[sof]
From krim@cbnewst.att.com Sun May 22 07:57:40 1994
Date: Sun, 22 May 1994 01:10:34 -0400
From: krim@cbnewst.att.com
Reply to: anime-stories@solaris.cc.vt.edu
To: dwills@world.std.com
Subject: Jusenkyuu Crisis [ Fanfic ]


Hi guys, this is a sort of a Ranma/BGCrisis story.
Rather than a parody it's more like a What-IF? or Elseworlds.
It's sort of like an experiment, many might feel it just doesn't
capture the right feeling.  Please tell me if you liked it and if I
should bother to continue the storyline.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
        The turn of the century marked the end of an era, in more
ways than one.  The great earthquake of 1997 devestated much of asia.
But what was to come afterwards would prove to be an even greater
disaster.   In the post-quake era many dramatic changes took place.
The the small district in Tokyo emerged as a new economic and political
super-power in the still chaotic world.  New advances in Technology
and Biogenetics were produced giving rise to new wonders for living
and dying.

        This new product was a series of artificial lifeforms known
as Jusenkyers or Jusenka.  These Jusenka offered unparalled services
in various fields from simple maintance workers to well-trained pets
to superhuman combat troops.  However these new biologically
engineered creations have proved to be less than stable.  Randomn
acts of violence erupted throughtout the community while the local
populace could do nothing save attempt survival.  This is the world of
the near future.  A city full of rage and passion, whose growing
tension was appoaching critical mass.  Like an overcooked steamed
dumpling, about to explode.

                        Jusenkyuu Crisis
                The Saga of the Kasumi Sabers

Chapter I: Bubblegum, Ranma?  I'm already chewing some, Ranma declares!

                by Karl Rim     krim@cbnewst.att.com
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

        Mysterious night.  Under the pale light of the moon, the city
hummed with life and dazzling lights, promising excitement yet
keeping dark mysterious secrets.  A young woman admired the view of
the city through the window of her office.  It was so easy, she
thought, it was so easy to think that the city was as beautiful as
the night made it.  But in truth she knew the candy coated covering
hid a core that was as rotten as could be.

        The young woman was as mysterious as the night.  She was
beautiful and fairly quiet looking on the exterior.  But there were
secrets she kept about herself.  Dark secrets that no one knew, not
even her only family.  Right now she wasn't as much enjoying a
quiet moment with herself as she was waiting.  Soon, she thought.
Soon it would all come bursting out.  Impatiently she lighted another
cigarette and waited.  She hoped it would be soon, she only had two
more cigarettes before she ran out of her pack.

                *               *               *

        Ukyou stepped off the train into Mega-Furinkan.  She slowly
peered around at the old neighborhood.  She could hardly believe how
it all changed.  Where once there was a suberban area there was now
streets, buildings and gutters.  The quiet of home town had
transformed into the busy bustle of a city, a city ghetto.   Progress
was not necessarily always benificial.  She gave a small sigh and
walked out of the train station.  She was due at her hotel room but
the feeling of nostalgia was too much for her.  She decided that a
little sight-seeing wouldn't hurt.  All work and no play made her an
even duller person than she turned out to be.

        Before she began her little walk, she stopped and took out a
mirror from her purse to check her makeup.  As the president of a
growing national company she always had to look her best.  It had
been what seven, eight years since she returned to the district of
Furinkan?  A lot had changed with her.  She was no longer the silly
little girl she once was.  She had now grown into a mature rational
young woman.  She abandoned her old tomboyish style of wearing a male
student's clothes and now preferred a professional looking business
skirt and blazer.  However she still wore her customary headband bow
in her long hair.  And now instead of just running her little
okonomiyaki shop she was the director of her own franchise throughout
Japan.
        Sometimes she couldn't believe how much she changed herself.
It hadn't always been this way.  She was just a young girl hoping
that her childhood sweetheart would marry her.  Everyone was so
carefree, no one really took life seriously.  No matter how many
fights or adventures they gotten themselves into, no one really took
the future, life or death seriously.  Of course that all changed when
the great Quake of '97 hit.

        The Earthquake changed everything.  China was hit the worst,
Japan second.  It was in that earthquake that everyone she knew lost
a loved one.  She herself lost her only living relative, her Father.
She was over his death but occasionally the absence of his presence
struck her very hard.  It was also during the Earthquake that she
lost, Ranma.

        Ukyou shook her head to clear her thoughts.  As she walked
down the street she reminded herself that she couldn't be bogged down
in past emotions.  For anyone to survive in the new world they had to
concentrate on looking toward the future.

        The only thing that seemed to come out even better in the
aftermath of the quake was the Kunou Corporation.  Ukyou could
remember the days when the Kunou family was nothing more than a small
aristocratic family dealing in floral products.  She was one of the
few people that knew the current board of the Kunou Corporation as
her peers in school.  She knew them when they nothing more than some
snot-nosed arrogant high-middle class jerks.  And now they were very
influential arrogant filthy rich jerks.

        The success of the Kunou Corporation had to be their
unbelievable advances in biotechnology.  They created various new
lifeforms that had a wide variety of uses.   Fish-men that could
actually breath underwater and survive the depths of deep-sea
pressure totally revolutionized underwater construction.  Bird-men
that could actually soar the skies.  Eel-men that could actually
withstand high voltages of electricity without harm.  Fifteen foot
workers that could endure the rigors of any environment or preform
any labor without the use of large expensive machines.  These were
only a small number of advances offered by Kunou Corporation.  These
new biological wonders were so astonishing, if Ukyou wasn't a
rational woman of the twenty-first century, it almost seemed like
magic.
        However with the many advantages these new animal-men came
with, they also offered equally disturbing problems.  Occassionally
they would suddenly snap and wreak havok in their immediate
surroundings.  These creations could not always behave in a clear
rational manner.  Or worse, the Kunou Corporation would mass produce
such crazed monsters as combat shock troops known as Jusenkyers or
Jusenka for short.  They would sell these Jusenka to private security
agencies or to any militia that would pay the price.   Kunou had a
less than spotless reputation.  There were hundreds of rumors
floating about that Kunou often dealed in illegal business practices
ranging from bribery to extortion to blackmail to kidnapping to
terroristic acts to human experimentation.  The list just went on and
on.  Some, Ukyou had first hand dealings with.

        A sudden blast of rock music interrupted Ukyou's musings.
Startled, she looked around trying to determine where she was.  She
was more lost in thought than she originally realized.  All around
her was nothing but slummy streets without any street signs.
She had to face it, she was completely lost.  Another painful
reminder in how much the old neighborhood changed.  Sighing she tried
to look for any landmarks.  The closest thing among the endless row
of building sides was some seedy looking night club called the Hot
Legs.
        "Hot legs, babe"
Ukyou turned around to see two punks staring at her legs.  Her legs
were indeed well formed, thank you very much, but their reference to
them was far from just admiration from afar.  Even in this new age of
awakening they still couldn't get rid of creeps.
        "You look like you're looking for a good time, baby.  Wanna party?"
 They gave a far from innocent laugh and started approaching.
        "I was having a good time, until you two jerks showed up.",
she cooly responded.  The two punks just laughed off her retort and
continued to advance.
                "I think this girl has a serious attitude problem."
        "Heh-heh, attitude problem."
                "I think maybe we should teach her a lesson."
        "Heh-heh, you said: lesson."

        Ukyou just sighed and gave the first one a round-house kick
to the side of his head.  It was a while since she used to get into
scraps like this.  Although she no longer engaged in school-yard
brawls she still kept her fighting skills honed.  The second thug
gasped in suprise before she gave him a chop to the throat.
        "Heh-heh, just kidding.."
                "Lousy witch!  I'm gonna rip your heart out!"
        Ukyou spun around to see her first assailant pull out a switchblade
as he recovered from the kick she gave him.  She moved back as he
advanced on her with the knife.
        "After I gut you I'm gonna make you scream..."
        "The only one who's going to be screaming is you, big mouth."
Backing her against a wall the thug closed in for the kill.  Ukyou
just turned her head away from him, shielding her delicate face with
her hands.  Grinning evily the thug lunged in for the kill.  At that
moment Ukyou released the spray from her can of mace.  She always
carried a canister in case of situations like this.  Although she was
confident of her own martial arts ability, it never hurt to be
prepared.  The acidic cloud hit the thug full in his face.  He
dropped his blade and clutched his face as he fell to his knees
screaming in agony.
        "Told you."
 Ukyou decided to put the poor loser out of his misery by stomping
his face into the ground.   With that done she decided to check out
the club.  Perhaps she could get directions or call information.

                *               *               *

        Inside, the club the place was packed.  At first Ukyou was
afraid that she would stick out like a salad in a butcher shop given
her conservative attire.   But the place was an odd medley of all
sorts.  The fasion ranged from totally punk to casual to business
dress.  She even thought she saw a couple of people in kimonos.
Ukyou wondered what would could bring such a motley  group of people
together.  Her answer lied on the center stage.

        Ukyou didn't usually like rock music but this time she was
willing to make an exception.  The group preforming on stage was
electrifying.  Before Ukyou realized it she was caught up in the
show.  What really caught her attention was the lead blond vocolist.
She was just so dynamic and charasmatic.  Just listening to her made
Ukyou feel like a teenager again.  Yet something about her passionate
display called out to Ukyou.  Admist her strength there was a hint
of some bittersweet tragedy which reminded Ukyou of herself.  It was
almost as if Ukyou had found a kindred soul.  Her song was one of
love, loss, loneliness and a coming tempest.  Ukyou was so mesmerized
she didn't realize she bumbed into someone ahead of him.  Ukyou
started to apologize until she realized who it was.
        "R..Ryouga?!"
        "Ukyou?!"
        "What are you doing here?!", they both asked in unison.
        "What am I doing here?", they contined together.
        "Stop saying what I'm saying", they repeated again.
        "I'm not!"
        "Now cut that out!"
        "Okay let's start over."
        "You first.", they both said at the same time.  And so it went on.

                *               *               *

        "You're looking well, Ukyou.", Ryouga said to her across the
table.  The two finally managed to start up a normal conversation.
        "How are things?", Ryouga asked her.
"Thank you, Ryouga.  I guess life has been good to me all things
considering.  I'm now the managing directory of my own small company.
In fact I'm staying in Mega-Furinkan for a few days for a business
venture."
        "Really?  What business are you in?"
"I'm still in the Okonomiyaki business.  Okonomiyaki's my life.  It
was the only thing I had after the earthquake..."
        Ukyou fell silent for a moment.  Seeing Ryouga again only
dragged up more memories of her past.  Ryouga fidgeted a little
uncomfortably not knowing what to say.  But suddenly Ukyou just
perked up a smile.
        "So, Ryouga, what's a nice quiet guy like you doing in a
place like this?"
Ryouga coughed and started with a nervous reply when his beeper went
off.
        "Just a minute, Ukyou."  Ryouga quickly went to a public
phone.  One minute later he came running back.
        "Sorry Ukyou, I have to go.  MFPolice business.  It's an
emergency.  Maybe we'll run into each other again."  With that he ran
out.
        Ukyou just stared dumbfoundly at Ryouga as he left.  Ryouga
was an officer of the Mega-Force Police Department.  Either that or
he was a fugitive running from the law.  But it did sort of make sense.
Then while she was nursing her drink realization suddenly hit her.
She immediately got up and ran after him but she was too late, Ryouga
was gone.
        "Ryouga you big cheapskate!  You stuck me with your bill!"
Where was a cop when you needed one?  And she still needed directions
to her hotel.
                *               *               *

        She was down to her last cigarette when the police reports
started coming in.  First she checked the weather forcast.  Satisfied
with the report she took out a pair of binoculars, peered out her
window and smiled.  True enough, she could see the smoke and fires
starting to form, a disaster in the making.  Senseless violence
needing to be stopped.  The storm was coming.  It was time to
assemble the others.  She cheerfully hit the intercom.

                *               *               *

        Ryouga was speeding down the highway at 60 kph on his
motorcycle.  One of the great fringe benefits of being an MFPolice
Officer was never stopping for traffic during an emergency.  Some
unscrupulous officers actually ignored traffic lights even in
non-emergency times.  But Ryouga wasn't like that.  He always thought
that serving the district as an enforcer of the law was an honor and
he always tried to live up that honor as best as he was able.  But
this was not one of those non-emergency times.

        The report just came in.  Another rogue Jusenka attack.  The
south district was being torn apart.  The dispatch kept Ryouga up to
date on the situation.  So far one police van, two cars, three
assault mini-copters and a dozen armed officers were already down.
Ryouga was called in as the "backup."  It was becoming a bad night
for Ryouga.  He just wanted to spend a relaxing evening at the club.
Ryouga didn't even know what he was doing hanging out there in the
first place.  It wasn't as if he was a big fan of rock music.  But
something about the lead vocolist, there was something very
mysterious about her, something that just drew him to her.  She only
went by her first name, Ariss, or "Alice" as she often referred to
herself by.  He was ashamed to even admit that he may be a groupie.
Ryouga blushed at himself.  Then he scolded himself and tried to
concentrate on the job at hand.  So what if he tried to make every
one of her concerts?  All the other guys at the office litterally
slobbered over her pictures.

        He should have expected trouble when he agreed to go on call
for the emergency night shift.  But anything was better than spending
his night shift answering phones at the office.  Besides, he needed
some time away from his partner, Dale.  Ryouga wasn't sure but he
could swear the guy was coming on to him.  Shuddering, Ryouga tried
to get his mind back to business.  Unfortunately the only armament he
had with him at the time was his revolver.  Fat lot of good that was
going to do him.  Oh well, he would just have to rely on his skill
and his guts, just like the old days.  He still carried his trusty
bamboo umbrella from his younger days, not that he really needed it
any longer.  But for the majority of the MFPolice it was a serious
liabilty.  The enemy they faced simply outclassed them in power.  It
was ridiculous for simple patrols to be expected to deal with the
constant outbreaks of these attack.  They needed heavy-duty military
hardware but there was an even less chance of help from that avenue.
Everyone knew Kunou supplied military Jusenka and no military office
wanted to jeopardize that relationship.  The gentle fall of rain
snapped Ryouga back to reality.   Rain, just what he needed.  There
was something poetic about rain on a ruined night like this but
Ryouga was too busy pulling up his jacket to keep himself as dry as
possible to appreciate it.  This had to be one of his worst shifts.
What else could go wrong?

                *               *               *

        Ukyou wondered what else could go wrong with her night.  The
waiter wouldn't accept any of her credit cards and she barely had any
cash left in her purse.  Furthermore the night's performance was cut
short.  The lead singer suddenly just cut out after her last number.
Ukyou peered out the window and noticed it was coming down hard.
Sighing, she wished she remembered to bring her umbrella especially
after sending a fortune at the salon the day before she arrived in
MegaFurinkan.  And judging by the sound of thunder there was going to
be a major hurricane tonight.

                *               *               *

        As the rain steadily increased in intensity Ryouga realized
that he was now completely lost.  He was starting to get drenched.
When was he going to remember to keep his mind on where he was going
instead of dwelling on political issues?   Of course the low
visibility caused by the rain didn't help matters either.  If he
could only remeber which way was the south district. Maybe he should
head for the northbound route?  Cursing at his poor sense of
direction he checked with the dispatcher for help.  He's been
improving over the years, but whenever he got excited he
occassionally lost his sense of direction.  He usually had Dale here
to help guide him.  Blast!  Where was his lousy partner when he
really needed him?! "Operator", Ryouga spoke into his radio, "What is
the current position of the Jusenka?"
        "heeshoodbeepasingurihtnaw.", came his reply.  It wasn't
really the operator's fault.  The district has been consistently
cutting their budget.  It was no wonder MFPolice officers's Jusenka
prevention rating have been constantly going down.  Ryouga swore in
frustration.
        "I heard that!", the dispatcher yelled out.
Ryouga sighed, he should be used to that now.  He decided not to
press the point and just get back to his job.
        "Sorry, Central.  Could you please repeat the last update?"
"I said: 'He should be passing you right now!'"
        Sure enough Ryouga saw the Jusenka bearing down toward him
maybe one hundred meters away being chased by an assault mini-copter.
The Jusenka was a big one.  Then again they were always big.  Each
"rogue" Jusenka had the standard armaments.  It was an ugly nightmare
standing over fifteen feet tall and covered with muscles any body
builder would envy.  It's head was more like an animal with horns
protuding at the top.  The mini-copters hot on it's tail (incidently
the Jusenka also had a tail) were MFPolice defense mecha.  They were
highly versatile manuvearable one-man helicopters equipped with
gatling cannons.  Unfortunately their aim wasn't that great.  The
Jusenka easily out ran the bullets being fired at it as it headed
straight towards Ryouga.  At the last moment the Jusenka spread it's
hidden wings and flew easily over Ryouga while the mini-copter shot a
round of lead at Ryouga.  "Oh snap!", Ryouga hissed through gritted
teeth as he managed to spin around the bullets.  And if it wasn't for
the slippery road he may have even stayed on his bike, but as it is
was, Ryouga wiped out.  And he still had four more payments on his
brand new bike.

        Luckily for Ryouga, he always kept himself in excellent
shape.  He could always take a licking and keep on ticking.  Ryouga
picked himself up and drew his pistol.  He was only slightly bruised,
the crash wasn't serious and neither was the damage to his bike.  He
was just in time to see the Jusenka leap towards the mini-copter and
wipe out the pilot.  Ryouga fired off a few rounds from his gun.
Normally he didn't put too much faith in such a small pea-shooter
against a Jusenka but he didn't have much choice.  If he was lucky he
might be able to hit the man-beast in a vital spot.  The bullets
found their mark and struck the Jusenka in the back of the head,
spine and where it's heart should be.  But the shots seemed to just
ricochet off and only served to alert the beast of Ryouga's presence.
It must be one of the new C-series, Ryouga thought, the ones with the
new armor plating.  Ryouga mentally went through his options.  The
Jusenka was still a few ways off and as far as he knew it didn't have
any distance attacks so he should have a little time to think of
something.  That delusion was cut short by a sudden burst of
firepower that knocked Ryouga over.

        Ryouga dazily crawled to his knees.  He wasn't hurt just
shooken up.  Looking over he saw the Jusenka heading straight for him
firing the gatling canon it took from the mini-copter's remains.
Ryouga cursed himself for underestimating the Jusenka as he dived for
cover.  Although they may look like mindless monsters, they in fact
had a very human-like intelligence.  This little short-coming was
going to cost Ryouga his life and his career, not that he really had
much of either but he was still going to miss them.  Ryouga cocked
his pistol and prepared for one final assault.  There was no way he
could match or even survive the firepower the Jusenka was packing.
But if he was going down, he was going down fighting.  He was
expecting the Jusenka's next attack to pop him like an exploding
nikuman.  With baited breath Ryouga waited for the attack.  He waited
for two whole minutes, but it never came.

        Ryouga cautiously came out into the open and scanned the area
for his attacker.  He found him.  The Jusenka lied nearby in a pool
of it's own blood.  It looked as if it had been maulled.  The
Jusenka's head was decapitated and various bruises and cuts covered
it's body.  Ryouga looked around for his rescuers.  He saw a glimse
of an angel disappearing into the night like mist.  Perhaps angel was
too strong of a discription.  What Ryouga did see was some warrior
woman dressed in splendid armor moving with the grace of a goddess.
Whoever she was she also had one killer body.  Ryouga shook his head
clear and chastised himself to keep his mind on his job.  He had to
figure out what exactly happened for his report.  Scanning the area,
Ryouga found two words written nearby the Jusenka.  The words written
in the Jusenka's own blood were slowly dissolving away.  Smudged as
it was, Ryouga could still make out the words: "Kasumi Sabers."
Ryouga heard rumors of these Kasumi Sabers but this was the first
time he actually saw them first-hand in action.  They were considered
Mega-Furinkan's guardian angels.   A covert band of secret warriors
(technically vigilantes but with the way the MFPolice were
understaffed, vigilantes were given extremely low arrest priority)
that would fight the evil forces of the Kunou Corporation.  Shivering
wet, Ryouga noted that the rain was dying down.  The hurricane was over
but he knew that it was only a matter of time before the next Jusenka
storm began.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
                        To be continued
                (Judging from reader response.)

Next:   MFPD Blues.
[eof]