H1CENTERChapter 8: Ashes to Ashes/CENTER/H1
Ranma shifted nervously beside General Moroto. The Protoss were coming. Akane was coming. Or was it just Phoenix? He did not know. Who would he be more relieved to see? He shook off the memory of Akane's flesh melting off her bones, her screams of pain. He also remembered the Protoss teleporting off their shuttle. That's how they must have saved Akane. Or recovered her corpse. He shuddered at the thought of the mangled body of his ex-fiancé under the probes and tools of Protoss scientists. The voice of one of the General's aides, a young blonde Lieutenant, snapped him out of his reverie./P
"Sir, Command reports that a Protoss shuttle and four Scout escorts have entered our airspace." She paused, one hand on the plug in her ear. "Passcodes have been confirmed."/P
"Give them the coordinates of the landing bay," answered the General./P
"Aye, sir." She repeated the order. "The shuttle and escorts are en-route," she reported after a few minutes./P
Ranma looked around at the large landing bay. One of several remote hanger bays that were connected to the X-Com base. This one was empty, save for the General, his aide, Ranma, twelve marines in shining blue and gray combat armor, two Armored Personnel Carriers, and two jeeps./P
"They are nearing the entrance," said the Lieutenant./P
"Open the doors."/P
With the sound of grinding gears and straining hydraulics, the roof of the landing bay parted. Ranma squinted at the sunlight that flooded the room, which was cut off when the Protoss shuttle filled the open door. The thrumming of the repulsor fields used to keep the shuttle airborne shook Ranma to his bones. As the shuttle neared the ground, three landing skids emerged from the bottom of the craft. As it landed, Ranma could see the slight multicolored shimmer caused by its forcefield./P
"Close the doors. Honor guard, POST!"/P
As the bay doors closed, the twelve marines marched in a stately fashion towards the shuttle, forming between them an isle between the shuttle and the General's party. Three marines unfurled flags that they had been carrying. One had the X-Com emblem, a black X with a white border on a dark blue background. The second was the flag of the United Earth Government, which was the planet Earth surrounded by stars. The third was the Protoss flag, crossed psi-blades on a gold background./P
The forcefield surrounding the ship vanished, and a blue and white energy storm manifested at the start of the isle. "Marines!" bellowed the guard commander. As the energy storm faded, several Protoss appeared. "A-ten-hut!" All twelve soldiers snapped to attention. The Protoss entourage made its way down the isle./P
A large Protoss in gold armor with green trim led the party. His armor was adorned with various attachments and hangings, probably medals and signs of rank. Following him to his right was a smaller Protoss wearing flowing dark blue robes. Directly behind him were four Zealots, whose armor was also gold with green trim. To the leader's left was Phoenix./P
Ranma gulped when he saw her. Half the height of the Protoss, Phoenix would have seemed comical standing beside them, were it not for the fact that she exuded a power, a confidence that was almost palpable. Her gold armor was without any trim, and she moved with a grace Akane never had. Ranma could almost feel the power she wielded and her willingness to use it. She glared at each marine she passed as though saying, 'Try me. I dare you.' Her long black hair was tied into a single tight braid. As they approached, the General, his aide and Ranma all saluted./P
"In the name of the United Earth Government, and the X-Com Defense Force, I, General Hikaru Moroto, welcome you to X-Com: Japan South," said the General formally./P
The Protoss leader put one fist to his breast. [En Taro Adun, General. I, Praetor Halos, do accept your greetings, and extend my own, on behalf of the Protoss people.]/P
"If I may introduce you to my party, " continued the General. Lieutenant Deanna Harper, my personal aide, Captain Ranma Saotome, and, acting as our honor guard, the 132nd infantry division./P
[Greetings,] replied the Praetor. [This is my personal advisor, Judicator Raetor, my personal bodyguard, and Phoenix.]/P
"Ah, yes, the Human-Protoss hybrid. I must say, you've created quite a stir with our geneticists. When I left, they were begging me to get some tissue samples."/P
[That is understandable. She is a remarkable achievement.]/P
Phoenix was glaring at the humans. It was quite evident she held them in little regard./P
[And this one here,] said the Judicator. [I remember seeing him from Phoenix's suit recordings. He is a 'Ghost'? Most interesting...]/P
"Yes, Captain Ranma is one of our best Special Operatives."/P
[He doesn't seem like much, does he?] said Halos./P
[Scans the pilot took while we were landing showed him to be a psion of the highest order.] A momentary pause. [For a human.]/P
The Praetor looked down at Ranma, his eyes narrowing. [You hide it well, human.] Turning back to the General he continued. [So what now, General? I assume we are not going to have the meeting here.]/P
"No, of course not. If you'll just follow me." He led them to the two jeeps. "Praetor, it would be an honor if you would ride with me. Judicator, you and Phoenix can go with Ranma. Your guards can go in one of the APCs." They boarded the jeeps, Lt. Harper driving the General, who sat in front, and Halos, whose large body straddled the two back seats. Ranma drove the second jeep, with Phoenix in the passenger seat and Raetor behind them. The four Zealots and the X-Com honor guard each boarded an APC. As they drove away they were joined by a four member Vulture escort./P
"We were planning a tour of our facilities, if you are interested," said Moroto./P
Halos tilted his head, as though listening to someone else. [That would be an excellent idea. We are understandably curious about your culture and organization.]/P
"As we are of yours."/P
[Yes, but you've already had a look in our home.]/P
Moroto flushed bright red, but did not respond to the barb. Recovering quickly, he grinned. "Well, then consider this as us returning the favor."/P
BR
"So you're Phoenix, huh?" said Ranma./P
Phoenix ignored him./P
"Where'd you learn those Ki attacks?"/P
Nothing./P
"Hey, are you listening?"/P
Phoenix turned her head to look back at the Judicator. Ranma was sensitive enough to feel the conversation between them, but could not listen in. After a few moments, Phoenix turned back to Ranma./P
[No.] She then turned away./P
Apparently she was not in a mood to talk./P
"Stupid tomboy," he muttered to himself./P
But he could feel her eyes on him the rest of the way./P
BR
"And this is the last part of our tour," said the General./P
The door to the main observation room overlooking the civilian living area opened. The room overlooked 'The Pasture' in military slang, since the disabled and retirees often ended up living there. The room could easily seat fifty people, and was a combination bar and lounge, with several large glass windows. The group entered, the Protoss ducking though the human sized doorway. The aliens looked out over the city and were immediately captivated./P
[It appears we underestimated the number of survivors,] commented Raetor./P
The cavern itself was enormous. They could barely see the other side. Filled with towers and houses, the city was teeming with life. Cars ran though the streets. There were markets, malls even a stadium or two. Instead of walls, the cavern was surrounded in a blue haze with a 'sun' moving slowly across the sky, occasionally shadowed by white puffy 'clouds'./P
[How have you simulated the exterior conditions?] asked Halos./P
"We developed holographic projectors to simulate the sky outside. We found initially that living under completely artificial lighting twenty four hours a day caused severe depression."/P
[How many people live here?]/P
"This cavern numbers about half a million. We also have several smaller caves, but the total number is around eight hundred thousand people."/P
[How do you feed so many people?]/P
"By having substantial air superiority."/P
Halos looked at the General sharply. [So the bargaining begins. I imagine that is one of the things you have to offer us; allow our supply shuttles though.]/P
"Well, one of the things. The tour is finished, and we can go to the conference room now."/P
Throughout the tour, Phoenix had been having strange feelings. She did not like humans, and felt uncomfortable around them. That was understandable. They were inferior. Treating an inferior species with any kind of respect was uncomfortable. However, this strange...curiosity of the human called Ranma confused her. She could not stop glancing at him. She tried to conceal her actions, but it was obvious to her that he knew something. Every time he noticed, he would stiffen slightly, and one eyebrow would twitch. And when he had called her a 'tomboy,' she had suddenly felt a powerful urge to hit him. Why would she feel that? She did not even know what a tomboy was. And with her enhanced intellect, she was far from stupid. On reflection, his insult was one made by an uninformed, inferior mammal. He had no idea what he was talking about. His opinion meant less than nothing./P
Then why was she *still* annoyed with him?/P
When they decided to start the conference, she found that she did not want to go. To stand around while two people haggled over some kind of peace treaty or cease fire, how boring, she thought. She needed to do something more active. Glancing out to the city, she was seized with sudden inspiration./P
[Praetor,] she said. Halos turned around, surprise evident in his expression. [Praetor, I request that I be allowed to explore the civilian habitat. Understanding their non-military social and economic structure could aid in future negotiations.]/P
Both Halos and Raetor looked surprised. Raetor also looked somewhat alarmed. The two aliens began talking privately. Phoenix could tell that Raetor was against the idea, but Halos was cautiously for it. After several moments of intense discussion, Raetor shook his head in resignation, and Halos turned to General Moroto./P
[General, Phoenix has requested to explore the civilian living area. Would you be amenable to her request?]/P
Moroto blinked. "I don't see why not," he said cautiously. "She would cause less of a stir than a Zealot. She'd need an escort, of course." Looking around, his gaze fell on Ranma. "Captain?" Ranma stiffened./P
"Sir?"/P
"Would you be so kind as to be Phoenix's escort as she explores the Pasture?"/P
Ranma's eyes widened slightly. "Uhhh...sure. I mean, yes sir!"/P
"Then carry on Captain. Remember, full diplomatic privileges." That meant everywhere except highly restricted areas like Civil Defense Command, Emergency Stores, and other such places of importance. The General gestured for the others to follow. "If you could come this way..."/P
BR
Ranma and Phoenix stared at each other for several moments, each wondering if this was a good idea after all. Phoenix suddenly strode to the door and left the room, catching Ranma flatfooted. He quickly followed./P
"Hey, I'm suppose to escort you, not the other way around."/P
She turned and waited for him to catch up. [Then escort.] Her mind-voice was even, but he could tell she was mad. The slight narrowing of the eyes, the intense glare, all the old danger signs were there. At this point she looked so much like Akane it was frightening./P
"Sure, but I have to call us a jeep, and I need to make another call." Going to a comm unit, he contacted Supplies and Requisitions and got a jeep, then made his other call. When he was finished he motioned for her to follow. "Let's go."/P
BR
Phoenix, by the end of the tour, was in complete confusion. Not about the tour itself. She was mildly impressed by the combination of comfort and defense that went into the planning and construction of the city. There were defense choke points, barricades, even anti-air defenses in case flying troops managed to penetrate the outer defenses. However, none of the preparations sacrificed much in the way of aesthetics. The city itself was full of warm friendly people. Friendly to each other, anyway. They tended to stare at her./P
She was less than impressed by their disorderly lifestyle. People everywhere making noise and confusion, traffic problems, and something called a 'market economy,' where what was produced was determined by the demands of the people. What a waste of time and resources! Don't bother giving them what they want, give them what they need. All else should go to fighting the Zerg./P
What confused her were her feelings. Ranma would say something, usually a veiled insult, and she would come within a hair of sending him through the windshield. Then he would smile at her and she would feel...warm was the only way to describe it. And she would feel a slight fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe this human had some kind of virus that she might have caught. Ka'Dalanis would know. Phoenix had no idea what was happening to her./P
And the headaches had returned./P
They were not very strong, but they were there. One would start with surprising intensity, then slowly fade away. Ka'Dalanis had assured her that she would not be having these anymore. Maybe her premature release from the regen tank when that human Nabiki had come caused Ka'Dalanis to make a mistake./P
BR
For the past three hours, Ranma had been trying to get some kind of reaction from Phoenix, besides a twitching cheek when he insulted her, or mild interest whenever he talked about the city. He had done everything he could think of doing except screaming that she was an uncute, unsexy, violent tomboy maniac at the top of his lungs./P
Well, he had one more thing to try./P
"Well the tour's just about over. Just one more stop. I imagine you're interested in seeing how a human family lives?"/P
Phoenix went from bored to mild interest. Ranma felt like screaming. [Yes. But will they act naturally? Most humans have been uncomfortable around me. There is no point in seeing family social habits if they do not act naturally.]/P
"Oh, don't worry about that. You won't be the weirdest thing they've seen. Trust me."/P
Five minutes later, Ranma pulled up to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts./P
The land was surrounded by a seven foot stone wall, and had a large wooden gate. Inside the walls were two buildings. In the back was a large square single storied structure with a single entrance. Up front was another single storied building. It was constructed in a traditional style with a raised floor and paper walls./P
[I am curious,] asked Phoenix as they approached, [that with the limitations of resources that these people managed to get such a large amount of land to construct their home.]/P
"Well, Nabiki, Pop, and I have some pull with the military who have to okay stuff like this. Besides, we helped justify it by saying the dojo trains people in hand to hand combat."/P
[Do they?]/P
"Well, Mom and Pop do. She's a full time teacher and Pop splits his time between recruits at the base and students here."/P
[We're seeing *your* family?]/P
"Yep."/P
Phoenix glared at him./P
Ranma opened the door and entered. "Hello! It's me, Ranma!" he called taking off his shoes. Phoenix followed him, but, lacking shoes, waited until he was done./P
The foyer opened up into a main meeting room, which had a low table and a TV on a stand at the far end. To the right of the main room was a door. From that door emerged a series of smells that went straight to Ranma's stomach. Ranma took a deep breath, savoring the aroma./P
Phoenix, on the other hand, felt distinctly uncomfortable. She was...what was this strange sensation in her stomach? She had received her daily nutrition requirements while in the regen tank as normal, so why was her body telling her she needed more? /P
Suddenly, a blinding pain ripped through her head. Then just as she registered the pain, it was gone. No not gone, reduced to a dull ache. What was going on?/P
From the door came a older human female with curly brown hair that was graying at the temples. She had a bright smile on her face as she came out and met her son./P
"Ranma, I'm so glad to see you again so soon! And who's your-" she gasped as she saw who the visitor was. She paled, and swayed on her feet. Ranma was at her side in an instant./P
"Easy, Mom, I've got you." After a few moments, she recovered. "Mom, I'd like to introduce you to Phoenix." Ranma stressed the name. "She's an emissary of the Protoss. Phoenix, this is my mom, Nodoka Saotome."/P
Phoenix put one fist to her breast. [En Taro Adun, Matriarch.]/P
Nodoka glanced at her son. "Phoenix?" Ranma nodded. She stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Welcome to my house...Phoenix. Would you like some tea?"/P
Phoenix wanted to refuse, but not wanting to accidentally insult her hosts by refusing and the combination of the smells forced her to accept./P
"Please have a seat." They sat, Phoenix kneeling awkwardly by the small table. Nodoka left and returned a few moments later with three cups and a tea kettle. She poured the tea and joined them./P
Both Ranma and Nodoka sipped their tea. Ranma had an expression of pleasure on his face as he savored it. Phoenix looked at the tea dubiously. She picked up the cup and sniffed the liquid inside. Another lance of pain jolted through her head and she had to fight hard not to wince in front of the humans. The tea smelled good. She passed a hand held scanner over the tea. The ingredients were harmless enough. She looked up and saw Ranma and Nodoka staring at her./P
[Due to my unique physiology, I have trouble processing some nutrients.] She held up the tea. [This is fine.] She took a small sip. It tasted...she could not describe it. The tea produced a variety of reactions in her body that she was unable to analyze./P
Unfortunately, having never eaten in living memory, her throat closed as it made it's way down, and she choked. She waved back the concerned duo. [I'm all right! I'm fine.] She took another sip to prove it and it went down normally. Again the series of strange physiological reactions. Quite pleasurable, actually. She took a third sip./P
"So," said Nokoda, "How long have you been working for the Protoss?"/P
Phoenix did not like the 'working for' comment. It implied that she was some sort of mercenary. [All my life.] Nodoka was a bit taken aback by that answer. [Do you do this often?]/P
"Do what?"/P
[Drink this...tea.]/P
"Oh, yes. Genma and I eat together usually twice a day, during breakfast and dinner."/P
"Hey Mom, speaking of Pop, where is the old man?"/P
"He's in the dojo, dear."/P
Ranma stood. Phoenix was about to follow, but he waved her down. "I'm going to say hi. You two go ahead and get to know each other."/P
"Of course, dear."/P
[As you wish.]/P
BR
Ranma closed the door to the dojo. Looking across the room, he saw his father hastily putting together a large amount of electrical equipment./P
"Hey Pop. How's it going?"/P
"Ranma, my boy. Good to see you! Now, do you mind explaining what I'm setting all this stuff up for?"/P
"We're going to cure a case of memory loss. Is it ready?"/P
"Err...no not quite."/P
"No!? Pop, I gave you three hours! What have you been doing?"/P
"Well we had breakfast with the Higari's. You know what they can be like. Then I went for a walk in the park. It's so peaceful this time of day I couldn't resist. Then-"/P
*WHAM*/P
Genma fell down thanks to an application of Ranma's fist to his skull./P
"Shut up, old man! Just get it done! How soon?"/P
"I'd say twenty minutes."/P
"Great, how am I suppose to delay her for twenty minutes?"/P
"Delay who?"/P
"Shut up and get to work, you old fool!" Ranma left the dojo muttering angrily./P
BR
"So do you like it?" asked Nodoka./P
Phoenix was experiencing her first piece of celery with cheese whiz. Again it tasted good, but her throat locked. Forcing the food down, she replied [I think so, yes.] She could get use to eating./P
"Hey, you two." Ranma came back from the dojo./P
[Where is your father?]/P
Ranma twitched. "He's...uhhh...busy doing some stuff in the dojo. He be along in about fifteen to twenty minutes. Want to spar?"/P
Phoenix blinked. [What? As in fight?]/P
"Nah, not a fight, just sparing."/P
[I doubt my superiors would approve.]/P
"Mine too, but I won't tell if you won't."/P
She had to admit she was interested. She had not scored a hit in their last fight, except when he intercepted her energy blast at that Nabiki woman. [I accept.]/P
"Great! We can fight out on the lawn."/P
[Not in the dojo?]/P
Again Ranma twitched. "Err...Pop's in there and he doesn't want to be disturbed. Besides, we get more variability of terrain out here."/P
[True.]/P
They went outside. Facing each other, Phoenix got in the ready position. Ranma merely faced her, his hands folded behind his back./P
"You going to wear the armor?"/P
[Are you afraid to face me with it?]/P
"Nah, but I was wondering if a tomboy type girl like you would need something like that."/P
Phoenix flushed, her skin darkening to a navy blue. The dull ache in her head sharpened to dagger like intensity, then faded quickly. She wanted to request they return to the shuttle, where she could be scanned by the onboard medical systems, but she was determined not to show any weakness in front of the humans. Twin blades of red-white energy emerged from her forearms./P
"Hey, we're sparing! We don't really want to hurt each other."/P
[These are Stun Blades. We use them in practice. They will not cause any permanent damage.]/P
Ranma nodded. "And no energy blasts. If the bosses see them, we're in big trouble."/P
Nodoka looked at the two combatants. "Ready?" she asked. They both nodded. "Fight!"/P
From that point on, Nodoka could hardly see them. Aside from refraining from energy attacks, the two were fighting at their full ability and were evenly matched. Their bodies were blurs, bouncing off of the ground, the roof, trees and the outer wall. Nodoka shook her head fondly and went back inside./P
Ten minutes later, Phoenix was getting angry. Ranma had not been able to score a touch on her, but neither had she on him. They continued to attack each other, dealing lightning strikes to each other and never getting quite close enough to hit. From inside the house came Nodoka's call./P
"Ranma?"/P
Ranma glanced in the direction of the call. Using the moment of distraction, Phoenix managed to hit Ranma with a hard kick. The blow sent Ranma flying towards the house. Just as Ranma was about to hit the rice paper wall, it opened, and the Nodoka stepped out. She was carrying a pitcher of juice and two glasses. The two were knocked back into the house, and Phoenix could hear the crash as they landed./P
The first thing that ran through Phoenix's mind was, I've killed the Matriarch. The second thing that went through her mind was, I've just started a war. As she quickly went to the open door, the third thing she thought was, Who is that redheaded girl?/P
Ranma-chan moaned and sat up. She looked down and saw her mom blinking, a dazed expression on her face. "Mom? Are you okay?"/P
Nodoka shook her head and sat up on her knees. "I'm fine dear."/P
Phoenix came in and fell on one knee. [I sincerely apologize, Matriarch. I did not intend for such a thing to happen.]/P
Nodoka gave her a sunny smile. "It's all right. When you're around my son for long enough you get used to things like this." Nodoka looked down at her now wet kimono, and to Ranma-chan's wet uniform. "If you'll excuse me I'm going to get changed. Ranma, I have some hot water waiting for you on the stove, and I'll get you a clean uniform." Nodoka left./P
Phoenix stared at Ranma-chan. [Did she just call you Ranma?] Ranma-chan nodded. [Are you his...sister?]/P
Ranma-chan gave Phoenix a strange look. "No, I'm Ranma." She got up and began taking off the wet uniform. Going into the kitchen, she grabbed the kettle of hot water./P
Phoenix followed, a confused expression on her face. [I do not understand.]/P
Ranma-chan smiled. "Just watch." She poured the hot water on herself./P
Phoenix watched in amazement as Ranma and change from a girl to a boy. [How - how is this possible?] Just as Ranma was about to answer, Phoenix felt a wave of agony sweep through her brain. She staggered, and leaned against a counter for support. Ranma was instantly by her side./P
"Are you OK?" asked Ranma anxiously./P
[Away from me human! I need no help from your kind.] Phoenix waved off the worried Ranma, who stepped to back and waited for her to recover. The pain slowly abated, and when she had recovered, she noticed that a large man in a white gi was standing in the door to the kitchen. His expression matched that of Nodoka's earlier, a mixture of surprise and disbelief./P
"Hey Pop," said Ranma. He went through another round of introductions, nearly choking when Phoenix bowed to him and called him Patriarch./P
"Well my boy, everything is all set up in the dojo."/P
"Great! Let's get started."/P
Phoenix was puzzled. [What are you talking about?]/P
Ranma had a sly look on his face. "We're about to do something called 'karaoke'. What you have to do is to sing lyrics to a song that is being played."/P
[But why should such a thing be of interest to me? I don't speak.]/P
"Come on, it'll be fun," said Ranma with a smile. "Besides, you are the one that wanted to know more about humans."/P
Phoenix glared at the human, her headaches forgotten in the face of Ranma's impudence. [I have no desire to partake in such an activity.]/P
"You're not afraid are you?" taunted Ranma./P
Phoenix's expression darkened. [A Protoss warrior fears nothing!]/P
"Then come on."/P
Unable to gracefully back down from Ranma's challenge, Phoenix followed./P
Once inside the dojo, Ranma grabbed the microphone while Genma sat behind an electronic keyboard. Looking back at his father, Ranma asked "All set, Pop?" Genma I gave him a thumbs up sign. "All right! Hit it!" Genma hit the record button, and Ranma began yelling into the microphone at the top of his lungs./P
"You're built like a brick! Your thighs or too thick! Your face makes a sick! You itch like a tick..."/P
The words hit Phoenix like a blow. Even as a small portion of her mind rambled frantically trying to rationalize Ranma's behavior, the vast majority of her consciousness was consumed with a rage. She did not care if he was a diplomat, or that her actions might start a war. All she wanted to do was to turn Ranma into a bloody smear on the ground. Phoenix began to glow of bright blue as she channeled large amounts of astral energy into her body. He was going to pay for treating her like this! Both the veiled and the overt insults. She took a step forward in preparation to beat Ranma into the ground, but fell to her knees when a pain like she had never felt overwhelmed her. She clutched her head as wave after wave of agony ran through her mind./P
"Your thighs are too thick, thighs are too thick, thighs are too thick --!" The voice quickly deviated from Ranma's normal voice and increased in pitch until it was a high-pitched whine. Phoenix managed to look up and saw Genma pressing different keys on the keyboard again eliciting different insults./P
"You're built like a brick, built like a brick, built like a brick --!" Phoenix tried to crawl towards Genma, tried to make him stop, but she could barely move, barely focus past the pain./P
"Your face makes me sick, face makes me sick, face makes me sick --!" Finally, unable to take it anymore, Phoenix collapsed. Her head felt like it was going to explode. The pressure built, and built, and built, until it had to be released./P
Ranma and Genma, completely unprepared, collapsed as Phoenix's psychic shock wave tore through their minds. Nodoka, washing dishes in the kitchen, cried out and fell to the ground. /P
Elsewhere, the blast did not go unnoticed./P
BR
Jessica and Darryl Johnson looked across the metal table at a nervous Kasumi. They sat within the confines of Biolab 3, and were about to start their first mindlink session./P
"Hello, Kasumi, my name is Darryl Johnson, and this is my sister Jessica. You can call her Jes, though. How are you feeling?" asked Darryl amiably./P
"I'm fine. I feel much better now that I've had some food and rest."/P
"Good," said Jes. "Kasumi, you're probably been wondering what's going on, what's happened to you, that sort of thing." Kasumi nodded. "We'll try to explain it to you as best we can."/P
"First of all some history," continued Darryl. "The Zerg invaded earth about five years ago. X-Com was the only military organization equipped to deal with them. Most of the planet was overrun, except for our bases, to which we evacuated as many civilians as we could. Now I know you think they're different, but to demonstrate how devastating the Zerg have been to us, the population of humans on the Earth is about five hundred million."/P
Kasumi gasped. Five hundred million? From over six billion people? "The-Zerg did that?" she asked faintly./P
"Yes," answered Jes. "Well...not the Zerg, per say, but their masters, the Overmind, it's Cerebrates, and the Overlords. They seem to be driven to exterminate all life here on Earth."/P
"Why?"/P
"We don't know. We just know that they do. Now the problem with fighting the Zerg is we have to go through hordes of their minions before we can take out their masters. We have to sacrifice large numbers of people and equipment just to kill one Cerebrate." The twins looked at each other doubtfully, then turned back to Kasumi. "We think you can help us."/P
"Me? How?"/P
Darryl answered her question with another question. "Kasumi, do you know what a psionic is?" She shook her head. "Simply put, when someone thinks or feels, they use astral energy, or ki, as it is more commonly known. Now most people can only use the astral energy in their own bodies, but some people have the ability to draw the energy from wherever it comes from. Some people can channel astral energy and do amazing things with it. You are one of those people."/P
"I...I am?"/P
"Yes," continued Jes. "Also, you seem to be able to control the Zerg. Do you know what this means for us? Instead of sending hundreds of troops and vehicles to try to destroy a Zerg fortress, you could just walk in and take them over. Not only could you save thousands of lives, but give us new troops in the process. There's just two things you need. The skills to do it, and the willingness to help."/P
"You want me to help you? How do I know you won't do to me what you did to my friends?"/P
"Kasumi, we didn't understand what was going on. If you help us, then we won't have to attack you or any Zerg you command. Think of what you could do, Kasumi. The lives you could save! Women, children, whole families-"/P
"What about my family? What happened to them?"/P
Darryl sighed. "We're not suppose to tell you this, but you have a sister, Nabiki. She's alive."/P
Kasumi brightened. "She is? Can I see her? Please, you have to..." She paused as she came to a realization. "Just Nabiki. But what about Akane, and Father...?"/P
Darryl shook his head. "I'm sorry, but they were killed five years ago, by the Zerg."/P
Kasumi dissolved into tears. Jes got up, went around the table, and hugged Kasumi. Kasumi wept for several minutes before getting herself under control. Jes picked up where Darryl had left off./P
"Kasumi, we don't care why you do it. Whether it be loyalty to us, revenge, or to protect those who can't protect themselves, but we need you, Kasumi. You could save us from a war that's lasted years and has cost us more than five billion lives. Please, Kasumi, will you help us?"/P
"Can...can I see Nabiki?"/P
"I don't see why not. It might be a while, though. The training you'll undergo will necessitate that you spend a lot of time alone. But when that's done, then, yes."/P
Kasumi stared at them for a long moment, then nodded. "Yes, I'll help you."/P
Darryl and Jes issued twin sighs of relief. "That's good," said Darryl. "Now, the training of a psionic normally takes about two years, but we don't have that kind of time."/P
Jes continued. "So what we'll be doing is setting up what's called a mindlink. What happens is that our minds will be linked and I'll be sending you all the knowledge and training I've received. The process usually takes a couple of weeks, but there are some dangers."/P
"The foremost of which is that both your minds could be damaged if something goes wrong. We've taken all precautions, but there is a small chance that something could happen," said Darryl. "Are you willing to risk it?"/P
"What do you want me to do?"/P
"Okay, close your eyes. Look at us with your mind. Tell us what you see."/P
Closing her physical eyes, she opened her mental 'eyes'. She saw two bright sparks before here. "I see two lights in where the two of you should be."/P
"Good. What I want you to do is to reach out with your mind and touch Jes."/P
Kasumi reached out to the bright spark that was 'Jes' and touched it. It 'tingled' and she quickly withdrew./P
"It's okay, Kasumi," said Jes. "My mental shields are up so you'd have work hard to hurt me. Do it again."/P
She repeated the procedure. This time she kept her 'hands' on Jes. It tingled, and she felt like she wanted to scratch her arms./P
"Okay, we're going to shut off the barrier around the cell. We have to do this because it interferes with the transfer."/P
Kasumi felt the wall surrounding the biolab drop./P
"Kasumi?" said Jes. "I'm going to change the 'feel' of my mind. It's going to feel 'sticky', and you'll begin to feel strange. The best way I can describe it is you'll feel a bit disoriented as the information in my mind is copied into yours. This will be the most difficult transfer, since you don't know very much yet, but as time goes on it'll get easier. Ready?"/P
"I think so."/P
"Okay, here we go."/P
Suddenly, the tingly sensation vanished, and she felt the whole room tilt sideways. On reflex, she tried to pull away, but Jes's mind had indeed become 'sticky', and her mental hands could not pull free./P
"Easy Kasumi, take a deep breath and focus on my voice. Everything's fine."/P
Kasumi gulped and focused past her fear and on the link between Jes and herself. The dizzy feeling decreased in intensity, and Kasumi began to breath easier./P
"Good. Keep it up. We'll only be at this for a few more minutes until we take a break."/P
Suddenly, Phoenix's psionic blast hit them like the fires of Hell./P
BR
Elsewhere, Praetor Halos and General Moroto were conducting negotiations for a peace treaty./P
[All I am saying, General is that you humans are an inferior species to the Protoss. I mean no disparagement by this, it just simply is. As such, we cannot give you any of our advanced technology. Look at what you've done with nuclear fission! What would you do with our discoveries?]/P
"Fight the Zerg, of course."/P
[Naturally, but after-]/P
Both Protoss clutched their heads as Phoenix's psionic blast washed through them. The guards leapt into a defensive formation around the group. General Moroto was about to call an alert when the phone beside him rang. He picked it up./P
"Sir, we have a psionic energy spike coming from the Pasture."/P
Looking at the two alien emissaries, who were beginning to recover, he said sarcastically, "I gathered as much. Have you pinpointed the source?"/P
"We think it's in sector 7G."/P
"Send a security team-" He was interrupted by the Judicator./P
[Wait!] he said weakly. [I am receiving a transmission from our shuttle pilot.] Taking out a small communicator, he said [Continue.]/P
[Judicator, Phoenix's brain-wave readings have flatlined, and I'm getting minimal vital signs. We have to take her back to base or she'll die.] Raetor repeated what he had heard./P
[You backstabbing humans--!] Psi-blades hissed out of Halos's emitters, and his forcefield flared to life. Immediately, the guards turned and pointed their guns at the hostile alien./P
Raetor grabbed the angry Praetor. [Stop this, you fool! Can't you see they're as confused as we are?] He was interrupted by operator speaking through the phone to the General./P
"Sir, we also have a medical emergency at Biolab 3."/P
The General's blood chilled. That's where Kasumi and the Johnson twins were--. "Let the doctors handle it for now. Get me the location of Captain Saotome."/P
There was a moment of silence on the other side. "He left a brief itinerary. He should be at his parents residence." It was, of course, in sector 7G. When it hit the fan, it had to hit all at once. Moroto stifled a groan./P
"Send an ambulance to that location. They are to transport a Human-Protoss hybrid to Hanger 3. Ignore all others unless someone's life is at stake."/P
"Yes, sir."/P
He hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and calmed himself. Looking at the two aliens he said, "I'm having Phoenix transferred to the hanger where your shuttle is. If we can end these theatrics, we can leave to join her." He turned to one of the guards. "Stand down, Sergeant!" The guards reluctantly complied. "You have my deepest apologies, Praetor."/P
Halos's psi-blades disappeared with a pop. [Come, Judicator! Never have I so wished departure!] Halos stomped angrily from the room followed by the Judicator, the General, and the guards./P
BR
General Moroto watched as the Protoss shuttle lifted off the ground and into the air. He turned to the three paramedics who had driven Phoenix to the hanger./P
"What the hell happened!"/P
"We don't know," said one. "We got there and found everyone unconscious. The only one who we thought was in danger was the alien. Got her into the ambulance, but couldn't do very much since we had no idea of how to treat her, so we drove her here ASAP."/P
Moroto growled. "Sergeant?" One of the guards stepped forward. "I want that entire family locked up. Something strange is going on and I want to know what."/P
"Sir, do you want us to get Major Saotome as well?"/P
"No, leave her in the hospital. She's not going anywhere with her injuries, but post a guard."/P
"Aye sir." He and his men boarded one of the APCs and drove off./P
The General boarded his jeep. He felt tired. Very, very, tired. Damn that Saotome clan. Was it too much to ask to have one normal day around that family? "Harper, find out what happened in Biolab 3."/P
BR
Healer Ka'Dalanis stared at the readings in shock. Phoenix's brain was virtually mush. Neural pathways were collapsing at a horrific rate that even the regen tank could not completely halt. This was even worse than when Phoenix had returned from her first battle. Ironically, the protein wall and psionic blocks that blocked Phoenix's long term memory had also protected it from the surge of astral energy that had poured through the now dying cells. However, the wall was now deteriorating rapidly, and the psionic blocks were shattered. Ka'Dalanis put her head in her hands and began massaging her forehead./P
[Well?] demanded Halos. [When will she be repaired?]/P
Ka'Dalanis looked at him in disbelief. [Repaired? Repaired?! May Adun strike you dead where you stand! Phoenix is not a machine! She's not some thing that can be fixed like a field generator! She is a person! With thoughts, and feelings and desires! How dare you treat her like this! When I 'repair' her, will you then send her out again until she is pushed past all limits of endurance, only to bring her back and ask why she is so prone to breakdown? When will you learn that she has limits? When she is dead? Oh, forget it! Leave me and let me work!]/P
Enraged, Halos stepped forward. [No, Healer, it is you who do not understand! Phoenix is a weapon, a weapon designed on a holo-screen, shaped by Protoss technology and ingenuity, and implemented by you. You are nothing more than a mechanic of the body. If I tell a mechanic to fix a shuttle, then he had better fix it, and, by Adun's mighty name, you must do the same! You exalt yourself in your own eyes. 'The caretaker of Pheonix, the greatest creation this millennium.' You think yourself above me. There can only be one commander, and I am he! If I call Phoenix a machine, then that is what she is, and you are mooning over nothing more than a fancy pair of psi-blades! If she has thoughts, then they should be thoughts of destroying the Zerg. If she has feelings, they should be limited to satisfaction at killing Zerg. Her only desire should be to serve us! Do your duty, Healer, and fix her!]/P
Ka'Dalanis wanted to kill him. In all her years of being a Healer, she had never wanted to kill anyone, even the Zerg, until now. Had she her old Warp Blade at hand, she would have taken it up and killed him for no other reason than to rid this universe of an unfeeling madman. Unfortunately for her, she could not do anything except agree./P
[As you command, Praetor. But I do so for far nobler reasons than you.]/P
[I care not why you fix her, just that you do.] Glaring down at Ka'Dalanis one more time, he and Raetor left./P
BR
[Damn her!] raged Halos, [What is she thinking? She feels far too much for our weapon!]/P
[Healers have always been somewhat emotional,] argued Raetor, playing Devil's Advocate. [I imagine she is just concerned about her charge's health. Once that crisis is passed, she will be of a more even temperament.]/P
[Ah, but is that not the problem? Phoenix is not 'her' charge. She is 'our' charge.] There was a long pause. [I will replace Ka'Dalanis with someone else.]/P
[Is that wise, Halos? No one knows more about xenobiology than her.]/P
[Someone else can be trained, Raetor. See to it.]/P
Raetor sighed internally. In all honesty, he could not blame Halos. Ka'Dalanis was getting more and more attached to Phoenix and was losing her impersonal perspective. He just did not want to have the be the one to tell her. [As you wish, Praetor.]/P
BR
'As per the Praetor's command, you are to be demoted to assistant to Healer Pranala who will replace you as the caretaker of Phoenix. When you are finished teaching her, you will be reassigned.' Pranala?! thought Ka'Dalanis in amazement. She's nothing but a Field Healer, not a xenobiologist! What were they thinking?/P
Ka'Dalanis looked down at her console. She had been able to begin 'repairs' very quickly. Since the injuries Phoenix suffered were similar to when Phoenix was first injured when fighting the Zerg, Ka'Dalanis had been able to prepare a batch of nanites to fix the damaged areas of Phoenix's brain in a short amount of time. What would take the longest to do would be the rebuilding of the protein wall blocking off Phoenix's long term memory, which had deteriorated to almost nothing. If it was not for that, Phoenix would be ready by tomorrow. Rebuilding the protein wall would take days./P
Are you mine, Phoenix, or am I yours? she wondered. Her finger hovered over the button that would release a second batch of nanites designed to rebuild the protein wall. If she pressed that button, Akane would once again be blocked in the recesses of Phoenix's mind./P
She had a choice. A choice between her duty as a Healer and her duty to her people, between Phoenix and Halos, between her mind and her heart./P
Not much of a choice at all, really./P
She lifted her finger off the button, and with it, felt a burden lift from her heart./P
It was time for the Phoenix to die./P
End Chapter 8
Ranma shifted nervously beside General Moroto. The Protoss were coming. Akane was coming. Or was it just Phoenix? He did not know. Who would he be more relieved to see? He shook off the memory of Akane's flesh melting off her bones, her screams of pain. He also remembered the Protoss teleporting off their shuttle. That's how they must have saved Akane. Or recovered her corpse. He shuddered at the thought of the mangled body of his ex-fiancé under the probes and tools of Protoss scientists. The voice of one of the General's aides, a young blonde Lieutenant, snapped him out of his reverie./P
"Sir, Command reports that a Protoss shuttle and four Scout escorts have entered our airspace." She paused, one hand on the plug in her ear. "Passcodes have been confirmed."/P
"Give them the coordinates of the landing bay," answered the General./P
"Aye, sir." She repeated the order. "The shuttle and escorts are en-route," she reported after a few minutes./P
Ranma looked around at the large landing bay. One of several remote hanger bays that were connected to the X-Com base. This one was empty, save for the General, his aide, Ranma, twelve marines in shining blue and gray combat armor, two Armored Personnel Carriers, and two jeeps./P
"They are nearing the entrance," said the Lieutenant./P
"Open the doors."/P
With the sound of grinding gears and straining hydraulics, the roof of the landing bay parted. Ranma squinted at the sunlight that flooded the room, which was cut off when the Protoss shuttle filled the open door. The thrumming of the repulsor fields used to keep the shuttle airborne shook Ranma to his bones. As the shuttle neared the ground, three landing skids emerged from the bottom of the craft. As it landed, Ranma could see the slight multicolored shimmer caused by its forcefield./P
"Close the doors. Honor guard, POST!"/P
As the bay doors closed, the twelve marines marched in a stately fashion towards the shuttle, forming between them an isle between the shuttle and the General's party. Three marines unfurled flags that they had been carrying. One had the X-Com emblem, a black X with a white border on a dark blue background. The second was the flag of the United Earth Government, which was the planet Earth surrounded by stars. The third was the Protoss flag, crossed psi-blades on a gold background./P
The forcefield surrounding the ship vanished, and a blue and white energy storm manifested at the start of the isle. "Marines!" bellowed the guard commander. As the energy storm faded, several Protoss appeared. "A-ten-hut!" All twelve soldiers snapped to attention. The Protoss entourage made its way down the isle./P
A large Protoss in gold armor with green trim led the party. His armor was adorned with various attachments and hangings, probably medals and signs of rank. Following him to his right was a smaller Protoss wearing flowing dark blue robes. Directly behind him were four Zealots, whose armor was also gold with green trim. To the leader's left was Phoenix./P
Ranma gulped when he saw her. Half the height of the Protoss, Phoenix would have seemed comical standing beside them, were it not for the fact that she exuded a power, a confidence that was almost palpable. Her gold armor was without any trim, and she moved with a grace Akane never had. Ranma could almost feel the power she wielded and her willingness to use it. She glared at each marine she passed as though saying, 'Try me. I dare you.' Her long black hair was tied into a single tight braid. As they approached, the General, his aide and Ranma all saluted./P
"In the name of the United Earth Government, and the X-Com Defense Force, I, General Hikaru Moroto, welcome you to X-Com: Japan South," said the General formally./P
The Protoss leader put one fist to his breast. [En Taro Adun, General. I, Praetor Halos, do accept your greetings, and extend my own, on behalf of the Protoss people.]/P
"If I may introduce you to my party, " continued the General. Lieutenant Deanna Harper, my personal aide, Captain Ranma Saotome, and, acting as our honor guard, the 132nd infantry division./P
[Greetings,] replied the Praetor. [This is my personal advisor, Judicator Raetor, my personal bodyguard, and Phoenix.]/P
"Ah, yes, the Human-Protoss hybrid. I must say, you've created quite a stir with our geneticists. When I left, they were begging me to get some tissue samples."/P
[That is understandable. She is a remarkable achievement.]/P
Phoenix was glaring at the humans. It was quite evident she held them in little regard./P
[And this one here,] said the Judicator. [I remember seeing him from Phoenix's suit recordings. He is a 'Ghost'? Most interesting...]/P
"Yes, Captain Ranma is one of our best Special Operatives."/P
[He doesn't seem like much, does he?] said Halos./P
[Scans the pilot took while we were landing showed him to be a psion of the highest order.] A momentary pause. [For a human.]/P
The Praetor looked down at Ranma, his eyes narrowing. [You hide it well, human.] Turning back to the General he continued. [So what now, General? I assume we are not going to have the meeting here.]/P
"No, of course not. If you'll just follow me." He led them to the two jeeps. "Praetor, it would be an honor if you would ride with me. Judicator, you and Phoenix can go with Ranma. Your guards can go in one of the APCs." They boarded the jeeps, Lt. Harper driving the General, who sat in front, and Halos, whose large body straddled the two back seats. Ranma drove the second jeep, with Phoenix in the passenger seat and Raetor behind them. The four Zealots and the X-Com honor guard each boarded an APC. As they drove away they were joined by a four member Vulture escort./P
"We were planning a tour of our facilities, if you are interested," said Moroto./P
Halos tilted his head, as though listening to someone else. [That would be an excellent idea. We are understandably curious about your culture and organization.]/P
"As we are of yours."/P
[Yes, but you've already had a look in our home.]/P
Moroto flushed bright red, but did not respond to the barb. Recovering quickly, he grinned. "Well, then consider this as us returning the favor."/P
BR
"So you're Phoenix, huh?" said Ranma./P
Phoenix ignored him./P
"Where'd you learn those Ki attacks?"/P
Nothing./P
"Hey, are you listening?"/P
Phoenix turned her head to look back at the Judicator. Ranma was sensitive enough to feel the conversation between them, but could not listen in. After a few moments, Phoenix turned back to Ranma./P
[No.] She then turned away./P
Apparently she was not in a mood to talk./P
"Stupid tomboy," he muttered to himself./P
But he could feel her eyes on him the rest of the way./P
BR
"And this is the last part of our tour," said the General./P
The door to the main observation room overlooking the civilian living area opened. The room overlooked 'The Pasture' in military slang, since the disabled and retirees often ended up living there. The room could easily seat fifty people, and was a combination bar and lounge, with several large glass windows. The group entered, the Protoss ducking though the human sized doorway. The aliens looked out over the city and were immediately captivated./P
[It appears we underestimated the number of survivors,] commented Raetor./P
The cavern itself was enormous. They could barely see the other side. Filled with towers and houses, the city was teeming with life. Cars ran though the streets. There were markets, malls even a stadium or two. Instead of walls, the cavern was surrounded in a blue haze with a 'sun' moving slowly across the sky, occasionally shadowed by white puffy 'clouds'./P
[How have you simulated the exterior conditions?] asked Halos./P
"We developed holographic projectors to simulate the sky outside. We found initially that living under completely artificial lighting twenty four hours a day caused severe depression."/P
[How many people live here?]/P
"This cavern numbers about half a million. We also have several smaller caves, but the total number is around eight hundred thousand people."/P
[How do you feed so many people?]/P
"By having substantial air superiority."/P
Halos looked at the General sharply. [So the bargaining begins. I imagine that is one of the things you have to offer us; allow our supply shuttles though.]/P
"Well, one of the things. The tour is finished, and we can go to the conference room now."/P
Throughout the tour, Phoenix had been having strange feelings. She did not like humans, and felt uncomfortable around them. That was understandable. They were inferior. Treating an inferior species with any kind of respect was uncomfortable. However, this strange...curiosity of the human called Ranma confused her. She could not stop glancing at him. She tried to conceal her actions, but it was obvious to her that he knew something. Every time he noticed, he would stiffen slightly, and one eyebrow would twitch. And when he had called her a 'tomboy,' she had suddenly felt a powerful urge to hit him. Why would she feel that? She did not even know what a tomboy was. And with her enhanced intellect, she was far from stupid. On reflection, his insult was one made by an uninformed, inferior mammal. He had no idea what he was talking about. His opinion meant less than nothing./P
Then why was she *still* annoyed with him?/P
When they decided to start the conference, she found that she did not want to go. To stand around while two people haggled over some kind of peace treaty or cease fire, how boring, she thought. She needed to do something more active. Glancing out to the city, she was seized with sudden inspiration./P
[Praetor,] she said. Halos turned around, surprise evident in his expression. [Praetor, I request that I be allowed to explore the civilian habitat. Understanding their non-military social and economic structure could aid in future negotiations.]/P
Both Halos and Raetor looked surprised. Raetor also looked somewhat alarmed. The two aliens began talking privately. Phoenix could tell that Raetor was against the idea, but Halos was cautiously for it. After several moments of intense discussion, Raetor shook his head in resignation, and Halos turned to General Moroto./P
[General, Phoenix has requested to explore the civilian living area. Would you be amenable to her request?]/P
Moroto blinked. "I don't see why not," he said cautiously. "She would cause less of a stir than a Zealot. She'd need an escort, of course." Looking around, his gaze fell on Ranma. "Captain?" Ranma stiffened./P
"Sir?"/P
"Would you be so kind as to be Phoenix's escort as she explores the Pasture?"/P
Ranma's eyes widened slightly. "Uhhh...sure. I mean, yes sir!"/P
"Then carry on Captain. Remember, full diplomatic privileges." That meant everywhere except highly restricted areas like Civil Defense Command, Emergency Stores, and other such places of importance. The General gestured for the others to follow. "If you could come this way..."/P
BR
Ranma and Phoenix stared at each other for several moments, each wondering if this was a good idea after all. Phoenix suddenly strode to the door and left the room, catching Ranma flatfooted. He quickly followed./P
"Hey, I'm suppose to escort you, not the other way around."/P
She turned and waited for him to catch up. [Then escort.] Her mind-voice was even, but he could tell she was mad. The slight narrowing of the eyes, the intense glare, all the old danger signs were there. At this point she looked so much like Akane it was frightening./P
"Sure, but I have to call us a jeep, and I need to make another call." Going to a comm unit, he contacted Supplies and Requisitions and got a jeep, then made his other call. When he was finished he motioned for her to follow. "Let's go."/P
BR
Phoenix, by the end of the tour, was in complete confusion. Not about the tour itself. She was mildly impressed by the combination of comfort and defense that went into the planning and construction of the city. There were defense choke points, barricades, even anti-air defenses in case flying troops managed to penetrate the outer defenses. However, none of the preparations sacrificed much in the way of aesthetics. The city itself was full of warm friendly people. Friendly to each other, anyway. They tended to stare at her./P
She was less than impressed by their disorderly lifestyle. People everywhere making noise and confusion, traffic problems, and something called a 'market economy,' where what was produced was determined by the demands of the people. What a waste of time and resources! Don't bother giving them what they want, give them what they need. All else should go to fighting the Zerg./P
What confused her were her feelings. Ranma would say something, usually a veiled insult, and she would come within a hair of sending him through the windshield. Then he would smile at her and she would feel...warm was the only way to describe it. And she would feel a slight fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe this human had some kind of virus that she might have caught. Ka'Dalanis would know. Phoenix had no idea what was happening to her./P
And the headaches had returned./P
They were not very strong, but they were there. One would start with surprising intensity, then slowly fade away. Ka'Dalanis had assured her that she would not be having these anymore. Maybe her premature release from the regen tank when that human Nabiki had come caused Ka'Dalanis to make a mistake./P
BR
For the past three hours, Ranma had been trying to get some kind of reaction from Phoenix, besides a twitching cheek when he insulted her, or mild interest whenever he talked about the city. He had done everything he could think of doing except screaming that she was an uncute, unsexy, violent tomboy maniac at the top of his lungs./P
Well, he had one more thing to try./P
"Well the tour's just about over. Just one more stop. I imagine you're interested in seeing how a human family lives?"/P
Phoenix went from bored to mild interest. Ranma felt like screaming. [Yes. But will they act naturally? Most humans have been uncomfortable around me. There is no point in seeing family social habits if they do not act naturally.]/P
"Oh, don't worry about that. You won't be the weirdest thing they've seen. Trust me."/P
Five minutes later, Ranma pulled up to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts./P
The land was surrounded by a seven foot stone wall, and had a large wooden gate. Inside the walls were two buildings. In the back was a large square single storied structure with a single entrance. Up front was another single storied building. It was constructed in a traditional style with a raised floor and paper walls./P
[I am curious,] asked Phoenix as they approached, [that with the limitations of resources that these people managed to get such a large amount of land to construct their home.]/P
"Well, Nabiki, Pop, and I have some pull with the military who have to okay stuff like this. Besides, we helped justify it by saying the dojo trains people in hand to hand combat."/P
[Do they?]/P
"Well, Mom and Pop do. She's a full time teacher and Pop splits his time between recruits at the base and students here."/P
[We're seeing *your* family?]/P
"Yep."/P
Phoenix glared at him./P
Ranma opened the door and entered. "Hello! It's me, Ranma!" he called taking off his shoes. Phoenix followed him, but, lacking shoes, waited until he was done./P
The foyer opened up into a main meeting room, which had a low table and a TV on a stand at the far end. To the right of the main room was a door. From that door emerged a series of smells that went straight to Ranma's stomach. Ranma took a deep breath, savoring the aroma./P
Phoenix, on the other hand, felt distinctly uncomfortable. She was...what was this strange sensation in her stomach? She had received her daily nutrition requirements while in the regen tank as normal, so why was her body telling her she needed more? /P
Suddenly, a blinding pain ripped through her head. Then just as she registered the pain, it was gone. No not gone, reduced to a dull ache. What was going on?/P
From the door came a older human female with curly brown hair that was graying at the temples. She had a bright smile on her face as she came out and met her son./P
"Ranma, I'm so glad to see you again so soon! And who's your-" she gasped as she saw who the visitor was. She paled, and swayed on her feet. Ranma was at her side in an instant./P
"Easy, Mom, I've got you." After a few moments, she recovered. "Mom, I'd like to introduce you to Phoenix." Ranma stressed the name. "She's an emissary of the Protoss. Phoenix, this is my mom, Nodoka Saotome."/P
Phoenix put one fist to her breast. [En Taro Adun, Matriarch.]/P
Nodoka glanced at her son. "Phoenix?" Ranma nodded. She stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Welcome to my house...Phoenix. Would you like some tea?"/P
Phoenix wanted to refuse, but not wanting to accidentally insult her hosts by refusing and the combination of the smells forced her to accept./P
"Please have a seat." They sat, Phoenix kneeling awkwardly by the small table. Nodoka left and returned a few moments later with three cups and a tea kettle. She poured the tea and joined them./P
Both Ranma and Nodoka sipped their tea. Ranma had an expression of pleasure on his face as he savored it. Phoenix looked at the tea dubiously. She picked up the cup and sniffed the liquid inside. Another lance of pain jolted through her head and she had to fight hard not to wince in front of the humans. The tea smelled good. She passed a hand held scanner over the tea. The ingredients were harmless enough. She looked up and saw Ranma and Nodoka staring at her./P
[Due to my unique physiology, I have trouble processing some nutrients.] She held up the tea. [This is fine.] She took a small sip. It tasted...she could not describe it. The tea produced a variety of reactions in her body that she was unable to analyze./P
Unfortunately, having never eaten in living memory, her throat closed as it made it's way down, and she choked. She waved back the concerned duo. [I'm all right! I'm fine.] She took another sip to prove it and it went down normally. Again the series of strange physiological reactions. Quite pleasurable, actually. She took a third sip./P
"So," said Nokoda, "How long have you been working for the Protoss?"/P
Phoenix did not like the 'working for' comment. It implied that she was some sort of mercenary. [All my life.] Nodoka was a bit taken aback by that answer. [Do you do this often?]/P
"Do what?"/P
[Drink this...tea.]/P
"Oh, yes. Genma and I eat together usually twice a day, during breakfast and dinner."/P
"Hey Mom, speaking of Pop, where is the old man?"/P
"He's in the dojo, dear."/P
Ranma stood. Phoenix was about to follow, but he waved her down. "I'm going to say hi. You two go ahead and get to know each other."/P
"Of course, dear."/P
[As you wish.]/P
BR
Ranma closed the door to the dojo. Looking across the room, he saw his father hastily putting together a large amount of electrical equipment./P
"Hey Pop. How's it going?"/P
"Ranma, my boy. Good to see you! Now, do you mind explaining what I'm setting all this stuff up for?"/P
"We're going to cure a case of memory loss. Is it ready?"/P
"Err...no not quite."/P
"No!? Pop, I gave you three hours! What have you been doing?"/P
"Well we had breakfast with the Higari's. You know what they can be like. Then I went for a walk in the park. It's so peaceful this time of day I couldn't resist. Then-"/P
*WHAM*/P
Genma fell down thanks to an application of Ranma's fist to his skull./P
"Shut up, old man! Just get it done! How soon?"/P
"I'd say twenty minutes."/P
"Great, how am I suppose to delay her for twenty minutes?"/P
"Delay who?"/P
"Shut up and get to work, you old fool!" Ranma left the dojo muttering angrily./P
BR
"So do you like it?" asked Nodoka./P
Phoenix was experiencing her first piece of celery with cheese whiz. Again it tasted good, but her throat locked. Forcing the food down, she replied [I think so, yes.] She could get use to eating./P
"Hey, you two." Ranma came back from the dojo./P
[Where is your father?]/P
Ranma twitched. "He's...uhhh...busy doing some stuff in the dojo. He be along in about fifteen to twenty minutes. Want to spar?"/P
Phoenix blinked. [What? As in fight?]/P
"Nah, not a fight, just sparing."/P
[I doubt my superiors would approve.]/P
"Mine too, but I won't tell if you won't."/P
She had to admit she was interested. She had not scored a hit in their last fight, except when he intercepted her energy blast at that Nabiki woman. [I accept.]/P
"Great! We can fight out on the lawn."/P
[Not in the dojo?]/P
Again Ranma twitched. "Err...Pop's in there and he doesn't want to be disturbed. Besides, we get more variability of terrain out here."/P
[True.]/P
They went outside. Facing each other, Phoenix got in the ready position. Ranma merely faced her, his hands folded behind his back./P
"You going to wear the armor?"/P
[Are you afraid to face me with it?]/P
"Nah, but I was wondering if a tomboy type girl like you would need something like that."/P
Phoenix flushed, her skin darkening to a navy blue. The dull ache in her head sharpened to dagger like intensity, then faded quickly. She wanted to request they return to the shuttle, where she could be scanned by the onboard medical systems, but she was determined not to show any weakness in front of the humans. Twin blades of red-white energy emerged from her forearms./P
"Hey, we're sparing! We don't really want to hurt each other."/P
[These are Stun Blades. We use them in practice. They will not cause any permanent damage.]/P
Ranma nodded. "And no energy blasts. If the bosses see them, we're in big trouble."/P
Nodoka looked at the two combatants. "Ready?" she asked. They both nodded. "Fight!"/P
From that point on, Nodoka could hardly see them. Aside from refraining from energy attacks, the two were fighting at their full ability and were evenly matched. Their bodies were blurs, bouncing off of the ground, the roof, trees and the outer wall. Nodoka shook her head fondly and went back inside./P
Ten minutes later, Phoenix was getting angry. Ranma had not been able to score a touch on her, but neither had she on him. They continued to attack each other, dealing lightning strikes to each other and never getting quite close enough to hit. From inside the house came Nodoka's call./P
"Ranma?"/P
Ranma glanced in the direction of the call. Using the moment of distraction, Phoenix managed to hit Ranma with a hard kick. The blow sent Ranma flying towards the house. Just as Ranma was about to hit the rice paper wall, it opened, and the Nodoka stepped out. She was carrying a pitcher of juice and two glasses. The two were knocked back into the house, and Phoenix could hear the crash as they landed./P
The first thing that ran through Phoenix's mind was, I've killed the Matriarch. The second thing that went through her mind was, I've just started a war. As she quickly went to the open door, the third thing she thought was, Who is that redheaded girl?/P
Ranma-chan moaned and sat up. She looked down and saw her mom blinking, a dazed expression on her face. "Mom? Are you okay?"/P
Nodoka shook her head and sat up on her knees. "I'm fine dear."/P
Phoenix came in and fell on one knee. [I sincerely apologize, Matriarch. I did not intend for such a thing to happen.]/P
Nodoka gave her a sunny smile. "It's all right. When you're around my son for long enough you get used to things like this." Nodoka looked down at her now wet kimono, and to Ranma-chan's wet uniform. "If you'll excuse me I'm going to get changed. Ranma, I have some hot water waiting for you on the stove, and I'll get you a clean uniform." Nodoka left./P
Phoenix stared at Ranma-chan. [Did she just call you Ranma?] Ranma-chan nodded. [Are you his...sister?]/P
Ranma-chan gave Phoenix a strange look. "No, I'm Ranma." She got up and began taking off the wet uniform. Going into the kitchen, she grabbed the kettle of hot water./P
Phoenix followed, a confused expression on her face. [I do not understand.]/P
Ranma-chan smiled. "Just watch." She poured the hot water on herself./P
Phoenix watched in amazement as Ranma and change from a girl to a boy. [How - how is this possible?] Just as Ranma was about to answer, Phoenix felt a wave of agony sweep through her brain. She staggered, and leaned against a counter for support. Ranma was instantly by her side./P
"Are you OK?" asked Ranma anxiously./P
[Away from me human! I need no help from your kind.] Phoenix waved off the worried Ranma, who stepped to back and waited for her to recover. The pain slowly abated, and when she had recovered, she noticed that a large man in a white gi was standing in the door to the kitchen. His expression matched that of Nodoka's earlier, a mixture of surprise and disbelief./P
"Hey Pop," said Ranma. He went through another round of introductions, nearly choking when Phoenix bowed to him and called him Patriarch./P
"Well my boy, everything is all set up in the dojo."/P
"Great! Let's get started."/P
Phoenix was puzzled. [What are you talking about?]/P
Ranma had a sly look on his face. "We're about to do something called 'karaoke'. What you have to do is to sing lyrics to a song that is being played."/P
[But why should such a thing be of interest to me? I don't speak.]/P
"Come on, it'll be fun," said Ranma with a smile. "Besides, you are the one that wanted to know more about humans."/P
Phoenix glared at the human, her headaches forgotten in the face of Ranma's impudence. [I have no desire to partake in such an activity.]/P
"You're not afraid are you?" taunted Ranma./P
Phoenix's expression darkened. [A Protoss warrior fears nothing!]/P
"Then come on."/P
Unable to gracefully back down from Ranma's challenge, Phoenix followed./P
Once inside the dojo, Ranma grabbed the microphone while Genma sat behind an electronic keyboard. Looking back at his father, Ranma asked "All set, Pop?" Genma I gave him a thumbs up sign. "All right! Hit it!" Genma hit the record button, and Ranma began yelling into the microphone at the top of his lungs./P
"You're built like a brick! Your thighs or too thick! Your face makes a sick! You itch like a tick..."/P
The words hit Phoenix like a blow. Even as a small portion of her mind rambled frantically trying to rationalize Ranma's behavior, the vast majority of her consciousness was consumed with a rage. She did not care if he was a diplomat, or that her actions might start a war. All she wanted to do was to turn Ranma into a bloody smear on the ground. Phoenix began to glow of bright blue as she channeled large amounts of astral energy into her body. He was going to pay for treating her like this! Both the veiled and the overt insults. She took a step forward in preparation to beat Ranma into the ground, but fell to her knees when a pain like she had never felt overwhelmed her. She clutched her head as wave after wave of agony ran through her mind./P
"Your thighs are too thick, thighs are too thick, thighs are too thick --!" The voice quickly deviated from Ranma's normal voice and increased in pitch until it was a high-pitched whine. Phoenix managed to look up and saw Genma pressing different keys on the keyboard again eliciting different insults./P
"You're built like a brick, built like a brick, built like a brick --!" Phoenix tried to crawl towards Genma, tried to make him stop, but she could barely move, barely focus past the pain./P
"Your face makes me sick, face makes me sick, face makes me sick --!" Finally, unable to take it anymore, Phoenix collapsed. Her head felt like it was going to explode. The pressure built, and built, and built, until it had to be released./P
Ranma and Genma, completely unprepared, collapsed as Phoenix's psychic shock wave tore through their minds. Nodoka, washing dishes in the kitchen, cried out and fell to the ground. /P
Elsewhere, the blast did not go unnoticed./P
BR
Jessica and Darryl Johnson looked across the metal table at a nervous Kasumi. They sat within the confines of Biolab 3, and were about to start their first mindlink session./P
"Hello, Kasumi, my name is Darryl Johnson, and this is my sister Jessica. You can call her Jes, though. How are you feeling?" asked Darryl amiably./P
"I'm fine. I feel much better now that I've had some food and rest."/P
"Good," said Jes. "Kasumi, you're probably been wondering what's going on, what's happened to you, that sort of thing." Kasumi nodded. "We'll try to explain it to you as best we can."/P
"First of all some history," continued Darryl. "The Zerg invaded earth about five years ago. X-Com was the only military organization equipped to deal with them. Most of the planet was overrun, except for our bases, to which we evacuated as many civilians as we could. Now I know you think they're different, but to demonstrate how devastating the Zerg have been to us, the population of humans on the Earth is about five hundred million."/P
Kasumi gasped. Five hundred million? From over six billion people? "The-Zerg did that?" she asked faintly./P
"Yes," answered Jes. "Well...not the Zerg, per say, but their masters, the Overmind, it's Cerebrates, and the Overlords. They seem to be driven to exterminate all life here on Earth."/P
"Why?"/P
"We don't know. We just know that they do. Now the problem with fighting the Zerg is we have to go through hordes of their minions before we can take out their masters. We have to sacrifice large numbers of people and equipment just to kill one Cerebrate." The twins looked at each other doubtfully, then turned back to Kasumi. "We think you can help us."/P
"Me? How?"/P
Darryl answered her question with another question. "Kasumi, do you know what a psionic is?" She shook her head. "Simply put, when someone thinks or feels, they use astral energy, or ki, as it is more commonly known. Now most people can only use the astral energy in their own bodies, but some people have the ability to draw the energy from wherever it comes from. Some people can channel astral energy and do amazing things with it. You are one of those people."/P
"I...I am?"/P
"Yes," continued Jes. "Also, you seem to be able to control the Zerg. Do you know what this means for us? Instead of sending hundreds of troops and vehicles to try to destroy a Zerg fortress, you could just walk in and take them over. Not only could you save thousands of lives, but give us new troops in the process. There's just two things you need. The skills to do it, and the willingness to help."/P
"You want me to help you? How do I know you won't do to me what you did to my friends?"/P
"Kasumi, we didn't understand what was going on. If you help us, then we won't have to attack you or any Zerg you command. Think of what you could do, Kasumi. The lives you could save! Women, children, whole families-"/P
"What about my family? What happened to them?"/P
Darryl sighed. "We're not suppose to tell you this, but you have a sister, Nabiki. She's alive."/P
Kasumi brightened. "She is? Can I see her? Please, you have to..." She paused as she came to a realization. "Just Nabiki. But what about Akane, and Father...?"/P
Darryl shook his head. "I'm sorry, but they were killed five years ago, by the Zerg."/P
Kasumi dissolved into tears. Jes got up, went around the table, and hugged Kasumi. Kasumi wept for several minutes before getting herself under control. Jes picked up where Darryl had left off./P
"Kasumi, we don't care why you do it. Whether it be loyalty to us, revenge, or to protect those who can't protect themselves, but we need you, Kasumi. You could save us from a war that's lasted years and has cost us more than five billion lives. Please, Kasumi, will you help us?"/P
"Can...can I see Nabiki?"/P
"I don't see why not. It might be a while, though. The training you'll undergo will necessitate that you spend a lot of time alone. But when that's done, then, yes."/P
Kasumi stared at them for a long moment, then nodded. "Yes, I'll help you."/P
Darryl and Jes issued twin sighs of relief. "That's good," said Darryl. "Now, the training of a psionic normally takes about two years, but we don't have that kind of time."/P
Jes continued. "So what we'll be doing is setting up what's called a mindlink. What happens is that our minds will be linked and I'll be sending you all the knowledge and training I've received. The process usually takes a couple of weeks, but there are some dangers."/P
"The foremost of which is that both your minds could be damaged if something goes wrong. We've taken all precautions, but there is a small chance that something could happen," said Darryl. "Are you willing to risk it?"/P
"What do you want me to do?"/P
"Okay, close your eyes. Look at us with your mind. Tell us what you see."/P
Closing her physical eyes, she opened her mental 'eyes'. She saw two bright sparks before here. "I see two lights in where the two of you should be."/P
"Good. What I want you to do is to reach out with your mind and touch Jes."/P
Kasumi reached out to the bright spark that was 'Jes' and touched it. It 'tingled' and she quickly withdrew./P
"It's okay, Kasumi," said Jes. "My mental shields are up so you'd have work hard to hurt me. Do it again."/P
She repeated the procedure. This time she kept her 'hands' on Jes. It tingled, and she felt like she wanted to scratch her arms./P
"Okay, we're going to shut off the barrier around the cell. We have to do this because it interferes with the transfer."/P
Kasumi felt the wall surrounding the biolab drop./P
"Kasumi?" said Jes. "I'm going to change the 'feel' of my mind. It's going to feel 'sticky', and you'll begin to feel strange. The best way I can describe it is you'll feel a bit disoriented as the information in my mind is copied into yours. This will be the most difficult transfer, since you don't know very much yet, but as time goes on it'll get easier. Ready?"/P
"I think so."/P
"Okay, here we go."/P
Suddenly, the tingly sensation vanished, and she felt the whole room tilt sideways. On reflex, she tried to pull away, but Jes's mind had indeed become 'sticky', and her mental hands could not pull free./P
"Easy Kasumi, take a deep breath and focus on my voice. Everything's fine."/P
Kasumi gulped and focused past her fear and on the link between Jes and herself. The dizzy feeling decreased in intensity, and Kasumi began to breath easier./P
"Good. Keep it up. We'll only be at this for a few more minutes until we take a break."/P
Suddenly, Phoenix's psionic blast hit them like the fires of Hell./P
BR
Elsewhere, Praetor Halos and General Moroto were conducting negotiations for a peace treaty./P
[All I am saying, General is that you humans are an inferior species to the Protoss. I mean no disparagement by this, it just simply is. As such, we cannot give you any of our advanced technology. Look at what you've done with nuclear fission! What would you do with our discoveries?]/P
"Fight the Zerg, of course."/P
[Naturally, but after-]/P
Both Protoss clutched their heads as Phoenix's psionic blast washed through them. The guards leapt into a defensive formation around the group. General Moroto was about to call an alert when the phone beside him rang. He picked it up./P
"Sir, we have a psionic energy spike coming from the Pasture."/P
Looking at the two alien emissaries, who were beginning to recover, he said sarcastically, "I gathered as much. Have you pinpointed the source?"/P
"We think it's in sector 7G."/P
"Send a security team-" He was interrupted by the Judicator./P
[Wait!] he said weakly. [I am receiving a transmission from our shuttle pilot.] Taking out a small communicator, he said [Continue.]/P
[Judicator, Phoenix's brain-wave readings have flatlined, and I'm getting minimal vital signs. We have to take her back to base or she'll die.] Raetor repeated what he had heard./P
[You backstabbing humans--!] Psi-blades hissed out of Halos's emitters, and his forcefield flared to life. Immediately, the guards turned and pointed their guns at the hostile alien./P
Raetor grabbed the angry Praetor. [Stop this, you fool! Can't you see they're as confused as we are?] He was interrupted by operator speaking through the phone to the General./P
"Sir, we also have a medical emergency at Biolab 3."/P
The General's blood chilled. That's where Kasumi and the Johnson twins were--. "Let the doctors handle it for now. Get me the location of Captain Saotome."/P
There was a moment of silence on the other side. "He left a brief itinerary. He should be at his parents residence." It was, of course, in sector 7G. When it hit the fan, it had to hit all at once. Moroto stifled a groan./P
"Send an ambulance to that location. They are to transport a Human-Protoss hybrid to Hanger 3. Ignore all others unless someone's life is at stake."/P
"Yes, sir."/P
He hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and calmed himself. Looking at the two aliens he said, "I'm having Phoenix transferred to the hanger where your shuttle is. If we can end these theatrics, we can leave to join her." He turned to one of the guards. "Stand down, Sergeant!" The guards reluctantly complied. "You have my deepest apologies, Praetor."/P
Halos's psi-blades disappeared with a pop. [Come, Judicator! Never have I so wished departure!] Halos stomped angrily from the room followed by the Judicator, the General, and the guards./P
BR
General Moroto watched as the Protoss shuttle lifted off the ground and into the air. He turned to the three paramedics who had driven Phoenix to the hanger./P
"What the hell happened!"/P
"We don't know," said one. "We got there and found everyone unconscious. The only one who we thought was in danger was the alien. Got her into the ambulance, but couldn't do very much since we had no idea of how to treat her, so we drove her here ASAP."/P
Moroto growled. "Sergeant?" One of the guards stepped forward. "I want that entire family locked up. Something strange is going on and I want to know what."/P
"Sir, do you want us to get Major Saotome as well?"/P
"No, leave her in the hospital. She's not going anywhere with her injuries, but post a guard."/P
"Aye sir." He and his men boarded one of the APCs and drove off./P
The General boarded his jeep. He felt tired. Very, very, tired. Damn that Saotome clan. Was it too much to ask to have one normal day around that family? "Harper, find out what happened in Biolab 3."/P
BR
Healer Ka'Dalanis stared at the readings in shock. Phoenix's brain was virtually mush. Neural pathways were collapsing at a horrific rate that even the regen tank could not completely halt. This was even worse than when Phoenix had returned from her first battle. Ironically, the protein wall and psionic blocks that blocked Phoenix's long term memory had also protected it from the surge of astral energy that had poured through the now dying cells. However, the wall was now deteriorating rapidly, and the psionic blocks were shattered. Ka'Dalanis put her head in her hands and began massaging her forehead./P
[Well?] demanded Halos. [When will she be repaired?]/P
Ka'Dalanis looked at him in disbelief. [Repaired? Repaired?! May Adun strike you dead where you stand! Phoenix is not a machine! She's not some thing that can be fixed like a field generator! She is a person! With thoughts, and feelings and desires! How dare you treat her like this! When I 'repair' her, will you then send her out again until she is pushed past all limits of endurance, only to bring her back and ask why she is so prone to breakdown? When will you learn that she has limits? When she is dead? Oh, forget it! Leave me and let me work!]/P
Enraged, Halos stepped forward. [No, Healer, it is you who do not understand! Phoenix is a weapon, a weapon designed on a holo-screen, shaped by Protoss technology and ingenuity, and implemented by you. You are nothing more than a mechanic of the body. If I tell a mechanic to fix a shuttle, then he had better fix it, and, by Adun's mighty name, you must do the same! You exalt yourself in your own eyes. 'The caretaker of Pheonix, the greatest creation this millennium.' You think yourself above me. There can only be one commander, and I am he! If I call Phoenix a machine, then that is what she is, and you are mooning over nothing more than a fancy pair of psi-blades! If she has thoughts, then they should be thoughts of destroying the Zerg. If she has feelings, they should be limited to satisfaction at killing Zerg. Her only desire should be to serve us! Do your duty, Healer, and fix her!]/P
Ka'Dalanis wanted to kill him. In all her years of being a Healer, she had never wanted to kill anyone, even the Zerg, until now. Had she her old Warp Blade at hand, she would have taken it up and killed him for no other reason than to rid this universe of an unfeeling madman. Unfortunately for her, she could not do anything except agree./P
[As you command, Praetor. But I do so for far nobler reasons than you.]/P
[I care not why you fix her, just that you do.] Glaring down at Ka'Dalanis one more time, he and Raetor left./P
BR
[Damn her!] raged Halos, [What is she thinking? She feels far too much for our weapon!]/P
[Healers have always been somewhat emotional,] argued Raetor, playing Devil's Advocate. [I imagine she is just concerned about her charge's health. Once that crisis is passed, she will be of a more even temperament.]/P
[Ah, but is that not the problem? Phoenix is not 'her' charge. She is 'our' charge.] There was a long pause. [I will replace Ka'Dalanis with someone else.]/P
[Is that wise, Halos? No one knows more about xenobiology than her.]/P
[Someone else can be trained, Raetor. See to it.]/P
Raetor sighed internally. In all honesty, he could not blame Halos. Ka'Dalanis was getting more and more attached to Phoenix and was losing her impersonal perspective. He just did not want to have the be the one to tell her. [As you wish, Praetor.]/P
BR
'As per the Praetor's command, you are to be demoted to assistant to Healer Pranala who will replace you as the caretaker of Phoenix. When you are finished teaching her, you will be reassigned.' Pranala?! thought Ka'Dalanis in amazement. She's nothing but a Field Healer, not a xenobiologist! What were they thinking?/P
Ka'Dalanis looked down at her console. She had been able to begin 'repairs' very quickly. Since the injuries Phoenix suffered were similar to when Phoenix was first injured when fighting the Zerg, Ka'Dalanis had been able to prepare a batch of nanites to fix the damaged areas of Phoenix's brain in a short amount of time. What would take the longest to do would be the rebuilding of the protein wall blocking off Phoenix's long term memory, which had deteriorated to almost nothing. If it was not for that, Phoenix would be ready by tomorrow. Rebuilding the protein wall would take days./P
Are you mine, Phoenix, or am I yours? she wondered. Her finger hovered over the button that would release a second batch of nanites designed to rebuild the protein wall. If she pressed that button, Akane would once again be blocked in the recesses of Phoenix's mind./P
She had a choice. A choice between her duty as a Healer and her duty to her people, between Phoenix and Halos, between her mind and her heart./P
Not much of a choice at all, really./P
She lifted her finger off the button, and with it, felt a burden lift from her heart./P
It was time for the Phoenix to die./P
End Chapter 8