"No, I mean she's literally cooked," said Kumiko. "She was at ground level when the electricity was arcing and she was the one who took the brunt of it. If Miss Shampoo hadn't changed into a cat and broken contact as a result of the shrinkage, it would be her that had become damaged."
"So what does this mean?" asked Akane, her emotions whirling in a dozen different directions with this development.
"Her body temperature briefly exceeded one hundred ninety degrees," said Kumiko. "Only for three quarters of a second but it was enough to start a cascade effect." She didn't need to make a gesture to display the data, like pulling out a scanner it was mainly an affectation that served to reassure humans in the vicinity. She gestured at a monitor and it came alive with a display.
"What's all that red?" Akane asked.
"Damaged or burst cellular membranes," said Kumiko. "Her hypothalamus is shot, pituitary, see the damage to the spinal cord areas? Blood brain barrier's shot too. Liver, intestinal tract..."
"She die?" Shampoo asked. Rivals were for killing but that was up close and personal, not accidently frying them. Besides, that had almost been her!
The tide of red continued to spread through the silhouette of a human body.
"The two of them will be delivered later," said Kumiko. "We'll have to artificially sustain Miss Kuno until we can determine that this is what she really wants and it wasn't done from delusion."
"I see," said Cologne.
"Now, as for paying for the damage you three have caused," Kumiko said, turning towards the fiancees. "Miss Kuno will pay her share and is paying another sort of cost altogether. How do you three plan on paying for damages?"
"Ranma?" Akane turned, and found a decided lack of pigtailed boy. "RANMA?!"
"Ranma Saotome did not participate directly in the event," said Kumiko. "Well?"
Ranma stared at the tank. Bit by bit, a naked Nabiki was taking shape. A hairless head and face, perfectly formed at this stage, her neck and shoulders. Something like a spinal column and ribs. He'd arrived in time to see the internal organs of the chest being installed. Lucky him.
The inner layers resembled human tissue, at least what he could remember from biology class. Except they were mainly translucent plastic-coated metal and other oddities. The ribs and spine were plainly mechanical looking though. Segments of tough looking metal coated with plastic.
"Fascinating," said Ifurita, watching the process. "This is more advanced than the ancient El Hazard artificiers could have managed."
"Great," said Ranma, his tone suggesting that it was anything but.
Looking over displays, Ifurita gave an approving nod. It appeared that as a Saber unit, Nabiki would weigh a small increment more than she had as a human but would be far stronger and tougher. "Don't touch."
Ranma had been about to lean on a panel and now flinched away from it. "I didn't do nothing!"
Ifurita turned back towards the tank. It was really quite something. As soon as the nanobots had finished an area, prefabricated pieces like an organ or a bone would be released into the tank. The piece would be guided into place and then the nanobots would weave artificial tissue to connect the new part to its new home.
"So that's how it's done," said Ifurita. "No doubt the artificial womb is fairly similar in function. Artificial tissue that functions much like the original."
"Uh huh," said Ranma, still a bit shocked and nauseated as he watched a shoulder joint get built up and an upper arm get fitted into the socket.
Ifurita looked over the unit as a second tube was being prepped for construction of another unit. "I wonder if she realizes how long a thousand years can be."
Akane stuck her head out of the huddle to briefly address Kumiko. "We'll be right with you."
Ukyo waited until Akane had dropped back in. "Okay. How are we going to do this."
"Shampoo not know why she have to pay. Was Spatula Girl's spatula and Violent Pervert Girl's water."
"Because none of us are letting you out of this and you were in the melee too," growled Akane. Ukyo nodded her agreement.
"We could try selling this 'image data' but I don't know. It's just kinda creepy," put in Ukyo. "I mean, you go into a store and there's a clockwork Ukyo 'Welcome to Yoshi's Pizzeria, can I help you?' or something."
"Kuno could buy an Akane of his own," said Akane. "You have no idea how much that idea disgusts me."
"Shampoo can relate. Mousse buy own Shampoo, would give Shampoo serious creeps."
"Perhaps I could offer my own image data," put in Cologne.
"You think they need something that scary?" Soun asked.
BOPP!
"Now that he had coming," stated Akane as her father was bopped in the head.
"I was quite a beauty in my time," stated Cologne. Actually the idea of a version of herself, forever young, forever strong in the martial arts - it had some attraction to her.
"Could be worse," stated Ukyo. "Imagine Happosai buying a set."
"Ewwwww," said Soun, Genma, Cologne, Ukyo, Akane, and Shampoo.
"If it was just the overall image, that's one thing, but they also use brain data." Akane shuddered. "I'm not so sure I could handle walking into a restaurant and finding ME in a bunnysuit waiting tables or something."
"Shampoo think that horrible idea," agreed Shampoo. "Violent Pervert Girl in bunnysuit too too horrible to imagine."
"Yeah, yeah, HEY!" Akane glared at the giggling Shampoo. "Let's get serious here. How are we going to pay for damages?"
Yuka and Sayuri were in a second huddle, whispering to each other, and apparently planning something.
Genma had found a wall unit that could dispense whatever beverage he asked for and was beginning to think this place wasn't so bad after all!
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(Posted Thu, 23 Oct 2003 13:04)
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