"Approved," came the voice from everywhere. "Mizuho Kazami, you are assigned as Level C Inspector to the Planet Earth as soon as additional training can be given. The Earth situation has gotten... complicated."
"Complicated?" asked Mizuho. She was happy in that she had worked long and hard for this opportunity, but just that it had required this level of a hearing was indication that something was up.
"Alien contact with Earth has become commonplace and open, yet none of the species involved has official status within the Galactic Federation. As the situation is so complicated, and shows signs of further complications within the year, you will be operating under deep cover. As you are half of that planet, you may allow selected trustworthy members of your family to know of your status so long as they assist you in maintaining that cover."
"What has happened of the situation on Earth?" asked Mizuho. When there was no immediate reply, she pressed further. "I must know what's going on, or I might inadvertantly break cover just finding out."
Instead of the committee, a single voice answered - this of a tired-sounding old man. "It's complicated, Inspector Kazami. Very complicated. And it will likely get worse."
Mizuho didn't move.
The old man sighed and elaborated. "In 1959, the genetically engineered group of sub-races known as the Tribals made contact with their world of origination and fled their current homeworld to resettle on that origin-home. That original world was Earth. Despite certain predictions, both by our own agencies and by the Earthers themselves, global catastrophe did not take place. The Tribals have assimilated well into the human societies there. Due to problems with specific necessary raw materials, the humans have not gone too far into space as yet - however they are spreading through their own solar system.
"This makes it both more difficult and easier to place you there. Their technology is still centuries behind our own, so getting you there is not the problem. The difficulty is in that several Tribal branches will be able to detect that you are not completely human. The part that would actually be facilitated is that the society has more frequent relocation than might be considered otherwise. Simply claiming you were on an orbital colony or attached to the Mars Terraforming project in some capacity will excuse your lack of familiarity with current events.
"Therefore you will be in an area where Tribals are uncommon. In the land of Japan, in the area known as Nagano, is the community of Lake Kizaki. Your cover there is that of a teacher at Kizaki Prefecture High School."
"I see," said Mizuho. "You said there were other species, so there are not merely these Tribals there?"
"There are other operatives of still other less-advanced civilizations keeping an eye on these Earthers," stated the old man. "The situation has gotten sufficiently complicated and intriguing that some of these species want their observers to look into things. As yet, these various observers are not even aware of each others' presence."
Nyamo absently reached up and tucked her hair behind one ear. It wasn't easy being a teacher when one was a Tribal, especially as she was Nekomimi Tribe. Minamo Kurosawa was her official name, though Nyamo was her name within the Tribe and a nickname among humans.
People who had never seen a Tribal kept wanting to scratch her behind the ears, or else they'd heard something really bizarre about Tribals (usually from some prank Yukari was pulling on her class) and things could get completely strange as a result.
Sighing and looking up from grading papers, Nyamo wondered if next year would be any better. Maybe Yukari would grow up. Maybe there would be no rumors about tying charms to the tail of a Nekomimi to get a better grade. Maybe she'd end up with a boyfriend.
Nah. Just settle for the rain stopping so she could catch a nap in a sunbeam. That would be nice.
(Posted Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:32)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.