P-chan heard that and squealed in terror, trying to hide behind the larger pigs in the pen area.
"You'd think he understood you," said a male voice.
"He DID understand me," insisted some girl's voice.
"(Someone knows?)" P-chan squealed and slowly extended his head around the back end of the pig he was hiding behind.
"Well?" asked some young girl. "Are you coming or not? If you really want to remain with the breeding stock, that's your own look out."
"(B-b-breeding?!)" squealed P-chan.
"Yes, BREEDING," said the girl.
"Actually they'll be culled down to a few with genetic samples taken," said the guy. "That way the females can be-"
"Yes, yes, all very efficient and technical," said the young girl. "Now are you coming or not? Mind you, you probably eat less and process less air in your pig form so I expect you'll spend a lot of time in that form."
"(How can you understand me?)" squealed P-chan, moving out a little bit as apparently his role in this survival colony was NOT listed as menu item.
"Well, duh," said the little girl, rolling her eyes. "This section of the habitat is for insanely powerful martial artists, supernatural beings compatible with humanity, and psychics. Any and all of which might have mascots, exotic pets, or guardian beasts of some sort. Naturally they'd find someone who could understand the tongues of beasts when looking for someone who turns into a pig. Now do you want to be reunited with Akari Unryuu or not?"
"(AKARI?!)" squealed P-chan, running up to the little girl. "(She's here?)"
"She's a professional pig-breeder, who breeds sumo pigs, who is sufficiently tough that she can teach pigs four times her size that martial art," said the little girl, rolling her eyes again. "I repeat myself. 'well duh!'"
As far as the rest of the world was concerned, the Habitats were a myth or urban legend. There might be a few suspicions, but that was it.
However, there were other locations that had the ability to survive if they didn't take a direct hit. Aircraft carriers and submarines for example. Prisons and military bases which had emergency supplies. They could survive in the short term. It was after the immediate disaster with the disruption of supplies that would cause things to become more dicey.
Which was quickly becoming a source of information for those in the Habitats as even the news agencies involved started going off the air as the extent of the disaster was beginning to sink in.
"They took the disaster footage off the air and they're now running some kind of map with details about signing up for work assignments and such," noted Nabiki.
"I must go," said Mitsuru. "I'll check back in with you when I have the chance."
"Why work assignments?" asked Nabiki.
"Keep people busy so they're not spending so much time worrying," said Ranma before Mitsuru could. She merely raised an eyebrow, nodded, and left.
"Megastorms?" asked Kasumi, seeing a news factoid come up on the display.
"Okay, that partly explains why so many of the news broadcasts when they DO come in are grainy and flicking in and out," said Nabiki. "The atmosphere getting churned up like that. Pretty massive storms. Okay, I can see that."
"Mitsuru here," said Mitsuru Kirijo as she found an access panel and slid it open. "Code 342817 Kirijo."
"Voiceprint and code accepted," said someone at the other end of the line. "Welcome Kirijo-san."
"Overall status," asked Kirijo as she stepped through an opening doorway to stand inside an apparent closet that had security cameras looking her over.
The 'closet' began moving down as it was determined that she was not being coerced and other invisible probing occurred.
"Overall status good. Habitat Four is sealed and functional. Due to security protocols, contact with other Habitats is shut down until after initial 48 hour period is over," responded the voice at the other end of the connection.
"What of the others on my 'A List'?" asked Mitsuru.
"Yukari Takeba is currently working in the video department where she is coallating data from the various feeds. Junpei Iori is currently in Block C, Level 22, with his wife Chidori. Akihiko Sanada is currently working in the Security Department - monitor room 3. Aegis is currently in Security, patrol detail. Location - inner perimeter. Ken Amada and Koromaru - also on patrol detail in the upper corridors."
"What about Yamagishi?" asked Mitsuru.
"Fuuka Yamagishi - current status unknown. She might be in the last group to arrive, as all the details on them haven't been entered into the computer," said the operator. "Sorry. She apparently was not at the location we were expecting her to be at."
"Fuuka," whispered Mitsuru sadly before going back to her business persona. "We did the best we could. Actually, it's a bit of luck we were able to get that many."
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(Posted Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:26)
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