A/N: Contrary to what some people thought, the Isaac in my fic bears no significance to the great science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov. ^^ I just didn't want to spend so much time picking out sci-fi-sh names for him and his planet, so I just chose what popped into my head at that moment (and hey, a Russian-sounding planet has a nice ring to it, lol).
Level 2: Synergism
"Mou..."
Parfet's elbows rested on the desk of the engine room as she watched the ebb and glow of the blue sphere that powered the entire ship. "You really don't want to be understood, ne, Pexis-san?"
She took off her glasses and wiped the lenses carefully as the Pexis gave no reaction to her words. "You've been acting a little strangely though, since the Talark men came aboard. Your power output efficiency went up by thirty percent, and that's probably the highest we ever got since you first merged the Ikazuchi and the old ship."
There was a slight roll in the Nirvana as Bart dodged a blasting comet, and her glasses slipped from her hands.
"Sonna!" she sighed, dropping to her knees and feeling for her spectacles. "I really should just use contacts instead..."
"Here. Found them for you."
Startled from the sudden voice, Parfet stopped moving, and strangely she felt her glasses slide back on her nose and behind her ears. She blinked. There was no one else in the room except for her and the figure who stood at the door twenty feet from her.
She squinted at him. "Hey, you're the new guy, right?"
"So. Isaac desu."
Parfet pointed at her glasses quizzically. "Did you just...put my glasses back? Because I didn't even hear you walk by, much less hear you pick it up."
Isaac smiled. "Yes, I did it from here."
Parfet stared at him. "Do you know how weird that just sounded?"
Isaac laughed. "Here, yes, maybe, but from I come from, it's as natural as breathing."
"Woah!" Parfet jumped up in excitement, her hands on her mouth. "Telekinesis! So there is such a thing!"
"Aa..." Isaac looked a little taken aback from the girl's enthusiasm. "Some people call it that."
"Sugoii, sugoii!" Glasses gleaming, Parfet whipped up a notebook from nowhere and started scribbling furiously, much to Isaac's surprise. "This is a breakthrough in physics! Finally, living proof of the effects of electromagnetic radiation on living systems. This could finally verify the theory of zero-point energy!"
"Err, possibly." Isaac sounded puzzled. "Although it really isn't all that...complicated."
"Oh?" Parfet looked up in eagerness. "Could I ask you to explain to me how you did it then?"
"We do it by a matter of synergism, and your ship is quite an example of that so you shouldn't be too unfamiliar with it."
"Synergism? Oh, you mean the merging of the old ship and the Ikazuchi." Parfet made a note.
"Yes. Two separate objects combine into one, their joined power exceeding what could merely have been a simple sum if they were still separated, thus making them more powerful than what they could have ever accomplished in their isolated state." Isaac adjusted his visor. "At least that is what I have heard of the Nirvana and also of the fighters you call Vandreads."
"That's basically what happened." Parfet gestured to the Pexis. "And this is.."
"The synergic core," spoke Isaac, nodding. "Yes, I've heard of it during my journey here. That's the essence of how we Asimovs use our energy to synergize the different strengths of an individual's body to be able to create a force beyond the basic planes of space and time." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "It's exactly the same synergic energy that created the Nirvana and the Vandreads."
Parfet shook her her head in wonder. "No wonder the Earthians wanted your brains. How did you come up with this synergic practice of yours anyway?"
"After the loss of our eyes, we spent much of our time in meditation, and because of the undisturbed state our blindness gave us, we eventually learned that we have the capability to synergize our energies into one great force."
"Couldn't you have used your force to ward off the second coming of the Karitori?"
It was Isaac's turn to shake his head. "Unfortunately, we still did not have enough energy to keep the Karitori machinery away." He turned to face the Pexis. "And that is why I am in great awe of this sphere. Its power is great."
"Yet very unstable," added Parfet. "And power is nothing without control."
"Spoken like a true engineer," said Isaac, putting his hands on his hips and turning back at Parfet. "I must be going then. I have taken much of your time." He bowed. "Thank you for giving me the privilege of being so near the Pexis."
As Isaac went out of the door, Duero passed him by, staring at him as he went. "That was the Asimov, wasn't it?" he asked Parfet when Isaac was out of earshot.
"Yep." Parfet folded her arms and snapped her notebook shut. "He's actually smarter than he looks."
"There! I've narrowed it down to five otoko!" Jura pushed the small information database onto her friend's lap. "Well?"
Barnette looked at it, perplexed. "I thought you already narrowed it down to three?"
"That was two minutes before," said Jura, hands clasped together. "But then I realized that if I wanted my baby to be strong, I'd at least have to have him included in the list." She pointed at the face displayed on the screen.
Barnette stared at the picture with distaste. "He's got a neck as thick as our hull."
"Well then, what about him?" Jura pushed a button and another face appeared. "He's got great teeth."
"Great...teeth," echoed Barnette, biting her lip so she wouldn't laugh. She loved Jura like a sister, but there were really some times that Jura was so endearingly funny it would be next to impossible not to tease her about it. "So tell me, are you sure both sets of teeth are going to pass to the baby?"
"You don't have to be so cynical about it," wailed Jura plaintively. "Don't you approve of any of the men here? You know I can't choose if you don't agree with me!"
Barnette couldn't help smiling at the otherwise fiercely independent woman. "Maa, let's see." She scrolled across the list of men Jura was opting to have a baby with. After a second, she looked up and said wryly, "Maybe you should just stick to Plan B."
"Duero?" Jura looked disconsolate, twirling her golden locks. "But he's so cold and so serious; I want someone alive who I can talk to anytime I want. Just like you, Barnette."
"Unfortunately, no one here is even a hair like me." Barnette observed the pictures and their identifications blankly. "They are otoko after all."
Jura gave a dismal sigh as she picked up the pink baby book and flipped through the pages with her hands. "Well, I guess there's no such thing as a perfect baby." She paused for a while, staring into space. Then "What do you think about the Isaac person?"
Barnette almost dropped the database. "The Asimov?" she managed to choke out after recollecting her wits.
"Why not? Why else would the Karitori want their brains if they weren't smart?" Jura placed her finger on her lip, thinking. "I've seen him float things around too, like magic. And he's a friendly guy; I think he talked to just about everyone in the ship." The she frowned. "He seems to hang around with Meia a lot though. There's competition."
Barnette held an expression of dry disbelief on her face. "I hope you're not serious."
"You don't like him?"
"He strikes me as something weird. Like there something's not right about him." Barnette shrugged. "It's just a gut feel, I suppose, but you saw him manipulate things around. Now that's strange."
Jura pouted. "You're hard to please, Barnette. It's kind of difficult to choose an otoko if you don't like all of them."
Barnette quietly put the database back on the table and stretched a hand on Jura's shoulder. "Now hear this, Jura Basil Elden," she said, a small smile on her face. "You don't really need my approval or anything. What makes you happy makes me happy. Whatever you choose, you know I'll be there to back you up a hundred percent."
Jura hugged her friend, sniffing. "Wish you were an otoko instead."
"Heaven forbid," Barnette could not help saying as both of them dissolved into laughter.
"Okashira...Okashira!"
Magno woke up with a snurk to find B.C. shaking her by the arm. She must had fallen asleep on her chair while doing reports for the Mejele government of their progress.
Magno covered a yawn with her hand and said, "Yes, B.C.?"
"We have Rebecca on the monitor. You told her to patch in after four days of our journey to Asimov." B.C. pointed at the hologram in front of them.
"Has it been four days already?" murmured Magno sleepily to herself before looking up at Rebecca's digital display image in front of her. "Yes, Rebecca, how are things in headquarters?"
"Spiffy, of course," reported Rebecca from a sheaf of paper in her hands, the grey panels of their home base on the asteroid behind her. "Mejele and Talark's reporters finally left us alone, thank goodness. One can handle the media only by so much. The Paraiso is in good shape. Supply system is stable, tell Gascogne not to worry. And our trainees are in good condition and are doing very well." After a pause, the dark-haired officer looked up, a rather withered look crossing her face. "I can't believe you left me behind from another raid again though."
"It's not a raid, Rebecca; it's a sortie. Try to remember that," said Magno, chuckling. "Besides, we needed someone to look after headquarters just in case something happened."
"I wish something would happen," said Rebecca, looking miffed. "Headquarters has never felt this dull before. Now that we aren't viewed as pirates, we practically don't have anyone chasing us, and if we tried to get a catch, we'd have the two planets after our necks even more after all that 'model case' talk."
"I admit that our pirate business is in a bit of a predicament," replied Magno, "but at least we were appointed as some sort of a separate militia of Mejele instead of something as stuffy as ambassadors or any of that kind."
"But still, the pirate's life for me." Rebecca sighed in resignation, flipping the sheaf of paper over her shoulder. "Gonna miss it bad. I'm just not too used to this 'good' image; rather dull, like I said." She frowned. "And to think I vowed I'd never have anything to do with Mejele again after they closed down our unit. Anyway," she suddenly beamed, looking at Ezra on the ship's bridge, "Karu is doing well. She makes a fine daughter."
Ezra smiled gently back. "I'm glad. Is she there?"
"Yup. 'Ere we go, little lady." Rebecca hoisted the baby girl in front of the screen, nestling her in her arms. "She misses you, like I do," and Karu waved at the screen, giggling. "In fact, she-"
"Pyoro Niiiiiiiiii!"
A white oblong shot across the bridge like a missile, missing B.C. by a hairbreadth. It flew into a stop, only mere inches of the video display.
"Oh no, not him," groaned Rebecca.
"Pyoro Ni!" cried Pyoro, waving his little arms at the little baby, blocking everyone's view. "Are they treating you well there? Do you get fed enough? I knew I shouldn't have come with this new mission!"
"It was a windfall, if anything," shot the baby's Homme. "You wouldn't know what to do with a baby anyway!"
"Oi-oi-oi! You forget I was there during her first few days, pyoro!" Pyoro retorted in indignation. "And don't hold her like that!"
"I'm holding her just fine!" snapped Rebecca. "I have bigger arms than yours!"
"Hey, don't take it on my arms, lady!"
B.C. glanced at Magno amid the fierce verbal battle ensuing in front of them. "Well, you were certainly right about the baby bringing in new life to the crew, Okashira."
Magno laughed. "Certainly not what I had expected, but I like it nonetheless," she said as Rebecca gave a final glare at Pyoro and disconnected, leaving the little android to mutter his way out of the room.
A blue signal lighted and gave a low beep at the bridge controls and an automatic starchart came up on the main display of the ship, an icon blinking in the middle.
"We've arrived," declared Amarone. "The planet Asimov, 12 o'clock."
"So this is Asimov," observed Magno, leaning forward on her chair. In front of them was a blue-green planet encircled by a thick band of hazy-gray substance, tilted at the same angle as the planet's equator and so wide as to have covered almost one-third of Asimov from view.
"What's that gray ring surrounding the entire planet?" asked B.C., a hand on his hip.
"An electromagnetic nebula cloud," reported Belvedere, looking at the displays in her cubicle. She sounded concerned. "The levels of electricity and magnetism our sensors are reading from it is getting higher and higher as we speak."
"It doesn't look very stable," B.C. muttered, a frown etching on his forehead. "Get me Isaac."
Minutes later, Isaac came running into the bridge, his soft moccassins making no sound on the floor. "Asimov," he said, panting, when he caught sight of the view.
"Yes," said B.C. "And what of the nebula cloud surrounding it?"
"Oh." Isaac looked unperturbed. "A highly violent nebula cloud, electromagnetic by nature."
B.C. looked at him in astonishment. "You could have told us earlier! Can we avoid it?"
Isaac paused, pondered, then he shook his head. "By this distance, I doubt it. Besides, by the radius of its magnetic field, there is no other way to go to the planet except to be drawn into the storm."
B.C. blinked.
Suddenly, red alarms at the bridge controls started ringing shrilly and once again the starchart flashed, announcing rapidly the presence of a great cloud mass of gas and dust generating a great amount of electricity and magnetism.
"Violent nebula cloud dead ahead!" cried Amarone. "Sensors indicate its electromagnetic radiation intensity exceeding the Nirvana's outer shields by thirty percent!"
"Ten seconds before contact with its magnetic field!" Celtic's fingers flew over the controls. "Twenty seconds before impact on the cloud!"
"Bart! Get us out here!" was the unanimous cry of the entire bridge as they watched the ominous cloud creep nearer.
"I'm trying!" Bart looked frantic as the ship gave a half-hearted roll away. There was a sickening shudder as the cloud and the ship locked in a cosmic tug-of-war.
"The cloud's electromagnetism is dragging us into the storm," said Ezra, looking appalled. "According to calculations, it could be strong enough to crush us when we get in!"
"Ten seconds and counting till impact!" shouted Celtic. There was another pitch, and the ship's lights flickered forebodingly, a series of small crashes on deck resounding.
"Maximum shields! Bart!" The Okashira's voice rose above the din. "Full speed ahead into the storm!"
"What?!" Bart stared through the monitor, incredulous. "That's suicide!"
There was another crash. "We can't resist the magnetism from dragging us in, but we could use its momentum to blast out of the storm!" Magno grasped the arms of her chair. "Just do it!"
"Ryou - ryoukai!"
The Nirvana lurched forward into the dark cloud, submerging itself into the nebula particles, and almost immediately they gyrated to the electric charges producing the magnetism, spinning. The lights shut down.
"Engine room, report!" shouted B.C., strapping on his acceleration belt.
Parfet voice appeared on the display with its eerie green light glowing in the darkness. "Directed power for lights to the propulsion engines, sorry for the inconvenience! Thrusters are still good, although they could fry any minute now! Pexis still stabilized!"
"Bart!"
"I'm going as fast as I can!"
The engines roared, making the ship turbulently yaw through the swirling mesh of gas, dust, and debris colliding with each other, flashing with electricity. Then somewhere along a roll of the ship, Gascogne's face appeared on the display. She looked calm, but the pitch of her voice was growing higher. "We need to get out of here now!" she urged. "Our ammunition can't handle the pressure being generated by the magnetic field! It can blow up the entire ship!"
"This is one heck of a squall we got into!" muttered Magno. "Cel! How long till we get out of here?!"
"I'm detecting a hundred more kilometers before we're completely free of the nebula and its magnetic field!" Celtic squealed as the ship drop-rolled violently.
"Hold on!" cried Bart as the thrusters gave an extra surge of power. "I can almost see a clearing!"
There was suddenly a strange explosion from the back of the ship, but after a few more seconds, the Nirvana shot across the rim of the storm victoriously, spiraling away to a safe distance from the last few particles of the nebula before slowing down into a halt in normal space, a planet below in view.
The ship was quiet save the humming protest of the burnt-out thrusters and the relieved sighs of its passengers. After B.C.'s heart slowed back to its normal rate, he leaned back on his chair and called wearily, "All systems, report."
"Ship is stabilized. The power is coming back on in all sectors, eighty-five percent counting positive. No sign of potential power failure in all decks."
"Life support stabilized, one-hundred percent. There had been no fluctuations."
"Communications on-board are working, but our connection to the outside is cut off due to the interference the storm is producing."
"Shield levels are plunging down, twenty-four percent counting negative. It will take some time to recover. Weapons system is all right, except that we've torn off a couple of ion cannons. Other than that, efficiency of the remaining cannons should be one-hundred percent."
Parfet was first on-screen. "The Pexis is still in good shape, miraculously, but our main thrusters are fried and our propulsion engines shot from the effort of escaping the storm. But the brake thrusters are still okay, so we'll just have to rely on the planet's gravity pull us in to land until we can find replacements."
"Of which we don't carry around." Gascogne's face came on, her hair in tangles. "I just replaced them a few days ago. Anyway, a lot of our ammunition are on the fritz, having almost exploded, but my crew are neutralizing them as we speak. The Dreads and Vanguards are all right, except for a couple of dents and scratches, and a hangar almost caved in, but it's holding."
"We have a couple of injuries," said Duero, Paiway looking busy behind him herding in patients, "but nothing serious so far."
Finally, Bart's face appeared beside Parfet's, looking pale and haggard with a few reddening welts on his forehead. "Please don't make me go through that again!" the helmsman begged.
"We can't, in the first place," said Magno, releasing her grip on her chair, "until we get our thrusters and engines functioning again." She arched her neck to the side where Isaac was unstrapping himself from an emergency bunk. "And this planet below us is our destination, as you have said?"
"Yes, it is." Isaac swung to face his home planet, lush green with vegetation. "Welcome to Asimov."
end of level 2