V .01 Neo Genus Jusenkyo By Kevin D. Hammel My attempt at a Ranma/EVA blend. Shaken, not stirred. Episode 01 Zoomorph Attack! Ranma 1/2 is property of Rumiko Takahashi. Publishing Rights are held by Viz in The US and Shogakukan in Japan. Neon Genesis Evangelion is property of Hideaki Anno. Video rights held by GAINAX in Japan and ADV Films in the US. My purpose is to honor these creators and their works. No infringement intended. ---- The hovercraft sped along through the mountainous wilderness of China, on final approach to Joketsuzoku 3. Two fourteen-year-old girls would see their father for the first time in years, not that they were very excited about it. That they MIGHT get to see their sister, also fourteen caused one of them to smile. The other girl would have smiled if they had just sold the sister for a good profit, however. The smiling girl had long black hair secured with a couple of ribbons. Her sister had short brown hair and was not known for smiling for any reason short of making a profit. Her smile had brought fear into many hearts back in Saint Petersburg 10, where they had lived with their dad's relatives. Their mother, Keiko, was separated from them when they were young, so they had been raised in Russia. The two girls spoke in Russian. "So, Akane, aren't you just SO excited about seeing daddy?" "Please, Nabiki, Why would I EVER be happy to see him? You remember the last time he wanted us to come..." Both girls shuddered. It was not a time of fond memories. "And that time we didn't even get to see him, as if I CARED to see him after what happened to us. It would sure be nice to have a parent..." The unfinished remark left doubt Akane even considered Tendovski Soun her father. ---- A balding, heavily muscled man wearing a black uniform and orange glasses looked at his daughter, a fourteen year old girl with a long red braided ponytail. They were standing in the living room of a house with attached dojo. Saotome Genma addressed his child. "Ranma, today we accept delivery of two new pilots, Tendovski's other two daughters. One of them will be assigned to JAVA 2. I had neglected to tell you before, but Tendovski and I engaged you to any one of his three daughters shortly after your birth. They should be arriving any minute. I take it you have probably rejected Kasumi..." "Please don't think for me, dad! I don't really care about fiancee's, I just want to get out of this crazy place! I'm a guy, pop!" Ranma LOVED this game! It really got the old man to dance... Genma looked concerned. "Do you want THEM to hear you, girl! I don't know WHAT they'd do if they found out. What do you..." Genma droned on and on. Ranma's mind drifted to scene two months ago... ---- Genma and Ranma addressed the council of elders, which consisted of several gnarled, old crones holding gnarled, old staves. "We are cooperating with you fully, Dr. Saotome, but when the work is completed next week, you must leave." Genma addressed the leader of the council, the most gnarled and weathered person in the room. "Cologne, we are trying to save the world. We expect an attack to come within weeks. This is the place it MUST be done. I MUST stay here" "The head of your household MUST be female, Doctor." Genma looked at Ranma, "Daughter, could you help me and Tendovski out here?" "I'd like to talk to these people alone, could I?" Genma left the room. The door was slammed shut and bolted. "I think I should level with you guys..." Ranma took off a small backpack and removed a thermos bottle, which she opened and poured over her head. "I'm not REALLY a girl, sorry 'bout that." "Ranma, you show honor far beyond your father's comprehension. We knew from the day you were cursed that your father would eventually use your curse in this manner. We have been watching you for some time, Ranma. You have proven yourself a capable warrior, and we will accept you as you are, PROVIDED you will swear loyalty to US above him. We are very concerned about what he plans to do. He is earth's only hope for survival. His long-term plans are earth's best chance for destruction." "I'm not my pop's biggest fan, so I just might go along with you. What do I gotta do, Cologne?" "Remember what you are at all times, an Amazon warrior. We expect you to make your best effort to appear as one in public." "I already need to appear a girl in public due to the agreement that only women would pilot JAVAs. I'm a warrior already, so it's no problem." Ranma said with a touch of arrogance. "We will pass on additional information to you through our highly-placed operatives in the LEAF organization. Will you do this for us, and the world, Ranma?" "Hai." A fourteen-year-old boy became an adult by uttering one word. "Could you get some ice water and glasses, don't let the male Saotome in!" Cologne ordered one of the guards. The door was opened, with a human wall preventing Genma admittance or a look inside. A few minutes later, she returned with a pitcher of ice water on a tray with several glasses. "Sorry about the temperature, Ranma. We didn't want to appear too obvious." Ranma poured a bit of the icy water on his head, then changed. Ranma set her glass on the table. Cologne took it and three others, filled them, and distributed them to the remaining elders. "Will you approach me, Ranma?" Cologne asked in an almost motherly voice. The girl walked up to the table behind which the four crones sat. She looked up into Colognes eyes. Cologne then directed a modulated chi blast at Ranma, drying her hair. "Cool!" Ranma enthused. "A true Amazon technique, hair dryer fist!" "Ranma, please place one hand on your heart and raise the other." The girl did as requested. "Do you swear on your warriors heart to place the earth above the plans of your father?" "I do." "Do you swear to follow the commands of this council, and representatives I or whoever is at the time chieftain appoint, even if they are counter to LEAF commands?" "I do." "Do you accept membership in our tribe, and will you nominate any others you feel are worthy?" "I do and will." Cologne bounced over the table and gave Ranma a kiss on the cheek. "Welcome to our tribe, warrior." Ranma smiled with pride. She had always been scared of some of the things her pop was working on, but had never failed to be impressed by the honor and nobility of the Amazons. She knew she had chosen the right side. ---- "Ranma, ARE you listening? Our guests will be here..." The doorbell rang. "...now. Tendovski, will you get that?" "I'll get it, pop, I'm the head of the house, after all." Ranma said with a grin. Ranma opened the door to see two girls her age. Both were dressed in gis. One had long black hair, and looked like she had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Talk about shuttle lag! The other had short brown hair and showed a slight smile. The brown haired girl spoke with a distinct Russian accent. "So, you must be Ranma. We've heard so much about you. I'm Nabiki." Nabiki let herself in. The other girl spoke next, also in accented Japanese. "And I'm Tendovski Akane." She bowed. Ranma noted the girl's expression wasn't as severe as it was before. She returned her bow. "I am Saotome Ranma. Welcome to my home, Akane." The two girls smiled at each other. "Want to be friends?" Akane asked Ranma. "Uh, OK!" Ranma replied. Sounds of argument came from the living room. "You did WHAT! WHEN! What did you think you were doing? She's a girl, daddy!" Nabiki hustled over to Ranma, poking a finger at her chest. A lightning-fast move by Ranma deflected Nabiki's hand before it reached its target. Ranma's face grew red. "AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, PERVERT?!?" Nabiki whitened noticeably. "sorry." She said in a tiny voice. Akane shook her head at her sister. Ranma glared at her pop. "It wasn't the $@#^! fiancee thing was it?" Genma sheepishly nodded yes. "Fiancee thing? What are you talking about?" "Well, I guess our illustrious fathers engaged us after birth to marry. I have my choice of three lovely Tendovski girls. I'm not too hot on arranged engagements, are you?" Ranma asked no one in particular. "An arrangement isn't so bad, if the girl isn't a shrew." Nabiki replied, smirking as she glared at Ranma. Her hand still stung. "Or if she's not a PERVERT!" Ranma spat, returning Nabiki's glare. Akane walked to the kitchen, filling a glass from the tap. "And an engagement between us isn't as far-fetched as you might think." She put a teaspoon in the glass. Its amazing how great minds think alike, I was going to say exactly the same thing!" Ranma replied, following Akane in, filling a glass from the ever-present kettle on the stove, then inserting a teaspoon. "Oh brother, my sister and the thinker!" Nabiki said rolling her eyes. All three had an inkling of what was going to happen. Ranma spoke fist "Let's talk in the dojo." She turned to face the fathers. "No Parents." The girls left to the fathers' delight. ---- Nabiki laughed as the two girls carefully carried their glasses of water to the dojo. Soon they faced off. Akane and Ranma raised the glasses above their heads and closed their eyes and stuck out their tongues at each other, then poured a bit from each glass over their heads. Nabiki began to giggle. Akane threw a bit of water in her direction, and all three noted the decidedly different timbre of the laughter. Akane and Ranma's eyes opened at the same time. There were now three boys in the room, who began to laugh hysterically at each other. Ranma flung a bit of her hot water on Akane, then Nabiki. "You two laugh like girls!" "So do you, RANKO!" Akane said, as she flung a bit of her cold water on Ranma. The laughter quieted down a bit. "I never thought I'd ever get a laugh out of this stupid curse." Ranma said with a smile. "Da, I never thought so either, excuse me, I meant Hai, Ranma." "I do know a couple words of Russian, Akane." Nabiki's expression grew more serious. "So, did your dad make you a girl so you could pilot a JAVA, Ranma?" "Yeah, Nabiki." Akane spoke up. "We needed a curse to be pilots, and I don't like boys, but being a guy's better than being a piglet, for example. Still, I'll never really forgive my dad. He called us here to visit him, and all that happened is a couple of his flunkies took us to Jusenkyo, dumped us in the spring, changed us back, and sent us home to Saint Petersburg 8." She finished with a bit of anger. "Have you two piloted a JAVA yet?" "No, not even a simulator. All that was destroyed when Saint Petersburg 6 blew 4 years ago." "When you're in that cockpit, it's ALL worth it, believe me. And I have to stay in my cursed form most of the time, just to sit in that cockpit." "Why Ranma?" "This is a village of Amazons, so I'm head of the house." All three began to laugh again, each holding up a victory sign. An alarm sounded. Ranma's expression became serious. "Let's go!" She ran out the dojo, Akane and Nabiki hurrying behind. ---- Genma and Soun waited above the hanger. Two bio-electronic constructs awaited their pilots. JAVA 0 was still undergoing repair following Kasumi's disastrous attempt at synchronization, so it was Unit 1 and untested Unit 2, which awaited pilots. "According to Linnean text, and more modern research, the attack should be a zoomorph representing Platyhelmenthes, this time." He set down a book, whose cover read 'Systema Naturae C. Linnaeus 1758' "Hai, Tendovski. The three previous attacks were lesser organisms Ranma was able to handle. I hope Akane or Nabiki can pilot Unit 2, Ranma might need some help, this time." Ranma raced out in her red plug suit, followed by Nabiki, wearing black with silver stripes and Akane wearing yellow with light blue stripes. Ranma ran over to Unit 1 and took the elevator up, then boarded the entry plug, which was inserted into the body of the unit. It looked like Nabiki was yelling at Akane, who was shaking her head 'no'. Genma glared at Soun. "Women! I expected as much." He hit the intercom. "Is Kasumi conscious?" "Hai, but you can't." "Bring her." A minute later a gurney, with a plasma IV attached to its occupant, was wheeled onto the floor of the hanger. On it was a bandaged girl. She had long silver-blue hair, and red eyes, one of which was bandaged. Akane recognized her on sight. She ignored her argument with Nabiki and ran over to the girl. "Kasumi?" The injured girl opened her mouth, then felt a jab of pain. "akane?" Genma's voice came over the intercom. "Your two sisters want to fight while Joketsuzoku burns." Soun's voice came over the speaker. "Will you pilot it for me, Kasumi?" "da, papa." She was hit with another sharp jolt of pain. "oh my!" "I'LL PILOT IT!" Akane shouted, running for the elevator. She boarded entry plug as she had seen Ranma do. A voice came over the intercom. "This JAVA Control, Captain Shan Pu. Please push flashbutton, Akane." Akane pushed the button, closing the hatch. "Inject plug...Now" Akane felt a jolt as the plug came to a rest in the belly of the beast. Now, it was filling with some kind of liquid. A face flicked on a video monitor. A young woman in her late twenties with purple hair looked at Akane. "We filling plug with LCL to help you control JAVA, Akane. You can breathed OK, It not water, so don't be scared, Ok?" "Uh, can you speak Russian or Mandarin, your Japanese is rotten!" The girl grinned sheepishly "I'll speak in Mandarin. LCL, the fluid we're flooding the capsule with, will enhance your control of the JAVA, and improve oxygenation of your blood. It also provides excellent shock absorption, to partially compensate for the extreme acceleration and deceleration your JAVA unit will experience. Don't be afraid, you can breathe normally." Gee, she sounded like a kindergartner or a nerd. Nerd was better, however. The liquid soon covered Akane's head. She decided it was now or never and took a breath. The VR system came on, and it seemed like Akane was standing suspended 15 meters above the floor. A mechanical voice spoke "Cockpit voice interface Russian." Ranma's face came up on another screen "You ready, Akane?" "Da!" She gave a thumbs up. Ranma returned it, and winked. Akane blushed, though only she knew it. When the console indicated all circuits were functioning at optimum levels, one of the technicians said, "JAVA's hot. The synthetic life- form Jusenkyo Activated Vehicular Anthromorph 2 is ready for launch!" Shan Pu gave the command: "JAVA1, JAVA2, LAUNCH!" Akane felt the pull of a few G's as Unit 2 rocketed out of the hidden LEAF base. ---- The Purple and Green JAVA Unit 2 emerged on the surface above Joketsuzoku 3. To Unit 2's right, there was Ranma's bright red Unit 1. There were a few stone buildings on the surface. In the distance, a fat, slightly pulsating biological arrow was advancing on the two JAVA units. It had two gigantic 'eyes' on top of its head. Both were glowing as if preparing to fire some kind of energy weapon. "Battle at last!" Ranma shouted in Japanese "For Saint Petersburg 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and the Motherland!" Akane added in Russian. ---- Next on Neo Genus Jusenkyo... Episode 02 Akane in Action! Mallet of the Gods? (END) ----- First off, praise for Ms. Takahashi and Mr. Anno, without whom these wonderful worlds and characters wouldn't exist. This is my first attempt at a fan fiction series to be allowed out onto the web. This story wouldn't have happened without James Lee's painting of Onna-Ranma in a plug suit. I got to thinking, how would Ranma end up piloting a EVA-type unit in cursed form? So I came up with a scenario which tries to put a Jusenkyo twist on Neon Genesis Evangelion. Literary inspirations from Nicholas Leifker's Sunrise Chronicles and Clothes..., Jeff Hosmer's Amazons, Mike Koos' Bubblegum Splash, and James Lee's Alternate Future (for which the aforementioned picture was painted). The actual story is a fusion somewhat like Stephen Tsai's BSSR (dump Ranma cast in alien environment, and watch as havoc reigns in same) Please tell me what you think (C&C, MST, flames, comments, etc). My e- mail address is khammel@pacbell.net. Additional stories and fan art can be found at www.geocities.com/~khammel/ffindex.html. If you would like to pre-read, please drop me a line. Special thanks to: Mike Koos who has been an excellent pre-reader, sounding board, and fan art contributor. Bryan Neef, the first author who responded favorably to a fan fiction I dropped on him out of the blue. (Though Scott Jamison is a close second) And, James Lee whose art started this whole project and even consented to look at an early version of the story. Thank you for reading, Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net