Alternative Urusei Yatsura Fanfic by *Lewis Burden* (file: jad9_uy.txt )
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This Fanfic is not yet finished and currently consists of 12 parts. Every
part will be uploaded and made available on a weekly basis on the Internet.
Files are available vie email request or ftp at world.std.com in:

ftp: ftp.std.com   /pub/uy-fanfic    email request: uy-fan@lexicor.com
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This Fanfic was first uploaded to GENIE and is now available on the Internet.

note: This is very alternative UY and highly recommendable UY fanfic
=====

Enjoy,

        Yat Siu
        
        - ysiu@lexicor.com



                         Alt-Urusei Yatsura

                                IX

                         My Dream has Soured
                       _______________________


     Lum stood with Ataru in front of the door to Ran's
quarters.  Her boldness had melted away somewhat and now she
was hesitating.

     She turned to Ataru, "When it comes down to it, he's
still cheating on me."

     "I thought that's what you wanted?"

     ?It is, but . . . well before the dreams started I had
every intention of marrying him."

     "I can stay hidden a while longer.  Ten's room isn't so
bad."

     Lum stared into Ataru's eyes, almost willing to accept
his offer.  "No.  Ten's playroom is a prison cell.   I want
you standing with me, not hidden away somewhere.   I want to
be allowed to love you, Darling."

     "Then you had better go in," Ataru said matter of
factly.

     Lum face grew determined.  She turned to the door,
unlocked it with her thumbprint.   It was dark.  They walked
in.

     It was as they expected.   Rei and Ran were sleeping
together in Ran's bed.   Both were apparently naked.   Lum
stopped short, and almost turned around at the sight of them
together, but Ataru stopped her.   She drew a breath and sat
down next to Rei, waking him.

     It took him a couple seconds for him to recognize the
face beaming down at him.  When he did, he sat up with a
start.  "Lum!"  He fumbled with the blankets to try and
cover himself.   "Lum, I ah. . . It isn't . . . Lum."

     "It's okay."

     "It's not what --huh--  It's what?"

     Ran started to stir.   "Rei dear," she said dreamily,
"please hold me again."

     "Ran dear," Lum said, "sorry to intrude."

     Ran sat up quickly.   Ataru got an eyeful.   Ran saw
him and worked to cover herself.  "Mistress, my heavens, but
I thought . . ."

     "It's okay, Ran."

     "I don't understand," Rei admitted.

     "The Pochiks and the Azus are going to war, so you and
I have got to work some things out."

     "Now?"

     "Yes, especially now.   Rei, tell me honestly, how do
you think I feel about you?"

     Rei remained quiet.

     "It's okay, Rei.  I think I know the answer."

     "You don't like me,"  Rei said simply.

     "Well, I like you, but I don't love you.   Do you love
me?"

     Rei had to think about this one.  He looked at Lum, and
then hesitantly he turned to Ran.    Her eyes said that she
was placing a lot on his answer.  He turned back to Lum.
"No," he admitted.

     "Exactly.  So why are we getting married?"

     "My mother said so."

     Ataru started to laugh.  Lum quieted him with a look,
and then said, "My father told me I had to.   Let's see if
we can work something out here."

     Lum reached out for Ataru, who came to her.   "Rei,
this is Moroboshi Ataru from Earth."

     Ataru offered his hand.   Rei ignored it.

     "The dream?"  Rei asked.   He didn't seem too pleased
to see Ataru.

     "Yes.   I love him, and want to marry him.   You love
Ran, don't you?"

     Rei was still trying to come to grips with the presence
of someone, up until a couple moments ago, he considered to
be a deadly rival.   He still hadn't given up his plans of
obliterating the island of Japan just to get Ataru.

     "Rei," Ran spoke up, a little disturbed by his silence
on this matter.  "You do love me, donşt you?"

     Rei turned to Ran and took her hand.  "Yes."

     Ran let go of her covers and gave Rei a joyful hug.
She saw Ataru again, and immediately remembered her
embarrasment and her covers.

     Rei turned back to Lum, "But my sister?"

     "That's where I need your help.   I think I can arrange
it so that you'd be free to marry Rei and I'd be free to
marry Darling.   Are you with me?"

     If it had been anyone else in the Empire, there might
have been discussion of the throne, or the political
ramifications for the Seq family, or the concept of a slave
and an alien ruling the Empire.   If it had been anyone
else, Lum would have had to account for these issues.   Rei,
however, was far more concerned with getting Ran and getting
out of his sister's microscope.   He nodded.

                         * * *

     Lum entered Sugoi's second room quietly.   Ten had
discovered almost to the moment that she got it.   Lum was
alone, and once again was very happy that her thumb opened
all the locks on the ship.    In the light of  the doorway,
Lum saw Sugoi.   She was fully clothed and sleeping quietly
on a small couch.   Lum was startled by a loud snore and
turned to see Megane, still held in his chair.   His head
was sunk to his chest.

     "Of all the people she could have gotten," Lum thought.
Satisfied that they were both there, she backed out and
threw in a stun pellet.

     She carried them out of the room, and laid them
together on a lift pad.  "They look like such a wonderful
couple", Lum thought.   She then pushed the pad to the
hangar bay.   Lum noticed that Benten's fighter was in the
bay.   She considered briefy  getting Benten to fly them
back to Earth so that Lum could get to the generals sooner,
but Lum needed to talk to the people herself, to make
arrangements for Sugoi.

                         *  *  *

     She carried them into a shuttle.  Placing them next to
the sleeping Cherry, whom she had stolen from his prison
cell.  In all the confusion she hoped that people would just
forget about him.

     Once she got them all down,  Lum hoped, all she would
have is her Darling and that's all she wanted.

     Lum called the school and had them get Professor
Onsenmark, who apparently was still at the school.   Waiting
the government people, no doubt.   She told him that she was
coming down with a present  and asked him to make sure that
she wouldn't be shot at.

     She got permission and went down to the planet.   Her
three passengers woke up as she was landing in the school
courtyard.   Onsenmark was there to greet them.

     "Lum!" Sugoi exclaimed noticing her new surroundings.
"What are you doing?"

     "Keeping you out of trouble.   You wanted to learn
about the Earth.  Well, now you'll have plenty of time."

     Lum opened the door.  "Everyone going to Earth had
better get off."  Lum wanted to get this over with quick.
She didn't want to think about what the generals would do to
each other if left alone.

     "You are releasing me?" Cherry asked, coming up to Lum.
"What of Shinobu and the boy?"

     "Shinobu is already here," Lum answered.  "My Darling
is staying with me."

     "You have already consumed his soul, then?"

     "What?  Please Cherry, will you listen.  I love him.  I
am not a demon."

     "You look like a demon."

     Lum was feeling that headache coming on again.  "Go!
You're free!  Go away!"

     Onsenmark entered the shuttle.   "You have quite a
party in here," he said.   "Nice pajamas, Megane.  Where is
Ataru?"

     "He's back on the ship.   He had other business," Lum
explained.  "I'd like you to do me a favor.  And you too,
Megane."

     Megane was not quite sure what was going on.  "What I
want to know first is who abducted me?"

     "Sugoi abducted you," Lum said.

     "And I got some very interesting information," Sugoi
said pushing her way to Lum.  "You'll destroy the Empire if
you free the slave planets."

     "I'll make the Empire a better place to live.   I pity
you Sugoi, and all the other Uruseians who can't see how
horrible our Empire is.   There are good people here.  If
you want to learn the real underlying truth behind what I'm
doing, you can learn it here."

     "You'll never defeat the families," Sugoi spat.

     Lum sighed.  "I expected better from you."

     "What's the favor?," Onenmark asked.

     "We're leaving, almost immediately.   I'd like you to
take of her," she indicated Sugoi, "for a while."

     "You're leaving?" Onsenmark inquired, "For how long?  I
thought your ship was damaged?"

     "It's an emergency.  We'll be leaving the damaged ship
behind."   Lum felt a twinge of regret when she said that.

     "What should we do with her?"

     "Keep her out of trouble, and away from transmitters.
I'd rather you didn't give her to the government people,
though."

     "But she'd be the very proof I'd need!"

     "I know, but I don't think that they would treat her
very well."

     Lum switched languages.   "Megane, you speak Uruseian,
don't you?"

     "Yes,"  he responded.

     Lum turned back to Onsenmark.  "You can put Megane in
charge of her."

     "It is not good to get involved with the internal
affairs of demons," Cherry counciled.

     "He's probably right for a change," Lum admitted, "but
I need your help.   She's dangerous to me."

     Onsenmark considered.  "I really don't know very much
about you or her," he said.

     Megane spoke up.  "This one held me and lied to me."
He indicated Sugoi.  "I believe Lum."

     Onsenmark was surprised.   "Megane, now," he thought.
Perhaps there was hope for the world after all.   "That's
good enough for me.  I'll do it.   When will you be coming
back for her?"

     "We're going to war.  It could be a while.   We may
never come back."  Lum got up and opened a wall compartment.
She gave Onsenmark a small box.

     Sugoi immediately recognized it, and focused on it.
Lum noticed.  "This is a sub-space transmitter.   I've tuned
it to transmit on only one signal.   I'll be monitoring it.
Don't abuse it, but keep in touch.    I'll call you to tell
you what is going on.   Do not let Sugoi near it."

     Onsenmark studied the strange box.  "You're giving us a
link to the Empire."

     "Yes.   Whatever happens during the next two weeks will
be very important for Earth.   I do want you to know that if
I die, Earth will be turned into a slave planet within days
after this war ends.   I don't know if you could actually
prepare, but at least you'll know."

     Everyone was silent, considering Lum's words.  Cherry
was the first to speak up.   "It is true, then.   Our
freedom rests on the Moroboshi boy."

     "Yes, it does," Lum admitted.  "The freedom of the
entire galaxy rests on him, really."

     "I will pray for you," Cherry said.

     "Thank you," Lum said, glad that she had finally won
Cherry over.

     Megane was in awe at the words he was hearing.  Ataru
Moroboshi could not be that important.   Ataru Moroboshi was
someone whom he had walked to school with.   Ataru Moroboshi
was someone with whom he had spent weekends cruising through
the marketplace.   Ataru Moroboshi fell asleep in class.
Ataru Moroboshi talked with his mouth full.   Ataru
Moroboshi was not someone on whom the fate of the galaxy
hung!

     Megane looked to the brooding Sugoi, and recalled what
happened  earlier in the evening.  She had abducted Megane
to find out about Ataru Moroboshi.   Lum had stopped the
invasion because of Ataru Moroboshi.    Megane could not
convince himself that any of this was true.   What could
Ataru Moroboshi have possibly done to become so great?

                              * * *

     The meeting with the generals had gone precisely as Lum
had predicted.   The Azu and Pochik leaders had gone, and
the remaining generals were now arguing violently about
which would get the better rooms on the remaining ships. Ten
had long since given up trying to control the situation.  He
was sitting back with his feet up, cleaning his fingernails.
Rei and Ataru walked in the room.

     Even though Ten knew that Lum had planned to bring
Ataru into the open, he didn't expect to see him here, now.
The shock nearly caused him to fall out of his chair.  Ataru
winked at Ten as they entered.   The generals stopped their
bickering to welcome Rei.   They were also very curious
about the slave who he had brought with him.

     "Got him from Earth," Rei explained.  This initiated a
lot of shocked expressions.

     "But the Princess?" came one shocked response.

     "I've trained him," Rei continued.  "He's a gift for
Lum.  Another servant."

     The generals didn't know what to make of it. Ten's skin
was crawling with anticipation.   Suddenly  Rei's uncle,
General Seq Yethiz, broke out in loud laughter.   "Very good
nephew!" he exclaimed.

     Approving smiles came from the other generals as well.
Seq Yethiz approached his nephew.  "Shove him right in her
face, too.   We'll show her she just can't go around
arbitrarily telling us which planet we can or can't invade."

     "What's your name, slave?" asked one of the generals.

     "Moroboshi Ataru."

     The generals gasped.  Yethiz took Rei aside.  "I
thought you said you trained him!  And what's with the
accent?"

     "I forgot about the name," Rei responded.   He turned
to Ataru, and tried to act imperious.  "No surnames," Rei
commanded.

     Ataru didn't understand.  "What do you mean?" he asked.
This caused more gasps.

     "No surnames," Rei repeated.

     Ten spoke up.  "He's trying to say that slaves don't
use their family names in front of Uruseians.  And you also
donşt ask Uruseians to explain themselves."

     "Then how am I supposed to . . ."  Ataru didn't get to
finish his sentence.   He felt a sharp pain as the back of
Rei's hand struck his face.   Ataru was knocked back.  He
almost lunged back at Rei, but stopped himself.

     "It looks like he needs a little more training, and
manners," Rei's uncle said.

     Ataru stood straight, working to control his anger.
"My name is Ataru," he said.  "Just Ataru."

     Seq Yethiz went to Ataru, and studied him.  "Your
planet is new to the Empire boy, so maybe we can forgive
your disrespect this time.   But you had better learn quick
that it's the Uruseian race who are the masters of this
galaxy, and the families are the masters of the Uruseians.
As the member of a new slave planet you are the lowest of
the lows.  Feel yourself lucky that you get to participate
in our little joke and serve the Princess.   Remember this,
though, if you don't learn some respect quick, joke or no,
Işll see that your flesh is ripped from you cell by cell
over the length of a week."

     Ataru was not ready for this world at all.   He quickly
decided that he did not like this general.   The reason for
Benten's attitude was becoming all too clear for Ataru.
Ataru felt anger boiling up inside of him, but he held it
back.  He took a breath and relaxed himself.  "Yes, sir!" he
said.

     The general studied his eyes.  "There is some fire in
you, isn't there?  Well, one way or another we'll snuff it
out."

     The general went back to his colleagues with Rei in
tow.   Ataru remained where he was, trying to  control his
temper.   Ten studied him, unable to do anything to help.
He felt bad for Ataru.   If Lum had been there, Ten knew,
Yethiz wouldn't have dared to berate Ataru like that.
Everyone knew how much Lum disliked the punishment of
slaves.   Ten was glad that Ataru had figured out the
situation quickly and didn't try to talk to Ten, or to get
help.  Ataru's day would come.  Judging by Ataru's
expression, Seq Yethiz would regret what he had done this
day.

                             * * *

     It wasn't too much later that Lum arrived at the
conference.  Everyone made their bows.  She noticed Ataru in
the corner.   He didn't look at her.  She glanced over to
Ten, who just shook his head.

     "Who is this?" she said indicating Ataru.

     Seq Yethiz pushed his nephew forward.  Rei stood before
Lum, trying to remember his lines. "He is a gift for you."

     "A gift?" Lum said incredulously. "I don't keep slaves.
Where is he from?"

     "Earth," Rei said.

     "Earth?!  Earth was to be left alone!  I ordered it!"
Lum's act was getting smiles from the other generals.

     Yethiz came up.  "Come now Princess, you're not going
to embarrass your fianc‚ in front of his superiors by
turning down his gift, are you?"

     Lum was trying to look very angry, which wasn't
difficult when Yethiz was involved.   He had no mercy toward
anything.   It was well known that he would torture his
subjects just for sport.   It was he who forced Lum's father
to accept the planned marriage.   It was he who blocked her
father's every attempt at giving some protection to the
slaves.   Lum had learned to steer clear of him whenever she
could.

     "I suppose I can't," she said.

     Yethiz smiled.  "I suppose not."  Yethiz motioned to
Ataru.  "Boy!" he spat.

     Lum watched Ataru come over.   Something was horribly
wrong with him.   As Ataru approached, she noticed that the
side of his face was red.   It was becoming very difficult
to retain the act, but she knew the stakes.   Ataru was
maintaining his control, she could maintain hers.

     When Ataru reach Yethiz, Yethiz turned him toward Lum.
"He's all yours, Princess."

     "What's your name?" Lum asked.

     "Ataru," he said without raising his eyes.

     The sound of his voice ripped through Lum soul.  She
wanted to run,  hold him and tell him how sorry she was.
She should have never put him through this.   She retained
control, though.

     "Come here," she said kindly.

     Ataru walked over to her.  He never looked up.  Lum
reached out and lifted his chin.   Their eyes met, and she
saw his pain and humiliation.   She was almost overcome by
it.  Holding back her tears she said, "Don't worry.  I'll
treat you well.  It'll be all right."

     "Yes, maam."

     Lum turned to Ten.  "Ten, take him back to my room and
get him cleaned up."

     Ten stood.  "Yes, Princess," he said, and escorted
Ataru out.  Lum began the meeting.

                         * * *

     When the doors closed, Ataru started to speak but Ten
stopped him.  "Wait until we get back to Lum's room," Ten
said under his breath.   Ataru remained silent.

     It seemed like an eternity before they got to Lum's
room.   The door closed and Ataru screamed,  "I want to kill
him!  Who do you people think you are?!  This was a bad
idea!  I'm going to lock myself in that room downstairs and
I'm never coming out!"

     "It's over now," Ten said sitting down.  "You've been
presented to Lum, no one is going to touch you anymore."

     Ataru was pacing madly back and forth.  "How does she
let that go on?!"

     "She's not going to," Ten said. "That's the point of
all this, isn't it?"

     "And Rei hit me?  I thought he was on our side."

     "He had to hit you.  You were talking back to him.  If
he didn't hit you Yethiz would have.   Which would you
rather?"

     "Yethiz, was that his name?"

     "Seq Yethiz, yes.  He's one of the worst.   He even
scares Benten."

     "If I ever marry Lum and become Emperor, he will be the
first."

     "I wouldn't worry about it.   The fact of the matter
is, for you to marry Lum, you'll have to kill him first."

     "It wouldn't hurt my feelings.   What did he say?  I'll
have your flesh torn away cell by cell over a weeks time.
Can you do that?"

     "Oh yes," Ten admitted.  "He's done it before too."

     "I'll remember that."

     Ten looked at Ataru worriedly.  Ten was really starting
to like Ataru.   This change to violence and anger worried
him greatly.  "Ataru, my lad, take my advice.  Let it go."

     "What?!"

     "Let it go.  If you don't do this with a clear head
you'll make mistakes."

     "He has got to pay!  I am not going to forget what he
did!"

     "Then he wins and you lose.  The first thing you have
to do to beat him is to not let him get to you.  If you
react to him, then you're letting him control you.  That's
what he intends.  He doesn't want you to straighten up.  He
wants you to get angry so he has a reason to punish you.  If
you want to win, don't give it to him."

     Ataru's mouth hung open as he tried to think of a
reason to justify his anger against Ten's arguments.

     Ten repeated.  "Let it go.  For Lum's sake, let it go."

     Ataru fell onto another one of the other chairs.  His
face was sour.

     "Ataru, let me tell you how things are," Ten said.
"There are nearly one hundred billion slaves in the Empire,
belonging to about sixty planets.  Each slave planet is
administrated by one of the twenty major families.  Some of
the families are quite benign to their slaves.  The Redets
almost let their people run themselves.  The Azus, on the
other hand, run their people into the dirt.  It also depends
on the individual.  Pochik Ando is fairly good to his
people.  Pochik Vir, his younger brother, has been known to
kill a slave just for looking at him wrong."

     "Aren't there any laws?"

     "Sure.  There are tons of them, but it depends on the
Emperor.   Lum's father started out to be very powerful, a
lot of things got cleaned up.   But as he got older and it
became apparent that he wasn't going to have any sons,
people like Yethiz saw their chance.  The Emperor has the
power under our system.  Lum has to marry to take the
throne, and then take on the name of her husband's family.
The Redets are done as rulers of the galaxy.  If Lum married
Rei, then the Seq family would take over.  Yethiz would gain
a lot of power very quickly.  And more than normal for a
member of the ruling family because he has Rei's ear.  If he
finds out, or Sugoi tells him about Ran and Rei, Ran would
find herself transferred or very dead."

     "Does Ran know this?"

     "Oh yes.  Oh yes, she knows.  She's playing a dangerous
game, but the rewards are high if she wins.   Rei will be
the next patriarch of the Seq clan even if he doesn't become
Emperor, and with Yethiz out of the way she will have his
ear all to herself.   The Seq family is extremely powerful."

     "But I thought we were going to destroy the families."

     "We're going to destroy the system of slavery, not the
families.  Some will get wiped out, because they'll never
accept the new system, but we'll always have the families."

     Ataru stared at Lum's door.  The universe was getting
much bigger for him.  He started to think out loud.  "If I
marry Lum, then my family, Moroboshi, will be the imperial
family."

     Ten rolled this idea around in his head.  "Essentially,
though you don't really have the wealth.  I wouldn't hold
your breath, though."

     "Why?"

     "Even though Sugoi is gone, and there's general
confusion now, the situation is much more dangerous."

     "How so?"

     "Of the major families the top four are the Seq, the
Redet, the Pochik and the Azu.  Lum could get a lot done by
vying the Seq, the Pochik and the Azu against each other. As
long as they couldn't get together, Lum could do whatever
she wanted.  Now it's just her and the Seq."

     "But you said there were twenty major families.  How
about the other sixteen?"

     "'Major' is a relative term.  The Uio, the Dedron, and
the Telio are significant, but they're not going to contend
against the Seq.  Especially the Uio and the Dedron.  Uio
usually ally with the Seq, and the Dedron recently had a
difference of opinion with Lum.  There won't be any help
there.   The Telio will help, but it won't be enough."

     "How are we supposed to win then?"

     Ten was silent for a bit and then said, "Ran has to
keep Rei in check and Yethiz has to die."

                         *  *  *

     Lum finished the meeting.  She didn't want to know, but
she asked anyway as she made her way back to her room.
"Computer: time?"

     "Point 10:28."

     In a couple tenths it would be time to get up, she
thought, but it didn't matter.  She wasn't going to be
getting any sleep.  The evacuations had started and she had
to move her own things to the other carrier.

     They were going in with nothing.  The Azu and the
Pochik each took their battle cruisers.  Lum's own carrier
was out.   All that was left was the Seq carrier and a bunch
of small destroyers.  Fortunately, the Redet fleet would be
there as well, along with some other minor forces.  Lum
hoped it would be enough.  Lum was sure that, despite Yethiz
promises, the Seq fleet wouldn't come.  How wonderful it
would be if everyone's fleet was destroyed except the Seq.

     Lum entertained visions of Ran and Rei sitting together
in the Seq family house.  It made her a little happier.
Then she remembered Ataru.  These next few days would be
very hard on him.  She would have to make sure that she
didn't expose him too much to Seq Yethiz.

     She entered her room and ran to Ataru, who accepted
her.  "I'm so sorry, Darling.  I didn't think that would
happen."

     "It's okay.  Ten's explained the situation to me.  I
can take it.  We have to win this one, though.  I'm not
going to be your slave, forever."

     Lum pulled back a little.  "Please don't call yourself
a slave.  It hurts too much to hear you say that."

     Ten stood up.  "I think I'm going to go now," he said.
"Things to pack, schemes to hatch."  He left.

     "I feel so bad about what I did to him in the dreams,"
Ataru said, changing the subject.
     "He got you too, if I remember right."

     Ataru kissed her.  They held each other close until Lum
pulled away.  She smiled.  "We have to pack," she said.  "I
said I'd be ready to transfer my flag to the Seq carrier in
less than half a tenth."

     "A tenth?"

     "A little more than two Earth hours."

     "Oh.  Well, I have all my things packed," Ataru joked.
"Now what?"

     Lum let him go. "Now, you help me."

                         *  *  *

     Benten lay sprawled on top of the pile of dirty clothes
on her bed.  She was fast asleep.  Mendo was balled up on
one of Benten's chairs.  More dirty clothes and papers had
been moved out of the way to make a place for him.  They had
talked for quite a while and then began to doze off.  Benten
had decided that a morning was as good as a night.  She'd
take Mendo back in the morning, first thing.

     There came a knock on her door.  There was a pause and
then it was more insistent.  "Lieutenant!" came a voice.
"Lieutenant!  Get up. It's important."

     Benten, in an effort to get up rolled out of bed and
hit the floor with a clunk.  "Shit."

     She slowly got to her feet and went to the door.  "What
the hell do you want?!" she yelled through the door.  Mendo
started to stir.

     "Get packed!  The Azu's and the Pochik have gone to
war.  We're evacuating to the Seq carrier.  They want us all
there in a half a tenth!"

     "Yeah, whatever," Benten said wearily.

     Mendo, barely awake now said, "What is that all about?"

     Benten turned to Mendo and in horrid realization found
herself suddenly awake.  The word "evacuate" shot through
her mind.  A thousand bad possibilities filled her head.
"We're in deep shit," she said.

                         [End of Part 9]