The final small part before crunch-time.
**** **** ****
Local
Date and time: Sunday 9 May 2011, 2:31
PM EDT
Location: H.M.C.S. Haida, Deck A12 Aft, Flag
Officer's Level,
To
even TALK to Maggie – even just a magical simulacra of her – hurt so much.
It
hurt so much . . .
"Doug-san,
I don't even know what to begin to say to you . . . "
I
blinked on hearing those words from Hiromi, and then I found myself smiling as
Arami gave me a tender hug. As I turned
to kiss the young girl on the forehead, I gazed on my host for a moment, and
then I sighed. "Director Moroboshi,
I owe you a very deep apology," I then declared. "I must confess that given my past
experiences with beings I tend to view under the catch-all term 'Celestials,'
the fact that you are touched by a power I believe akin to that of a phoenix –
as your lover and your friend here are touched by dragons – certainly doesn't
take away from the fact that you are all striving to live normal lives despite
your current circumstances. In many
ways, you remind me of my own commanding officer, who – while possessing a
Celestial aspect to her own being – also lives her life as 'normally' as
possible even if she could be seen as an elder storm goddess by some. You clearly desire to assist me in my trip
back to my home dimension and time-line.
I would welcome such help. In
turn, I will gladly offer anything within reason to allow the Earth Defence
Force to better prepare itself for its mission ahead for both Terran and
Avalonian alike."
Hiromi
– hers and Mioko's cheeks were wet from the tears they had shed when they had
seen Maggie's simulacra; even Kumomi had been moved – nodded. "Your apology, I accept, Lord Colonel
Sangnoir," she said. "Though I
ask one thing right now."
"Ask,
please."
A
wink. "Please do NOT call me
'Director' or anything save my name!" she pleaded, which made Mioko
giggle, Arami – who was trying to fight back the sorrow she felt for me –
snicker and Kumomi smirk. "And if
you may, good sir, please try not to use '-sama' with my
name! Or I will have no choice but to
call you 'Sangnoir-taisa' until you're sick to death of hearing it . . . AND
arrange for proper navy side parties when you step on and off this ship or any
of her sisters while you're with us."
"You
say that as if it's a bad thing," I then cautioned as I raised a warning
finger. Then, after a pause but – before
she could answer – I smiled. "Okay,
it is a bad thing. But
don't assume that everybody hates ceremony, Hiromi-chan."
"He
does have a point, My Emperor," Kumomi noted.
As
Hiromi grumbled under her breath, I was quick to sense the light smile on
Kumomi's face after she said that.
Noting that despite the ancient bonds of loyalty that drove the latter
girl towards calling my host by her first-life's title, she did have a sense of
humour, I relaxed myself. "It's a
deal, Hiromi-chan," I vowed.
"Well,
that's a good thing," Mioko stated.
"Though Master Douglas, may I humbly give you some wise
advice?" As I gazed at her,
Hiromi's lover winked. "When you
gain the chance to meet my beloved's sister Negako-sama, please do NOT call her
'sensei' or any other title beyond either the '-sama' honorific or its cognates
in other languages."
"True
advice, my love," Hiromi affirmed.
"One-sama has been often mistaken as a living avatar of Mother Gaia
Herself due to her origins, Doug-san.
Atop that, her viewpoint on life as a whole is as pure a form of Taoism
as Master Laozi himself." As I
nodded – quickly recognising the reference to Lao Tzu; no doubt, Hiromi spoke
Mandarin Chinese in lieu of Cantonese or any of the other main dialects – she added,
"To her, there is the living world we are in . . . and there is the
Te'a. Because our souls emerge from the
Te'a at birth and return to the Te'a upon our passing from this life, the need
of have such titles is ultimately useless." She then smirked. "Though I will confess there is only ONE
person she will address by rank: The
Heavenly Sovereign of Japan."
I
blinked. Through the ship's translation
fields, "Te'a" was interpreted as "that which is above mortal
understanding," which made no sense to me . . . until I realised that
whatever its origin, such clearly was an odd interpretation of the Taoist
concept of Non-Being. Perhaps mixed with
the Force concept from Star Wars, but I'd have to dig deeper into
that. Was THIS the big secret of this
universe? "What is she?" I
asked.
"Our
world's first true artificial intelligence, Doug-san," Kumomi
answered. As I gaped at her, she
smiled. "That which would
eventually become Negako-san was first created by a corporeal immortal being
named Hozan Hirosuke a thousand years ago as a mental storehouse of martial
arts knowledge and experience which could be added onto by memory-copying of
select ninjutsu-ka – to borrow the modern term – from the family that was
giving this 'gift' by the Immortal Master:
Hiromi-san's very own ancestors, so to speak." As I nodded, she added, "Over the years,
the 'databank' eventually acquired the name given to the Art it was meant to
serve as the ultimate library to: Saiko
Jinseijutsu-ryu, one of the accepted daughter-schools of the Immortal One's own
school, the Tensei-ryu. When one was the
host of such a being, one was literally an unstoppable warrior . . . as many
tôshi centuries ago learned to their cost."
"Those
who bore that which would become One-sama were often used as special enforcers
in the name of the Heavenly Sovereigns by the Shogun to kill off toshi and
other such malcontents when they began making TOO much noise after the Battle
of Sekigahara in 1600 effectively united the nation," Hiromi added. "However, in 1808, my ancestors learned
that there was another such database of knowledge held by a
then-unknown clan from remote Hokkaido, the Hana family. We learned it this way: In the midst of a tsunami, when they were
rescuing drowning fishermen, the host of the Hana family's version of the Saiko
Jinseijutsu drowned. And in his last
act, he forced his own database into the mind of my ancestor. Once the two databases became one being . . .
"
"The
sentience threshold was surpassed," I finished. "Negako-san literally 'woke up.'"
"Aye. In that incident, a terrible conundrum for
both families was then presented," my host stated. "While they did understand magicals and
immortals and other such beings, they couldn't – for the most part – comprehend
an artificial
intelligence like One-sama. And
when she – rightly so, I might add – decided she wanted to have her own body
for herself instead of living in my ancestor's subconscious mind, that profound
incomprehension turned into blind fear.
In the battle that resulted from that, half of Hokkaido was laid waste
until One-sama's then-host made a very sacred promise."
"To
find some way to give her what she wanted," I concluded.
A
nod. "Aye. And thus began the Promise of Bunka Go-nen;
that is the Japanese era name and year date that is the equivalent to 1808 in
the Gregorian calendar. Since that time,
One-sama's soul – not to mince words – was carefully preserved by those who took
up the Sacred Promise from the time the soul-transference until the death of
the host necessitated another soul-transference. When One-sama was made a part of Onii-san's
mind eleven years ago, he became the fifty-seventh person to make the
Promise." She then smiled. "And the one who survived to see it
fulfilled."
Wow! THAT was a lot to take in!
"So
when you do meet Negako-san, do not be surprised if she is rather curt and
neutral in her behaviour towards you," Kumomi stated. "She has had little cause to trust and
respect human beings over the last two centuries. Her hosts and a few others notwithstanding." A knowing smile. "I dare say that your delightful
companion housed now in that laptop computer you have stored in the cargo
compartment of your motorcycle would interest Negako-san MUCH more than you
would." As I gaped at her – How the
hell did she sense Eimi?! I immediately demanded – she opened her eyes to
wink at me. "And speaking of which,
I do believe the Elder Mother of the Avalonians now aboard . . . "
A
knock. "Enter, Naoko-chan!"
Hiromi bade.
The
main door opened to reveal a pretty girl of about twenty or so, with shaggy
hair the shade of evergreen and amethyst eyes.
She was also in Navy work dress, the looped stripe of an acting
sub-lieutenant on her shoulder boards.
Her family name TAKANASHI was written on her nametag. She also had a wedding band of some sort on
one finger. "I apologise for
intruding on you like this, One-sama, but Doug-san's guest quarters have been
prepared," she said before she gave me a friendly smile. "Captain Gamblin insisted that he be
quartered in the guess cabin on the senior officer's level in the forward
superstructure given his rank in his universe.
When he's had a chance to rest up and everything, he'll be invited to
the captain's cabin for supper, of course." As I gaped at her, Naoko smiled. "Would you like to get your things
first, Doug-san?"
I
slowly nodded . . .
* *
*
Local
Date and time: Sunday 9 May 2011, 3:23
PM EDT
Location: H.M.C.S. Haida, Deck A10 Forward,
Senior Officer's Quarters,
"Still
not there yet, huh?"
"Afraid
not, Eimi," I said in return as I gazed on the cute image on my laptop
computer screen in the spacious room I had been given to rest and relax in for
however long I might be in this dimension.
"But I was detected right away; the local tech is high enough to
detect world-gates. I take it you've
sensed where we're at now."
Eimi
seemed to blink-blink for a moment as her central consciousness sought out the
modem cable that now connected the device she was in to Haida's part of
this world's Tapestry . . . and then a look of sheer disbelief crossed her face
for a moment as the information finally started to came in; Hiromi had arranged
to grant me unlimited Top Secret access to all the files that were stored in
this ship's mainframe computer.
"A
starship . . .?"
I
smirked. I rather guessed for all her
sophistication and sentience, she had long got used to the lower levels of tech
that we had encountered since we began travelling together many years and
dimensions ago. To find herself in
Tapestry HEAVEN . . .!
"Nearly
transwarp capable by the Star Trek scale; can hop from one end of the
galaxy to the other in mere minutes," I provided for her;
looking over Haida's schematics had been the first thing I had done
through the desktop machine that was provided for me by the smiling Takanashi
Naoko, who was now moving to unpack my clothing and put it away. "With enough firepower to turn a living
planet Earth's size into a cinder in space.
Though my current hosts wouldn't ever dream of doing something like that."
"A
starship . . .?"
"Yep,"
I answered.
Eimi
gaped at me, which seemed to concern Naoko as she came over to gaze over my
shoulder at my friend. "I hope
she's not going to suffer a breakdown, Doug-san."
Eimi
blinked several times as she focused on Naoko, and then she gaped. No doubt, she had just learned about the
Avalonians. "You're a bioroid?"
"Terran-form
Avalonian," Naoko stated.
"Peace, logic and harmony unto you, Eimi-san."
My
friend gaped for a second, and then she sighed.
"Wow . . .!"
"Tell
me this, Doug-san: Does Eimi-san like
being in a box?"
I
jolted on hearing that slightly-cold voice, and then I turned to see a girl
with green-highlighted black hair standing at the open doorway to my
cabin. She was in Navy combat dress – as
the local black work dress was called here – but had Air Force blue epaulettes
on her shoulders, they marked with the unit tag 21 ACCS, which indicated
the 21st Air Communications and Control Squadron, the mobile signals command
and support group for Haida's aerospace contingent, 21 Space Wing of the
Canadian Forces Air Command. Her family name
ASAI was on her chest under the squadron's crest, a sky blue field with
a two-headed thunderbird of Haida over a trio of lightning flashes
emitting from the Earth under the thunderbird's tail. "Mayumi-chan!" Naoko then
snapped. "Even if you'd want to
help Eimi-san like you did Lal-san when we met up with the Enterprise
crew at Christmas time, there IS the problem of what happens when something
from another dimension transits to this dimension and vice-versa." As Eimi and I both gaped at her, Naoko added,
"Especially if you decide to create a bioroid body for her!"
"There
is a problem with your theory, oh Ashi'cha of mine," Mayumi then
stated as she slipped off her reading glasses to clean them. I was quick to interpret that phrase as
meaning "elder mother" in what I suspected was the Avalonian
language. "Doug-san shows the signs
of residing for decades on many strops in his journey." As I blinked, wondering how this girl got
hold of my life-scan readings – Did she
hack into Narumi-chan's medical logs? – Mayumi put her glasses on. "Given he seems to be shielded by
unknown means from being forced back into his home dimension, the chances are
good that if I did create a physical body for Eimi-san, she will be so likely blessed."
"Don't
start!" Naoko stated. "While
Eimi-san might like a change of scenery, she was created in her current form
and would probably find the transition to corporeal form traumatic. Try to be more empathic, please! You were built for it,
remember?"
"So
were you, Naoko-chan," Mayumi noted.
"I AM being empathic about it.
But I have my own morals and beliefs to acknowledge as well." A nod to me, and then she was off.
I
blinked several times. "You
resident mad scientist, I take it?"
"She
was modelled that way," Naoko confessed.
"Where
from?" Eimi asked.
My
current guide smiled. "Eimi-san, go
into the personnel files section of the ship's memory," she then
said. "My personal file folder is
under my name in Western name format.
Passcode is 'S-H-I-N-O-B-I-4-E-V-E-R.'
Access all the files marked under the sub-folder 'Grand Prix.' Look at the pictures there and you'll get the
idea."
Eimi
blinked . . . and then a look of righteous outrage crossed her face. "HENTAI SUKEBE! WHO THE HECK MODELLED YOU AFTER SOMETHING LIKE
THAT, NAOKO-SAN?!"
"My
would-be master." Naoko then gazed
at me. "Though fortunately, unlike
so many of my own sisters on Earth and beyond, I never had the displeasure of meeting
the man."
"What
happened?" I asked.
"Tsukihana-oniisama
and Ayami-onesama happened," she replied.
I knew that the latter name hinted at Haida's co-designer and
co-builder, Hakaru Ayami. "As our
would-be master – there were a total of 415 of us – was returning home from a
shopping trip on Zeiwan, they happened upon us in Arizona and Yamato. We were all in our storage tubes, having just
got out of gestation aboard the factory on Phentax Twelve before we were
programmed and woken. As to why that
happened this way, I can't say.
But when we were sensed by Arizona's life sensors and identified
as having a Sagussan genetic profile, we were all beamed out before our master
was any the wiser. After he realised we
had been 'stolen' from him, he contacted Onii-sama and One-sama and threatened
us with the retribution of the 'One True Church of Lum' for their
actions."
I
grinned. "What happened?"
"He
was beamed into one of his ship's own escape pods and it was made to jettison
from his ship . . . just before Yamato's guns wrecked it." As Eimi cheered and I laughed, Naoko stated. "My first waking moment was finding
myself on Haida after Onii-sama and One-sama met up with Hiromi-onesama
and we were inbound to Sol. Over the
following months, I became her major-domo on this ship and was acknowledged as Ashi'cha
after my soul was augmented with the souls of one of the amnesiac toshi then
trapped within a device known as the Dragon Jade." She pointed to her own earring in emphasis.
I
looked at it. It was like Hiromi's
magatama, though it was shaped like a maple leaf cut right out of the Canadian
flag and was shaded evergreen. It had a
fouled anchor and a British naval coronet etched on it. A trade badge of some sort, I realised. "So what are you doing right now?"
I wondered. "Haida was just
commissioned last summer. You all came
here last February in your time-line.
Basic training?"
"MARS
– that's naval operations – training for myself at H.M.C.S. Venture in
Esquimalt," Naoko stated. "Ditto with Tomomi-chan and several
others. Others have either passed their
basic trades training in the ranks or are still going through it. Even if, in some places, they don't need
it." A wink. "Military mentality, I'm afraid."
I
laughed . . . and then perked on hearing a knock at my door. I looked over to see an elderly man with a
golden Canadian coat of arms insignia on his shoulder boards. He had the same type of branch badge as
Tomomi wore on his beret. No doubt, this
man was the equivalent of a British Army regimental sergeant-major on this
ship, though I had no idea what it was called in the Canadian Navy. "Yes?" I asked.
"Sorry
to bother you, Colonel Sangnoir, but the lady who actually brought
you to our dimension is aboard and in the observation lounge now," the
other man said. "She's got
everything for a formal tea ceremony set up there. She wants to talk to you."
I
gaped . . .
* *
*
**** **** ****
Local
Date and time: Sunday 9 May 2011, 2:31
PM EDT
Location: H.M.C.S. Haida, Deck A12 Aft, Flag
Officer's Level,
To
even TALK to Maggie – even just a magical simulacra of her – hurt so much.
It
hurt so much . . .
"Doug-san,
I don't even know what to begin to say to you . . . "
I
blinked on hearing those words from Hiromi, and then I found myself smiling as
Arami gave me a tender hug. As I turned
to kiss the young girl on the forehead, I gazed on my host for a moment, and
then I sighed. "Director Moroboshi,
I owe you a very deep apology," I then declared. "I must confess that given my past
experiences with beings I tend to view under the catch-all term 'Celestials,'
the fact that you are touched by a power I believe akin to that of a phoenix –
as your lover and your friend here are touched by dragons – certainly doesn't
take away from the fact that you are all striving to live normal lives despite
your current circumstances. In many
ways, you remind me of my own commanding officer, who – while possessing a
Celestial aspect to her own being – also lives her life as 'normally' as
possible even if she could be seen as an elder storm goddess by some. You clearly desire to assist me in my trip
back to my home dimension and time-line.
I would welcome such help. In
turn, I will gladly offer anything within reason to allow the Earth Defence
Force to better prepare itself for its mission ahead for both Terran and
Avalonian alike."
Hiromi
– hers and Mioko's cheeks were wet from the tears they had shed when they had
seen Maggie's simulacra; even Kumomi had been moved – nodded. "Your apology, I accept, Lord Colonel
Sangnoir," she said. "Though I
ask one thing right now."
"Ask,
please."
A
wink. "Please do NOT call me
'Director' or anything save my name!" she pleaded, which made Mioko
giggle, Arami – who was trying to fight back the sorrow she felt for me –
snicker and Kumomi smirk. "And if
you may, good sir, please try not to use '-sama' with my
name! Or I will have no choice but to
call you 'Sangnoir-taisa' until you're sick to death of hearing it . . . AND
arrange for proper navy side parties when you step on and off this ship or any
of her sisters while you're with us."
"You
say that as if it's a bad thing," I then cautioned as I raised a warning
finger. Then, after a pause but – before
she could answer – I smiled. "Okay,
it is a bad thing. But
don't assume that everybody hates ceremony, Hiromi-chan."
"He
does have a point, My Emperor," Kumomi noted.
As
Hiromi grumbled under her breath, I was quick to sense the light smile on
Kumomi's face after she said that.
Noting that despite the ancient bonds of loyalty that drove the latter
girl towards calling my host by her first-life's title, she did have a sense of
humour, I relaxed myself. "It's a
deal, Hiromi-chan," I vowed.
"Well,
that's a good thing," Mioko stated.
"Though Master Douglas, may I humbly give you some wise
advice?" As I gazed at her,
Hiromi's lover winked. "When you
gain the chance to meet my beloved's sister Negako-sama, please do NOT call her
'sensei' or any other title beyond either the '-sama' honorific or its cognates
in other languages."
"True
advice, my love," Hiromi affirmed.
"One-sama has been often mistaken as a living avatar of Mother Gaia
Herself due to her origins, Doug-san.
Atop that, her viewpoint on life as a whole is as pure a form of Taoism
as Master Laozi himself." As I
nodded – quickly recognising the reference to Lao Tzu; no doubt, Hiromi spoke
Mandarin Chinese in lieu of Cantonese or any of the other main dialects – she added,
"To her, there is the living world we are in . . . and there is the
Te'a. Because our souls emerge from the
Te'a at birth and return to the Te'a upon our passing from this life, the need
of have such titles is ultimately useless." She then smirked. "Though I will confess there is only ONE
person she will address by rank: The
Heavenly Sovereign of Japan."
I
blinked. Through the ship's translation
fields, "Te'a" was interpreted as "that which is above mortal
understanding," which made no sense to me . . . until I realised that
whatever its origin, such clearly was an odd interpretation of the Taoist
concept of Non-Being. Perhaps mixed with
the Force concept from Star Wars, but I'd have to dig deeper into
that. Was THIS the big secret of this
universe? "What is she?" I
asked.
"Our
world's first true artificial intelligence, Doug-san," Kumomi
answered. As I gaped at her, she
smiled. "That which would
eventually become Negako-san was first created by a corporeal immortal being
named Hozan Hirosuke a thousand years ago as a mental storehouse of martial
arts knowledge and experience which could be added onto by memory-copying of
select ninjutsu-ka – to borrow the modern term – from the family that was
giving this 'gift' by the Immortal Master:
Hiromi-san's very own ancestors, so to speak." As I nodded, she added, "Over the years,
the 'databank' eventually acquired the name given to the Art it was meant to
serve as the ultimate library to: Saiko
Jinseijutsu-ryu, one of the accepted daughter-schools of the Immortal One's own
school, the Tensei-ryu. When one was the
host of such a being, one was literally an unstoppable warrior . . . as many
tôshi centuries ago learned to their cost."
"Those
who bore that which would become One-sama were often used as special enforcers
in the name of the Heavenly Sovereigns by the Shogun to kill off toshi and
other such malcontents when they began making TOO much noise after the Battle
of Sekigahara in 1600 effectively united the nation," Hiromi added. "However, in 1808, my ancestors learned
that there was another such database of knowledge held by a
then-unknown clan from remote Hokkaido, the Hana family. We learned it this way: In the midst of a tsunami, when they were
rescuing drowning fishermen, the host of the Hana family's version of the Saiko
Jinseijutsu drowned. And in his last
act, he forced his own database into the mind of my ancestor. Once the two databases became one being . . .
"
"The
sentience threshold was surpassed," I finished. "Negako-san literally 'woke up.'"
"Aye. In that incident, a terrible conundrum for
both families was then presented," my host stated. "While they did understand magicals and
immortals and other such beings, they couldn't – for the most part – comprehend
an artificial
intelligence like One-sama. And
when she – rightly so, I might add – decided she wanted to have her own body
for herself instead of living in my ancestor's subconscious mind, that profound
incomprehension turned into blind fear.
In the battle that resulted from that, half of Hokkaido was laid waste
until One-sama's then-host made a very sacred promise."
"To
find some way to give her what she wanted," I concluded.
A
nod. "Aye. And thus began the Promise of Bunka Go-nen;
that is the Japanese era name and year date that is the equivalent to 1808 in
the Gregorian calendar. Since that time,
One-sama's soul – not to mince words – was carefully preserved by those who took
up the Sacred Promise from the time the soul-transference until the death of
the host necessitated another soul-transference. When One-sama was made a part of Onii-san's
mind eleven years ago, he became the fifty-seventh person to make the
Promise." She then smiled. "And the one who survived to see it
fulfilled."
Wow! THAT was a lot to take in!
"So
when you do meet Negako-san, do not be surprised if she is rather curt and
neutral in her behaviour towards you," Kumomi stated. "She has had little cause to trust and
respect human beings over the last two centuries. Her hosts and a few others notwithstanding." A knowing smile. "I dare say that your delightful
companion housed now in that laptop computer you have stored in the cargo
compartment of your motorcycle would interest Negako-san MUCH more than you
would." As I gaped at her – How the
hell did she sense Eimi?! I immediately demanded – she opened her eyes to
wink at me. "And speaking of which,
I do believe the Elder Mother of the Avalonians now aboard . . . "
A
knock. "Enter, Naoko-chan!"
Hiromi bade.
The
main door opened to reveal a pretty girl of about twenty or so, with shaggy
hair the shade of evergreen and amethyst eyes.
She was also in Navy work dress, the looped stripe of an acting
sub-lieutenant on her shoulder boards.
Her family name TAKANASHI was written on her nametag. She also had a wedding band of some sort on
one finger. "I apologise for
intruding on you like this, One-sama, but Doug-san's guest quarters have been
prepared," she said before she gave me a friendly smile. "Captain Gamblin insisted that he be
quartered in the guess cabin on the senior officer's level in the forward
superstructure given his rank in his universe.
When he's had a chance to rest up and everything, he'll be invited to
the captain's cabin for supper, of course." As I gaped at her, Naoko smiled. "Would you like to get your things
first, Doug-san?"
I
slowly nodded . . .
* *
*
Local
Date and time: Sunday 9 May 2011, 3:23
PM EDT
Location: H.M.C.S. Haida, Deck A10 Forward,
Senior Officer's Quarters,
"Still
not there yet, huh?"
"Afraid
not, Eimi," I said in return as I gazed on the cute image on my laptop
computer screen in the spacious room I had been given to rest and relax in for
however long I might be in this dimension.
"But I was detected right away; the local tech is high enough to
detect world-gates. I take it you've
sensed where we're at now."
Eimi
seemed to blink-blink for a moment as her central consciousness sought out the
modem cable that now connected the device she was in to Haida's part of
this world's Tapestry . . . and then a look of sheer disbelief crossed her face
for a moment as the information finally started to came in; Hiromi had arranged
to grant me unlimited Top Secret access to all the files that were stored in
this ship's mainframe computer.
"A
starship . . .?"
I
smirked. I rather guessed for all her
sophistication and sentience, she had long got used to the lower levels of tech
that we had encountered since we began travelling together many years and
dimensions ago. To find herself in
Tapestry HEAVEN . . .!
"Nearly
transwarp capable by the Star Trek scale; can hop from one end of the
galaxy to the other in mere minutes," I provided for her;
looking over Haida's schematics had been the first thing I had done
through the desktop machine that was provided for me by the smiling Takanashi
Naoko, who was now moving to unpack my clothing and put it away. "With enough firepower to turn a living
planet Earth's size into a cinder in space.
Though my current hosts wouldn't ever dream of doing something like that."
"A
starship . . .?"
"Yep,"
I answered.
Eimi
gaped at me, which seemed to concern Naoko as she came over to gaze over my
shoulder at my friend. "I hope
she's not going to suffer a breakdown, Doug-san."
Eimi
blinked several times as she focused on Naoko, and then she gaped. No doubt, she had just learned about the
Avalonians. "You're a bioroid?"
"Terran-form
Avalonian," Naoko stated.
"Peace, logic and harmony unto you, Eimi-san."
My
friend gaped for a second, and then she sighed.
"Wow . . .!"
"Tell
me this, Doug-san: Does Eimi-san like
being in a box?"
I
jolted on hearing that slightly-cold voice, and then I turned to see a girl
with green-highlighted black hair standing at the open doorway to my
cabin. She was in Navy combat dress – as
the local black work dress was called here – but had Air Force blue epaulettes
on her shoulders, they marked with the unit tag 21 ACCS, which indicated
the 21st Air Communications and Control Squadron, the mobile signals command
and support group for Haida's aerospace contingent, 21 Space Wing of the
Canadian Forces Air Command. Her family name
ASAI was on her chest under the squadron's crest, a sky blue field with
a two-headed thunderbird of Haida over a trio of lightning flashes
emitting from the Earth under the thunderbird's tail. "Mayumi-chan!" Naoko then
snapped. "Even if you'd want to
help Eimi-san like you did Lal-san when we met up with the Enterprise
crew at Christmas time, there IS the problem of what happens when something
from another dimension transits to this dimension and vice-versa." As Eimi and I both gaped at her, Naoko added,
"Especially if you decide to create a bioroid body for her!"
"There
is a problem with your theory, oh Ashi'cha of mine," Mayumi then
stated as she slipped off her reading glasses to clean them. I was quick to interpret that phrase as
meaning "elder mother" in what I suspected was the Avalonian
language. "Doug-san shows the signs
of residing for decades on many strops in his journey." As I blinked, wondering how this girl got
hold of my life-scan readings – Did she
hack into Narumi-chan's medical logs? – Mayumi put her glasses on. "Given he seems to be shielded by
unknown means from being forced back into his home dimension, the chances are
good that if I did create a physical body for Eimi-san, she will be so likely blessed."
"Don't
start!" Naoko stated. "While
Eimi-san might like a change of scenery, she was created in her current form
and would probably find the transition to corporeal form traumatic. Try to be more empathic, please! You were built for it,
remember?"
"So
were you, Naoko-chan," Mayumi noted.
"I AM being empathic about it.
But I have my own morals and beliefs to acknowledge as well." A nod to me, and then she was off.
I
blinked several times. "You
resident mad scientist, I take it?"
"She
was modelled that way," Naoko confessed.
"Where
from?" Eimi asked.
My
current guide smiled. "Eimi-san, go
into the personnel files section of the ship's memory," she then
said. "My personal file folder is
under my name in Western name format.
Passcode is 'S-H-I-N-O-B-I-4-E-V-E-R.'
Access all the files marked under the sub-folder 'Grand Prix.' Look at the pictures there and you'll get the
idea."
Eimi
blinked . . . and then a look of righteous outrage crossed her face. "HENTAI SUKEBE! WHO THE HECK MODELLED YOU AFTER SOMETHING LIKE
THAT, NAOKO-SAN?!"
"My
would-be master." Naoko then gazed
at me. "Though fortunately, unlike
so many of my own sisters on Earth and beyond, I never had the displeasure of meeting
the man."
"What
happened?" I asked.
"Tsukihana-oniisama
and Ayami-onesama happened," she replied.
I knew that the latter name hinted at Haida's co-designer and
co-builder, Hakaru Ayami. "As our
would-be master – there were a total of 415 of us – was returning home from a
shopping trip on Zeiwan, they happened upon us in Arizona and Yamato. We were all in our storage tubes, having just
got out of gestation aboard the factory on Phentax Twelve before we were
programmed and woken. As to why that
happened this way, I can't say.
But when we were sensed by Arizona's life sensors and identified
as having a Sagussan genetic profile, we were all beamed out before our master
was any the wiser. After he realised we
had been 'stolen' from him, he contacted Onii-sama and One-sama and threatened
us with the retribution of the 'One True Church of Lum' for their
actions."
I
grinned. "What happened?"
"He
was beamed into one of his ship's own escape pods and it was made to jettison
from his ship . . . just before Yamato's guns wrecked it." As Eimi cheered and I laughed, Naoko stated. "My first waking moment was finding
myself on Haida after Onii-sama and One-sama met up with Hiromi-onesama
and we were inbound to Sol. Over the
following months, I became her major-domo on this ship and was acknowledged as Ashi'cha
after my soul was augmented with the souls of one of the amnesiac toshi then
trapped within a device known as the Dragon Jade." She pointed to her own earring in emphasis.
I
looked at it. It was like Hiromi's
magatama, though it was shaped like a maple leaf cut right out of the Canadian
flag and was shaded evergreen. It had a
fouled anchor and a British naval coronet etched on it. A trade badge of some sort, I realised. "So what are you doing right now?"
I wondered. "Haida was just
commissioned last summer. You all came
here last February in your time-line.
Basic training?"
"MARS
– that's naval operations – training for myself at H.M.C.S. Venture in
Esquimalt," Naoko stated. "Ditto with Tomomi-chan and several
others. Others have either passed their
basic trades training in the ranks or are still going through it. Even if, in some places, they don't need
it." A wink. "Military mentality, I'm afraid."
I
laughed . . . and then perked on hearing a knock at my door. I looked over to see an elderly man with a
golden Canadian coat of arms insignia on his shoulder boards. He had the same type of branch badge as
Tomomi wore on his beret. No doubt, this
man was the equivalent of a British Army regimental sergeant-major on this
ship, though I had no idea what it was called in the Canadian Navy. "Yes?" I asked.
"Sorry
to bother you, Colonel Sangnoir, but the lady who actually brought
you to our dimension is aboard and in the observation lounge now," the
other man said. "She's got
everything for a formal tea ceremony set up there. She wants to talk to you."
I
gaped . . .
* *
*
Canadian lighthouse to U.S. Warship approaching it: "This is a lighthouse. Your call!"