Opening Moves Part Two: Zwischenzug *Knock, knock.* The short, redheaded scientist looked up from a paper she had been reading. The student who wrote it had obviously only started the night before and, given the fact that he missed class at least once a week, it was no surprise that there was little understanding of the subject matter evident. "Come in," said Washu in her nasal voice, stamping an "F" on the paper. The door pushed into the small office, causing the clatter of the plastic crab hanging on it. A tall, well-built man who had a physical age of thirty walked in. He had slick black hair combed sideways in a vain attempt to cover a bald spot. His face was long and rectangular and his chin appeared to be split in two. "Dean Hekomi," said Washu cheerily, throwing the stack of papers over her shoulder as a subspace hole opened to catch them. "Take a seat." The dean sat down in a chair on the opposite side of Washu's desk. He had no trouble finding a place to put his chair since the office, unlike those of many professors, was immaculately neat. This was due to her access to unlimited storage space in other dimensions. Aside from her desk in the center and the crab wallpaper, the room looked as though it was unused. "So, what can I do for you?" "I just wanted to tell you that your new student assistant is arriving today." Washu loosed a sigh and put her head in her left hand. "Great, another straight-A, ass-kissing, yuppie, spoiled rich kid." "I don't know about all that, but I can tell you that he definitely isn't rich. Far from it, in fact. He's a Trolaxian." "He's from Trolax? Is that the planet that's going through civil war?" "On and off for about the last forty years. And even when they don't have armies blowing each other open, it's still not a nice place to live." "Well, wherever they're from, they're still just a bunch of suck ups. If I wanted my ass kissed I'd get a robot to do it." "Sorry, but this is the way it's going to be." "Why are you assigning me a physics major, anyway? I'm a biologist, not a physicist." "Your research is taking on a distinct multidisciplinary feel. You're investigating transmaterial beings. Mass have only just been discovered. No one knows what to make of creatures composed of matter, anti-matter, and neutral-matter. You need someone who understands physics if you're looking into matter/anti-matter relationships." "Fair enough, but why a student? Why not one of the other professors?" "They all have their own projects. Besides, don't tell anyone I said this, but this kid is smarter than most of the professors we have here." Washu sighed and bowed her head. "Fine, send him my way when he shows up." The dean stood up and turned to the door, which he barely managed to catch with his hand when it unexpectedly swung open at him. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry for that, sir," said a deep, mellifluous voice. Washu looked up and saw a tall, green-haired young man wearing a Science Academy uniform. "What a coincidence. We were just talking about you. Professor, this is Kagato." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Hakubi," Kagato said, sitting down and extending his hand. "Washu, please," she said, shaking hands with him. "Well, I'll let you two get acquainted," said Hekomi, shutting the door as he left. "So, why'd you decide to come here?" "What prospective scientist wouldn't want to attend Royal Space Academy?" "Actually, our ties to Jurai have been severed. We just call it The Science Academy now. Let's see... I understand you're from Trolax. What's that like?" "I'd rather not talk about that. Actually, since we're going to be working together, I'd like to discuss some of the previous works of yours that I've seen." Washu resisted rolling her eyes. "What about them?" "Well, although your general ideas are well thought out, I've noticed that when you attempt to draw specific conclusions your results are often acutely flawed." Washu paused for a moment, not sure she'd heard correctly. "Whaddaya mean, flawed?" "Take your analysis of the breeding of the mutated strain of Alyspans, for example. I know studying silicon based creatures is difficult, and I was very impressed with your discovery that it takes four individuals to produce three offspring. But then you made an error when you stated that the population would stabilize eventually at 1.2 million." "What's wrong with that? It's not as if they have any predators. There are 300,000 individuals. Each can reproduce only once, and you already mentioned the 4:3 ratio. Surely you can compute a simple geometric series?" "Give me a little credit. No, it's not the calculation that's a problem, it's that you're ignoring any number of randomizing factors. Irregular weather patterns can kill individuals. Radiation from the solar winds could sterilize some. Also, on rare occasions they have more than three offspring." "But those are all minor variations," protested Washu. "Of course they're minor. But each minor change causes another minor change which in turn causes another minor change and so on, completely eliminating any hope of exact predictability. That's the essence of Chaos theory. I looked at these 'minor' changes, and by my calculations trying to find the final population has a minimum margin of error of 150,000." "I don't buy that argument," said Washu. "You don't seem to realize how this planetary ecosystem is able to adapt to neutralize change. It's a simple exercise in Le Chatlier's principle." The two continued debating for the better part of an hour. The first couple of weeks at the academy Kagato spent moving into his new living area and finding out about his courses. After two weeks, he went to meet with Washu for the first time since their introduction. He approached her door and was nearly bowled over as a man came storming out. This man had curls in his hair that many women would kill for. He stopped short just before hitting Kagato. "Don't come back here unless you have something worth my time, Clay!" shouted the nasal voice within the office. "Grr... I hate that woman," growled Clay. He then turned to face the other inhabitant of the hallway. "Ah, you're that student that Washu took under her wing. Let me give you some advice, boy. That woman is poison. I'd stay away from her if I were you." He then stepped past and walked away huffily. Shrugging it off, said student walked forward and opened the door. "Who is it now?" snapped Washu, looking up from her holocomputer. Her eyebrows were arched, but her face relaxed into a smile when she saw her visitor. "Ah, Kagato," she said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?" "What was Dr. Clay so mad about?" "Oh, he wanted my support for some half-assed grant proposal. That idiot's always trying to get things to work for him." "What is it between you two, anyway?" A devilish grin appeared on Washu's face. "It started 15,000 years ago. We were both trying to become director of the academy, although looking back I wonder why I wanted that headache in the first place. When he was making his presentation to the board, I switched the video he was using for a porn movie." Kagato raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know you were the type to use tactics like that." "Trust me, he deserved whatever he got," said Washu, all joking gone from her face. "For starters, he's incredibly hubristic. He honestly believes he can create perfect technology. Worse, though, is the way he treats his students. He acts as though they're nothing but tools to advance his own career. A man like that has no place running an academic institution. If I had my way, he wouldn't be here at all, but his technology does make us a lot of money." She sighed deeply. "But enough of that! You didn't come her to talk about Dr. Clay." "No, of course not. Actually, I was hoping you could show me the creatures we're supposed to be investigating." "Ah, mass! Well, I suppose there's no time like the present." She pushed herself up from her chair. "I looked for your lab, but I couldn't find it on the map." "That's because it isn't on the map." Grinning, she pressed a button and a portal appeared on the wall. Kagato's mouth dropped a bit and he followed her through. "A subspace lab?" he asked, looking around wide-eyed. "Don't these cost a fortune?" "Especially one of this size. There are five planets in this lab. Fortunately, my ex-husband still makes a few involuntary donations from time to time. Not that he has anything to complain about; it's a great tax write-off. This way." Kagato followed mutely as Washu led him to the fourth level, passing a security checkpoint at each one. "This is the second most secure level of the lab. A lot of the stuff here is top secret." "And you're letting me in?" "Normally I'd blindfold a visitor until we got to where we were going, but I trust you." "If this is the second most secure floor, then what's in the most secure?" Washu grinned. "I don't trust you that much," she said teasingly. "Touche. So, where are they?" "Right there," said Washu, pointing at a towering wall tank that was conspicuously empty. "I don't see anything." "That's because there's nothing to see. The mass are dispersed throughout the tank and are currently immobile, since they have nothing to do. Mass are colonial, and so they unite in reaction to a stimulus. Right now, there are no stimuli in the tank and I have it set up so that while we can see inside, no sensory data can enter it. But watch this." Washu typed in some commands on her ubiquitous keyboard. A large fish, easily whale sized, appeared in the tank. It started swimming through the tank, stirring up the water. Slowly a brown substance began to conglomerate. It grew larger until its sized rivaled that of the fish. Then, it suddenly began shooting beams of energy at said fish. Kagato's jaw hit the floor. "Are we safe from those things?" he asked as the fish thrashed at the mass creature to little avail. "Physically they're easily capable of breaking the glass, but they wouldn't attempt to do so unless they were stimulated by something outside, and I already said that they can't sense anything outside. The only sensory data that could enter that tank is a communication from another mass creature." "What sort of communication?" "They're colonial creatures and communicate with each other telepathically. Don't worry, though, all of the mass are contained in that tank, so it won't be an issue." Washu stopped speaking as mass vaporized the last remains of their enemy, then dissipated back into obscurity. "Your analysis, Kagato?" "These creatures obviously possess immense power. Since I already know that they're matter/anti-matter, I assume that that's how they discharge so much energy. And since this is a colonial creature, I'd bet that individual mass are sacrificed, their components mixed, and then the resulting energy launched at a threat." "That was my assessment as well. They are most commonly in the form of small brown orbs a few inches in diameter, but an individual mass is almost microscopic. The neutral-matter of one mass is destroyed when they need to attack, causing the small amount of anti-matter to mix with the greater quantity of matter." "So they have to stay in groups. All right, I understand that much. But why do they form orbs?" "For the same reason a soap bubble stays round. They take whatever form requires the least amount of energy to maintain while still being sufficient to deal with whatever problems they have to overcome. Right now, they have no stimuli at all, so they are maintaining a spherical shape, since that is the most energy efficient shape possible. If they have some problem to handle, then they will take another form until the problem is resolved." "Could we control the form that they take by manipulating the stimuli they're subjected to?" "You mean a kind of behavioristic model?" "Well, as much as I prefer real science to psychology..." They both chuckled at that. "Yes, that is essentially what I mean. With consistent reinforcements of desirable behaviors, you can shape any mind however you wish." "I've always been skeptical of behaviorism when applied to sentient beings, but on these creatures it would probably work. The problem is that it would only be temporary. They could be forced to take a specific form based on what they are subjected to, but as soon as the problem is resolved, they would return to their most basic forms. It would be almost impossible to make them stay in one form without constantly reinforcing their behavior. What is possible, however, is to make it take the form of another creature and reproduce with that creature. Then a hybrid would be produced." "Really?" asked Kagato. "A superorganism can reproduce with another species?" "It's not technically an organism, but yes, if it determines that that is in the best interest of the group, then it will. Our job is to make it think that. The only question is what would be the best creature to mix it with, and to what end." "Perhaps it's possible that we use them as a power source of some kind. We could create a living machine." "You mean a biotechnological application?" "Yes, I'm very fond of the idea of biotechnology. In fact, I've already started-" Kagato cut himself off sharply. "Started what?" "Now, now, I get to have my secrets too, don't I?" "Fair enough." "But yes, like I said, I am interested in biotechnology. The idea that one can bring other life forms under control is quite appealing. With science, it is possible to subjugate the elements and make the natural world do your bidding. I believe that the ability to control the universe is the greatest achievement of science." "That and the search for knowledge, of course," remarked Washu. "Knowledge to what end? The only true purpose of knowledge is power. Power to rise above those who lack it. It's just the way of things that the most powerful rise to the top." "Yes, I see your point about controlling the elements. In the past, it was possible for a simple disease to destroy a species. Now science protects us from such ravages." "Exactly. And if we can harness the power of these mass, then who knows what we'll be capable of." "So, what sort of creature are we going to use, then?" "I think we should use something that is cooperative with humans. We don't want to create something that we can't control." "True. And I think I know just the creature. There's a type of spacefaring, crystalline, nonorganic creature that I have in the lab here. They're very bizarre, but also quite friendly. They have a long range, too, since they're capable of imaginary space jumps." "How exactly will we bond them? Are we going to have the mass fertilize one of these crystalline creatures and have it carry the offspring?" "No, that's too risky. We want to be able to monitor its development, so I think we extract the reproductive cells- perhaps cells is the wrong word for a nonorganic being, but you know what I mean- from each and then bond them in a controlled environment. A test tube creation, if you will. The beauty of it is in the way the mass react to commands. If there is a will stronger than their own present, then they subjugate themselves to it." "All right. So we'll have a spacefaring creature that can shoot energy blasts, travel long distances, and is friendly to humans. It sounds to me like we're making a spaceship." "I guess you're right. We'd better try some simple experiments with mass first before trying a project of this magnitude. For one thing, I still haven't entirely figured out how they balance the matter and anti-matter aspects of their beings. That's something I could use a physicist's help with." "We'll figure it out. I think the two of us can solve any problem together." "I'm beginning to get that feeling myself." Over the course of the next few years the two of them continued to work together on this and other projects. Kagato found his courses to be painfully easy. The only challenge he found was in his work with Washu. As for Washu, she was pleased to have found an intellect to match her own. They worked on learning the secrets of mass for the better part of five years. During that time they had many mishaps. One time they sent mass out of the lab and, due to the onslaught of new stimuli, the mass essentially panicked and mixed their matter and anti-matter. Fortunately, Washu was able to pull them into a subspace pocket before the explosion occurred, one which might have destroyed the entire solar system. There was a horrendous enough investigation as it was. None of this stopped the two of them, however, and within five years they produced the mass/crystal hybrid. After all that time, they were finally ready to release it. "Are we sure it's ready?" asked Kagato. "This thing has never been outside of a tank." "We've done enough controlled experimentation. It's time to let it adapt to the real world." "Is there a chance that the new stimuli will warp it somehow?" "I doubt it. This thing, while it may be made up of many small individual masses, is essentially one living being. It isn't just the sum of its parts. Rather than become unbalanced, it will react to the new stimuli like any infant would, with curiosity." Kagato took a deep breath. "All right, open the tank. And cross your fingers." Water drained from the colossal wall tank and the front of it opened wide as they awaited the appearance of their creation. A small, spiked ship came out of the tank. "Well, this is about what we expected, I suppose," said Kagato. "Yes, it looks just like its parent species." "Is it ready to go?" "No, we should probably wait. It was just born, after all. Maybe we'll take it for a test flight tomorrow." They did just that. Washu and Kagato were in the lab and had just awoken the ship. She sent it some messages using a control device in her hands. They promptly found themselves teleported onto the bridge. It was a wide, open space with floating crystals that acted as control centers. Washu opened a portal and they passe through it into deep space. "Where did you drop us?" asked Kagato. "A ways outside of the system. I figure we want to stay off radar." "Naturally. I guess we should take her for a test spin, eh?" "Her?" "Ships are always female. You should know that." "Oh, of course. So where should we take her? You have any particular place in mind?" Kagato hesitated, and tried to start speaking a few times before he finally got out an answer. "Actually, I do. How do I work this thing?" In response, a crystal floated over to him and revealed a navigation screen. "I see. Simple enough, I guess." He input some commands and they disappeared into another dimension. "Where are we going?" asked Washu. "You'll see soon enough." "How long will it take us?" "Normally I'd say about an hour, but in this ship... Well, I guess that's why we're testing it." Washu racked her brain for anything that was one hour's imaginary space jump away from the Academy, but there were too many possibilities. Reluctantly, she sat back and resigned herself to being surprised. "We're almost there," said Kagato. "I'll ask you to close your eyes now." "Oh, is that really necessary?" "Please?" She sighed heavily. "Fine." Washu's eyes shut as the shuttle reappeared in real space. Kagato maneuvered through space until he got to the position he wanted. "All right. Open." Washu opened her eyes and saw that she was inside a larger ship. It was an enormous, long and thin ship, shaped a bit like a snake. "What is this place?" "A little project I've been working on. I call it Souja. It means Twin Snakes. It's just a skeleton right now, of course, but I've laid the framework for one of the most powerful ships ever built. It has two layers. You can only see the main layer, but there's an alternate dimension attached to it that is the exact reverse of what you see. And the best part of all: It's partly biological. Or at least it will be, when completed. This ship will be largely composed of living creatures. Because of this, it will be capable of evolution, constantly upgrading itself. The ship will never be outdated because it will be able to adapt to any new technologies that may be developed in the future." Washu looked at the huge structure she was in and tried to find her voice. "How have you built this?" she asked after nearly a minute. "I had already drawn the basic blueprints when I first came here, although obviously I've made a lot of modifications since then. The materials were no trouble, naturally, thanks to the easy access the Academy has to constructive fusion and fission. The hard part was the labor, but I set up a tutoring service for some of the rich kids here in exchange for use of their robotic drones." "Why are you showing me this now, though?" "For one, I know that together we can make something even better than this. More importantly, I don't want to keep any more secrets from you." "You can look at this in depth later," said Kagato, cutting her guilt trip short. "Right now, I want to show you one other thing. You said that I could open one subspace tunnel from your lab? I used it to find a place to build this ship. And I decided to open it here, at a great place of beauty. My favorite place in the universe." The cabbit ship phased through the wall of Souja and out into space that was definitely not empty. They were surrounded by gargantuan clouds of colored gas. These clouds went as far as they could see and beyond in every direction. Even the mammoth Souja now seemed dwarfed. Washu stared out at the vast fields of hydrogen, wholly at a loss for words. "Have you ever seen a nebula before, Washu?" "Not personally, no," she answered softly, shaking her head. "When I was young, my parents saved for three years to take me here on my tenth birthday. No picture can ever do it justice." "It's amazing," she whispered. "It is, isn't it. Random clouds of hydrogen, little more than wandering protons, really, come together here to form coherent stars." Kagato brushed a lock of Washu's hair with his finger. "I've always been captivated," he said, running his finger down her cheek, "with how such random events can form something so perfect." Her eyes widened as Kagato leaned towards her face. "Kagato, don't," she said, turning away quickly. "Why not?" "For starters, you're a student." "Only for a couple more months. Then I'm applying for a position here, and we both know I'll get it." "You're too young," she protested. "Oh, be serious. You haven't aged a day in millennia. Quit making excuses." Washu bowed her head. "I guess I'm just afraid of history repeating itself." "Look at me, Washu," he said, gently tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "Your husband was a coward. I promise you that I will not let you down." He leaned down to kiss her again, and this time she allowed it. She had to admit, she had forgotten what this felt like. Feeling the warmth of his lips, she realized what she had been missing. And she realized how good it felt to have someone there with her again. One thing that visitors to the Science Academy never failed to notice was that everything in it seemed oversized. The faculty lounge that Kagato, Washu, and several other professors now occupied was no exception. It was a cubic building half a kilometer on any edge. The walls were made of a transparent, glasslike substance, and there were a number of coffee tables and couches set up across the first floor. On the floors above, through more clear floors, were recreational areas, such as tennis courts, video screens, and soundproofed reading rooms. Kagato and Washu sat around a table with three other professors. They were passing time there simply for lack of anything better to do. "So... one week until classes start," said one of the others. "And thus we begin our march to the gallows." This drew a light chuckle from some of the others. "With the way all of you talk, I'm wondering if I'm worried enough yet," said Kagato wryly. "Oh, right, sometimes I forget that it's a first time for some. Don't worry, though- from what I've seen of your abilities, I'm sure you'll be fine. What have they got you teaching?" "Pretty basic stuff, actually. Low level imaginary mathematics and tetra- dimensional physics." Washu smirked. "That'll be fun. Teaching a bunch of freshmen who barely understand real valued calculus." Kagato returned the smirk. "This from someone who said that the derivative of x squared was two x *cubed*?" "Give me a break. I made one mistake. Everyone makes math errors sometimes." "Especially biologists. Now, if the math's too hard and you need help..." "Oh, you bastard," she said, slapping him playfully. The other three were amused that those two failed to realize how obvious their flirtation was. "So, Professor Kagato, eh?" said one of those present. "Maybe we should call him Professor Hakubi," whispered another. They snickered softly. The five of them sat quietly for a moment. Then another professor came up to their table with a newspaper and a furious look. "Can you believe this mess," he said angrily, sitting down. "The universe is about ready to tear itself apart." "You're talking about the Nolithians pulling out of the Galaxy Union?" "Well I guess you haven't heard the latest. Guess who else is pulling out to fight against the Nolithians." "The Wudarins," everyone said in a disgusted but wholly unsurprised tone. "Damn right. Two of the biggest empires are about to enter an intergalactic war. There's even talk of reinstating the old factions." That statement sent a chill through several of those present. "You mean we might have all the other peoples polarized behind those two power-mad empires?" "I doubt many of them will respond. Most likely it'll be those two empires going at each other with all the other nations trying to grab what they can and settling old scores of their own." "You know, I'd hoped that the Galaxy Union would be able to hold this universe together, but it looks like we're about to break out into civil war." Kagato laughed bitterly. "You call the Nolithians and the Wudarins a civil war? For upper class twits like that battle means a fencing match before teatime. They'll fight for a while, make a deal, and go back to hating each other like civilized people." "Maybe, but I'm still worried that we're going to be dragged into it." "I thought we separated from Jurai to prevent that from happening?" "We don't have any specific obligations, but we make new technology all the time. We have to give it to somebody." Without warning, the table began to give off extreme heat. "Get back!" shouted Kagato, and he held out his hands to form a force field around the table just as it exploded violently. The blast was completely contained, but Kagato fell to his knees trying to hold in the energy. "I didn't know he could manipulate energy!" said an awed colleague. "Not... forever," he grunted. "Somebody figure out what to do with this energy, there're gigajoules in here." Some of the others scampered off to find some equipment to help him. "That's the fifth one of these. And all within a month." The speaker was the leader of a survey team examining the afternoon's near disaster. "They're getting worse, too," said another. "The first unexplained events were just things being teleported a few meters or a little matter being brought here from the ethereal plane. But this..." He whistled, impressed. "If it wasn't for this kid, this whole building would be rubble." He patted Kagato on the back congratulatorily. "So this was the worst one yet?" asked Kagato. "The most dangerous, certainly, but not the strangest. Do you know what happened last week?" "No, sir." "An object in one of the buildings started floating. But when they examined the records, they found that the gravitons had followed a normal path." "What do you mean?" asked Kagato, sure he had misunderstood. "Just what I said. The gravitons followed a normal path, but they carried less force than they should have. It's as if the gravitational constant of that space changed." "But that's completely impossible," protested Kagato. "I know. Well, anyway, that's enough talk. You look like you want to get out of here. Good job, kid." "Thank you, sir." Kagato left before anyone else could stop him. Outside Washu was waiting for him and they started walking away together. "Kagato, you just saved my life." He stopped walking. "I guess so. I didn't really think about that. I just did it." "Come with me," she said as she led him back to her office. Once there they promptly entered the subspace lab. The two of them traveled to the familiar fourth level of Washu's lab. "What is it you're showing me?" "Come this way," she said, leading him to a door marked "top secret." Kagato's breath drew in sharply at the sight. She was finally going to show him what was kept in the highest level of her lab. Washu leaned forward and placed her eye up against a retinal scanner. The machine beeped and then the door dissolved. The two walked through into the final level. The place was much smaller than Kagato had expected. It was in fact only one small room with a pedestal in the center. Kagato walked slowly to the dais and took in what he saw. Lying on top, in a perfect triangle, were three ruby- colored gems. "What are these?" he asked. "The greatest mystery of my life. I found them when I was very young and have been trying to figure them out for just as long. You're the first person besides me to see these. They contain obscene amounts of energy but I can never understand how it's being used. It is extremely efficient and disperses energy in incomprehensible patterns. Until I figure out how the energy is being transmitted, there's no way I can harness it. But I'm sure you can help." "Why are you showing me these now?" "Because- because I want someone that I can share everything with. I-" She choked on her words, anxiety nearly overwhelming her. "Say what you want to say, Washu," Kagato urged, kneeling down to look her straight in the eyes. "Kagato, I haven't felt this way in thousands of years. I-" Tears welled up in her eyes and her throat became clogged. She cleared it and swallowed all doubt. "I love you, Kagato." He smiled at the lovely redhead. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that, my little Washu." Their lips met in a kiss that started out tender but quickly grew passionate. Kagato broke away after a moment. "Although I have to admit that this does make me feel a bit like a pedophile." Washu barked out a laugh. "If anyone should fell that way, it's me. I'm 15,000 years your elder. But I suppose if it's a problem..." She then grew a good bit taller, and larger in other dimensions as well. "That better?" asked Washu in a now sultry voice. Kagato grinned. "Perfect," he said, using Washu's favorite word. The two of them then proceeded to show each other for the first time just how deep their feelings ran. ***** "The basic concept of imaginary mathematics is quite simple, and yet it took a great intellectual leap to realize it." Kagato spoke to a class of freshmen. The classroom was structured like a traditional class with rows and columns of desks, but some of the desks were a bit abnormal in order to accommodate the many species of students. "The revelation of the true power of imaginary numbers is what made possible man's ultimate transcendence into the heavens." Kagato pulled out a pen and wrote an equation on the board behind him setting x equal to the square root of negative one. "The fundamental imaginary number i was derived as a solution to this equation, but once invoked, very little was done with it. It took centuries for people to realize what these numbers are truly capable of. "The property of continuity is crucial to this intellectual leap. Continuity, of course, means that a function does not make random jumps or skip points on a given domain. Every point is connected to the points around it. The movement that we undergo throughout our lives can be seen as a continuous function as well. We are part of a function because we can never be in two places at once. And if you walk between two points, then you must cross all the points between them, so our motion is continuous. The domain of this function is our lives. If we follow continuous functions, then we cannot simply disappear and reappear in another place. Likewise, we can predict how much energy will be required to travel any distance. This idea was relatively unchallenged until scientists discovered subatomic particles that, through a process called tunneling, appeared to be able to cover distances using less energy than what appeared to be the minimum. "Now science had a problem. Geometrically speaking, the shortest and most efficient distance between two points is a straight line. These particles were covering a distance in a more energy efficient manner than they could if they had traveled in a straight line. This indicates that they moved in a noncontinuous fashion. Teleportation was the first noncontinuous property, the one that made all others possible. But how does it occur? "Let's return to the example we gave earlier. If you are walking down the street, you cannot simply disappear and reappear at a different point. However, suppose that there were two beings walking side-by-side. One of these is capable of flight, while the other is unable to look up (don't ask why, this is just hypothetical). Say the flyer decides to take off and then land at another point up ahead. He cannot disappear and reappear at a different point, but in the two-dimensional world of the other creature, that's just what he did. His motion was clearly continuous in three dimensions, but to someone who cannot look up, it was noncontinuous. Likewise, tunneling and other properties that are noncontinuous in three dimensions are in fact continuous in four or five dimensions. In reality, all motion is continuous, as long as you have the right perspective to see it. Now the only question is how to represent this motion mathematically. I can tell that some of you already see where this is going, but we'll go through the motions anyway." Kagato drew a line with an arrow on either end and marked a "0" in the center. "The idea behind real valued calculus is that the real world can be represented in terms of the real numbers," said Kagato, coming down heavily on the word real each time for emphasis. "The one-dimensional number line suffices to describe the three-dimensional world we inhabit. It does not suffice to explain the higher-dimensional motions. "It has been said that imagination is more important that knowledge. It took a great leap of imagination to conceive of existence in dimensions that we cannot see. It took *the exact same leap* to conceive of a number that we cannot see. As you know, there is no number on the one-dimensional number line that can be squared to yield a negative number. So the number i was invoked. It is the first number that is not on the number line, and it and the other imaginaries transform the number line into the number plane. So if the three- dimensional world can be explained through the number line, then higher dimensions can be explained through the number plane. ***** "This idea is the basis for all higher-dimensional activity: teleportation, anti-gravitation..." Kagato's voice trailed off and he got a far away look in his eyes. "Professor?" asked one of the students. "Um- class dismissed." "But I thought the class was an hour and-" "I said dismissed!" shouted Kagato. The class quickly shuffled out of the room. "Computer," Kagato said into the air. A robotic assistant unfolded from the ceiling and hung in front of him. "Yes, professor?" "Tell me the time and place of all of the unexplained physical phenomenon that have occurred at the university recently, with the place in three- dimensional polar coordinates and the time in seconds with t=0 the time of the first event." "Coming right up, professor." The assistant listed several sets of numbers, which Kagato quickly copied down. He then locked the door of the room and started writing down equations and graphing the data he'd received on a 3D holographic globe. He spent over four hours in that room, writing parametric equations, functions of time, and performing lots of trial and error calculations. Finally, he reached the solutions he was looking for. He steeped back, amazed and exhausted. He double-checked his work to make sure that there were no errors, but his calculations were flawless. "Computer, please page professor Washu for me." "Yes, professor." After a few minutes, Washu walked into the classroom. "I rushed over as soon as you called. What's this all about?" Kagato gestured at the board. "I figured out why all of these bizarre events are happening. I found the connection between them. The location is the range of parametric imaginary functions of time. Something is transmitting energy through higher dimensions. And from the equations representing the three-dimensional positions of these events, I was able to determine a number of possible sources of the disturbance. One of these is your office." "My office? But there's nothing in there that can disperse that kind of energy." "No, but there is in a place closely connected to it." Washu frowned for a moment, then her eyes widened. "You mean-" "Those gems, of course. They send energy through the subspace tunnel to your office and then out through higher dimensions into the surrounding space. They're easily capable of this, it's just that you never notice in the past because the energy was released in such small quantities as to be too subtle to detect a pattern." "Well, then, let's go take a look at them." The pair ran to Washu's office and through the portal into the subspace lab, quickly scaling the four levels and reaching the gem room. Washu immediately called up instruments to analyze the gems. The two of them observed the energy being dispersed by them. "Look at these patterns," Washu said urgently. "The gems have always, in the past, absorbed energy from the world, metabolized it into a unique form, and then dispersed it gradually. For some reason, though, they recently started absorbing energy too fast and so they are forced to release it in greater quantities. These gems are losing the ability to regulate their energy. They're dying." "Dying?" asked Kagato, raising one eyebrow. "Are they alive?" "Well life is difficult to define. In some sense yes, in some no. But regardless of terminology, they will cease to exist if we don't do something." "Then we need to create a moderator of some sort." "Exactly. And since these gems are part anti-matter..." She let it hang. "Are you suggesting that we use mass?" "Why not? I think a living being would be best. And mass are already able to control large amounts of energy." "All right. Why don't we make it a human form this time?" "How come?" "I just think it's convenient. It would be nice to have a specimen which could pass with normal people." "Sure, why not. In that case, I think I should be the human donor. For security reasons." "Why you and not me?" "It's just easier to obtain the necessary... ingredients from a male creature than a female one." "Wait, you don't mean you're going to-" "Oh, of course not. Don't be silly." She grinned devilishly. "I just need to restrain it long enough to extract a small sample." "Well, I've learned not to get between you and your specimens. All right, let's get started." It didn't take long for them to start creating their latest specimen. Washu built a vertical human-sized tank to grow her (she had checked the sperm and it would be female) in. Then they placed the gems in the tank with her. The gems surrounded the embryo in such a way so that the energy resonating between them would pass through it. Sure enough, a connection was formed and the gem energy came under control. From then on it was just a waiting game. The waiting lasted several months, during which time the two of them completed a number of other projects, including Souja ("Version one!" as Kagato constantly reminded her). All of this was little more than a distraction from what had become their main project. Over time, it grew from an almost invisible cell to a beautiful cyan haired girl. It was some time later that the project finally came to fruition. Washu was working alone in her lab late one night when she heard an alarm on the growth tank. Startled, she looked up at the tank and saw that the specimen's eyes were open. "B-but it's too early for that! Um- drain tank!" she shouted. The water began to sink and the specimen hanging in the water did the same. "Page professor Kagato to my lab!" she shouted into the lab. "Professor Kagato has left for the evening," said a dull mechanical voice. "Then call him at his home! Tell him it's an emergency. Tell him the special project is ready early." "Yes, ma'am." Washu turned her attention back to the now drained tube. The specimen was huddled on the floor. Her nude body was dripping wet and shivering. She was leaning against the tube wall with her head between her knees. The three gems, glowing, lifted off of the floor and embedded themselves into her body, one on each wrist and one at the base of her neck. Washu walked up to the tube and pressed her hand on a scanner that recognized only two palm prints. "Open tank." The tank raised into the ceiling and air rushed into the formerly evacuated space, causing the specimen to shiver even more. "Now let's see what you're capable of," said Washu eagerly. The project looked up at the source of the noise but winced and shut its eyes. "Dim lights," said Washu. The lights began to fade gradually. "Set," she said when it was just bright enough for her feline eyes. The specimen looked up again and focused her confused, scared eyes on Washu. "M-mommy?" Washu inhaled sharply and was unable to release the breath. She wanted to say no, I'm not your mother, but she knew that, regardless of genetics, the words were a lie. "Yes," she said softly. "I'm your mommy." "Where am I? My head hurts and I'm tired." "Yes, that's the usual reaction of an artificially created being upon being released. The unfamiliar stimuli produce immediate mental exhaustion." The specimen looked at her with blank eyes. "Oh, you don't understand a word I'm saying. Here." A bed floated up and Washu helped her into it. "Get some rest, little one," she whispered. Her creation closed its eyes. Washu increased the temperature until it was comfortable for the wet girl. Washu felt a flood of emotions enter her mind and was shocked at the realization that she was feeling what the girl felt. She realized that, because her creation was part mass, it had limited telepathic potential. Washu and Ryo- ohki were the only other creatures nearby, and the newborn being, highly impressionable at this stage, spontaneously formed a telepathic link with both of them. Washu felt the contented emotions coming from her. Washu thought, softly petting the green head. She smiled at her new de facto daughter and began singing a song her parents had sung to her as a child. April roses, tiny sparrows, comets bright and new, All belong together with the mystery that is you. When I see your little face, I hear a song from long ago I think you know the many secrets I've forgotten. Generations through the ages joined as one somehow, Leading to the miracles that I am holding now. >From the sky, and from the sea, upon a breeze, you came to me, You seem to see a greater universe than I do. Sleep my baby, sleep my baby, Dream of somewhere far away. Do you remember still, How I hope you always will, Keep the memory of the day the world was born. When you wake up I'll be waiting eager for your smile You've had quite a journey, darling you should rest a while. When you cry, we still rejoice, To hear your voice, oh yes it's true My sweet Washu, please understand how much we love you. Sleep my baby, sleep my baby, Dream of somewhere far away. Do you remember still, How I hope you always will, Keep the memory of the day the world was born. Sleep my baby, sleep my baby, Dream of somewhere far away. Do you remember still, How I hope you always will, Keep the memory of the day the world was born. "What's going on?" asked Kagato breathlessly as he rushed into the darkened lab twenty minutes later. "Shh!" hissed Washu. "She's sleeping." "Where are you?" he asked into the darkness. "Just stay by the door; we'll go out of this room." She walked over to him and they exited to level four. "Now, what happened? I thought it wasn't due for another two weeks." "She wasn't. I guess, just like real children, they sometimes surprise you. Don't worry, though. Ryoko's the picture of health, and the gems have fit themselves to her just as expected." "Ryoko?" "That's her name. It means 'spirit caller.' It seemed appropriate considering that the gems will allow her to contact the ethereal plane." Kagato shook his head and sighed, smiling slightly. "Honestly, Washu, I'll never understand why you give your creations such names. I guess it's just one of your quirky little idiosyncrasies." "Hey, you named that ship of yours." "I suppose. I just don't want you getting too attached to a test subject." Washu bit her lip nervously and decided not to tell him about the exchange she'd just had with the "test subject." "I wouldn't really call this a test. We only have one set of gems." "True. We'll have to be careful with this one. So, are we ready to start training it?" "Tomorrow. Right now she's exhausted. You know what being born is like." "Well, then, let's take a look at what the instruments say about it. And maybe the recording of when it came out." "All right." Washu called up the record of Ryoko's birth and the two of them started viewing. "Hey, watch it, mister," said Washu teasingly. "I see where those eyes are going." "No, you have to focus your energy!" shouted Kagato to Ryoko, who had just destroyed yet another training machine. They were in a large training room that he and Washu had built in the subspace lab. It was mostly empty but any necessary equipment could be called up at will. Ryoko was wearing a skintight red and black combat outfit. Kagato had insisted that he be allowed to train Ryoko, since he was much more skilled than Washu at combat and energy manipulation. She eventually agreed to watch from outside the room, where she was now sharing in her daughter's humiliation. "I'm sorry, da- sir," she said, barely avoiding addressing Kagato in a way that had previously infuriated him. Kagato let loose something between a sigh and a growl. "What good is all the energy in the universe if you can't control it? All right, let's try something different. Call a spirit." Ryoko nodded, closed her eyes, and grit her teeth. Slowly, a white shape appeared in the air and began to grow. It reached full size, about equal to a one-person spaceship, after ten minutes. "Now, have it attack me." Obligingly, Ryoko raised her right hand and pointed it at her trainer. The spirit beast launched itself at Kagato, who easily jumped aside. "Faster! You can do better than that!" The beast continued to chase Kagato, who would not fight back but simply provided a moving target. It continued to move faster, getting closer to the target all the time. though Washu excitedly. Unfortunately, she sent that thought over her mindlink. Distracted, Ryoko looked up and quickly lost control of the beast. It turned and charged her. "No!" shouted Kagato. Ryoko looked up to see a monster about to bite her head off. Kagato blasted it into oblivion just before that could happen. Sneering, he turned towards Ryoko, who knew what to expect next. "What were you thinking," he asked Ryoko coldly. "Losing control of a monster like that could get you killed." "I'm sorry, sir," she said, bowing her head. "It's just hard." Kagato slapped her across the face fiercely. "I don't want to hear any excuses. We're done for today. Maybe next time you'll be ready for a challenge." He turned his back and walked away. "You know," he said while still in earshot, "sometimes I wonder if creating you wasn't a complete waste of time." Kagato walked out of the room just as Washu went in, pushing her way past him. Inside, Ryoko sat quietly on the floor. Washu walked up to her daughter and gave her a hug, which she gratefully returned. "Mommy, why was Daddy mad at me? Did I do something bad?" "No, it's not like that, sweetie. He- he just wants to make sure that you become as strong as you can be, that's all." "I'll get stronger. I want to make him happy." "You look tired. Why don't you go to your room now?" "No, I'll stay here and practice some more." Washu thought about arguing, but decided to leave her be. Anyway, she needed to have a discussion with someone about parenting techniques. She found Kagato sitting in another room typing on a portable computer. "Do you have to be so hard on her?" "And why not?" he asked, not looking up. "She's just a child." "Created to be a warrior," retorted Kagato, now looking up to meet her eyes. "Would you rather it be unprepared and get destroyed in battle?" "I suppose not. It just seems so unfair, though, that that's all there is for her." Kagato stopped for a moment, then stood up and put his arms around her. "I'm sorry. I know what this is like for you, but trust me, I know what I'm doing. Do you think my parents ever coddled me? Told me 'good job?' My parents were tough, and it just made me stronger. This will all work out for the best, I promise you." The two of them stood there quietly for a minute until a voice interrupted them. "A holo-mail message has just been received," a computerized voice announced. "Source?" Washu asked. "Science Academy president Gerald Peters." "Hmm, I wonder what he wants. Play message," she said, turning to a holographic screen. An image of the president sitting behind his desk appeared. He was an older looking man (although no one could ever tell someone's real age for sure), tall and thin with thick gray hair, a wrinkled face, and large, round glasses. "This message is to all Science Academy faculty. As you know, for the last several months the universe has been at war. After much consideration, the Science Academy has decided to support the Wudarins in this conflict and develop all technology for them." Washu felt the room grow cold. The president talked on about ideological reasons for their stance. "For the record, we both know what this war is really about, right?" asked Kagato. "Money and territory." "And pride." "Dammit!" shouted Washu. "I knew this was going to happen, but why? Why do we have to turn over our technology to a bunch of war-mongering butchers?" "How much do they know already?" "Fortunately no one knows about our big three." "Yes, Ryo-ohki, Ryoko, and Souja are all still secret." "Right. I've been smelling this in the wind for a while. Most of our other, more minor discoveries we've already turned over, but we can keep them from getting their hands on these three. They're all far too dangerous to turn over." "All right, then. No mention of Ryoko, Ryo-ohki, or Souja will be made outside of this lab." "Naturally. I'm not letting them get their hands on any of this." Over the next few weeks, Wudarin soldiers became a regular sight at the Academy. All members of the faculty were required to turn over their creations to the military. There was plenty of grumbling about this turn of events, but no one dared criticize out loud. "So we see that this species follows a type three survival curve," said Washu into her unusually quiet classroom. Even the students had the energy drained from them. "Therefore-" "Professor Washu?" came a new voice from the door. Washu looked over and saw the president. Standing next to him was a military officer whose rank badge marked him as a major. He hand a hand on his gun holster and his eyes were scanning the room thoroughly. "Can I help you, sir?" "I need to speak with you for a moment." At this point, every hair on the back of Washu's neck was on end. "Can it wait?" "My apologies, but I'm afraid that this is a bit urgent. Please come with me." Washu thought about her options and decided that it was best to go along with them for now. She walked to the door and shoved her hands in her pockets, gathering a small ball of energy in her right. "What's the problem?" she asked as they stood in the empty hallway. "The Wudarin military command has issued a warrant for your arrest," said the major calmly. "On what charge?" "Treason." "You make me sick, Washu," said Peters venomously. "I should have fired you years ago, so consider this your official termination. I've always known you had a wild streak, but I never thought you'd go as far as betraying us like this." "You betrayed us first! You sold us to these murderers." "I'd tread carefully, *Miss* Washu," said the major, emphasizing the lack of academic title. "You're on very thin ice." "Did you honestly think we wouldn't figure out what you've been up to? We saw those energy discharges. I know you're responsible for them and I want to see what you've been hiding." "You can't prove I'm responsible." "Well, if there's nothing improper in your lab, then we'll forget this whole thing." "And put your hands where I can see them," said the major. "All right." Washu whipped out her hands and loosed the energy ball at them. It wasn't a high-energy blast, just enough to blind them while she took off running in the opposite direction. she thought desperately, changing to her adult form so she could cover ground faster. The hallway turned left ahead. She leapt around it- And halted at the sight of a dozen uniformed troops with weapons raised at her. "I've got to hand it to you, professor, you're quite resourceful," said the major. "But that's enough theatrics. Surround her, men." The troops obliged, and the major placed the barrel of his own gun against her. "Now unless you're eager to grow a hole in your neck, I suggest you give us a tour of your lab. And none of the tricks I've heard you're so good at." "Don't you realize how you've endangered us, Washu?" said Peters quietly. "You know if the Wudarins think we can't control our faculty they'll just tighten the leash even more." "If the Academy is going to be turned into a war factory, then frankly I don't care what happens to it." "It's a shame you think that way. You're going to regret it." thought Peters to himself. Washu was also thinking, but not to herself. Ryoko's head jerked up and she almost failed to block Kagato's next strike. "What's wrong with you?" he berated her. "I told you not to-" "Mommy's in trouble," she said, more to herself than him. Kagato stopped cold at that remark. "What kind of trouble?" "Some people captured her. They're bringing her here. She says they're soldiers. What are soldiers?" "Enemies. I think it's time for your first real battle." "Wow, really?" she asked, eyes widening. "Yes. We're going to hide near the door. When the enemies come in, you stay hidden until I shoot, then get rid of the enemies as quick as possible." "Got it!" she said excitedly, giving him a thumbs-up. "Let's get ready." The entourage marched swiftly down the hall with a grave faced Washu in the center. People in the hall stepped aside quickly to make way and speculated on the cause. There were different ideas from different people, but there was no doubt about what it meant for Washu. She got looks ranging from concern to disappointment to contempt, as well as a satisfied smirk from Dr. Clay. They opened the door to her cramped office and entered two at a time with Washu still in the center. She then opened the door to her subspace lab. "Let's go," said the major, pushing Washu forward to follow the soldiers. They walked into the still lab. "Now for-" The major's gun exploded in his hand, Washu returned to her child form to make a smaller target and drew an energy sword, and Kagato and Ryoko jumped out in ambush. Within seconds it was over. Most of the soldiers were already dead. A couple were merely unconscious. Peters was on the ground but still aware, and picked up the gun of one of the fallen soldiers. Ryoko flew over to him and slapped it out of his hand before he even had a chance to aim it. She picked him up by his collar and grinned wildly as she began charging an energy blast. "Ryoko, that's enough!" shouted Washu. "What?" asked Kagato. Ryoko was just as confused but did as she was told, dropping the terrified man on his back as the lab's exit appeared behind him. "Get the hell out of here," ordered Washu. He quickly scuttled out the door. "Let's get these others out too." Washu picked up a soldier and dragged him to the portal. Ryoko did the same, throwing the soldiers out two at a time. Once the last soldier was gone, the subspace hole closed. "Why did you let him go?" asked Kagato. "He can't do anything more to us. I've already destroyed all the tunnels from here to the academy." "I know that, but he didn't deserve to be released." "It's not my place to decide that. Anyway, it's all water under the bridge. What are we going to do now?" "I guess we're officially fugitives," said Kagato, shaking his head. "On the run from people like that. They're the criminals, not us." "Agreed. We should be running the universe, not them. And we have the ability to do it. The only question is where to start." "Wait a minute, you're not serious?" "Why not? You've seen what's happening. A thousand weaklings are pulling the galaxy in a thousand directions. We have Souja, Ryoko, Ryo-ohki, and an unlimited supply of future ideas. Between the two of us, we can rule this universe." "That just doesn't feel right to me. Why should we take so much power?" "Because we can." He sighed, smiling somewhat condescendingly. "Look, Washu, I understand your feelings. Feelings are good to have, but they don't run the universe. You're a biologist. You know about survival of the fittest. The strong rule the weak. That's the will of the universe, and no amount of human feelings can stop it." "Survival of the fittest requires an equal chance for all participants. But some people never have a chance to become strong. Should they just be swept aside?" "It's a pity, but some sacrifices will be necessary. As a whole, though, the species will become stronger when the weak cannot survive." "We're not gods, Kagato! We can't make these decisions." Ryoko quietly floated out of the room to get away from her parents. Lately, they seemed to be fighting a lot. "We're the most powerful beings I know of." "But why are you only now talking like this?" "I'd always assumed that we'd become powerful through our science. We'd be renowned as the best of the Academy. Now that war is pulling the universe apart, it's only natural that we fight. Would you rather us spend our lives running?" "And anyone caught in the middle be damned." "If they can't survive, then that's their own fault." "Do you think you are somehow meant to do this?" "If you mean do I believe it's my destiny, then no. I don't believe in fate. I simply believe that the strong prevail. If ever a being defeated me, I would bear it no ill will, because it would be more fit to survive than I." "The way you're talking, though. It's like you're becoming what you're fighting." "You're in no position to talk about that, Washu," said Kagato in the gravest of tones as a faraway look appeared in his eyes. "You may not have led a charmed life, but you haven't seen what I've seen. On Trolax it was like this every day. Not just the armies, but also the gangs that ruled the cities. I was in one of those as long as I can remember. It's not an easy life. Every day you're faced with the chance of death. But it's better to become your fear than to be beaten by it. And I'd rather be marked a villain than a victim. At least this way you can fight back." Washu was stunned. Kagato never talked this openly about his life on Trolax. "Kagato, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help you with this." "Don't say that, Washu. I can't bear to think of life without you." "If you have to go, then just go," she said sadly. "The only thing I ask is please don't take Ryoko with you." Kagato felt as though a knife had been driven into his heart. He was tough, and he never cried. He hadn't cried when his best friend had been gunned down in front of him. But he was crying now. "You... really mean that," he said shakily. "You honestly care more about that test tube baby than me?" "She's my daughter." "It's not your daughter!" he screamed, his voice cracking horribly. "That thing is just an experiment we cooked up. We could have taken any other ovum and it wouldn't be your daughter then." "I made her! Don't you get it? We both made her! We're both responsible for her life! If we aren't her parents, then who is?" "No one! It doesn't have parents; it's just a tool we made. How could you choose that thing over me?" "How could you force me to make that choice?" Kagato screamed. "Damn you, Washu!" he yelled, reflexively shooting an energy beam that caught her completely off guard, rendering her unconscious. Kagato stood there numb over her limp body for a moment. Then he leaned down and scooped her up in his arms. "I hope you know, I still love you," he said, tears falling on her motionless face. "I hope, someday, you'll see it my way. Until then..." He opened the subspace tunnel to Souja and entered it, then opened a door to the reversed world and gave her to one of his drones to lock up. "Ryoko," he called weakly into the lab. "Yes, sir?" "Come this way. It's time for us to go." "Are you and mommy done fighting?" Kagato sighed softly. "For now." Jurgan