Ranma cocked his head quizzically at his mate. Something seemed to be disturbing her. “What’s wrong?”
“I just wish.... I wish I could see you again.... but you probably have to go away....” Hotaru murmured quietly.
Ranma straightened and flashed a cocky grin. “Oh I’m sure we’ll see each other later...”
Hotaru blinked. “Really?”
Ranma winked. “Don’t worry. I’ll be nearby if you really need me.”
Hotaru nodded and then glanced at her watch and paled. “Oh no! Its been that long??!!! Haruka-Papa and Michuru-mama must be worried sick! I’m sorry but I really have to get going....”
Hotaru stood up and turned to leave and then stopped. She blushed shyly as she turned around and gave a surprised Ranma a quick peck on the cheek. “I hope to see you again.....”
With that Hotaru turned and ran off down the path. Ranma stood there for a minute in something akin to shock, one hand slowly brushing his cheek. Although his instincts were satisfied that he had impregnated the female, the after mating cuddling and kiss had been.... nice. For some odd reason he found himself blushing a bit himself. He cocked his head curiously and pondered the situation and Hotaru.
Among the things he pondered was his promise to stick around and see her again. Why had he agreed to that? For a moment even his instincts had agreed with the course, but why?
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Ironically to understand his decision one must compare the altered species DNA Genma used, let us call it Species type R, to the original Species DNA.
The original DNA strand was designed as a weapon, beamed to developing civilizations in order to exterminate its populace. Female hybrids were driven by the urge to procreate with the most perfect specimens of the dominant life form that it could find. Imperfect male specimens were terminated. Male Hybrids on the other hand were driven to impregnate as many females as possible, each impregnation fatal to the mother in a matter of hours. In order to facilitate this, the two genders tended towards the seductive side and in the male case released a powerful pheromone that rendered its victims horny and submissive. Even a female Hybrid found herself vulnerable to these pheromones, which combined with the desire to mate and reproduce overwhelmed the hybrids normal desire for survival.
Combined with the males’ hybrid’s offspring’s tendency to favor the male gender heavily over the female gender, one had the ultimate planetary bio weapon. A few generations would see the stronger, faster, and healthier hybrids supplanting the local sentient life forms. However within a few more generations the male to female ratio of hybrids would become incredibly unbalanced due to the combination of women hybrids being able to endure only one pregnancy from a male hybrid and the tendency of such couplings to produce males.
After a century or two the planet would be devoid completely of sentient life, allowing a perfect opportunity for colonization or exploitation from the viruses’ original senders. Since the senders did not possess FTL drive, they could afford to be patient and wait for their bio-virus hybrids to eliminate the local competition and then burn itself out. Any of the original planets sentient inhabitants who had survived the hybrids would be a very small minority and easy to wipe out. A very sinister method of conquering a planet indeed.
Unfortunately for the aliens they hadn’t taken into consideration the efforts of a greedy martial artist/scientist and dumb luck. For Genma’s irradiation and altering of the species DNA strand had created Species Type R, which maintained many of the benefits of the species strain with few of its downsides. The most notable difference being that when he impregnated a woman the gestation time would take over three months and by that time the female mate would be transformed into a another Species type R hybrid and be capable of surviving the labor.
Another noticeable alteration would be that the offspring of such unions would mature at a normal human rate until approximately age nine or ten when it would gain its hybrid form. The only indication of it being anything but a normal child would be the offspring’s unnatural health and vigor. Well that and the tendency to be incredibly savage and brutal in life or death situations. Even after achieving control of its alternate form the hybrid would not become sexually active for another three to four years. Some might argue this was a disadvantage compared to the normal days/weeks maturation cycle of the typical Species hybrid, but from a population standpoint it would prove crucial for long term survival.
Perhaps the most radical and yet subtle alteration of Species type R however is the transformation of the male hybrids mate. Within hours after coupling the female would be altered into a type-R hybrid herself, attaining full control of the hybrid form within a few days. However along with the physical benefits came a much more subtle one that would spell the doom for the original Species hybrids mission. Namely the genetic desire for survival.
In Species type R’s case the desire for survival existed alone without the desire for the female to procreate with optimal male specimens, especially in the case of transformed Type R’s as they already had a desired mate. As a result if and when they faced off against a male hybrid, the male’s pheromones would have little to no effect as the instinct to survive would recognize the lethal nature of such a coupling.
The simple reason for this would be that unhindered by the genetic desire to procreate with the best specimen possible, Type R species instincts focused much more upon survival. Survival of themselves and their own genetic coding.
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Ranma ironically had been doubly blessed by having Genma as a father, as unbelievable as that sounds. His first blessing was being infused with Type R Species DNA. The second however was the fact that Genma trained him.
No matter what one says about Genma, he is a fairly powerful Martial artist. If he wasn’t he would have been unable to wield the might of the Saotome secret techniques. It was this power that he used to keep his hybrid son in line, well somewhat in line anyways. Even after Ranma had gained access to his hybrid form and thought he was king of the world, Genma still managed to beat him in the first few sparing practices. This brought home two important points for Ranma. The first being that martial arts were important as they strengthened the users’ body, chi, spirit, and ability to survive. Thus it martial arts made Ranma a more perfect hybrid to his instincts and mind. The second and probably more important point made was that Humans by themselves were not inferior and indeed could grow to rival and surpass a averages hybrids (Ranma did not consider himself average by any stretch of the term of course) power, speed, and strength. Thus Ranma found that being subtle and observant were more aligned with his goal of survival than being blunt and forceful.
Ranma frowned. But what of his offspring? Would they recognize the necessity of keeping a low profile once they matured? And what of that girl Hotaru? Even after their mating Ranma had sensed something changing in her beyond her unknown pregnancy. It was almost like she was becoming like him.
Ranma nodded to himself as he pondered. Yes that was it she was becoming like him, had she been a hybrid to? Or did he change her? So many questions. Questions that he needed answers to before he had another conquest, lest he expose too much of his alien nature and risk discovery. Genma had been clear on that, if his hybrid nature was discovered he would be hunted down and killed, so he had to stay in human form most of the time.
Finally he came to a decision. He would stick around like he promised Hotaru. If she was changing to she would eventually need to be trained, as it was the duty of a hybrid to be a martial arts master and hide among the normal humans. Even if she wasn’t changing, he would have to watch out for his child and make sure his offspring understood the importance of keeping a low profile. Besides... Hotaru was... attractive to him.
Ranma smirked and headed off into the thicket, his mind turning to other important matters. Such as how to convince his idiot father to stay around Hotaru...
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Hotaru walked towards the other Senshi who had been searching the path for her once they realized she had been left behind. She giggled and smiled a small secret smile at the other girls’ questions concerning where she had been and why her clothes looked so dirty.
In fact Hotaru was so busy trying to convince Haruka and Michuru that she had just gotten lost in the woods, that she didn’t have time to wonder upon certain things. Like why the short rip to meet the senshi, which would normally have left her on the verge of exhaustion at the pace she had ran, had only left her slightly winded. Or why the constant ache of her body she had grown so used to was beginning to fade...
And deep inside Hotaru a new life began to form as her own cells altered and changed beyond what her original genetic makeup had been....
How will the other senshi react to this?
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(Posted Sun, 15 Feb 2004 01:19)
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