What happened?
ST-2. That's you, Ranma. Begin return to base.
Minako idly locked onto the signal and turned around to return to Misawa AFB.
Ranma collected himself to speak, searching for the right words.
"I had just been there a couple'a weeks and was still tryin' to get used ta the whole living indoors and having a spare room I could bunk in. We'd heard stories about these 'cardian' off in Juuban but nobody thought much about it. Then the Quake hit."
Minako waited for awhile, beginning her descent while Ranma again sought words.
"I understand that Juuban was the worst hit by that Doom Tree thing. Most everyone over there died with their chi getting sucked out of 'em. Course by that time my old man and Mister Tendo had hit me with the old 'it is the duty of martial artists to fight monsters' - we rescued a few but it was the JSDF and the forces from the US Bases that finished off the bad guys. They had some problems though - these guys were just too resistant to normal weapons and chi attacks were like throwin' candy at 'em. I don't know what the final death count was like, but it was a lot."
That's horrible.
Actually the young woman's voice sounding like she was fighting back tears reassured Ranma somewhat.
"That's when the derelict crashed and set off the Earthquake," continued Ranma. "The lab coat crowd figure that the Doom Tree set out some kinda signal or shifted space somehow as they were using the really heavy artillery on it. Anyway, the death toll from THAT should'a been higher but people had been fleein' the city anyway and the various firefighters and police and military were already scrambled - it just meant goin' elsewhere."
You sound pretty shook up about it.
"Yeah well, that was almost a year ago now." Ranma let out a deep breath. "I dunno what happened to a lot of people from that - the ol' dojo and house burned down in the fire. As for Pops and Mister Tendo - ain't seen them since. They're rezoning the old neighborhood for industrial now anyway. Ain't been back since then. Ya haveta just pick up and move on, ya know? Japanese stoicism and all."
Minako set down easily on the field, gliding along the ground until she was in the hangar then knelt at the bay decorated in oranges that matched her own color scheme. She glanced over at the mechanized form of one she vaguely recognized as Usagi.
Remember you can always come and talk to me when you feel up to it, Ranma.
"Thanks," said Ranma, shaking his head. "So. They said ya are gonna go to sleep when I exit. Does that mean you dream?"
I don't know. I'll let you know.
Ranma hopped out of the cockpit and watched as the lights went off and the feeling of "life" in the big robot seemed to fade. He spent a few moments looking at the form before turning and striding off. After all, now that he was a pilot he had to:
(Posted Sat, 29 May 2004 02:45)
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