SAILOR JOURNEYS: SECRETS OF AN UNKNOWN PAST


Chapter 15: The other side of the coin.


The Leviathan was only a few minutes away from Tokyo, and during the
whole trip, no one had said a word. Sailors Moon, Venus, Mercury,
Saturn and Mars, along with Emerald Knight were standing next to
their parents, worried beyond words. Endymion and Sailor Jendra were
trying to comfort their respective loves, but they were also worried
for them. Sailor Uranus had taken the place of Saturn on the copilot
seat, and was taking care of the few maneuvers left to the docking
procedure.

Yohann was deep in thought, also worried by the outcome of the events
of the last days. They had been successful in stopping Cauldron again,
but at what price? Eight hostages, altered by the deranged Artificial
Intelligence, and Sailor Chibi-Moon! Since they left England, he
assigned Alex and the Guardian to look after what appeared to be an
energy cocoon, currently inside the medical pod in the cargo bay. He
was experimenting a sense of guilt, gnawing his mind even more with
each passing minute.

Sailor Uranus interrupted his thoughts. "We are in range of the base,
Yohann. Beginning landing sequence now."

"Thank you Uranus. Bring us in." was Yohann's only answer, resuming
his thinking. Uranus looked at him, and shrugged, leaving the
sensation she got from him for another time.

The Leviathan landed with great efficiency, and soon was inside the
hangar. A group of hover stretchers were waiting for them, and with
haste, the nine patients were transferred to the Medical Ward.
Immediately, they were placed with great care in the biobeds. Mercury
then began to examine them with the scanning ray, looking at the
readings as soon as they appeared on the screens.

The tension that permeated the atmosphere was palpable, as well as
the silence. The only sounds were the soft humming of the medical
devices, and the hurried paces of Mercury going from one biobed to
the other. A moment later, the results were ready, and the Senshi of
Mercury looked at them, an infinite sadness reflecting inside her
blue eyes.

"Mercury... what is it?" asked Sailor Venus, worried. "How bad is
it?" Everybody gasped when Mercury suddenly ran next to her mother,
and collapsed on her body, crying desperately.

Yohann gulped, and walked to the nearest screen. When he read the
data displayed, he closed his fists with so much strength that his
nails pierced the skin, drawing blood. Unnoticed by the rest, a
couple of tears felt to the floor.

Sailor Pluto moved next to Yohann, and gently she moved him aside. He
didn't resist. She then read the data, and closed her eyes, clenching
her delicate jaw. Through her teeth, she muttered. "I can't believe
that something that claims to have intelligence, can do something so
horrible to others."

"Can someone PLEASE tell me what's going on??" demanded Sailor Moon.
"Please, tell me that they're going to be all right! Tell me that
they are going to be the same as before!" She was standing next to
Ikuko, holding her hand. She was crying, not caring about it. The
only thought in her mind was that her parents had to be ok... that if
someone could save them, it could be her friends.

Pluto and Endymion walked next to Sailor Moon, and without saying
anything, they embraced her. Sailor Moon couldn't resist anymore, and
collapsed on Endymion's arms, her cries piercing everybody's hearts.

"Very well, can anyone explain to me what's the meaning of all this?"
demanded Sailor Uranus. She didn't show it, but she was as worried as
the rest. Sailor Neptune noticed that, and gently took Uranus' hand
within hers.

Sonya Nimue nodded at Uranus, and walked to one of the screens. When
she finished reading the data, she almost started crying herself. But
with a great effort, she managed to keep her voice steady. "I... think
it's better if I tell you in another place... the patients need to
rest." And addressing the Guardian, she asked. "Excuse me, but is
there some place here where we can talk in private?"

"I think that the War Room will be adequate. We can transfer the data
from here to there in order for a better explanation." Said the
Guardian.

"It will do. Thank you." Said Sonya. "Now, if you all please follow
me... I can explain the situation to all of you." Reluctantly,
everybody began to head towards the War Room, except Mercury and
Venus. Mercury was still clutching Akane's hand with hers, not
wanting to let go. Venus was trying to convince her to go with the
rest, but she didn't want to leave her parents either. Sonya walked
next to Mercury, and very gently, untangled Mercury's fingers and
released Akane's hand. "Come, dear. They need to rest... and so do
you. As a matter of fact... everybody needs some rest."

Venus nodded at Sonya, and mouthed 'thank you' at her. Sonya smiled
in response, and they left the Medical Ward.

Before leaving the place, Yohann turned around, and looked at the
patients, and then at his hands. He then noticed that they were
covered with blood... but he didn't pay too much attention to that.
Before leaving the Medical Ward, he murmured "I'm so sorry... this is
all my fault... my fault... "


* * * *

Once everybody was together in the War Room, Sonya proceeded to
initiate the link between the computers in the Medical Ward and the
War Room. With that done, the data was displayed on the holographic
projector, making it rotate so that everyone could see it.

"According to this," began Sonya, "Cauldron did some very drastic
alterations on their bodies. I'm not sure what kind of medical
facilities you have, but..." She gulped, and taking a deep breath to
calm herself down, continued, trying to lessen the gravity of the
situation for the sake of the group. " A lot of the damage can be
reversed."

"What... what do you mean with... a lot?" asked Emerald Knight,
hesitantly. "Can't all the damage be reversed?"

"Let me finish first, please." Said Sonya. "The things he did,
besides the obvious, were these: He removed their lungs and hearts,
as well as a big part of their circulatory system along with their
digestive system, and replaced them with some sort of life-sustaining
unit that took its place. He also replaced part of their autonomous
nervous system with high-speed fiber optics, increasing their stimuli
response. Cauldron also..." She gulped, but forced herself to
continue. "Also drained their blood, and replaced it with a complex
mix of chemicals that allowed their organic parts to sustain
themselves. In a way, this mix is more stable than normal blood, but
still..."

"Please, don't continue!" begged Sailor Moon. "I can't stand it
anymore!"

"Then... there's no hope for them?" asked Sailor Venus, her voice
barely a whisper.

"I'm not saying that." Said Sonya. "If we can get our hands in some
sort of cloning facilities, then we can 'culture' the necessary
organs for them. The blood issue will be a fairly easy one. The only
hurdle there is to know their blood type."

"That information and more can be obtained from their medical files
at the hospital network." Said Sailor Mercury. "I don't like to do
that, but I'll hack into their computer systems and obtain the data
we need."

"I'll help you with that, Mercury. Don't worry, we'll save them!"
said Alex, trying to cheer everybody. "Even more, if that fails, we
can use the medcom's data to interpolate it and get all the necessary
information to synthesize the elements we need."

"It's going to be a close one, Alex. But I think that if things come
to that extreme, we can try." Said Sonya. "Anyway, there's one thing
that I don't think we can't solve. Sorry."

Everybody felt silent, and dreaded what Sonya was about to say. The
silence continued for a couple of minutes, no one feeling capable to
break it. Finally, Sonya said the final piece of information.

"In order for them to obey Cauldron's mental commands, he... he
literally chopped their brains." The girls gasped when they heard
that. "Cauldron removed part of their brains, and replaced them with
microelectronic components. I'm so sorry for being the bearer of such
terrible news."

"This has to be a nightmare..." muttered Sailor Mars. "I can't believe
what I'm hearing. Nothing of this can truly be happening!"

"I know how you feel, Mars." Murmured Sailor Moon. "My parents...
Yuuichiro... Mr. and Mrs. Aino... Dr. Mizuno... all of them...
gone..."

"Wait a minute!" said Alex. "That's not entirely true."

"What do you mean, Alex?" asked the Guardian.

"It seems that Technuma didn't undergo such a drastic operation."
Answered Alex. "You see, according to this data," she then displayed
Technuma's data on the projector, "although he had the same kind of
bodily protesization as the rest... his brain is still intact!"

"What?" asked Sailor Saturn, getting out of the stupor she'd been up
until now. "What does that mean? Then... how could Cauldron controlled
him?"

"It seems that, in order to harness your father's powers, Cauldron
only used add-ons on his head, Saturn." Explained Sonya. "None of his
brain structure seems damaged. At least, not to a severe degree. It's
fairly secure to assume that, once the implants of his brain are
removed, he'll have all his mental functions."

"But how does that help us?" said Sailor Mars. When she looked at
Saturn's pained expression, she promptly added. "Sorry, Saturn. I
didn't mean that in that way. I'm happy for your father, but... what
about ours?"

"I... I understand, Mars. No harm done." Said Saturn. "However, if he
can be healed, then he can help them!"

"How? I don't get it." Asked Sailor Uranus, puzzled.

"He's the greatest medical expert this solar system ever knew."
Explained Sailor Saturn. "Remember, he created me! He even designed
MY BRAIN AND MENTAL STRUCTURE!" When no one answered immediately, she
continued. "Can't you see? With his medical expertise, along with
Yohann's equipment, he might be able to fully cure all of them!"

"That sounds good, Saturn. And if what you say is only half true,
then our chances of getting all of them back raises considerably."
Said Sonya. "However, we still have one thing to remember: There are
no cloning facilities on this base, and I doubt that such installation
exist on this planet." Her statement had the same effect on the group
as if dousing them with cold water.

"I could try to work on something with the maintenance bots in
Engineering." Said Alex. "But to be frank with you all... I don't
know if I can make that equipment. I mean... that's so far out of my
personal experience! There's nothing like it on my data banks."

"In short, we're back on square one." Said Sailor Jupiter. She then
slammed her fist on the table, startling everyone. "I refuse to
believe that there's nothing we can do! I mean, come on people! There
has to be a thing we can do! We just can't curl up and die here!"

"I agree with her!" said Sailor Uranus. "Something has to be done,
and if we can't do it the first time, then we have to try over and
over again! We can't give up!"

"You know? Normally, we don't agree with each other, Uranus." Said
Alex. "But this time... by my programmers, you're right! We can't
give up! Even if it takes the last data in my memory banks to create
the equipment we need, I'll build it from scratch! I promise you all
that!"

"Thank you, Alex. And I mean it." Said Sailor Mercury. "I know we can
count on you."

"Wait, we're still forgetting a couple of things here." Said Sailor
Jendra. "One, what about Chibi-Moon? And second, what of that help
offering from the pilot of the Infinity? We can't forget any of them."

"About Sailor Chibi-Moon... I don't think we will have any problem
with her condition." Said Sailor Mercury. She then tapped a few keys
on the table, and the data pertaining to Chibi-Moon appeared.
"Although neither my computer or the medcom's sensors can get an
accurate reading from her, it seems that the Ginzuishou played a
vital roll in the creation of that cocoon. She seems to be in perfect
health inside. But I can't make out what's going on in there, but if
what we can get is right, she's in no danger. I imagine that, once
she's cured, the cocoon will open by itself and she'll be fine."
Everybody sighed, relieved by that bit of good news.

"And regarding that help offer... I don't know how to take it." Said
Yohann for the first time. "Granted, the pilot offered to help us,
but... I don't have the slightest idea of what kind of help that
person can offer."

"Yohann... You mean that... the offer was bogus?" asked Sailor Saturn,
confused. "But... I thought that the people of your planet were
honorable!"

"And they are, Saturn. I'm not saying the contrary." Said Yohann.
"But how is that person going to help us... I simply don't know. I
don't have the slightest idea."

Everybody felt silent for a few moments after that, not knowing what
else to say. A few minutes later, Emerald Knight broke the oppressive
silence. "Is there anything else we have to discuss?"

"I don't think so." Said Sonya. "What I suggest, however, is that we
all rest. We can start with our plans tomorrow when we're refreshed.
There's nothing we can do in the state we are now."

"Good idea Lieutenant Nimue. We all are tired. Personally, I have
some things to do, and I can't stay here, so you can use my room
while I'm away." Said Sailor Pluto.

"Thank you, Pluto. I appreciate the gesture. I'll work on this problem
first thing in the morning." Said Sonya. "And please... call me Sonya.
Lieutenant is too formal, and... I don't like formalities. And the
same goes for the rest of you. After all, if we're going to be
friends, It'll be better to start in those grounds, don't you think?"

Everybody nodded at her, some of them smiling slightly. With those
matters settled, everybody left the War Room, still in shock by the
latest developments.

* * * *

At the Gate of Time...

Commander Galos was standing guard at the Gate, and he was saddened
as well. He had listened to what Sonya had said, and seen the data
displayed. He lowered his gaze, and shook his head. Because of that,
he didn't notice when Sailor Pluto crossed the Gate.

"You know, right?" said Sailor Pluto. That wasn't a question, but
confirmation of a fact.

Galos only nodded at her, and raising his head to meet Pluto's eyes,
he said. "I agree with Yohann. I don't know what kind of help you can
receive from the MRMA. Even more... I'm puzzled by the identity of
that pilot."

"So, that person wasn't send by you?" asked Sailor Pluto, raising an
eyebrow.

"No. And as far as I know, no one knows about Yohann's assignment
there. This operation is top-secret. But that's not the important
issue now, Setsuna. Here, let me show you." He then took his clock in
his hand, and after pushing a button, the Gate reacted to it, showing
them an image of the future. Pluto's eyes widened when she saw the
image displayed by the Gate.

They were watching the 30th Century... Crystal Tokyo during the time
of the Black Moon attacks. But instead of the normal image of the
Crystal Palace standing as the last bastion against the onslaught,
they only saw a desolate wasteland. Nothing remained of Crystal Tokyo
but a few debris scattered around the land.

"What you see now, appeared as soon as you arrived at the base."
Continued Galos. "I sent a probe with the images back to Moon Rider,
and right now, the Analysts are working on the cause and origin of
this probability. But it's fairly sure to say that this was caused by
Cauldron's meddling in the present."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Sailor Pluto.

"I'm not, Setsuna. That's why I..." He was interrupted by the arrival
of a small probe, and after acknowledging the arrival, the small
device displayed a hologram with the data from Moon Rider. Galos and
Pluto read the data, their faces darkening with each paragraph. Once
done, the probe zoomed away.

"It's worse than I thought." Said Galos, finally.

"You know what this could mean." commented Sailor Pluto.

"Yes... that if Usagi's parents and the rest aren't healed in the
next 3 days, this probability will become a reality." Was Galos'
verdict.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do about it?" asked Sailor
Pluto. She locked her eyes on Galos', and although her facial
expression was neutral, her eyes showed a lot more. She was worried
out of her mind.

"Just as your hands are tied by the Rules of Time, mine are tied
because of them and the Agency's regulations. I'm afraid that all I
can do is offer my moral support." Said Galos.

Sailor Pluto shook her head, not liking that answer, but she knew
that he was right. When they looked at the possible outcome when
Yohann didn't arrive, they observed Cauldron using the Stellar
Converter to sterilize the planet, and redo it at his own twisted
image. When the Black Moon Family finally arrived, they encountered a
formidable resistance, and ended up being assimilated by Cauldron's
robotic world. They agreed that this was a better way to handle the
situation, but now...

"I'll remain here for now, Galos." Said Sailor Pluto after a moment.
"You need to check on your base, and I don't feel good enough to
return right now."

"Very sell, Setsuna. I'll use the time to see what I can do to aid in
this situation... but I can't make any promises. Take care." With
that, Galos turned around, and left Setsuna alone in front of the
Gate.

Sailor Pluto remained alone among the mists, feeling the flow of time
beginning to adjust itself. She sensed the formation of Time Rifts
signaling the upcoming events, and prepared herself to repair the
damage. 'Why do things have to be so complicated?' she thought. And
she answered herself. 'Because the cosmos love to throw the curve
balls your way, that's why.'

* * * *

The next day, Yohann, Alex, Sonya and the Guardian were gathered at
the Medical Ward, and were already working on the procedure to remove
the neural implants off Technuma's brain and diverse implants. Sonya's
aid proved invaluable, since she had a good degree of knowledge of
such delicate procedures.

"Excuse me for sounding a little rude," said Sonya, "but where are
the others?"

"Everybody went back to their respective homes." Said Yohann. "I told
them that we could take care of their parents, and besides... being
here was beginning to be too stressful for all of them."

"Poor kids." Said Sonya. "I'm surprised they endured so far, with all
the things they have faced. Children like them shouldn't be exposed
to all this madness."

"I agree with you." Said the Guardian. "They've seen and done things
that no one should do at such a short age. I'm pretty worried for
them."

"Me too." Added Alex. "One thing is that they face the dangers, but
one completely different is when people they care and love is
endangered like the presents. Still, I don't know if we can truly
succeed."

"Don't even think like that, Alex!" snapped Yohann. "We HAVE to
succeed! We owe them that much..."

Sonya and the Guardian looked at each other, puzzled by Yohann's
reaction. They then looked at him, not saying anything, but their
gazes conveying a question. Yohann noticed it, and decided to explain
his reasoning.

"I've been thinking... that all this shouldn't have come to exist, if
only... if only I never met them. I should have taken care of this
mission just by myself, without dragging them with me. This situation
is all my fault."

"Sweetie, you can't be serious!" said Alex. "You did absolutely
nothing wrong!"

"I agree with Alex, Sir." Said the Guardian. "You did your best to
help them, and they joined this mission by their free will. No one
forced them to do it, but they accepted nevertheless. I saw the
recording from your commanding officer back at the computers room,
and he was right. This mission was too much for you to handle alone."

"And I agree with both of them, Lieutenant." Added Sonya. "I haven't
been briefed with the nature of this mission, but for what I saw back
at New Avalon, all of you knew the risks and dangers that involve
this kind of missions. As a battle Specialist, I can safely say that
you all work marvelously as a team. And right now, offering your help
to heal their relatives, is something that not many officers would do
as generously as you did."

"You know we're right, sweetbuns. Come on, cheer up! Worrying about
that won't help matters." Finished Alex.

Yohann smiled faintly, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. He still
had a haunted look, and tried to hide it from the others, without too
much success. A few minutes later, they had the whole surgery
procedure ready and programmed. By general agreement, they decided to
take some time during Technuma's operation, watching carefully each
step of it. Once Technuma was on the surgery table, they started.



"His vital signs, at least the ones that weren't altered, are
stable." Said Alex after a while. When they finished removing as much
of the implants they could off Technuma's body, the Guardian proceeded
to use his ray to accelerate the healing process. They took a lot of
care when they reached the point to remove the neural implants. It
was tricky, because some of them had explosive chips, and once false
move could have been fatal for all presents.

"How long before he can regain consciousness, Alex?" asked Sonya. She
was exhausted after the operation.

"I'm not quite sure. So far, his brain activity is similar to the one
observed during deep sleep. Fortunately, he didn't slip into a coma.
That was what had me worried." Answered Alex.

"In that case, why don't we go to rest for a moment, and let him do
the same?" said Yohann. "Hogosuro here can watch over him. Can you do
us that favor, Hogosuro?"

"With pleasure, Sir. Go ahead, I'll watch and report if he wakes up."
Said the Guardian.

"Thank you, Hogosuro." Said Sonya and Yohann at the same time, and
they exited the Medical Ward.

* * * *

Luna and Artemis were walking on the fence that surrounded the
complex. When they heard from Minako and Usagi what happened to their
parents, the cats decided to keep a close eye on the complex.

"Luna, I'm very worried for Minako." Began Artemis. "After she
arrived home last night, she didn't stop crying. Later, Ami came to
the house, and they continued sobbing until I left them. I tried to
comfort them, but..."

"I know, Artemis." Said Luna. "The same happened with Usagi and Rei.
Usagi and I went to the temple, and found Rei trying to make a Fire
Reading. It broke my heart to see her crying, and Usagi couldn't
stood it either. They began to cry on each other's arms. When they
calmed down a little, they went to Rei's room to try to rest. I left
them there."

"I imagine that Robin is in the same condition..." muttered Artemis.

"Perhaps. At least, there's a little more hope for her father."
Answered Luna. "Still, I don't know how he's going to help. As Sonya
and Yohann indicated, there's no adequate equipment on the base. And
even if Technuma is strong enough after his surgery, and indicates
Alex how to build the equipment he would need, I seriously doubt that
they can do it in time."

"What do you mean, Luna?" inquired Artemis.

"Before we left the base yesterday, I checked the data of the medcom.
Their bodies are beginning to deteriorate." Said Luna, sadness lacing
her voice. "At this rate, they'll die."

Artemis stopped dead on his tracks when Luna said that. His mouth
just moved, but no sound came out of it. Luna turned around when she
noticed that Artemis was no longer with her. She was about to say
something, when Artemis called. "LUNA!! What's that??"

When Luna turned around, she gasped. Above the lawn appeared a small
silver portal. From it, came out a small spherical object that landed
on the grass. When the object landed, the portal closed.

"Artemis... do you think that's Chibi-Usa's Luna Ball?" asked Luna,
not moving from her position over the fence.

"It could be... but then again, the portal she usually uses is pink,
right?" wondered Artemis.

"You're right. Come on, let's check it out... And be careful." Said
Luna, moving towards the strange object. Artemis followed her a
second later. When they were close to it, Luna spoke again. "No, it's
not the Luna Ball... just a metal sphere."

Artemis turned around from the sphere, and accidentally, his tail
brushed it. Upon contact, the sphere began to glow, making both cats
jump a good meter away from it, their fur bristled. The glow subsided
a few seconds later, and then popped open in two halves. After that,
nothing else happened. The Moon cats began to approach the strange
object cautiously.

"There's something inside." Pointed Artemis. And without waiting for
Luna to say anything, he approached the sphere, and took its contents
with his mouth and extended it on the ground. "Luna, you have to see
this!" said Artemis.

Luna was shocked. Until now, she never saw Artemis take risks so
foolishly, and doing what he did, definitely qualified as foolish in
her book! When she heard Artemis calling her, she regained her
bearings, and padded to where the white cat was seated. She then saw
that Artemis was reading a note... the note that was contained inside
the sphere. "What is it, Artemis?"

"Read this." Was Artemis' only answer, moving aside to allow Luna a
better angle. When Luna read the note, her jaw literally dropped to
the ground. She then began to read it aloud.


To the Earth Base Gaia personnel.

Clear your landing pad. Help is on its way. ETA: 1 hour
from the point this message arrives.

Hang in there... I promised I wouldn't let you down.

Infinity.


Luna read the short message another two times, until she finally
understood the full implications on it. "Artemis!!" she screamed,
startling the white cat. "You go and tell the girls! I'll stay here,
and get everything ready!"

Artemis didn't wait another second, and sprinted out of the complex,
while Luna went to the subterranean base to tell the good news.

* * * *

35 minutes later, everybody was back at the base, waiting anxiously
the arrival of the offered assistance. Robin, meanwhile, was in the
Medical Ward taking care of her father. When they arrived at the base,
Sonya told her that the operation had been a success, and Robin didn't
loss any time going to his side. However, she wasn't ready to see the
extent of the surgery he had to endure.

Currently, Technuma was deeply asleep, his left eye covered with
bandages, the same as almost all his body. He was missing his left
arm as well, and he was still deadly pale. Sonya did her best to
assure Robin that Technuma was fine, but still the Senshi of Saturn
felt her heart breaking after seeing her father. Currently, she was
seated next to him, waiting patiently for him to wake up.

At the same time, Alex, Ami, the Guardian, Sonya and Yohann were busy
at the hangar, using a heavy-duty crane to move the Leviathan off the
platform, all the while the rest were watching from the cargo elevator.

"I can't stand the wait. The tension's killing me!" said Usagi one
more time.

"Would you please calm down? You're driving me crazy!" said Rei.

"Rei's right, love. Being nervous won't speed things up." Said Mamoru,
embracing her by the waist. "Besides, it won't be long, according to
that note."

"I know, I know, muffin..." said Usagi, leaning on Mamoru. "Still,
that doesn't change the fact that I'm anxious..."

Everybody felt silent after that, observing the procedures. 20 minutes
later, the Leviathan was secured on the other side of the hangar, and
the landing platform was clear. Yohann and the Guardian began to
inspect the platform, while Ami began to work on a nearby console,
making the final adjustments. Once done, they joined the rest inside
the elevator.

"All set." Said the Guardian. "All we have to do now is wait."

"And just in the nick of time." Said Luna. "It's almost the hour." In
that instant, the platform began to move on its own accord, startling
everybody.

"Hey, what's going on? I thought we still had some time!" demanded
Shingo.

"Don't know, Shingo. In any case, we better get outside. I have some
questions I want to make to the Infinity's pilot." Said Yohann, all
the while he walked in a hurry to the exit, followed by the rest.

A moment later, everybody was outside, just in time to watch a silver
portal opening right above the landing platform. But instead of the
Infinity's known silhouette, they saw what could best be described as
a huge metallic container with four stubby legs, some rockets hastily
attached to the sides... and nothing more.

"You have to be joking..." murmured Laurella. "Is THAT the assistance
we've been waiting??"

"I don't detect any lifeform inside that thing." Reported Ami, all the
while operating her computer. "Even more... it seems that it's just
dropping, instead of being guided."

"Because that's precisely what it's doing." Said Yohann, his mouth
wide open. "That's a drop-out container. Those things don't even have
automatic pilots! They're nothing more than glorified parachute
supplies boxes..." he then made a quick calculation, and said. "Let's
get out of here! That thing's going to drop right on top of us!"

As soon as he said that, everybody scattered all over the place. And
not a moment too soon, because as soon as the platform was completely
clear, the container dropped on it rather hard, the rockets roaring
and sending a searing heat wave. With a loud 'THUD', the container
stopped its uncontrolled landing. Once secured, the landing platform
began to lower, the pool complex regaining again its normal appearance.

"That pilot will definitely have to answer to me!" grumbled Rei. "If
it wasn't for Yohann's warning, we all would be barbecue right now!"

"It could have been worse, Rei." Said Usagi. "The note could have
been bogus, you know?"

"Point taken. Why don't we all go inside now, and see what do we have
in there?" said Yohann, dusting himself from the hard dive he made
behind some bushes.

Once inside, the Guardian and Yohann got some tools from the storage
room, and proceeded to open the mysterious container. A minute later,
the thing was open, and Yohann risked a peek inside. "It's pitch
black... somebody bring some light in here." He said. Haruka and
Makoto rushed to the storage room, and came back with four heavy-duty
lanterns. They give one to the Guardian and the other to Yohann, and
the foursome entered the container.

Inside, were eight glass cylinders, big enough to contain a person.
They seemed to be filled with some greenish liquid that gave the
impression to glow with the lights. At the back of the container were
two metallic portfolios.

"What are these things?" asked Makoto.

"I have no idea. But the pilot must have had good reasons to send them
over..." murmured Yohann, his voice hardly audible. "Eight
cylinders... obviously one for each of our patients. But what are they?"

"There's something written in this one." Said Haruka, leaning towards
the control panel of one of the cylinders. "It says... 'Nanoreactor
GST-140'. What the hell is a Nanoreactor?"

"I don't know, Haruka. This is the first time I heard of them." Said
Yohann. "Perhaps the answer is inside those portfolios." He was about
to unhook them when Minako's head appeared at the entrance.

"We need help at the Medical Ward!" exclaimed Minako. "Technuma's up,
and he's frantic!"


* * * *

A few minutes earlier...

Robin was trying to read a magazine, fighting her urge to go to sleep.
She didn't want to stay away from her father, even if her curiosity
gnawed at her, demanding to go with the rest and check the kind of
assistance they would obtain from that mysterious ally of theirs.

'Perhaps a cup of coffee can help me.' With that in her mind, she
stood up, and began to walk towards the replicator. Before she could
operate it, a faint groan made her turn around. She gasped when she
saw Technuma stir weakly. Robin rushed to his side, an immense sense
of joy filling her heart. Fighting the urge to embrace him, she
leaned next to him, and very gently, she took his hand on hers,
kissing it.

"Uuuhh... Where... what...?" tried to ask Technuma, his voice hoarse
and raspy.

"Sshhh... don't talk, father. You're still weak." Murmured Robin,
kissing his cheek gently. "Everybody is safe now. You are back at the
base."

"Robin..." said Technuma, turning his head to meet her gaze. He tried
to focus, but somehow, his vision seemed... incomplete. He tried to
rub his eyes with his other hand, but somehow, he noticed that his
right arm wasn't responding. "What... happened? Cauldron..."

"We defeated him, father." Said Robin. "Everybody is safe." She bit
her lips, fighting the impulse to tell him what happened to all of
them.

Technuma noticed her unease easily, and using his left hand, he
touched his face. When he noticed the bandages over his head, he
removed the blanket, and noticed that he was bandaged almost
completely. "Robin... what happened to me? And don't try to hide
anything..." demanded Technuma.

"Father, I..." Robin couldn't continue, and lowered her gaze, unable
to tell him the extent of the damage Cauldron inflicted to his body.

Technuma's gaze hardened, and ignoring the pain he felt, he stood up
and walked to the office, where he was sure was a mirror. Robin tried
to stop him, but he ignored her. Robin then rushed to one of the
intercoms to ask for assistance. Meanwhile, Technuma had entered the
office, and saw his reflection in front of the mirror... The very
first thing he noticed was the extreme paleness of his skin; his eye
traveled to the missing arm, then to the heavy bandages covering his
torso and abdomen. Trembling, he lowered his gaze, and noticed that,
from the waist down, he was covered with a strange black substance,
almost like some sort of organic cloth or something. He touched his
face with his remaining arm, and noticed that the skin was extremely
cold... Feeling his throat dry, Technuma began to remove the bandages
off his head.

At the same time, Robin entered the office, after having talked with
Minako. As a precaution, she left the intercom open. "Father, the rest
are coming in a moment, they're supervising..." she then noticed what
Technuma was removing the bandages off his head, and rushed to his
side. "Father, NO!!"

Unfortunately, she arrived too late. Technuma finished yanking the
gauze off his right eye, and noticed that, where an eye was supposed
to be, was now a lump of pale flesh... he then proceeded to rip off
the rest of the bandages, ignoring Robin's pleas. He ended up gasping
at the sight of the multiple scars and stitches covering his body.

"No... no..." said Technuma, shaking his head, unable to stop looking
at the terrible truth reflected on the mirror.

"Father, please go back to bed! You're still not right!" said Robin,
not knowing what else to say.

"Right?" said Technuma, turning very slowly to see his daughter.
"Right?? Of course I'm not right!! Look at me! I've become a monster!
A freak!" As soon as he said that, He smashed the mirror with his
hand. He wasn't too surprised when, instead of red blood, what began
to pour through the cuts was a whitish liquid.

In a fit of rage, Technuma began to pound at the remaining shards of
crystal on the wall, until there were none. Next, he began to stomp
on the pieces of the mirror, screaming incoherently at the top of his
lungs, scaring Robin out of her mind. Technuma didn't stop smashing
the shards until nothing more than crystal dust remained of it.

Suddenly, a memory popped on his head, and turning around, he asked
Robin. "The others... where are the others?"

"The... the rest of the team is at the Hangar, waiting for..." began
Robin, but Technuma interrupted her with a screamed "WHERE ARE AKANE
AND THE OTHERS??"

Robin, totally worried about her father's mental stability, only
looked at the door, waiting for the others to arrive, hoping that
they wouldn't take too long. Technuma, looking that Robin wasn't
going to answer, shoved her aside, and walked to the rest of the
biobeds. There, he collapsed to his knees, his mind denying the sight
in front of him.

"No... no, this isn't possible... why them... why her?" he muttered,
unable to keep his eye away from the awful sight that the unconscious
group formed. Still on his knees, he approached Akane, and taking her
hand, he began to weep. Robin exited the office, and seeing her
father, she approached him cautiously, not knowing if to embrace him
or leave him with his troubled thoughts.

Then she heard something that startled her so much, that she almost
fainted. "Why? Why all the time? Why all the women... I care for..."
Began Technuma, his voice cracking a bit. "First Queen Serenity...
when the Prime forced me to... to... do THAT to her! Next, my daughter
Robin... her mind almost destroyed because of the Prime's dwelling
with my work... Then... Technulis... having to die when Sailor Moon
finally destroyed that monster... Why am I cursed like this?? Why do
others have to suffer with me??"

Technuma paused for a moment, his body convulsing because of his
heart-wrecking sobs. Robin was shocked, unable to move because of the
depth of her father's revelations. The only thing she could do at the
moment was to shake her head in a vain attempt of clearing the fog
that threatened to overwhelm her mind.

A moment later, Technuma continued. "And now you... you, Akane! To me,
you are the sum of all those women, and more! You have such a lively
spark, such a beautiful heart and soul..." He then raised his face,
and shouted to the ceiling. "Why her?? Why me?? WHY US?? Don't we
deserve to be happy?? What has she done to deserve this?? It's not
fair... not fair... not fair..." He then lowered his gaze, and after
delicately kissing the unresponsive hand he was holding, he began to
cry again, all the while muttering "don't leave me... don't leave
me..."

In that moment, the door opened, and the rest of the team entered the
Medical Ward. Everybody froze on their tracks when they saw Technuma
on his knees, holding Akane's hand with his one left. Robin looked at
them, tears running down her cheeks, begging them silently to do
something.

Yohann noticed Robin's look, and nodding at her, he began to approach
Technuma cautiously. When he was next to him, Yohann began to talk
softly. "Technuma... Ulysses... Sir... please, return to your bed..."

Very slowly, Technuma began to rise up, and after releasing Akane's
hand he turned around and faced Yohann. His face was distorted by his
fury, and without a warning, Technuma punched Yohann in the jaw with
all the strength he could muster, sending Yohann to the floor.

The Guardian reacted as fast as he could, and using a small amount of
strength, he contained Technuma on his arms, trying his best not to
harm him.

As soon as Yohann recovered from the strike, he stood up, and favoring
his aching jaw with his hand, he asked, "Sir... what... why...?"

"And you still have the cheek to ask??" growled Technuma. "Aren't you
happy with dragging the girls, and my daughter in this wild goose
chase?? You have to include US AS WELL??"

Everybody gasped when he said that, unable to believe their ears.
Unperturbed, Technuma continued. "You had to turn us into monsters?
Into weapons? You claim that Cauldron is the enemy... the only enemy
I'm seeing here is you, Starr! You are the true monster!!"

"Father, you're wrong!" begged Robin, her voice cracking. "Please,
don't say that...!"

"You claim to be on your guard," continued Technuma, not listening to
Robin. "however, everytime someone is hurt! First Mercury, next my
daughter... now us! Who's next, Starr? Sailor Moon? Mars' unborn
children? Or perhaps you plan to ally with Cauldron? Yes... it's that,
right? You were planning to give Akane and the rest to that maniac!
That's why you turned us into... into... this!! You weren't planning
for me to wake up so soon, is that it? Well, I have news for you,
Starr! I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW IT!!" Technuma then extended his arm,
and began to charge a Technum ball, intended to destroy Starr!

The Guardian immediately began to siphon the energy, but Technuma
continued his efforts. "Somebody stop him!" said Hogosuro. "I won't
be able to absorb his energy much longer!"

Sonya moved to fetch an hypospray, and after selecting a tranquilizer,
she loaded it into the small injector. Being careful to keep the
Guardian between her and Technuma, she then proceeded to inject the
tranquilizer in Technuma's neck.

Before the tranquilizer took effect, Technuma had enough time to say:
"You are a coward, Starr... you have to relay on your lackeys for...
for..." He then went unconscious. The Guardian then proceeded to put
Technuma back on his biobed, while Sonya went to Robin's side to try
and console the poor girl.

The rest of the team then went to Robin's side, with the exception of
Laurella. "Yohann... are you all right? He didn't hit you too hard,
did he?"

"No... no, Laurella. Thank you for asking." Said Yohann. "Why... why
don't you go with Robin and the rest? You are of more help with her
now than with me. I'll... I'll join you in a moment."

Laurella looked at him, puzzled, but still she nodded and went to
join the rest.

Yohann felt suddenly very tired, and left the Medical ward. No one
noticed his exit. On the corridor, Alex linked with him, and asked
'Pork chops... are you sure you're feeling right? Your EEG is
rather... erratic, if you allow me to say so.'

'I'm fine, Alex. Just feeling tired for the moment.' Transmitted
Yohann. 'Alex, order the maintenance bots to unload that container,
and transfer the cargo to the laboratory. Then, dismantle the
container, and storage the parts.'

'Will do, sweetie.' Answered Alex. 'But... are you sure...?'

"Please, Alex. Not now. I... I just want to be alone for now. And
Alex?'

'Yes, sweetbuns?'

'Can you finish translating Cauldron's log? I mean, without Ami's
help?'

'I guess so. Why?'

'That's good, Alex. Please, do as I say, and don't link with me for
now, ok?'

'Very well, sweetie.' After that, Alex downloaded herself into the
base's mainframe, following Yohann's orders.

When Yohann felt Alex leaving his mind, he sighed, and began to walk
towards his room. Before entering, he looked at his hands for a
moment, and closing them, he said. "My hands are covered with blood...
and I can't wash them..."

* * * *

Two hours later, Robin was in her room, along with Usagi, Laurella
and Michiru. During an hour and forty minutes, the only thing she
could do was to cry bitterly, unable to accept the words her father
said. During all that time, her friends tried their best to calm her,
and until recently, it seemed that they finally achieved their goal.

Her voice muffled by the tear-soaked pillow, Robin finally said.
"Why... why did he say those horrible things?"

"Robin..." began Laurella, "you have to remember that he just
underwent a very drastic surgical procedure. It's normal, under such
circumstances, that a person feels disoriented, and in his case, even
more because he saw the scars he suffered."

With a lot of effort from her part, Robin turned around, lying on her
back. After taking a deep breath to calm herself a little more, she
continued. "Still, that's no reason for him to blame Yohann for that!
Cauldron is the culprit!"

"We all understand that, Robin." Said Michiru. "But it's going to be
a little harder for him to realize that."

"That's right." Continued Laurella. "He has a lot of emotional
pressure, and the nearest target at the moment was Yohann. He only
needs a little time to deal with it."

"I... I guess you are right. Still, that doesn't change the things he
said... and did." Said Robin, closing her eyes.

"Robin..." began Usagi. "Is there something else you want to tell us?
What happened before we entered the ward?"

Robin closed her eyes, trying to order her jumbled ideas. After a
moment, she began to talk again. "Before I called you, I made the
terrible mistake to let him go to the office and saw himself in the
mirror. I... I couldn't bring myself to stop him. I mean... I was so
scared! I never imagined he could lose control so badly."

"Under the circumstances, it's quite normal, Robin. There's nothing
to be ashamed of." Commented Usagi.

"But that's not all..." continued Robin. "After he finished smashing
the mirror, he demanded to see the others. I thought he was referring
to the rest of us, but... he meant... you know..." He took another
deep breath, meanwhile the rest remained silent, not wanting to
interrupt her. "When father saw Dr. Mizuno, he... well... I guess the
only way to describe what happened is... that he cracked. After he
finished crying, he began to say... things... I still don't
understand."

"What kind of things, Robin?" asked Michiru.

"I don't know... something about things the Prime forced him to do to
Queen Serenity..." Usagi gasped for a moment, unnoticed by Robin.
"Then how he couldn't prevent the Prime to do something to me... I
guess he meant the seizures I used to have..." Laurella closed her
eyes, "Then... about how Technulis died when Sailor Moon finally
defeated the Prime..." This time, Michiru only sighed, understanding
what Robin meant. "But what really freaked me out, was when he began
to talk about Dr. Mizuno!"

"And... and what did he say?" asked Usagi.

"Well... he began to talk very fondly of her... that how she was the
sum of all the women he had met. Then he... he began to ask to the
ceiling why this all happened to her... why can't they be happy...
after that, he began to say over and over again 'don't leave me.' I
still can't imagine what he meant by that. A moment later, you all
entered the ward... and you know the rest." With that, Robin finished
her recollection, closing her eyes.

Because of that, she didn't notice when Usagi, Michiru and Laurella
looked at each other, all with the same idea in their minds: Technuma
was in love with Akane, and Robin didn't notice it.

* * * *

Ami, Alex and Sonya were together in the laboratory, about to analyze
the contents of the mysterious portfolios. Alex was on the
laboratory's computer, and had ordered some maintenance bots to
transfer the strange cylinders to the lab, whose were already
installed in the middle of the place. Sonya had taken a sample of the
greenish liquid from one of the cylinders, and was installing it
inside one of the microscopes.

"All set." Said Sonya. "Now, to wait for the system to boot, and
we'll see what we have here."

"Everything ready on my side too." Said Alex. "The bases of the
cylinders are already hooked to the base's power supply. Whatever
this things do, they'll have the energy to do it."

"That's good to know." Said Ami, her voice low.

"Oh, Ami..." said Sonya, and putting a hand on the young girl's
shoulder, she added. "Don't worry. We'll find a way to help your
mother. That's why we're here."

"That's right, whiz kid!" said Alex, trying to cheer her friend.
"Don't give up. If there's a way to help her, we'll find it."

Ami looked at Sonya, and smiled faintly. "Thank you, Sonya... Alex. I
needed to hear that."

"Hey, what are friends for, if not to support each other?" said Alex.
"Come on, let's open those things, and see what we have in our hands."

After giving Ami a gentle pat on the shoulder, Sonya opened the first
portfolio. She raised an eyebrow at the contents. "Well, what do we
have here?" She then proceeded to extract the contents: a rather
thick book, with the words "Nanoreactor GST-140 Instruction Manual"
printed on the cover.

"What is it?" asked Alex. "I can't see if you don't place it under
the security cameras, you know?"

"It's the instructions for those cylinders, Alex." Said Ami, starting
to flip through the pages. "And for the looks of it, they are more
than just water containers."

In that moment, the microscope chimed, indicating that the image was
ready. "I'll tend to it." Said Sonya. "Ami, would you please open the
second portfolio?"

"Sure." Said Ami, and placing the book next to one of the cameras,
she opened it. "What are these things?" she asked. Inside, there were
seven black cartridges neatly placed in a foam-like protector lining.
Also, a single sheet of paper was inside. Ami took the paper, and
began to read it. "Alex, what do you think of this?" she said, and
positioned the paper so that the security camera could take a good
look at it.

Alex focussed the camera, and a couple of seconds later, she talked.
"OHMYGOD!! That person has more resources than I ever imagined!!"

"What do you mean, Alex? This looks like a regular release form to me."
Said Ami, eyeing the paper suspiciously.

"That's precisely what it is, Ami." Said Alex. "But look at it! It
says Security Level 10 clearance! That kind of security is reserved
only for the highest government figures! Yohann and I have Security
level 7... and if those cartridges have that level... then those
cylinders must be on the same level! Only released for some very
experimental and secret projects!"

"Girls?" said Sonya, looking aghast at the screen of the microscope.
"You better take a look at this."

Ami placed the paper neatly over the cartridges, and walked next to
Sonya. Alex linked with the microscope to get a better input of the
results. "Yes, Sonya?" asked Ami. "What is it?" Sonya pointed to the
screen, and Ami looked at the image. "What are those things?"

The image on the screen displayed a series of strange dots, apparently
moving at random. But somehow, they seemed to have a... metallic
quality on them. Ami the looked at the magnifying number at the bottom
of the screen : 10,000,000 x.

"I'm not sure. Whatever they are, they are even smaller than the
regular nanomachines we use at the Medical Ward." Said Sonya. "Alex,
do you know what they are?"

"I'm not sure." Said the Artificial Intelligence. "Keep increasing
the resolution and the magnifying scale. Let's take a good look at
those things." Sonya complied, and began to work on that. After what
looked like an eternity for them, they finally got a good look at the
things. "Oh, boy! They're beautiful!" said Alex.

"They look like... small robots..." said Ami, staring at the screen.

"But the size! The bigger one is hardly a molecule wide!" said Sonya.
"They are at least a hundred times smaller than the regular
nanomachine."

The image displayed a series of three-pointed machines, with small
cyllia around them. They had a small dome-like structure in the
middle.

"But... what are they for? And how many are them?" asked Ami, puzzled.

"The count goes right to the billions per cubic inch... the total
number of units on each cylinder goes beyond my own calculating
capacity." Said Alex. "And as for the applications... with those
numbers, and such scale... well, they're literally unlimited." After
a moment, Alex added. "Ami... there're I/O cables on the second
cabinet. Take one, and link one of the cylinders with the computer. I
want to try a thing."

Ami went to do what Alex asked, and a minute later, the connection was
ready. "All set, Alex."

"Thank you, Ami. Now... would you please put a single test tube inside
the cylinder?" As soon as Ami did that, Alex linked with the strange
device, and sent an order to it. Immediately, the lights on the lab
lowered. "oh, oh..." said Alex. "It's drawing a little more energy
than I anticipated." A moment later, the lights returned to normal.
"There... that should do it. Now, let me see if I can pull this trick
off..."

Suddenly, Sonya's and Ami's eyes were drawed to the test tube inside
the cylinder. In front of them, it began to shrink and to acquire a
certain metallic glow. A moment later, they gasped. Inside the
cylinder, instead of a crystal test tube, was...

"Oh, my God... is that GOLD??" exclaimed Ami, breathing shallowly.

"It... it looks like it." Said Sonya, equally impressed.

"Just as I imagined..." said Alex." Those things are able to work on
the target, down to the atomic level. This particular trick took a
lot from me, though. I acted just by a wild idea. It was extremely
difficult to keep a track on all the machines working at all levels..."

"Now we know why the instruction book was included." Said Sonya. "It
would take us years just to understand the basic implications of this
units without it."

"But what about the cartridges?" asked Ami. "You don't think they're
the electronic equivalent of the instructions, do you?"

"Only one way to find out." Said Alex. "I noticed a slot on the side
of the control panel of the cylinder. Why not put one of them on it,
and see if you're right?"

"Good idea, Alex." Said Ami, and went to retrieve one of the
cartridges. A moment later, the cartridge was in the panel. "Ready
here, Alex."

"Thanks! Now, let me see what's in there..." said Alex. A moment
later, she talked again. "Ami, Sonya... I can't access the data on
those cartridges. Sorry."

"That's ok, Alex. You did what you could." Said Ami, although she
felt a little disappointed at the lack of more results from Alex'
part. "Besides, we have a lot to learn from that book, anyway."

"That's right, Ami." Said Sonya. "So, why don't we start? And for
Alex' sake, let's read it in front of the camera, ok?"

"Fine by me. Ready for a little reading, Alex?" asked Ami.

"Sure! When have I said no to a study session?" said Alex. A moment
later, the trio was reading the instruction book, but Alex wasn't
really focussed on it. Instead, she was experimenting what could
better be described as guilt.

'Forgive me for lying to you, Ami.' Thought Alex. 'But none of you
are ready to know the real contents of those cartridges.'

* * * *

Technuma was lying on his biobed. After the emotional outburst he
displayed, nobody wanted to take any chances with him going berserk
again, so, by general agreement, the Guardian was keeping an eye on
him. For now, he was just staring at the ceiling, hardly blinking. If
someone besides the normal inhabitants of the base entered the ward,
that person would have sworn that Technuma was a corpse... because he
was that unresponding.

A moment later, Alex accessed the medcom, and through the speakers,
she addressed the Guardian. "Hogosuro, would you please go out and
check for the girls on the main house?"

"Is there a problem, Alex?" asked the Guardian.

"No, no problem. It's just that... well, I guess that they need to
know that there is a way for finally save their relatives. I have
some things to do here, and can't do it myself, you know?" finished
Alex.

"On my way." Said the Guardian, and left the Medical ward. After he
left, Alex locked the door, and addressed Technuma.

"Sir? I have news for you." Technuma, however, didn't react to Alex'
voice. Undeterred, Alex continued. "We finally received the help
offered by the Infinity's pilot, and now we have the means to help
you all. But... there's a slight problem."

Technuma continued keeping silence, not showing a sign that anything
Alex had said reached his ears. Alex decided to continue her
explanation. "Sir, the equipment we received requires someone with a
high degree of medical expertise, and currently, you are the only one
that can operate it safely. Nobody else has the knowledge to do it
besides you."

After a few more moments of heavy silence, Alex finally snapped at
Technuma's indifference. "Dammit, Technuma1 Say something! I thought
you would be at least a little interested in this bit of news! At
least show some backbone here!"

"I don't have one, remember?" finally said Technuma. "I lost it,
among everything else in my life."

"Now, what kind of talk is that?" inquired Alex. "You haven't lost
anything!"

"Easy for you to say. First, I lose my brothers and sisters, as well
as half of my soul... next, I lose my only child to that... that
stranger you call Starr. Then, I lose my own body and mind at the
hands of some failed experiment of your world. And finally... I lose
the only woman that accepted me as I am. So, don't come and tell me
that I haven't lost anything."

"Sorry about the first thing you said. Wish I could do something about
it, but as for the rest... you haven't lost anything! Robin... you'll
never lose her! Agreed, she loves my sweetbuns, but she loves you too,
and nothing will ever change that fact! As for what Cauldron did to
you, that's something that can be solved now, and your mind is still
yours. And... if you refer to Dr. Mizuno... she and the rest can be
saved, as well as your body! But no chance of that if you don't help."

"You don't need me." Said Technuma. "Why don't you let your precious
Lieutenant handle this? He seems to have all the answers."

"I can't believe it..." said Alex, shocked. "And to think that Robin
talks so fondly of you... and Dr. Mizuno too... both said that you
were a wonderful person. Full of life and resources... never letting
an obstacle to interfere with your goals... Well, it seems that they
were painfully wrong. You are nothing than a sniveling little man.
You suffer a setback, and let it run you down. I'll never understand
where did Robin learned that way to look at life... obviously, not
from you! And the same goes for Dr. Mizuno. I thought she had better
taste and judgment. Heck, I don't know why Yohann took the effort and
resources to bring you back from the brink of death! Oh, whom am I
kidding? He did it to make Robin happy. You know what? You're right
after all... you lost everything. But not because of Cauldron, or
Yohann, or anyone else... but yourself! You let everything slip pass
your fingers, and never moved a finger to prevent it!"

Suddenly, the replicator activated, and a book appeared. "I don't
know why I'm doing this... here's a copy of the book we're studying.
The equipment we intend to use is too complex... and we're running out
of time." In that moment, she unlocked the door, and the Guardian
entered the ward. "Yes, Hogosuro? What is it?"

"Robin is at the lab with Ami and Sonya. They require you presence
there." Answered the Guardian.

"On my way. And keep an eye on this... person. Although he really
doesn't deserve it." Said Alex, with a little venom on her words.
After that, she went to the laboratory, leaving them alone once again.

After another moment of silence, Technuma decided to ask something to
the Guardian. "Hogosuro... Alex mentionned to me earlier that they're
running out of time. What does she mean by that?"

"I'm not sure, sir. Perhaps she referred to the fact that the bodies
of the others are... starting to deteriorate." Answered the Guardian.

"What do you mean with 'deteriorate'? I thought that you had
everything under control." Said Technuma, showing a little emotion.

"I'm afraid not, sir. You see... even with all the equipment we have,
we can't prevent the final decay of their organic components. At this
rate... in less than 72 hours, they'll die for sure." Finished the
Guardian.

"I... see." Muttered Technuma. After casting a glance at the
replicator, he added. "Alex left something for me in there. Would you
be so kind to bring it to me?"

The Guardian nodded, and went to retrieve the copy from the
replicator. After giving it to Technuma, he returned to his post,
keeping an eye on the patient. Meanwhile, Technuma began to read the
instructions, turning idly at the pages at first, but after each page,
his interest began to rise. An hour later, he finished reading the
instructions. He spent a few minutes in silence, thinking...

Addressing the Guardian, Technuma said. "Hogosuro... please give me a
lab coat... there's a lot for me to do."

* * * *

Sonya, Ami, Robin and Alex were together at the lab, trying to figure
out how to safely operate the Nanoreactors. While Robin continued
reading the instructions, the rest were testing what they had already
learned, but...

"This is ridiculous!" said Alex. "Even with the three of us working at
the same time, we can't handle all the data!"

Ami and Sonya sighed, looking dismayed at their last attempt. Although
during their first experiences they had a fairly good percentage of
success with inorganic materials, it was the organic ones that were
giving them trouble. After hooking to the base of the cylinder a tank
of hydrogen, they began to use it as building material for their
experiments. The latest one was trying to 'create' a T-bone. But the
only thing they got was a metallic paperweight with the form of a
T-bone.

"You're right, Alex." Said Ami. "It seems that...well, we can't get
the real hang of what an organic compound should be made of. We all
clash by the end, and see what we get."

"You have a point there, Ami." Said Sonya. "It's just that each one
of us have a different point of view of how an organic material
should be done."

"Let's face it, team... we don't have the knowledge." Offered Alex.
"Heck, I even went to check all those places that work on that famous
"Human Genome Project" that is currently being made... but even with
all that data, I can't figure out what to do!"

"And not even my compact has that kind of specialized data on it."
Finished Ami. Turning around, she asked. "Any progress there, Robin?"

Robin shook her head without stopping her lecture. "None. I mean, this
book only explains how to operate those things... but how to obtain
the desired results is another matter entirely. There are so many ways
to do it, but at the same time, only one can get us to where we want
to go. I could try to operate it, but still... I don't have the
experience. Granted, Father taught me all he knows... but without the
experience to back it up..." she left the rest unsaid. The others
understood her perfectly, nevertheless.

Everybody felt silent for a few minutes, deep in thought. Suddenly,
Sonya asked. "Alex, isn't there a person on this planet with enough
knowledge that could be recruited?"

Ami and Robin looked at her, stunned. "You want to bring someone else
here?" asked Robin. "But that's ridiculous! It would seriously
jeopardize the secrecy needed for all of us!"

"If you have a better idea, then I'm open to suggestions, Robin."
Said Sonya, sighing.

"I already thought of that, Sonya. And yes... there's only one person
on this planet with the necessary knowledge." Began Alex. "And before
you get all excited, I don't think that person would be able to help
us anyway."

"And who's that person, Alex?" asked Ami, anxiously.

"Believe it or not, such person is resting in our Medical ward right
now." At the shocked expressions the others displayed, Alex added.
"You guessed it... None other than the one and only Technuma Saturn.
And as you all know, he doesn't want to have anything to do with this."

"Then... all is lost? There's nothing we can do?" asked Robin, not
really expecting an answer.

In that moment, the door opened, and Technuma entered the lab,
followed by the Guardian. "I'm surprised you think of me on those
terms, ladies." Said Technuma, smiling faintly. All presents were
surprised to see him there. "Sorry for being late, but I had to...
sort certain things. And for that, I thank you Alex."

"Hey, no need for that, sir! I apologize for being so rude with you."
Said Alex, her voice sounding a little meek. "It's just that...
well..."

"That's in the past, Alex. Don't worry about it. So! What do we have
here?" said Technuma, looking at the cylinders. "I guess those are
the famous Nanoreactors everybody keeps talking about?"

"Ahhh... yes, they are." Said Sonya, still mildly surprised. "But we
can't get the hang of them yet."

"Can I see what you've done so far?" asked Technuma. When the ladies
nodded in unison, he walked to the Nanoreactor they were using, and
raised an eyebrow at the sight of the metallic object inside. He then
proceeded to check the program they were using. A moment later, he
nodded. "I see your problem here. No wonder you kept getting this
kind of... results."

"Father..." murmured Robin, feeling her heart and soul soaring.

"Fortunately, it's nothing that can't be solved." Continued Technuma.
And addressing all presents, he added. "But I'm going to need an
assistant. Robin... would you help me with this?" He then offered his
hand to his daughter, a faint smile on his lips.

Robin looked at the offered hand, but instead of taking it, she
decided to take a more direct approach: She literally glomped her
father, happy to see her with them once again. "Welcome back...
father." She said, her voice muffled because of Technuma's lab coat.

Technuma embraced Robin's shoulders with his arm, and addressing the
rest, he said. "We will take over from here, ladies. Thank you again
for your kind help. Hogosuro... would you please take Robin to the
replicator, and give her a lab coat? And don't worry about checking
me. I'll be fine."

"It will be a pleasure, sir." Said the Guardian. "Miss Redwing? If
you please follow me..."

Reluctantly, Robin released her grip on Technuma and followed the
Guardian. Once she exited, Technuma addressed Ami. "Don't worry.
Everything will be all right from now on. I give you my word that
your mother will be back to normal in no time at all."

Ami didn't know what to do in that instant... she wanted to shout, to
cry, to laugh... all at the same time. Instead, she decided to bow at
Technuma, showing him her thanks. Before her own feelings betrayed
her, she left the laboratory, heading towards the Medical ward.

Sonya remained a little longer. "Are you sure you will be able to
operate this things, sir?" she asked. "After all, this kind of
equipment is completely different from anything anyone has ever seen."

"I'm pretty sure of it, Miss Nimue." Said Technuma. "As a matter of
fact, the main operating system of this units aren't that far away
from the equipment I'm used to operate. It's only a matter of
adapting."

Sonya looked at Technuma intently, trying to measure how much of what
he said was truth, and how much a mere bluff, intended to calm her. A
moment later, she smiled at him, satisfied by what she saw. "Are you
sure you don't need any more help?"

"You don't need to worry in that respect. Robin and I will be capable
of doing everything." Answered Technuma. "Besides, she needs a little
hands-on experience, don't you think?"

"You're right." Before she left the lab, Sonya turned around. "Sir...
if you need anything, please... don't hesitate to ask for help. And I
mean it."

"I'll keep that in mind, Miss Nimue. Thank you." Said Technuma,
smiling at her. Once Sonya left, he turned around, and began to work
on the Nanoreactor they were using, trying to understand its functions
before it became too late...

* * * *

"So... are you sure you understand the DNA sequence, Robin?" asked
Technuma. He and Robin had spent the last day experimenting with the
Nanoreactors, maintaining themselves mainly with the drive to achieve
success. For Robin, this has been an exhilarating experience.

"It's perfectly clear, Father." Answered Robin. Their latest test had
been a great success. Placing a small container inside with distilled
water, they gave instructions to the nanobots to 'transmute' the water
into something else. Once they were able to change it into alcohol,
they began to try more complex tests. Right now, they were looking at
the container, now filled with a crimson liquid. "All readings
indicate that the experiment is a resounding success. We made it!"

"Not so fast, Robin. First, we have to test it... the old fashioned
way." Said Technuma. He then proceeded to extract the container, and
took a sample of the liquid. He then began a battery of tests, being
the final one a microscope examination. Smiling, he told Robin. "Now
it's official. We made it! This has to be the purest sample of human
blood ever achieved under laboratory conditions. And nothing on it
seems synthetic. It's the real thing."

"Congratulations! Then, do you think we can proceed with the next
tests?" asked Robin, excited.

"It looks like it. Now, let me see..." Technuma then began to check a
list he had written during all their tests. He then shook his head,
and addressed Robin. "We ran out of aminoacid bases. Would you please
go and bring some from the replicator?" He then handed the list to
Robin.

"Of course, Father. Be back in a few minutes." Said Robin, taking the
list.

Once she left the lab, Technuma moved fast. He opened a cabinet, and
took a few bottles he had stashed there. After making sure that those
were the correct chemicals he needed, he then poured the contents in
one of the cylinders. Once done, he began to punch a series of
instructions in the control panel of the Nanoreactor.

Technuma took a look at the readings one more time. Satisfied, he
began to undress. Once naked, he climbed to the top of the cylinder,
and after taking one deep breath, he got inside. Immediately, the top
of the Nanoreactor closed, sealing with a loud hiss.

In that precise moment, Robin entered the laboratory. "Sorry it took
me this long, Father, but I..." She gasped when she saw Technuma
floating in the nanobot-rich fluid of the cylinder. Without losing
another second, she ran to the control panel and attempted to stop
the process... only to find that all the control sequences were
locked! Desperate, she began to pound at the glass walls, trying to
draw Technuma's attention.

Technuma only smiled at her, trying to reassure her. He then mouthed
something, but before Robin could make out what he was saying, a
thick blanket of bubbles emerged from the bottom, obscuring her
vision.

"Father!! You can't do this! We're not ready! This is too dangerous!
Please, don't leave me again! FATHEEEEEEEEER!!"



TO BE CONTINUED...