Curse of the Devil Z
Kazumi Asakura decides to check on her cousin Akio Asakura. When she learns he drives a blue Nissan Fairlady Z S30 that's tainted with a dark past, Kazumi becomes concerned for him, while Negi senses a dark and frightening presence within the car. Takes place after the Mahora Festival.
Disclaimer: Maho Sensei Negima is property of Ken Akamatsu and all related publishers. Wangan Midnight is property of Michiharu Kusunoki, Kodanshita, OB Planning, and Namco.
Further Disclaimer: Most of the techical information in this chapter is speculative and is not to be considered factual, especially when considering the Negima universe.
Chapter 6: Those Who Pursue the Devil Z Part 3
(Tuesday night, Mahora University)
Logic. The one word that encompasses everything in the realm of science and technology. A word that people in the scientific community tend to live by. And a word two people in particular staunchly believe in.
Takayuki Kuroki was one such man. By keeping and analyzing racing data from his Nissan Skyline R33, he knew all of his car's strengths and weaknesses, and took advantage of them. By his own logic of course, he should be unbeatable in a streetrace.
All that fell apart when he encountered the Devil Z. In what came to be his fiercest race ever, he challenged the blue Nissan Fairlady S30Z of Akio Asakura, pushing his Skyline to the limit. But within minutes of the race, his engine blew, and he was devastated. This just was not acceptable to him. His victory over the Blackbird weeks before should have affirmed his car's superiority. Every further attempt to challenge the Devil Z, even after retuning his car, failed. Though he was thankful Akio helped him out by pushing his car with his own to a safe area rather than leave him stranded on the dangerous highway, as well as being consoled and cheered on by his college friend Mikko, it was still unnerving that his car was defeated in the first place. And even thought that incident happened a year ago, he still feels the desire to come out on top.
Seeking answers, he called in a few favors and was referred to a brilliant scientist, or so he heard, in Mahora Academy. An honorary member of Mahora University's Jet Propulsion Club and Robotics Club, her intelligence and ingeniuity were rivaled by few, so the rumors say.
Satomi Hakase was also a firm believer in logic. She proclaimed herself as one who sold her soul to the devil known as science. For her, everything had an explanation. And if it didn't, she would spend an hour straight talking out loud trying to come up with one, like the idea that her creation, and classmate, the gynoid Chachamaru Karakuri, could experience emotions. Still, she remains undeterred in her scientific duties and continually upgrades and enhances her work, spending the night in her laboratory if she has to (in fact, she does so almost everyday).
Meantime, the Skyline driver and independent tuner was making his way to the Mahora Univesity Science labs after parking his car behind the Engineering building. Satomi agreed to meet with him with such enthusiasm he wondered what kind of mad scientist she was. She didn't sound like a professional lady over the phone, but more like a child just entering puberty. Well, Takayuki was just about to find out. He finally made it to the test labs, and soon found a door with Hakase's name on it, and knocked.
"Yes? Who is it?" asked a young girl's voice from inside.
"Hakase-san? It's Takayuki Kuroki. We talked over the phone earlier." said Takayuki.
After a short pause, the door opened, revealing a short girl with black hair tied into a pair of braids, and wearing glasses and a lab coat over a middleschool uniform. Takayuki wondered who this girl was. A middleschooler like her can't be that intelligent enough to run her own science lab, can she? He considered the possibility that she may be Hakase's apprentice. "Um, I'm looking for Satomi Hakase." he said tentatively.
"Well, you're looking at her!" replied the girl with a smile.
Takayuki was slack-jawed. This little girl was the genius Satomi Hakase? 'You've got to be kidding me.' he thought. He was jolted out of his reverie when Satomi talked to him again.
"So, um, Kuroki-san, why don't you come in and make yourself at home?" said Satomi.
"Uh, yeah sure!" he stuttered, then walked into the lab after Satomi opened the door wide for him. 'Make yourself at home? In this kind of place?' he thought as he looked around at the lab, with tables containing stacks of paper, computer terminals, and strange looking machinery, all around the place. A wall full of clocks of all types, one of which had, in the clockface, a picture of Albert Einstein sticking his tongue out, was the coup de grace. 'Just what have I got myself into?' he wondered almost out loud.
"Here, have a seat" said Satomi, pulling a couple of chairs at one table with a laptop on it. Takayuki took one seat, while Satomi took the other. "So you have the data?" she asked.
Takayuki handed her a flash drive. "It's all in here."
"Okay let's see what we have here." said Satomi, plugging the flash drive into the laptop. Her fingers ran furiously over the keyboard, much faster than Takayuki could follow, while the screen flashed many readouts including rapidly scrolling text and cycling charts, also faster than Takayuki could follow, leaving him almost seasick.
After a mere 30 seconds of "analysis", Satomi began speaking again. "Hmm, very good Kuroki-san. But it could do better."
"Huh?" piped Takayuki. "But it's the best I could get. I've pushed the car to the limit."
"And limits are there to be broken!" declared Satomi.
"Hey, I tried that and blew my engine!" protested Takayuki.
"And there are always solutions to such problems!" replied Satomi.
"Like what?" asked Takayuki.
"First, the boost readouts aren't linear enough." said Satomi.
"Eh?" piped Takayuki.
"Here see," noted Satomi pointing to a line chart. "It only kicks in at that RPM, then goes way over the roof as it goes to full throttle which is why you blew your engine on that last race."
"But I need that much boost to get enough power" asked Takayuki.
"Which is in fact overkill for your needs." said Satomi.
"What do you mean?" asked Takayuki.
"Being in the Jet Propulsion Club taught me a lot of stuff." said Satomi. "A turbocharger is not much different than a modern turbojet engine."
"Okay." replied Takayuki.
"I've noted that you've swapped the standard twin-turbo with a bigger model." said Satomi. "Much too big in fact."
"So what do you propose?" asked Takayuki.
"A slightly smaller twin turbo with more rugged parts and that works with a greater power band!" said Satomi. "I can conjure up something just right for your engine!"
"You can?" asked a surprised Takayuki.
"No problem! I've got the tools to rig any machine! Like these..." said Satomi, showing a pair of robot-arms.
Takayuki wondered if she'd really lost a few screws at this point.
"Anyway that's just power. It also has to be well regulated. When was the last time you updated your ECU?" asked Satomi.
"Um, two years ago." said Takayuki.
"Time for an update! Good thing you also saved the ECU's firmware on your disk like I asked you. I'll pass this to a classmate of mine who'll hack this thing real good!" declared Satomi.
Takayuki wanted to just get into a hole and stay there.
"There's also a matter of you car's weight. It's too heavy!" said Satomi.
"But I've already lightened it. Besides, too light and handling becomes a problem!" said Takayuki.
"True. That's where aerodynamics can help." said Satomi.
"How?" asked Takayuki.
"I've noticed you've taken off the wing." noted Satomi.
"Had to, part of the lightening process. Besides, someone who drives an R32 did just that and smoked me!" said Takayuki.
"Hohoho! We'll take care of that another way!" said Satomi. She typed a few things on the laptop, then the screen flashed. On it was a strange looking car that looked more like a private jet combined with a helicopter.
Takayuki blanched. "Hey! I can't drive something like that on the streets!"
"True, after all you're not going to drive at supersonic speeds" said Satomi sheepishly.
Takayuki exhaled while putting his hand on his forhead. "This is getting ridiculous!"
"Hey hey! We're progressing well in fact. Your car won't have to look that way, but I can make it handle as if it was running on rails!" said Satomi.
'Just what is this world coming to!?' thought Takayuki.
(2 minutes later, Mahora Girls' Dormitories)
"Hmm? An email from Satomi!?" said a surprised Chisame Hasegawa. The geek-programmer-with-net-idol-secret-identity was working on her 'Chiu' webpage when her inbox alerted her of the said message. "'Please find newer version or make improvements yourself'. Hey this is some kind of firmware. Nissan RB26DETT? Oh well, at least it's something to do after feeling so empty these past few days." said Chisame as she got to work on the firmware.
(35 minutes later, rear of the Engineering building)
Takayuki was flabbergasted at the makeshift tuning shop Satomi somehow "built" right around his car, which was still parked in the same spot behind the Engineering building. Even more surprising were the machines working on his car. The robot arms looked even more sophisticated than those found in most car assembly lines. He watched as the custom made twin-turbo was installed as if seamlessly in the place of the previous twin-turbo, and parts of the car's body were swapped with new pieces, complete with welding, all being manipulated by Satomi alone with her laptop, which at the same time flashed the car's ECU with a custom version Chisame created (since she couldn't find a "superior" version on the 'net). By the time Satomi was finished, the car looked good as new.
"There!" said Satomi, looking satisfied with her work. "That should do it!"
"Well, I have to say I'm impressed." said Takayuki.
"Well, how about firing her up?"
"Okay" said Takayuki as he got into the driver's seat. Once in he started the car, and revved it. "Wow, that's pretty good!" he said, visibly impressed.
"Now all you need is to take her out for a spin. Meantime, I'll have my friend Chachamaru help you collect data on it."
"Chachamaru?" asked Takayuki.
"Good evening!" said a female voice, whose owner approached Satomi.
"Takayuki Kuroki, this is Chachamaru Karakuri." said Satomi.
Takayuki looked at the young green-haired girl with the pair of strange antenna-like objects on her hair. "Oh hello Karakuri-san! Um, if you don't mind my asking, what are those on her hair?"
"Oh, those are her antennae, used in radio communications" said Satomi.
"Antennae?" asked a confused Takayuki.
"Yes. Part of her functions as a robot." said Satomi with a straight face.
If logic was failing Takayuki early on in his dealings with Satomi, with Chachamaru it was all out the window. "A-a robot!?!?!?" squeaked Takayuki.
"Yes Kuroki-san. As a robot my functions include data gathering and processing. Hence I will assist you in tuning your car." said Chachamaru as she got into the passenger's side of the car. "Oh, and please call me Chachamaru."
Takayuki wasn't sure what to think anymore. First a middleschooler who could not only make outworldish inventions and modify a car, but even have seemingly in-depth knowledge of internal-combustion-engine technology. And now a very humanlike robot!?
"Well, take care when driving! Chachamaru is my best creation so be careful with her, though her real body is currently under maintenance so she's using a temporary body for the moment. Got it?" said Satomi.
Well that took the cake. Not just a robot this Chachamaru was, but one of Satomi's creations as well, and that this form is not her original form. "I'll see to it, Hakase-san." he said almost blankly.
"Shall we go, Kuroki-san?" asked Chachamaru as a cable extended from her right hand into the dashboard of the car. "Interfacing with the ECU now for your information."
"Uh, yes. A-and please call me Takayuki" blurted Takayuki as he backed out of the makeshift shop and drove off into the city. Within minutes he reached his objective, the Wangan Expressway. "How are we doing Chachamaru?"
"All systems normal." replied the robot.
(BGM: Top-Flight Mechanics)
"Well, let's test the improvements" said Takayuki, as he shifted gears, then gunned the throttle. The car's response was immediate, which suprised Takayuki at first. "Wow! The turbo lag seems to have vanished!" he remarked.
"Power output increase 15%" said Chachamaru. "20%... 25%..."
"Hmm, not bad. Not bad at all" said Takayuki. He then manouvered around the slower traffic, which proved easier than before. "Yes. Definitely a good job."
"Power transfer through the drive train is optimal." said Chachamaru.
"Your feedback is noted, Chachamaru" said Takayuki, who began to appreciate Chachamaru's help. "Eh?"
"What is it Takayuki-san?" asked Chachamaru.
"It seems we have company. See that Supra up ahead?" said Takayuki.
Chachamaru looks at the white Toyota Supra RZ running only slightly slower than they are. "Yes I see it. I also note that one of my classmates, Yuna Akashi, is on board."
"Your classmate?" asked Takayuki, wondering how Chachamaru could easily discern her classmate in the Supra from behind, where he himself had virtually no visibility of the Supra's interior.
"Yes." replied Chachamaru.
"Perhaps its time to really put our setup to the test." said Takayuki, flashing the Skyline's headlights. After about ten seconds, the Supra accelerated.
"The Supra has accelerated. Are you going to pursue?" asked Chachamaru.
"Yes indeed!" said Takayuki, shifting gears and flooring it.
"Power output reaching maximum levels" noted Chachamaru.
The chase was on. Both cars weaved their way around the slower traffic while going full tilt when it was clear. It became apparent the Skyline was gaining ground. Soon the Skyline was side-by-side with the Supra for a few seconds, then Takayuki gunned it, bringing his car in front of the Toyota, and kept on going. He noticed the Supra wasn't keeping up with him, and then, as if the Supra's driver was getting the hint, the Supra slowed down and peeled off an exit ramp.
"Hahahaha! I think that was a successful test" said Takayuki. "How's the engine holding up, Chachamaru?"
"Still running at optimum levels. No faults detected" said Chachamaru.
"Excellent! I think we're done here. I'll take you back to Hakase-san." said Takayuki, slowing the car to take the next exit ramp and return to Mahora.
(end BGM)
(30 minutes later, just outside the Engineering building, Mahora University)
"I have to hand it to you Hakase-san" said Takayuki. "My car never ran or handled better than tonight!"
"Glad to be of service!" said Satomi.
"I give you my thanks, as well as to Chachamaru" said Takayuki.
"It was my pleasure to have helped" replied the robot.
"Well, time for me to head home. Good night!" said Takayuki.
"Goodnight!" replied Satomi, as the Skyline pulled out and headed back into the city streets. "Haha! One more satisfied customer."
"That was an interesting car he had. Perhaps I should engage in more of these tests" said Chachamaru.
"Oh really?" said Satomi. "Well in that case, how about that Jet Car I've been working on?"
"Actually, I was considering more conventional cars like Takayuki-san's" said Chachamaru.
(at that moment, along the Yokohane line)
"WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING BACK THERE!?!?" yelled Yuna.
"Hey! The guy challenged me to a race! I always wanted a chance to duel" said Keiichiro. "I just didn't expect to lose so badly"
"Better to lose than get killed!" said Yuna. 'And I was going to apologize to him. Guess he's still got his head screwed all wrong' she thought.
-TBC
A/N: This chapter proved more challenging to write than I expected, especially coming up with a dialogue between Satomi and Takayuki, whom in my opinion could be considered like-minded people. Much of the technical mumbo-jumbo here is not to be taken as fact as I don't consider myself an expert in turbocharged engine technology (eg I just picked up useful information here and there, especially Wikipedia), especially in the Negima Universe. The scene of Satomi showing Takayuki a picture of the plane-car was just something out of the blue, but after reading it myself I found it quite funny. Also, I was wondering which car/driver to pit against Takayuki's souped-up R33, and I felt the Devil Z itself should wait till later. I eventually decided on Keiichiro and his Supra.
Another thing to note that around this time in the Negima Manga (chapter 175), Chachamaru was in her younger body - the one that somewhat resembled Ku Fei, so Yuna would not have recognized her, hence I decided against letting Yuna see who's riding in the Skyline.