Disclaimer: "Ranma ½", "Sailor Moon", "Star Trek" and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 69
2246 CE: "The Sea of Tranquility Shipyards", Luna Sector.
With the last equipment installed aboard the Enterprise, it was time for a start-up test of the ship's engines.
On the bridge…
"Okay," Captain Robert April said, as he sat back. "Lt. Tsukino, you may begin."
"Thank you, sir," Usagi said, as her fingers began to "dance" across the panel at her station. "Yoshi, start the matrix sequence."
Ship's Engineer Lt. Yoshi Singh presses the button to his comlink near his station in Engineer.
"Beginning sequence, Usagi," said the half-Indian, half-Japanese engineer. "Energy streaming seems to holding steady."
April turns to Lt. Ranma Saotome, who was at the helm. Helm officers typically work with Engineering officers to insure ship performance.
"Are we good to go for the impulse and warp engine test?" April asks.
"We do have impulse power available, but I'd hold off in initiating the warp test for another twelve hours."
"Very well. Proceed with the impulse power test."
Ranma nods, as he begins de-clamping sequence. Being a ship's designer was neat; conducting field-testing, well, that was the fun part.
"'Starbase One', this is the Enterprise," Ranma says. Permission to de-clamp."
"Permission granted, Enterprise," came the response over the comlink between the Enterprise and Starbase One. "Good luck with your tests, Enterprise."
"Roger that, 'Starbase One, and over and OUT."
The "Constitution-class" starships are able to achieve a warp factor of TEN per hour, which allows such ship to move to the tenth power of light speed. That means that at warp ONE, the ship can travel at 186,000 miles per second at one hour; at warp ten, the ship can travel at 186,000 miles per second times the power ten (or 186,000 miles per second times itself ten times) per hour. Having said that, theoretical physics and applied physics are not always congruent. So while the Constitution-class starship can, in theory, travel at warp TEN per hour, maintaining such a speed can be taxing on the ship's physical parts. That is why Warp Ten is generally considered to be the ship's emergency speed, and even then, the speed should only be maintained in a matter of minutes only. Ranma, ever the over-achiever, developed a theory of a warp ELEVEN factor. In theory, warp ELEVEN is "infinite speed", essentially allowing a ship to essentially travel at any point in space. However, the level of technology in existence at the moment does not allow Ranma to test his theories.
"I'm getting some harmonic problems," Ranma says. "I'm compensating though…"
Meanwhile, a non-descript crewmember wanders the hub of access way behind the warp engine. She looks around, checking to see if there were others present. After making sure that she was alone, the woman opens a panel to expose some key wiring. With a grunt, her hand begins to glow. She places her glowing hand unto the wiring, shorting out the circuitry. Satisfied with her handiwork, the woman closes the panel, and leaves…
Once the Enterprise leaves space-dock, Ranma begins to plot a course to the Earth. The up-coming test would allow the Enterprise to create a sustain burse of the impulse engines, just enough for the ship to reach the mother planet within a matter of minutes.
"Alright," April says. "Prepare for 'Phase One'."
"'Phase One' commencing."
WHOOSH!
"All decks are reporting nominal activity," Usagi said. As she looked at her readings, she noticed something on the instrument panel.
"Hmmm…"
"What is it?"
"There is something off-"
"RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!" sounds the ship's computer.
"Lieutenant, report!" yells April.
"The impulse power regulators are offline!" Ranma said frantically. "Yoshi! I need the back-ups!"
No response.
"Lt. Singh, please respond," says April.
Still no response was forth coming.
"Captain, permission to investigate," Ranma says.
"Go," April replies. "Lt. Tsukino, take helm."
"Aye, sir."
Ranma places his index and middle fingers to his forehead…
ZAP!
…And reappears just outside of Engineering.
Ranma immediately taps the button for admittance.
"Computer, access code 001, Alpha. Authorization: 'Wild Horse'."
"UNABLE TO COMPLY," the ship's computer replied.
Ranma shakes his head, as he landed a solid punch on the main door…
POW!
With the doors broken into, the martial artist immediately scanned to see what was the situation. From what he could tell, toxic gas was feeling the room, which was venting from an exposed piping. Already, he was feeling the effects of the gas, but was still somewhat operational. He looked around to see Yoshi and his engineering staff flayed about. Using his great speed, Ranma ran around, and began to collect his fellow crewmembers as he went about. He rushed out to the main corridor, where Dr. April was waiting with an emergency medical team.
"Doctor, these men need help," Ranma says, as he deposits his Yoshi and the others.
"So do you, Lt. Saotome," Dr. April says, as she gave Ranma a special shot to counteract the toxins.
"Thanks, doc," Ranma says, as he pushes the emergency blast doors. "That'll help me deal with this mess."
As soon as Ranma slides under the blast door-
BOOM!
Dr. April sighs, as she administers Yoshi a shot from her medical kit.
"COUGH!"
"Easy, Lt. Singh," Dr. April says. "It's going to be okay."
"There's…there's someone in Engineering-!"
Meanwhile, Usagi was using all that she could to keep a handle on helm control.
"Sir, we are in the clutches of the Earth's gravitational field," Usagi says.
"Do what you can, Lieutenant," April says. From what Lt. Tsukino's record read, she was an expert pilot in her own right.
Usagi nods, as she applied thrusters at the appropriate times. She then thought of an idea…
"I'm rerouting all available power to the shields," Usagi says.
"How? Isn't the impulse power locked?"
"Yes, sir, which is why I need to shut down several non-essential decks…with your permission?"
"Do it."
Usagi taps into the general PA system.
"Attention: all hands on deck. Please go to the designated emergency station. I repeat: Please go to the designated emergency station."
Down in Engineering, Ranma was taking stock of the situation. An idea dawns on him.
Ranma performed a modified "Dragon Rising Ascension"; essentially, he was creating a vortex that would suck up the toxic gas. Once the gas was collected, he moved the vortex to a nearby emergency release station.
FWOOSH!
With the vents active, the gas was funneled out of Engineering.
"There," Ranma says, as he surveyed his handiwork. Unknown to Ranma, a person of interest was surveying the scene from the upper pylons…
Meanwhile, Usagi had activated the shields of the Enterprise. However, instead of merely turning the shields on full blast, she reconfigured the shields to a flatter, wider shape…
RUMBLE!
The ship began to shake, as the Enterprise smacked against the Earth's upper atmosphere. Slowly, but surely, the Enterprise began to adjust its pitch, so that the action would be similar to a piece of flint being skipped across the pond. At the last "skip", Usagi applied full thrust…and took the ship out of the Earth's atmosphere!
"Good job!" April says.
"Thanks, sir, but we need to shut down the impulse power."
Usagi tells April that if the impulse power is not shut down, it could reach critical mass.
"Ranma may need my help," Usagi says, as she locked the control on autopilot, as she disappears in the same manner that Ranma did.
ZAP!
"I wonder how she does it," April muse.
Down in Engineering…
Ranma tracked down the source of the problem: sabotage of the Impulse power control unit.
Then, his danger senses rang out…
ZAP!
Ranma ducked out of the way, turned to see the culprit. The culprit appeared to be a female crewmember, with dark hair and black eyes. Ranma performed a "See Aura" technique, which allows him to determine what he was facing. The familiarity of the aura caused Ranma to widen his eye in surprise.
"Apsu," Ranma says quietly.
Back during his days as a frequent traveler of the Rifts, Ranma, Usagi, T'Pol and Hoshi Sato had a run in with a cult that was dedicated to the resurrection of Apsu, an elder god of Babylonian lore. He and his wife Tiamat were imprisoned by their grandson Marduk, and was left behind in the sands of history. The arrival of the Rifts increased the various energies of that reality across the board, including magical energy. However, Apsu needed a lot more energy. So, on a random encounter, Usagi, having a particularly strong energy level, was kidnapped. Had Ranma and crew not track the cult down, they would have sacrificed Usagi on a bloody alter. Still, even though Usagi was rescued, the cult leader sacrificed his life to release his master. Ranma fought the Apsu in both his humanoid and god form (which was a floating, inky blob with a single alligator's eye). Ranma nearly died that day, but still emerged victorious. Unfortunately, a fragment of Apsu fell through the cracks, and would lay dormant for years until Apsu's consciousness woke within that fragment.
After Apsu arrived on Ranma's Earth, he (now she) picked bits and pieces on how to locate his foe. Her latest victim was an Enterprise staff member on leave, which allowed her to gain access to the ship. While Apsu had no problem eliminating Ranma via sabotage, doing so up close and personal made her victory all the more sweet.
"Of course, Lord Ranma," the woman says, as she lowers her right hand. "Because of YOU, you stripped me of my rank and station as a god, and consigned me to Oblivion."
She then formed an ebony blade.
"I will kill you, and your trollop, and take both of your powers for my own!"
Apsu charges forward, and takes a swipe at Ranma, who casually side steps the attack.
"What?"
"Um, I need to tell you that I've grown a lot more powerful since the last we fought, GIRL."
Energy flared around her.
"You DARE call me THAT?" Apsu yells.
"Of course, Apsu-chan," Ranma said, as he formed a "psi-sword" (an energy made from mental energy). Ranma's particular blade was a blue-colored katana, as it was his right as a member, in good standing, of the Order of the Cyber-Knights.
"Shall we?"
"Fine," Apsu said, as she suddenly jammed her fist into a nearby power conduit. "Then let us even things up."
Ranma looked at his opponent. Sure enough, her energy readings were increasing.
"Oh, boy."
Meanwhile, Usagi arrives in her room.
"Mars! Venus! I need your help."
"Why should I help you, you hussy?" Venus said, as the sword floated around Usagi. "It should be ME who should be in bed with him…not you!"
"And if that happens, your precious Ranma will be a dead-man!" Mars replied.
"Look, guys, I promise you that you can use our bodies to kiss and make up AFTER we help Ranma," Usagi said.
"Ranma needs help? Well, why didn't you SAY so?" Venus says.
Usagi rolls her eyes.
"Lead on, my Moon Princess," Mars says, as the sword fell into Usagi's hand.
Meanwhile, back in Engineering…
CLANG!
Apsu's energy boost increased her strength and stamina, but Ranma still had the advantage of speed and skill.
Man, this reminds me when I fought Perfect Cell, Ranma said, as he ducked, blocked and parried.
"YOU WILL DIE!" Apsu, who was overly muscled and huge, seethed, as her eyes and the inside of her mouth glowed…
ZAP!
"GAH!" Ranma said, as he blocked the blast. However, the force of the blast sent him backwards. Ranma did recover, only to see Apsu barrel down on him.
"YOUR TIME IS UP!"
SLICE-!
CLANG!
A floating sword had appeared in front of Apsu, forcing the former elder god back.
"WHAT?"
"Thanks, V-chan," Ranma said, as he grabbed the handle.
"Thank your dumpling-headed wife of yours," Venus replies.
"WHERE-?"
SLICE!
"GAH!" Apsu roared, as she clutched her back. She turns to see Usagi standing at the ready with Mars in hand.
"Apsu, dear," Usagi smirked. "I see that you went through a…change."
"I WILL FEAST ON YOUR BONES!"
"We'll see, we'll see. Ranchan, shall we?"
"Let's, Usako," Ranma replied.
Both Starfleet officers suddenly went "invisible speed".
SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE-!
"ARGH!"
When Ranma and Usagi reappeared, Apsu was a bloody mess. Still undaunted, Apsu rose back to her feet.
"YOU…SHALL…NEVER…WIN!"
Apsu began to glow furiously now, as her aura began to shake apart the instruments within Engineering.
"IF I HAVE TO DIE, I'LL TAKE YOU WITH ME-!"
Ranma threw his sword into Apsu's body.
CHUK!
Usagi then raised her own sword in the air. With Venus embedded in Apsu's body, Mars was used to draw out Apsu's energy. Within minutes, Apsu's essence was fully absorbed by Mars and Venus respectively, thus fulfilling their edicts as Rune weapons.
Ranma willed Venus back into his hand.
"That's that," Ranma says, as Usagi checked out Apsu's body.
"Ranma, she's alive."
Ranma went for his sword, but then stopped for a moment.
"Usagi, I have an idea…"
A week later…
"Thank you for your patronage at 'Starbucks'," said Apple Sue, as she handed Ranma his cappuccino mocha with a smile. There was a Starbucks on Starbase One.
"Thanks," Ranma said, as he took a sip. "Good coffee."
"Thank you sir!"
Ranma goes over to his seat. With the repairs out of the way, the Enterprise is ready to go on to its first shakedown cruise.
"Here ya go," Ranma says, as he handed Usagi her cup of specialty coffee.
"Thanks," Usagi says. "You think 'Apple Sue' will be alright?"
"Well, between the two of us, that 'lobotomy' of hers should hold."
"And if doesn't?"
"What can she do? Apsu is, as far as everyone is concerned, is one hundred percent HUMAN."
"Oh. Say, Aiko called the other day."
"Oh?" Ranma said, as he looks up.
"Yeah. She said that she wants us to meet her new boyfriend. John Sheridan, I believe his name is."
"I think we met him after the latest Dalai Lama was named to his present post."
"That's correct. So, we should meet Aiko and John before we ship out. I still can't believe she rather be known as 'Anna'."
"Beats me. She probably gets her stubborn streak from YOU."
"Feh, speak for yourself, my dear."
And that was that.
Fin.
Next time: We take a look at the "Pike Years". See you next time!