"Reason for c-c-c-creation is to protec-c-c-ct humans," announced the thing. "S-s-s-s-s-s-erve and p-p-p-protect."
"Oh," said Ranma. "I get it. You're a robot."
"C-c-c-c-k!" said the thing, a thin wisp of smoke coming from somewhere inside it.
Ranma actually DID get it. Maybe it was that he was Japanese and had snuck manga whenever his father wasn't looking. Maybe one of the healing potions had healed some damage inside his skull. Maybe it was some other factor. This robot had been built to serve humans some time long ago and it had been sitting around because there were NO humans left. Then it had found him and was going to follow him around. Except it looked like it was ready to fall apart. "How old are you anyway?"
"k-k-k-k-klik. Ten and-d-d-d-d a half m-m-m-million years p-p-prior to c-c-c-chronometer shut d-d-d-down," answered the machine.
"Whoa, that's even older than the Old Ghoul or the Perv," realized Ranma aloud. "Even combined."
"R-r-r-r-ready to s-s-s-serve," said the aged machina as it tried to salute and an arm froze about halfway up.
Ranma was capable of pity and there was something so completely pathetic about this that he felt so inclined. "Uhm, can you stand over there and wait. I really don't want ta see you fall apart on me."
The machina did so, shaking as it began moving over there.
Ranma felt pity, but a certain degree of admiration. Someone had built something that could still work after that long a time? Fairly impressive.
"Interesting, I think that statue had been waiting there since the ship was built. It is some kind of golem, I take it?"
Ranma turned at the comment, then looked up. She looked like a perfectly normal Japanese girl except for her height and that she had a bit more figure than was usual on a teenage Japanese girl. "Not quite."
"What House are you with? Oh, I forgot. Name's Mizuho. Mizuho Akani of House Rising Sun," said the girl, holding out her hand for a few moments before it was obvious Ranma wasn't going to shake it.
Ranma looked her over. Pop star looks. Cute. Wearing a gi sort of costume that had leather plates sewn on.
"You're a runner, ain't ya?" Mizuho asked. "Don't worry, I ain't turning you in."
"A 'runner'?" Ranma repeated. Whatever this gal was, he had dismissed fighter from the list. The only obvious weapon she had was a small dagger on her belt - more one of the tool variety than a weapon. She didn't seem a martial artist either.
"You're on the run from your House," said Mizuho. "I have a brother who tried but didn't get far enough away. He's got a fiancee from a higher caste within the society who pretty much runs his life and he can't do anything that might be dangerous. I think he might try escaping again whenever he gets the chance. Hope so. Otherwise he might go nuts living like some pampered little pet."
Ranma made the connection as he found himself smiling at the girl's evident disgust at her brother's fate. She thought he was one of these Delphins and by helping him, she was sort of surrogately helping her brother? "I don't need nobody's help."
Mizuho held her hands out, palms up, in what passed for a peacekeeping gesture locally. "Hey hey. No fuss. Just offering. You can't be good at everything and I figured you'd draw less attention if you're not travelling alone. My professional registry, by the way, is that I'm a
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Thu, 26 Feb 2004 12:01)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.