Sailor Moon 1.02T2 : The Face of Mercury
(The Trenchcoat-Mask episodes cut from the NA dub)
<since disclaimers are legal tissue paper, I'll just skip it and hope
they don't sue me.>
Part 1 (On the case)
I can't depend on the magic that's for sure, I think in
consternation as I sit at my desk at the cram school. My class
works busily on an assignment while I ruminate on my current
predicament. When I encountered Prince Endymion a few weeks ago
in his Tuxedo-Mask guise, he brought back my memories of all my
previous lives. (And all my previous deaths too, but I'll have
time for extensive therapy and heavy medication later. (Thanks
Endymion, thanks a lot!) The upside is that I now speak fluent
Japanese since one of my previous lives was from Nippon. Though
I now speak it with a slightly archaic style.) In the first of
those past lives, I was Ferrite, one of the Guardians of the
House of Endymion. Since that first night I haven't felt the
magic draw me to the Senshi or the prince.
The only time I managed to get even close to them was when
Jadeite broadcast his challenge to the entire city of Tokyo.
When I went to the airport, I wound up fighting these sand youmas
on the wrong end of the terminal. After finally getting away
from them and going to the place where the real battle was going
on I arrived in time to see Jadeite almost get run over by a
seven-forty-seven. (I wonder why he didn't just jump aside;
jumbo-jets are not all that agile.) The Senshi disappeared into
the darkness before I could talk to them. I've read reports of
their battles but since then, I haven't been able to get closer
the Sailor-Senshi or the Prince.
I thought of advertising, but that would just draw the Dark
Kingdom or curiosity seekers and there's no guarantee the Senshi
would see it. Besides, I'm on my own here, if I leave a paper
trail that comes back to me I could put myself in jeopardy.
Beryl has sworn revenge and has gone to great lengths to try and
get it in the past. The last thing I want to do is take her on
alone.
That and I'm puzzled by the Senshi's behavior. They refer
to Endymion as "Tuxedo-Mask" instead of his title or by name.
He's met them all in the past and is very familiar with them.
It's as if they don't know who he really is. Apparently he's
encountered them in the past, er... recent past but has not
revealed his identity to them. Why would he keep it secret?
What possible reason could he have for disguising himself? I
can't imagine why but he must have a good reason. Since the
Golden Imperium there were political rivalries between the Earth
and the other planets. (They were always envious of our power and
prestige.) Is this an extension of that to the modern day? I had
best remain as secretive as Endymion until I can confer with my
prince, er.... king. (I find it particularly difficult to think
of my skinny little cousin in those terms.)
So this whole situation leaves me to my own devices. Thank
goodness for the information age and my current incarnation's
computer skills. First, I check out what can be found out on the
internet. Since Sailor V (and I suspect that she is probably
Sailor Venus) has been in operation in Britain and France for
some months there are a number of web-sites chronicling her
exploits. I set up a couple of search and retrieval software
'bots and let em' loose. (Just went down to the computer store
and bought five gig hard disk space for the results of their
search alone.) Not to be out done, the netizens of Japan have
created many pages for their own home grown heroin, Sailor Moon.
The real chore, though, will be separating the wheat from the
chaff. There are terrabytes of useless information: favorite
senshi polls, prettiest, sexiest, etc. and that doesn't even
count the hentai stuff. (I swear, if I run across another set of
nude photos with the senshi's heads pasted on them I'll scream.
(Note to myself: be sure to write a flame-'bot to search on the
word combinations, Sailor Moon, hentai, nude, etc.))
This has saved me a lot of legwork, however. I've learned
that the Dark Kingdom's activities have largely centered around
draining the energy of people. (They'll probably use the
collected energy to weaken the barriers between worlds or some
such.) This is all dismissed by the authorities as mass
hallucinations and hoaxes: real grist for the tabloid press.
(FLASH: "Sailor Moon sighted in a fast food restaurant with Elvis
and Bigfoot.") Of late these schemes have usually consisted of
attracting a large number of people to one spot and extracting
their life force through some sort of device, like mirrors or
jewelry. The most spectacular of these involved magically
disguising a decrepid old freighter as a "Love Cruise". The
rusting hulk had no engines and the people had to be rescued by
the harbor police. This sort of grand scheme was always typical
of Jadeite. He just loved big, complicated plans. The fact that
they almost always blew up in his face never discouraged him.
"Guess that makes him the Wile E. Coyote of the Dark Kingdom,"
the Bob Davis portion of me snickers.
Of late, though, the Dark Kingdom has changed tactics on me
and dropped out of sight. The only big action that vaguely
smacks of them was a mass mailing of love letters to practically
every young female in Tokyo signed Tuxedo-Mask. All that
happened at the department store named in the letter is the
elevator malfunctioned and crashed into the basement. Other than
that, and disappointing a large number of ladies, nothing else
apparently happened. The owners of the store are still catching
hell even now, a couple of weeks later. This shift in strategy
really confuses me. How are they extracting energy now?
Whatever they are doing, it is fairly low profile and something
that is not easily picked up by the media. If Jadeite is still
in charge, where are the fantastic free giveaways, the get rich
quick, "you can be a star" schemes? What's going on?
The internet data was a good start but what I really found
interesting was a disc one of the students here at the cram
school still had. He was actually in the class the night of the
incident happened. He says he doesn't remember much except
sitting down in front of his computer and having a dream-like
vision of two angels destroying a demon. I had heard several
versions of the same thing from other students which pretty much
confirmed to me that they were victims of some energy drain.
What may turn out to be particularly useful to me was the Dark
Kingdom's method. I took the program and ran it on my home
machine (after setting up a battery of safeguards), but the
program just bombed.
Tearing into the executable, I found some very peculiar
memory calls. This piece of software was made to be run on a
specific type of machine. I then had to find out what happened
to all the machines that were in the room the night of the
incident. Most were destroyed in the fight and with space at a
premium, it was doubtful that any damaged ones would be laying
around. What I did find was that the janitor had salvaged one in
the basement and was using it to download dirty pictures from the
internet. When I tore into it I found some very peculiar simms
in some of the memory slots. The chips on them are odd, they
look almost root-like. I pocketed them for further study.
Obviously one goal I should work toward is finding the name
of the current incarnations of the senshi or the prince without
revealing myself. I know personally that transformation magic
can hide the true identity of a person even if they look exactly
like their transformed self. Unless you actually witnessed the
act of transforming you wouldn't make the connection on looks
alone. No, you would have to make the deduction through evidence
and logical means. Until I can establish a chain of evidence
they could be right in front of me and I would never know it.
What I need, obviously is information from a more reliable
source.
"Sensai," Ami Muzumo calls from behind her machine. "Yes?"
I say glancing up from my lap-top. "I have finished and would
like to leave early. May I have the week after next's study
guide." "Certainly, Ami," I reply, "I'll send the study outline
for the week after next to the printer." Brilliant girl, she
really should put the books down a little and get out more,
though. She puts so much pressure on herself she's either going
to be the leader of her field or take a rifle into a tower. A
strange scene flits through my mind and for an insane instant, an
image of the police hauling away my little student, thrashing and
frothing in a straight jacket as she shouts manically, "I warned
em' not to give me a ninety-nine but they wouldn't believe me.
Why wouldn't they believe me?"
"Of course!" I exclaim as an idea hits me. All the
students in the room look up in curiosity. Ami hesitates
anxiously by the printer thinking she did something wrong.
"Ahem, of course everyone else can have a copy too," I say
sheepishly covering my slip. The students turn back to their
test and Ami leaves with the printout. The police, of course!
They would have tons of reports that never made it to the media.
Given that I know what I'm looking for will make the Dark Kingdom
activities stand out. Now... how can I get at the records? I
don't think it is wise to break into a building full of armed men
and I'm a little too tall to pass myself off as one of them.
Hmmmm... got it! I can use the disguise wand to change myself
into a reporter. A few hours access to their files and I can
find out what the police know. Hah! I can hardly wait till
tomorrow.
The next day, after a hearty breakfast I get ready to try
and buffalo the police. Magic Disguise pen, turn me into a mild
mannered reporter for a great metropolitan news paper. The magic
swirls about me and I feel my form shift and change as I am
transformed. "Huh...?" Glasses? That's it? Other than a micro
recorder and a pad and pencil, I look much the same. Hopefully,
the magic will make me believable. A short train ride to
downtown and I am outside Tokyo police headquarters. I called
yesterday evening and was told to speak with someone in public
relations. The official is a little hesitant, but I present her
with the proper credentials and they let me at the police reports
that are part of public record. They prove to be a wealth of
information. Since I know what I am looking for, I find that
there are a large number of incidents within a certain area. One
of the very first reports that sticks out, is of a jewelry store
by the name of O.S.A.P. It seems that a lot of strange things
have been happening around that area over the past few months.
Another thing I analyze is the times. Definitely a statistical
cluster occurs in the hours around eight to two in the morning.
Good, I can get off work and stake out the shop and still catch a
few hours sleep. A predictable enemy is a good thing.
After my last class the next evening, I go home and prepare
to stake out the O.S.A.P. Jewelry store. Calling on the magic, I
transform into Trenchcoat-Mask. As Ferrite, the Guardian, I was
always vested with a certain amount of magical power so I find
this to be a very odd process. I am wearing the great coat and
tuxedo disguise I had on the last night of the Silver Millennium.
I was actually wearing my naval uniform but this is the only
thing I have now. Normally disguise magic only changes the
seeming appearance, not the real items. I should be able to get
at my sword and pistol but I cannot. Instead, all I have
available to me are these yellow roses that I can pull out from
under my coat at will. The are magical and can pierce concrete
and they are sharp as though they were daggers. A florist
informed me that yellow roses traditionally symbolized
remembrance. Funny, that.
To round out this formidable arsenal is my umbrella. I did
some experimenting with it and found that I can expand it in
length and size. No telling how useful that will be, but it
could come in handy. A real plus to my costume is the pockets of
the trenchcoat, they're bottomless. Anything I can fit past the
opening goes to some extradimensional space and doesn't weigh me
down. I stuff them with useful items I bought at the hardware
store today. Lastly, I pack a little something to knosh upon and
I'm good to go. I consider leaving by the window, but instead
decide to transform back to my normal self and just walk out. I
wouldn't want to jeopardize my secret identity.
It is a cool night, but I feel cozy in the leather jacket my
mother gave me. (Note to myself, give mom a call tomorrow and
have a nice chat.) After catching a bus to that part of town, I
arrive in the proper area at about ten. Transforming in a nearby
ally, I take up a station on a building across the street. Like
a cat outside a mouse hole, I get ready to pounce on the bad guys
the second they show up. Playing the investigator, (peeping
tom), I pull out a high powered telescope out of my pocket and
start to scan the O.S.A.P. jewelry store. The downstairs is
empty and with the exception of the cheap junk, the jewelry has
been removed from the cases and placed in the safe for the night.
The upstairs is an apartment and I see the family that lives
there moving around. Osaka Naru, a young girl mentioned in one
of the reports, sits at the dining table with her mother, who
helps her with her homework. Hmmm, Naru's mother is quite a
looker; I wonder why she is still single. After homework, they
eat a snack and watch a little tv. Afterwards, they retire for
the night. Still, I wait wondering if the Dark Kingdom will ever
show up.
...Nothing happens, so at about three in the morning I go
home. The same thing happens the next night, namely: nothing. I
settle into the routine: Get off work, set up on the top of the
opposite building and wait. Nothing... This next night looks
like it will be like the others and I settle down for a long
siege.
A red convertible cruising by the store catches my eye.
What the...? That was Nephrite! Damn and he's drivin' a Ferrari
too. Three days of staking out this jewelry shop where there've
been some strange goings on and I am rewarded by Nephrite roaring
by in a red sports car. He slows down and looks the jewelry
store over speculatively as though he wants to go inside. I
really didn't expect this, or I would have arranged for some sort
of transport. He keeps going, though, so there's nothing left to
do but dash off down the street after him.
Since I'm transformed into Trenchcoat-Mask I have a slim
chance of catching him. If I can just get close enough to read
his license plate it would give me something to go on. Better
yet, get really close and I can put a yellow rose through a tire.
I don't know what I'll do then, though. Nephrite was a first
rate Astrological mage who could summon constellation avatars
like nobody's business when he was a guardian of the house of
Endymion. If he's still that good he'll clobber me in a straight
up fight. Wait, what's he... Good, he's stopping way up the
street for a light. Even though I'm running flat out, my top
speed is only about twenty-five miles an hour, (A rocket by human
standards but a turtle by sports car standards.) If that's a
quick light, I'm going to lose him.
Suddenly, a blue and white blur lands about half a block in
front of me and takes off after Nephrite too. It's Sailor
Mercury! She breaks into a sprint, but I start to gain on her
with my longer legs. She hears my pounding foot-falls and
glances back at me in surprise. "Don't let him get away," I
call. Since I helped the Senshi out in the mirror shop against
Jadeite, she nods and concentrates on running as I pull even with
her. When, the light turns green, we both wind up for our
respective attacks. I reach under my coat and pull a yellow rose
and draw back to throw it as she holds forth her hands and builds
her magic between her palms. Before either of us can do
anything, however, Nephrite peels out and leaves us both standing
there lookin' stupid. "Well, that was certainly anti-climatic,"
I say after a pause.
"Come on," Mercury urges me as she runs back up the street,
"he's got to circle around to get to the highway. I've got a
bicycle. We can still cut him off." Magically enhanced as we
are, I don't doubt that we could catch him on a good ten-speed,
even loaded down with another person. When I come around the
wall, though, Mercury is unchaining from the bike rack a little
blue girls bike with a white wicker basket decorated with blue
ribbons and streamers. It's hardly the mountain bike I was
hoping for. I look for another to, *ahem*, borrow, but that is
the only one around. I'll bet prince Endymion rides around on a
motorcycle. She wheels it out of the rack, and looks at me
expectantly. "Hop on, I say taking one of the handle bars. She
opens her mouth to object, but I say authoritatively, "I'm
bigger, I'm stronger, I'm driving. C'mon let's go!" With a
slight shrug, she gracefully sits between the handle bars and I
start pumping furiously at the little pedals. In no time we are
zooming along as fast as the little bike will carry us. She
directs me down several narrow alleys and side streets that will
get us ahead of Nephrite. As we race along, I remember the last
time I carried Mercury. It was ten thousand years ago...
(Part 2. The face of Mercury )
The underground warrens of the planet Mercury dwarf any
human construction. The ancients who carved these caverns and
tunnels out of the rock possessed power we can only dream of. It
is a hard life living underground all the time. The sun outside
is fierce and menacing blasting the surface mercilessly. Only a
few of the ancient's lighting devices still work and most of the
tunnels are in darkness. Food for the inhabitants comes from
giant fungus gardens and low light vegetation. The reason people
come here at all is the library. Probably the most important of
the eleven alien wonders of the solar, next to the Great Portal
of Earth, is the Great Library of Mercury. It is the repository
of vast amounts of information collected by the ancients. Humans
have only gained a fraction of its contents but it has leapt us
ahead by centuries. It also allows us to operate the alien
devices like the lift stones that allow ships to fly through
space and air stones that protect us from the void.
The people of Mercury are barely self sufficient in food,
though, which is ostensibly why the H.M.S. Nemesis is here. We
supposedly were escorting a convoy of merchantmen carrying wheat
and rice. (Wizards can teleport between worlds instantly, but
they can't haul cargo worth a damn. For that you need hull space
which is only found in the merchant fleets of Earth.) Actually,
my real mission is to deliver new encryption crystals for the
farspeakers at the Earth embassy. We think the Mercurians have
cracked our codes again. It is important Earth has secure
communications should the Mercurians manage some spectacular
breakthrough and try to keep it to themselves.
The Nemesis just tied up to her berth in the grand cavern
when... *THOOOM!*... we felt the impact. The air resonates with
the sound as though we were inside a bell. "Meteor Strike!" My
second in command exclaims. I start snapping orders, "All hands
on deck! Prepare to cast off! All hands, be on the lookout for
cracks in the ceiling and falling debris. Charge the lift stones
and be prepared to get under weigh at a moment's notice." For
thirty tense minutes we are quiet as we listen for the sound of
cracking or splintering rocks. Finally, we decide we are in no
danger and go about the business of securing the ship. Still, I
catch the men glancing nervously up at the vaulted ceiling.
A few official looking Mercurians come out of a tunnel and
start talking to the bosun on the dock. He points me out to them
and they come aboard. Introducing themselves as members of the
Mercurian high council they request my presence at the council
chambers at once. I and my executive officer Robervall accompany
them. They lead us through the warrens of the underground city.
And indeed, it is a city with broad avenues and side streets. I
am awed by the vast scope of the construction of the ancients.
Toward the center of the city we come to the seat of government.
"Welcome, Captain Ferrite," the head of the High Council of
Mercury greets me as I and my executive officer, step into the
chamber. "I came as soon as your man found me in the port
warren," I say, "We felt the meteor strike from there. Your
assistant told me that there was some damage and my presence was
requested. How can I and my ship be of service?" Robervall and
I look at the grave looking assembly in the grand council room of
the house of Mercury. "My wife...Our queen, Sagacity, was up in
the solar observatory on the promitory when a strike occurred,"
the head of the council begins, "The hit collapsed the tunnel and
compromised the air seals. Now, she and the team of scientists
that were observing the sun are trapped there. Efforts are being
made to open the tunnel and reach them with new air stones, but
we fear we may not be in time. That is why we came turn to you.
Do you think you could land your ship there and pick them up?
I mull over their request for a moment. The planet Mercury
is the only planetary body that humanity has settled on that does
not have an atmosphere either natural or magically created. Even
the asteroids have ones made by air stones. The reason why not
is the fierce solar winds that blast the surface of the planet
eventually defeat all attempts to make the surface habitable.
The same winds that allow the sky galleons and other ships of
Earth and the planets to ply the space-ways strip the small world
of any thin envelope humanity creates. "Can you show me the
terrain?" I ask.
I expect him to pull out a chart but the head scientist
leads me over to a table of black glass and touches portions of
it in a complex sequence of finger strokes that evoke the magic
within it. A detailed model of the area around the promitory
suddenly springs into being on the glass table. Amazed, I reach
out to touch a miniature hillside but my hand passes right
through it. Miracles like these are the reason people live in
these damn warrens. Ancient devices, some working, some not are
scattered throughout the caverns. Moving them causes makes them
to cease to function so study of these wonders takes place here.
It was by sheer luck that the Great Portal of Earth, was set to
this location when the first primitive humans stumbled upon it.
The knowledge gained here allowed men to make use of the alien
wonders on each of the planets. If not for Mercury the Golden
Imperium would have never arisen, and the Silver Millennium which
followed it. I am snapped out of my reverie by the head
scientist pointing out the point of the meteor strike and how it
has blocked the tunnel.
"Is it possible to see the solar winds on this... map?" I
ask again. Moving his fingers, the head scientist invokes more
magic and I see the solar winds as streamers of red that blast
across the rocky landscape. I lean in close to the map, hoping
that my first impressions are wrong, but after careful
consideration I reach the same conclusion. A look shared between
me and my X.O., a seasoned sailor, tell me we are of one mind in
this. I look the desperate men in the eye and say, "Impossible.
Even taking the utmost care, The fierce solar winds would dash us
against the rocks of the mountain wall. My ship would never make
it." The men let out a groan of despair at my announcement.
"How about the tunnel," one asks of another, "can it be opened
again?" "No," he answers, "even though the miners work like
madmen, they will not clear the rubble before the air in the
observatory is exhausted."
"Papa, papa," a young girl's high pitched voice interrupts
the speculation as she bursts in the room. A petite, child with
short blue hair wearing a school uniform runs up to the head
scientist and throws her arms around him. "They said something's
happen to mamma." she says breathlessly. "Where is she? Is she
going to be all right?" the little girl's large blue eyes are
rimmed with tears as she looks at the council head. Her father,
a quite looking man of letters, says, "We're trying to get some
air stones to her in the observatory, but... but..." He finally
breaks down and just hugs his little girl to himself.
"Wait," I say noticing a small detail on the map. "What is
that thing, there?" I ask pointing to a little disk on a
miniature hill. The model grows larger after one of the men
touches a few spots and I see what appears to be a door built
into the ground near the base of the peak the observatory rests
on. "That is the end of one of the tunnels built by the
Ancients," one says referring to the aliens that made and
abandoned the warrens aeons before humans ever arrived. It ends
there and is capped with one of their air-locks. Since we cannot
venture onto the surface for long, it has not been opened in over
a decade. I know what he is talking about, even aboard the
Nemesis with her heat sinks, we have to wear sun-suits as we
approach the planet Mercury. Even then, one cannot stay on deck
for long without risking sun stroke. A fatal condition this
close in system.
"How far is it from the tunnel mouth to the observatory?" I
ask as a plan forms in my mind. "About two kilometers but a good
portion of that is almost straight up. We considered that
possibility before we called you, Captain. A group of our best
mountaineers could not make it up the face in less than four
hours. They would be sun-stroke in a fraction of that time."
What about the Mercury Senshi?" I ask. "If she accompanied
them, used her powers of frost to keep them cool..." "The elder
senshi is on the Moon guarding Serenity's court," the leader said
bitterly, "we even thought about using the Great Portal of Earth,
but it would not return her here in time." Typically there are
two senshi for each of the great houses, an elder (who holds the
power) and a younger (generally the one in training). "And the
younger Mercury?" I ask. He didn't answer me but looked at the
little girl he held in his arms. What to do? These people have
just run out of heros.
"Then I guess its just up to me," I say looking at their
bleak faces. "How can any one man make the ascent with an air
stone large enough to help?" a council member asks. "It's not
well known, but I'm one of Endymion- Guardians and have been
magically enhanced. In my sun-suit, carrying a minimum of
equipment and an air stone just large enough to sustain those
trapped in the observatory until the tunnel is cleared, I have a
good chance of making it." The scientists huddle together and
debate the merits of my plan. One takes out a small object that
I recognize as a terminal to the Great Library and starts to tap
the keys. Busily, their fingers stab at the numbers as they
calculate the odds of my success. After a short while their
conference ends and they say to me. "Taking into account your
heightened speed, strength and stamina, using the best route, the
protection of your special clothing..." he paused to check his
numbers, "do you realize your chances of success are only about
twenty-three percent?" Twenty-three percent? I kind of hoped it
would be about even odds.
I lick my lips nervously, with the chances of success that
slim, no one would think less of me if I backed down. For all we
know those people might already be dead. Sun stroke is not an
easy way to die, delirium, final collapse, your brain overheats
and you stop breathing. I take a deep breath to answer, and then
my gaze meets young Mercury's. There is no pleading in them,
only a silent question. I turn to my X.O., "Get my sun-suit from
the Nemesis and have the Bosun pick a suitable air-stone from
stores. I'll need a grapnel and boarding pike." "Aye-aye,
captain," he says and runs from the room with a Mercurian guide
to accompany him.
"Well, gentlemen," I address the council, "and lady, it
looks like you have a volunteer. Now, if you would please show
me the optimum route on the map, I'll study it while my second
gathers the equipment." A hubbub of suggestions rise as the
council starts fiddling with their terminals and maps, trying to
maximize my slim chance. We huddle around the map, plotting the
route that will keep me out of direct sunlight as much as
possible. If I can only keep cool, I might succeed.
A small voice says something that I do not hear but the room
falls deathly silent. "WHAT?" The head of the council exclaims
in alarm. Young Mercury announces quietly again, "I'm going
too." We all turn to the little girl who stands alone with her
fists clenched determinedly. "What? No..." Her father says in
disbelief. She doesn't answer him but instead raises a
transformation wand over her head and calls out "MERCURY POWER!"
It is the first time I have seen a Senshi transform and I must
admit that I am duly impressed. Her form becomes suffused with
ocean-blue energy as she brings the wand around in a circle. The
writhing tendrils of magic that stream behind it encircle her
body and change her clothing into the sailor fuku of the Senshi.
Finally, the air ripples like the surface of a pool, and she
becomes Sailor Mercury.
"No! Absolutely not," He father exclaims adamantly, "I
forbid it!" "Please papa," she pleads, "I can help. He won't
make it on his own." I bridle a little bit at that but I stifle
my retorts; this is family business and I will not come between a
parent and child. He sits so that she and he are at eye level
and holds her by her shoulders. "I could not bear to loose both
of you," he says quietly. "Papa, this man will try but he will
probably die," she says with a frighteningly clear grasp of the
situation, "I can help... I want to help... please say yes."
"No..." he chokes out as he clutches her to him. She begins to
cry too as she says softly, "I will go. I exert my rights as the
Sailor-Senshi Mercury!" The intake of breath is audible as the
council is aghast at her words. "What?" her father says in
disbelief, "You are still a child..." "But I have received the
wand," she argues. "Less than a month ago!" He exclaims, "You
have had no formal training." "Papa... let me go."
By now I've had enough of this and stride over to the two.
Wordlessly I hold my hand out to the young Mercury. She
appreciatively puts her hand in mine, thankful of the support.
But that is not what I intend; I start to squeeze to show her she
is still just a child and not strong enough. For the first
moment she matches me. Then, she surpasses the level that a
strong man could manage as I increase the pressure. Finally, she
winces in pain as my grip overwhelms hers. "You are a very brave
girl," I say to her, "but you are not ready yet. I will not take
you with me." I turn my back on her and stride back to the map.
Dismissing the matter from my mind, I fiercely study the terrain
to determine the best way to reach the top before overheating.
A blue blur passes over my shoulder and Mercury lands on
the table in front of me. The little girl towers like a giant
over the simulated peaks and valleys of the planet. Her tear
rimmed eyes fairly glow with defiance and determination as she
stares down at me. Glaring back at her, I frown at her display
and say, "Give it up! I've got to concentrate and you are
distracting me." She holds her hands before her and the senshi
magic of Mercury gathers before her outstretched palms in a
glowing blue white ball. She says, "MERCURY BUBBLES..." What
the? Why, the little... She's firing on me! "FREEZE!" She
yells as the sphere leaves her hands to strike a chair on the far
side of the room. I get up from under the map table where I
ducked and look at the results of her attack. The chair is
covered by a thick layer of frost with icicles hanging off the
back. I stare up at the young warrior that is standing on the
table. She is panting with the exertion of releasing the magic.
"I can... be of... help," she says between gasps, "use...
power... on... us." I glance back at the chair speculatively,
several shots like that could be the difference between life and
death. If she can keep up with me, we could do it. Confronted
with the truth, I extend my hand to her. She hesitates for a
second before taking it and I help her down off the table. She
stumbles a little and I cannot help but notice how weak the
expenditure of energy has made her.
The scientists murmur amongst themselves as they try and
factor this new variable into the equation. Her father comes
over to her and holds her silently. One of the scientists says,
"We calculate an approximately fifty percent chance of success,
should she accompany you." Looking at Mercury's father I don't
envy his decision. Risk his daughter to save his wife or keep
her safe and kill the queen. Drawing in a deep breath, he holds
his daughter at arms length and murmurs something I cannot her.
Mercury nods her head once and they embrace. After a moment they
separate and stand side by side before me. "I'm would like to go
with you, Captain," she says, "if you will allow me." I look
from father to daughter and ask, "that is your decision?" They
nod as one, so I step over to the speaking tube on the wall and
call the Nemesis to have the x.o. bring the cabin boy's sun suit
as well as my own.
The decision having been made, we walk briskly though the
underground avenues that honeycomb the surface of the planet.
Several of the scientists are briefing me on what to expect. The
air stone will give us only a ten foot diameter sphere of air
when we are exposed to the solar wind so we must remain tethered
together. The rays of the sun will be moderated by the magic so
the only thing we have to worry about is the deadly heat. They
outline a route that will keep us in the shadows as much as
possible. While we go, I and Mercury gulp down as much water as
we can. It probably will make no difference at all, but the last
thing I want to deal with is dehydration. At last we reach the
tunnel to the outside. The x.o. is waiting for us along with
several of the crew who are carrying the equipment and the air
stone.
The sun suit is a set of thickly padded clothing: oversized
cotton jacket, pants and hat. Sewn to the cotton are silvery
scales of a light, shiny metal more valuable than gold called
aluminum. Extracting the metal is a very expensive process but
it is worth the extra cost; the light metal is much easier to
work in. To complete the suit are aluminized boots, gloves, and
a mask with a dark amber glass view port for the eyes. I take
mine and the X.O. hands Mercury hers. Her father confers with
his aids about the mining effort to one side of the tunnel. My
mind preoccupied with the mission, I have stripped almost down to
my underwear when I notice a blush rise to Young Mercury's
cheeks. She stands there self-consciously holding the sun suit.
"Oh..." I say embarrassed, "Robervall, will you and the men..."
The x.o. has the crewmen hold a canvas between them facing away
from her to give her some privacy. Donning the suit, I adjust
the straps to make sure I am completely covered. I open the back
pack that took two men to carry and examine the magical air
stone. The light blue device shot through with silver and white
veins hisses faintly as it gives off the life giving gasses. I
test the bubble of force it emits with my hands. Hefting the
back pack, it settles on my back. Finally, I hang the grapnel
and line on my belt. All that is left is to tether Mercury to me
and depart.
She steps out from behind the canvas in the sun suit and it
has fairly engulfed her; apparently the cabin boy is a lot larger
than her. I kneel down check the hooks and straps on her suit.
The belt is too loose so Taking the dagger from my belt, I punch
another hole and tighten it. Are you scared?" I whisper to her.
She nods her head, yes. Good, she's honest. "Me too," I say
with a slight chuckle. I thread the tether through her belt and
tie it off securely using a sailors knot that will not come free
accidentally. Taking the boarding pike: a stout spear with hooks
on the end, I test the haft to see that it is sturdy. We are now
ready to go, there is nothing left to do but say goodbye.
Mercury's father kisses her cheeks and fiercely hugs his
daughter too him. She hugs back and says, "don't worry papa,
well save mamma. Everything will be all right..." The last ends
in a little sob. She pulls herself free and takes my hand.
"Let's go, Captain. I would like to see my mother." Setting our
masks in place, together we step out the tunnel into the
sunlight.
The trip is divided into three parts. A long stretch of
open territory, a climb up over an incline dotted with boulders
and fissures, and finally, a one hundred meter ascent to the
peak. The dash across open territory is fairly straightforward.
Our goal is a large boulder marking the beginning of the broken
terrain. It is also the only substantial shade available. The
bubble of air created by the stone hisses as the sun strikes it
and tries to erode it. The air heats up rapidly and I
immediately begin to sweat. We have to get out of this inferno
as fast as we can. Loaded down as I am, the Young Mercury easily
matches my pace, at first. About halfway to our goal, though,
the unbearable heat starts to tell on her and she begins to fall
behind. The tether slowly grows taunt as more and more I start
to tow the child with me. My blood feels like it is about to
boil when we finally reach the shade of the boulder.
I stop and lean against the rock, my breathing labored while
I try and gauge her condition. Since we are out of the direct
sun, I raise my face shield. The heat reflected by the
surrounding rocks is intense but bearable. The magic of the air
stone must be moderating things, still it is at least one hundred
and thirty degrees in the bubble. "How are you holding up?" I
manage to gasp out. She raises her own shield and her cheeks are
beet red from the heat. Sweat rolls down her face in rivulets.
"Captain," she pants, "I think now... would be... a good time
to..." I nod at her suggestion to use her magic . We both lower
our face plates and she calls forth her power. She stands as
close to me as she can and calls, "Mercury Bubbles... FREEZE!"
We are enveloped in a blast of cold that completely fills the air
bubble covering us both in a layer of frost. Our suits hiss as
the metal cools to below freezing. My undergarments become stiff
as the sweat soaking them becomes ice. It feels as if I were
plunged into icy water where I was once about to broil. The
abrupt change in temperature tests my heightened constitution to
the limit as I try to avoid blacking out.
Mercury almost falls over before I can reach out and grab
her. "Are you all right?" I ask. She straightens up and nods
shakily. "Liar," I say, "I can feel you shaking through your
suit. We still haven't reached the point of no return, do you
want to turn back?" She shakes her head vigorously. Her mask
hides her face but I can imagine her blue eyes burn with
determination. "Fine, " I say, "let's go before we heat up
again." Heaving herself off the rock she was resting against,
Mercury falls in step behind me. All too soon, the chill gives
way to cool gives way to warm gives way to hot as we leave our
shelter. Mercury tries to keep up with me but I am soon towing
her again. The use of magic must have really worn her down.
The rough terrain proves to be more difficult than I
imagined; on the map what looked like ditches turn out to be
gullies and ravines. The fierce heat starts to quickly take its
toll on us both. Rocks that either us could vault, we have to
climb over. Distances that would have taken us minutes to cross
now take three times that. Though I am a Guardian of Earth, my
strength starts to wane under the assault of the sun.
Deliriously I consider tossing aside the air stone I have on my
back so I can make the climb more easily. It will be all right,
I reason, I can always come back for it. With a shake of my head
I realize what I was thinking; to leave the protection of the air
stone is death. We had better hurry or we could wander off the
route and get turned around, or lost. Mercury walks silently
beside me, bowed by the heat. Up ahead I see our second
milestone: a rock spire split off from the cliff face. We stand
close together in its triangular shadow as we rest. Searching
the mountain side I spot cleft that runs halfway up. That will
be the route of our ascent.
Mercury says nothing as she gestures for me to get ready for
another blast. Welcoming the relief from the blazing heat, I nod
in acknowledgement. "Mercury... Bubbles.... freeze!" She cries
sweeping her arms in front of her. The blast of cold sizzles on
my sunsuit removing the accumulated heat. The magic is not as
strong this time, however. Her young body staggers under the
strain of releasing the magic and she slumps to her knees.
Kneeling next to her, I remove my gauntlet to check her pulse.
"Ow," I jerk my fingers back from her mask, "you're hot!" "I'm
okay," she says weakly. It takes me a moment but I figure out
what she is doing. Angrily I pick her up and hold her close.
Pushing against my chest, she resists my engulfing embrace weakly
before she submits. In full contact with me, my body acts as a
block of ice, soaking up the heat from her small frame. "You've
been using the power only on me, haven't you?" She doesn't
answer; she doesn't need to, the hissing her suit gives off as it
cools says it all. "Listen to me, Mercury," I growl at her,
"you owe it to your father to do everything you can do to
survive. I never would have allowed you to come if I thought you
would throw your life away." "Like you were going to?" she
asks. I know she is right, I would have tried this regardless of
my chances. Maybe I just resent her pushing me out of the hero
spotlight. "Oh, come on!" I say setting her now cool form back
down.
The next portion of the trip offers some shade, but the
climb is at a sixty degree slope. Fortunately, the hand holds
are plentiful and I am able to make steady progress up the side
of the mountain. Mercury has trouble keeping her feet, though,
and is forced to rely on me to keep moving. Weighed down by both
her and the air stone I fight exhaustion to keep moving.
Wheezing loudly, we are forced to halt when we come to a gap in
the rock. Throwing my grapnel across the gap, I start to pull
myself across when Mercury says, "wait, must rest." I halt for a
moment, before she takes a firm grip on the tether and nods.
Pulling myself up the slope using the rope, we are almost across.
I glance back at Mercury in time to see her sway and topple
backwards. The tether jerks and my hold on the rope slips.
Weighed down by the stone I loose my balance and almost tumble
backwards. Grasping the rope with every ounce of strength I
have, I halt our fall. We hang there for a moment, "Senshi
Mercury," I shout back at her, "get on your feet! You think
you're going to be the senshi by laying around like that you've
got another thing coming. Now, on your feet soldier!" She stirs
and plants her feet firmly on the side of the mountain. By sheer
determination and force of will, she overcomes her exhaustion and
starts to climb. When the tether becomes slack, I get my other
hand on the rope. In a moment, we are across the gap and on a
ledge: our last stop before the top.
Exhausted from the climb and from the heat, we sink down to
our knees on the rock. If I sit down, I know I'll never be able
to get up again. "One, last time..." she says weakly. I just
kneel there unmoving, my strength almost consumed by the heat.
Holding her close, so that she cannot cheat and just cool me, she
calls her power again, "mercury... bubbles... freeze." The light
of the magic is a dim pale blue when it forms between her hands.
The bubbles that engulf us and have little effect, save to remove
the most extreme effects of the heat. Mercury slumps against me,
her energy completely gone.
"It's okay," I say to her, "we can rest another moment.
It's only another twenty meters to the top. The bad thing is, it
is twenty meters straight up. "Ferrite," Mercury calls me barely
audibly, "leave me." "No!" I say adamantly, "nobody gets left
behind here." "I can't go on... I almost caused you to fall back
there. Please, leave me... save my mother..." she sobs quietly.
"No, I won't, " I reiterate, "you are coming with me." She
shakes her head weakly, "I calculated... if I got you this far...
now I'm extra weight..." Like a bolt of lightning I am struck by
the realization of what this child intended. She was planning to
do this all along! She coolly calculated that she would have to
die so that I could make it. Like running a gravity boost
equation, get me as far as she could then drop off and burn up.
"Come on, Sacrificing yourself is almost the same thing as
giving up," I say, "I came out here knowing I'd keep fighting to
the last breath. You kept fighting in the council chamber to
come with me, so now come on!" With that, I force myself to
stand and grasp an outcropping to I can begin climbing. "You're
right," she says struggling to her feet, "Got to keep trying..."
We start our climb, she is barely able to steady herself as I
haul her up the cliff face.
Suddenly, the line goes slack! In alarm I look back down
the tether at her. She's fallen unconscious and the belt has
slipped over her head! Her still, silvery form lays sprawled on
the ledge below. She's outside the air bubble! I do the only
thing I can, I release my hold and drop down next to her.
Exhausted and heavily loaded as I am, I barely keep from tumbling
over the edge when I land hard.
Pulling hers and my mask off I listen for breath. Hearing
none, cradle her head and puff a little air into her lungs.
"Damn it!" I curse hoarsely, "Keep fighting!" I give another
puff of air on her lips. Her cheeks are burning crimson and her
lips are hot as a stove. She still somehow managed to give me
most of the benefit from her magic. "Come on you brave little
thing," I say between clenched teeth, "breathe!" With a small
cough, the little blue haired girl starts to breathe again.
"Crazy kid," I mutter as I replace our masks, "too young to know
how valuable life is." Throwing her across my shoulders in a
fireman's carry, I tie her wrist and ankle together. Now the
only thing left to do is climb straight up twenty meters while
heavily loaded in the blazing sun before I overheat. Easy...
I start the climb again and, at first have an easy time of
it as I cover the ground I have already been over. Afterwards I
am forced to slow to a crawl; my gauntleted hands are unable to
find any but the most obvious hand holds. Eight meters from the
top, I can find no more. My legs are trembling under the strain
of holding us close to the rock face. Freeing my grapnel and
line, I start to swing it. Back and forth, it gathers momentum
until I fling it up the side of the cliff. I hold my breath, but
the hook catches on the rocks above. An experimental tug
convinces me that it has caught solidly. Wrapping it around my
arm I pull myself up to a crevice that was out of arms reach and
wedge a foot in it.
As I do, the rope suddenly parts! With a scream of fear I
grab the rock and hold on for dear life. My fingers scrabble for
a hand hold but can find none. I push myself forward with my
feet, my toes finding the barest of purchases. By leaning
forward I force myself against the cliff, my center of gravity is
thrown off by Mercury and the air stone. I risk twisting my head
and see the end of the rope. It's been burned through. Damn!
When I threw the line outside the air bubble, it was exposed to
the sun's direct rays. It was reduced to charcoal within
seconds. I pant as the adrenalin rush courses through my veins.
My knees start to shake from the strain of holding myself this
way. If I don't do something soon, I'll loose my balance and
we'll fall.
If I could only feel the rocks, I could... then I realize
what I need to do. I untie the rope and let it fall, it's all or
nothing now. Shaking the gauntlet off my free hand, I feel the
rock above my head. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I touch
the face of the planet Mercury. There! A hand hold I missed
before. Shifting my weight, I shake off the other glove and
start to climb again. The skin on my hands sears as I touch the
burning rock. Clenching my teeth against the agony, I start to
mutter a series of curses in every language I know. I curse the
rock, the sun, the heavy air stone on my back, the meteor that
caused all this, the navy that brought me here, the blue haired
girl on my shoulders, everything and anything that comes to mind.
I start with curses in my native tongue of Earth and by the time
I am half-way through the Martian ones my hand grasps the edge of
the cliff.
Levering myself over the rock and onto the top of the
promitory, I finally see my goal. The observatory is a dome on
the top of the outcropping with several windows on its heavy,
white, bubble-like exterior. Not more than fifteen meters away,
is the silver airlock to safety. My strength is drained,
however, and I cannot rise to my feet. I begin to laboriously
crawl on my hands and knees. What's a little burn now? Mercury
is an unmoving dead weight on my neck that threatens to push my
face in the dirt. Despite what I said climbing the last stretch
of rock back there, I hope that she is all right. "Come on' hang
on just a little longer. Ya' got me here, just hold on a little
longer." I chuckle in delirious admiration of the unconscious
Mercury. Only a few more meters to go... *black*
My head butts the door and I wake up. No! Can't black out
now! Just gotta' open the door. I reach up for the wheel that
will unseal the air-lock but I don't have the strength to stand.
The weight on my back is too much; it crushes me down. I
collapse to the ground, barely having the energy to breathe.
*black* GET! UP! I struggle to my elbows and reach for the
wheel but it's even farther away now. I can't do...*black*
"FERRITE, YOU DUMMY!" I shout, "You don't have to carry her
anymore!" Rolling Mercury over my head, I dump her
unceremoniously next to the door. While I'm at it, I unstrap the
air stone too. The backpack slides off to one side and I am
free... now to... *black* ... damn door, damn hands are...
*black* ... haul her heavy little carcass up here and she catches
herself on the threshold like.. *black* ...stupid air stone...
*black* ...INNER DOOR!?!... *black*
A large, black, rectangular monolith swims out of the
darkness at me. I feel that inside it are all the answers; if I
could reach out and touch it they would be mine. Looking upon
the monolith I read the inscription emblazoned in large gold
letters on the face of it: "Elementary Algebra". I blink and see
it is the title of the book the person sitting next to my bed is
reading. A stock of blue hair is visible over the top of the
text. Mercury! She's all right. She sits in an overstuffed
chair next to the bed dressed in blue pajamas and a white robe.
Occasionally she dips a silver spoon into a dish next to her
which disappears behind the book.
I glance around and see that the room is mostly white with
illumination provided by glow globes. I must be in the hospital.
I lie on the cool sheets and take stock of my condition. My
hands are heavily bandaged and they feel a little numb. I wonder
at the extent of the damage; those rocks were hot as coals.
"Um..." my voice is thick and rough from disuse, "did..." "Oh,
you're awake," Mercury starts happily from behind her book like a
bird taking flight. She quickly steps over to the speaking tube
and announces my condition to someone. I clear my throat and ask
again, "did we make it in time?" She comes back over to the side
of the bed, smiles and nods, "Um. Everyone was unconscious
inside the observatory, but the air stone brought them around
after you got it inside. Mamma and the others took care of us
until the tunnel was reopened."
"They say," she says gently taking my bandaged hands, "you
burned them climbing on the rock." "Had to go faster," I say
hoarsely,"was the best way..." "Thank you, Ferrite," she says
shyly, "you were very brave." "No," I correct her, "you saved
me. I would have gone and I wouldn't have made it. If you
weren't there we all would have died. You went thinking you
weren't coming back. Of the two of us, You were much braver than
I." She blushes and looks at the floor.
"They're planning a big celebration in your honor," she
says, "you are to receive some high award, they haven't decided
on what though." "Just so long as they give it to you too. But
right now I'd settle for a glass of water," I say, "I'm parched."
Then, I notice a dish of some greenish frosty looking something
on the table. I lick my lips and Mercury follows my gaze to the
dish. "What is that?" I ask. "Oh, that's lime sherbet. Do you
want some." "Please," I say eagerly. After what I've been
through I don't just want to eat it, I want to bathe in it. I
want to swim to the bottom of it and stay there. She brings the
dish over with a spoon stuck into the frozen blob of heaven. I
reach for the spoon, but realize my hands are bandaged up.
Seeing this, Mercury sits on the edge of the bed and dishes up a
spoon full of it. She puts it in my mouth and... heaven.
"Ahhh, that's great," I say running my tongue through and
swallowing the tart coolness. I don't know if it is the citrus
or the frosty cold, but I take an instant liking to it. "What's
it made of?" I ask around another dollop that she puts in my
mouth. Limes from Earth, a little sugar, a few other things and
refrigerate it." "Refrigerate? What's that." "Mercury Bubbles
Freeze!" she says mimicking the gesture she uses to invoke her
magic. "Really?" I ask. "No, silly," she laughs, "we use a
machine." "A machine that keeps things cold," I say,
"amazing..."
Queen Sagacity and her husband quietly enter the room ending
further conversation. She wears a knee length grey dress and
white coat decorated with a silver caduceus. I had heard that
the Queen was a educated as a doctor but I'm surprised that she
still practices. Her white lab coat makes her azure blue hair
stand out even more. A large silver tiara, holds this hair back
away from her eyes, beautifully framing her face. If this is
what Mercury will look like in a few years, she'll break a lot of
hearts. I bow my head in deference to the monarch, which she
acknowledges and bids me to look at her. "Captain, I wish to
express my deepest gratitude to you. You saved some of the
finest minds on Mercury." Please," I say, "your daughter did
most of the work. If she wasn't there I wouldn't have made it.
I'm just a glorified mule."
Sagacity ignores my self-effacing statement and examines my
bandages. "We have access to a machine of the ancients that will
heal your hands. I'm afraid there will be a bit of scarring
though." "A small price," I say glancing at Mercury, "others
prepared to pay more." "You should be ready for release in two
weeks," Sagacity says to me and then fondly addresses her
daughter, "and you, Young lady, are long overdue to leave. Now
that the captain is awake, it is time that you should get back to
your lessons." "Okay, mamma." she agrees. Gathering her books
into a satchel, she pauses before leaving and hugs her father
then her mother. Suddenly, she turns around and throws her arms
around my neck and hugs me too. Surprised and touched beyond
words I hesitate before I hug back with my forearms. "Thank
you," she whispers into my ear. I blink back a tear as we
separate and in a moment she is gone. "You are blessed," I say
absently to her parents, "she is a most extraordinary young
lady."
But that was all many years ago...
(Part 3. A friendly chat.)
"The ramp to the highway is just through those bushes,"
Mercury shouts. "Hai!" I agree between puffs, this bicycling has
tired me out. We tear through the bushes, the limbs and branches
snap at us as we rush past. "STOP! Oh, STOP!" She shouts in
alarm. I slam on the brakes and we skid to a halt mere inches
from the edge of a steep drop to the highway incline below.
Carefully I back us up a few feet and Mercury jumps off.
Looking up to the street, I see Nephrite stopped for the
light again, facing in this direction. To get on the highway,
he'll have to pass right below us. Hmm, I look around for
something heavy to drop on him. Mercury is busy watching
Nephrite but turns to me in surprise when I pull a three foot
crowbar out of my trenchcoat pocket and start to pry one of the
large stone blocks out of the retaining wall. "What are you
doing?" She asks. As I loosen the stone with the crowbar I
answer, "Well, I don't think a yellow rose is going to stop him,
so I was getting something a bit more... *urgh*... substantial.
When you... *grunt* ... can't lob energy bolts... *uh*... you
learn to improvise." The block comes loose from my efforts and I
balance it on the edge. "Now, lets see... about fifteen
meters... nine-point eight meters per second squared..." You've
got to lead him by about one point three seconds..." Mercury says
completing my calculation for me. "That's right," I agree, "you
were always good in math."
"How did..." she begins, "Who are you?" I wonder why she
seems surprised at my statement. Until I know what the prince
intends I decide to be evasive, "I'm unable to say at this time,
but we are both on the same side. I am definitely an enemy of
Beryl." A memory of Beryl's snarling image vowing revenge from
the time I exposed her as a Deamonist in front of the prince
flashes before my mind's eye. "We both want to stop the Dark
Kingdom." "It would really help if you told us who you really
are." she persists. "You knew me despite my disguise before," I
hint at the night of the ball while I watch Nephrite. She
remains silent, apparently she doesn't know what I'm talking
about.
"You don't remember do you?" I look over at her and for the
first time I get a really good look at her in the light. I'm
aghast: she can't be more than fifteen-years old! When I last
knew her in the Silver Millennium, she was eighteen and long
practiced in her power. Because of some trick in reincarnation,
they are awake in this era virtually as children. "What's the
matter?" she asks noticing my sudden change in expression.
Before I can answer, the light changes and Nephrite drives across
the intersection instead of turning. "Hey," I say pointing to
the retreating sports car, "He's going the other way!" "Oh, no!"
Mercury exclaims, "he's not trying to get to the highway after
all." "Come on," I say snatching up the bike and leaping down to
the incline. She lands behind me and we retake our positions and
pedal after him again.
With me wheezing and puffing, we at last catch up enough to
see him turn into the university parking garage. The headlights
from his Ferrari mark his ascent to the top level; we hear the
tires screech as he takes the turns too fast. Pulling up to the
side, we watch the stairs or the elevator for his exit, but they
remain deserted. "Blast!" I exclaim, "He must have teleported.
They were always showing off that way; teleporting when they knew
I couldn't." Mercury is about to comment on my statement when I
say, "Come on, let's see if we can't find his car and search it
for information." "Wait, let me call the others first." "Do
that upstairs, we haven't a moment to waste." We charge up the
stairs, leaping from landing to landing. In less than thirty
seconds, we are at the top. At this hour the lot is almost empty
and the red sports car easily stands out. We pause and listen
for anyone, but all is silent. Mercury has her visor down and is
scanning the area. "All clear?" I whisper. "No one is about,"
she says.
A quick search of the car's interior reveals no useful
information, but I do find the car keys over the visor. Heh!
Guess he never thought anyone would rip off his Dark Kingdom
wheels. Jingling them, I flash a winning smile at Mercury and
she smiles back; it's good to be one up on the bad guys. Mercury
takes a booklet out of the glove compartment and examines it.
"Owner's manual," she says with a sigh, "in Italian." After
pocketing the keys we look around for a suitable place to set up
an ambush. Crouching down between some cars, we await the
return of our quarry.
Mercury pulls out what looks like a calculator and talks into
it. She shields a little video screen from me and says,"Sailor
Moon, this is Mercury. I'm here with Trenchcoat-Mask at the
university parking garage."
"Hullo?" a voice, presumably Sailor Moon answers groggily,
"Am..."
"Am I all right?" Mercury cuts in hurriedly," yes, I'm fine.
Like I said, I'm here with Trenchcoat-Mask. We've followed
Nephrite to the top of the university parking garage."
"I don't think he's here to extract energy," I say aloud as I
survey the grounds with the meter-long telescope I quietly pulled
out of my pocket, "there aren't that many people about. Hey,
there he is in the library." I focus my attention on him through
the window of the building. He's looking through the shelves for
something.
"Er... yes," Mercury says gaping at the telescope, "please tell
the rest and hurry here. Mercury out." She eyes the piece of
optics and says, "Where did you get that?"
"The camera store," I answer still watching Nephrite through
the windows of the library. "Hmmm, looks like he's flipping
through several books. I don't think he's going anywhere soon.
He's taking out quite a pile there."
"I guess we'll wait here until the rest arrive," Mercury says.
"Yeah," I agree absently reaching into my pocket for a
sandwich; All that pedaling has made me hungry. One hand
holding the telescope trained on Nephrite, I practice a skill all
Americans learn from the moment they lean to drive: eating one-
handed. Concentrating on Nephrite's activities I've take several
bites when Mercury's stomach growls audibly. I put down the
telescope and look at her. She's blushes in embarrassment. Eyes
lowered, she says, "excuse me." "I'm so sorry," I say reaching
into my pocket and pulling out another sandwich, "where are my
manners? Would you like one?"
"Yes, thank you," she says taking it eagerly and unwraps it,
"Mmm... ham, my favorite."
I pick up my telescope again and check on Nephrite; he's
still there looking at the books. We munch on our sandwiches for
the next few minutes while Nephrite peruses the stacks. Finally,
he takes several of them and gets up. "He's moving," I say,
"let's get ready." I put the telescope back in my pocket and
crouch down behind the trunk of the car. "The others won't be
here for another few minutes still... *hic*," Mercury says,
"pardon me."
Nephrite fades into being at the end of the end of the
parking garage platform. Under his arm are several books.
Stealing from the library! How low can he go? Mercury is about
to step out from behind the car and challenge him but I stop her
and shake my head. Pulling a rock about the size of a softball
out of my pocket, I heft it experimentally. Throwing it with all
of my heightened strength, the missile hisses through the air as
if fired from a catapult straight at Nephrite's head. WOCK! It
rebounds off his noggin and down he goes. "Lesson number one," I
say to Mercury, "first throw the rock, then make he speech."
We step out from behind the car and start to approach the
prostrate Nephrite. I stick out my arm again and stop her.
"That was way too easy," I say. Extending the length of my
umbrella, I poke him sharply in the ribs. With a snarl, Nephrite
leaps to his feet. "Hah! Playin' possum Nephrite? You were
always the smarter one." "You're puny rock can't stop me Tuxedo-
mask," he sneers, "nor can your precious sailor senshi."
"Trenchcoat-Mask," I correct him with easy familiarity, "That was
just to get you attention, ol' chum. And the Senshi seem to have
done a good job so far. Where's Jadeite? I doubt he retired
quietly." "We'll stop you like we stopped him," Mercury yells
and strikes a pose, "I am Sailor Mercury, and for attempting to
steal books from the library, I will punish you!"
Nephrite seems unimpressed and raises his fist in
preparation to unleash a bolt of dark force. "Duck!" I shout and
we both dive aside. "YARH!" Nephrite shouts and fires a blast
of energy at us. Mercury catches the edge of it and is knocked
off balance. She stumbles and knocks her head against the bumper
of a car and goes down stunned. I hurl a rose at Nephrite and
hit him in the leg with it. It tears out his pants leg and I
draw first blood. With a backward waive of his hands, however,
he invokes a mystical barrier that blocks my next rose. "Now you
will really pay, he growls.
"The stars know everything..." he begins to chant a mantra I
recognize as one the Astrological mages used to focus their
minds. I've heard him use it when he was on my side. A nimbus
of violet light surrounds his being as he draws energy to summon
a constellation avatar. Instead of continuing it he trails
off... "Well, Finish it!" I demand. He hesitates as if I have
touched on something: a ghost of a memory. "Bah, you try and
distract me. The stars know everything..." "And as members of
the college of Astrology," I continue for him, "we are to use
that knowledge foremost for the betterment of our fellow man.
Not for personal gain nor self-aggrandizement have we come here
but to focus our gaze upon the heavens. Like the eternal wisdom
they personify, the stars are to be our guide in the way of truth
and knowledge and justice and light. May we follow them thus
forever and ever."
Toward the last I saw his eyes get a far away look an his
lips mouth the words I intoned: the creed he used to live by.
Shaking his head as if to clear it, he demands, "How do you know
this? Who are you?"
Hopefully that there is still a chance he could be saved, I
sweep off my mask and hat say, "I am Ferrite, Fifth Guardian of
the house of Endymion, and... your friend from long ago." For a
second, my personal will overcomes the transformation magic and
the trenchcoat and tuxedo reverts to my uniform. It is the same
cut as his grey guardian uniform, but my color is blue and
trimmed in gold. The only decoration on it, save the captain's
bars is the order of the rose, the House of Endymion's highest
honor. The uniform fades back into the trenchcoat as the magic
reasserts itself.
He seems confused; it looks like Nephrite is about to throw
off the spell Beryl has him under. I barrage him with questions
about his life before the witch changed him, "Don't you remember?
You saved my life when you summoned Orion the Hunter against
Beryl's youma. You gave me direction when Venus sent me away and
my heart was broken. I spoke on your behalf to the college when
they wanted to expel you. I introduced you to Jupiter, who
became your one and only. Remember poker nights with the others?
Think of how you and I would clean up? We share a love of fine
whiskey and took a drinking man's tour of the bars across the
solar system." The questions become commands and I say,
"Remember that Nephrite... remember the man you used to be."
He waivers as I assault him with his past. For a moment his
face is serene and he is the scholar and gentleman I once knew.
But then his eyes close and blink open and they are red orbs that
glow like coals. "There will soon be only the Dark Kingdom," he
says somewhat robotically, "Beryl will be triumphant and I will
be in the vanguard."
"Then the friend I knew lifetimes ago is truly dead," I say
replacing my mask, "You are nothing but a shell given the seeming
of life by Beryl." My eyes are blurred at the final loss of my
friend. Through teeth gritted in rage I spit, "I should have
shot you when I had the chance."
His visage grows dark at my words and commands, "Draco the
Dragon, Come forth!" A ghostly constellation of stars forms in
front of him and takes the form of a long serpentine lizard. It
has a large eyes, wide oversized mouth, small vestigial legs: An
eastern dragon. It opens it's mouth and lets out a mighty high
pitched yodeling roar. Ivory white teeth like rows of needles,
line its mouth. Its red eyes glitter with malice.
I make a big show of circling the monster trying to draw it
away from Mercury. She still lies stretched out on the pavement
unconscious. Come on, Wake up! The dragon weaves back and forth
through the air in a serpentine fashion. Without wings, it more
worms its way through the air than flies. Nephrite stands close
at hand directing his creation, his eyes shine with a demonic
light. The warmth of recognition I saw earlier is completely
gone. "Fight me and die," he growls, "Beryl and the Dark Kingdom
will be triumphant." The dragon opens its mouth wide and inhales
deeply. A low rumbling starts in its belly and a wave of roiling
heat erupts from its maw to spray a swath of fire at me. Leaping
above and to the left, I barely avoid being roasted. The edge of
my coat smolders from the near miss.
"Hah! Give up, Ferrite, Join the Dark Kingdom and I will
assure you a place of prominence," Nephrite gloats. "Never," I
spit, "Beryl will not twist me as she has you." "Then Burn," he
says. The dragon inhales again and unleashes a gout of flame at
me. I protect my eyes with my arm and am engulfed in the fire
for a moment before I can roll clear. Nephrite and the dragon
loom large over me, with a wave of his hand he motions the dragon
to attack and seals my fate. The dragon inhales once again to
burn me to death.
"MERCURY BUBBLES... BLAST!" Suddenly, we are all surrounded
by an impenetrable fog. Nephrite and the dragon hesitate for a
moment but they are right on top of me and the dragon prepares to
breathe fire. Seizing the instant that Mercury has given me, I
jam my umbrella down the serpent's throat and trigger the
release. My fingers clear his teeth just as they snap together.
I lose the fingertip off my glove but that's all. The dragon, on
the other hand is in dire straits. My magical umbrella is a
visible lump lodged in the monster's gullet. Both Nephrite's and
the dragon's eyes bug out in surprise at my action. Denied an
outlet, the hot gasses cause the creature to start swelling up
like a balloon. It's serpentine body becomes fat like a sausage
staining at its skin. The mystical creature makes a rubbery
stretching sound. Ahhh! He's gonna' blow!
I make an amazing grasshopper jumps and leap over Nephrite's
Ferrari. Mercury, still somewhat dazed and stands nearby leaning
on the trunk. "Get down!" I yell and haul her next to me as the
dragon explodes with a loud "BOOOMFF!" A wave of fire and smoke
wash over the car but we are unhurt. Poking our heads up, we see
Nephrite, standing there all black and covered with soot. His
hair is singed and smoking. At his feet my umbrella, still
intact, spins like a top. Of the dragon, nothing is left.
Nephrite looks so ridiculous Mercury snickers. His face, black
except for his white eyes and teeth, make him look even more
absurd. Releasing the tension of almost being killed, I chuckle.
Building off each other, we laugh. Nephrite is shaking with
rage. "Laugh while you can! The Dark Kingdom will triumph!"
With that declaration he teleports away.
"Hmph! He got away." I say. Mercury wobbles on my arm a
bit and says, "I think we're the ones who got away." Speaking of
getting away," I ask dangling the car keys, "Can I offer you a
ride home?"
"Um... my mother told me never accept rides from strangers."
"Wise woman," I say with a nod, "ah well..." I go to retrieve
my umbrella and the books that Nephrite was stealing catch my
eye. I pick them up and set them on the back of a car. One is
entitled "Royal Families of Europe" and the other "Famous
Gemstones of the World". "Do you have any idea why Nephrite
would be interested in European nobility and gemstones? My
information tells me they are primarily trying to gather life
energy."
"I don't know," she answers, "we'll have to try and figure out
what he's up to."
"Are you feeling all right?"
"Yes, I was a little groggy, but I'm better now. I'll wait
here for my friends."
"Well, take care of yourself young Mercury," I say. My heart
flutters at the memory of the last night of the Silver Millennium
those words evoke and for a moment I am staggered.
"What's the matter?" She asks noticing my change in
expression.
"An old memory... one better left forgotten," I answer
anxiously. I've got to get out of here. How can you explain to
a fourteen year old how you saw her die? I leap into the Ferrari
and start it up. The engine growls smoothly and the frame
vibrates seductively with power. I back out of the space past
Mercury and the tires chirp as I bring it to a halt. I look a
her for a moment and then toss her a yellow rose. There is a lot
that is beautiful and heroic, though, that should be remembered.
I pull down the ramp just as Moon and Mars join Mercury from
the stairway. They cluster around her as she holds the rose and
I see their mouths moving briskly barraging her with questions.
I tip my hat to them as I disappear down the ramp. When I pull
onto the road I ruminate on tonight's events. Nephrite is in
charge now; that certainly explains the change in Dark Kingdom
tactics. If we had almost messed up one of his plans he would
have put up a more determined fight. This was just a little side
trip of his: him doing his homework. But for what? I wonder
what his real scheme is? Why would he be interested in european
royalty? What is the significance of gems? If he's searching
for the Imperium Silver crystal, he'll never find it; it being
broken into seven pieces. I'll bet the O.S.A.P. Jewelry store
has some connection with this. Maybe I should visit there
personally and see what I can find out.
Heads turn and follow me as I drive the down the street: the
mysterious masked stranger in black in the hot sports car.
Something tells me it would be a good idea to ditch the car. I'm
way to conspicuous, but I feel this is sort of a prize of war.
Stealing it away from my erstwhile friend makes it doubly sweet.
Well, if I can't keep it, I think I'll destroy it. Does the Dark
Kingdom carry insurance? I very much doubt it. Pulling over to
the middle of a deserted parking lot I stop the car. I step out
and stick my umbrella under one side and open it. Because it's a
magical umbrella it opens, lifting the car like a jack. Seizing
the side, I strain my enhance muscles to the limit and manage to
flip his Farrari over. I snatch up my umbrella and walk off. At
about thirty yards I throw one of my copyrighted yellow roses
through the gas tank. Boom-Whoosh! The car goes up like a
fourth of july fireworks display. Hah! Explain that to the
insurance agent, Nephrite. Petty? Yes, but very satisfying.
I melt into the shadows briskly moving away from my little
act of vandalism. Leaping across several walls and rooftops just
in case anyone spotted me I make sure I'm alone before I change
back. Taking a leisurely stroll back to my apartment, I think on
today's discoveries and make my plans. The youth and
inexperience of the senshi is disturbing. How can a bunch of
young girls ever hope to overcome Beryl? It is imperative I find
Endymion and confer with him as soon as possible. Only by
combining our forces can hope to be successful. What possible
reason could he have for being so secretive? I'll pursue those
goals later, right now I must focus on my short term objectives:
One, Visit O.S.A.P. and find out what Nephrite finds so
attractive about the place. (Ms. Osaka?) Two, see if anything
having to do with European royalty is in the news. Three, see
what I can discover about those strange computer chips.
Three lines of investigation that I cannot afford to make a
mistake in nor overlook a single lead. I sigh. I'm on my own
against a powerful and ruthless foe, I certainly hope I do better
this time around.
(Look for Part 3 in about two weeks. )
FDB