Quantum Destinies
A Ranma Fanfic
By Steven Thesken (jurai-knight@home.com)

Editor (as of Chapter 10): D.B. Sommer (sommer@3rdm.net)

This idea occurred to me after I finished the science-fiction novel 
"Paths to Otherwhere" by James P. Hogan.  Ranma and all other 
associated characters are owned by Kitty and the ever-creative 
Rumiko Takahashi.  Any new characters are the property of the 
author.  This is purely a work of fanfiction done for fun, so please 
read and enjoy.

Notes: Thoughts will be bracketed by a * on each end.  Any 
speech other than Japanese will be bracketed by < and >.



Chapter 13 - Turning Points

    Ranma let his body recover for a few minutes.  His eyes 
wandered about the room, at last settling on Shampoo and the 
taller girl she was sparring with.  He took the opportunity to 
observe their fighting styles.  They seemed to be a fairly even 
match, both using kung fu styles.  Shampoo's Amazon style was 
easy to identify, but it had a few new movements added to it that 
she must have picked up during her time here.

    Her opponent was an interesting contrast, using a mishmash of 
the old Shaolin styles built around a core of Wing Chun style 
kung fu.  The taller girl was more of a linear fighter, and she 
made use of her slightly longer reach and greater size to good 
effect.  Judging by the sleek muscles in her bare arms and legs, a 
solid blow would hurt quite a lot.  By her appearance, Ranma was 
sure that she was from somewhere in the American Prefectures.  
She had probably been taught by one of the Buddhist missionaries.  
Whoever she was, she moved with grace and strength.

    Shampoo was countering the other girl with more circular 
movements, deflecting strikes around her body with skill.  She 
had a smile on her face, and she seemed to be enjoying the 
challenge.  The outfit that she wore left little to the imagination 
about her figure.  Ranma kept expecting the top to split at any 
moment, but the fabric was apparently stronger than it first 
appeared.  Shampoo wasn't as leanly muscular as the taller girl 
that she was sparring with, but the way that her body moved 
would only be possible if she had powerful muscles underneath 
her curvaceous form.  Despite her time in the Arena, she didn't 
look much different from the Shampoo of his memories of the 
other world.

    With mild difficulty, Ranma pulled his attention away from the 
sparring pair of girls to study some of the others in the room.  The 
top fighters seemed to stand out, and he devoted most of his 
attention to them.  One of them was Tarou.  Ranma studied him 
for a few moments as the Chinese boy worked out with weights on 
the far side of the room.  The expression on Tarou's face was one 
of total focus.  Nobody went near a weight machine while Tarou 
was on it.

    Ranma let his eyes roam around the room some more.  He 
noticed a strikingly beautiful girl practicing powerful-looking 
high kicks and roundhouse kicks a short distance away on the 
mat.  She was wearing a plain black T-shirt, a pair of beige gi 
pants, and a pair of black, fingerless gloves.  Ranma judged her 
style to be a combination of several Korean styles, mainly Tae 
Kwon Do and Hwarang Do.  She had an impressive figure to 
Ranma's eyes.

                    ******************************

    Mina noticed that Ranma was looking at her, and she smiled 
inwardly.  She had managed to catch his attention after all.  
*Hah!  Take that, you Amazon bitch!*  She pretended not to 
notice that he was watching her, but she put a little more bounce 
into her routine.  His eyes continued to watch her, and each 
moment of his attention fed the flames of her ego.

                    ******************************

    Ryuu Kumon eyed Ranma while waiting his turn at one of the 
punching bags.  Envy filled his heart.  Even though they were in 
similar positions here, what waited for them in the world outside 
the Arena was quite different.  *Ranma Saotome,* he thought 
slowly, as if savoring the mental feel of the name.  *Your father is 
a well-respected scholar.  Your family has money and a good 
position in society.  Your life should have been _mine_.*  Ryuu 
clenched a fist tightly.  The memory of his father's death filled 
him.

    *My father was a brilliant man, Ranma Saotome,* Ryuu 
thought with extreme bitterness.  *Your father is nothing more 
than a thief.  It was all _his_ fault that my father lost his position 
with the Ministry of Science.*  Ryuu recalled the many times on 
the road that his father had ranted about Genma Saotome.  His 
father had hated Genma with every fiber of his being.

    "Mark my words, boy," his father had told him after warming 
himself with some sake as they sat by the campfire.  "Genma 
Saotome is the cause for my fall from grace.  He was always 
jealous of my brilliance!  His work on quantum mechanics was 
_pirated_ from my own work!  He always denied it when I 
accused him, but it's still true!"  His father had paused to take 
another drink from the sake bottle and had stared into the 
campfire for a time.

    "The accident wasn't my fault," his father had said while 
staring into the fire.  "Genma was afraid that I would show him 
up, and he must have sabotaged my equipment.  That's the only 
reason why it could have failed.  He wasn't content with stealing 
my life's work.  He wanted to destroy my credibility, and it cost 
your mother her life."

    The accident had happened while Ryuu was a young child.  His 
father had been stripped of his credentials.  The money from 
savings ran out, and father and son were forced to take to the 
road.  The elder Kumon turned his back on academics, and he 
found new purpose in making his son into a warrior.  It became 
his only purpose in life, and he trained Ryuu mercilessly.  They 
had traveled around the Empire as his father taught him the 
family style of martial arts.  It was a hard life, but it had made 
Ryuu strong.

    Ryuu endured the training because it made his father happy 
every time he mastered a new technique.  Ryuu had a natural 
talent at fighting, and he absorbed all that his father could teach 
him.  They had many adventures on the road, some good and 
some not so good.  Sometimes they turned to thievery to survive.  
Sometimes they would challenge martial arts schools for a place 
to sleep and food for their bellies.  His father constantly sought out 
old books and scrolls of techniques.  He made Ryuu learn any 
technique that might prove useful.  Ryuu loved his father, so he 
studied them all.

 Less than a year ago, while they were in Korea, Ryuu had woken 
up one morning and his father had not.  Ryuu had buried his 
father on a beautiful, grassy hill that faced the sunrise.  He had 
meditated for several hours at the grave, and then shouldered his 
pack and turned his feet towards home, intending to seek out 
Genma and avenge the dishonor done to his father.  The road 
back to Japan seemed to take forever to travel.

    He had arrived in Tokyo several months ago.  A chance 
encounter with a street gang had netted him some money and a 
ticket to the Arena.  He used it as an opportunity to see what sort 
of competition he might face if he entered the Arena as a warrior. 
It was a great surprise when he was chosen to compete against 
Shampoo.  His code of honor would not allow him to back down 
from a challenge.

    The fight had been very close.  Shampoo was a supreme test of 
his abilities, but he had remained confident that he would defeat 
her.  Then he had felt some sort of sting on the back of his neck.  
His movements had begun to slow, and Shampoo had turned into 
a berserker before his eyes.  She savagely pummeled him into 
unconsciousness.  He had managed to avoid serious injury, save 
for a separated shoulder.

    The second fight was over quickly.  Shampoo had managed to 
knock him out with a lucky punch early on.  He took his loss with 
grace, and it had at least given him a place to sleep and food to 
eat.  The other young warriors had been amused to find a Citizen 
among themselves.  Several had ganged up on him two nights 
after his second fight with Shampoo.  Tarou had been the one who 
had administered most of his injuries from that night, and they 
had left him in a deserted corridor.

    He had spent a week recovering, and only because Tarou had 
been careful to avoid breaking any bones.  Ryuu had spent his 
time plotting his revenge on the Chinese boy.  The guards treated 
him like any other slave warrior and had not lifted a finger to help 
him.  Only the valued ones, like Shampoo, Tarou, and a few 
others, received special attention.  His fellow warriors enjoyed 
seeing him suffer.  He was on his own.

    Then fate had finally decided to throw him a scrap of good 
fortune.  The son of his father's enemy had been delivered into his 
grasp.  Ranma Saotome would pay the ultimate price for Genma's 
misdeeds, and his death would make Genma Saotome suffer as he 
so richly deserved.  Ryuu smiled slightly as he savored the thought 
of killing Ranma with his own hands.  Using the skills his father 
had taught him, Ranma Saotome would die.  It was all too perfect.

                    ******************************

    The Director was watching the monitor that he had focused on 
Ranma when his secretary buzzed him on the intercom.  He 
sighed and swiveled his chair around.  His finger stabbed the 
intercom button.  "Yes?" he asked in an irritated tone.

    "Sorry to bother you, sir," said the slightly nervous voice of his 
secretary.  "I thought you should know that _he_ is here."

    "He?" the Director asked in a puzzled tone.  "He who?"

    "J... Jun Fan Lee is here... sir," she said in a quiet but urgent 
tone.  "He has asked to see you.  What should I do?"

    Director Sasaki blinked.  He had heard stories of Jun Fan Lee, 
but he had not expected to ever actually meet the man.  Even after 
almost forty years away from it, Lee was still a legend when it 
came to the Arena.  The Director paused before speaking.  "Give 
me one minute and then send Mr. Lee in."

    Director Sasaki shut down the security monitors, and raised the 
room lights back up to normal levels.  His mind was whirring over 
the possibilities represented by Jun Fan Lee's totally unexpected 
appearance.  He had to be prepared to make use of this event as an 
opportunity.  He sat back in his chair and tried to remember what 
he knew of the man.

    Jun Fan Lee was born in China's Kowloon Prefecture almost 
sixty years ago, in the Year of the Dragon and the Hour of the 
Dragon.  He had been brought to fight in the Arena when he was 
fifteen.  For over four years, he had fought and bled in the Arena 
as hundreds of young warriors had before him.  The man who 
would become known around the world as Master Lee was 
different though, and he emerged at the end of his contract time as 
a legend.  His record for the fastest knockout still stood to this 
day.

    He had used his fame in the Arena as a stepping stone to a film 
career.  The early films had been cheaply made, but audiences 
around the Empire had thrilled to his screen exploits.  That had 
led to larger and larger productions over the years.  Today, Jun 
Fan Lee was an international superstar, and his films grossed truly 
amazing amounts of yen.  The previous Emperor had personally 
granted him the status of an Imperial Citizen, along with his wife 
and two daughters.  It was a stunning achievement for a man who 
had once been a slave.

    Now, this legendary man was about to enter his office.  Director 
Sasaki was determined to find a way to profit off of this event.  
Jun Fan Lee had not set foot on any Arena premises in decades.

    The doors opened, and in walked Jun Fan Lee.  He was dressed 
in the traditional garb of a kung fu fighter, all in black with gold 
embroidery, and made from the finest silks.  His hair was casual 
and had the wind-blown look that his female fans loved.  He was 
slender and not very tall, but he had an unquestionable amount of 
presence.  Director Sasaki stood up, and a smile was on his face.  
A childhood idol had come to see _him_.

    "Master Lee," he said as he bowed respectfully.  "This is a 
singular honor for me.  To what do I owe the pleasure of your 
visit?"

    Jun Fan Lee bowed slightly in return, as a superior would to a 
social inferior.  "I have come in regards to your new fighter," he 
stated simply.  "The one who lost to the Amazon fighter, Ranma 
Saotome."  He took a seat after the Director gave a mildly stunned 
nod in his direction.  Jun Fan Lee allowed himself a slight smile 
at the Arena Director's obvious discomfiture.

    "You are here to discuss Ranma Saotome?" asked Director 
Sasaki in a surprised tone.  *Does he suspect something about the 
fight?*

    "I watched his fight with Miss Xian Pu," said Jun Fan Lee as he 
brought his hands together at the fingers.  He tapped the fingers of 
each hand against their opposites as he studied the Director for 
any reactions.  The man was cold, but he was also somewhat of a 
coward.  Jun Fan Lee smiled inwardly as he noted the faint signs 
of tension in the Director.  They were subtle, but he could read 
them as easily as if the other man had shouted.

    "Quite an exciting fight, wasn't it?" asked the Director with a 
smile.  He leaned back in his chair.  *He knows something!* his 
mind yammered at him.  "Miss Shampoo is one of our finest 
warriors.  Young Mister Saotome put up a surprising fight, but he 
was simply no match for the girl."

    "He still has a rematch in two weeks," noted Jun Fan Lee 
casually.  He ignored the Director's mispronunciation of the 
Amazon's name.  "There is a strong possibility that he will win."

    "Perhaps," said the Director as he nodded agreeably.  "Many 
things are possible in an Arena match.  I understand that young 
Mr. Saotome has already begun training for his rematch."

    "Indeed?" asked Jun Fan Lee as he nodded absently.  "Perhaps I 
might be allowed the honor to oversee his training over the next 
two weeks?"

    The Director blinked in surprise.  "Oversee his training?"  His 
mouth had gone dry from surprise.

    "Yes," said Jun Fan Lee with a slight smile.  "I found his 
combat techniques to be somewhat rough, but there was a strong 
core of skill there that I would like to see if I might be able to 
polish somewhat before the rematch."  *It is also past time that I 
began seeking an heir for my skills.  Young Ranma may be just 
the student that I've been seeking.  He would also be a perfect 
match for my adopted daughter, Chun-Li.  It would secure her 
future as a Citizen of the Empire.*

                    ******************************

    Khu Lon managed to maintain her dignity as the truck bumped 
along the road, moving from pothole to pothole.  Her position only 
shifted slightly with each bounce.  The rains had been especially 
hard this year, and the road had suffered.  She made a mental note 
to speak with the local Daimyo about fixing the roads.  The local 
Prefectural Governor was a reasonable man, and Khu Lon was 
confident that he would see her point of view if he knew what was 
good for him.

    "<Matriarch?>" asked Per Fum politely.  "<How much longer 
must we endure this?  My backside can't take much more of this 
abuse.>"  Per Fum shifted her position again in an attempt to get 
comfortable.  The attempt, like the untold number of attempts 
before it, failed.

    "<A true Amazon can endure any discomfort when in pursuit of 
a goal,>" said Khu Lon loftily.  She smiled at the sour look that 
Per Fum made.  Due to her position, Khu Lon was riding up front 
with the driver.  Per Fum was in the back with Mu Tsu.  He had 
not said a word during the entire trip, and Khu Lon secretly 
applauded his stoicism.

    Per Fum did not share this opinion of the white-robed boy.  She 
had tried to engage him in friendly conversation to pass the time, 
but he seemed exclusively focused on finding Xian Pu.  It was 
enough to drive Per Fum to distraction.  She seriously considered 
beating him up as an alternative means of passing the time, but 
that would be difficult in the confined area of the back of the 
truck.  *How can I get him to notice me instead of Xian Pu?*

    Mu Tsu, ignorant of the thoughts of his traveling companions, 
contented himself with his fantasies about his beloved Xian Pu.  
The burden of his years on the road had been made light by 
thoughts of her.  Now, she was finally near his grasp.  He had 
decided long ago that if he must hurt her to win her, then that is 
what he would do.  His beloved would expect nothing less in a 
husband, so he must force himself to look at her as simply another 
opponent.  *Oh, Xian Pu, soon you will be all mine.*

    Per Fum knocked him unconscious when he started to laugh out 
loud at his thoughts.  It made her feel a little better.

                    ******************************

    Ranma felt exhausted.  He had worked his body for only an 
hour, but it felt like he had done six.  He staggered back to the 
dormitory room, and collapsed on his sleeping cot.  He was asleep 
in moments.

                    ******************************

    Ranma found himself in the Tendo Dojo.  Beyond the doors 
and windows was a white fog.  The other Ranma was seated cross-
legged on one side of the room and was in female form again.  
They were both wearing Chinese-style outfits.  He found himself 
wearing a blue shirt, and the female Ranma was in a red shirt.  
The other Ranma's eyes were closed.

    "Welcome, Ranma," said the redheaded girl while she kept her 
eyes closed.

    "Hello," he replied.  "So what are we going to do this session?  
More sparring?"

    "No," said the other Ranma after a moment.  She opened her 
eyes.  "I thought we'd just talk.  I think I'm the only one that you 
_can_ really talk to about things.  So... has life gotten exciting 
enough for you yet?"  She smiled.

    "Huh?" replied Ranma with some surprise.  "What are you 
talking about?"

    "Well, I don't really have much to do when you're awake," 
answered the other Ranma.  "I just sort of fade back into your 
subconscious, since I'm really just part of you now.  Imagine my 
surprise when I found out the _real_ reason why you built that 
Resonator gizmo."  She smiled at him.

    "I wanted to prove my father's theory about parallel worlds," 
said Ranma firmly.  "That's all."

    "BZZT!" buzzed the other Ranma with a grin.  "Wrong answer, 
Ranma.  Care to try for double Jeopardy, where the scores can 
really add up?"

    Ranma looked blank.

    The female Ranma gave out an exaggerated sigh.  "I know the 
real reason why you did it, and it wasn't for your father."

    Ranma cocked his head slightly to the right and continued to 
look puzzled.

    The other Ranma darted over and bopped her fist against his 
forehead.  "Idiot!" she cried out.  "Are you being dense on purpose 
again?  You did it for yourself."

    "What _are_ you talking about?" asked Ranma.  The other 
Ranma stamped her foot and looked at him as if he was some sort 
of mental defective.

    "Face it, Ranma," said female Ranma as she shook her head.  
"Your life wasn't nearly as exciting as some of the other Ranma's 
lives that you've seen.  You did it for the _adventure_."  She held 
up her hand when he started to protest.  "Think about it.  Your 
device lets you live out any of the possibilities that your life could 
have been.  You were _bored_ being a scientist.  Now, you've seen 
how your life could have been as a martial artist, and... you... 
like... it."  She punctuated her statement by poking him in the 
chest with her forefinger after each word.

    "That's... ridiculous," said Ranma slowly.  "Your life is _hell_!  
You turn into a girl when splashed with cold water.  You have 
multiple fiancees fighting over you.  Enemies come out of the 
woodwork wanting to grind you into the dirt.  What makes you 
think that I want to live a life like that?"

    "What made you go back to that life again if it was so bad?" 
asked the female Ranma as she rested her hands on her hips.  
"You could have gone back to one of the other stored coordinates.   
You could have taken another spin on the wheel of chance.  You 
didn't.  Instead, you walked in my shoes for another seven hours."

    "That was Akane's fault!" shouted Ranma.  "She discharged the 
emergency capacitor!  I had no way of knowing that a power 
failure was going to happen!  It's _not_ my fault!"

    The other Ranma raised one eyebrow and gave him a look of 
supreme disbelief for a moment.  "Oh?  You sound just like me 
now."  She smiled.  "Your father always double-checked his 
equipment before every experiment, and so did you.  Deep down, 
you hoped for something like the accident to happen.  It gave you 
an excuse to stay in my more exciting life.  Am I right?"

    Ranma slowly shook his head from side to side as a stunned 
look came over his features.

    "What about Shampoo?  You could have just walked away from 
that.  Isn't she just another slave girl in your world?  You owed 
her nothing."  The other Ranma slowly walked around him as she 
spoke.

    "It wasn't... right," muttered Ranma.  "I had to try.  It's a 
martial artist's duty to... help...."  Ranma looked stunned as he 
thought about what he had just said.  The other Ranma nodded.

    "Now you understand," said the female Ranma.  "Your life is 
never going to be the same again, and you're secretly glad."

                    ******************************

    Akane was peacefully enjoying her lunch when Nabiki came 
over to where she was sitting.  Nabiki was frowning.  "When were 
you planning on telling me about Ranma?" asked Nabiki.

    "Tell you what, Sister?" replied Akane innocently.  Nabiki 
looked at Akane with one raised eyebrow.

    *Akane is not normally this subtle,* Nabiki thought wryly.  *I 
may have to keep a closer eye on my little sister in the future.  She 
could be a threat to my plans.*  Akane went back to eating her 
lunch while Nabiki debated how to approach the subject of 
Ranma.

    "I spoke to Father this morning," said Nabiki as she slid into a 
seat next to Akane.  "He told me that you called him about 
Ranma.  Why didn't you tell me that he challenged some Arena 
bimbo and lost?"

    "Why did Father arrange a marriage meeting between you and 
Ranma without even asking me if I had an interest in him?" softly 
answered Akane as she set her chopsticks down.  Nabiki blinked 
in surprise.

    "What?" asked Nabiki, no longer bothering to hide her surprise.  
"You've always hated Ranma.  You thought he was a weakling, 
and you've said so at dinner many times.  You always seemed to 
enjoy picking on him, and beating him up whenever it suited your 
fancy.  Why the sudden about face?"

    "That was before I saw him fight," said Akane in a slightly 
breathless tone.  "Oh, Nabiki, you can't know what it's like for me!  
None of the boys can beat me in a fight anymore.  I'm faster and 
more skilled than any of them.  How could I ever be interested in 
a guy who can't stand up to me?"

    "Didn't you beat him unconscious just a few days ago?" asked 
Nabiki.  "How could you still think he was anything special after 
that?"

    "He wasn't trying," replied Akane with a wistful smile.  "After 
seeing him fight on television, it was as if I saw him for the first 
time.  He was magnificent."  Akane had developed a slight blush 
on her cheeks.  Nabiki looked at Akane and wasn't quite sure what 
to make of her now.  Her plans for an easy courtship for Ranma 
had just been thrown for a loop.  Akane could be incredibly 
stubborn when she wanted to be.  Still, something could possibly 
be salvaged from this situation.

    "Well, I have first pick in these situations since I'm older than 
you," said Nabiki in a reasonable tone of voice.  "I'm sure that I 
can help Father find you someone.  My interests in Ranma go far 
beyond simply how good he is with his fists.  If a fighter is what 
you want, then I'm sure that something can be arranged."

    Akane slammed her fist on the table, causing her bowl to jump.  
She glared at Nabiki.  "I have a fight scheduled with _Ranma_ in 
less than three weeks!  If _he_ beats me, then he's going to marry 
_me_!"  A few of their classmates looked in curiosity in their 
direction.

                    ******************************

    Kodachi had just walked into the cafeteria when Akane made 
her announcement.  An expression of surprise appeared on her 
face.  *Who does Akane Tendo think she is, some sort of Chinese 
Amazon?  She's not worthy of a man like Ranma Saotome, so it 
looks like it's up to me to see that she doesn't get him.*  She sent a 
brief glare at Akane's back before sitting down to eat.  A smile 
was on her face as a brief fantasy about Ranma floated across her 
mind a moment later.

                    ******************************

    Nabiki kept her facial expression neutral.  A good Security 
officer was required to keep control of her emotions.  Nabiki was a 
master at that skill.  She kept all traces of irritation out of her 
voice as she replied to her sister.  "Akane... Ranma has to get 
himself out of the Arena before he can keep his fight appointment 
with you.  When he does that, I fully intend to be waiting with 
Father to greet him.  Ranma has qualities that will be excellent for 
furthering my career."

    Akane grabbed Nabiki by the front of her uniform with her left 
hand while cocking back a fist with her right.  "Ranma is going to 
show me how much of a man he is when I fight him," said Akane 
softly.  "If he manages to defeat me in a fight, then _I_ intend to 
be the woman that he marries.  Don't get in my way, Nabiki.  If it 
comes to a fight between us, then you're going to lose.  You 
should know that you're no match for me."

    Akane let go of Nabiki's uniform and stepped back, then turned 
and walked away.  Nabiki straightened her uniform and let a 
slight smile cross her lips as she watched Akane walk away.

    "We'll see who isn't a match for who when this is all over, 
Akane," whispered Nabiki.  "I fully intend to be the one to win."

                    ******************************

    Herb trudged along, followed by her two loyal henchman.  
Lime carried the heavy glass cask that they had liberated from the 
research facility, the water sloshing inside as he switched it to his 
other arm.  Mint followed along behind him.  They had managed 
to avoid the few patrols along their path.

    They stood now at the base of Mount Phoenix.  Herb took a 
deep breath.  *The first stage of my revenge is within my grasp,* 
she thought with a smile as she gazed upwards at the mountain.  
Lime and Mint tried not to stare at her chest but failed.  Herb 
chose to ignore her companions' idiocy this one time.  Besides, 
she was getting tired of beating them up.

    "Now we have to find the entrance," she said as she turned her 
attention to Lime and Mint.  They both looked at her without 
moving.  A wind blew by all three of them, carrying a few leaves.

    "Uhm," muttered Mint as he looked around.  "How do we do 
that?"

    Herb looked at the sky as if seeking strength from the gods.  
Her lips moved as if she was muttering obscenities of some sort.  
*Why am I cursed to have only idiots for followers?* she thought 
angrily.

    "My father once told me that the entrance was hidden behind a 
large boulder that lay between two trees that grew next to the base 
of the mountain," said Herb slowly.  "Spread out and find it," she 
commanded.  "I will wait here with our prize."

    Lime and Mint went off in opposite directions.  Herb relaxed 
and fantasized about the upcoming devastation that she intended 
to unleash.  *Life is good sometimes.*

                    ******************************

    After Jun Fan Lee had left, Director Sasaki contemplated his 
options.  *The Master will need to be informed of this particular 
development,* he thought with a frown.  He pressed a button on 
his console and a panel opened up on his desk, exposing a hidden 
telephone.  He punched in his security code, and several electronic 
beeps followed a short burst of static.

    "What do you have to report?" asked a mild voice on the other 
end.  It was always the same female voice on the other end.  He 
had never spoken to the Master directly.

    "Jun Fan Lee has just left," stated the Director.  "He expressed 
interest in training one of my fighters.  Should I allow this?"

    "Hold, please," requested the female voice.  "I will pass this 
message on to the Master."  Several long moments of classical 
German music began.  Director Sasaki drummed his fingers on 
the desk as he waited.  He almost jumped out of his seat when a 
strange voice came on the line.

    "This is the Master, my minion," said a deep, male voice in 
heavily-accented Japanese.  "Which fighter has he shown interest 
in?  Was it one of those that we already control?"

    "No, Master," he responded.  "He wishes to train Ranma 
Saotome, my newest fighter."  There was a long pause on the 
other end.

    "Allow it," suddenly commanded the Master.  A rumbling 
laugh was heard over the line.  "This interests me greatly.  
Prepare for my arrival in ten days time.  I have been curious about 
this Ranma Saotome since the telecast of his fight.  He claims to 
be a practitioner of a dead school of martial arts.  I find this to 
be... deliciously intriguing.  If he is indeed a practitioner of the 
Anything-Goes School, then nothing would please me more than 
to turn him to my cause.  Shadowlaw can always use another 
capable warrior."

    "Yes, Master," said Director Sasaki obsequiously.  "I will make 
all the necessary arrangements."  The line went dead a moment 
later.  He replaced the phone back in his desk and closed the 
panel, then leaned back in his chair and rested his elbows on the 
armrests of his chair as he laced his fingers in front of his chin.  
His thoughts were troubled.

                    ******************************

    Genma contemplated the device on the small table in his 
workroom.  He had managed to reassemble the Resonator except 
for the missing quantum flux coil.  Fortunately, Ranma had been 
very detailed in his description of the fabrication process, so 
following it would not be difficult.  Genma was more of a 
theoretician than an electrical engineer.  If he could manage to get 
the necessary materials, then he would be able to get it up and 
running in three days.

    Genma turned his attention to Ranma's notebook.  The boy had 
taken Genma's own theories and derived some rather startling 
applications from them, as demonstrated by the Resonator.  One 
of Ranma's basic assumptions for the device was that neither 
matter nor energy could enter or leave any closed quantum 
structure, otherwise known as a timeline.  That timeline became a 
sealed system once divergence had occurred.  However, Ranma 
had noted that scientists in the Ministry had recently been probing 
subnuclear materials.  They had discovered an unexplainable 
"sympathy effect" that occurred between subatomic particles split 
off from a single atom.  What happened to one would be reflected 
in the opposing sibling particle.  Ranma had taken that notion and 
combined it with knowledge gained from other fields, particularly 
medicine and parapsychology.

    The mind is made up of a field of low-level energy at its own 
distinctive frequency, so Ranma assumed that it was possible that 
this "sympathetic resonance" effect also existed between a person 
and his quantum duplicates.  Each timeline was linked to the 
others in a coiled continuum of n-dimensions in a sort of 
superstructure of space-time.  Using the "resonance effect" it could 
be possible to establish a link from one timeline to another that 
touched it in that coil structure, and some would be more easily 
reached than others.  Ranma had done just that, but his son had 
obviously not expected that an actual energy transfer would take 
place, as shown by the memory transferal effect.  That the device 
worked was simply unquestioned, but Ranma may have only been 
lucky since he had been operating under a false assumption.

    Genma paused and looked over some of the equations.  If he 
was right, and Ranma had proceeded from a false assumption, 
then it might be possible to create a method of _physical_ travel 
between timelines that were touching each other along this n-
dimensional coil.  That possibility frightened Genma somewhat, 
but his scientific curiosity was intrigued.  With such a technology 
at its disposal, then the potential for learning and advancement 
from the sharing of ideas between timelines was immeasurable.  
Ranma's Quantum Resonator technology may have been only the 
most basic application of Genma's own theories.  Once a timeline 
developed it, then it was conceivable that a method of physical 
travel could also be developed.

    *Indeed,* thought Genma with wonder, *there might be 
timelines that have _already_ developed it.*

                    ******************************

    Ranma peeked into the kitchen and then grinned.  Shampoo 
was cooking something on the stove, and it smelled really good.  
He still couldn't believe how lucky he was to own a beauty like 
her.  He took a long moment to admire her figure from the rear.  
Shampoo was wearing a silk peasant outfit in purple composed of 
snug pants and long-sleeved blouse.  *It's hard to believe that it's 
already been a couple of days since I first saw her in the slave 
marketplace,* he thought with a smile.

    His brief blackout before the slave auction must have been due 
to his excitement.  His father had not noticed anything wrong, and 
Ranma had apparently responded to him normally.  They had 
gone to the pre-auction inspection, and that was when he had seen 
_her_.  Even with her hands manacled together, she had looked 
like a princess.  He knew that he had to have her.  His father had 
tried to interest him in some less-expensive girls, and one Korean 
girl had rivaled Shampoo in beauty.  However, his mind was made 
up.

    The fact that Shampoo was an Amazon somehow made her 
even more desirable to him in some exotic way.  He had heard the 
stories that the Chinese Amazons were trained in kung fu.  Ranma 
hoped that she was pretty good.  *It might be nice to have a live-
in sparring partner to practice with.  I'll have to go easy on her 
though, since she's just a girl.*

    He was the first of his friends to own a female slave, and he 
was the envy of his fellow male Academy cadets.  His friend Ryuu 
was already making plans to purchase one.  He had shown Ranma 
some photos of the types of girls available from the American 
Prefectures.  Ryuu had long been fascinated by them.  The girls in 
fringed buckskin were sort of interesting, but Ranma was sure that 
a girl like Shampoo would be able to satisfy him for a long time.

    There had been an unexpected problem with Akane Tendo.  As 
captain of the Male Martial Arts Club at the Academy, he had 
developed a semi-friendly rivalry situation with Akane.  She was, 
after all, the captain of the Female Martial Arts Club.  He had 
never thought of her in a romantic way, but she had apparently 
seen things differently.  When he had been showing pictures of 
Shampoo around, she had gotten angry at him, hit him, and 
stormed off.

    *Forget about Akane Tendo,* he thought with a grin.  *Just 
_look_ at the body that Shampoo has.*  He went back to ogling 
her form from his position in the doorway.

    He had decided to let Shampoo adjust to the house for a day or 
so before he made his move.  After all, she was his slave now, and 
he was allowed to use her in any way that he saw fit.  She had a 
lithely muscular build like a dancer, and her pidgin way of 
speaking Japanese was incredibly sexy.  He was looking forward 
to the next hour.  He hadn't been able to concentrate on his 
morning classes because today was going to be the day that he 
became a man.

    When he had first brought Shampoo home, his mother had 
assumed that the Amazon had no practical skills and had only 
been bought for her looks.  Shampoo had quickly proven her 
wrong by fixing an incredibly tasty dinner that night.  His mother 
had warmed to the girl at that point.  She had been pleased to 
have a girl to help around the house with the chores.  Shampoo 
did any chore that she was asked to do, and she seemed to like 
Ranma's mother.  Nodoka had even taken her shopping for some 
second-hand clothes that would be appropriate for the new 
addition to the Saotome household.

    They had given Shampoo her own small bedroom, and she had 
smiled.  Seeing that smile was like watching the sun coming up 
for Ranma.  He had shown her around the house, and Shampoo 
had seemed fascinated by the family dojo out back.  Ranma had 
shown off some of his moves, and noticed she had watched him 
with an interested expression.  He felt that things were 
progressing nicely.

    His parents were out of the house today, and he had an hour to 
kill before he had to be back for afternoon classes.  Shampoo was 
humming a tune that he didn't recognize as she cooked.  While he 
could have continued to watch her for a while yet, his desires for 
her were becoming difficult to ignore.

    He cleared his throat.

    Shampoo turned around with a smile.  "Ranma hungry?" she 
asked.  "Shampoo make delicious chicken and noodles for 
Ranma's lunch."  She turned back to her work and began putting 
noodles and chicken slices in a large bowl.  Ranma sighed with 
happiness as he watched her.  His stomach growled with hunger.

                    ******************************

    The truck pulled up to the small airport.  Per Fum whispered a 
prayer of thanks to the heavens that her backside would no longer 
be tormented.  Mu Tsu was just in the process of waking up from 
his induced nap when the truck stopped at the gate.  A soldier, 
Khu Lon noticed that he was a lieutenant, walked up to the side of 
the vehicle.  Several other guards eyed the truck with boredom, 
but kept their rifles in their hands.

    "<Your travel papers, please,>" said the soldier in a bored tone.  
Khu Lon watched the soldier as the driver handed the small 
packet of documents over.  The soldier looked them over.  "<Stop 
the engine while we examine the truck for contraband,>" he said 
as he continued to flip through the documents.

    "<Of course,>" said the driver.  She turned the key off and the 
engine died with a rattling cough.

    The tarp covering the rear of the truck was flipped back, and 
Per Fum found herself eyeing several young men armed with 
rifles.  All of them were Japanese, and they looked pleased to see 
her.  Per Fum got a strange sense of worry at the way that some of 
the men were looking at her.  No man in the village would have 
_dared_ to look at a warrior of her caliber with such expressions.  
To see it on outsiders was rather disconcerting.

    "<Your travel papers, please,>" said the soldier as he openly 
stared at her chest.  Per Fum felt her face redden.  She handed 
them over wordlessly and so did Mu Tsu.  The soldier handed Mu 
Tsu's papers back after only a cursory glance.  He spent a longer 
time examining Per Fum's papers.

    "<Your papers are not in order,>" said the soldier to Per Fum.  
A few of the guards raised their rifles into a ready position.  "<If 
you would please step out of the truck for a few minutes, then I'm 
sure that we can clear this up.>"  He gestured for Per Fum to get 
out of the truck.  She looked at Khu Lon for guidance.  Khu Lon 
simply stared back without moving.  The Matriarch's eyes were 
glinting slightly.

    "<This won't take long?>" asked Per Fum.  She climbed out of 
the truck.  She left her weapons in the back of the truck with Mu 
Tsu.  It seemed to relax the guards quite a bit that she chose to go 
unarmed.  Perhaps they had heard stories of the fierceness of an 
Amazon warrior.  Mu Tsu had made no motions, but she could 
tell that he was sizing up the situation for possible dangers.

    "<It will take as long as it takes, Miss,>" said the soldier 
gruffly.  Per Fum could not recognize the rank insignia on his 
collar, but she assumed from the respectful way that the other 
guards were treating this one that he must be some sort of officer.

    The guard commander led her over to the small building near 
the gate.  She walked in feeling mildly apprehensive, and it 
angered her that a mere _male_ could make her feel that way.  It 
was some sort of small barracks building and about a dozen futon 
mats were rolled up against the walls.  The guard commander sat 
down at the desk near the front.  He pulled out a package of 
cigarettes and offered her one.

    Per Fum waved her hand in polite refusal, and he shrugged.  He 
stuck a cigarette between his lips and lit it up with a gold lighter 
that he took from his shirt pocket.  He studied her from head to 
foot with a slow appraising look.  Per Fum felt angry and rather 
embarrassed about the way that this outsider male was looking her 
over like some sort of purchase that he was about to buy.

    "<Strip, girl,>" he said suddenly.  Per Fum blinked.  He pulled 
out a pistol and set it down on the desk within easy reach.  He 
smiled broadly, confident in his power over her.

    "<What does _that_ have to do with my travel papers?>" asked 
Per Fum, sounding a little flustered.

    "<I have to make sure that you're not smuggling drugs or other 
contraband items,>" said the man smoothly.  He left one hand 
resting on the pistol while he took puffs from his cigarette with 
the other one.  "<I have also been curious to see what an Amazon 
looked like unclothed.  Strip!  Now!>"

    Per Fum was in a quandary.  Despite the man's gun, she was 
confident that she could kill him before he could pull the trigger.  
The remaining guards would all have to be killed as well then, 
and Matriarch Khu Lon would doubtless be upset at that.  *What 
do I do now?*

                    ******************************

    Khu Lon was concerned.  The guard commander's body 
language as he walked with Per Fum was quite obvious about his 
intentions.  Khu Lon hoped that the girl retained her cool.  It 
would be unfortunate to be forced to kill a dozen armed men in 
cold blood over one man's libido.  *Walk carefully, child,* 
thought Khu Lon as she waited for Per Fum to resolve the 
dilemma.

                    ******************************

    Mu Tsu eyed the men surrounding the truck.  It would be no 
great difficulty to kill five or six of them before they could open 
fire.  The remaining six would be a little more challenging, but it 
was still quite doable.  He mentally tallied the bladed weapons 
concealed on his person.  If they did end up having to kill the 
guards, then it must be made to look as much like random bandits 
as possible.  Once he had decided on his strategies, he diverted 
some of his attention back to fantasizing about his beloved Xian 
Pu.

                    ******************************

    Per Fum made her decision.  *If the outsider male wants to see 
an Amazon warrior in all her glory, then _that_ is what he shall 
get.*  She started to remove her blouse.  The guard commander 
leaned forward in his chair, lust beginning to burn more brightly 
behind his eyes.  Per Fum took her time with removing her 
garment, and she found a certain sense of power in how his eyes 
never left her body.  It was a strange feeling, not quite unlike the 
feeling of defeating an opponent in combat.

    "<You are so beautiful, girl,>" said the guard commander as he 
licked his lips.  He removed his hand from the butt of the pistol, 
and Per Fum made her move.

    Before the man could move or shout, Per Fum hit a nerve 
cluster in his neck with her right hand and swept the gun off the 
table with a quick kick.  He tried to scream for help, but his vocal 
cords didn't seem to work anymore.  Per Fum leaped at him and 
slammed a kick across his face.  He was knocked clear of the chair 
and fell on the wooden floor with a grunt.

    Per Fum let the man regain his feet.  She made a come-hither 
gesture with one hand while she smiled coyly at him.  He made 
some inarticulate sounds and set himself into a martial arts stance.  
*Even better,* thought Per Fum with a broader smile.  *I could 
use some exercise after riding in that truck.*

    He attacked with a straightforward punch, and Per Fum 
grabbed the outstretched arm and swept his legs out from under 
him.  The guard commander crashed to the ground again.  She 
yawned and looked bored while the man looked at her in shock.  
The expression on his face turned angry.  He sprang back to his 
feet from flat on his back with a skilled move.  Per Fum smiled 
some more.

    She let him make the first moves.  She ducked his clumsy 
punches and blocked his kicks.  He wasn't so lucky in return.  Per 
Fum punched him hard across the face with her right fist, and she 
was a little shocked at how easily she had slipped past his guard.  
*These outsider men are so weak,* she thought with derision.  
*Even the weakest of our adult men is tougher than this one.*

    A lucky punch tagged Per Fum in the cheek.  It rocked her head 
to the side and distracted her for a moment.  He followed up with 
a hard punch into her belly.  That made her angry.  She caught his 
right arm when he overextended for another punch and stepped 
inside his guard.  Her knee rammed upwards as hard as she could 
manage between his legs.  It lifted him off the ground a couple of 
feet, and he collapsed to the floor clutching himself in agony.

    She let him suffer for a minute or so.  *How pathetic,* Per Fum 
thought with a sneer.  *This male dared to take liberties with an 
Amazon warrior.  I should leave him to suffer, but his death is 
necessary now.*  Per Fum grabbed hold of the guard commander's 
head and twisted savagely.  There was a sickening, wet snap and 
the body fell twitching to the floor.

    Per Fum watched the last moments of the man's life as the 
twitches faded into silence.  Her expression was unreadable.  Even 
before the motions had stopped, she removed the man's knife from 
his belt and picked up the pistol from the floor.  She clumsily 
removed the magazine to see how many rounds were in it before 
she rammed it back home.  She pulled the slider back until it 
clicked to cock the gun, and thanked her mother for teaching her 
how to work these outsider weapons.

                    ******************************

    Khu Lon had heard the sounds of a struggle in the building 
where Per Fum and the guard commander had gone.  They had 
only lasted a minute or two, and a few of the guards had started to 
look a little nervous.  The driver, Pei Mei, looked a little nervous 
as well.  Khu Lon knew her to be a fairly weak fighter, but she 
came from a good family and it would not do to see her die 
needlessly.

    "<Throw yourself to the floor when I give the word, Pei Mei,>" 
said Khu Lon softly.  "<I fear that Mu Tsu and I may be forced to 
kill these stupid outsider men in a few moments.>"

    "<I will be ready when you give the word, Matriarch,>" said 
Pei Mei with only a slight tremor in her voice.

    "<I am ready as well, Matriarch,>" said a soft voice from the 
back.  "<Just give the word.>"

    Khu Lon saw the door open and Per Fum step out of the 
building.  She raised one hand slightly and made a waving 
gesture.  Khu Lon stiffened slightly as she read the Amazon 
Battlesign message that Per Fum was giving.  Khu Lon touched 
Pei Mei on the knee and nodded once.

    "<Mu Tsu, now!>" said Khu Lon softly as she sprang out the 
open window.

    Per Fum whipped the knife that she had stuck into the rear 
waistband of her pants into her hand and buried it into the throat 
of a nearby soldier with an underhand throw.  He died before he 
could even touch the trigger of his rifle.  Mu Tsu began a barrage 
of thrown blades that took out five guards in the head or heart 
before they could even realize that they were dead men.  The 
remaining guards scattered in panic.

    "<Don't let any escape!>" shouted Khu Lon.  She blurred over 
to tap one soldier with her staff on his collarbone.  The soldier 
stiffened in the act of raising his rifle to defend himself and 
collapsed to the ground.  Blood quickly pooled on the ground in a 
widening circle beneath him.  Khu Lon was already gone after 
another target.

    Per Fum pulled the gun out from her pants and thumbed the 
safety off.  She took a bead on one soldier and squeezed off a 
couple of rounds.  The unexpectedly strong recoil made her hand 
jump a little.  The soldier that she was aiming at was hit in the 
side as he was turning around.  Her second shot almost hit Khu 
Lon in the head.

    Khu Lon cursed in High Mandarin as a bullet whined by her 
head by less than six inches.  She turned to see a sheepish-looking 
Per Fum.  *That child is going to be the death of me on this trip,* 
thought Khu Lon with irritation.  *If she's going to use these 
outsider weapons, then she needs to learn to aim better.*

    Per Fum heard a bullet ricochet off a rock nearby and she 
jumped a bit.  She dove for cover and a flurry of gunfire filled the 
space that she had just occupied.  She snapped off a couple of 
rounds while she was still in midair and was rewarded to see a 
soldier drop and look stupidly at the red blotch in the middle of 
his chest.  He fell to the ground and sent a cloud of dust rising 
into the air.

    The remaining soldiers were dealt with quickly by Khu Lon 
and Mu Tsu.  Khu Lon's face was grim as she approached Per 
Fum.  Per Fum tossed the pistol aside after she thumbed the safety 
back on.  She looked very contrite.

    "<What happened, Per Fum?>" asked Khu Lon.

    "<That _male_ told me to remove my clothes!>" shouted Per 
Fum angrily.  She glared for a moment at Mu Tsu as if blaming 
him for the actions of another of his gender.  The white-robed boy 
did not appear to notice.

    "<I see,>" said Khu Lon softly.  She suspected what the guard 
commander would have asked for next.  "<Now we have to deal 
with over a dozen bodies of Imperial soldiers.  I trust that we can 
avoid any further trouble after this?  I dislike the thought of what 
the Imperial Army will do at finding dead bodies trailing along 
behind us on our way to the capital.>"

    "<I will drag the bodies into the barracks, Matriarch,>" said 
Mu Tsu.  "<We could burn the bodies along with the building.  
Should I strip them and make it look like some sort of bandit 
ambush?>"

    Khu Lon blinked.  She wondered for a moment just what Mu 
Tsu had been doing for the past six years.  *He does not appear to 
be the slightest bit troubled at the carnage that had just taken 
place.  This is slightly odd in one so young.  Still, his suggestion 
has merit.*  She nodded after a moment of thought.  "<Do so, Mu 
Tsu.>"

    An hour later, the area was clear of bodies.  The weapons and 
valuables were thrown into a ravine nearby where they would be 
washed away by the river below.  Mu Tsu set a small fire in one 
corner of the barracks.  It would take a little while to spread to the 
whole building.  They should be long gone by that time.

                    ******************************

    After finishing his lunch, Ranma watched Shampoo pick up his 
bowl and take it over to the sink.  He watched her with a slight 
smile on his face.  She noticed him watching her and gave a slight 
smile in return.  She turned her attention back to the dishes in the 
sink, and Ranma got up from the table and approached her from 
behind.

    He put his arms around her and Shampoo's posture suddenly 
stiffened.  "What Ranma doing?" she asked in a serious voice.

    "Shh," he whispered into her ear from behind.  "I just want to 
show you how attracted I am to you."  He moved his mouth down 
to kiss her on the neck when he felt her posture suddenly shift.  
He felt her elbow slam back into his solar plexus with surprising 
force.  His breath whooshed out of his lungs, and his body forgot 
how to breathe for a time.

    Shampoo pivoted around gracefully, and her fist drove across 
his face.  Ranma fell to the floor of the kitchen, stunned for a 
moment.  He had never expected her to attack him.  He looked up 
in shock as Shampoo looked down at him angrily.  *She decked 
me!* he thought, with surprise evident on his face.

    "Read contract!" Shampoo commanded him while he was 
laying on the ground.  "Shampoo not allow kiss unless Ranma 
defeat Shampoo in single combat!  Shampoo Amazon warrior!  
Ranma read contract!"

    She stomped off, muttering something in Mandarin, as Ranma 
picked himself up off the floor.  *Shampoo hit me!  I can't believe 
that she actually hit me!*  He watched her as she went out to the 
dojo.  She began performing katas, an angry look on her face.

    *What did she mean by reading her contract?* he wondered 
with a frown.  *Isn't it a standard slave ownership contract?*

                    ******************************

    Khu Lon and Per Fum emerged from the truck as a military 
transport plane came over the mountains to the East.  It circled 
over the airfield once before making its approach run.  The two 
Amazons watched as the plane coasted to a stop.  Behind them, 
Mu Tsu struggled to unload the truck by himself.  A lone pilot 
emerged from the plane.  He waved at the two Amazons and 
climbed down.  He carried a large mail bag with him.

    "<Hello, ladies,>" said the young pilot with a smile.  "<Is there 
anything that I might do for you?>"  Per Fum felt his eyes linger 
on her longer than she felt was necessary, but she did nothing.

    "<We require passage to Japan,>" replied Khu Lon.  "<How far 
East would you be able to take us?>"

    The pilot pulled his grimy cap off and scratched the back of his 
head.  "<I can take you as far as Shanghai, I suppose,>" he said as 
he smiled at Per Fum.  "<You should be able to find a transport to 
Japan from there.  Being that you're Chinese though, I don't know 
if the commercial airlines would take you.>"

    "<What would you suggest?>" asked Khu Lon.  "<It is very 
important that we reach Japan quickly.>"

    "<Well, there are a lot of pilots that hang out in Shanghai,>" 
replied the young pilot as he put the cap back on his head.  
"<Most of the best ones in the region can be found there.  You 
should be able to find an independent charter that could take you 
to Tokyo, or wherever it is that you have to go.>"

    "<Excellent,>" said Khu Lon with a smile.  "<How long until 
you are able to leave?>"

    "<Well, I have to drop this mail off at the postal drop for the 
local carrier to pick up,>" said the pilot.  "<It was a light run this 
time, so I don't have any cargo to unload, just the mail.  I assume 
that the local garrison commander has already checked your 
paperwork?>"

    "<It has been taken care of,>" said Khu Lon evenly.

    "<I'll just need to check it myself before I can let you board,>" 
said the pilot with a smile.  "<Regulations, you understand.>"

    Khu Lon tapped a point on the man's neck with the end of her 
staff.  His eyes immediately glazed over.  The mailbag that he was 
carrying fell to the ground with a solid thump.  Khu Lon made a 
gesture, and the man's eyes focused on her.

    "<You don't need to see our paperwork,>" said Khu Lon in a 
soothing tone of voice.

    "<I... don't need to see your paperwork,>" said the man with a 
slightly confused voice.

    "<You don't have to check in with the garrison commander,>" 
said Khu Lon in that same calm tone.

    "<I don't have to check in with the garrison commander,>" said 
the pilot with less confusion.

    "<As soon as you drop off the mail, you'll be right back and we 
can depart,>" said Khu Lon.

    "<As soon as I drop off the mail, I'll be right back and we can 
depart,>" answered the pilot.  His eyes suddenly cleared.  Khu 
Lon smiled at him.  "<So, if you ladies will get your luggage on 
board, we can leave as soon as I get back.>"

    "<That will be fine, young man,>" said Khu Lon.

    The pilot picked up his mailbag from where it sat.  Khu Lon 
watched as he walked over to the small shack with the word 'Post' 
marked on a small sign.  She waited until he was out of hearing 
range before turning to face Per Fum.

    "<How did you do that, Matriarch?>" asked Per Fum.  Wonder 
was on her face.  She had never seen anything like that before.

    "<The Suggestion Point,>" answered Khu Lon with a smile.  
"<It has a strong influence on the weak-minded, like that one.  A 
stronger will would be unaffected and aware of it being used.  I 
would not be able to use it on any reasonably competent martial 
artist, for example.  It's a parlor trick that is occasionally useful, 
no more.>"

    "<I see, Matriarch,>" said Per Fum.

    "<Come,>" said Khu Lon.  "<Help Mu Tsu with the luggage.  
Consider it your punishment for events earlier.>"

    Per Fum made a brief squawk of protest before moving to help 
with the luggage.  She eyed the plane that she was going to be 
spending the next several hours riding in.  She sighed.  *It doesn't 
look like I'm going to be comfortable for this entire trip.*

                    ******************************

    Soun Tendo was a happy man.  *My wonderful daughter, 
Nabiki, has given me the perfect way to ensure that Ranma would 
be under my control.*  His secretary brought him in the papers 
that he had requested from the Finance Ministry.  He looked them 
over, and his smile grew broader.  *Nabiki, you will go far in the 
Directorate.  You make your father proud.*

    *It was all so simple,* Soun thought as he placed a fresh 
cigarette between his lips and lit it.  *I'm surprised that I didn't 
see it myself.  Leave it to Nabiki to see opportunity in the most 
unlikely places.*  Ranma's Arena contract could be bought out 
through the penalty clause, so there was no reason why Soun 
himself couldn't do so.  He smiled as he leaned back in his seat.  It 
would deplete the family assets a bit, but he felt that it would be 
well worth it in the long run.

    *If you lose in the Arena, Ranma Saotome, then your contract 
will be mine.  You'll make Nabiki a wonderful husband.*  Soun 
smiled.

                    ******************************

    Ranma was surprised, to say the least, as he read through the 
clauses on Shampoo's ownership contract.  He read the section 
twice to make sure that he understood it correctly.

    It read, "Be it known that an Amazon of the Joketsuzoku 
village is only required to give herself to a man who has defeated 
her in single combat.  Be it also known that resistance against 
such advances is protected under Imperial law pursuant to the 
Treaty of Surrender signed between the Empire of Japan and the 
Joketsuzoku Amazons."

    Ranma frowned.  *Father is not going to be happy that I got 
beaten up by a girl.  I think that I'm going to pass on classes today 
and go try out my experiment downstairs.  It will give me 
something else to think about.*  He headed for the stairs to the 
basement.  He noticed Shampoo was still doing her exercises in 
the dojo outside.

                    ******************************

    Ranma fiddled with the bulky device on his worktable.  His 
father had often called his efforts down here "a waste of precious 
practice time."  Ranma felt it was his destiny that called him to 
work down here in the coolness.  He was certain that his theories 
were correct, and that his invention would revolutionize the 
Empire.  The chokehold on space travel that the French had 
managed to maintain would be broken when Ranma achieved his 
goal, the creation of an anti-gravity field.

    He ran through his last minute checks.  He examined all of the 
field generation coils and the main circuit board.  Everything 
checked out perfectly.  There was only one thing left, and that was 
to set the field duration and activate power.  He took in a deep 
breath and let it out slowly.  *This is it, Saotome.*  He thought 
with a smile as he eyed his equipment.  *Prepare to make 
history.*

    He tapped on the keypad set on one side of the set the field 
duration for thirty minutes.  The digital readout blinked and the 
numbers changed to match his keypad entry.  He flipped a lever 
and there was a spark as the main power link was engaged.  The 
device began to hum.  He set his hand on the activation switch.

    "Here we go," said Ranma softly.

    He flipped the switch.  A beam of bluish light emerged from the 
end.  A rippling circle of distorted light appeared in the air several 
feet in front of Ranma.  The numbers on the digital readout began 
counting down seconds.  Ranma noticed a faint breeze begin 
flowing towards the effect.  Ranma felt a mild gravity-like tug 
from the area of the field.

    He got up from his chair and approached the distortion area.  It 
was almost perfectly circular, and it rippled as if it was alive.  He 
walked around behind it and it looked identical to the front, a 
rippling circle of bluish energy suspended in midair.  A big grin 
came across Ranma's face.  *This should be a region of neutral 
gravity.  I wonder what would happen if I stepped into it?*

    Ranma eyed the effect.  It looked perfectly harmless.  *I'm 
being silly to feel afraid.*

    Ranma stepped into the distortion.

    He came back down on the far side of it.  Nothing had 
happened.  He didn't float in midair as he expected.  There was a 
brief moment of some sort of acceleration effect, but it must have 
been his imagination.  The effect flickered out a moment later, 
and Ranma shook his head in disgust.

    His experiment was a failure.