my daughter like that!" Tony said.
"With all due respect, this matter goes beyond your family," Ranma said. "From the Silurians point-of-view, you threatened their very well-being when Dr. Chaudhry's project was given the go-ahead."
"How was I supposed to know?" Nasreen said. "We simply wanted to be able to find new veins of heat to increase the level of geo-thermal energy we could acquire."
"No one is blaming you for that," the Doctor said. "But we need to make the Silurians understand that that's the only thing you were doing, Dr. Chaudhry."
"Doc, why don't you take Rory and Dr. Chaudhry down to find the Silurian who can end this nonsense?" Ranma asked.
"Why do I have go down there?" Nasreen said.
"I have the same concerns myself," Rory replied.
"I think that's a good idea," the Doctor said. "If the Silurians are to be convinced that there is no harm being purposely done to them, then Dr. Chaudhry is the one to do it. And besides, I bet the scientist in her is curious about what's down there."
"Well, I suppose you're right," Nasreen replied.
"And Rory can help me rescue Amy and the others," the Doctor said.
"Then, I'm coming, too," Tony said.
"The poison is in your bloodstream," Ranma said. "You're heart is going to be put under a lot of stress due to the poison, more so if you start to go down, due to the change in pressure."
"Like having the bends," Rory said.
"Damn it," Tony said.
"Don't worry about me, Tony," Nasreen said with a gentle smile. "I have my boys to protect me."
"Wonderful," the Doctor said sarcastically. He then turns towards Ranma.
"You're in charge."
"Of course I am," Ranma said with a cocky smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Wonderful," Rory said.
After the Doctor, Rory and Nasreen leave the chapel for the trip down to the Silurian civilization, Ranma, Tony and Ambrose pay a visit to Alaya.
"So, the apes decided to pay me a visit," Alaya sneered. "How wonderful."
Pause.
"One of you will try to kill me, of course. And when that happens, my death will ignite a war that will allow my people to reclaim our homeworld."
"We know about the poison you inflicted upon Mr. Mack, here, which you did in order to rattle Ambrose's sensibilities," Ranma said. "We also know that the poison is non-lethal."
"Really, now?" Alaya said coyly.
"Really. Now, I could extract a direct sample from your gland in your mouth, and synthesize an agent to counteract the effects, but that just will give your people more of a reason to distrust humans…"
Ranma takes out a medical bag, and pulls out a hypo-spray.
"Instead, I'll simply give Mr. Mack a sedative to make him more comfortable."
"Then why won't you give my father the cure?" Ambrose yelled.
"Because, our side will need to be convinced that the Silurians are just as capable of humanitarianism as we are. The Doctor is depending upon us to make sure that we do screw up, until he convinces the leadership of the Silurians to do the right thing."
"I seriously doubt THAT, ape," Alaya replied.
"Then, we can sit around, and do nothing until the Doctor gets back," Ranma said, as he gives Tony a shot. "In fact, as a show of openness, I'll tell you a bit about myself."
"Thanks," Tony replies, as he felt his wound. "Ambrose, can you get me something to drink?"
"Sure, Dad," Ambrose said, as she shoots daggers at Alaya, before complying with her father's wishes.
"Now, then," Ranma said, as he leans forward. "Let me begin by showing you a magic trick…"
As if on cue, Ranma changes genders.
"What the hell?" Tony said in shock.
"What kind of trick is this?" Alaya said suspiciously.
"No trick," Ranma-onna said, as she opens her shirt to show Tony and Alaya that she was female. "Now, I hope that I don't have to drop my pants to convince you that I am a girl at the moment."
"Okay, fine," Alaya said in a huff. "I'm convinced."
"Yeah, me, too," Tony said. "Now, cover yourself up."
"Sorry," Ranma-onna said jokingly, as she buttoned her shirt up.
"How did this…happen?" Tony asked. "You're not some kind of mutant, are you?"
"No, actually I am not," Ranma-onna replied. "My condition is the result of a Chinese curse."
"You're not Chinese?"
"No. My name is 'Ranma Saotome'. I was born in the city of Tokyo in the Year of the Cat, although, it is also the Year of the Rabbit in some places. Or is that the other way around? You would think that I would be born in the Year of the Horse, considering my name and all…"
"Get on with it," Alaya sneered.
"Sorry. When I was born, I was raised to believe that I would grow up to be a 'Man amongst Men', so manly that no one would doubt my masculinity, which is ironic considering my curse. Nevertheless, when I was six years old, my father, promising my mother that I would indeed become a Man amongst Men, took me on a ten-year training journey, so that I can study the Musabetsu Kakuto-ryu, a style of martial arts that incorporates the best techniques from both the soft and hard disciplines."
"Am I supposed to be impressed, ape?" Alaya replied.
With saying a word, Ranma-onna begins to poke at the air towards the wall behind Alaya. There was a noticeable popping sound…
"Unbelievable," Tony said in amazement, as a smiley face was formed where Ranma-onna poked the air in tandem.
"That was less than 1 percent of my martial arts potential," Ranma-onna said.
"So, what happens if you use 100 percent of your 'martial arts potential?" Alaya asked mockingly.
"Well…I can blow up the Moon," Ranma-onna said with a shrug.
"You're lying."
"Whether or not you believe me is up to you," Ranma-onna replied. "Even as we speak, I am formulating a plan to defeat your forces, preferably in the least provocative manner, but I digress…"
"You said that you were cursed to be this," Tony said.
"Yep, all because my father was more concerned with making an heir, rather than raising a son," Ranma-onna said with sigh.
"How sad," Alaya replied. "I was raised by my mother to be the perfect warrior, and to die for my people."
"Sounds like your mother and…Ranma's father are alike," Tony replied.
Just then, Ambrose returns with Tony's water to see Ranma-onna.
"Who are you?" Ambrose asked.
"It's Ranma," Tony replied.
"Yeah," Ranma-onna said, as she reverts back to her male guise.
"Oh!" Ambrose yelped, nearly dropping her father's drink. "How-?"
"A curse did it, or whatever," Alaya said sarcastically.
"Um…"
"Don't worry about it," Ranma replied. "Sit around for a spell. My story gets better…"
Ranma begins his story by telling his "audience" how his father had gotten them both cursed because he couldn't read the warning sign at Jusenkyo, due to the fact that the warning was written in Chinese. Ranma then added that his father had done some shady things during the training trip, resulting in either getting a new fiancée for his son, getting more debt markers for his son, or nearly getting his son killed due to some dangerous, and quite dubious, training exercises…
"And on top of that, we ended up angering a tribe of warrior women to the point where its champion tried to kill me." Ranma said. "It was only after knowing my true gender that I ended up getting yet another fiancée."
"Why didn't your father get arrested for child abuse?" Ambrose asked.
"I always wondered that," Ranma said with a shrug. "But my 'misadventure' did not end there…"
Ranma goes on to tell everyone about what happened right after he had returned to Japan, when he met the Tendo sisters, and how the revelation of his curse would result in getting an unwanted fiancée named Akane Tendo, who would later become his first wife. He also began to tell about his the misadventures concerning involving his other fiancées and rivals, each one wanting to alternately marry him or beat him up, depending upon the gender he happened to be. He also told everyone present about his opponents, ranging from his grandfather named Happosai (a perverted martial arts grandmaster) to Pantyhose Taro; from Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty to the Phoenix King Saffron. He told the group how facing Saffron would result in him proclaiming his love for Akane openly, as well as enacting his first kill.
"And thing was that I felt…nothing," Ranma said introspectively. "Oh, it wasn't that I enjoyed it or anything like that, but for the first time in my life at that time, I realized how easy it was for someone to take another…"
Pause.
"And that's why to this day, I make damn sure that, if I have to, taking a life will always be the last resort."
"You think that impresses me, ape?" Ayala said. "So, you had these…adventures, and became a better fighter for it. So, what's the point?"
"The point is that I know how to take a life rather easily," Ranma said. "But I learned how to put that realizing into context, by knowing that it's easy to kill when your life is on the line."
Pause.
"And are so gung-ho about starting a war, that you don't know ultimately that you will become less than I ever was."
"I don't know what you are talking about," Alaya said.
"Of course you do. Earlier, you said that your mother trained you to be the best warrior of your tribe, right? If I were to venture a guess, your mother influenced your decision to come here, and, if necessary, become a martyr."
Pause.
"I'm just sorry that you are being used, how I was."
"My mother cares about me!" Alaya yelled. "She simply wants our people to reclaim what we lost!"
"And by the way, even if you happen to succeed in starting a way, you will have to go through dozens of military organizations and hidden powers, hardened by years of battling against rogue terrestrial elements and alien invasions," Ranma said. "And in all that, the humanity has formed pacts with alien powers with a vested interest in seeing humanity become sophisticated power in the galaxy."
Pause.
"Ergo, your invasion is an exercise in futility, especially since your kin are already known to us."
"What do you mean by that?" Alaya asked out of curiosity.
"Back in 1983, the Silurians who managed to escape the First Impact returned to Earth as 'Visitors'," Ranma said. "Disguised as humans, they attempted to lull humanity into subservience, in exchange for 'goodie', until it was learned of their true natures. However, it was only after a group of rogue humans called 'The Fifth Column' exposed them. It wasn't easy, and there had been sporadic fighting between humanity and the Visitors, but eventually both sides achieved a lasting peace. After all, homo sapiens and homo reptilis come from word."
"You mean, my people did not die out, and are alive?" Alaya said in hesitation.
"Yes. Your people would have new worlds to make their own, under different names. One offshoot came back to reclaim this world, but eventually learned that we all have to stick together as a common people…"
Ranma takes his personal access data device (PADD) from his pocket. He tapped a few buttons on it, and then hands it over the Alaya.
"Here, take a look," Ranma said, as he hands the PADD over to Alaya. "Just tap the screen for replay."
Alaya takes the PADD, and then hesitantly taps the screen. A dark-haired woman, with short hair, appears to be speaking to an assembled group of others.
"Who she?" Alaya asked.
"Her human name is 'Anna'," Ranma said. "She is the present matriarch of the Silurians."
"You lie. Why would she look like a human?"
"For better interaction between her people and humanity, I suppose. It's an uneasy peace, regardless of the overtures…"
Alaya taps the screen one more time for playback, to hear Anna's words…
"Greetings, one and all. On this day, we remember the day when true peace was finally achieved between homo repilis, homo sapiens, homo mermanus, homo immortalis and homo superior…to name a few. In spite of the names, I consider all of us humans of different genetic stock, and it is because of this that we have achieved common ground. It was not an easy thing to do. My people felt robbed of our home, when the First Impact came about, which occurred over a billion years ago. Some of my people were forced to flee to the stars, while others went underground, lost to the records of my people due to that great cataclysmic event. From there, those who fled survived and continue to evolve, until our new home was destroyed by cataclysmic events. We sought to reclaim the Earth, since it was our ancestral home, but learned that others have since become its master. So, we did all that we could to take the planet back, only to be stopped by the likes of Fifth Column…
The camera pans to a group of people, who were sitting in the audience, but Alaya recognized one of them.
"You have had interaction with my people before," Alaya said.
"Yes, I have," Ranma replied.
"The Fifth Column proved that that humanity could stand against any threat, even if it comes from within. And because of them, they were able to stop our machinations, but it was because of Ronnie Smith and Bunny Moonchilde, the leaders of the Fifth Column, that prevented open warfare between our peoples. It was they, using the wisdom of my ancestors, that enabled a peace accord to come about, one that is in effect to this day…"
The footage ends with Anna shaking Ranma's hand, after giving Ranma a token of friendship.
"And that is why your war is unnecessary, since it has been long since over," Ranma said. "Please, let's reason together."
Alaya looks at the humans before her, and came to a decision…
Later, outside the TARDIS, a family sees the Doctor, Ranma and Amy are sent on their way.
"Thank you for everything, Doctor," Ambrose said, as she hugged Mo, her husband, and Elliot.
"No, thank Alaya for convincing her mother, General Restac," the Doctor replied jovially. Restac, the leader of the warrior caste, ceased her attempts to put her people unto a war footing, after Alaya convinced Elder Eldane that the humans were not a threat, and that their people have survived to work with the humans. Restac hated that her agenda was scuttled, but held her tongue. Meanwhile, Ambrose got her husband and son back, Tony got a cure for the venom and Nasreen pledged to halt the drilling permanently while promising to arrange a meeting between her government, the Visitors and the Silurians to lay down an agreement that all parties could get behind.
"And good luck," Tony said with a smile. "Oh, and good luck on dealing with your curse."
"What curse?" Nasreen said. "What did I miss while I was gone?"
"A long story, for another day," Ambrose said.
With that, Nasreen and company return to their own lives.
"Well, I suppose it's onward and out," Amy said with a smile, as she sees her future self in the distance while waving good-bye at her past self. "Huh. I wonder why I'm forgetting something."
With that, Amy steps inside of the TARDIS.
"I can't wait to get to Rio, Doctor," Ranma said, as he was about to step inside the TARDIS.
"Ranma, wait," the Doctor said, as he unwraps what appears to be a broken object piece. "What do you think this is?"
"Hmmm," Ranma said, as he stares at the piece. "Wait, this looks like a piece of the TARDIS."
"Exactly, and I think it has to do with Rory's disappearance in the crack."
"Um, who's Rory?"
"…"
Meanwhile, in the Lost Sector…
"AMY!" Rory said, as he sits up in bed. He looks around to see himself in a Spartan room.
"Where am I?"
"I apologize for this," said a voice in the shadows. "I had to snatch you away, before the cracks in Time and Space erased you from existence…"
Pause.
"Unfortunately, my actions merely erased everyone's memories of you."
"Who are you?" Rory demanded.
The Messiah steps out of the Shadows.
"You?" Rory said in shock and amazement.
"Mr. Williams, we have much to discuss and plan, if we are to prevent the Universe from being destroyed," Messiah said.
"?"
Tbc.
Next Time: "Vincent and the Doctor" & "The Lodger"