Disclaimer:  Tenchi Muyo and its characters are property of AIC and 
Pioneer.  The proceeding story, though based on pre-existing characters, is 
the property of the author and may not be reprinted without permission.  
All original characters found herein are also the property of the author and 
may not be used without permission.  (Did that sound official?  I hope so.)

Note to Reader:  I have omitted a few minor characters, because their 
appearances would not have contributed further to content.  This saga is 
meant to be read after “The Masato Saga.”  If you haven’t read it you 
won’t be totally lost, but it helps.  As always, feedback is more than 
welcome, so please drop me an e-mail.

Clean Slate

Chapter 1:  Interruption

    The pilot cursed his rotten luck as his crippled ship slid closer and 
closer to Earth.  He had been conscious for less than a week, and already it 
looked as though he might be killed.  He was about to smash his hand 
angrily on the console in front of him, but he checked himself; no point in 
damaging his ship any more than it already was.
    Who’s fault was it that he was in this situation to begin with?  Was 
it the doctor’s, for giving him such a piece of crap ship?  Was it his own 
fault for not running a proper maintenance check?  No matter; all that was 
important was to find a way to survive, because there was certainly no way 
that he would be able to fulfill his mission, the task he was born for, if he 
was dead.
    He checked his instruments again, and was at least relieved to see 
that he was still on course.  However, with the automatic navigation 
system down, he would have to bring the smoking vessel in manually.  He 
had been flying manually for over an hour now, after the explosion that 
had originated in one of the power couplings to the main engine.  Luckily, 
the ship was equipped with maneuvering thrusters, which he was able to 
use to continue his trajectory.  Now that he was so close to Earth, the 
gravity was taking hold and the ship began to pick up speed.  
Unfortunately, the reverse thrusters ran off the same power coupling as the 
main engine, so there was no way he could slow down.  All he could do 
was put all maneuvering thrusters on full reverse, keep a level trajectory, 
and hope for the best.
    The fuselage of the ship tugged at the clouds as he passed through 
the atmosphere.  He looked down at the rapidly approaching ground, and 
swore.  Ever mindful of at least keeping his ship approximately on course, 
he pulled up and flattened out as the ship roared at a very unsafe speed 
mere meters from the ground.  He saw himself rapidly approaching a 
forest, which actually worked in his favor.  If he could brush a few of the 
treetops, he would be able to slow down enough to make a safer, if not 
unbelievably rough, landing.  He pulled up to the height of the trees and 
noisily crashed through the treetops.
    Twigs and leaves flew everywhere at the pilot’s efforts to slow his 
craft.  He watched his speed indicator carefully, and was elated when the 
speed of the craft began to go down.  However, in a momentary lapse, he 
failed to notice a tree larger than the others surrounding it that jutted 
through the canopy.  His ship impacted the trunk and sent the small vessel 
spinning wildly.  The pilot hurriedly manipulated the maneuvering 
thrusters in an attempt to compensate, but the momentum causing the spin 
was far too great.  With the pilot unable to control the craft’s descent, the 
ship plummeted towards the earth.  With each tree it impacted in its 
downward spiral, the ship became more and more damaged, being ripped 
apart piece by piece.  Finally, a large hole was torn in the hull surrounding 
the bridge, and a large section of trunk flew into the cabin.  The log 
glanced off the control panel in front of the pilot, barely missing his head.  
However, the panel was ripped open, and much of the wiring was 
dislodged.  Some of this wiring fell into the lap of the pilot.  He jerked in 
pain as the wires sent a powerful current of electricity through his body.
    The pilot let out with a loud scream.  The shock hurt like hell, but 
more than that he felt as though he was losing something.  He felt as 
though something important was being taken from him.  Even more 
agonizing than the pain was the feeling of emptiness that swiftly overtook 
him.  That horrifying sensation was the last thing he felt before he passed 
out.

    “I wonder what the heck that was?” Tenchi asked as he sat up off 
of his bed, disturbed from his reading after the resonating crash that he had 
heard.  “I hope it’s not another one of Washu’s experiments.”
    Tenchi exited his room and loped down the stairs, anxious to see 
what had caused the disturbance.  As he reached the bottom of the stairs he 
ran into Washu.  “Washu,” Tenchi began, in a light scolding tone, “has 
another one of your experiments gone wrong again?”
    “Sorry, Tenchi, but that wasn’t me,” Washu revealed.  “It sounded 
like something fairly big came down not far from here.”
    Suddenly, Kiyone came down the stairs, looking confused.  “I 
thought Ryoko and Ayeka weren’t fighting anymore,” she mused.  “What 
on earth was that?”
    “Washu thinks something came down not far from here,” Tenchi 
explained.  “I think maybe we ought to go check it out.”
    Kiyone’s eyes brightened.  “Maybe it’s a criminal!” she thought 
aloud.  “This could be the big break my career needs.  Mihoshi!” she 
shouted, marching swiftly in the direction of the television, where Mihoshi 
had parked herself earlier that afternoon.
    Mihoshi did not even respond, so engrossed was she in the 
program she was watching.  Kiyone waved a hand in front of her vacant 
stare, and still she did not respond.  Finally, growling from behind 
clenched teeth, Kiyone grabbed Mihoshi’s shoulders and shook her 
violently.  “Mihoshi, snap out of it!” she commanded firmly.
    Mihoshi blinked once.  “Oh, hi, Kiyone,” she said with a wide, 
oblivious smile.  “I was just watching TV.”
    “If you watch it any harder, you’ll stare a hole through it,” Kiyone 
said.  “A police matter has come up.  Get in your uniform and follow me, 
Tenchi, and Washu into the forest.”
    “Right,” Mihoshi said as she stood up and saluted.  “Detective 
First-Class Mihoshi reporting for duty!” she hurriedly bounded up the 
stairs to change into her Galaxy Police uniform.  Kiyone followed suit.
    As Mihoshi and Kiyone changed, Sasami poked her head from the 
kitchen.  Ryo-ohki was sitting on her head.  “I heard a noise outside,” she 
said concernedly.  “Is everything okay?”
    “We’re not really sure, Sasami,” Washu said thoughtfully.  “We’re 
going to investigate now.”
    “Can I come?” Sasami asked anxiously.
    “You’d better stay here, Sasami,” Tenchi said.  “Whatever’s out 
there might be dangerous.”
    “Aww, nuts!” Sasami pouted.  Ryo-ohki meowed a similar 
sentiment.
    “I promise I’ll tell you all about it when we get back,” Tenchi 
assured her.  “But right now we don’t know if it’s safe or not.”
    “Okay,” Sasami said dejectedly.
    Newly clad in their uniforms, Kiyone and Mihoshi raced 
downstairs.  “Alright,” Kiyone said with a determined look on her face, 
“let’s go get him!”
    “Not so fast, Rambo,” Washu said firmly.  “If it is a person, they 
might need our help, not a gun in the face.  Cool your jets until we find out 
what’s going on.”
    “Okay,” Kiyone agreed, realizing that she was a bit gung-ho about 
the situation.  “But it never hurts to be careful.”
    “Point taken,” Washu said.  “Be careful, everyone.”
    The four stepped out the door and looked in the direction the crash 
had come from.  They did not have to look long; a column of thick black 
smoke rose up from the forest about a kilometer away.  “We’d better 
hurry,” Washu said as she quickened her pace.  “This person might be in 
real trouble.”

Chapter 2:  The Discovery

    The crash site was a mess.  Pieces of the crashed vessel lay out 
over an area larger than a football field.  Smoke and burning oil blanketed 
the area, making even breathing a true task.  Upon arriving, Tenchi and the 
girls were surprised to see Yosho, Ayeka, and Ryoko already there.  They 
were staring in wonder at the wreckage.  “What are you all doing here?” 
Tenchi asked.
    “We were at the shrine, having a conversation,” Yosho explained.  
“We heard the crash and thought we would investigate.”
    “Washu, did you by chance cause this?” Ayeka asked innocently.
    Washu fumed.  “Why is it, whenever anything blows up, it’s 
always my fault!?” she screeched.
    “Because it usually is,” Ryoko said under her breath.  Washu shot 
her a sharp glance.
    “Washu, I’m sure all Ayeka wanted to know is whether or not you 
knew what caused this,” Tenchi said, sticking up for the princess.
    “Well, when you put it that way,” Washu began in a tone of forced 
dignity, “I only know what you all see:  A ship came down out here and 
was torn to shreds.  I suggest we start looking for survivors.”
    The group agreed and began to pick among the rubble for any 
survivors or, if worse came to worse, bodies.  As piece after piece of the 
wreckage was inspected, no sign of life could be found; no blood, no 
charred flesh, nothing.  After several minutes of searching, Kiyone 
suggested, “Maybe whoever piloted this thing got away.  He could have 
ditched the craft before it crashed.”
    Washu stared into a device she was carrying.  The screen showed 
seven dots in the center, and nothing else.  “I thought of that,” Washu said.  
“So, I brought out my trusty life-form radar.  This crash is relatively fresh, 
so I took into consideration the fact that, if the pilot was still alive, then he 
wouldn’t have gotten far.  But, I don’t see any other life-form on the 
screen.”
    “So you’re saying that, whoever crashed this ship died in the 
explosion?” Ryoko asked.
    “If there was a pilot at all,” Washu replied.
    Suddenly, Mihoshi yelped as her foot came out from under her and 
she fell on her back.  She sat up and looked back where she had fallen.  
Apparently, she had slipped on a small puddle of a gel-like substance.  She 
scooped up a small handful of the slime in her hand and brought it to her 
partner.  “What is this stuff?” she asked.
    Kiyone examined the material.  “Could be engine grease,” she 
speculated.  “I saw some of that around, too.”
    “Hmm,” Mihoshi mused.  “Maybe Washu knows what it is.”  She 
turned on her heels and sought out the pink-haired scientist.  With the 
globule held in her outstretched hand before Washu’s face, she asked, 
“Washu, what’s this?”
    Before Washu could respond, her life-form radar blipped once.  
She glanced at the screen and found that another dot had appeared on the 
screen, right where Mihoshi’s hand was.  Washu quickly summoned her 
computer and began typing.  Her eyes were wide as she began speaking.  
“Mihoshi, that thing’s alive!” she said with amazement.
    “Eww, get it off!  Get it off!” Mihoshi shouted as she dropped the 
viscous blob and wiped her palm on her pants.
    Kiyone walked to where Mihoshi appeared to be spazzing out in 
disgust.  She sighed and asked, “What have you done now, Mihoshi?”
    Washu looked at Kiyone and said, “I think she may have found a 
survivor.”
    “Well, where is he?” Kiyone asked anxiously.
    Washu pointed to the ground where Mihoshi had dropped the gel-
like material.  Kiyone raised her eyebrows.  “You have got to be kidding 
me,” she said flatly.
    “I’m reading biological energy coming off of that stuff,” Washu 
said.  “I saw more of it all around the crash site, too.  I need to run back to 
the lab and grab some storage containers.  Stay here until I get back.”   
Washu sprinted from the scene to retrieve her storage containers, leaving 
Kiyone to wonder why Washu was acting so enthused.  What was so 
special about a few globs of goo?

    Later that day, in her lab, Washu examined the material that had 
been collected from the crash site.  The gel was spread out over almost the 
entire area in small pockets, but when all brought together in the same 
container it occupied quite a bit of volume, at least fifty liters.  For the 
time being it sat static in the glass container Washu had set up in her lab, 
and she continued to study it, finding out some amazing things indeed.
    She hear a light knock on her door.  “Come in,” she said 
mechanically, despite the fact that she did not really wish to be disturbed.
    Tenchi opened the door and came in.  “Washu, dinner’s almost 
ready,” he said quietly.
    “Don’t bother making a place for me,” Washu said as she did not 
even break her gaze from her computer.  “I need to run some more tests on 
this stuff.”
    Tenchi stepped beside Washu and stared at the contents of the 
glass.  “So that stuff is... alive?” he asked in amazement.
    “Not really,” Washu said, taking a break from her typing as she 
turned to face him.  “For one thing, it doesn’t have DNA.”
    “And... that’s bad, right?” Tenchi asked.
    “Well, everything living has DNA, Tenchi,” Washu explained.  
“It’s the building blocks of life.  If DNA is not present, then it cannot be 
alive.  But this substance still exhibits the same patterns as a biological 
organism.”
    “So, is it alive or isn’t it?” Tenchi asked, becoming a bit impatient 
with Washu’s roundabout explanation.
    “It’s not alive,” Washu said, “but it perfectly simulates life.  It has 
cell structure, biological functions, even brain-wave patterns.  Even my 
equipment was fooled into thinking it was alive.  What we have here is a 
genuine synthetic being.”
    “You mean someone created this stuff?” Tenchi asked.  “Kind of 
like how you created Ryoko?”
    “Not really,” Washu said.  “Ryoko was still built using wholly 
biologic materials that all contained DNA, so she is herself biological.  
However, this substance is not.”
    Tenchi tried hard to understand what was said, but ultimately gave 
up.  “So, who created this?” he asked, trying to steer onto a less heady 
topic.
    “I’m not sure,” Washu confessed.  “But I wish I knew what it was 
created for.”
    Realizing what he had originally entered the lab to do, Tenchi said, 
“Well, I’m going to get some dinner.  If you change your mind, I’ll have 
Sasami leave you a plate.”
    “Okay,” Washu said as she smiled and turned back to her typing.
    Tenchi left the lab and Washu continued her research.  However, 
her mind remained on Tenchi.  Even after refusing dinner, he would still 
make sure a plate of food was left just for her.  She smiled at Tenchi’s 
protective and slightly naive nature, which she found to be very endearing.  
Washu chuckled at her notion that Tenchi would be the kind of guy who 
would ask a drowning man if he needed a glass of water.  But that was 
who Tenchi was: a kind person who would bend over backwards to help, 
even if he didn’t know how.  As she continued typing, Washu thought 
about how much Tenchi’s personality set her at ease.
    She just happened to glance up at that point, and what she saw 
made her gasp.  In the glass container, where the gel used to be, was what 
appeared to be a young man.  She typed again, and was aghast as she saw 
that the “man” was made out of the same material they had found at the 
crash site.  In fact, it was the exact same material.  It had somehow formed 
itself into that shape.
    Washu’s jaw dropped as she continued to stare in amazement.  
“My God,” she said with awe, “what the hell did we find?”

Chapter 3:  A Scientific Explanation

    For the next several days, Washu sequestered herself in the lab, 
determined not to emerge until she found out exactly what she was 
dealing with.  She ran test after test, each time finding out another piece of 
the puzzle.  After a solid week of investigating, Washu had painted a 
pretty clear picture of what the substance was, and why it had assumed its 
form.  After organizing her thoughts, she was ready to present her findings 
to the household.  After dinner one evening, she called for everyone to 
meet in the lab.  Upon finding seats among the chairs that had been set up, 
they all turned their attention to the podium that stood before them.  
Behind the podium was what looked like a large screen.  Washu stepped 
forward and assumed her position behind the podium, smiling wide.  
“Thank you all for coming,” she beamed.  “As you all know, I have been 
working tirelessly to unlock the mysteries of that odd substance that we 
found at that crash site last week.”
    “So, do you know what it is?” Mihoshi asked.
    “Please,” Washu said as she held up her hand, “save all your 
questions until the end.  Now, then, after several tests, I believe I can 
finally say what we have here.”  She picked up a small hand-held device 
and pressed a button.  An image appeared on the screen behind her.  She 
stepped aside to present a clear view to everyone.  The image was of what 
looked like a cell.  “The liquid we found is actually composed of these,” 
she continued.  “These are artificial cells.  Unlike the cells of animals, 
these are silicon-based, and contain no DNA.  Therefore, they are not 
living.  However, the organelles present are engineered to function just 
like the organelles of living cells, and therefore can allow the cells to 
function just like living cells.  The cells run off of ambient energy found in 
the environment in which they live.  In fact, it appears that the cell’s 
vacuole is reinforced to store energy for extended periods of time, almost 
like a battery.  Just how much energy it can store, I am not certain.  This 
type of artificial cell makes up the bulk of the fluid’s mass.  However, 
another type is present.”  She again clicked the button, and the image 
changed to that of another cell, which was more elongated than the last, 
and appeared to have tendrils sticking out from it in all directions.  “These 
cells here are more than likely designed to emulate brain cells.  Inside each 
artificial nucleus is a nano-processor, which is basically a microscopic 
CPU, very similar to those found in personal computers.  I was able to 
hack into the database for the processor, and found that most of the 
information it contained was erased, possibly a result of the crash.  
However, what little information I could gather related to basic 
information, such as voice articulation, muscle manipulation, and 
rudimentary brain functions.  However, I feel that the substance is capable 
of much more than mere life imitation.”  She clicked the button again, and 
the image behind her changed to the human form that the substance had 
adapted.  “Several days ago, the substance organized itself into this form.  
It has remained as such since its initial transformation.  I believe that being 
immersed in an environment containing predominantly humanoid 
organisms has something to do with its change, which leads me to believe 
that it has some awareness of its surroundings, and is adapting to best suit 
itself to them.  In conclusion, while this substance is not alive, it exhibits 
the same attributes of any living organism.  It was definitely created, but 
by who or for what remains unknown.  It has demonstrated that it can 
simulate basic biological processes, but I believe that the true nature of 
this material runs much deeper.  It is my belief that it was designed to 
perfectly represent a higher organism, complete with thoughts, emotions, 
personality, and consciousness.  Now, are there any questions?”
    Every brow among the seats facing Washu was furrowed in 
confusion.  Mihoshi scratched her head and said, “So... what is it again?”  
Washu hung her head, and it smacked noisily against the podium she stood 
behind.
    “I think I understand,” Tenchi said slowly.  “So, we’re dealing with 
artificial intelligence?”
    “In a manner of speaking,” Washu said.  “However, this is so 
advanced, that it almost bridges the gap between artificial and real 
intelligence.”
    “So what you’re saying,” Ayeka began, “is that this artificial being 
can think and act on its own?”
    “All the evidence I have found points to that,” Washu confirmed.
    “Did you find any information at all about what its primary 
function is?” Kiyone asked.
    “No, I haven’t” Washu said.  “The only information I was able to 
gather is an encrypted message that appears in nearly every file, almost 
like a water mark.  All it says is:  ‘Project Pinnacle.’  But I’m still not sure 
what that means, other than the fact that it was definitely man-made.  All 
information regarding its function was erased.”
    “So,” Mihoshi began with wide eyes, “what was it again?”
    Washu shook her head.  “Maybe it would be better if you all saw 
for yourselves,” she proposed.  She motioned for everyone to follow her.  
She led everyone to a table on which the humanoid form lay, completely 
motionless.  Everyone gathered around and stared at the naked form 
stretched out before them.  The visual inspections from the group 
supported Washu’s hypothesis; it looked like a human, plain and simple.
    “I guess if we want to find out anymore about him, we’ll have to 
ask him,” Washu said.
    “Is he going to come around?” Ryoko asked.
    “He will once I use these,” Washu announced, holding up a pair of 
chords.
    Tenchi looked at her confusedly.  “Jumper cables?” he asked.
    “Believe it or not!” Washu said.  “I need to give him a jump-start 
so that his cells can begin functioning again.  With no energy, they put 
themselves in a state of stasis.  A few volts ought to wake them up.”
    Washu placed the clamps from the cables on the top of the form’s 
head.  She connected the other ends to an open power source, and turned 
the current on.  Nothing could be seen, but a low humming sound could be 
discerned as the power coursed through the body of the naked form.  After 
several seconds Washu cut the power and stood over the body expectantly.  
For several moments, the group stood with eyes wide, wondering if the 
artificial organism before them would regain consciousness.  Even more 
than that, they wondered what it would do if it did wake up.  Would it 
shake everyone’s hand, or tear them limb from limb?  With anxiousness, 
and a tinge of fear, everyone waited expectantly for something to happen.
    The entity’s eyes opened.

Chapter 4:  The Awakening

    Everyone took a few steps back as the humanoid form sat up on the 
table and surveyed the faces around him.  His eyes hopped slowly from 
person to person, with no clear expression.  The crowd around him was 
visibly anxious, waiting for some kind of verbal or physical response.  
However, none came as the humanoid continued to scan the crowd, 
emotionless.
    For what seemed like an eternity, no one spoke or moved.  After 
several moments, Washu, who was now convinced that a hostile 
individual would have made some sort of aggressive move by now, broke 
the silence.  “Hello,” she said softly.
    The figure turned his eyes to meet hers.  “Hello,” he responded.  
He stared at Washu for several more moments before asking, “Who are 
you?”
    “My name is Washu,” she responded.  “I took care of you in my 
laboratory after we found you.”
    The artificial life-form continued to look around, expanding his 
glances to the room in which he was contained.  “Where am I?” he asked.
    “You crash landed here,” Washu explained.  “You’re on a planet 
called Earth.”
    The entity nodded slowly.  He again looked at the faces that 
surrounded him.  After glancing again at Ryoko’s face, he seemed to 
inspect it more thoroughly.  Ryoko glanced away, uncomfortable that she 
should be regarded in such a manner by someone whom she not only did 
not know, but who was not wearing any clothes.
    Suddenly, a pair of boxer shorts seemed to suddenly appear on the 
entity, hiding his genitalia.  Everyone was a bit taken aback at the display.  
Washu raised an eyebrow.  “How did you do that?” she asked slowly.
    “I don’t know,” the entity responded.  “I sensed discomfort among 
several of you stemming from the fact that I was naked.  That’s when the 
clothing appeared.”
    Washu’s eyebrows were still raised high.  He first hypothesis had 
proven to be incorrect.  The form in front of her was not designed to 
imitate humans; it was designed to surpass them.  “You’re empathic,” she 
announced.  “And you can change your appearance.”
    “Wow,” Sasami marveled.  “Is that true?”
    The entity turned his eyes to her.  “I don’t know,” he said flatly.  “I 
don’t know a lot about what’s going on.”
    “What’s the last thing you remember?” Washu asked.
    The entity thought very hard for several moments.  “I seem to 
remember some kind of pain,” he said.  “I was on the ship, trying to land 
safely so that I could do something, but I’m not sure what.  The next thing 
I remember is being in your lab.  I’ve been here for several days, haven’t 
I?”
    “Yes, you have,” Washu confirmed.  “How did you know?”
    “I had some sense of where I was,” the entity responded.  “Not so 
much of this place, but of all the people here.  I could feel them somehow.  
Even though I couldn’t see or hear, I could tell where everyone was.”
    Washu nodded slowly.  The entity was indeed empathic, which 
would explain why he chose subconsciously to take on a human form.  
Washu supposed that the entity felt that everyone was so used to such a 
form, he could blend in better as such.  That also explained the boxer 
shorts.  His behavior was based on the emotions of others, which led her to 
believe that more than the entity’s purpose was deleted in the crash.  She 
decided to see if she could jog its memory.  “Do you have any idea what 
Project Pinnacle is?” Washu asked slowly.
    The entity snapped to attention.  “I know,” he said.  “I... think I 
know.  I should know.  It sounds so familiar.  It’s like it’s right there in my 
head, but I just can’t grasp it.”
    Washu pursed her lips in frustration.  It seemed that Project 
Pinnacle was a mystery even to its product.  If the entity could not recall 
something so deeply rooted within its programming, she decided that any 
other information that she could have wanted would more than likely be 
unknown to the entity.  “Well, anyway, how do you feel?” Washu asked.
    The entity looked at her puzzled.  “How should I feel?” he asked.
    “I don’t know,” Washu replied.  “That’s why I’m asking you.”
    The entity seemed to stare off into space.  “I don’t know.  I don’t 
think I feel anything.  I only feel what all of you are feeling.”
    Washu was shocked.  Perhaps whoever created this thing didn’t 
intend the resemblance to humans to be complete.  Like the human brain 
that controls all of the nerve endings in the body and yet contains none of 
its own, this entity could sense the emotions of others, but was unable to 
experience its own.  Despite the fact that she knew that whatever sat on the 
table before her was not truly alive, she felt sorry for it.  She decided to do 
something about it.  “There are a few more tests I would like to run,” 
Washu said to the group.  “So, if you’ll all excuse me, there’s some work I 
need to do.”  She waited until everyone else got the hint and departed the 
lab.
    Alone with the entity, Washu turned to it and said,  “You are a 
remarkable creation.  I don’t know who made you, but I’m going to finish 
what they started.”
    The entity looked at her with questioning eyes.  “Why do you feel 
so sorry for me?” it asked.  “You don’t know me, and I don’t know you.  
There is no reason for you to feel this way.”
    “I know it’s difficult for you to understand right now,” Washu said.  
“However, after I put in some programming of my own, you will.  I’m 
giving you an upgrade.”

Chapter 5:  Version 2.0

    Working tirelessly for another two weeks, Washu infused 
personality traits and an ability to think and feel independently within the 
mysterious visitor the household had received.  The programming only 
took a few days to download, but the diagnostic tests she had to run were 
extensive; she had to make sure that, given the opportunity to think and act 
freely, the entity would not adopt an angry or aggressive nature.  After the 
tests were completed, she was convinced that her programming was such 
that the individual would not have a propensity for violence.  Exhausted, 
but excited, she finally emerged from her lab and called the household 
together to introduce the newest addition to the Masaki household.  With 
everyone gathered around the entrance to the lab, Washu announced, 
“Everyone, it gives me great pleasure to introduce all of you to Arcese.”
    She swung the door to her lab open, and out stepped the entity--
fully clothed--wearing a wide grin.  “Hello, everyone,” he said jauntily.
    Everyone was very impressed with the figure that stood before 
them, especially considering that a scant two weeks ago it seemed to have 
the personality of a pile of wet leaves.  Now it radiated at least some 
degree of pleasantness, and the warm smile on its face certainly set 
everyone’s mind at ease.  The entity sensed this from everyone.  “I’m glad 
I’m being received so well,” he said.
    Washu spoke up from behind her latest project.  “Arcese has been 
given his own personality, and he now has the ability to think and feel on 
his own.  I was able to use some of the original programming as raw 
material to give his personality a major makeover.  Thanks to my genius, 
he is now the perfect gentleman.”  The entity chuckled and gave a polite 
bow.  “So, does anyone have anything they would like to say?” Washu 
asked.  “Praise is always more than welcome!”
    “His name is Arcese?” Sasami asked.  “How did you decide on that 
name?”
    “An excellent question!” Washu said.  “His name is actually an 
acronym.  It stands for Artificial Robotic Cognizant Empathic 
Shapeshifting Entity; A-R-C-E-S-E; Arcese.”
    “Oh,” Mihoshi said slowly, having no idea what was just said.  
“What a lovely name!”
    “Washu,” Ryoko began, “you said before that this thing is 
telepathic, right?”
    “Not telepathic; empathic,” Washu clarified.  “It means that he 
cannot read thoughts outright; only emotions.  He knows what you’re 
feeling, not what you’re thinking.  And, he is not a thing!  Please, call him 
Arcese.”
    “And he can change shape, too?” Ayeka asked.
    “Yes,” Washu said, “although much of the information regarding 
that was erased.  I was, however, able to give Arcese a rudimentary 
understanding of shapeshifting.  He can change certain aspects of his 
physical appearance, but for the most part he must remain humanoid.”
    “Don’t worry,” Arcese interjected, “I’m not going to turn into a 
dinosaur, or something.  Besides, I think I like this form.  It seems proper.”
    “So, did you find anything out about why he’s here in the first 
place?” Kiyone asked.
    “No,” Washu said.  “However, I did root through his memory 
banks, and I found some data files.  They are all extremely damaged, but 
with a little work I may be able to decipher them.  But, for the time being, 
I think we can put Arcese’s past on hold, and welcome him into the 
household.”
    Tenchi cleared his throat uneasily.  “I’d be all for that,” he said, 
“but we’re kind of tight on space as it is.  I’m just not sure we can find a 
place for him.”
    “Don’t worry about that, Tenchi,” Arcese assured him.  “I can stay 
just about anywhere.  I don’t need to sleep or eat, so I promise I won’t be 
much of a burden.”
    “Still, I’d feel guilty if we just stuck you in a closet somewhere,” 
Tenchi said.  “And, if you’re-- hey, wait a minute.  How did you know my 
name?”
    “I know everybody’s names,” Arcese said with a smile.  “Washu 
told me all about all of you.  I must say that I am impressed by such an 
eclectic bunch living in harmony under one roof.”
    “Well, mostly...” Kiyone trailed off.
    “Kiyone, I can sense a strong bond between all of you,” Arcese 
revealed.  “In fact, in terms of emotions, I can barely sense you 
individually, but almost all as one.  That is truly amazing.  Tenchi, I sense 
that you are the focal point.”
    “Well, I... it... it would certainly... seem that way,” Tenchi 
stammered tightly.
    “That’s right,” Ryoko said playfully as she wrapped her arms 
around Tenchi in a gentle hug.  “We all care about Tenchi.  But I love him 
the most.  Isn’t that right, Tenchi?”
    Before Tenchi could respond, Ayeka cut in by saying, “Speak for 
yourself, Ryoko.  Tenchi knows all about the love you have for him.  
There’s no use in beating him with it.”
    “I’m not beating anyone with anything!” Ryoko pleaded 
mockingly.  She then added with a sly grin, “Although you seem to be 
itching for a good fight.”
    “You know me, Ryoko,” Ayeka replied, adopting the same grin.  
“Anytime, anywhere.”
    “Alright, it’s on, now!” Ryoko said excitedly.  “Get ready for a 
whooping, Princess!”
    “Come and get me, you demon!” Ayeka taunted playfully as the 
pair ran outside.
    Normally, the scene that would follow such an exchange of words 
would involve people ducking for cover and many items of furniture being 
destroyed in a seemingly no-holds-barred, borderline apocalyptic battle 
between two of the most powerful women in the universe.  However, no 
one even gave the skirmish a second thought.  Even Arcese, as a 
newcomer to the household, was not worried; his empathic abilities sensed 
the friendship between them.
    Since Ayeka and Ryoko called a truce after the death of Masato, 
they had made an effort to really get to know one another better.  In doing 
so, they found out that Masato had been right; they had a lot more in 
common than they thought.  In the ensuing months, the pair became very 
close.  Ayeka even grew to accept Ryoko’s feelings for Tenchi, realizing 
that they were deep and true.  However, she would still tease her 
sometimes about it, for old time’s sake.  Mostly, their sarcastic rapport 
would amount to nothing but words, but on occasion they would actually 
break into a physical confrontation, which had evolved more into a game 
or an exercise regiment as opposed to a bitter catfight.  And, for the benefit 
of Tenchi, they only did so outside, away from expensive things.  Now, 
after fights, Ayeka and Ryoko, hair mussed and clothes singed, would 
more often than not be laughing with one another as they discussed their 
latest spar.  Knowing the history of the pair, their friendship was very hard 
to swallow for Tenchi and the others.  But at least they weren’t fighting...  
Well, seriously, anyway.
    “What an odd way for two people so close to one another to 
express their friendship,” Arcese puzzled as he watched the two begin to 
fight on the lawn.
    “This is nothing,” Kiyone said.  “You should’ve seen them before.”
    “Anyway, I still have no idea where we’re going to put you, 
Arcese,” Tenchi said.  We don’t have any spare rooms.”
    “Don’t worry about it, Tenchi,” Arcese said with an understanding 
smile.  “Like I said, I can stay just about anywhere.”
    “I suppose he can stay in my lab for now,” Washu suggested.  
“That will work out well anyway, because there are still a few tests I 
would like to run on him.  Unless, of course, he takes your room, Tenchi.  
Then you could move in with me!”
    “What!?” Tenchi blurted.  “No way!”
    “Oh, come on, Tenchi; it would be fun!” Washu said, smiling 
devilishly.  “I promise I’ll be extra nice.  And I won’t run all that many 
experiments on you, honest!”
    “No, no, no!” Tenchi said firmly.  “I’m not going to move into 
your lab, Washu!”
    “Fine,” Washu pouted.  “Arcese, you can live in the lab.”
    “Okay,” Arcese said without protest.
    “See?” Washu teased Tenchi.  “Arcese is too much of a gentleman 
to turn down a lady like myself.”
    “Actually, this is more for Tenchi than for me,” Arcese said.  “I can 
sense that Tenchi is very uncomfortable with the prospect of what you 
might do with him in the laboratory.  Also, I can sense that you have some 
ulterior motives as well, Washu.  I must say, it never dawned on me just 
how naughty you are.”
    Washu’s face turned a bright red.  “Yes, well... I think now that 
you’ve met everyone, you should come back to the lab with me, Arcese,” 
she said tightly.  “I still haven’t finished testing you.  And I think I’m 
going to teach you how to be a little more tactful with your empathy.”
    “Alright,” Arcese said as the two made their way back into the 
recesses of Washu’s lab.
    With the exit of their newest houseguest, everyone turned to see 
the front door open, and Ayeka and Ryoko step inside.  They were 
laughing and leaning on each other for support, tired after the solid effort 
they had put up.  “You should have seen the look on your face, Ryoko,” 
Ayeka said through guffaws, “when I burned that hole in your kimono.  
You looked like you were about to raise hell!”
    “Well, I got you back, though,” Ryoko chuckled.  “I sliced off 
some of your hair!  I’ve still got my trophy!”  She had a lock of Ayeka’s 
violet hair in her palm and held it up triumphantly.
    “Give that back!” Ayeka commanded sarcastically, attempting to 
wrench the hair from Ryoko’s hand.
    “Make me!” Ryoko shouted back with a smirk.  “I got it fair and 
square.”
    “What on earth are you going to do with it?” Ayeka queried.  
“After all, it goes much better with my eyes than yours.”
    “Are you kidding?  This is going over my wall!” Ryoko said.  
“How much do you think a taxidermist would charge to mount it for me?”
    Already caught up in the merriment of the moment, Ayeka finally 
busted out laughing at Ryoko’s comment, clutching her sides and doubling 
over as her guffaws filled the house.  Ryoko joined in, and the two once 
again had to lean on each other to prevent themselves from falling over.  
“We’d better go clean up,” Ayeka was able to spit out between attacks of 
uproarious laughter.  The pair made their way upstairs, continuing to laugh 
loudly, leaving everyone else to wonder what exactly was so funny.
    Tenchi sighed.  “Just when I think things can’t get any weirder,” he 
said.