Well I must say I'm disappointed in the lack of reviews I'm getting. It truly brings me down and wounds my desire to write. But I suppose I should be used to it by now. Anyway, this chapter and the rest of my installments for this story will be about 5-7 pages in length due to the fact I'm getting bored. But I always keep a promise and will continue to work on this. For I too know what it is like to wait months for an update. But I also understand that sometimes the flow of the story gets plugged and the creative juices sit like stagnant water, slowly evaporating into nothingness so please be patient with me.
Jillian: Wish granted. But not until the next chapter.
Chapter 18-- Nomaru Gets His Wish
Ryan stood bare chested inside Washu's lab as the red haired woman connected a series of thin black wires to his skin. The tiny staple shaped metallic ends were embedded firmly into his flesh, sending a jolt of pain into the surrounding tissue. As each wire was connected, the scientist would tape them down, explaining it was just a precaution to make sure he didn't accidentally rip them out.
The kenshin remained stoic, holding completely still as Washu continued on with her work. The two of them the only occupants in her cluttered work area. The short scientist had shooed everyone away, informing them in no uncertain terms that Ryan didn't need the distraction and neither did she. Ryoko was adamant about attending the procedure, but Washu would have none of it. Ryoko looked to Ryan for back up, but the kenshin shook his head, saying it was better that she not watch. The space pirate growled in protest but complied with their wishes, stating that she would remain outside the doors, ready to burst in at the first sounds of any screaming.
And now the kenshin stood patiently, stiffening his posture as his thoughts turned inward, concentrating on the memory of Nomaru and the kenshin knight Renaki's battle. I need to know what happened. I need to end this darkness inside of me. Only then will the truth be revealed and my burden lifted.
His gaze turned downward as he heard Washu speak.
"Once I place you inside the glass chamber, you will be strapped down firmly, preventing you body from slumping over." She began, explaining the procedure in scientific detail. "A neuro enhancer will be placed on your head to stimulate the synaptic function in your brain. Once a specific pathway to your memories has been isolated, that pathway will be the only one active. Hopefully we will snag onto the correct memory and begin from there." She paused, studying him with somber eyes.
"And if we don't?" Ryan asked, unable to keep the dread out of his voice.
"Then we will keep trying until we find the correct pathway." She replied before adding, "But it would help immensely if you focus upon a specific memory or individual."
Washu walked over to Ryan and clasped his right arm, turning him around and leading him forward and up into the chamber, pressing a small black button which sent the glass front shooting up, allowing the access to the inside. The scientist released his arm allowing the kenshin to position himself on the vertical table. Ryan's body flinched reflexively at the sudden contact of the cold metallic table against his exposed flesh.
Washu grabbed the top black cloth strip hanging freely on the right side of the table and stretched it across the kenshin's chest, locking it securely into place on the opposite side. She repeated the procedure across his black slacked legs then backed away, coming around to the right side of the table once more, bending down to retrieve a strange looking device. It resembled a crown but instead of precious stones, a series of wires that looked more like thick black tendrils than man made machinery streamed out around the entire circumference, traveling through the floor and into the machines Washu had placed before the chamber. She stretched her short arms as far as they could go, sliding the odd looking contraption upon the kenshin's brow.
"Is that too tight?"
"No." Ryan said softly, looking to the side as his curious blue eyes traveled down the wires before coming to rest upon the small woman's face.
Washu gave a nod, turning around and walking out of the chamber. She pivoted to face Ryan once more, her right hand pressing the black button. The glass door shot down, clicking then closing with a finality that made Ryan cringe inwardly. She flashed him a encouraging smile before turning to hop off and away from the chamber. She moved slowly among the back of a series of four monitors, giving a last minute check up to make sure the cables that extended from the chamber were connected properly. Satisfied that everything was in place, she moved to the front of her machines, studying each monitor with a keen eye. She pressed a black button marked intercom and began to speak.
"Can you hear me clearly?" She asked.
Ryan gave her a nod as he tilted his head back, his eyes searching and finding a small speaker above his head. "I can."
"Good." She replied. "Your vital functions are normal. Everything is set." She said in an authoritative tone, her somber emerald eyes staring directly into the kenshin's nervous blue ones.
"Once we begin the procedure. A wave of intense light will flow over you followed by a sense of disorientation. As if your soul and body have separated from each other. Don't be alarmed. All will return to normal once a specific pathway is formed. If you truly have Nomaru's memories stored inside your mind, don't be surprised if you answer the questions I give in a voice different than your own. If the memories become too violent or threatening, the electro tabs embedded in your flesh will send out a paralyzing signal to keep you from hurting yourself. If by some off chance the electro tabs fail, I will stop the procedure immediately." She lectured in a scientific tone that clashed with the gleam of excitement in her eyes. "Are you ready?"
Ryan drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am."
"Here we go." Washu murmured looking down at the control panel in front of the first monitor. She reached out and pressed the switch to the left of her.
As promised a brilliant flash of white light erupted within Ryan's field of vision, causing him to gasp at the intensity. The kenshin closed his eyes, stifling a cry of fear. It felt as if his soul was being yanked out of his body, the effect disorientating but exhilarating at the same time. After what seemed an eternity, the light faded from his vision but his mind was on fire as he was bombarded by images that twisted and turned rapidly. A roller coaster of memories that were of and not his own. Ryan felt trapped, his breathing becoming erratic, his heart pounding in his chest.
Please make it stop! His mind screamed only to be drowned out by a new sound as the visual roller coaster began to slow down and a single thought filled his mind. Nomaru. Show me General Nomaru's memories.
The flow of images stopped abruptly, complying with the kenshin's request. But the eyes who witnessed these memories did not belong to him and the voice that replied to the stream of questions that filtered through the speaker above his head was drastically different from his soft spoken one, leaving Ryan wondering if he was hallucinating even as he knew he was not.
Washu watched the monitor closely. So far so good. She thought satisfactorily as she looked up at the kenshin. He seems so different, almost threatening . His personality is darker and more foreboding.
"Who are you?" She began softly, her voice calm and collected.
There was a pause and then Washu's eyes widened as the kenshin began to speak but it was not Ryan's voice that reached her ears.
"Konar Nomaru. High General of the Juraian Army."
The small woman could hear the power resonating in his voice as he answered her question and it frightened her. Get a grip girl! It's just Ryan. It's just a memory he's reliving, nothing more than that! Washu scolded herself as she focused her eyes on the monitors, her eyebrows arching at the display. His energy level is rising. But why?
"And whom do you serve under?" She asked, her eyes traveling back up to the kenshin.
Again a pause. "Emperor Canarsis of the house of Jurai." He replied in an cool tone that matched the wolfen smile that spread upon the kenshin's lips.
Washu gaped at him in shock. My God! That house of Jurai existed over 5000 years ago. There is no way he could have survived all these years. No way!
"And how is it you've managed to survive all this time?"
A small laugh erupted from the young man's throat. "I was punished by Jurai for my dark deeds. But it was Jurai itself that ordered me to eliminate all threats to our home world. All I wanted in return was some place in power, a planet to call my own. But they sent those accursed kenshins after me, claiming I had violated their rule of law. It was the kenshin Renaki who managed to kill me and seal my soul inside a death jewel, sending me into a never ending hell without hope of escape or freedom." He spat, the kenshin's body beginning to shake and his once handsome features twisting in rage and pain. "But the fools forgot one thing. I can control the mind of others. So when that idiot Koba found me I convinced him to wear the band that contained my soul and my power. Now it is I who will take back what was stolen from me. It is I who will rule the universe, not Jurai." He roared in fury, the glass chamber rattling as the wave of power began to emanate from Ryan, a black mist rising around his straining body.
"Jesus!" Washu yelled, as the monitors began short circuiting, the electro tabs failing to paralyze his body. He's overloading the equipment with his power! The short woman switched off the machines, running around to the back and yanking the black cables by the handfuls.
At that moment, Ryoko rushed into the room, her eyes locking instantly onto the glass chamber that was shrouded in black. Her frightened gaze whirled to Washu who was rushing up to open the glass door to the chamber, the dark mist evaporating as it came into contact with the air. "Ryoko give me a hand!"
The space pirate ran up to the chamber, rushing into the now opened area, her heart catching in her throat at the hateful look the kenshin gave the two woman. His eyes, they're black! Ryoko's mind cried as she watched him strain against the cloth straps, his arms ripping through the fiber, tearing the cloth to shreds with his power.
With a lightning quick motion, his right hand snaked around Washu's throat, cutting of her voice as she began to beat against his arm while the kenshin began to walk forward.
Ryoko stood in his path, her eyes frightful but her voice hard as she said, "Ryan let Washu go!"
Ryan blinked slowly as he recognized her voice.
"Fight this Ryan. Fight these memories! You are not Nomaru! You are a kenshin knight! A royal member of the house of Jurai! Fight back!" Ryoko pleaded.
Ryan's face grew dark, a snarl of rage escaping his lips as he struggled to regain control of his mind. Black eyes flashed blue the back to black and then blue once more as Ryan released the small woman, clasping his head in pain as he sunk to the floor, rocking back and forth, his voice small and full of agony. "Get out of my head! Get out of my head!"
Washu gasped for air, rubbing her throat as she watched the display in concern and wonder.
Ryoko kneeled down and tried to embrace him but Ryan pushed her away. "Don't touch me!" He yelled in anger and pain. "I am not who you think. I haven't regained control yet. So stay away from me!"
Washu complied with his wishes turning and running over to her medical cabinet but Ryoko remained, standing less than a foot away. "Ryan remember who you are. Remember who I am. You are my husband, my friend, don't give in to the darkness!"
A cry of pain issued loudly from the kenshin's throat. This lasted for a few tense seconds until Ryan grew silent, his breathing labored as he lowered his hands slowly to his sides.
Ryoko let out a sigh of relief as Ryan looked up at her with neon blue eyes. Eyes that recognized her.
"Ryoko?" He murmured in uncertainty and shame.
The space pirate nodded and wrapped her arms around him, holding his shaking body tightly to her own.
"It's all right now. Everything is all right now." She whispered as she reached up, grabbing onto the metallic crown and sliding it gently off and tossing it to the side before resting her chin on the top of his head.
Ryan allowed her to hold him, closing his eyes, comforted by her presence.
Washu returned back to the kenshin's side antiseptic and gauze in hand. "We need to get those tabs off of him Ryoko." She whispered kneeling down beside the pair.
Ryoko looked from the kenshin to Washu and her features and grew hard. "I told you this would happen Washu. He is not capable of handling the strain. Not as he is."
Ryan opened his eyes, pulling away from Ryoko, his sad eyes studying the red haired woman, his voice full of pain and guilt. "I'm sorry Washu. I... couldn't control it. The darkness was too strong."
Washu gave him a small smile. "I understand Ryan. But the darkness wasn't stronger than you. You sent it away." She replied as she began to gently pull off the tape and remove the metal tabs still embedded in his flesh, certain parts of the skin torn and bleeding from the explosion of energy Ryan had emitted minutes earlier.
No words were spoken as Washu finished pulling out the last of the wires then handed Ryoko the antiseptic and gauze which the space pirate took. She began to tenderly wipe away the blood all the while murmuring soothing words to a slowly recovering kenshin.
Washu stood and walked away from the pair towards her main computer. She sat down slowly into her cushioned chair and typed a series of commands into the machine. Instantly a picture appeared along with a few paragraphs of information. The small woman's eyes narrowed and her features turned thoughtful as she turned away from the computer to address the only other people in the room.
"I think I found the key to our problems." She shouted over to them.
Ryoko stood up, pulling the kenshin with her. Ryan straightened his frame, his features calm and collected, having regained his composure. Ryan broke away from Ryoko and retrieved his white T-shirt, sliding it quickly over his head and tucking it into his pants before rejoining the space pirate. The two walked over to Washu, the kenshin letting out cry of recognition as his gaze fell upon the image on the giant screen. "That's him! The one General Nomaru now possesses!"
Washu turned back to the screen. "His name is Koba Natanshi, the most recent ruler of the planet Avinor. The Avinorians are a highly advanced technological race, their power rivaled only by Jurai in influence." She replied, studying the compactly built young man with white hair and gray eyes.
"So how did Koba come into contact with Nomaru?" Ryoko asked.
Ryan looked down, his brow furrowed as he recalled what he had seen. "Nomaru lost his battle with Renaki 5000 years ago. As punishment for his crimes, his soul was encased in a death jewel where he would be forever tormented by his deeds unable to escape the hell of his own creation."
"What did he do that was so horrible?" Ryoko asked, her gaze fixated on the kenshin.
Ryan drew in a breath, letting it out slowly before he continued. "He was the enforcement arm of Jurai's military. Sent out to other planets to quell discord and squash any rebellions that occurred. But Nomaru went beyond the orders given to him.. His methods of dealing with problems was to kill anyone who dared speak out against Jurai or the military. But the worst thing about these misdeeds was that he enjoyed it. Enjoyed slaughtering millions of people, even women and children. Because his crimes were so heinous, he was wiped out of the history books to forever spend an eternity forgotten."
"So what do we do now?" Ryoko asked.
Ryan turned to her. "I think it's time we paid a visit to Avinor." He answered then turned away from the two woman and exited the room. Washu tilted her head, signaling Ryoko to follow him. The space pirate needed no urging, rushing out after him.
"Ryan wait up!" She cried, running up to walk beside her husband who slowed down to match her pace. "What do you plan to do once we reach Avinor?" She asked looking over at him with curious eyes.
Ryan frowned his features serious. "If we reach Avinor, I will take back my power, even if I have to kill the one who stole it from me." He replied, his voice hard.
"What do you mean if?"
Ryan stopped and turned to her. "Did you forget were being hunted like rats? By now Nomaru has reached Avinor, already plotting ways to use their technologies to his advantage. He knew that eventually I would find out whose body he's been hiding in. But what he didn't expect was that I would find out so soon."
Ryoko frowned. "You speak as if he knows were coming after him."
Ryan smiled. "That's because he does. He has my power. My thoughts are his. But he forgets that I know his thoughts as well. After that memory recovery test, I know exactly what he's planning and how he's going to implement it. That why I say if we make it to Avinor. Since Jurai is inaccessible to us, we will need to seek help elsewhere. And I know one person who may be able to help us. For the right fee of course."
"And who would that be?"
Ryan turned to her. "Someone who reminds me a lot of you but also capable of the power we will need to gain access to Avinor's tightly guarded space."
"And his name would be?" Ryoko asked growing irritated at his round about answers.
"Tsk, tsk Ryoko. Whoever said this person was a he?" Ryan chided with a wave of his index finger before finally answering her. "Misao Keiji is her name and her help will be invaluable to us."
"Misao Keiji? Misao Keiji?" Ryoko repeated, shaking her head. "I've never heard of her."
Ryan laughed. "Nor should you have. She is a relative newcomer to the art of piracy."
"And how is she going to help us?"
Ryan gave her a cryptic smile. "You'll see." He replied as he turned away from her and began walking back down the corridor towards Ryoko's assigned quarters.
Ryoko stood still for a few seconds. I hate it when he does that. She sighed inwardly in annoyance before coming about face and running down the corridor after him.
******
General Nomaru stood in the blue and white mosaic floor of the great hall, the meeting place for the heads of state. A circular room with three levels of seating surrounded him, each adorned with a specific banner. Red for the local officials who had the base level. The middle level belonged to the military, a blue banner signifying there place. And the upper echelon belonged to the councilors of Avinor, those with the final say in all government matters, a dark green banner representing their section.
Nomaru smiled at the filled compacity of the room, so many pairs of eyes staring down at him. He thrilled at the pressure of the spotlight. His plan coming to a head. If all goes well, I'll have this entire quadrant of space at my beck and call. He clapped his hands together and shouted out, "Ladies and gentlemen if I may have your attention please."
The room quieted down, drawn my the power of his voice.
"Before we begin I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you here." He paused, making sure he had everyone's attention. "The reason why I called you here today is to inform you of a very real threat. You are all aware of Jurai's growing influence in this sector of space. I have it from very reliable sources that that accursed planet has been training for months in preparation for the overthrow of this planet."
Gasps and shouts erupted throughout the hall.
Nomaru made a calming gesture with his arms. "I have proof!" He shouted, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a disc encased in clear plastic. "This information came directly from the Juraian Information Ministry itself."
"How do we know you're telling the truth!" One of the councilor's shouted from high above him.
Nomaru tilted his head back, his blue eyes focusing and finding the speaker, an older man with short gray hair and shrewd brown eyes. "Why would I lie councilor Hesta. I am a man of honor or have you forgotten I complied with your wish to leave the planet when I developed Trichinosis, a debilitating disease. Which is not infectious by the way or have you noticed my sister is still perfectly healthy." He spoke, turning his attention over to Alyssia who gave him a small smile which Nomaru did not return as he looked back to the older man.
"Even though I have been treated wrongly, I have returned to lead my people. I care more for this planet than you will ever know. Now unless you have any more silly questions I'd like to show you what I've discovered." He added gruffly, turning to march over to an assistant who took the disc from Nomaru's outstretched hand and placed it into the information system as a giant four sided monitor slid down from the ceiling hovering in the center of the room for all to see.
A series of intense battle images appeared instantly on the screen. Troops dressed in Juraian uniforms were raiding villages and cities, subduing citizens and reclaiming the land as Juraian territory. A map of the Avinorian quadrant appeared, with it's royal symbol upon each planet, being systematically replaced by Jurai's royal seal.
Nomaru gave the cut signal to the assistant who nodded. The screen faded to black and rose up and out of sight once more. The general eyed the silent spectators, waiting patiently for a response. What he got wasn't what he expected.
"How do we know this isn't some trick, conjured up by you?" Councilor Hesta asked, his suspicious eyes fixed on Nomaru's agitated ones.
"Why would I make up something like this?! Do you think I like the idea of war?! If you don't want to take my word that the threat from Jurai is real then don't. But don't come crying to me for support when your lands and prospects are confiscated from you." He warned in a chiding tone, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.
Faint murmuring floated in the air, growing louder by the second. And to all appearances Nomaru seemed to be waiting patiently for a response but in truth he was manipulating the minds of the council, making the threat he presented seem more dire and unavoidable than what they had witnessed. Until at last a cry of "What should we do?!" rang sweetly in his perfect ears. At last I have what I need!
Nomaru opened his eyes, the neon blue orbs shimmering with power as he spoke. "Here's what we need to do." He said in a loud, victorious voice, so consumed in the outline of his plan that he failed to notice Alyssia leave the great hall, heading straight for the communication room.
This is madness! My brother has lost his mind! I have to warn Jurai! She thought in pain and fear, no longer sure her brother was who he claimed to be.
Short chapter. Next time: Just who is Misao Keiji and why does Ryan trust her? Questions? Comments? Review and let me know.