He and his father had just gone to China when they'd flipped a coin. Well, Genma had. Left trail or right trail. Village of warrior women or training ground of cursed springs. Tails. Left trail.
The earth had shaken, though it was only a faint swaying as far away as the Bayankala.
Ranma didn't know all the details. Just what he'd been briefed on, and much of that had gone over his head.
Some chick named Beryl. An ancient war. Bodies that had been flash-frozen in arctic conditions. Dead cheerleaders or figureskaters.
Mystics had fought the Doom Tree. Many of Tokyo's elite supernatural fighters had gathered for that series of battles in the absence of these other girls, and there had been casualties.
Which was when Project Resurrection had been developed. Professor Natsume and this gal he'd never heard of, but apparently known as The Witch Of Space-Time or something, had collaborated on the whole thing with others and people from high up in the government. For once China, after its own demons had briefly stirred, was completely in accord with Japan.
Ranma had been grabbed along with others whom mystics had located. Four months of testing, education, training, and hard work. This assignment was just like the others, to some extent. Except that this would determine if he was, as advertised, someone who was valuable in the upcoming battle or not.
The girl's body was warm. A combination of mystical energies, something called a "star seed", a combat cyborg body, artificial flesh and tissue, and what information they could download into her. She resembled the girl she had been patterned after, she would (if Ranma remembered correctly) be capable of nearly everything a human girl was capable of. She could be happy or sad. She could feel pain and contemplate her own existence. However she would also know what she was and if he succeeded he would be her designated operator.
It was felt that if the unit remembered everything (they were unsure what if any memories had been copied) that there was an increased chance of suicide. Depression, self-loathing, or other negative reactions were entirely possible. A means of keeping the unit from suffering this fate and continuing to survive had been needed.
Hence programming to avoid those pitfalls. Something like the Three Laws Of Robotics, but as those had been copyrighted - other rules were developed. It was unfortunate that the laws had been developed during a late night barnstorming session in which large amounts of alcohol had exerted its presence - but as long as it worked nobody would likely complain.
Ranma tried shaking her. He tried shouting in her ear. No reaction. He had to wake her up, yet he had no idea how to do it. Something that would bond her to him.
He was looking down towards the girl's face, wondering how else to try waking her up, when the building shook from another tremor.
Ranma felt his lips touch those of the unit.
Ba-dumph
"AHHHH! I DIDN'T MEAN TO... I MEAN" yelled Ranma, now all the way across the room.
Eyes flicked open. Weapons systems retracted into housings. The girl stirred.
Systems coming online.Weapons check - good
Weapons inactive - safe mode
All systems within normal parameters
Energy reserves at 25%No immediate threat detected.
Designated operator Ranma Saotome present.
Unit designate "Makoto" active.
The tall brunette seemed to shake herself slightly, green eyes focussing on the panicked boy stammering denials as he practically climbed the walls.
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(Posted Fri, 04 Jun 2004 09:53)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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