Well, here I go again - yet another crack at the old story writing lark, and a fan fic at that. I should hopefully do better than my last un'published' work because I have written out a short synopsis... well, its actually about 4k... The story is set after the end of oav series 2. Im assuming that puts me around summer '94, not that it really matters. And now for your entertainment, a disclaimer. Disclaimer: Blah blah blah characters and events not mine blah blah blah belong to AIC and Pioneer blah blah blah blah apart from the new stuff which is mine blah blah blah not making a penny out of this blah blah please don't sue me blah blah. No need for another reality. (Who needs good titles?) by Alexander Timiney (een0a2t@leeds.ac.uk) Prologue: Someone Set Up Us The Bomb! Washu cackled into the vastness of her lab. /I really am a genius!/ she thought to herself. The red headed scientist gazed at her latest creation - the Intra Polydimensional Realitly Conduit Generator (prototype I). It was a giant mess of wires, ducts, cages, boxes, flashing lights and all sorts of other parephenalia seemingly jumbled randomly about a pumpkin sized jet black sphere. The design and theory behind it was so complex and advanced that even Washu, the greatest genius scientist in the universe, was unable to produce a fully working model in one go. She wasn't even sure if the thing would work, but then that's what prototypes are for. Now it was complete it needed rigourous testing. And something to test it on, heh heh heh.... "Miss washu? Oh, there you are. Sasami says dinner is ready." No.. No! Not... "Ooh, what does this do? Is it a new invention?" "Mihoshi! Get away from that!" Washu screached, "How did you get in here?" "Oh, what does that bit do?" Naturally, having seen a new toy to play with, the ditzy blond started pressing buttons and twiddling dials, "Whoops. Don't worry, I'll fix it." "No NO, Mihoshi, stop!" pleaded Washu, but despite her efforts to stop the walking accident, the damage had been done. Lights flashed brighter, pipes pulsated, encolsures hummed and whined. The machine came to life and activated. The surface of the black sphere became alive with myriad colour patterns. The pitch of the machine's whining became higher and higher and louder until just before it went beyond the range of human hearing (and tolerance). *POP* The machine stopped, its lights dimmed, the pipes ceased thier motion, the humming died away and the black sphere... had vanished. "Ohh..." Mihoshi cooed, "I think I've fixed it!" she said to Washu, but the little red head was running as fast as she could towards the exit. "Are we having a race?" the ditz asked, "I love races!" and she started chasing after the fleeing scientist. Having longer legs, Mihoshi cuaght up with washu as they left the large room. It's huge metal door closed behind them. "Looks like it was a draw, huh?" Washu's face had turned the same colour as her hair, "MIHOSHI YOU ARE AN IDIOT!!!" she screamed. Her accusation was punctuated by a massive explosion which shook the the entire level* of the lab. The heavy door was ripped from its hinges and slammed into the corridor wall. The lights flicckered, rubble and smoke rushed out into the shaken corridor. The smoke and dust cleared, and the lights flickered back on. Washu was holding her head in her hands and Mihoshi was kneeling on the floor with rubble trapped in her blond hair. "WWAAAAHHHH!!!!!" she sobbed, "You're so cruel!" "Uhh, excuse me," said a soft feminine voice from the lab's wrecked threshold, "Could you tell me where I am?" Both Mihoshi and Washu looked over to the voice's source. Leaning against the doorway was a woman, a little shorter than Mihoshi. Her hair was bronze brown in colour and was plaited down to her waist. Her skin was pale, but glistened like gold. Jade green eyes were set in a soft featured oval face, which wore an expresion of pain and exhaustion. The rest of her body was obscured by strange silver robes, which seemed to be suspended from large, dark, metalic shoulder pads. Before anything else could be said, the strange woman collapsed to the floor. Both Mihoshi and Washu moved over to help the fallen stranger, but they stopped when they reached the doorway. "Where did that come from?" gasped Mihoshi. "Hmm... looks like my polydimensional conduit theory is correct." chimed Washu, "My invention worked!" In the lab where Washu's machine once stood was now a very large space craft. It's basic design was comparable to some rocket ship designs from 1950's sci-fi, but with a distinctly organic twist and a touch of manga stylization. Its hull was an elongated sphere with a pointed nose. Three huge shark-like fins raked backwards from the rear half of the hull. About a third in from the tips of each fin was a pod on the trailing edge. From each pod extruded a long rigid tentacle, terminated by a small triangular fin. Another third in was a similar pod on the leading edges. At the front of the hull were two canards, about a quarter of the size of the rear fins and more angular in shape, connected only at one point at the finlet's front edge. At the front top of the hull, where one might expect to find a third cannard if the pattern of the rear fins was followed through, there was a row of windows, looking into what must be a bridge or cockpit. The entire ship was covered in a material the colour of tanned skin. It was textured like scales and glittered like gold... like the strangers skin. Infact, the the hull's skin look like a cross between lizard scales and human skin, only on a larger scale. The craft was resting on its lower two rear fins and its nose, and it looked rather battered. But then most of it's extremities were trying to occupy the same space as the walls. "You mean your machine turned into this space ship?" Mihoshi asked. "No!" The scientist shouted, perhaps a little too harshly. She pressed a few buttons on her holo computer and a stretcher trolly appeared out of a subspace pocket. "Just help me get the girl onto this, then go and tell the others I'm looking after a new guest." - - - Right, I think I'll leave it there for now. Next up will be the story proper. (ie Chapter One) *Making only one level shake might sound a little feeble, but as I understand it, there are five levels in Washu lab, and each one is a whole planet. Apologies for my overlong sentance style and sorry about the OTT description of that ship. Incidentaly, I use /.../ to indicate italics, which in turn indicate thought. Please send comments, death threats, etc to een0a2t@leeds.ac.uk It really doesn't matter what you say, or when you say it. Just make sure that a) you actually mention what the heck you're talking about b) you respond sometime within my life time. I dont care if its a hundred years after I've finished writing every story I'm ever going to write, I still want some feed back. But aslo bear in mind that my email address will change after summer 2004, and that I probably wont be alive in 100 years time. I will write the rest (read; bulk) of the story, but the more feedback I get, the sooner I'll write it. Have a nice day, and 'Remember: Seatbelts!' All Your Base Are Belong To Us. You Have No Chance To Survive. Make Your Time.