First of all, I want to clarify that this is a fanfic adaptation work mixing with the pulp comics series "Captain Future", from1940 Edmond Hamilton and the Japanese anime version from 1979. The main characters have been replaced by their equivalent from oh my goddess and the two universes have been mixed even if the shading remains about 85% of that of the original novels by Hamilton. This is a work of adaptation, modernization (at 1940, it starts to date a little) and a merge with the ah my goddess universe. Some chapters have been adapted and their fate and the role of some characters have been changed. I think I did a pretty good job overall and hope you will enjoy reading it. Besides Edmond Hamilton, I particularly thank Kosuke Fujishima for his work "ah my goddess." For this fanfic I want to explain that nothing would have been possible without the beta reading of "Nena Camadera" and "Hotspot the 626th", I therefore thank them with all my heart. I also thank all those who worked on the series "Captain Flam", which is the French adaptation of the anime series "Captain Future" inspired by the work of Hamilton.
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02) Prison in the Sea of Fire
"Why didn't he kill us? He could have killed us easily." Skuld said aloud.
"She's right. This guy did not spare us by arrogance or through the kindness of his heart." Urd said.
After several hours of thinking, Keiichi reached a deduction.
"This is a modification of the oscillatory motion of atoms." he declared.
"Bravo. By modifying the oscillation of the atoms that make up a material, he can pass through objects. I think this is the only possible explanation. I do not see any others." Professor Megumi nodded.
"That explains why we're still alive. If he had tried to kill us, we would have been forced to defend ourselves and a weakness might have been discovered, "said Keiichi.
"I don't understand. Can you explain to me how a man can pass through a wall?" Sen asked Urd.
Before she had a chance to respond, Skuld intervened. "For this kind of problem you can address me." She explained, "I have an electronic brain; therefore, I can answer everything.
"Now imagine an atom is a small universe. At its center is one nucleus surrounded by electrons. Now suppose this nucleus is the size of a ball and the ball is in the middle of a baseball stadium with electrons, acting as players, running around the nucleus. It leaves a lot of empty space on the ground. Enough for another atom and another team to be in the stadium as well. The wall is composed with a lot of atoms, like the body of the Emperor. So it is a lot of "stadium", enough for the human body can pass through the wall. Simple as that. So, in the future, when you have a difficult question, don't tire yourself out asking the gumdrop over there." Skuld said, a robotic mini Banpei on her shoulder nodding in agreement.
"Did you just call me a gumdrop, Tincan?" Urd asked angrily, while a mini Sigel blob perched on her shoulder cast a dark look at Banpei.
"Did I hear right? You said Tincan?"
"I could have said old trash."
"And degenerated elastic to you."
"Old rotten scrap heap"
"Oh no, they're fighting." Sighed Sen.
The next day, as the sun rose over Deneph, the boy found himself watching the magma eruptions that covered a large area of the surrounding landscape.
"Look, it's like the sea is on fire."
"But that's just it, my little Sen. It is a sea that is perpetually on fire." Explained Skuld.
Meanwhile, Urd had changed her appearance to mimic the green people.
"This is perfect. The Denepheans will think you are a compatriot." said Keiichi.
Her ability to disguise herself was Urd's main infiltraition asset, but that was not all.
Indeed, assuming the appearance of a Denephean was not enough. She needed to study the people's history, their customs, how they dress, the ways they communicate, facial expressions, how to walk, move, behave etc...She had studied the "Space Goddess" database and had developed her Denephean "character" throughout the night. With her capacity for mimicry, which comprised of both her ability to adapt her body language and thought patterns as well as her physical appearance, Urd was ready for the infiltraition.
"I hope it will be worth it." Urd grumbled. "The Denepheans are not to my taste. They don't even drink alcohol." The woman sighed.
"If you do a good job, I promise you I'll get you a bottle of whatever you want." Her brother compromised, stroking her head comfortingly.
"Be careful making those kinds of promises, I could get used to them".
The Denepheans, like most intelligent species of the galaxy looked Human (although one could say Humans resembled Denepheans). The only notable differences were their greenish skin, yellow eyes and elongated ears. They were the first alien race encountered by Humans since they had begun to explore the space.
In the 21st century, it was estimated that the probability of aliens, if they existed, resembling Humans, was virtually nil. Evolution was a long and complex phenomenon, after all, which led to very different results.
This theory, although seemingly reasonable, did not change the fact that: most intelligent races of the galaxy had two arms, two legs, a nose, a mouth, two eyes, ears... Of course, there are still some differences. Number of fingers, genitals, skin thickness, shell, color, shape of the skull, teeth etc...
It was a generality, not a requirement. The giant spiders on the planet Ti for example, which resembled large terrestrial tarantulas, had absolutely nothing in common with humans. They were fully arachnoid. Despite their frightening appearance to Humans, they were known for their extremely polite and cheerful attitude. Innocent arboreal creatures feeding exclusively on fruits, though they had mastered space travel.
Other examples could be mentioned, such as crawling crystal Voleem or the people of Rigel which Sigel was a representative. Protoplasmic lifeforms whose size and intelligence grew slowly but steadily with time.
"I still have to stay here for the moment." sighed Skuld.
"Do not worry, the Space Emperor will soon appear." Said Sen.
oOo
Keiichi and Urd arrived in town shortly thereafter.
"I think it is better to part now. I will first go to Eiri, the planetary governor," said the Captain.
Keiichi and the "Strip" parted quietly in a corner.
Jovopolis, the human capital of Deneph, looked like a futuristic version of the old Wild West of Earth. The colonists had adopted a lifestyle similar to what it resembled, however with a far superior technology. The original inhabitants, the Denepheans, whose skin was green, also lived here but they were comparable to Mexicans of the former Far-west: poor, treated like second-class citizens by a lot of people. They wandered about aimlessly, without any sense of purpose or direction.
While on his way to the governor, Captain Keiichi saw a man staggering out of a bar. At first he just thought that the man was drunk, but he quickly changed his mind.
"De-evolution." He muttered.
Indeed, the bestial face of the man left no room for doubt about his mental state. He had been able to control himself so far but the species devolution phenomenon was surpassing his will, and the doubled, crazy eyes of blind aggression had just seized him brutally.
Passerbys fled in terror. All except a little boy who stumbled while the monster, seized with a primal rage, approached the fallen youth. Immediately Keiichi rushed to save the child, only for another to intervene.
A woman with brown hair dressed in an orange jumpsuit was already confronting the monster. With a skillful judo hold she brought the creature down, knocking him out in the process.
A security officer arrived on scene, and immediately the woman took charge. "Quickly, call a Helicare for transport. We cannot simply leave him here; he must be brought to Dr. Bright." She instructed.
Soon after, a flying vehicle abbreviated with the Red Cross carried the prehistoric man away.
oOo
Meanwhile, Urd had found a Denephean sitting on the ground near the bar's exit. Seeing a potential target, she first tried to exercise her natural charm on the individual. "Beautiful day isn't it?"
The Denephean did not answer, merely staring off into space.
"Well, if they're all as talkative as him..." Urd sighed.
oOo
The governor's mansion was nestled in a huge park of teeming ferns trees and shrubs. It was a large rectangular structure, built with gleaming metal like the rest of the city of Humans, its large and numerous windows all illuminated.
Keiichi silently crossed the dark orchard located at the entrance. Bright rays of the three moons brushed the leaves of trees and gigantic, determined ferns gently brushed his face. The scent of flowers was almost overwhelming it was so powerful. High in the sky hovered moon bats, strange and iridescent winged Denepheans cratures which only manifested when one or more moons appeared in the sky.
He approached stealthily from a wing of the large terrace. Quietly, Captain Keiichi moved towards an open window that let out the white and pale light of a powerful uranite bulb. He scrupulously observed inside the office and immediately recognized the Governor of the Human colony, according to the President's description. She was deep in conversation with the woman from earlier.
"No, I'm sorry but you can not. Besides Dr. Bright needs rest. It doesn't surprise me, given the fact that this hospital was a former prison." The woman said.
"Oh yes. I know, but unfortunately we lack the financial means to build a proper hospital." replied the governor. The woman in question, Eiri was a pretty young woman with long black hair. She closely resembled Sayoko, except for a pair of glasses that rested on her nose.
It should be noted that medicine has made great progress and today glasses no longer held the same function as on Earth in the 21st century. They were not used to correct problems of sight, but to display information on the glass in the manner of a computer terminal.
In this age of space exploration, talented young people could quickly find themselves in important positions, even if they lacked experience, whereas a few centuries earlier, such accomplishments would have required a whole working life. Thus young women not even 30 years old could become president of Earth, or a planetary governor. Captain Keiichi was a prime example.
"It is no more a question of money than of Human dignitiy. We cannot continue as we are now. We must discover the cause of this disease as soon as possible."
"I'll take care of it." Keiichi intervened.
"Who are you?" Eiri gaped "How did you get in here?".
Keiichi then showed his letters of accreditation.
"Captain Keiichi!" Exclaimed the woman in the orange suit.
Meanwhile, Urd was trying an alternate method of approach with the Denepheans.
She had wandered out of a bar in a faux rush, deliberately knocking into a sinister-looking individual.
The man, a real "desperado" of the Wild West, was delighted to have the opportunity to exercise his predjudice on his haphazard victim with what would have been a painful barfight, to anyone observing.
After allowing herself to be "pummeled" and offering very little resistance (thanks to her physiology as a shapeshifter, Urd was almost immune to punches with human strenght), the woman laid still a few minutes, waiting and watching as she nursed her apparent "injuries".
Her plan worked. A Denephean, who'd watched the scene, approached to offer some assistance.
"Do not be afraid. I'm Reemook and I work under the Space Emperor," he said softly.
"I beg you, take me with you. I can not stay here alone." Urd moaned. "The Humans are arrogant, and stupid. I swear at times I want really to strangle them." The woman relied on her natural charismatic abilities to gain an opening with the native, smiling inwardly when Reemook nodded in agreement.
"Then come with me."
In the governor's office, several people were gathered in the presence of Captain Keiichi.
"Allow me to make some introductions. Mister Brewer and Cannig are old friends of mine, and Director and Deputy Director of the company Brewer & Co which is the largest element manufacturing factory on the planet." Explained the governor.
Brewer was a man of medium height and average build. An aging man who was steadily losing what gray hair he had left, his bald head was surrounded by a ring of thinning ring of short, silver hair that matched his mustache.
Meanwhile Cannig was a red-haired man with curly hair, approaching fifty. His face was severe, and the shape of his mouth gave the impression that he was in a bad mood.
"And finally, Miss Valerie Halburn, my assistant and deputy governor," concludes Eiri.
Valerie Halburn was the only woman among the three. She was about the same age as Keiichi. There was nothing particular to say otherwise, except she was rather pretty, despite something indefinable, and seductive at the same time on her face.
"Excuse me Miss, but you really seem to me very young to occupy such a high position" asked the Captain.
Halburn took a deep breath before answering. "I would point out that you are yourself very young, Captain," the woman replied irritably, "for having accomplished that entire rumor tells you accomplished."
"Yes, Miss Halburn is a somewhat special case. She received the best marks in management and political science from the Deneph Academy, which allowed her to directly obtain this position for a period of three years renewable." Explained Eiri.
After the presentations, the governor continued her explanations.
"The first victims of the devolution worked for the company of Mister Brewer and Cannig."
"The Deneph men also work for us, but oddly this disease seems to only affect Humans." Declared Director Brewer.
"50% of our employees are apes-men as of today. 10% have regressed to the stage of rat-men" added Deputy Director Cannig.
"We are overwhelmed by the number of patients. The cells of the central prison were converted into a hospital room." Finished the nameless young woman in the orange outfit.
"The first cases were radium prospectors," continued Eiri. "They came out of the jungle already transformed into ape-like creatures. Since then, it's gotten to the point where people are being reported daily. Most cases are from the factory, but reports are steadily growing from Jovopolis and by others elsewhere." told Eiri.
"We are at a completely lost on the causes of this terrible disease," said her assistant, in a desperate tone.
"As for this de-evolution situation, it is not a disease, but a deliberate phenomenon. I'll get the medical cause with Professor Megumi" reassured Captain Keiichi.
"What? Megumi? The famous Professor Megumi? The scholar?" Asked Cannig.
"I do not understand. I was told she was only a brain now." Said Director Brewer.
"Indeed, but she is a well-respected member of my team. Although, Governor, I have a question for you about my trip. I'm guessing our president warned you I was coming on Deneph. Who else was told?" Asked Keiichi.
"Well... ".
"Probably Miss Halburn who told Mr. Brewer and Mr. Cannig?"
"Of course."
"Did you tell anyone else?"
"We all knew it was imperative to keep it secret." Halburn intervened.
"Perfect. Now I must visit the hospital center. Could someone take me there?"
"We've converted our colonial prison into an emergency hospital for security reasons with the de-evolution phenomenon. Only the prison could accommodate the victims of this disease." explained the governor.
"I will gladly show you, Captain Keiichi." Replied the woman in the orange suit.
"Thank you very much, but I realize that we have not been introduced, Miss…?"
"Landor. Belldandy Landor, but my friends call me Bell" said the woman with chestnut hair.
"I'd like a report on the events that have occurred since my arrival. Goodbye." With a nod the Captain and Belldandy departed the office.
oOo
"So you think one of them could be the "Space Emperor" you mentioned?"
"Yes. Or at least that one of them works for him. Anyway, the Emperor was warned of my arrival and only those people knew. Which means it must be one of them; however, which one?" Keiichi explained.
"Then why not get them to arrest and submit them to questioning?" Asked Bell, "It would be justified under the circumstances."
"I cannot simply ask to arrest the planetary governor, vice governor, the director of the largest production facility in the planet and his deputy on simple presumptions. Without even addressing the moral aspect, I can not imagine the political scandal that would follow. Finally, perhaps none of them are the Emperor but instead one of his agents. This would diminish the valut of their capture and only increase problems down the road. On top of that, there is still the chance that none of them are associated with the Emperor, and that the man instead has a sophisticated spy machine somewhere from which he learned of my arrival." Explained Keiichi.
"I doubt any of those people are traitors." Belldandy sighed.
"Anything is possible, unfortunately."
"I know that anything is possible. The proof in that is your existence. You're our role model, our hope. For us Humans, you are the embodiment of courage, wisdom, power…" The woman stated dreamily.
"Oh, miss , all these compliments , it's too much of an honor . A little more and you will make me an angel. I can not accept compliments as disproportionate . " replied Keiichi who had heard worse. At least Belldandy seemed sincere , maybe a little naive in his praise .
"You represent a lot of more than that. You are an example for all Humans."
"That's kind of you, Miss, but I think you're exaggerating."
"Oh, I would prefer you to call me Bell." Belldandy replied, blushing.
"With pleasure. Bell."
Chemistry began to blossom between Captain Keiichi and Officer Belldandy.
"She looks like my mother when she was her age," thought the boy.
Flashback…
It was a long time ago. A young man had fallen in love with a woman who'd resembled Belldandy. Her name was Takano and his was Keima. They married and gone to work on a space station orbiting the moon.
There, they adopted Megumi, a brilliant orphan with an unparalleled genius.
The three of them managed to develop a robot of incomparable technological perfection. The robot's intellect was created through a revolutionary process which allowed it to copy the electrochemical structure of a human brain on an improved Informatic support with a force equivalent of thirty men. As the robot resembled a young woman, the couple considered her as their second child. They named the robot "Skuld".
They then created a synthetic life based on their DNA, they named Urd, which benefited from the latest advances in genetics and molecular biology and they regarded her too as their own daughter. Urd was therefore little sister Skuld, although she appeared older, since her body was that of an adult.
And of course, they also bore a child normally, whom they named Keiichi
Unfortunately, this peaceful life ended tragically.
-
A terrible accident occurred on the station, forcing it to crash on the moon's surface. Keima was killed and Takano and Megumi seriously injured.
With the help of Urd and Skuld especially, Megumi was in time to transplant her brain into a small, ultra-sophisticated flying vehicle developed to help the disabled. Once little more than a floating brain with tiny mechanical arms and lasers, Megumi was now regarded as a kind of immortal spirit, having transcended the pleasures of the flesh and completely devoted herself to scientific research.
Takano alas, was not so lucky. Still pregnant with Keiichi at the time, she had just given birth to him before forcing her extended family into a promise to care for him with her last breath.
"We will take care of Keiichi, and protect him!" cried the brain.
"Do not take him on Earth," she whispered. "People there would take him from you. They would say that it is wrong to allow a human child to be raised by a brain, a robot and a genetically altered life form. Keep him here on the moon, until he becomes a man."
"We will," promised Megumi. "Skuld, Urd and I will raise him here safely."
The woman's hands rose slightly and touched the cheek of the crying child. In her dying eyes appeared a mournful expression of loss.
"I wish to see little Keiichi became a man," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "A man the likes of which the Cosmos has never seen before."
And so, Takano Morisato died. Her son was abandoned in the solitude of the lunar laboratory in the company of a brain, a robot and a polymorphous woman.
Megumi Morisato, Skuld and Urd kept their promises in the years that followed. They raised their little brother Keiichi and his three inhuman guardians gave the growing child an education the likes of which no man had ever received before.
The brain, with its unrivaled scientific knowledge, supervised the boy's education. It was the brain which instructed Keiichi Morisato in each scientific discipline, making him a versatile scientist with extensive knowledge in astrophysics, biology, chemistry and physics.
The robot instilled in the boy any technical know-how and practical knowledge. How to do more with less.
The shapeshifter took charge of physical education, teaching the child to master all kinds of martial arts, and instructing him in exercises meant to develop flexibility and a strong sense of balance. She also showed him everything a parent would have shown her child in terms of experience of youth. Cycling in low gravity, laughing at a good joke, enjoying a picnic, etc...
The child was surrounded with a family dedicated to providing as normal a childhood as possible for the boy. Christmas and holidays were spnet meeting friends his own age, with Urd passing for his mother to avoid suspicion.
The three took turns reading to him beautiful stories at night, bathing him etc. They were his guardians, but they were primarily his FAMILY and his SISTERS. Megumi was the adopted daughter of Keima and Takano, Skuld had inherited their mind, and Urd came from their flesh and blood.
The strangest family in the galaxy, but a happy one none the less.
And when he was older, Keiichi began secret trips through the solar system, to start, and then to nearby stars and then throughout the galaxy in the extraordinary little ship that Megumi, Skuld and Keiichi himself had designed and built. The familly secretly visited hundreds of worlds and so he came to know not only the Earth colonies of each planet, but also many unexplored planets, both wild and desolate. And he visited satellites and asteroids on which no other man had ever ventured before.
As it was Keiichi who decided the destinations most of the time, his sisters slowly fell into the habit of calling him "Captain" rather than "Little Brother", "Bro" or other sibling nicknames. For them, it was a small emotional word rather than actual title. Keiichi was not really a graded "Captain" in the military sense of the term.
The boy also learned to piloting smaller vessels with Urd and Skuld. Skuld taught him various driving methods, while Urd introduced him to the more dangerous sport of racing in meteorite fields. One of his sister's favorite games that Keiichi quickly gained a passion for.
There too was Mini Banpei, a small robot less sophisticated than Skuld, who was constantly at the girl's side, and Sigel, a protoplasmic life from Rigel, who was Urd's adoptive daughter.
Then, when the time came for him to decide what to do with his life, Megumi spoke up. "We have nothing to teach you now. It is time for you to make a decision that we cannot make for you. You can lead a quiet life, like everyone else. Or put all your talents in the service of humanity. It's up to you."
"If I had an ordinary family, growing up on Earth or on another, I would surely choose to live an ordinary life. Right now I'd probably be a student working on his small spaceship as a hobby. I would hopefully have a girlfriend and or someone pretty and nice that would stay with me forever. I would surely participate in "Cosmolem Racing," and I'd be happy as well. I've been thinking and I very seriously considered it. But you are not an ordinary family, and I have not led an ordinary childhood. You showed me an amazing life and made me an extraordinary man. I will devote myself to exploring space, science and many other things, and above all, I will do everything in my power to help others, so they can carry, like me, the life they choose to live."
Thus Captain Keiichi was born.
"CHIHIRO?!" Exclaimed the boy.
"Sorry?" Belldandy asked.
"I seem to have heard the voice of one of my old friends. She's in charge of interplanetary patrols."
"Oh yes. You mean Chihiro Fujimi."
Recognizing the voice, Keiichi and Belldandy walked into a bar.
"You remember me, I suppose, eh Solitary?" Asked a woman older than Keiichi by of some years, to an individual seated at the bar.
The individual in question was the sinister man who had brutalized Urd earlier that day. "How could I forget you? Because of you I spent 5 years in prison." The man grumbled.
"If you have such a good memory, then you still remember that you are not welcome on this planet for your past actions. You are forbidden from entering this part of the galaxy for another three years." Said Chihiro. She offered the man a drink before adding in a colder tone, "You end at this glass and then you take the next rocket off this planet."
The man drank a few sips from the glass that Chihiro gave him...then jumped on the bar table and drew his pistols, ready to shoot the Colonel.
However, he does not have time to shoot, as Keiichi shot the weapon out of the aggressor's hand.
"Captain Keiichi? Here?" The man took a puff of his cigarette casually, hiding the deadly panic beneath.
Keiichi fired twice on the cigarette, each shot shortening its length as the ray drew closer and closer to the individual's face. "Did you not understand what the Colonel just said?" Keiichi asked, voice polite but firm. "You're leaving the planet right now".
"Okay, okay." Said the man, leaving the bar accompanied by two sidekicks.
"I am very happy to see you Keiichi, but you know, I could disarm him myself. It would not be the first time." Chihiro said, shaking the hand of her longtime friend.
"I do not doubt it, but I prefer not to take any chances."
"Sure, but what are you doing on this planet? Were you called here?"
The conversation was suddenly interrupted by a cry from outside. The man, whom Chihiro had called "Solitary", already fallen to ill luck after running into Chihiro and Captain Keiichi, was struck by an even worse fate upon leaving the bar. Immediately he began exhibiting symptoms of de-evolution, as those around him watched on in horror.
Urd and Reemook, who also witnessed the scene, began talking.
"The curse of Ancients spreads quickly," Reemook said gravely to Urd.
Urd was surprised. What did he mean by the curse of the Ancients?
She knew, from the multiple reports to aid her cover before beginning her mission, that Denepheans believed in a wonderful and mysterious set of ruins in the middle of the jungle. They'd once been the cities of a Denephean race of demigods known as the Ancients. But what does this legend had to do with the devolution of humanity?
Urd decided to take a small risk. She had to find out what Reemook knew about the Space Emperor, and for this reason she ventured to make a statement (after all she could always "convince" Reemook to speak, by more brutal means, or knock him out and replace him. The methods to cope with the situation were not lacking.)
"Our shadowy guide told us the truth", said Urd seriously looking Reemook.
The round eyes of Denephean expressed surprise.
"So you too, in the villages of the East, have seen and heard the Living Ancient? He appeared to you like us? "(Urd had claimed to be called Zhill and come from a village to the east. Her study of the history of the planet clearly indicated that the many tribes of native Deneph were very secluded).
"The Living Ancient? So that was what the Denepheans called the Space Emperor?" Urd wondered what that name meant.
"Yes, it seems so,", she told Reemook. "He also brought us his message."
That could mean almost anything, thought Urd. Nevertheless, she was stunned to learn that the Space Emperor was called the Living Ancient. Was it possible that their enemy was a Denephean?
"Then you too will be ready to fight when the Living Ancient gives the order?" Reemook questioned.
A Denephean revolt against Humans? Was that the purpose of the gigantic plot of this mysterious Space Emperor? But how such an attack could have an hope of success? Their weapons were very rudimentary. And how this terrifying epidemic disease was she connected to this? Thoughts surged rapidly in the head of the shapeshifter. Yet she did not hesitate to answer Reemook.
"I cannot commit myself to anyone else, but I know I can say that many of us will be ready when the order comes," she said fervently to Reemook.
"Good!" Murmured the Denephean. "And the order will arrive soon. The Curse of the Ancients is growing every day against the Humans, reducing more and more of them into mindless beasts. Soon the Living Ancient will give us the order."
Urd thought quickly and then spoke with the same fervor. "I have to give news of our preparation to the Living Ancient," she told Reemook. "He asked us to keep him informed. But I do not know where to find our powerful guide."
"The Living Ancient will appear tomorrow evening in a place close to my village," told Reemook in a whisper. "In the Place of the Dead."
"I know," Urd lied (she was expert in the field). "But how can I expect to find it when I do not know the area? I've never been as close to the Sea of Fire before."
"You'll have no trouble finding it because we'll take you with us there." Reemook reassured her. "We leave for the north now, and you can come with us. In two nights you will be at the Place of the Dead with us, and you can deliver your message to our leader when he appears."
Urd thanked him immensely. Apparently Reemook had accepted the lone 'Denephean' as a kindred spirit.
"We're leaving now; our mission is accomplished here. Our "Straddle" are waiting in the jungle behind the city. "
Urd accompanied the Denephean through disreputable and noisy roads in the interplanetary colonial city. There they left the metal Jovopolis streets unmolested and crossed the road which joined the large fields of Terrain wheat.
The thoughts of the shapeshifter raced. She had to tell Keiichi what she'd learned and where she was going. But with Reemook so close to her she did not dare use the communicator hidden beneath her skin. The disguised woman and Denephean bolted down streets lit by the remaining two moons in the sky. Soon they reached the edge of the wheat field, and entered the jungle under a clear moon.
At the entrance of the jungle were three Denephean "straddle", so named by their odd frames. The "straddle" were large lizard-like creatures, their elongated bodies borne by four arched legs that allow them to run at incredible speed. Their long reptilian necks ended in snakeheads whose toothless maws which held leather reins by which the rider controlled his mount.
"Fortunately we have three "Straddle" available." Said Reemook to the Denephean who had waited with animals. He then looked to Urd, "Jump, Zhil!"
Urd had never before ridden such a lizard-like creature. Yet the woman, who feared neither man nor god nor demon, jumped into the rudimentary saddle skin without hesitation. The creature turned its head toward her and hissed angrily, its little eyes flashing like red lightning. Urd ignored it, instead looking to the other Denepheans and watching as they kicked their steeds into submission. Quickly she followed suit, and the giant lizard ceased its hissing.
"Now to the north!" Reemook cried in a low, deep voice, and he gave a loud shout.
The next moment, Urd released a cry of joy as the creature exploded forward. What a fantastic ride. Quite the kind of excitement she adored, like an old youthful desire which had finally been fulfilled.
oOo
Sometime later, the "Space Goddess" came to the prison hospital in the center of the sea of fire. It was protected from the molten lava by a force field that could only be opened or closed for vessel transport. The prison was built on a rock amidst the sea of fire. In many ways it was similar to the former Alcatraz prison on Earth, which had been reopened in the last century. Alcatraz was surrounded by a sea of water too cold for a possible escapee to survive for more than a few minutes. On Deneph, the prison was surrounded by a hot, molten lava sea for which a man could survive no more than one second. And even if it was possible to swim in, the nearest edge was located more than 500 kilometers away; an impossible distance to cover. It was a very high security prison.
"It's like being in hell. How was the sea of fire formed?" Asked Sen.
"Millions of years ago, magma erupted in this area for unknown reasons." Answered Skuld.
"This is horrible place to build a hospital." Keiichi noted.
"For a hospital perhaps, but I will point out that for the longest time it was a prison." Megumi retorted.
"Urd should contact us any second now, so be prepared to intervene."
Belldandy and Keiichi went up on the ""Beemerlem", a small ship class "Cosmolem" Keiichi had modified, that was stored in the back of the "Space Goddess" for travel in the atmosphere of planets.
"The next eruption is expected to occur in a few minutes from a point of 15 kilometers south-southwest. Try to act accordingly," explained Belldandy.
"South-southwest, no problem." Replied Skuld.
As they approached the "hospital" Belldandy spoke again. "It is forbidden to open the shield for over one minute, it's too dangerous."
Prison staff opened the screen for 20 seconds to allow the "Beemerlem" to land on the landing pad.
"The degree of de-evolution differs among individuals. The most violent and most dangerous cases are interned in the basement," Bell explained as she and Captain Keiichi exited the vessel, a prison officer guiding them to the victims in question.
oOo
Meanwhile, the operator responsible for opening and closing the prison shield received a very unpleasant visit.
"Who are you?!"
"The Space Emperor." answered the man.
"Why are you here?" asked the agent who was not satisfied with this and began to worry.
"I just fill my share of the contract with the Denepheans" replied the man before shooting the operator.
oOo
"This is absolutely monstrous. It is an abomination. I will find the Space Emperor and I will send him to prison forever." Keiichi said, revolted by his visit before adding. "I need to take one prehistoric man back with me to conduct various examinations with Megumi and Skuld."
"All right, I'll talk to the director," said Bell, opening the door… Or at least, attempting to open it.
The Space Emperor had destroyed several control panels from the hospital control room and now the door to the upper floors was closed while the cells where the violent ape-men resided slid open.
Keiichi and Belldandy were very quickly faced with a horde of ape-men and several rat-men.
oOo
The three ran at a breakneck speed through the jungle, along a dimly lit path through moons. Their speed was disconcerting, yet the movement was so flexible that Urd had no trouble adjusting.
Reemook and the other Denephean encircled her. She therefore had no opportunity to call Captain Keiichi with her communicator, and the shapeshifter was forced to give up the idea until she could find someplace private.
"It's a long trip, but we should be with my people tomorrow night, and you'll be able to join us to go to the Place of the Dead." Said Reemook.
"I look forward to seeing the Living Ancient" Urd replied, realizing she was in fact excited to see the Space Emporer. It was merely that her reasons differed from those of her colleagues.
The dark paths of the jungle, dimly lit by the moons were oppressive and wild. Huge tree ferns spread their massive trunks and varnish on almost three hundred meters high. Large rigid trees were dominated by almost as many bushes. Slender, copper trees whose fiberous bark bore the metal they were named after glowed in the light of moons.
Vine-snakes swung wildly, clinging to large trunks and blindly assaulting the three "straddle" that passed through their territory. Sucking flies darted through the air and fatal brain ticks were visible on the leaves. Somewhere in the jungle a bird-mermaid charmed its prey by a strange, whistling song. Occasionally they caught glimpses of octopus trees fluttering in the foliage, their flesh blending with the foliage and as silent as ghosts.
Urd enjoyed that nocturnal and wild ride through the Denephean jungle. Unlike many others, the shapeshifter was at ease in the alien surroundings, having long ago allowed herself to take things as they came into her life. This was no exception, and one she could appreciate all the same with the vast amount of foreign activity that surrounded her.
She had fought through the red and blinding sand storms in the deserts of Mars. She'd swam in poisoned Acturians swamps and fallen into the gigantic abyssal mountains of Vorean. She'd even crested the dangerous floes on Sigoon, and so rarely did she question the near future.
But now the need to report to Captain Keiichi weighed heavily on her conscience. Several hours of ceaseless cavalcade had passed without an opportunity to use her communicator. Always one of the two Denepheans was at her side.
Finally, Reemook tugged on his reins and as the "Straddle" gently slowed, the others did the same. "We will stop here for the night to eat allow the straddles to rest. We will leave at dawn tomorrow." Reemook announced.
They came down from the saddle, and the three lizard like-creatures stretched out on the soft black soil of the small clearing.
"I'll get us something to eat," said Reemook as he plunged into the jungle.
The other Denephean moved to check the straps on their mounts. Seeing her chance, Urd moved a distance away from the Denphean and crouched down, looking as they she was relaxing in the clearing. She then went to her communicator, which she'd disguised as a simple watch.
She touched the call buttons anxiously. She was not sure that the little instrument, originally intended for short distances, could reach Jovopolis. Tense, she waited for the response signal.
There was no answer. Urd felt a ball of despair swell in her chest, an almost unknown feeling given her determined and fierce nature. Again she pushed the button, persistently searching for a response.
Finally, after several failed attempts to reached Keiichi a weak response signal arose from the small instrument. Her call signal had been received.
"This is Urd, to the unit," she whispered, tense. "I am with two Denepheans up north. The Space Emperor must be..."
A shadow fell to the floor before the clear moons. And a deep voice boomed, "What are you doing?"
The shapeshifter turned quickly. Behind her stood Reemook, his arms filled with shiny fruit. He observed Urd, his eyes expressed suspicion.
oOo
Meanwhile, in the prison, Keiichi and Bell tried to get out of a situation that was quickly growing strained.
Of course, Keiichi had considered using his communicator to contact Skuld, but like Urd the small device was not powerful enough to transmit through the magmatic activity around the prison hospital.
"Try to force the door!" Keiichi ordered.
"With a Proton gun? It will take too long; the ape-men will have time to join us." Retorted Belldandy.
"I'll handle it."
It was at that time an Ape-man jumped on them but Keiichi shot him. The monster collapsed.
"You k-killed him!?" Belldandy cried in horror.
"Of course not, he's just stunned. Now drill through that door please." Keiichi said politely, maintaining his sense of calm throughout the stressful situation.
However, their troubles were far from over. Having already imprisoned Keiichi and Belldandy in the lower levels of the prison with the ape men, the Emperor next lowered the screen protecting the prison from the sea of fire. "Farewell Captain Keiichi. And good luck." He said with a devilish laugh before disappearing into the floor."
While piercing the door, Belldandy noticed an ape-man who had managed to get past Keiichi. Reflexively, she shot it, grazing the man's leg and knocking him to the floor.
"Nice shot." Complimented Keiichi.
"I'd like to point out that I'm a government agent."
"I'd guessed. I saw you in action this morning in the street."
Bell finished drilling through the door. The duo had just reached the boarding area when the energy screen disappeared. Lava immediately began to hit the prison, endangering the ape-men, caregivers within. Although they could have easily escaped, Keiichi and Bell could not abandon these people to their fate. So instead they headed down to the control room.
Skuld, meanwhile, had noticed that something amiss, witnessing the lava jets strike the prison while the protective fields was inactive. She had brought the "Space Goddess" to protect the prison from the worst eruptions.
Keiichi was busily repairing the badly destroyed panels with a worried look. Belldandy watched him silently, her expression impressed. Heat and vibration made it's a very difficult job.
"It's not safe to stay here, Bell." Keiichi said, "Get out of here, return to the "Space Goddess"".
"But what about you?"
"Me? I have no right to flee and abandon the staff and patients." The man growled in frustration. "I need to connect this circuit, but I can not. If only Skuld was here."
"But I am here Captain," said Skuld who had just arrived in the room, having no reason to stay in the spaceship and wait while her brother was in trouble.
"SKULD!" Keiichi and Belldandy cried together.
"I thought something was wrong, so I came."
With her embedded tools, comprehensive technical knowledge and extreme precision, Skuld managed to reconnect the circuit and activate the shield before the lava began invading the innermost depths of the prison.
Keiichi and Belldandy escaped with just a few minor burns. No casualties, outside the operator killed, were reported.
The operator was dead and could no longer answer any questions but Keiichi looked in the archives of the computer's control panel to carry out some checks.
"Curious," he said after consulting the files.
An ape-man was taken to the "Space Goddess" for analysis.
"Megumi, Skuld, after our arrival, and during the whole time I was in prison, did you noticed any other spaceship?" Asked Keiichi.
"No, why?" replied the professor Megumi.
"Weird. I reviewed the surveillance video and computer files of the prison hospital. The videos show that the Space Emperor was here and that it is he who had trapped us. However, no ship has come to or left the prison. So where did the Space Emperor come from?"
"He must have crossed the sea of fire with his intangibility system." Suggested Megumi.
"I've thought so too, but I doubt it. My meeting with the governor was less than two hours ago. Yet the Emperor knew where I was going. How could he cross the sea of fire in such a short time? The intangibility would not increase his speed and I doubt he came on foot. The nearest border is more than 500 kilometers away. So where did he come from?"
"Curious indeed." Admitted Skuld.
"What about Urd? Has she called you?" Asked Keiichi.
"She tried to join but before she could convey her message, the communication was cut off. You made a mistake. You should not have entrusted this task to the gumdrop" replied Skuld.
"Yes, maybe I should never have sent one of our own to the enemy." Keiichi sighed with remorse.
At that time, a buzzer sounded and Urd appeared on the screen, unscathed.
"That's it Captain. I managed to locate the headquarters of the Space Emperor." She said with a cheerful voice.
"Whew. I was scared. What happened?" Asked the boy on worriedly "I thought you were in trouble."
"One of Denepheans caught me in the middle of a communication. I told him it was a device stolen from the Humans that I used to communicate with "my tribe" to reassure them that the "message" I'm supposed to pass on to the Space Emperor would be transmitted. I am a professional liar, remember? Now that I'm alone, I can tell you everything." Urd explained.
The Elusive Space Emperor. He'd managed to trap Captain Keiichi once. What was he plotting now, with the sea of fire roaring gravely in the night?
-
"Captain Future and the Space Emperor." A work by Edmond Hamilton dating from 1940. When I was a child, a Japanese series were broadcast in my country, "Capitaine Flam". It was directly inspired by Hamilton works. My childhood hero, 10 years before DBZ, 20 years before One piece.