Ranmatech

Introduction: This is basically a total revamp of the original

Ranma Project story. It was pointed out to me that the technology

that rebuilt the crippled Ranma did seem a bit too advanced, even

for Japanese anime. It looked like only someone of Washu's genius

(the mad intergalactic scientist from Tenchi Muyo) could come up

with something like that. So I decided to keep the basic idea of a

bionic Ranma, but totally rewrite his origins.

This story takes place after Genma had become dissatisfied with

the rate in which Ranma was training in the Cat Fist and threw him

to the lions. In the manga, Ranma was trained in this dreaded (and

stupid technique) at the age of 10, so I decided to use that age in

this story as a starting point. Some of the ideas were inspired by

Gregg Sharp, the Dragon Bard and countless other fanfic writers. I

was also given new inspiration from the Bet Series, A Source of

Pride, A Private Bet #10, Mirrors Multiplied and countless

science-fiction anime tapes.

<>: Thoughts

[ ]: Alien language

(* *) Computer response

<" "> Chinese Language

Chapter 1

Reconstruction

Somewhere outside of Earth stratosphere, a small, unobtrusive

space cruiser was orbiting the planet and was currently using its

cloaking field to mask its presence from the primitive, long-range

sensor technology of the world below. On board the bridge of the

ship, two beings of extraterrestrial origin were busy looking at a

monitor that depicted a map of the area of the planet's surface that

they were currently scanning.

The first alien was a bipedal reptilian and wore a bulky, black

armor. He snorted in disgust as he looked at the sensor readouts

that were coming from the exploratory probe they had launched five

hours ago. [Damn! Hasn't that probe found at least one miserable

subject on this whole stinking planet?!]

The second being was insectlike and looked like a cross between

a praying mantis and a scarab beetle. [Patience Oruk! It takes a while

to scan more than six billion sentient life forms!]

[Bah! I don't see what difference it makes! The dominant race on

this whole mud ball is pretty pathetic! They're all basically the

same, so why we don't we just pick one and get it over with? I don't

want to spend any more time near this backwater planet than we have

to!]

[You think I like being here Oruk? I don't want to waste my time

in the boonies either! But we were paid good credits to find

someone who'd fit Dr. Shero's criteria. Since we can't snatch

anyone within the boundaries of the Interplanetary Frontier

Alliance, we have to look for our subject outside the quadrant!

That's why we're here! Even though the humans of this world look

the same in appearance, our scanners indicate that a handful of these

lesser beings possess the right genetic sequences for Dr. Shero's

experiments. Be patient Oruk. We'll soon find…] The alien stopped

as an insistent beeping was heard coming from the console. [Wait a

moment!]

[What is it Seyon?]

[The probe has found something!]

[Is it what we're looking for?]

There was a long pause as Seyon checked the readouts. [Yes!

This is what we've been waiting for! One subject meets all the

genetic criteria that we've been given!]

[Just one? Out of over six billion? What's the condition of the

subject?]

[Hmmm… the being is immature and not an adolescent yet. It has

some extensive physical damage and barely measurable vital

readings. The subject is dying.]

[Then forget about it! It would be too much trouble to bring him

aboard and keep him onlife-support.]

[I don't think we have a choice Oruk. According to the probe, our

initial scan of the planet was in error. Of all the beings on this

miserable world, only this subject is a perfect match to what Dr.

Shero requires. You also have to remember that we have a deadline

to keep if we want to get that other half of that twenty million

credits! If we don't take this one, we'll be forced to go onto the next

system and judging from our remaining power reserves, we can't

afford it. You also recall what he told us if we didn't bring him back

a subject and ran with the ten million credits we have now.]

[Damn that @#*$!!! If he didn't implant those implosion devices

in our brains…] Oruk let off disgusted sigh and nodded his head.

[Commence retrieval procedures. Dr. Shero didn't specify what

condition his guinea pig had to be in, as long as we brought it back

alive.]

Seyon nodded as he began pressing a few buttons. [Initiating

long-range teleporter. Coordinates locked on and ready to beam the

subject directly into the stasis pod.]

[Do it.]

A small, tight beam of white light was emitted from the ship and

sent toward the surface of the planet. When the beam struck its

target, there was brief moment of absolute silence. Seyon then

looked at his console and said. [Subject has been transported to the

stasis pod. Mission accomplished."]

[And the probe?]

[Its self-destruct sequence had already been activated and it

destroyed itself. No trace of it has been left and any witnesses near

the probe were probably destroyed along with it.]

[Engage the warp drive and lets get going then.]

On Earth, in some region near the Bayankala Mountain Range in

China, Genma Saotome crawled out of the smoking crater. He was

sorry sight to behold as he sported several burns and his gi had been

reduced to a tattered ruin. He had a dazed and confused look about

him as he began looking for his crippled son. He didn't know what

had just occurred but one thing was for sure. Nodoka was going to

kill him.

It had just been a mere week since he had stolen his son from the

intensive care ward at a hospital in Japan and escaped from the

country. The law was after him for throwing Ranma to the lions, due

to Genma's dissatisfaction at how slow the boy was learning the Cat

Fist. After three failed attempts, the stupid disciple of Happosai had

thought that bigger cats were required. He had used his job as a

zookeeper to throw Ranma into the pit of lions with steaks strapped

to his back.

Unfortunately for Ranma, the cats had mauled him to the point in

which his right arm had to be amputated. He had also lost his right

eye and ear. The rest of his body had been badly savaged and was

covered in suture lines. In short, Ranma was a mangled mess of a

human being. Genma was soon a wanted man and had to flee the

country.

After stealing his son from the hospital, Genma had thought to

continue the boy's training in China, but that was when they

encountered strange-looking machine. The device was shaped like a

Frisbee and was the size of a manhole cover. However, before

Genma could get a better look at it, his ten-year old son suddenly

disappeared in a flash of light and the weird contraption went off

like a bomb. The explosion was equivalent to five sticks of dynamite

and unfortunately, Genma was at the center of the explosion. It was

just by sheer luck that he survived. But with his son gone, Genma

found himself in big trouble.

<Ranma's gone! I'm dead!>

In a galaxy, far, far away…

Dr. Shero chortled with glee at his new project. He looked to be

a humanoid of about fifty or so standard years, but his eyes were

solid red and he had green hair that was beginning to thin near his

receding hairline. He wore a white body suit and had a strange

device that resembled a monocle over his right eye. Oruk and Seyon

had done well. The subject they had brought him was perfect. It

didn't matter that Ranma was a bit young and his body was a

shredded mess. The latest techniques in accelerating aging were

available and his new nanite technology would restore the boy to

full operational status. No it was Ranma's genetic makeup that he

was most concerned with.

[Interesting.] A tech commented as he looked at the readouts on

his console.

[What is?] Dr. Shero asked.

[According to what the scanner is telling us, the subject is

emitting relatively high amounts of bio-energy. In fact, he is

generating more power than an individual of his physical and mental

development is supposed to be able to do. The fact that he's doing it

despite the heavy structural damage is nothing short of remarkable.]

[So you think he'll be able to survive the reconstruction?]

The technician paused as he gauged the readouts. [Yes. He has

the right genetic combinations in which the nanites will be able to

fuse with his damaged tissue and begin bioregeneration. Not only

that, but also this particular specimen's genetic makeup is on the

verge of completing the next stage of evolution of its race. With the

nanites augmenting his cells, he'll be able to evolve to meet any new

situation he encounters.]

[Excellent! That fits in with the project quite nicely. Oh by the

way, did you take care of that little detail with those mercenaries?]

[Yes sir. I had activated the implosion devices in their cerebral

cortexes the moment they left the system. The credits have already

been retrieved and deposited back into your account.]

[Good. Now let's get started. So what was the reading on his bio-

energy output?]

[Nine thousand.]

[Nine thousand? Are you sure?]

[Yes sir.]

[How old is this kid?]

[He's approximately ten standard years according to most

humanoid references.]

[Well now. That is a bonus! I have no doubt that this person will

indeed survive the nanite implantation. He certainly possesses

enough cyster.]

[Cyster?]

[That's the Bimekron word for bio-energy. On Ninedar III, it is

called tekari. On Saldor, it is she'lla.]

[What do the inhabitants of his world call it?]

[I believe they call it… ki.]

A month later…

[The subject is responding well to the aging drugs Dr. Shero.] A

lab assistant told him as he handed him a data pad.

[Yes. I thought that the subject should be matured a bit more

before we start implantation of the new type of biotech nanites.

How is the regeneration coming along?]

The assistant began checking off the list of things that had

already been done. [The subject has already regenerated his missing

arm, eye and ear and all damage done to the rest of his body has

been corrected. The nanites are following their programming and

have begun enhancement of his physical capabilities. Strength,

speed, reflexes and cognitive abilities have now increased by a

factor of five. And as you requested, we have already done a full

mind-wipe of the boy's previous memories. He won't remember

anything about his past life other than his name.]

[Good. And what about those energy converters I created?]

[They have already been implanted and the nanites have begun

fusing them into his systems. He'll be able to convert his bio-

energy or ki into any form that he wants. Lasers, particle beams,

photon bolts, sonic waves, the works! He will be able to fire these

blasts at will from his hands and eyes, either in their converted

forms or as pure ki itself. Their destructive potential is equivalent

to a Mark IV Anti-Proton Cannon.]

[His senses?]

[The nanites have formed an extensive sensor array that has

augmented his physical senses to beyond normal ranges. His eyes

are now able to see across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

Hearing can pick up sounds that are less than one trillionth of a

decibel.]

[Very good. Keep me posted on his progress.]

Another month later…

[Doctor? Are you sure you want to let him have that?]

[Are you questioning me?] Dr. Shero asked in a menacing tone.

[N-N-No sir! I was just…]

[Spare me your feeble explanations and give me a rundown on the

prototype's status.]

[Y-Yes sir.] The lab technician held up a data pad and began

reading off the list. [The nanites have completed construction of the

dimensional hole generator and are now transporting the arsenal that

you had created for him into the subspace pocket, including…] The

lab tech shuddered. [The Annihilator.]

[Very good. And what about his physical abilities?]

[He's so far performed beyond our greatest expectations.

Strength level is rated at forty tons and gradually increasing. Speed

and reflexes are operating at about forty times faster than normal.

He seems to have a natural aptitude for hand to hand combat. He's

already mastered more than twenty styles and thanks to the nanite

web matrix computer in his brain, he retains everything that he sees

and hears. Cognitive and analytical skills have also increased.]

[What about that side effect you were talking about last week?]

[The aging drugs had acted a bit differently than we expected. We

managed to accelerate him to his current age of sixteen standard

years, but the drugs then caused his body to go into a form of

suspended aging once the desired age was reached. I guess were just

going to have to wait until his body readjusts to the new chemical

imbalance and flushes out the drugs.]

[How long will that be?]

[Well you how the effects of those drugs tend to linger even

after the substance is gone so I'd estimate that it would take another

four years before he starts to age normally again.]

[Four years?! You mean that for the next four years, he's not

going to age any further?]

[Yes.]

[I see. Oh well, that's only a minor detail. He's already at the age

that we want him to be so it's nothing. So what about the other

additives I have planned for him?"

[Already operational sir. The nanites have created anti-graviton

generators, which allows for flight capabilities. The dimensional

hole generator allows him to store and retrieve the weapons and

equipment he needs from subspace, including that… ahem, addition

to his arsenal. He's packing enough firepower to totally destroy a

Dimallian Dreadnought single-handedly and can duplicate any

fighting maneuver used against him a few seconds after seeing it.

We've also added a cyberweave body suit to give his organic tissue

added protection. Although his flesh can now withstand extreme

temperatures and high impacts, the new cyberweave armor will

increase protection by tenfold and even allow him to operate in the

vacuum of space. The suit also contains reconfiguring circuits so

that he can change its shape and appearance when he needs to.]

[Excellent! And the cloaking devices?]

[It is fully operational. He can easily evade most conventional

scanners and sensor equipment and can adapt to anything new that is

used against him.]

[Good. Everything is going according to plan. How about his

energy source?]

[The subject will be able to survive on minimal amounts of food

and rest. His cells have now been evolved to the point in which he

can absorb outside energy sources such as solar power and ambient

power like electricity and convert them into that bio-energy of his.

The meson/antimeson thermoelectric batteries that are within him

will act, as secondary backups should his primary sources of power

fail. Of course the nanites are constantly improving and maintaining

his body.]

Dr. Shero smiled, as his dream of conquest was about to become

a reality. Once this new nanotech soldier had passed the final testing

stages and received the proper programming, then he would clone

and mass-produce this model by the thousands. One Ranma alone

was destructive, but an entire army of them would assure the

downfall of the Intergalactic Council and establish himself as

supreme ruler of the cosmos! Nothing could stop him now.

Unknown to him, the Council had already been aware of Dr.

Shero's plans but had only now been able to track him down to the

asteroid that contained his secret lab. Outside the asteroid, a crack

unit of their best commandos was about to stage a daring raid on the

complex. Once the leader of the group gave the go ahead, the twelve

men in high-tech body armor ignited their flight packs and charged

into the installation.

Alarms and defense systems were activated as sensors picked up

the intruders. Laser turrets popped out of their hidden

emplacements and started firing. The invaders skillfully maneuvered

their way around the crisscrossing beams of lethal light and

returned fire with their plasma rifles and hyper-velocity rail canons.

Destruction and chaos reigned as the asteroid rocked with

explosions.

One of the commandos had managed to get past the outer

defenses and into the complex. There he met stiff resistance as he

fought his way through enemy defense drones and heavily armed

guards. He was barely able to make it to the center of the complex

and found the main reactor. Placing a proton thermal detonator on

it, he then communicated to the rest of his group to clear out.

Setting the timer for two minutes, the soldier turned and screamed

as a guard appeared from behind and fired his plasma rifle. The shot

plowed though the commando's armor in the chest. As a reflex, the

dying man squeezed the trigger of his own weapon, which

discharged and burned the guard's head off.

Dr. Shero smiled as he saw on the monitor of the retreating

attack group. Confident that no one had gotten through his defenses,

he decided to initiate the final programming procedures for his

masterpiece. This would turn the boy into the perfect killing

machine, obedient only to him. Ranma would become the perfect

weapon in his bid to conquer the galaxy. Not knowing that his life

was about to end, the scientist headed down the hallway to where his

creation was resting in stasis. It was then that the timer on the

detonator reached 0.

The asteroid was rocked again by a series of chain reactions as

the small explosion caused by the detonator ignited the main

reactor. After the last of the smaller explosions went off, the entire

chunk of space rock exploded in a gigantic blast and space debris

went flying off in all directions. The surviving members of the

raiding party held on for dear life as their ship was rocked by the

shockwave and pelted with pieces of the asteroid. The navigator of

the craft was able to pilot the ship out of the danger zone as Dr.

Shero and his legacy was reduced to cosmic dust. The crew all

agreed that nothing could have survived that explosion.

Nothing, except a small, armored stasis pod that had been blown

clear of the blast and was now tumbling through space.

Six Standard Years later…

It was a peaceful night in the village of the Nieuchiezu, as the

Amazons prepared to settle down for the evening. In a small area

outside the village gates, two girls were sparring with each other,

when suddenly, one of the combatants stopped and pointed up

toward the sky. The second girl stopped as well and looked up in the

direction that the first one was indicating.

<"Look up there! A shooting star!">

<"That could be a good sign Shampoo.">

<"I hope so Mint. Tomorrow, those bad men will come again.

The scouts say that they bringing those war machines this time.">

<"Yes, we must be ready to fight them.">

<"Mint, I'm worried.">

<"I'm worried too Shampoo. Those machines of the Chinese

army are terrible and they've already destroyed or conquered the

other villages. We're the only Amazon village left that's still

holding out and…"> Mint's voice trailed off as thought of the

upcoming battle. For the past several weeks, the warrior women had

been getting into a few skirmishes with members of the Chinese

Army as their leaders tried to impose their will upon them. So far,

the soldiers have been using small arms against them, but the village

had survived their assaults. Now, things had started to become

serious. She didn't think that they had much of a chance against the

tanks and heavy artillery of the Chinese government, but they were

Amazons and it was their way to fight to the death, even against

overwhelming odds.

A few miles away, the light that Shampoo had spotted landed

gently in the midst of a dense forest near the Bayankala Mountain

range. The light, was in fact the glow of the impulse engines of a

small, star cruiser. The otherworldly ship was sleek and had an

impressive armored skin that covered its hull. The firepower it

contained was enough to level a level a small city within twenty

minutes. However, it was its sole occupant that was of greatest

concern.

The hatch of the ship opened up and a figure stepped out into the

night. The person was tall and wore a tight-fitting, black body suit

that covered everything except his head. The man had raven hair,

which was done in a small ponytail. His eyes were blue and they

seemed to radiate a sense of overwhelming power and control as

they scanned the area. His vision swept the forest as his bio-

computer took in the data from the infrared, microwave and other

wavelengths that his eyes were sensing. Finally, the scanning

procedure was complete and Ranma mentally asked the computer in

his brain.

<Computer, are you certain that this is my planet of origin?>

(*Affirmative Ranma. All the available data that we have

accumulated confirms this.*)

Ranma nodded as he took a deep breath. After spending six long

years wandering the galaxies, he had finally come home. The serum

that had been used to accelerate his age, then stopped his aging

process had finally worn off two years ago. He was aging normally

again, but he now had the body of a nineteen-year old, instead of his

expected age of sixteen. While wandering the cosmos, the

cybernetic martial artist had visited many worlds and gained an

incredible amount of knowledge, including clues as to where he

came from. He eventually came across information about the planet

that he was stolen from six-years ago and after a little bit of friendly

'persuasion' he was able to get the coordinates of his home world.

However, this did not get him any of his missing memories back.

Dr. Shero's mindwipe had been quite extensive and the memories of

his past before he was kidnapped were trickling back at an

unbearably slow rate. He had thought that coming back to Earth

might stimulate his recall faster, but he still could not remember

much more than his own name.

Sighing again, he decided to consult the biocomputer in his head.

<Computer, any suggestions as to our current situation?>

(*Unable to comply, due to the limited amount of data. As you

would put it, I haven't the foggiest idea. Suggest scouting the area

and questioning the natives until new data is presented. Also suggest

that you keep a low profile, as this is a backwater world.*)

Ranma nodded as he went back inside his ship to prepare for the

next day. The hatch closed with a quiet hiss and then the whole ship

began to shimmer as the cloaking devices activated themselves. In

an instant, the ship faded from view and nothing was left to indicate

that it even existed.

The very next day, Ranma was soaring above the treetops at a

relatively slow speed as he scouted the area. Although it would have

been easier to remain inside his ship and send out probes, he had

felt confined within his craft and wanted to experience the outside

world. As of now, he was flying at an altitude of three thousand feet

and was enjoying the scenery below. Just as he was about to

approach the Bayankala Mountain range, his telescopic vision had

spotted a series of explosions in the distance. Focusing his eyesight

on the disturbance, he saw a scene of chaos and destruction.

Primitive war machines (by his standards) were spearheading an

attack on a small village. Soldiers were firing crude projectile

weapons at the defenders, who were retaliating with swords, clubs

and all sorts of sharp or blunt hand to hand instruments. Landing on

a cliff that overlooked the battlefield, Ranma engaged his

computer's tactical mode. As his computer analyzed the situation,

Ranma watched with fascination as the female warriors of the

village inflicted considerable damage to their attackers. He

witnessed several impressive displays of martial arts and every now

and then, an Amazon would demonstrate a ki attack. The foot

soldiers that were foolish enough to get close to one of them would

learn the error of their mistake a few seconds before their lives

ended. However, the rest of the troops were smart enough to stay

back and lay down withering machine gunfire and to let the tanks do

their job. The armored behemoths let loose with deafening volleys

of death from their turrets that shot over the heads of the Amazons

and blasted away at the village behind them. It was quite apparent

what the eventual outcome would be.

(*Native village on the verge of being overwhelmed by superior

forces. Enemy outnumbers defenders by twenty to one. Weapons

used against defenders consist of high-explosive projectile shells,

heavy armor units and firearms. Estimate total annihilation within

five minutes.*)

<They'll be massacred! We have to help them!>

(*Decision to interfere with the affairs of the locals not within

mission to retrieve lost data on your past existence.*)

<I don't care! I can't just stand by and let this happen when I have

the power to stop it!>

(*Direct involvement may result in unforeseen consequences.

Preservation of this unit is of highest priority.*)

<Computer… please, you know I'm right. Let me do this.>

There was a long pause as the computer considered Ranma's

request. Although it would have been a simple matter to immobilize

Ranma and prevent him from interfering, the biotechnological

wonder had undergone some changes since its activation six years

ago. As it was merged with Ranma's brain, it had begun to pick up

some humanistic qualities. Although its primary function was to act

as an information source and defend its host, it had started to

exhibit some sensations all on its own. Things that would have

meant nothing to a purely logical computer were now starting to

show value to the nanites. Concepts such as compassion, mercy,

honor and loyalty now had an effect on it. Throughout their travels

through the cosmos, Ranma had aided hundreds of beings and gotten

into situations that endangered his life, when it would have been

more logical to not get involved. Ranma had made a lot of enemies

because of his interference. Then again, he had made some powerful

allies as well. If Ranma could help, then he would. It was that

humanity, which defined him and the computer, had just recently

begun to appreciate that part of him. In some cases, they had

survived only because of it. In any case, wasn't it the computer's job

to aid its host? That was its purpose. That was the reason it was

created in the first place.

(*Will comply with request to aid defenders.*)

Ranma took a deep breath while powering up his energies, then

dived down toward the battle. Remembering his computer's

suggestion to keep a low profile, he gave a mental command to the

microcircuits in his cyberweave suit, and the fabric became like a

thing alive as it moved to cover his head into a mask of the black

material. The only feature was a stylish red visor that covered his

eyes. Now that no one could visually identify him, Ranma eagerly

flew toward the village. <I've been itching for some action,

computer. Let's go kick some butt!>

(*Affirmative.*)

<"AIIIIYEEEEEE!"> Shampoo felt a sharp pain in her side as

several bullets hit her. She fell to the ground with a profuse gunshot

wound in her right flank. She dropped her bonbori and clutched at

the bleeding hole, hoping to stem the flow of crimson that was now

dripping down to the ground. Shampoo knew that she was dying, but

she would not give up. If she was going to die, then she was going to

do it on her feet and fighting the enemy. She tried to get up, but her

legs just wouldn't respond. The bullets had shot through her

midsection and one of them hit her vertebrae, severing her spinal

cord. She had been crippled by the cowardly attack and as she

looked up, she saw a tank rumbling its way toward her. It seemed

that she would soon join her ancestors. She shut her eyes and waited

for the end.

The end never came. She heard startled cries coming from the

soldiers and her sister Amazons alike. The clanking noises of the

tank's wheels could still be heard, but they seemed to be coming

from… above? She cautiously opened her eyes and looked up. Her

eyes became the size of saucers (the flying kind) as she beheld the

sight before her.

The stranger was tall, about 6'4" at least. He had a lean, muscular

frame and was wearing a black, skintight, full body suit and boots

that covered him from head to toe. The headmask had no features

save for a red strip of semitransparent material across the eyes that

resembled a visor. The being was radiating ki energy on a scale that

no one of her tribe had ever encountered before. His power was

enormous! The fact that he was holding up a forty-ton tank over his

head demonstrated this point. The war machine's treads were still

rolling in their futile attempt to get traction.

One of the occupants came out of the hatch at the top of the

turret and looked down. His eyes bugged out when he saw why his

vehicle wasn't going anywhere. He screamed down to his

compatriots inside the tank and in less than a minute, four members

of the Chinese Army were scrambling out of the armored vehicle

and leaping away.

<"W-W-Who are you?">

Ranma looked down at the injured girl with a bit of confusion.

<Computer, do you have any idea what's she's saying?>

(*Dialect is currently unknown. Translation program already in

progress in deciphering her language. Will be able to comprehend

in thirty seconds.*)

<Never mind that now computer. Give me a tactical assessment

of the situation.> Ranma's eyes began scanning the battlefield, his

eyes analyzing the numbers of enemy soldiers and their weapons.

(*Analysis complete. Main strength of attacking force is their

battle machines. Neutralization of these elements will diminish the

attacking force's ability to fight by seventy-five percent.*)

Ranma nodded as he reared back and threw the tank at another

one that was nearby. Soldiers were barely able to get out of their

vehicle when the heavy projectile came crashing down on top of it.

Ranma turned and raised one arm, pointing the index finger at the

smashed tanks.

<Laser beam.> Ranma mentally commanded as he focused some

of his ki into the digit. The energy converters within his body

transformed his power into an intense beam of focused light, which

shot out and struck the two tanks. The superheated beam pierced the

thick armor and ignited the ammunition and explosive shells within

them, transforming the hulks into fireballs of exploding shrapnel

and mangled parts.

Some of the soldiers finally got over their moment of shock

when they saw this nearly effortless destruction of two of their

tanks. The ones that were nearest to Ranma took a dozen steps back

and began shooting at him with their assault rifles. However, this

proved to be a mistake.

Ranma turned around and saw the bullets streak at him. Although

he knew that the primitive arms the soldiers were carrying wouldn't

even scratch his skin, let alone his cyberweave armor, he still had

the innocent behind him to think about. So instead of just standing

there and let them ricochet off his body, his arms and hands became

a blur, catching each and every bullet of the lethal salvo. The

Amazons and Shampoo especially were rendered speechless. Their

own speed technique, the Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken, was fast but

it didn't have anywhere close to the speed of this newcomer. It

certainly wasn't fast enough to catch bullets!

Ranma smirked from behind his mask as the soldiers continued

to fire their weapons. For twenty seconds, the sounds of nonstop

gunfire hammered away. Finally, the assault rifles clicked on empty,

as their magazines were depleted. The troops were astounded when

they saw that their foe did not even have a scratch. Their horror was

increased by tenfold when they saw the stranger casually open his

hands and showed their spent shots. He had caught them all! He then

proceeded to crush the contents of his hands and a moment later; he

brushed away the powdered remnants of the bullets.

The troops looked down at their weapons with fear. Their guns

were just about a effective against this newcomer as pea shooters.

They were just reaching for new magazines from their ammo belts

when Ranma raised an arm and began focusing his ki again.

The energy converters began using his ki to gather in his

outstretched hand and began compressing the air in front of him.

Then suddenly, the soldiers were knocked off their feet and sent

hurtling backward thirty feet. The sudden impact sent them all into

unconsciousness as Ranma used the air pressure blast like a

battering ram.

The other soldiers knew that this was no ordinary opponent and

therefore thought it best to concentrate their efforts on eliminating

him. Forgetting to attack the Amazons, the soldiers began a flanking

maneuver on both sides. Ranma saw this coming and decided to get

out of the way. Gently picking up the injured Shampoo in his arms,

he took to the air, just as the soldiers began lobbing grenades and

opening fire with their assault rifles.

Ranma rose to a height of a hundred feet and hovered there with

the still shocked Amazon. Seeing that the other warrior women had

gotten some distance from the immediate area, Ranma floated down

toward them and silently handed the purple-haired girl to them. He

then turned and sped to rejoin the fray. The Amazons watched in

amazement as the nanotech warrior proceeded to tear their enemies

apart.

The cybernetic soldier went after the tanks first, ripping them

open as if they were made out of tinfoil. The troops were soon

panicking and many were retreating from the relentless onslaught of

one man. They soon found out that bullets were nothing to him as he

let them bounce off him like jellybeans. The tremendous firepower

of the tanks was no match for him as he easily evaded the

cumbersome and slow behemoths. When the last tank was torn into

scrap metal, Ranma then took care of whatever remaining troops

that were left. The soldiers got the pounding of their lives as their

foe decided to give them a painful demonstration of his martial arts

abilities. Having traveled the galaxies, Ranma had been exposed to

thousands of different styles of hand to hand combat, all of which

he used to incredible effect.

One of the commanders, who had been watching on the sidelines,

decided that it was time to bring in his trump card. Taking out his

walkie-talkie, he gave the order for the assault helicopters to

assemble and prepare for an all-out attack on the village.

In the meanwhile, Ranma was weaving in and out of the platoons

of highly trained soldiers as easily as one would wade through still

waters. He moved with incredible speed and several times, his

opponents would hear miniature sonic booms, as Ranma would

travel fast enough to exceed the sound barrier. Dozens of troops

would be rendered unconscious or too injured to fight as he took

them out in milliseconds. After the last of the soldiers had been

dealt with, Ranma then got a signal from his computer's long-range

sensors.

(*Ranma! Scanners are picking up several new contacts heading

in our direction.*)

<What's their ETA?>

(*One minute.*)

Ranma's assumption was confirmed as he heard the distant

clatter of helicopter rotors. Looking up into the distance, he saw the

distinct silhouettes of six assault choppers as they began to

converge on the battlefield. The Amazons also sighted them and

their morale began to fall again. They had been thought that the

danger had passed when this stranger had destroyed the tanks and

defeated the soldiers but now these new war machines were coming.

They could see them begin to aim their weapons of mass

destruction at their village. They hovered in the air some twelve

hundred meters from their village and waited for the order to fire.

The commander of the squadron spoke through a loudspeaker and

gave out his ultimatum. <"Drop your weapons and surrender now. I

repeat, drop your weapons and surrender at once. Any further

resistance will result in your utter destruction!">

Ranma scanned the new assault vehicles and didn't like what he

saw. Although they posed no real threat to him, they possessed

enough firepower to destroy the village that he was trying to save.

He could see their primitive targeting devices already locking on

the village and rockets being armed. His translation program had

already deciphered the Chinese language and he was now able to

fully understand the threat that the commander had given.

<Computer, give me some options!>

(*Analyzing.*) A moment later the biotech wonder had the

answer. (*Suggest using photon burst to confuse the enemy, then

utilize electrodisrupter cannon on a wide beam setting to neutralize

their weapon systems.*)

(*Current situation suggests that a demonstration of greater

firepower may be necessary.*)

Ranma smiled. He knew exactly what he could use to cow these

bastards. <Let's do it!>

Meanwhile, the commander of the attacking force was getting

impatient. <"This is your last warning! Surrender now, or be

destroyed!">

Ranma's battle aura suddenly flared as his energy converters

transformed his ki into pure light. The sudden explosion of

luminescence caused all those who were watching to become

blinded. In those few precious seconds that they were distracted,

Ranma held out an arm and activated his recall circuits. A large,

cylindrical object appeared and settled over his shoulder like a

bazooka. The muzzle of the weapon was shaped like a satellite dish

and began to power up. Ranma aimed the weapon to the group of

choppers and pulled the trigger.

A wide beam of blue-white energy enveloped the helicopters as

they hovered unsteadily in the air, their pilots struggling to keep

them aloft as their eyesight slowly returned to them. It was then that

their commander gave them the order to fire. The pilots pressed

their firing mechanisms and… nothing happened. They pressed their

buttons again and… still nothing happened.

<"Commander! All units have experienced a major malfunction

in the firing controls!">

<"WHAT?!">

<"They're not working sir!">

Ranma smiled as he overheard their communications with his

enhanced hearing. He then made his electrodisrupter cannon

dematerialize back into subspace and then called forth the REALLY

BIG GUN.

<Annihilator! Set for one billionth of the maximum payload!>

(*Acknowledged.*)

Ranma's arm once again raised and something materialized above

it. This time however, it was the size of a field artillery piece. The

massive, super anti-matter cannon materialized and settled itself on

Ranma's arm. The weapon measured more than ten meters in length

and sported a muzzle with a diameter the size of a trashcan lid. The

anti-graviton field generators were keeping the whole thing

balanced on his arm and the weapon began charging up as Ranma

began feeding his ki into it. The business end of the barrel began

glowing with a pure white light as a ball of energy began to form in

the barrel near the opening. It became more concentrated as a

targeting sight popped out from one side of the weapon and fitted

itself over Ranma's right eye.

The pilots and their commanders all wet their pants when they

saw the Annihilator. That thing was huge! Worse of all, it was aimed

at them and they couldn't shoot back. When they saw that ball of

energy begin to appear, they thought that it was time for them to die.

However, that was not Ranma's intention as he pivoted around and

had the cannon pointed at one of the Bayankala Mountains in the

distance. He smirked as he mentally released the safety locks and

pressed the firing stud.

A concentrated beam of pure anti-matter shot forth and struck

the mountain at its foundation. The huge rock glowed with a white

light before it was obliterated into its component molecules. There

was a huge explosion, followed by an equally severe aftershock that

was felt for miles around. Even though that particular mountain was

more than ten miles away, the village and the surrounding area was

rattled as if it had been subjected to a small earthquake. The winds

buffeted the choppers with near-hurricane speeds and the pilots

barely managed to keep from crashing into the ground and each

other.

When the winds and aftershocks finally died down. Ranma

pivoted and had the muzzle pointed back at the helicopters. There

was a moment of unnatural silence as the pilots considered the

predicament they were in. They then made their choice. They ran.

The soldiers on the ground also retreated, picking up their fallen

comrades and hightailed it as fast as they could.

Ranma stood motionless until the last of the invading army had

disappeared from sight. When they had vanished over the horizon,

he then dematerialized the Annihilator and fell to his knees. Using

the anti-matter weapon, even for just a second at one billionth of its

power was extremely draining. He had only used it four times since

he was awakened six years ago and only once did he ever use it at

full power. As of now, his body was exhausted from the battle and

he was currently running on reserve power.

Taking some time to collect himself, he slowly got up and

walked over to where the Amazons were still staring in disbelief.

They became a little more than nervous as he approached them and

some were already taking battle stances. Ranma stopped a few feet

before them and raised his hands to show that he wasn't there to hurt

them.

<"Don't worry. I mean you no harm."> He then gestured to

Shampoo, who was lying on the ground, her head resting against

another Amazon's legs who was kneeling behind her. <"Is she all

right?">

The Amazon looked at the masked figure with suspicion as she

slowly answered, <"She is… We… managed to stop the bleeding,

but her injuries were too severe."> The Amazon bowed her head.

<"She says that she cannot feel or move her legs.">

Ranma nodded as he scanned Shampoo's battered body. Sure

enough, his bioscanners revealed that her spinal cord had been

severed and that a bullet was lodged between a couple of her

vertebrae near the lumbar portion of her backbone.

Ranma knelt down beside the crippled Amazon and replied, <"I

can help her.">

To be continued…

Author's Notes

Okay. This is going to be the final rewrite that I'll ever do to this

part of the story. Due to countless e-mail from my readers, I've

decided to make Ranma into a sort of Nanotech soldier with

incredible fighting abilities and high-tech weaponry. The nanites had

totally restored Ranma but he is without his memories other than

his name. He has been wandering the cosmos for any clues to his

past and his search has now led him to Earth.

The computer is a sort of companion to Ranma in which he

depends heavily on for advice and information. It has taken on a

more humanistic personality, due to its close contact with Ranma.

It's implanted in his brain after all. The nanites are now fully bonded

to our nanotech warrior and give him tremendous power as well as

access to advanced technology.

Where can I go with this? Well, after he helps out the Amazons,

you can be sure that they'll be after him. His travels will also bring

him to Japan and all the craziness that occurs there. I can see a few

crossovers as well with Sailor Moon, Devil Hunter Yohko, Tenchi

Muyo and others. (I've even got an idea for a crossover with the

Slayers, as I couldn't resist a battle between sorcery and super-

science!) And you can bet that the beings that Ranma had

encountered in space will come looking for him, either as friend or

foe. Just watch the sparks fly!

I got the idea for the Annihilator after playing Marvel

Superheroes at the arcade. I just loved Iron Man's Proton Cannon!