TRTSS31: Martian Encounters! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, War of the Worlds and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre limited series.
Part 6
Later that day, after Ranko, Blackwood and "Kincaid" secures a local newspaper, since Kincaid STILL could not believe that they had traveled through time into the past, a local newspaper reporter steps out of her shop to hear the lamentations of a "newsie" (i.e. a newspaper boy).
"Aw, man!" exclaimed the boy, as he took a look at the coin that he had gotten from Blackwood.
"What's wrong, Tommy?" said the woman to the boy.
"Oh, hi, Miss Watson," Tommy said. "Nothing, except-"
"Except what?" Miranda Watson asked.
"It's just that I sold a paper to this guy and, well…"
Tommy shows the coin to Miranda. Miranda takes a look at it, and frowns…
"Who gave you this coin?" Miranda asked.
"I got it from that guy," Tommy said, as he points to the departing time-traveling trio. "It's the bearded guy, the one who is standing next to the redhead."
"I see," Miranda said, as she took a look at the man, then back at the coin, and then back at the man. He and his companions looked like vagabonds, and stuck out in the crowd like a sore thumb. However, given the fact that the world is still recovering from the Martian Invasion, dressing uncouth was understandable. Still, there was the coin and all…
"You think they're Russian, ma'am?" Tommy asked.
"Why would you say that?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's because of the coin?"
"Well, we'll see," Miranda said. She then turned back towards Tommy.
"Look, I'll trade you that coin with some real money," Miranda said, as she fished for some money from her purse. "Deal?"
"You got it!" Tommy says enthusiastically.
In the back of Miranda's mind, she did wonder about the mysterious trio, and where they came from…
Meanwhile, in the quarantine section of Linda Rosa, just outside of the main town, Dr. Forrester and his team, along with the Federal government's representatives, were having a discussion as to what to do next…
"Why would you want to excise all this from the public conscious?" Dr. Forrester asked General Mann. "The people have the right to know that humanity is not alone in the Universe."
"And to what end, doctor?" Mann said. "Do you really think the people of the world are rational enough to handle such knowledge?"
"Maybe if we explain to them-"
"Actually, I have to agree with the general," Ranma said.
"But why?" Dr. Forrester asked. "You yourself have indicated that these Martians have invaded Earth before."
"Yes, and how long do you think that humanity will become so xenophobic that it will be hostile to even peaceful aliens?" Ranma said. "We as a people can't even agree to be good neighbors towards one another."
"Then, what can we do?" Dr. Forrester asks.
"We prepare for the next incursion, but we don't let the enemy know that we know how to stop them."
"Plausible deniability," General Mann said with a nod. "But…how are we going to convince the public of this."
"Perhaps…I can be discredited?" Forrester suggested.
"You would really accept that?"
"We need more time," Forrester said. "And if me taking the blame for a hoax is the answer, then be it-"
"Sir!" said a military policeman, as he enters the office.
"What is it?"
"We caught four people snooping about the cordoned off area," the MP said. "They wanted to see Captain Saotome and Dr. Forrester in particular."
"This ought to be good," Ranma said with a smirk, as he and his party were led to the detention area…
"It's about time you showed up," Ranko said, as she finished pacing back and forth.
"What?" Ranma said.
"You know this person?" Mann asked.
"Yeah, he does," Ranko said.
"Okay, tell me something that only I should know," Ranma said flatly.
"You are deathly afraid of cats."
"Big deal."
"You're even more afraid of…Mister Popo."
Ranma's eyes widened, as he realized that he suddenly stopped breathing.
"Saotome, you okay?" Forrester said, as he smacked Ranma on the back. Ranma coughed furiously in order to breath.
"Shall I talk about the third thing you're afraid of?" Ranko said. "Something about…a 'mangina'?"
"Okay, okay, I believe you," Ranma said. "I don't want to hear that name."
"Humph. To think that you have yet to master those fears of yours…"
"But what the heck are you doing here?"
"Yes, I want to know myself," said Miranda.
"You're not with them?" Mann asked.
"No! I'm a local reporter covering the scoop of the century, when these three show up."
"Actually, we can explain," said Kincaid, as he stands up.
"Duncan?" Ranma said. Last time he heard, Duncan MacLeod was in the United Kingdom…
"Yes, but I think Dr. Blackwood can explain things," Kincaid said.
"'Blackwood'?" Forrester said. "Are you related to Harrison Blackwood?"
"Yes, in a manner of speaking," Blackwood said. "You see, we're from the future, and we came back to stop a Martian from changing the timeline…"
Blackwood quickly accounts the events that would lead to the day when Meltzer would attempt the change the past by given his Martian brethren a special vaccine that would protect the invaders from Mars from ordinary bacteria. He would tell all who were present that the Martians that were defeated would go underground to hibernate in order to develop the immunity on their own. Once done, they would then learn how to use humans as hosts for infiltration purposes. From that point on, a shadow war would occur, with the Martians—the ones who had adapted to Earth's environment—trying to prepare the way for others of their kind for a full scale invasion.
"We lost…many along the way," Blackwood said somberly. He then turns towards Kincaid.
"Thankfully, we had long since developed a network of operatives—human and Martian alike—who work diligently to stop Meltzer and those like him."
"You mean…you have Martians working with us?" Miranda said.
"Well, in the process of infiltrating society, many have adopted their new-found humanity," Ranko said. "In fact, it was because of some of them that we learned what Meltzer has been doing of late."
"We're confident that we'll win this…war of the worlds," Blackwood said. "But we have to prevent Meltzer's latest plan from becoming a success."
"Wow, what a scoop!" Miranda said. "The world should know about this, especially since time travel is possible-"
"Miranda, it's very important that you do not reveal the truth about what is going on," Blackwood said. "Any change to the timeline at this point could set us back, maybe for good."
"He's right," Ranma said. "Not to mention, a time paradox might occur."
"What do you mean by that?" Mann said.
"He means that the Universe might be destroyed if a series of impossible events happen, general," Forrester said. "In other words, think of time as a freight train, and a paradox is a bent part of a train track."
"Everything gets derailed," Mann said. "Okay. We'll play things smartly. We can create a cover that will get the enemy to think that we do not believe that Martians do not exist. Meantime, an infrastructure could be set up, so that when the Martians do show up again, humanity we'll be ready."
"I have one more thing to suggest," Ranko said, as she turns towards Miranda. "Miranda, isn't it?"
"Yes, what?" Miranda said, lamenting the fact that she would not have the scoop of the century…
"You like to write? Why not write what you have learned about the Martians in the form of a science fiction novel? You can give the people of the future the clues needed to combat the Martians."
"How would that help you?" Miranda asked.
"Because of this," Blackwood said, as he presents an old copy of HG Wells' classic science fiction novel, "The War of the Worlds".
"So?" Miranda said.
"Look at the preface."
Miranda looks at the preface, and realized that the book's editor, for this later edition, was none other than Miranda itself.
"Me?" Miranda said.
"And with a special printing process, you left plenty of clues and notes on how to defeat the Martians," Kincaid said, as he hands over a special pair of glasses to the reporter.
Miranda puts on the glasses, and sees additional text, albeit smaller, on each page.
"We were able to distribute our messages the same way," Blackwood said. "And that's how we are able to defeat the Martians."
"I…I don't know what to say," Miranda said. "I'll do anything to save Earth."
"Then, are we in agreement?" Mann said. "As far as the world is concerned, the Martians never existed. Right?"
"Agreed," Forrester said, as he looked at the future version of his adopted son.
"Then, it's settled," Ranko said. "Now, we should deal with Malzor."
"I'll help," Ranma said.
"No," Ranko said. "You'll deal with him in YOUR future. He's mine NOW."
"Humph. Spoiler sport…"
Blackwood and his team were able to prevent Matzor from given the cure to his Martian brethren, and forced the commander to return to the future. Once done, they returned to the future as well…
FWOOMP!
Ranko realized that they were back in the abandoned amusement park, located on the old fair grounds near Linda Rosa, California, where Meltzer was conducting his time travel shenanigans. She then quickly checked her chronometer…
"Ranma?" Blackwood asked.
"Yep, we're back in the year 1990," Ranko said.
"He's getting away!" Kincaid said, as he spots the fleeing Malzor.
With the trio's attention drawn, they didn't see one of Malzor's men standing to aim a green crystal that was in his hand. It channeled bio-energy, which discharges a disintegrating energy beam…
WHACK!
As the Martian went down, Miranda, now thirty years older, drops the two-by-four.
"Really, you guys ought to be a bit more careful," Miranda said, as she dusts herself off.
"Yeah, yeah," Ranko said, as she shifts back to her male form. "Whatever…"
"Well, it looks like the loop is closed now," Blackwood said. "And from this point on, we're on our own."
"I kind of like it," Kincaid said with a smile. "You know, the challenge of not knowing how the future will turn out."
"Well, I don't know about you three, but consider this my last act as a member of the Blackwood Group," Miranda said, as she turns away a bit before returning her attention back to her colleagues. "You know, maybe I can write my memoirs after all…"
In the years since, the Blackwood Group would take on additional challenges, and not just the challenge of fending off Martian invasions. In fact, over the years, the clandestine organization would have to fend off a number of alien incursions behind the scenes. On occasion, they would work with other governmental organizations or like-minded civilian groups. Eventually, the Blackwood Group would complete its mission, when it stopped the last of the Martian invasions in 2005. And when that happened, Dr. Harrison Blackwood, after turning over control of the organization to Mana, a former underling of Malzor, was able to finally retire, having fulfilled Dr. Clayton Forrester's legacy…
END FLASHBACK!
"Ha!" Ares, the Olympian god of war, said to his friend and rival. "It appears that you precious 'Broncos' will lose after all.
"Don't bet on it, 'Mars'," Ranma said, referring to his friend by his Roman nomenclature.
"Humph."
Just then, there was an interception of the football.
"YEAH!" Ranma yelled, as he jumped up from his seat. "Go Broncos-!"
"Is he always like this?" Rei "Sailor Mars" Hino asked her co-wife. She wanted to spend some time with her husband Ranma, but she never expected having to do so with a bunch of people around…
"Only when his sports team is on," Akane said. She was still annoyed that her co-wives had decided to show up for the gathering.
"I wish he didn't act so…American."
"On THAT I agree…"
"Let me put it to you this way, my dears," Ranma said. "If the Broncos won't be the only ones scoring tonight. The question is 'who'."
Rei and Akane looked at Ranma, then at each other….
"GO BRONCOS!" Rei said, as she cheered.
"Um, yeah!" Akane said. She then uses her Red Lantern power ring to create multiple copies of herself as cheerleaders.
"Heh," Ranma said. He then turned to one of his colleagues.
"Well, J'onn? What do you think?"
"I find this game…interesting," said the Martian Manhunter, as he ate his Oreo cookies. Rarely did he get invited to participate in sporting events.
"I am only here to get to know my husband better," said Eve, who, like her clone sister Sil, was a xenomorphic species.
"Get in line, fake Martian," said Rei.
"At least, I wasn't reborn as a human…twice," Eve said, as she shifts her hand into claws.
"Bring it, monster woman!" Rei said, as she created a flame in her hand.
"Ah!" Martian Manhunter yelled in fright. "Fire!"
"Where?" said Martian Girl, as she hides behind the couch. Martians were generally afraid of germs.
Mana sighs, as she sipped her drink. With the defeat of Malzor, Mana, a Martian with a human host, was given the opportunity to work as an associate with the Blackwood Group early on. Eventually, she came to fall in love with Ranma, who dared to stand up against the alien horde…
Not that she would admit to such a thing any time soon…
All in all, Ranma Saotome's connection to Mars will always be a peculiar one, even obliquely.
Tbc.