SMST5B: Journey to Adventure! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: None of the principle characters and situations belongs to me.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
C&C are welcomed.
Part 14
Meanwhile, back at Area 51…
"Most unusual," says Dr. William "Will" Robinson to himself, as he used his magnifying glass to examining Tex's eyes. Will was both an engineering scientist that was assigned to work with Homeworld Security's "Stargate Project", as a civilian contributor. His rather unconventional appearance (long, red hair, goatee and John Lennon glasses) was no indication of anything "anti-establishment". In fact, he was somewhat of a former "military brat" who was appreciative of the role of the military establishment, when it did its job.
"What is?" asked Colonel Ranma Saotome (USAF), as he and Captain Penelope "Penny" Robinson (USAF) enters the engineering annex of the SGCS Enterprise. The ship was a lightweight scout ship that was capable of traveling to the Pegasus Galaxy, where the ship will be assigned to patrol later on, in a short amount of time. Ranma was the ship's commanding officer, while Penny was it's pilot. Ranma was a part of the Stargate Project since "Day One", back when archeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson first unlocked the secrets of the Stargate, a circular ring that is used to travel from one planet to the next without the need for a spaceship. Like Will, Daniel was a civilian contributor…
Will turns to look at Ranma and his older sister Penny.
"It seems as if Tex is 'temporally' shut down," Will says.
"You're just made that up, Will," Penny scoffs. Penny had somewhat a friendly sibling rivalry with her younger brother Will, going all the way back to her youth as a would-be zoologist for the "Jupiter Project". In fact, her level intelligence rivaled her brother's high-level intelligence, to the point that she, like her brother, was fully educated by her fourteenth birthday. However, upon meeting Ranma, Penny chose a career in the military. Since she had a college degree, as did her younger brother, Penny joined the United States Air Force's Officer Candidate School, as a means of becoming a pilot. There was some concern that the girl would not be able to adapt to the rigors of military life. However, those fears were elevated, when it was learn that Penny was a student of the Musabetsu Kakuto Ryu, thanks to her interaction with Ranma and his wife Usagi during the nearly doomed mission to Alpha Centauri. Thus, with those fears elevated, Penny successfully completed her training as a pilot. And although there were certain conditions that prevent women from seeing most forms of combat, Penny was the exception to the rule, as indicated by her stint in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, it was her accidental discovery of a Stargate in the field that got her reassigned to Homeworld Security…
"No, I'm NOT," says Will, as he jots in his notebook. "One minute I was talking to Tex about the new crew rotation, and the next…nothing."
"Maybe she's in 'sleep mode' or something," Penny says, as she waves her hand in front of Tex's face.
"I thought of that, when I accessed her wireless port."
"Yeah, so you won't be accused of harassment, eh?" Penny says jokingly.
"Penny, please," Ranma says. "Let William continue."
"THANK you," replied Will, as he made a face towards his sister. "ANYWAY, I checked both Tex's programming and hardware-"
"I just BET you did," Penny says.
"-And determined that there is nothing wrong…except for one thing."
William taps into his data pad (which looked like an iPod), and remotely activates a nearby wall screen.
"As you know, computers cycle the electricity in the form of 'hertz', kind of like a heart beat. Tex, for all intents and purpose, is a sophisticated computer. Her electric cycle is going backwards."
"Did you check her power output, in case there is a reverse flow?" Ranma asked.
"I did, and energy output is nominal. But her internal 'clock' is going against the grain."
"Hmmm…"
"Is Tex a danger to the ship?" Penny asked.
"Nope."
"Will, did you use a spectral analysis scan?" Ranma asked.
"Yes, and the scans came up negative."
"Then it's just as I feared," Ranma says.
"What is it?"
"Will, check for variance of temporal anomalies."
"Um, okay," says Will, as he performs his scans using tachyon particles. The Victorian English scientist Professor Alexander Hartdegan, whose story was actually retold as fiction by noted righter H.G. Wells, first discovered these particles in the late 19th century. In fact, Hartdegan, a member of the old "Electrodyne Engineers" would be the first modern "time traveler" to create a construct a machine that could manipulate these particles as a means of traveling from different eras. He would later disappear in an alternate timeline, after being censored by the newly minted Technocratic Union for "illegal experimentation"…
Nevertheless, subsequent stuffy by a variety of scientists and engineers, from Dr. Emmett Brown to Dr. Barry "The Flash" Allen to Dr. Reed "Mister Fantastic" Richards to Dr. Samuel Beckett…and many other great contributors to the field.
"Scanning," Will says, as he reads the preliminary information.
CHIRP!
"Let's see…my god…"
"What is it, Will?" Penny asked with concern.
"The temporal energy field surrounding Tex is HUGE."
Ranma sighs.
"I was afraid of this," Ranma says.
Penny and Will both turned to look at their friend and commander.
"What do you mean, Ranma?" Penny asked. Only in informal matters, Penny can refer to her superior officer in the "first person".
"An old memory," Ranma says. "I've forgotten that today was the day where a temporal nexus was in a state of convergence."
With that, Ranma lifts his watch to eye-level, and presses a button.
CHIRP!
"There, that's all I need to do at this time," Ranma says.
"What DID you do?" Will asked.
"Well, to begin, let me teach you two about the paradox known as 'Wibbley Wobbley Timey Whimey'…"
Meanwhile…
For a while, Blackfire and Usagi battled each other, trying to assess each other's strengths and weaknesses…
"Hee-yah!" Blackfire yelled, as she discharged a purple-colored bold of concentrated energy at Usagi.
FWOOSH!
Usagi, noticing her opponent's muscle movements beforehand, side steps the energy discharge, and runs head long towards Blackfire.
"Hu-wa!" Usagi yells in reply, as she discharges a ki blast from her right fist, as she punches towards her opponent.
FWAM!
Blackfire leaps into the air, causing her hair to emit a purple contrail.
"I got the high ground!" Blackfire yells. "Try to come up here!"
Usagi squints her eyes. Even if she manages to avoid the potential barrage of energy charges, Blackfire could easily use that as a feint to create a counter-move. That is, unless Usagi allows it…
"No, YOU come down HERE!" Usagi says, as she uses an invisible grab to pull Blackfire to her.
"What?" Blackfire exclaimed, not realizing that Usagi would use a telekinetic move on her. "I will NOT be grab like that!"
"Okay, fine," Usagi replies, as she suddenly let's go of Blackfire.
WHOOM!
The sudden release sent the monarch of Tamaran careening into a cement wall. To add insult to injury, Usagi used a "Force Punch" technique that rocketed Blackfire into the cement wall…at sonic speed.
BOOM!
"Is she…dead?" Hank asked Jack, as everyone in the stands get up.
"No, I don't think so," Jack replied. "Usagi knows how important this trade deal is, and the last thing Earth needs is yet another enemy…"
Blackfire crawls out of the rumble on wobbly knees.
"Fine, you WIN, rival," Blackfire says. "I will…ask your permission to be with Lord Ranma."
Usagi goes over to Blackfire.
"Kommand'r, you always had my permission to be with Ranma," Usagi says. "You just wanted ME to ask YOU for permission."
"Oh, of course…"
Just then, Lady Osiris (Gao'uld Systems Lord) and Tamaran Princess Remaind'r (also known as the superhero "Redfire") run up the their respective champions.
"My darling!" Osiris says. "Are you okay?"
"I am well, beloved," Usagi says.
"Mother, has your need for combat been sated?" Redfire asked.
"It has…for NOW," Blackfire says. With a sigh, she steps forward to address the audience in the stands.
"The Moon Princess has shown the merits of honor. I am satisfied that I can work with her and her people. Therefore, the trade agreement will be fulfilled."
With great reluctance, Blackfire raises Usagi arms, signifying her respect for Usagi's victory.
Meanwhile, the T-X takes final aim. It begins to squeeze the trigger, then-
Then, it hears a whirling sound.
It stops its actions, and turns to see a British, blue police box appear out of thin air. Perceiving a potential threat, the T-X turns to aim at the box, when the box suddenly opens its door.
"I'm sorry," says a lean man with good hair, as he steps out of the box. He wore a duster, a nice suit and tennis shoes. "I'm not sure where here is. Is this Tamaran?"
"Yes," T-X says.
"Good," the man says, as he points a pin-like object at the Terminator, and-
CHOOM!
The T-X suddenly found its operating system compromised, as its systems begin to shut down.
"My apologies, but you will have a different purpose now…"
Hummmm-ZARK!
Meanwhile…
"And so that's what happened," Ranma says, as he drinks his coffee. "A friend of mine reprogrammed T-X, sent it back to the year 2003, so that SGC can find it and reuse it."
"And that 'T-X' is OUR 'Tex'," Penny says, as she looks at the former "Terminator", who was still lying still."
"Exactly."
"Okay, let me get this straight," begins William. "Originally, 'Tex' was supposed to assassinate a group of would-be leaders of some sort of 'Human Resistance', in a 'shadow war' against the Machines in the year 2003. From there, you, Usagi, a 'John Connor' and a Catherine Brewster fought against Tex at the Cheyenne Mountain facility, in order to prevent 'SkyNet' from gain sentience."
"Correct," Ranma says.
"But…SkyNet Program was discontinued, since the money for the program was diverted to fund the war in Iraq," Penny says.
"Correct," Ranma says. "And without that funding, the patents from Cyberdyne Systems would lay dormant."
"Okay, then where does the paradox flaw come in?"
"For some reason that I'm not sure, something happened in 1999 that removed John Connor from the timeline, and brought him forward to the year 2007. THAT action changed the timeline, so that Usagi and I never stopped the T-X in 2003. The T-X would continue its assassination mission, including eliminating Usagi."
"Wait a minute," William says. "If the timeline changed, how can you remember all this?"
"I'm sensitive to these things, being an experienced time traveler and all. Plus, a good friend of mind is in the same line of 'work' of 'temporal manipulation' that I am."
"And about those victims that the T-X killed?" Penny asked.
"Actually, the same associate that stopped the T-X from assassinating Usagi had managed to 'trick' the Terminator from succeeding after all, using a variety means."
"Like what?"
"Decoys and electronic illusions. That's why it had thought that it had 'killed', for example, Catherine Brewster, when that was not the case."
"Oh. So, Tex was going around chasing shadows."
"Exactly."
"That…is a very complicated explanation, Ranma," William says.
"Time Traveling typically is, Will. And if all that weren't pulled off successfully, Tex would cease to exist as we know it-"
CHIRP!
Tex opens her eyes. She then sits up and looks at her friends.
"What is the meaning of this?" Tex asked with suspicion.
"We were worried about you, Tex," says William, as he performs a sensor scan. "Huh."
"What is it?" Penny asked.
"That tachyon field surrounding Tex is gone."
"Have you've been examining me inappropriately?" Tex asked suspiciously.
"No!"
"Well, all's well that ends well…I suppose," Penny says. "What's next?"
"We get this ship ready for a return to the Pegasus Galaxy, that's what," Ranma says.
"Are you SURE you weren't looking at me inappropriately?" Tex asked again.
"I TOLD you, I wasn't looking at you inappropriately!" Will replied. "Man, I rather interact with B9 than put up with THIS."
"Are you comparing me to a primitive machine? Because if you are, you are being racist."
"Oh, I give up…"
"And, apparently, a return to normalcy," Ranma says with a smirk.
Penny could only giggle in response.
A few days later, a general assembly was called in Stargate Command, located underneath the Cheyenne Mountain Complex for a special ceremony…
"…And in light of your expanded duties, coupled with successfully securing an alliance between Earth and Tamaran…albeit under unusual circumstances, Usagi Serena Tsukino will receive the promotion of 'Brigadier General', as authorized by the President of the United States, in pursuant with the act of the United States Congress, on this day etcetera, etcetera," Jack says, as he turns to Usagi. "Congratulations, General."
There was enthusiastic clapping amongst the audience, as Jack presented Usagi with her first "star".
"Thank you, sir," Usagi says.
"Ah, great," Ranma says jokingly. "Usagi is going to get an even bigger head."
"No kidding," Daniel interjects.
"Finally, they see the worth in Lady Isis," Lady Osiris says with pride.
"Speech!" L/Colonel Donald "Don" West (USAF, executive officer of the SGCS Enterprise) yells.
"Okay, okay," Usagi says, as she steps to the podium. "First, I want to thank Generals Landry and O'Neill for recommending me for this honor. Also, I want to say that I couldn't have been worthy of this honor without your support and faith in me. But mostly, I want to say that as long as you all need me, I will fulfill my duties to the best of my abilities. We are on the cusp of achieving great things in the years to come. And I know that in the capacity of Operations Director, I will make sure that diplomatic engagement is based on principles of reason and understanding."
Usagi pauses for moment.
"Though an occasional arm twisting might be applicable now and again."
There was good-natured laughing amongst the gathering.
"So, once again, thank you for this honor, and may the Great Maker blesses us all."
There was more cheering before people began head for the reception in Usagi's honor. Usagi then goes to her husband.
"So," Usagi says.
"So…'General'," Ranma says. "How does it feel?"
"Kind of weird, actually. But I do like the fact that you will have to salute me now."
"What makes you think I'm not saluting you NOW?"
"Huh?" Usagi says with a perplexed manner, before getting Ranma's meaning. "Oh! You're so nasty…intriguing, but still…"
Fin.
Author's note: It's six months later (after "Hero Initiative"), and more adventures are forth coming, ranging from fantasy to the fantastic. And now…
Next time: See Usagi and Ranma must journey to the center of the Earth! See Usagi and Ranma return to "Mystic China" to, once again, fight the Jade Warlord! See Usagi and Ranma tangle against the Mummy! And see Usagi and Ranma survive in the era of "The Dark Reign", when the usual faces of super-villainy, in the aftermath of the events depicted in "Hero Initiative", successfully dominates the Earth! Special guest: Gold Digger! See you next time…