No Need for Laboratories

The inter-dimensional laboratory that Washu seemed to conjure out of thin air was alive with movement and not all of it was humanoid movement. Washu had an assortment of creatures in stock, some looked like they were created by someone while others looked more natural; though, even nature has its moments of Picasso-esque genius.

As for the motley, soon-to-be spacefaring crew, they set about doing various duties that were needed for their trip to Jurai. The princesses were storing food in the ingenius container that Washu also seemed to conjure, like a witch, from the air. They packed the Japanese meals and food supplies that Tenchi and his Grandfather procured from a nearby store. They also took Juraian foodstuffs from Ryo-Oh's stores using their teleporter. Sasami kept busy by labeling and organizing within the container while Ayeka grabbed the food that came.

The resident Galaxy Police officers were preparing the munitions that would surely come in handy as they made their treacherous trek. Various ray guns and other handheld weapons adorned the walls and shelves in Yagami's storage space.

Mihoshi felt that this might be overkill; after all, there were hundreds of weapons and only a handful of them. Even as she thought this, Mihoshi sighed inwardly and smiled slightly. Kiyone was certainly being Kiyone. She had always been overly cautious. That was as much of a hallmark of her personality as her career-mindedness. Mihoshi did not worry too much about such things and that was the source of a lot of the difficulties in their working relationship. Mihoshi was impulse and often did not think things through. This would sometimes result in obscene amounts of collateral damage and the GP would have no part of officers that caused so many problems.

While Mihoshi felt that their rules were arbitrary (no one had died, after all) she did feel a pang of guilt for slowing up Kiyone's progress. She truly cared for her friend and partner and wanted Kiyone to get just what she hopes for. Perhaps, Mihoshi thought to herself, perhaps, I should give being serious a try once this is all over.

Kiyone was finally starting to feel as though they were adequately prepared on the weapons front. She always felt that you had to anticipate everything while expecting nothing in particular. This mantra had guided her pretty well throughout her life, though she still got stuck with Mihoshi. At that passing thought, Kiyone blew air up and out of her lips, flipping her bangs slightly, her dark blue hair momentarily taking leave of her forehead.

Honestly, Kiyone thought, I need to stop blaming Mihoshi for everything. Perhaps some of my own actions have pushed Mihoshi to make certain choices. There were a few times on the job where Mihoshi's rashness and, somehow, ditzyness had saved their asses. Kiyone knew this, and she knew the GP were being unfair to her and Mihoshi because they happen to cause damage when working. Surely the GP realized that the class A criminals that they often sent the women after were dangerous and full of cunning. Sometimes damages cannot be avoided. Plus, they always managed to keep civilians quite safe. What exactly did the GP expect-perfection?

Struck by that thought, Kiyone sighed deeply and decided that all was ready, as far as weaponry goes. "Hey, Mihoshi-chan! I think we are good here. Let's find something else to do for this trip." Mihoshi nods and then follows Kiyone to the cockpit for flight checks. Yagami did not require two people to fly her, but having two heads came in handy from time to time. What's more, Yagami had a highly experimental device that allowed her to become two smaller ships with the same high powered weaponry as Yagami proper. They had no used the feature yet, but it made sense to always have two people in the cockpit, if possible. Time is always of the essence in space battles.

Washu was deep in Yagami's engine room recalibrating the engines for faster speeds, she had a feeling that speed might be a real asset later down the road they had chosen. While she quickly moved about tightening, loosening, moving, typing and whatever else was needed for her task, Washu was deep in thought. None of this was betrayed on her face, though one might be able to discern her intense thought patter through her sharp green eyes.

The great scientist had not been entirely forthcoming with the party. She was not sure if it was the right time to bring any of those issues up, particularly because she had only just been reunited with Ryoko, her "daughter." Bringing up the other aspects of Washu's self-issued mission would be problematic at best. How do you bring up your other missing daughter, particularly one as unusual as Ryo-Oki?

Still, Washu knew that Ryoko would likely start feeling the pangs designed to keep her an Ryo-Oki tethered together soon. Having been in stasis, as Washu had been informed of, Ryoko likely had not fully recovered all of her abilities. The creators of the shrine had apparently really figured out how to bring Ryoko down. This did put a certain damper on the whole conquering the demon tradition the Masaki's once had. Did they not know that she was no long at full power? How was that any sort of victory.

Unbeknownst to Washu, her hands had been twisting the screwdriver with increased vigor as these thoughts tumbled through her mind. In her apparent anger that had damaged the top of the screw, though it was thankfully in place as it should be. She would just have to engineer a way to recreate the slots for the screw driver later down the road.

Washu looked down at her girlish, grime covered hand. It was still shaking, she was still riled up. This was odd for Washu, as she was not easily annoyed nor angered. She took a deep breath and concentrated on stopping the shaking. She double checked her hand, and breathed a sigh of relief as she headed of towards the mainframe computers deep within Yagami.

As she departed through the far doors, she looked back suddenly suspicious. She felt like someone was watching her, and she felt that she knew who it was. Let her stare, Washu thought, I have nothing to hide.

Ryoko sat off in the darkness watching her mother depart. She dematerialized through the wall and headed back towards the main parts of the ship. She was wondering what was on Washu's mind, she could feel the building anger, even if she couldn't read Washu's thoughts. She was sure Washu had sensed her and wondered why she choice not to say anything. Perhaps, she would ask another time.

Somewhere In Space

There was a lonely, rogue planet on the edge of the solar system, lost eons ago during the formation of the system. It was a cold, harsh planet with little life, as its surface was hardly fit for habitation.

However, deep in an underground cavern, there was a large laboratory, hidden by a forcefield and with a climate controlled by its own machines. This was the perfect place to hide when one was a rogue scientist, conducting hideous experiments, plotting nefarious schemes.

Yes, when one was like Dr. Clay, one had to be extremely careful. But that was, to Dr. Clay's mind, the penalty for seeking true perfection. Those hacks at the academy could not understand. Science only moved with heaps of bodies and charred soil. Nature must be mastered and things must be made more perfect than they are currently.

The tortuous memory of his trial and banishment still rankled him, but they would all see in the end. He would be perfect, he would rule.

Dr. Clay had procured a most useful subject, one whose secrets would give Clay the power he so desired. As he walked towards the prison he designed with this subject in mind, Clay smiled sinisterly to himself. Yes, things would be different in due time. He was learning so much.

Behind the Prison Doors

Ryo-Oki lay in the back of her cell in her humanoid form feeling utterly defeated. She had no idea how long she had been imprisoned by Dr. Clay, but she did know the pain of his experiments, experiments bent on discovering the power behind her gem. The gem that allowed her to become a space going vessel of immense power. The gem that united her to her long lost sister, Ryoko. How long had it been since I have felt Ryoko's presence, she wondered. Would she ever see her again?

"Lights out!" shouted the voice of the prison guard who turned off the lights in Ryo-Oki's cell without ceremony, leaving Ryo-Oki to only adjust her self enough to cover herself in her inadequate blanket. It was a good thing that she was furry though she had always wondered why she had fur and Ryoko didn't. That was odd for sisters. What sort of father did they have? All she could remember was her pink-haired mother and her beautiful smile. How Ryo-Oki missed her. Who was going to save her? She felt no connection to anyone, she doubted that anyone knew where she was. With such despairing thoughts pouring through her mind, Ryo-Oki fell into a fitful sleep.