In the time it had taken for the Star of Hope to traverse the subspace manifold to the Solaris system —which was on the outer rim of the unfashionable western arm of the galaxy and by no means a short journey— Ranma had more-or-less forgotten about the blonde genie and the misspent wish.
The promised wealth had not materialised, but neither had any of the unforeseen consequences, unanticipated consequences, or twisted interpretations that might be expected of such a situation. So, all in all, since wealth was less important to him than avoiding problems, Ranma considered himself to have come out well ahead of the game on the deal. He soon put the affair out of his mind.
His life returned more or less to normal —or abnormal depending on your view point— and if he thought about the wish, it was only with a vague sense of regret about not resolving certain situations. He never connected it to the fatigue and nausea he was experiencing, alternating with bouts of energetic activity, instead attributing that to the sudden onset of a growth spurt; and considering that reasonably normal for his age. Nor did he connect his symptoms with the coincidental power surges and blackouts the Tokyo power grid experienced.
Most nobody around him noticed much difference in his activities except by degree. He slept through classes and was harder to wake then and of a morning, but he was also throwing himself into training harder than usual too, and was gaining in strength and speed daily. If his appetite was even more enormous than usual, the height and muscle he was putting on explained that.
Indeed the only inkling anyone on Earth had as to the long idle power core sputtering awake inside him were the vague unease his mother was feeling, and odd Higgs boson emissions puzzling a few scientists around the globe.
“Space–time fusion in three Moments, Captain!” broadcast the excited bridge–bunny on astrogation watch.
Emotions were running high aboard the Star of Hope. Excitement, wonder, and a mix of fear and curiosity filled the bandwidth in the bubble of four dimensional space–time surrounding the mighty vessel. After seven thousand year the Orphan Fleet was finally about to attain its primary objective. Her aura feeds coupled to the ship’s systems, Captain Esmerelda van Claud felt the nervous energy vibrate through the entire battleship and shared in it.
“Captain to all hands,” she broadcast into the ether. “Alright crew, please dampen your emissions to a minimum. We’re about to surface and make the final approach under complete stealth until we know what we’re dealing with.
“I know you are wondering the same things I am: After all this time, what will he be like? How has our lost brother been treated and what is he doing in this backwater system anyway? Will we have cause to celebrate his rescue by the natives, or need to raze the planet to avenge an insuly?
“Well, ladies, we will have answers to all these questions, and more, soon enough. Until then, we will have to be ready for anything! I know I can count on you to attend to your duty stations with your utmost professional care, and make sure your costumes are in pristine condition. After all, we want to make the very best first impression! Captain out.”
As Esmerelda surveyed her bridge crew and smiled with satisfaction it never occurred to her, dressed as she was in a flamboyant pirate costume, that they might make the entirely wrong impression.
“Wormhole dilation in one Moment! Prepare for emergence.”
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(Posted Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:54)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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