Following that, the robogirls agonized over the plan in both speech and downloaded data. And she saw them coming to the conclusion that they couldn't trust her plan not to cause more trouble.
She then watched as Sailor Jupiter approached them about joining them. A plan was hatched to have Jupiter, still human, go in and push Setsuna out of the time gates, exposing her to the time stream and adding her expertise to their collective abilities.
"You're causing a problem," a voice said behind Setsuna. It was a voice she recognized. She sighed and turned around to face herself...and herself...and herself...and herself.
The first Pluto facing her she had seen before. It was the pluto of the Crystal Tokyo she sought. Tall, regal, and tired from all the death she had seen, even knowing it was coming.
The second was from another Crystal Tokyo, one that really only bore the name, but had been accomplished with much less in the way of war and death. She was much more relaxed, there were fewer lines on her face.
The third...had the grey, circutry eyes of a robogirl. Her own future perhaps? Not if she could help it. She certainly seemed to have seen her share of battle, but she looked overall fairly happy.
The fourth was much scarred, her fuku was more reminiscent of a knights battle-armor. She had a grim look about her and immediately sat down when she could, revealing a difficulty in bending at least one of her knees.
"You mean, I should let myself become a slave to someone that doesn't even want one?" The present Setsuna asked.
"There is a method to render the relationship more equal," the serious Pluto said. "But they will not find it without your added wisdom."
"And this is needed for Crystal Tokyo?" present-Pluto asked.
"There is no Crystal Tokyo on this time line," robo-Pluto said. "If you do not go back."
"And I should take your word for that?" present-Pluto asked.
"Take mine then," the armored-Pluto said. "If you succeed, the Great Freeze will come and kill most of Earth's population. Some will escape into side dimensions, but otherwise it will be as her future...up until you start to build Crystal Tokyo."
"And what will happen then?" present-Pluto asked.
"Antares attacks," the armored Pluto said. "The Meklars bow before their might and become their minions. The vulnerable and emerging Crystal Tokyo is destroyed first. We senshi are hurtled into stasis for several decades. Without humanity's diplomats present to unite the other races or the Meklars' knowledge of mechanics and cybernetics, Antares destroy all the civilizations of our galaxy one by one. By my time, there are a precious few hold outs left. I'm the last Senshi. Usagi died only a few days ago, buying time for the remaining Elerian and Myrrshan to escape this dimension. Most likely the same fate awaits me when I return, covering for the Psilons and Trilarians, who invented the escape means to begin with. And there is no telling if the Antarans won't follow and irradicate the survivors after I am gone."
"And if I do return to become a slave?" Pluto asked.
"Oh, use your head," the relaxed-Pluto said. "Virtually every one of those girls is taking her own initiative. Many of them are doing things they know Ranma wouldn't agree to. That isn't exactly slavery."
"In any case," robo-Pluto said. "You come to my timeline, or one like it."
"And what happens then?" present-Pluto asked.
"There are several variations," serious-Pluto said. Of course she'd have a better view of that, variable timelines were easier to see if you were looking at a variant past. "In all situations a remedy is found to alleviate the one-sidedness of the relationship. Some end up with you all in a sort of mass-marriage situation. In some cases, the programming is so changed that you all return to more or less normal lives with just a feeling of kinship for the others. Some don't even have Ranma marrying any of you."
"In my timeline," robo-Pluto said. "It is me and one miss Yohko Mano that settled with Ranma." She sounded very pleased and even a little dreamy.
"In any case," serious-Pluto continues, ignoring robo-Pluto's break of image. "Once a method is found to convert someone without signifcantly altering their personality and firmly safe-guarding them from reprogramming, Nabiki Tendo begins selling her services to convert other people. It snowballs from there as she gives others the ability to do the same."
"The process is insanely popular, especially as it recovers much youth. Within thirty years," relaxed-Pluto says. "Humanity has become a race of techno-organic beings, as have many of the common pets that we enjoy so much. The Great Freeze comes, and it hardly effects life on Earth at all."
"So says the woman that didn't have to live through it, anyway," robo-Pluto noted gravely with a touch of humor and bitterness. She continues. "By the time Antares arrives, Crystal Tokyo is well established and humanity is stretched over many of the neighboring star systems. When Antares attacks, we manage to convince the other races to cease their warfare with each other. Humans help coordinate the computers of the fleets and colonies, supplementing the other races' strengths. Between all of us, the Antarans are driven back to their own dimension."
"And, in any case," serious-Pluto said. "Your continued presence in the time gates increases the chance of a paradox capable of destroying at least Tokyo."
"And what do you want me to do?" present-Pluto asked.
"When Jupiter comes," armored-Pluto said. "'Fall for' her trick, go back, help them. Bring this information..."
"Well, part of it anyway," serious-Pluto said. "Need to know basis."
"That's what I did," robo-Pluto said. "No need to scare everybody into rushing through things. You might if you told this full out, for example, scare Nabiki into converting as many people as she can, and giving them the imperative to do the same. End result...war on our kind, we lose, no senshi, no techno-organics, no Crysral Tokyo...Antarans wipe out life in this galaxy."
"I know the potential problems of telling someone their destiny, thank you," present-Pluto said. She was still somewhat suspicious.
This wasn't the first time someone had tried to fool her this way, though it was rare, and very difficult. This could be one of the final strategems of her future robo-self and her comrades to insure their situation stays. She just didn't know.
"Well," serious-Pluto said. "As always, the choice is yours. Perhaps this is a trick. Perhaps not, do what you think best." And with not the four other Plutos vanished back to their timelines.
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(Posted Sun, 29 Dec 2002 19:21)
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