"So it's true, isn't it?"
"Yep. Infinity's back."
Hearing that, Cadaverine slowly nodded as he sat back in his chair at the Young Guns' clubhouse, located in a small forest to the east of Habitation Six, the largest city in Yiziba's southern hemisphere. "Male or female?" he then asked.
"Female. Even better, her mould's from a norm planet named Earth."
"The planet that attracts all the attention from the big gun powers?"
"The same. Atop that, this Infinity's got a brother who became Rake," Accretor said as she looked up from her control board. Tapping a control, she turned on the view-tank located in the middle of the table where the Young Guns gathered when they had their meetings. "Here's what they look like."
Cadaverine blinked as two images appeared before him. Gazing at them, he then nodded. "Yeah, it's them, alright. Where're they now?"
"Back on Earth. They had to chase off some same female from Uru before she could wreck the planet's ecology for some dumb reason or another." Turning back to her controls, she tapped a question into the computer. A second later, the result came. "Oh, this is weird! Turns out that the mould for Rake actually was in love with this Urusian. Here she is."
An image of Lum appeared above the view-tank. Seeing her, Cadaverine sneered. "Actually wanting a same as your mate?" he asked before making a childish face. "Disgusting!"
"Agreed. But at least now, he'll get the chance to meet and mate with real females."
He gave her a knowing look. "Including you?"
She breathed out. "Hopefully."
Hearing that, Cadaverine nodded as he got up from his chair and walk to a window to gaze on the beautiful day outside. Leaning his hands on the windowsill, the young boy could only take a deep, hopeful breath.
Currently, as Yizibajohei measured time, Cadaverine was only nine seasons old.
Accretor was just eight.
The oldest of the current generation of Young Guns, the super-swift Hypersonic, was only eleven, just barely on the cusp of adolescence.
And the chances were very good that none of them would ever reach puberty. To say anything of adulthood.
Two sagas ago, the Dawn of Power broke out on Yiziba.
The Great Crystal of Power, the meson-forged core of the planet, had, after it had been exposed by scientists of one of the many tribes existing on the world at that time, been discovered to possess the ability to transform anyone who was absorbed through its surface into a metahuman warrior possessing a wide gamut of abilities depending on their own emotional and social upbringing.
Superhuman physical abilities: strength, invulnerability, endurance.
Superhuman mental abilities: telepathy, empathy, precognition.
Superhuman movement: flight, super-speed, the ability to live in any environment.
Superhuman energy powers: projection, control, manipulation, telekinesis and its equivalents.
Magic and its infinite elements.
Cosmic-level powers.
It was ALL possible.
Thus, understandably, an "arms race" resulted as the various tribes began forming metahuman shock troop squads, special military units that could serve as the ultimate expression of their native societies' desires and wants without any concern for defending against even standard weapons of mass destruction.
While the various governments at the time tried to keep the Great Crystal's ability a secret from the general public, the news eventually did leak out. The result was a near-revolution as masses of common folk began digging their way into the soil and rock of their world in hopes of touching the Crystal, thus ensuring they could protect themselves from any possible danger; the first Conservator arose from this particular element of the population.
When it became widespread, worldwide rebellion resulted as those material things that had been considered precious -- wealth, resources, land, prestige -- could easily fall into the grasp of anyone willing to seize it. Secrets were useless in a world where telepaths could pick a mind clean and spread it worldwide in the proverbial flash. Money became worthless in a world whose financial institutions couldn't defend themselves from break-ins, to say anything of being electronically drained by unstoppable hackers. The more dictatorial of Yiziba's tribes at the time were overthrown when those willing enough to stand up for their beliefs found they could out-power governmental goon squads of metahumans by themselves.
Eventually, forward-thinking tribal leaders saw the coming anarchy in time to make preparations. A world government and bureaucracy were formed to forge some sense of continuity and support as society was literally turned inside out. Automated manufacturing systems powered by the Crystal itself were forged to help repair the damage a fight scene could unleash on man-made structures. Likewise, automated farming systems were created to guarantee a steady supply of food. The untouched areas of Yizibajohei wilderness were specially shielded to ensure non-sentient life could continue without molestation from the battling metahumans.
And the Show began.
With that, the drive to ensure ALL who lived on Yiziba were allowed to be gifted by the Great Crystal became -- if not law -- the one tradition on this world.
But for some who were subjected to that tradition, it was no gift.
It was a guaranteed death sentence.
Gazing at Lum's image once more, Cadaverine closed his eyes as he considered what to do in this case, and then he smirked. "Call everyone."
"What do you have in mind?" Accretor asked.
He smirked.
On Uru, Lum sneezed . . . and then a cold shiver ran up her spine.
Meanwhile . . .
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(Posted Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:43)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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