Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 1 ======================================================================= =========================================================================== = Electronic = = = = TTTTTT lll ffff = = TT ll ff ff = = TT aaaa ll eeeee ssssss ooooo ff = = TT aa ll ee ee ss oo oo fffff = = TT aaaaa ll eeeeeee sssss oo oo ff = = TT aa aa ll ee ss oo oo ff = = TT aaaa a llll eeeee ssssss ooooo ff = = = = AAA ii tt ii = = AA AA tt = = AA AA n nnnn iii mmm mm aaaa tttttt iii ooooo n nnnn = = AA AA nn nn ii mmmmmmm aa tt ii oo oo nn nn = = AAAAAAA nn nn ii mm m mm aaaaa tt ii oo oo nn nn = = AA AA nn nn ii mm mm aa aa tt ii oo oo nn nn = = AA AA nn nn iiii mm mm aaaa a tt iiii ooooo nn nn = = = = = =========================================================================== = An Anime Publications Bureau Publication === VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1 = = All contents Copyright (c) 1991 by === = = the APB and Randall Stukey. See Usage === January 1991 = = Notes for copyright restrictions. === = =========================================================================== Co-Editors: === CONTENTS PAGE Patricia Munson-Siter === FICTION Randall Stukey === Lensman Shira R'Starya.................. 4 === Mobiru Suit Confusion................... 36 Authors: === Hoboken no Ken.......................... 41 Robert Gibson === Cosmo Misadventure: Psychic Pair........ 71 Shainde Minuk === Who Framed Roger Rabbit: Patricia Munson-Siter === A Sequel of Sorts................... 88 Alvin Ronnfeldt === === NONFICTION === Animation Facts: Sonic Soldier Borgman.. 60 === === DEPARTMENTS === Editorial Reflections................... 2 === Reviews: Anime in English............... 91 === Anime Fandom Information................ 102 Distribution: === Usage Notes............................. 130 Nul (1:387/255.0) === === Publisher: === APB === 4122 Tallulah === San Antonio, TX === 78218-3452 === USA === Fidonet: 1:387/255.150 === === === === ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 2 ======================================================================= =========================== == == == EDITORIAL REFLECTIONS == == by Randall Stukey == == == =========================== While I have a strong feeling that ELECTRONIC TALES OF ANIMATION is not going to be nearly as popular with the average anime fan as any of our previous animation publications, I know that the editorial staff are going to enjoy working on it much more than we did SAFR, the C/FO-SAN ANTONIO NEWSLETTER, the NEW C/FO BULLETIN, or CELLULOID DIVERSIONS. I imagine we'll enjoy it more than ANIMATION VELOCITY as well. Why? Because this is the first time we are doing a "real" fanzine as opposed to a "magazine-sized newsletter"! Both Patricia Munson-Siter and myself grew up in fandom with zines oriented toward fan fiction and reviews as opposed to newsletters full of detailed fact articles, translations of detailed fact articles, and club business. When we stupidly got involved with the Collapsing Fan Organization back in 1985 and 1986, we foolishly decided to try to maintain the status quo in anime publications. As fan fiction was not too popular among the more vocal members of the C/FO, we begged, bitched, demanded, threatened, wrote, and otherwise obtained as many of the very hard to get (because so few people had the knowledge, skill, time, and desire to write them) factual articles as we could. We downplayed the fan fiction -- even through anime-related fan fiction is MUCH easier to locate than accurate factual articles (because no knowledge of Japanese, expensive anime magazines, or the like are required to write it -- just a basic love and knowledge of the series or features in question). What we should have done was publish a fanzine like this one and attracted an audience we would have been more comfortable with instead of trying to serve the needs and (to us) alien tastes of an audience we had little in common with. Sometimes trying to "be nice" and "go with the flow" cause more trouble than it is worth in the long run. ELECTRONIC TALES OF ANIMATION is patterned after the professional science fiction and fantasy fiction magazines (e.g. ANALOG, AMAZING STORIES, IASFM, etc.). Therefore, while main courses set on the ETA table are definitely going to be animation-related fan fiction, there are going to be regular side dishes of related material: reviews, culture articles, articles on writing fiction, articles on fandom, and yes, even a few of those detailed factual articles that so many anime fen seem to think are the only articles worth reading. Hopefully there will be a little something for everyone in each and every issue -- even if you believe that you loathe fan fiction. However, publishing animation-related fan fiction is the primary purpose of this publication. It will remain so no matter how many letters we get from those of you who do not like fan fiction. Speaking of letters, something else I miss from non-anime zines ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 3 ======================================================================= is an active letters column. Hopefully some of the readership of this publication will be moved to express their opinions of this publication, of the stories or articles we publish, or even of animation in general in a letter for publication in ETA. Letters of comment (LOCs in fanspeak) for publication can be sent by Fidonet netmail (with a Subject Line of "ETA LOC" if possible, please!) to Randall Stukey at 1:387/255.150, by usenet to Randall.Stukey@p150.f255.n387.z1.fidonet.org, or by US Snail Mail to APB ETA Letters, 4122 Tallulah, San Antonio, TX 78218-3452. Our humble apologies in advance, but due to limited time and resources, we may not be able to respond to letters other than those printed in this publication. Like all other publications of the Anime Publications Bureau, ELECTRONIC TALES OF ANIMATION is a strictly not-for-profit publication, neither the editors, the publishers, or the writers make a penny off of this publication. ETA is published as a service to animation fandom; or at least that portion of it that enjoys fan fiction. ETA and its contents are COPYRIGHTED, however, and are not in the public domain. Some of the contents may be reprinted in strict accordance with the terms of provided at the end of this publication in other strictly not-for-profit publications (see "Usage Notes"). ETA is interested in publishing your animation-related fan fiction! Follow the guidelines for submitting fan fiction to Animation Velocity printed in the fandom info section of this newsletter. The more good fan fiction we receive, the more we can print! Our first issue consists of reprints from older publications than have not seen the light of day in some time, but future issues will see more new material that we have not published before. Speaking of new issues.... If you are wondering about the publication schedule of ETA, there currently isn't one. It's frequency will depend on the response it gets, the number of submissions received, and the time the editors have available to devote to it. The editors have contact with numerous fan authors, but we admit that most of the authors we are in contact with write most of their fan fiction on series and features we personally like. This means, unless we get a lot of submissions from the readership, you will see a large number of GATCHAMAN, SAINT SEIYA, JUSTY, and SAMURAI TROOPERS stories. We will be happy to print quality fan fiction based on series and features that we do not personally like (e.g. BUBBLEGUM CRISIS, DOMINION, OUTLANDERS, URUSEI YATSURA, etc.) if authors will just send us their stories in IBM computer readable format! We hope you enjoy the first issue of ELECTRONIC TALES OF ANIMATION! And don't forget, electronic issues of this fanzine are FREE, please pass copies on to your friends and place them on other computer BBSs and online services! Our readers are our only real distributors.... Randall Stukey Co-Editor and Co-Publisher ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 4 ======================================================================= ============================== == == == LENSMAN SHIRA R'STARYA == == by Patricia Munson-Siter == == == ============================== [This story is set in the universe of the Japanese LENSMAN TV series, modified somewhat by material that appeared in E.E. "Doc" Smith's original LENSMAN books to fill in details that the TV series ignored. LENSMAN SHIRA R'STAYRA is an example of a common type of fan fiction story where the author creates a new character and tries to weave that creation into the flow of the pre-existing universe. It the hands of a poor writer, you often get what is commonly referred to in fandom as a "Mary-Sue" story where the new character is a nearly perfect idealized version of the author who is better than everyone else in the universe, solves all the "problems" in the story like the straw men they are, and usually ends up in bed with the author's favorite character in the series, feature, or novel. At its worst, a "Mary-Sue" story is unreadable drek. At the other end of the spectrum, a good bit of professional SF/F is nothing more than a well-written "Mary-Sue" story! Any story where the author introduces a new central character to the cast can be considered a "Mary Sue" story, but the term is generally refused for the "unreadable drek". This story has previously appeared in the original APA-HASHIN and in CELLULOID DIVERSIONS.--RSS] ================= == Chapter One == ================= Shira r'Starya was driven out of the darkness which had become her shelter by the searing agony of her wounds. By dint of sheer concentration she forced herself to ignore the pain, opened her eyes. Somewhere, she heard the evil chuckles of her captor. There he was...or his image, anyway, on a viewscreen across the room. A room bare of all other furniture, except for the ropes tying her legs to the hoop set in the center of the floor. The rope was banded with metal where it bound her leg and at the hoop, preventing her from untying it. The door was ajar, another sadistic touch. "Well, human, I see you have woken!" spoke the hated image on the screen, the great horned helmet concealing all but glowing eyes and obscene fangs. "It is well. You must be awake for the experiment to go on." Shira felt a lurch, recognized it as a ship being put under power. "I had thought to use some of my men to test Arisia's defenses -- but you make a far better choice. We will see what hallucinations you experience -- before your ship, under my control, crashes with its planet-buster bomb into that ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 5 ======================================================================= world." If he expect much of a reaction, he was disappointed. Shira was beyond anger or fear; she was surprised to still be alive -- and determined to keep fighting. Her right arm was useless, broken in at least two places. To immobilize it and keep it out of the way, Shira wedged the right hand to the wrist under the belt of her jumpsuit. There was no time for her to try and heal herself, as broken up as she was...in addition to the arm, she could feel broken ribs, her left leg was twisted at an odd angle, and her head ached. It would take hours for her regenerative powers to heal herself, hours she did not have. Instead, she grabbed a length of the rope in her left hand and began to concentrate. Sweat is acidic; by reaching into herself and concentrating her powers over her own body she increased the acidity. The rope began to react. It would take time -- but slowly the fibers began to disintegrate. Reaching into the rope itself as the process went on, she also affected the rate of its reaction to speed its dissolution. She continued to ignore her tormentor as she worked. Time passed. He had informed her she should soon begin to experience the hallucinogenic defenses of Arisia when the rope finally parted under her assault. She was the only one on board, so there would be none to try and stop her actions. The Boskonian chief controlled the ship remotely, fearing any crew could be persuaded by the hallucinations to turn it aside from its deadly path. The bomb had to go first, she decided. She didn't know if she could wrench control of this ship away from her captors. If she could disable the bomb, then only she and possibly a few others would die when this vessel crashed into its target -- rather than a whole world. Getting to elbow and knees -- her left leg was broken below the knee -- she almost gave up then and there as the movement brought agony not only to her leg and arm but also to her chest. She found it difficult to breath. A moment to collect herself, and then with the stubbornness that was an integral part of her personality she began to crawl toward the engine room, leaving a trail of blood behind her. An achingly long time later, she was looking at vast engines and instruments from floor-level. That bank over there HAD to be the bomb -- problem was, how to disarm it? Should she just go over there and start pulling wires? The floor seemed to give way underneath her. She found herself sliding down a long tunnel composed of stars and nebula toward a glowing ball of light. "This is an illusion or a hallucination, as the Boskonian predicted," she said to herself. For here, her bones were once more whole and the pain was gone. The light flared, began to assume the shape of a revolving, openwork sphere. Someone -- or something -- crouched above the rolling ball, watching her with ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 6 ======================================================================= wise, ancient eyes. "You have travelled far, daughter," the being said softly. "And you are sorely hurt. I do not think you will be able to complete your task without aid, Star Guide." "Perhaps so, Master," she said levelly, acknowledging him his obvious experience and power. "But I must try. If you are an inhabitant of the planet my captors are trying to destroy, be aware I MUST try to disarm the bomb I was working on -- or your planet, as well as myself, will soon die." "You do not fear death." "I do not welcome death, Master. But I do not fear it. It is simply another step." The strange being nodded. "Your abilities are in some ways far different from those I have already chosen to bear the load of the Lensman. You have talents Boskone cannot anticipate. Yes, a wild card entered into the equation." Brilliant light had been building up in the sphere, lashed out toward her, engulfed her. She felt it permeate her entire being, examine her down to the molecular level as well as every bit of her mind. Then it concentrated on the back of her left hand. A weight solidified there, resolved itself into a smooth blue gemstone imbedded in the back of her hand. "It will aid you in your mission," the Master continued. "The Lens will help focus your powers, will show you what you need to know -- use it well, Lensman." An instant of vast grayness, then she was once more in the engine room, facing the bomb. *Show me what I need to know?* she thought, looking at the device. She was startled as its surface swirled in response to her thought, glowed. What was that? Wiring diagrams -- for the bomb? She studied what the Lens revealed, then proceeded with more confidence than she felt to pull wires from the exposed control panel. Done. Arisia was safe, anyway. The control room next. She didn't know if there would be enough time, but she wouldn't give up. After another agonizing interval in which she had to push her increasingly reluctant body even harder to keep from collapsing, she arrived in the control room. No wonder the Boskone chief had stopped screaming at her some time ago, she thought as she looked at the screens. The larger vessel was under attack. He had no time for her now. That might make it easier to break his control over this scout ship. The seat was not built for humanoid frames. It was more like a oddly-shaped couch. She used it to lean up against as she reached for the controls with her left hand. The controls, at least, were fairly logical, and all were labelled...in HER home language? ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 7 ======================================================================= Then she realized she wasn't seeing the real writing. Again, the Lens was showing her what she needed to know by translating the alien symbols into her own terminology. Damn! She was too close to the planet to pull completely away. Perhaps a cometary orbit was possible? She turned on the maneuvering jets, reangled the blast of the main drive. It continued to fire its blast for minutes...then she swore out loud as the engines died. A quick glance told her the fuel tanks had emptied. One way or another, the Boskonian wanted her dead... As she watched the screens, hoping she'd applied sufficient thrust before she'd lost power for a sling-shot orbit, the grayness that had been gathering around the edges of her consciousness closed in, her body finally betraying her. Slowly she slid towards the floor. The cuff of her left sleeve caught on a switch, keeping her from sliding completely to the floor. On her left hand, kept aloft by the caught sleeve, the Lens blinked a steady warning that she was now incapable of heeding. Captain Adams frowned. They'd successfully beaten off the Boskone intruder. All that was left was this small scout craft the larger enemy vessel had been controlling. Sensors registered faint life signs on board. He didn't know what the Boskonian had been after, but was determined to find out. "Sir, someone's been bleeding all over the place here!" came a report from the leader of the boarding party. "Phillips, follow it to the left; we'll take the right." A minute later, Phillips' awed voice came. "Sir, there's a planet-buster in the engine room. It's been disarmed...and whoever did it left a pool of blood next to it." "I've found the source of the blood," Yamamoto, the team leader, announced. "We've found a humanoid in the control room. Looks like he's out cold. Holy Klono! It's a Lensman!" Adams straightened in his chair, finger stabbing at the comm button. "A LENSMAN on board that crate?" "Yeah. He's...excuse me, she...is pretty badly banged up, sir. Looks like she escaped from somewhere on board. She's still got a rope around one leg. Still alive, I've got a pulse! MEDIC!!!!" A minute later: "Good. You haven't moved her?" the medic asked as he arrived, a stretcher in tow. "I was afraid to," Yamamoto replied. "Just from looking at her I can tell that leg is broken, and from the way she's tied up her right arm I figure that's broken, too. She's not breathing any too well, either." The medic probed gently. "Bad. Broken ribs, maybe a punctured lung," he diagnosed. "Heavy blood loss. I hope we have some plasma I can match to hers. She's had these injuries for a while...some of them maybe over a day. Here, help me get her on ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 8 ======================================================================= the stretcher..." Shortly, the empty scout was taken in tow, and the stretcher-bound Lensman was transferred to the Galactic Patrol cruiser. "You need to call the Pasteur, sir," the chief medical officer told the captain shortly thereafter. "Luckily, despite her green skin, her blood's close enough to ours that I can use our stored plasma. She's lost an awful lot of blood, though, and I suspect she'd got some internal injuries I don't have the facilities to handle. She needs a surgeon's care, fast!" "Very well, Lyra," Adams replied. "Gus, put in an emergency call to the Pasteur. Tell them we've got a top-priority Lensman patient on the critical list for them. Doc, you'd better make sure all your data is ready to transmit as soon as you can -- they'll need the information before we transfer her." "Aye, sir." * * * * * * * * * * There was considerable excitement on board the hospital ship when it was learned that the badly injured patient the Northrup was transferring was an unknown Lensman. The excitement increased even more when it was learned that the BRITTANIA was also enroute with Lensmen Kinnison and Worsel on board, as well as Chief Surgeon Lacy. The surgeon assigned to initial care lost all his excitement once he got a look at the data Lyra had sent. He started cursing once they got her on his operating table. He did not use the term often, but this Lensman was a mess. An endless time later, he was reporting to Lacy as the two Galactic Patrol Lensmen looked on. "Brain, spine are in good shape," the surgeon told them. "Eyes seem OK. Right arm broken in three places. Left leg broken in two places; compound fracture of the ulna. Broken ribs -- luckily, they didn't penetrate the lungs, although she's got some bad internal bruising. Numerous incised wounds we had to clean out and seal with plastiflesh. I don't think we'll have to amputate unless something gets badly infected. We're using an alpha-wave generator to keep her asleep. Her body chemistry is just enough different from a normal human's that I didn't want to risk using any drugs on her. I just can't be sure how she'd react to any of them." Lacy nodded. "Let's take a look at your patient, then," he said. There really wasn't too much to actually see of her. Both the broken leg and arm were in traction as well as in casts. Her upper torso was also enclosed in a cast. The alpha-wave generator covered most of her head. However, the Lens glowed on the left hand, visible as it lay on top of the covers. ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 9 ======================================================================= Her skin was a translucent, light mint green, mottled here and there with darker green bruises. Her hair, cut in a jaw-length bob, was silver-white. "She must have a streak of stubbornness a mile wide, to do everything she did with those injuries," the doctor said, a little awe in his voice. "Lensmen, while alive, never quit," Worsel said calmly. "She knew what she had to do -- and did it. When are you going to let her wake up?" "Well, as ground up as she was, if we can keep her under for at least another four weeks, it'll speed her healing," Lacy said. "And, by that time, we should know enough about her body chemistry to figure out which of our pain-killers are safe for her to use." "Let us know before you wake her. After what she's been through, it would be wise to have another Lensman present," Kinnison told the doctors. Lacy nodded. "Especially if she's never seen any Terro-humans before," he said. * * * * * * * * * * Four weeks later they were all gathered in the hospital wing of Grand Base, with the addition of Port Admiral Haynes. Carefully, the nurse turned off and removed the helmet of the generator. The Lensman sighed, a flicker of pain crossing her face. Then, her eyes opened. "You're among friends now, Lenswearer," Kinnison told her, both aloud and over his Lens. "I'm Kimball Kinnison, and this is Worsel. Dr. Lacy is beside you, and that's Port Admiral Haynes." Her breath caught for a moment as she swung her head around to look at him. Deep grey eyes searched his face, Worsel's, then the others. Kinnison could feel the brief Lensed probe she drove at them, did not shield against it. She visibly relaxed. "Shira r'Starya," she replied. "The Boskonian filth?" "Still loose," Worsel admitted. "Our cruiser could chase him off, but didn't have enough legs to catch him." "Damn," she said with feeling. "That one needs killing." "How did it happen -- how did you end up on that scout ship?" Haynes asked. "I was initially captured while doing star-mapping," she replied. "Their ship was faster than my scout. I think the captain had originally planned to simply kill me, but then I made him angry by escaping and stealing one of his speedsters. They shot it down. I'm not sure how many of my injuries were caused by the crash or how many happened after they recaptured me. Things sort of became confused. I know they were kicking me -- that's when my ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 10 ======================================================================= ribs got stove in. Then the blasted pirate decided to experiment a little, and loaded me on board a planet-buster headed for Arisia -- while he monitored my reactions to the illusions that defend that planet. I was able to get free -- and if you've got the ship they locked me in you probably have already put together the rest." "We know you disarmed the bomb and were able to turn the ship away from crash-landing on Arisia," Haynes nodded. "Our cruiser picked it up after the cometary orbit you established sling-shotted you away from the planet and its defenses." "Well, the last thing I remember was praying to the gods that I'd been able to develop enough side-thrust to get me into that cometary orbit before the engines quit," she said, laughing shakily. "I think that's it for now, gentlemen. The lady still needs her rest. Bring in a dose of that pain-killer..." Lacy said. "No, doctor. Drugs will interfere with my healing processes," the Lensman said firmly. She closed her eyes, relaxed even more. The Lens on her hand glowed softly...and the glow began to spread until her whole body was enveloped. Lacy reached over to take her pulse, jerked his hand away as an audible crackle like static electricity was heard. "Ouch!" Lacy shook his hand gingerly. "She's making sure you don't give her that hypo when she's not looking," Haynes half-kidded his friend. The doctor only glared at him in reply. Worsel leaned over the injured Lensman, careful not to touch the glowing field. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "A healing trance. She had enough control over her body that she can speed up her own healing processes. I've heard of the talent, but never before have I witnessed it being used." "If she's going to compress several weeks of normal healing into a few days, she's going to need a lot of food to replenish her system when she wakes," remarked the young surgeon from the Pasteur. Lacy nodded. "See if you can get some sensors in here -- maybe we can pick up and record some of this process," he said. Haynes got up. "I think that's all we'll get from your fellow Lensman until she wakes up again," he announced. Taking the hint, the other two Lensmen followed him out of the room, leaving it to the medical personnel. "What do you think of her story?" he asked once they were shielded in his office. "She's a Lensman, and she talked to us over her Lens," Kinnison replied. "I don't know of anyone who can lie on the Lens. Do ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 11 ======================================================================= you, Worsel?" "Mentor told me it was impossible, unless someone had tampered with the wearer's mind so he or she believed it was the truth. I doubt that is the case here...Boskone has not the skill, and I think this one would break before she could be bent by force." "Her will power must be extremely strong," Kinnison agreed. "I wonder how many other Lensmen are out there we don't know about?" Haynes mused. "Well, we've already found out there is more to Boskone than Helmuth," Kinnison replied. "Mentor may have more strings to his bow, too." "We should not have expected Boskone to roll over and die with Helmuth's defeat," Worsel said. "The Patrol would not disappear if you were eliminated, Admiral." "You're right," Haynes agreed. "We must continue to destroy every Boskone base, every ship we come across. Eventually we'll find their home planet -- or planets. Then we must bring our own forces to bear -- and try to capture their data-banks before we destroy them. Once we have their own records we may have a chance to root them out for good." He stood, went to look out the clearsteel window through which they could see the comings and goings of the fleet. "No use making recriminations now. We must go forward." "Aye, sir," the Lensmen acknowledged. * * * * * * * * * * Shira woke ravenous, stuffed herself, went back to sleep -- and ate a more normal meal when she woke again. Lacy examined her minutely four days after she'd woken for the first time, and declared her fit -- but weak. He prescribed an intensive physical therapy regime to build the Lensman's strength back up and to enable her to regain her former agility and speed. Neither Kinnison nor Worsel was there to see her progress. Both had missions of their own to attend to. Haynes and Lacy, though, watched her work and approved. She approached her therapy with the same tenacity with which she had earlier forced herself to survive. Finally, she was released as fully ready for duty. Lacy followed her up to the Port Admiral's office. "We cannot order you to work for us, of course," Haynes told her. "However, if you are willing to follow my general directions and suggestions, I will have the Patrol furnish you with a ship and whatever other aid you request. Our battle is against Boskone, too." "Willingly, sir," she replied. "I've seen enough of your Patrol in the past weeks to know I approve of you and your organization. You must understand, sir, I am accustomed to working undercover -- alone. Some of my abilities make me ideal for that type of ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 12 ======================================================================= work." "What abilities in particular do you speak of? The more we know, the better we can decide which missions you would do best on." Shira spread her hands. "First, you must be told that this is not my natural coloration or features," she said. "I am somewhat like your Terran chameleons, Admiral. I can, within a certain range, change hair and skin color. Although I cannot change my basic structure -- my skeleton does not alter easily -- I can rearrange to an extent my body fats, the size of my muscles and muscle tone. It takes several hours to make a change, but once I'm through I retain that shape and color until I change again." "Fascinating," Lacy breathed. "Of course, that sort of ability would follow, considering your healing talents." "And we can certainly use that talent," Haynes said. "What about the Lens? Cover it with a flesh-tone glove?" "Not necessary," she told him. "If one knows how--" she thrust out the left hand, concentrated. The Lens slowly faded into invisibility. "You can still feel it, of course," she said, stroking the unseen device. "But not even sensors will pick up its presence." "Wonderful," agreed Haynes. "I think we have a job made to order for you, Shira..." ================= == Chapter Two == ================= Months later, a scout ship identified itself to the BRITTANIA. "Lensman r'Starya requesting permission to come aboard!" Shira's voice came over the comm. Kinnison looked at the image which formed on the screen, and almost couldn't believe it was the same Lensman he'd seen in a hospital bed so long ago, despite Haynes' warning. Light blue skin this time, and long black hair tied back and braided. "Permission granted," he replied. "Henderson, open up the upper airlock; her ship's too big for our landing bay." "Aye, sir." And shortly Shira was standing on the bridge next to Kinnison's command chair. "You have good pictures of the woman you want me to disguise myself as?" she asked. "Better than that. A video tape," Kinnison told her. "Come, I'll show you." She watched the tape with interest. "Excellent. Her bone structure is not too different from mine," she commented after concentrated study. "Please leave that full-face picture on the ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 13 ======================================================================= screen. It'll take me a few hours to make the change. I'll let you know when I'm ready." "I'll be back then," Kinnison promised. After he left, Shira stared at the screen and sighed. That blonde-haired female was SO beautiful...it wasn't right for a few women to have such breathtaking beauty when so many others were plain. With another sigh, she went to work altering her own features and coloration. Finally she was satisfied with the result. She'd even been able to change her voice to match the bombshell's. She called Kinnison in. "Well? Close enough?" she asked in the woman's husky voice. "Klono, yes!" he breathed, looked at the screen and then back to Shira. "And it's all YOU? No wigs, no dyes, no makeup?" "Just me," she agreed. "That's why Haynes refers to me as his chameleon, you see..." "I wish I had some of that ability," Kinnison replied. "I've got about the same facial structure and coloration as Dermer, but..." "With any luck, they'll be paying more attention to me than to you," the woman replied. "Anyone else going along?" "Henderson, my chief pilot," Kinnison replied. "He'll be our bodyguard. He isn't very well- known, so he won't need much of a disguise." "Let's go to work, then," Shira suggested. * * * * * * * * * * Henderson did a double-take when he saw Shira. Surely this couldn't be the same woman...? But the peaches and cream honey blonde also wore a Lens on her left hand. The only other Lensman on the ship was Kimball himself. The woman smiled at him as she lead him into the briefing room, where Kim was looking in a mirror and swearing quietly. "Hi, Hen," the Tellurian Lensman said. "Wish I had the same ability to disguise myself as Shira, here! Think this'll pass?" "If we've got the lady here along, you could be a Zabraskan fontema and no one would notice," Henry replied. Shira was also studying him. So far she'd resisted sticking her oar in, but she couldn't resist any longer. "You haven't got the haircut quite right -- Dermer keeps his a bit more rakish. And we're going to have to do something about that walk of yours..." So saying, she sat down next to Kim and went to work. "That's got it," Henderson approved a little while later. "Now, are you going to teach him how to walk like the character whose place he's taking?" ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 14 ======================================================================= "Don't have time to do the job right, and half-right is worse than all wrong," the other Lensman replied. "Hmm...best thing to do is give you a little limp, enough so it's noticed and can be explained away as a result of a twisted ankle or something. Give me your boot!" Wordlessly, Kim did so. Shira looked over the table, picked up a piece of paper and wadded it up. Then she slid it to the toe of the boot and gave it back to Kim. "Get up and walk," she told him. "Let's see if that'll do the job." It did. While the paper did not hurt Kim's foot, it made it uncomfortable enough that he automatically favored it a little. "And that way you can't accidentally forget to limp, or which foot is supposed to be injured," she told him. "Now, for you...Henderson, you look entirely too straight to be teamed up with such a disreputable man as Dermer." "Your turn in the barrel, Hen!" Kim laughed as the master pilot sat down. A few dabs of something combed through his hair and something else applied to the high points of his face made him look greasy, almost grungy. Then she brought out clothes for him. Henderson winced. These at first glance looked fairly nice, but a second glance said there was something a little garish and tacky about them. Nothing remained of the impeccable Galactic Patrol officer when he was changed into the garb and Shira had finished adjusting it. "Henderson, you look like a real hood!" Kinnison said, looking at the BRITTANIA's pilot. He turned to Shira. "If your ability to change your appearance is due to physiological talent rather than make-up, how come you know so much about this stuff?" he asked. Shira grinned. "Physical coloration, facial construction, and even voice are only the first, most basic steps in an impersonation," she replied. "If I went in with just that, I'd have died long ago. Just as important is dress, speech patterns, mannerisms, the way a person moves -- I had to learn those things to do my job in addition to my chameleon act." "You're a shape-changer?" Henderson asked, startled. "No," she shook her head. "I can only change the surface, not my basic structure. I could not even change myself into a male of my own species, for example, although I could make my face appear somewhat masculine. Because I cannot change my bone structure, even then I'd look like a boy or young man --" she grinned conspiratorially at him -- "I couldn't even begin to copy that nice, square chin of yours, Henderson, nor could I produce the solid frame of your body nor readily produce the musculature you've built up." Henderson was oblivious to the half-compliment. "But within the limits of your bone structure and such, you can appear to be ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 15 ======================================================================= almost anyone, of any humanoid race," he said. "And you're experienced at undercover work. I can certainly understand why Haynes wanted you on this mission!" "And we'll be using her ship," Kinnison put in. "BRITTANIA, unfortunately, is much too obvious." He smiled slyly. "I understand the POLE STAR was custom-built to your own specifications, Shira. You'll have to show Hen and me how she works." "Certainly, although if I'm incapacitated Seth can handle most of the ship functions, including piloting and basic navigation. Come on, we might as well go and introduce you to him anyway." The two men followed her in bewilderment. Neither was aware of any crew on the scout ship other than her Lensman pilot. Nor, when they entered the main airlock, did they see any signs of other tenants. Shira grinned at their confusion as the airlock was closed and the walkway between the two ships withdrawn. She lead them to the control room. "Seth, we have company," she said to the room in general. "Please record their patterns; they are to be allowed full access to the ship and should I be injured or killed you will follow their instructions." "Understood, Shira," said a soft, cultured masculine voice. Henderson identified it as coming from a speaker; it was Kimball who noticed the flashing lights on a panel at the back of the room. "A computer!" he exclaimed. "Indeed. Something a little more advanced than those you of the Patrol use," she said. "Seth is somewhat self-aware and fully capable of making decisions on his own when necessary -- something which has come in handy more than once, I can tell you. In emergency situations the ship becomes part of him, like a body to his brain. He can't do everything, of course, but within his limits he is extremely efficient." She sighed. "He isn't anywhere near what the Shipmind on my last ship was like, but then Greta had been around for a good many years and was an experienced hand, so to speak." "The Patrol obviously can make such machines, or they couldn't have done this for you," Kim mused. "I wonder how come they haven't put them into the rest of our ships?" "Time, money, and the fact your people hate to loose any of their control to a mere machine," Shira returned steadily. "And a ship such as yours with a large crew something like Seth is really unnecessary. Human reactions tend to be swifter and surer, especially under stress -- Seth tends to get overloaded when he gets too many inputs at once. Seth is useful to someone like me who is out here in space normally by myself for long periods of time. He's great at standing watch during slack times, which frees me to do my other duties. In emergencies, he awaits my orders -- and if I'm out of it, his instructions are usually to pull me out if he can and escape." ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 16 ======================================================================= "Makes sense," Henderson agreed. He was far more interested in the controls in front of the pilot's chair than in the self-aware computer. "How do you operate this thing?" he demanded, arm sweeping in the direction of what looked to be a bank of keys like an organ keyboard. "Take your seats, strap in, and I'll show you," Shira replied. She herself slid easily into the pilot's chair, fastening shoulder and lap harnesses as she did so. Henderson, remembering some of the times he'd been thrown about in the BRITTANIA's pilot seat, followed her example. Kim did too, with some reluctance. "BRITTANIA, we're leaving you now," Shira said. An acknowledgement from Thorndyke, and Shira cut the power to the electromagnets holding the scout to the cruiser's hull. "Each key controls a different jet," she said to Henderson, gently touching one. The BRITTANIA dropped below them as a belly-jet responded to that command. "I also have redundant control for the main engines on the arms of this chair for use in high-gee maneuvering." Fingers played with lighting speed across the board now, and POLE STAR was rocketing away at full blast. "It takes a bit longer to learn than the system on your ships, but once learned you can react faster and more fully to the situation." "You don't even look at controls!" Kim burst out. "Of course not," Shira replied, puzzled. "No more than your science officer, Thorndyke, has to look at what buttons he's pushing on his board." Henderson nodded. "Hopefully we'll have time for you to show me at least the basics," he said. Kim looked at the pilot. Henderson was practically drooling at the thought of learning how to hurl this bucket of bolts about! "Sure. It'll take a fairly long jump to get to our destination, and while in warp the normal-space controls are disconnected," his fellow Lensman told Henderson. The jump went boringly well for Kinnison, who did not share Henderson's interest in learning a new system. He watched as Henderson sat in the command seat, Shira leaning over the back of the chair and instructing him. The viewscreen showed the chaotic nothingness of warpspace...at least until Shira had Seth produce visuals to match Henderson's efforts with the keyboard. He watched with some interest as Henderson slammed the ship into planets and asteroids with frightening regularity until the pilot's reflexes began to adjust to the new controls. Henderson might have been disappointed when Seth signaled they were getting ready to dewarp, but Kim was relieved. The action would start soon! Shira's forged credentials got POLE STAR down on Galladrax, their target planet, without incident. Kinnison took the comm screen to make his connections as the infamous Dermer, while noting with some discomfort how easily his female partner slipped into the ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 17 ======================================================================= role of beautiful, clinging air-head. How many other women he'd thought of as brainless were actually putting on an act? As for Henderson, he was just uncomfortable enough with his role as hired gun to achieve the air of trigger-happy alertness one might expect from a thug in such company as they were to be in shortly. Kinnison walked down the ramp to the tarmac, Shira on his arm. Henderson walked a pace or two behind his boss, eyes ever-watchful as they crossed toward the reception point. Again, the forged papers Shira had provided got them through without incident. Two thugs approached them. "Captain Dermer?" one asked. "That's my name," Kinnison acknowledged. "Who do you represent?" "Yasnor wants to speak with you; we are to escort you to him," the individual replied. "The password is "thionite"." "The reply is "Orange". Very well," Kim replied. "Let's go, then." Henderson had to admit that Kinnison certainly had the cockiness to go with the part he was playing. The youngster's brassy self-assurance was something the older Patrol officer wasn't sure he could have projected had roles been reversed. The calm disdain -- almost contempt -- with which he treated the weapons carried by their escorts made the pilot more nervous than the situation already had. It was Shira's artless, empty-headed questions that at the moment were really bringing in the answers they needed. If either Kinnison or Henderson had asked some of the things she had, their guards would have been bristling with suspicions. Even those questions they answered innocuously produced results, for the guards undoubtably thought about the real answers -- and both Lensmen were mind-readers. Finally they arrived at their destination. They all eyes it with a certain amount of trepidation. "It's so...big," Shira said. "Is that a castle?" "Well, it's built like a fortress!" laughed on guard, amused at her awe. Henderson's eyes were taking in the emplaced armaments and armored guards at the doors. Fortress indeed, this place was better defended than Grand Base! However, as they entered, his experienced eyes also noted that most of that weaponry was mounted against an outside attack. He saw little sign, other than armed guards, of precautions taken against a foe coming from inside. That might prove this place's downfall. Henderson barely noticed several small, dark-haired and skinned women scurrying about some of the corridors. He wouldn't have really seen them at all except for the fact Shira was obviously studying them. He decided they were janitorial personnel and ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 18 ======================================================================= ignored them. They were taken to an inner chamber that reminded him of nothing so much as a throne room. All that was missing was a crown on the head of the man seated at the far end of the gallery. "High Chief Yasnor, we have brought the man Dermer to you," one of the guards reported. Yasnor looked at them dispassionately, his black eyes and dark, patterned skin giving the alien a reptilian appearance. Henderson wondered if the patterns were natural or some type of tatoo. "Welcome to Galladrax, Captain Dermer," Yasnor said, voice speaking Standard with a syllibant accent. "You have come to join my organization." "I'm willing to discuss an alliance with you, if it appears such a deal would be advantageous," Kinnison retorted. "I will work with you if that's the case. I work for no one but myself." The air around them grew tense as Kinnison stared challengingly at the alien. Then Yasnor laughed. "Well said, cub," he replied. "We contract out work. Once you've seen my people in action, you may decide to change your mind. Wilson, see that the Captain's companions are taken care of while I take him on my grand tour." "Aye, sir," replied one of the guards. Henderson sent a frantic glance in Kinnison's direction. "Go on, Hen," Kinnison said, waving one hand negligently. "I'll be all right." He grinned. "Keep an eye of Isobell. Make sure she doesn't get into any trouble." "Very well, sir," Henderson replied stiffly. "What do you mean, get into trouble?" Shira whined. "I ain't never caused no trouble!" "Just stay with Hen, 'bell," Kinnison told her. Shira, staying in character, pouted but obeyed. =================== == Chapter Three == =================== They were led to a sumptuously appointed waiting room. Shira sat down on a corner of one of the couches and continued to pout. Henderson knew she was actually keeping in touch with Kinnison with her Lens, and probably scanning the minds of as many around them as she could. Henderson left her alone in the task, and the guards seemed inclined to ignore them if they didn't make trouble. **Henderson! Yasnor's just had Kim grabbed -- going to try and force "Dermer" into joining his organization,** Shira's clear ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 19 ======================================================================= mental voice spoke in his mind, although her face displayed not a twitch of conflicting emotion. **They'll find his Lens...we've got to act now!** *Which one shall I take out?* he thought carefully in return. **Take the one on the right, silently if you can,** she instructed. She got up from her seat, walked over to the small buffet of food in the room. **Now!** Hen was already fairly close to the man she indicated. Two short steps and he delivered a round-house kick to the guard's chin. He wasn't sure, but thought he heard the dull *snap* of the man's neck. He turned to face the other guard, but that one was also falling, one of the small dainty silver forks piercing his throat. Henderson took his DeLameter out of its holster as Shira picked up the guards' weapons. "Two more outside," she said. "One to the right, his back against this wall. The second is down the hall to the left, in the doorway." "If you'll get the one right outside, I'll take care of the one in the doorway." "Fine. Door's unlocked. Ready?" "Go!" The man on the right was already dead by Shira's quick hand as Henderson ducked and rolled into the corridor, two shots finishing the fourth guard. "This way!" Shira commented, pulling him down the right hand corridor. Henderson noted she'd dropped several more of the forks into one of her back pockets as he followed her. If she was that accurate with cutlery, he'd enjoy seeing what she could do with a weapon balanced for throwing! They paused before going through the next entrance way. "Three guards -- two above on the second level, one ahead," she said, concentrating to scan their path. "Catch as catch can?" Henderson grinned. "Hmm," she grunted, charging ahead. Their progress through the fortress was entirely stop and go, as Shira paused frequently to telepathically 'look' ahead for opponent. Henderson didn't complain. Alarms began to shriek. "Damnation," Shira muttered, shooting a soldier who walked around the corner. Then they were exchanging fire with surprised Boskone shock troops stationed in front of a solid door. Henderson frowned. It seemed likely Yasnor was in with the Boskone revival...the enemy went down under their combined fire. ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 20 ======================================================================= "I don't think this puny little gun is powerful enough to cut through that door," Shira said as they examined it. "The DeLameter should do it," Henderson grunted. "I'll cover for you while you do it. They'll be warned we're coming anyway..." Shira fired at a guard who stuck his head around the corner. Henderson got to work, setting his weapon for narrow beam setting and cutting around the locks. Minutes later the last lock gave way. Shira went in first, taking a running dive and rolling. Henderson followed, his quick eyes having picked out the muzzle flashes as the enemy fired at the woman, and used that knowledge to pick his targets. As he charged in, he saw Yasnor slip into a passageway that closed behind the suspected Boskone chief. Henderson was too busy shooting enemy gunmen to do anything else but fume for the next few minutes. Then, once the enemy was incapacitated, he had to put off examining the closed passageway as Shira called him over to help with Kinnison. Kimball looked like he'd been through a meat-grinder; worse than when he'd tangled with the Boskone pirate chieftain Leu. The Lensman was barely conscious as they cut the ropes binding him to the table Yasnor had had him placed on while they tortured him. "Cavalry...arriving?" Kim whispered hoarsely. "You could say so. Now, Captain, I think we're going to put you to sleep for a while," Shira told him. She touched his forehead gently. "Relax and rest, my friend," she whispered. Kinnison's eyelids fluttered for a moment as she concentrated, then closed. Shira straightened. "Cut up those drapes, will you, Hen? He's got some broken ribs and a broken leg in addition to everything else," she said. "Yasnor..." Henderson began. "We'll go after him later," Shira said grimly. "Our boss comes first. But believe me --" she grinned wolfishly -- "Yasnor will learn it's not wise to mess around with Captain Dermer!" Minutes later Kinnison was draped around Henderson's broad shoulders, and they were standing in front of the passageway entrance as Shira jimmied the opening mechanism. Finally it clicked open, and they let it close behind them just as more of Yasnor's troops busted through the main door. The passageway was dark, and they were slowly feeling their way along it when the floor beneath them fell. They found themselves sliding down a chute of some sort towards some unknown destination. Then their flight ended as they plowed into sand. In the darkness, more sand and gravel shifted and grated as unseen creatures moved around them, coming closer. A light flared. Henderson realized it was Shira's Lens blazing ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 21 ======================================================================= on her hand. "Hen, don't shoot them," she said, reassuringly. He realized he'd drawn his DeLameter and had the safety off. Something huge swayed over Shira, only dimly lit by the Lens' light. He gout a whiff of spicy breath as another leaned over him and Kinnison. Large eyes reflected light greenishly in the darkness around them as Shira used her Lens to communicate with the snake-like creatures. Then the woman turned to him. "Hen, they're taking you and Kinnison someplace safe. I'll join you in a while. I've got work to do." "Lensman!" Henderson objected. "Hen,, these people can't keep an adequate eye on Kim, and you know as much first aid as I do. I'm experienced at going places unnoticed and committing mayhem. You're a top pilot, Hen -- but you've never snuck into an armed and alert enemy base to commit sabotage undetected." "And you have," Hen sighed. "Look at it this way, Henderson. If I get into trouble, you're my backup!" He couldn't see her grin but knew it was there. "I'd have a hard time coming to your aid," he replied. Then one of the creatures put its head down on the ground, and Henderson placed Kim on the broad, flat skull before climbing on himself...and they were speeding down a tunnel faster than he could've run. "Good luck, Shira," he muttered. **Thanks. I may need it!** her amused thought told him. Then it turned serious. **If I'm not back in six hours, our friends will take you to an airshaft which is close to the spaceport. Seth'll let you on board the POLE STAR and do his best to get you back to base.** She cut the mental link before Hen could object. "Bloody damn independent Lensmen!" he growled to himself. The tunnel snakes -- tunnel dragons? -- brought him to a fairly large chamber, dimly lit by an air shaft. Henderson could hear water nearby as he climbed off his 'mount' and settled Kinnison on the hard ground. Fleetingly he wondered why their hosts had agreed to help Shira and the humans. He dismissed such questions for the time being, finding the water by the expedient of stumbling into the ice-cold brook. He then found a hollow in the rocks the stream ran through, filled it with water, and with his weapon on dispersal pattern heated it to boiling. Hopefully that would kill anything living in the liquid. Then he sat down to wait until it cooled. He was working on the fourth or fifth change of water, bathing Kinnison's wounds, when he became aware of the snakes becoming agitated, swirling about fitfully. *Something's happened,* he thought. *The question is, what?* As he bit his lip in frustration, the cave seemed to grow darker -- and then he was floating in a star field, a nebulae glowing on ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 22 ======================================================================= one side. A ball of light shot toward him, resolving into a strange, squat being with an air of ancient wisdom. Below it, a lattice-work sphere rotated, glowing softly. "You're Mentor," Henderson whispered, remembering the descriptions the Lensmen had given of the Arisian. "Henry Henderson, master pilot of the Galactic Patrol," the being replied. Your skills are not enough for this mission, Henderson. Nor can Shira, capable though she is, do it alone. You are capable, your integrity is solid, and you are worthy of the responsibilities. Therefore..." light lanced from the sphere. Henderson felt like ants were crawling all over and inside him as the glow engulfed his body. Then the sensation was gone, and there was an unfamiliar weight on his left hand. He stared at the Lens which glowed there. The starfield faded, and once more he was kneeling on the rocky ground next to the unconscious Kinnison. The pilot swayed for a moment under the shock, then straightened. Standing, he went to one of the snakes, who was trembling ever so slightly as it lay curled on the rocky floor. **What's wrong?** he asked, carefully directing the thought to the creature. The snake froze. Then, words began forming in Henderson's mind, not as clearly as when Shira spoke to him over her Lens but intelligible. *Our smaller brothers report your companion is cornered by the dark-minded ones in the made-cave above.* Henderson reached out with his mind for Shira, but could only get an impression of vast concentration he couldn't break through. **Take the injured one to the airshaft you told my companion about,** he said. **And me to the made-cave above.** A brief conference between the snakes, then he found himself aboard a giant head once more, heading upward through tunnels that dipped, turned, and forked so much Hen wasn't sure he'd be able to find his way back without help. He wondered how many miles of tunnels existed under the planet's surface. The snake-thing deposited him on a ledge. The tunnels leading off from it were too small for his giant companion to traverse, but with his Lens he could feel a mind similar to the big one's. Reaching out, he found himself in touch with one of the "smaller brothers". A brief touch of smooth, satiny skin against his knees, and his new guide headed into the smaller tunnels. Henderson followed, DeLameter at ready. Light streamed through multiple holes ahead. He discovered he was behind a wall panel. The sounds of full-pitched battle waffled through the grating along with the light. The hidden door mechanism was simple. It swung open with a minimum of persuasion. Frowning, he bunched up a rug and thrust it under the panel to jam it open. It would be embarrassing and perhaps lethal to effect ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 23 ======================================================================= a rescue and then discover that his escape route had disappeared. He was on a balcony of some sort, above the level of the battle. Sneaking a peek over the edge, he saw a dark-haired woman below him, behind the cover of a pillar. She was firing at the enemy troops with a steady, accurate hand. It had to be Shira. "Shira! Up here!" he bellowed, using his weapon to pick off the enemy troops he could see from his vantage point. As if to further dispel any remaining doubts about Yasnor's connections, these, like the ones who had guarded the door to the 'torture chamber', were Boskone shock troops. They looked vaguely like fat matrons in long, stiff skirts and conical hats. Whether they wore special armor or if they grew their outer wear like an exoskeleton was something no one in the Patrol was sure of. Shira didn't need any further instructions in what to do as his suppressive fire kept the Boskonian guards from shooting. She ran to a spot under the balcony and leaped. Strong fingers grasped the decorative railing, and seconds later she's shinnied over it. They both plunged into the hidden passageway, Hen kicking the rug free so the panel could slide closed. Shira followed him down the passageways until they came upon his huge guide. Wordlessly, they sat, and the creature took off under full speed. **I thought you were experienced at sneaking in and out unnoticed!** Henderson teased semi- seriously. A hand abruptly closed over his Lens. He could feel her startlement through the link. **Congratulations, Lensman,** she thought at him warmly. **Thanks for the assist, too.** A second's hesitation, then: **If I'd stuck to plain sabotage I would've been all right. But I was presented a target I couldn't resist, and was spotted after I'd finished copying the information the Patrol needs.** **?** **Star charts showing the locations of fifteen new Boskone bases,** she replied smugly. **They're in the can right now. The camera is hidden in my belt-buckle. With any luck, they won't realize I got to the maps...** **So they won't try and relocate those bases,** Henderson nodded, impressed. She was right -- that was the sort of information the Patrol desperately needed. She'd had to risk discovery to get that map. Shortly, they were climbing out of a hole near the spaceport, Henderson with Kinnison once more in a fireman's carry. He started as he looked at Shira. He hadn't really looked at her in the seconds it had taken them to go from the balcony into the dark tunnel. The features she now wore hadn't changed a great deal from Isobell's, but now she sported mottled, purplish skin and dark blue hair. In addition, her over-all appearance was ragged, dirty, and greasy. The exact image of the cleaning women they'd seen in Yasnor's complex! No wonder Yasnor's people had ignored ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 24 ======================================================================= her until it was too late! "Let me scout around the tarmac a bit. I'll be back shortly," she said, and vanished. Henderson sighed and slid down to sit, putting Kinnison's still limp form beside him. Almost half an hour later she returned, face grim. "There are quite a few troops around my ship, and a Boskone battleship on the field," she reported. "I've arranged a distraction. We'd better get going; they'll go off in five minutes." Four minutes later they were hiding behind the corner of a warehouse, Shira's scout sitting on the ramp in front of them. To one side, a squad of skirted Boskone guards stood by. "Seth, begin covert power-up procedures," Shira whispered. Henderson glanced at her. As far as he knew she didn't have a radio to contact the ship's computer. "He's got his sensors on full -- including some rather sensitive microphones! He'll have heard my orders," Shira explained with a smile. "There! Let's go!" An explosion rocked the ground below them as the port operations tower exploded. A more distant rumble was also to be heard. Shira must've timed the spaceport bomb to coincide with the ones she's set in Yasnor's fortress. The guards ran towards the tower, and the Lensmen sprinted across the tarmac. The port in the POLE STAR's side irised open as they came. There were yells from the direction of the armed troops; a few shots lanced past them. Henderson increased his speed. He gasped in pain as the energy bolt's nimbus enveloped him. Then Shira's hand was on his arm, urging him forward. Somehow, he managed to keep Kinnison's limp body over his shoulders and not drop the young Lensman. **Almost there, Hen,** Shira's Lensed thought penetrated his exhaustion. **Come on, Lensman! SETH!!** She came close to dragging him into the ship. The entrance closed behind them, and Henderson heard the engines warming up. Then Shira was pulling the injured member of their party off his shoulders and placing him on a stretcher, which proceeded to whisk away under its own power. "Do you want one, Hen?" Shira asked gently. "No, I'll make it," he replied. "The bridge!" But he did not reject the arm she put around him as he staggered in that direction, nor her help in strapping into his seat. The acceleration of take-off nearly did him in. The woman wasn't sparing any g's as she blasted away from the planet. POLE STAR engaged in a series of bone-jolting evasive maneuvers as she rose skyward and entered space. The massive fire of the Boskone battleship giving chase rocked the small scout. Barely ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 25 ======================================================================= out of the atmosphere, Shira's Lensed hand reached for the warp drive control as the other controlled her ship's gyrations. There was a massive jolt, sending sparks flying, just as she depressed the switch. Henderson felt for a minute like his insides were being torn apart as the warp took hold...and passed out. ================== == Chapter Four == ================== Shira swore softly to herself as she looked at the status boards. No wonder that warp had been so rough! That last shot had holed the engine room, and damaged the warp generator. They were lucky they'd managed a warp at all, and until she could repair the damaged equipment POLE STAR would go nowhere. At least they'd come out in a relatively empty area of space. Hopefully the enemy wouldn't find them. Her crippled ship could not run, and she didn't have a beam hot enough to light a match without the engines giving power to the projectors. She looked back at Henderson. The man was slumped in his seat, held up only by the harness. She smiled tiredly. Henderson was some man! He'd lasted as long as he needed to to get the job done, despite his own injuries and exhaustion. *While alive, Lensmen do not quit,* she thought to herself, quoting Worsel. "Seth, another stretcher, please," she requested. "Yes, lady. On its way." Somehow she got the new Lensman out of his chair and onto the float. Seth took it away. She took one more look at the status board and all the red lights, and sighed. She was tired and worn out. Too exhausted to think straight under current conditions. There was no immediate danger and lots of hard work ahead. "Seth, take a complete inventory and prepare a report for me. Which stuff has to be fixed, its importance in order, and our supply situation for effecting those repairs. Also a report on the condition of Kim and Hen. Give it to me later, I'm going to go shower and then get some sleep." "Understood, Shira. I'll wake you if anything important happens." "I would hope so," the Lensman replied drily. She looked at herself critically in the mirror after the shower, and decided her current appearance had to go. Even clean, the hair was dry and stringy, and the lines in the prematurely aged face she'd put on to help further their escape were even more visible with the grease washed off. What to change to? Then a thought came unbidden. It had been ages since the last time she'd been herself...plain compared to the thionite dream of Dermer's girlfriend, but her and not someone else. And, somehow, for a reason she was afraid to put a name to, she wanted Henderson to see her true form. She composed herself, programmed her ability ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 26 ======================================================================= to do what she wanted...and went to sleep. This was one form she could change to without controlling the process every step of the way. * * * * * * * * * * Henderson woke up, feeling unusually refreshed. Then he realized that the stark walls around him and the narrow bed he rested in were not those of either his cabin on board ship, nor the hotel room they'd occupied on Galladrax. He turned his head, saw Kinnison on the bed next to his. The younger Lensman's form was mostly concealed by a medical cylinder. "Kim?" "He cannot respond," came a voice Henderson recognized as Seth's. "The patient is still being kept unconscious and will remain that way for some time, until most of his injuries are healed." "He'll be all right, then?" "Yes." "What about me? Can I get up? Where are my clothes?" "You were experiencing exhaustion and neural stimulation from a blaster bolt," the computer told him. "Simple sleep was the cure in your case. In addition, I strongly suggest you eat the meal that will be delivered to you shortly." "I AM hungry," Henderson acknowledged. Further, the food the computer prescribed was more than edible; it tasted GOOD. The new Lensman had no problems eating it all. Then Seth told him where his clothes were, and the human was up and around. "Where's Shira?" he asked when he was done. "Outside." "Outside? Are we on a planet, then?" "No. But it is easier to repair the equipment she is working on outside the ship rather than trying to do it in the engine room." "Still in space -- the engine room?" Hen was rapidly putting two and two together. "How badly was the POLE STAR damaged in the battle, Seth?" "We have no warp drive, and several other components, such as the subspace radio, were damaged." "She's repairing this ship by herself?" Henderson was a little surprised, but then acknowledged that he should expect that of the woman. **Shira,** he thought carefully into his Lens, **Is there anything I can do to help?** **Hen, I'm glad you're up and around!** Shira replied. For an instant he was in her mind, aware of her concentration on the weld ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 27 ======================================================================= she was making in a casing. **I can definitely use another hand. There're some GP space suits near the airlock. Seth can tell you where.** **I'll be there shortly,** he told her. * * * * * * * * * * "Well, it's going to be a long job, but not impossible," Shira was saying later as they came in after working a full day's worth outside. "We've got enough raw materials to make repairs on those pieces we don't have spares for. With two of us working..." "Maybe a month or two should do it," Henderson agreed, taking off the space suit. He turned, looked at her. "You've changed appearances again. It must be difficult finding yourself under that changing exterior at times." "Not really," she laughed. "What's inside is what's real -- and right now you ARE looking at the real me!" "That's your natural appearance? I wasn't sure you HAD..." Henderson let the sentence die. "I couldn't always change my appearance. That came much later in life," Shira grinned wickedly. "Rather plain, but..." "Well, not exactly plain," Henderson denied, looking at the woman. Her hair was auburn brown, in a long braid pinned to the crown of her head. The eyes which looked at him were deep grey, and her skin color was very close to his own. "Actually, women like Dermer's make me uncomfortable..." "You lie very nicely," Shira laughed. "But I thank you anyway. Now, let's get some dinner to rebuild these tired muscles before hitting the sack. We're in for a lot of days as long as this one." "How about trying to Lens someone for help?" Henderson asked. "I'm not strong enough to reach all the way to Grand Base and raise Haynes," Shira said. "And I've never met either Worsel or Tregonsee, so I can't even try to Lens them. You've met Worsel, Hen -- why don't you give it a try?" Henderson nodded, touched his Lens to his forehead and tried. No luck. "Let me help," Shira said, and her mind gently joined with his, meshing like they were made to fit together. Still nothing. Although he'd met Worsel, he didn't know the Velantian well enough to form an image strong enough to enable them to contact the alien Lensman. The two pulled their minds apart, looked at each other. "Guess it's back to the salt mines in the morning," Henderson said. "We don't have much choice. Kim might be able to reach Worsel, but Seth says he's not going to wake up for quite a while. We can't afford to wait that long, and then possibly discover Kim can't reach any of them either," Shira said. ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 28 ======================================================================= "Agreed," Henderson nodded. He liked the way this woman thought. There was nothing loose or muddy in her reasoning! "If nothing else, we've got to get to base so I can try and persuade Haynes to let me eventually go back there and find out more about those tunnel dragons who helped us," Shira added softly. "I didn't have must time to speak with them..." "But a fascinating culture there," Henderson agreed. "But that's in the future." "Agreed. First things first, eh?" "Indeed." * * * * * * * * * * As time went by and they labored mightily at fixing her ship, Henderson found r'Starya easy to work with, and to talk to. The few times they had of ease, in between working and sleeping, she told him somewhat of her dreams of returning to the work she really loved -- space exploration -- if and when Boskone was finished. And if she survived to see that end, she added matter-of-factly. Hen agreed that the idea of exploring had its attractions, although her comment about the possibility of death was sobering -- obviously, she'd faced possible death in other incidents than this last one, and had come to grips with it. That was something he hadn't quite achieved yet. And as their minds touched more frequently in Lensed conversations, he discovered that they seemed to fit together like a well-oiled machine. They were becoming a team, taking comfort and strength from one another. Still, he was afraid to follow his occasional thoughts on their growing closeness to their possible conclusion. It was now several years since Ilona's death, yet the memory still hurt. While he denied the knowledge of his growing feelings for the woman consciously, his inner soul recognized what was happening, and Henderson began to find himself constantly tensed up for reasons he couldn't -- or wouldn't -- acknowledge. Still, he should have seen it coming, he thought later. Shira certainly had, although she had respected his self-containment until the day, almost a month after they had been stranded, when they met accidentally in the shower room following a rather satisfactory day of successful repairs. Actually, the 'occupied' symbol HAD been up, he'd discovered later. In his hurry to wash the sweat off he'd missed seeing it. He plunged into the room, stopped short when he saw its other occupant. Shira was wrapped in a towel, using a second one to blot her hair dry. She turned as he stopped in the doorway in some confusion, threw the second towel in the laundry. Her hair, still dark with moisture, hung to her waist. "Don't worry, Hen," she smiled. "I'm done with the shower. If you like, you can join me in the hot tub when you're through." "Sorry, Shira." He was glad he'd wrapped the towel around his ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 29 ======================================================================= waist, anchored it firmly with one hand. He wished he'd worn the robe he usually put on at such times. "No problem," she assured him. "You've nothing to be embarrassed about! After all, it takes a lot of work to build the sort of body you've got there." Gently, she stroked a biceps. "You should appreciate...oh, damn!" Suddenly it was her turn to be embarrassed. "Let me guess. You come from a culture where mixed-sex bathing is a no-no. I should be the one apologizing..." She turned away, ready to flee into the room where the hot tub was, but before she could get more than a step away Henderson had grabbed her arm. There had been an underlying thought there he'd picked up: *Oh, Lady, now I've really blown it. Dimwit!* She faced him, mouth resolutely firm...but there was despair in her eyes. He never could explain afterward exactly why he did what he did next. Forgetting his towel, he wrapped both arms around her, and as she lifted her eyes questioningly, kissed her full on the lips. She responded enthusiastically. "Hen," she said huskily a moment later, after catching her breath. "I was afraid I'd blown it for good...I'm SO glad I didn't!" "I've been such an idiot about it, I'm surprised you're interested in me at all!" he replied, fingers entwined in her hair. "How can I ever rate you..." "Hen, if I didn't love you, I wouldn't have reacted the way I did a moment ago... nor would I be making such a bare-faced pass at you right now!" Shira smiled up at him, one arm around his neck and the other resting on his chest. Her towel had slipped, too. As he began to redden again, Shira laughed and pushed him away. "Go take your shower, love," she said. "Join me in the hot tub when you're ready to." Picking up her towel from the floor, she threw it over her shoulder and disappeared into the small alcove. Slowly, Henderson picked up his own towel and went to the shower stall. *Sunk...sunk without a trace,* he thought to himself as he turned on the water, cold as he could get it. He jumped involuntarily as the chill liquid struck bare skin. He spent longer under the water than normal, putting off the decision that waited. He knew that by joining Shira in the hot tub he would be making a commitment. Was he ready for it? The Lensman was not the beauty Ilona had been, but there was something about her which made Henderson forget that remembered pain when he was with her. As Kim was wont to say, the woman was pure metal clear through. A memory surfaced. Him telling Ilona that if he were killed -- as could happen to anyone serving in the Galactic Patrol -- she was to get on with life, and not feel guilty if she decided later to remarry. "I'll remember, Hank," Ilona had replied. "And the reverse is true, too. Becoming a recluse would not be a very good way to honor my memory." Henry Henderson turned off the shower. No guilt on either ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 30 ======================================================================= side...he was being given an opportunity to once more live life fully. He'd better not mess it up, or let that extraordinary woman waiting for him right now think she'd made a mistake, either. Now that he had found the courage to look inside his own head, he knew would never forgive himself if he turned down what she had offered to him. Shira r'Starya was almost totally immersed in the bubbling water, letting the heat soak into her weary muscles. She opened her eyes as Henderson joined her. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to accept my invitation," she said softly. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She came readily into his arms, fitting snugly against his chest. "I was just a little afraid of facing the fact I love you, Shira," he replied. "My memories of my late wife are still fairly strong, despite the years since her death. But it would not be her wish that I stop living and growing. That would invalidate everything she lived for. I had to discover that just because I love you doesn't mean I've forgotten her." "I can sympathize, Hen," Shira said softly. "I once was married, many years ago. I can remember how long I hurt after his death, how each reminder of his absence brought me pain. With time, that hurt eventually dimmed. Now I can remember our time together with pleasure rather than agony. Eventually it will be the same for you." "With your help, love," Henderson replied. "Did you have any children?" "No, I'm afraid not. There was no time then, and no place, either. I barely survived that time -- and Stephen did not. I wouldn't have brought kids into the world we were living in at the time. You?" "I have a son, Henry junior. He's being raised by my parents." Hen was silent a moment. "This all is going to be a shock to him. I hope he'll adjust." "I imagine he'll be somewhat wary at first, but if we don't push him too hard he'll hopefully come around. Just don't insist that he call me "Mother." I'm not his mother, and he'll resent it." "He's a good kid, and I'm sure the two of you will hit it off all right. I just wish I could see him more often -- but you know as well as I do how difficult that can be when you're in the Patrol." "It'll be even worse now that you've received the call of the Lens," Shira remarked soberly. "With its authority come responsibilities. But you already know that." Her hands were busy massaging the muscles on his back. Under that treatment, Hen had begun to relax...for the first time in days. "I've seen how hard Kimball works, even when Haynes hasn't asked him to do something," Henderson agreed. "Perhaps we'd better enjoy our time together while we're working on repairing this ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 31 ======================================================================= crate? We may not get much of it after we return to Prime Base." "And just what did you have in mind, love?" "Keep that up for the moment," he told her with a sigh. "Klono, that feels good! What type of wedding ceremony do your people hold?" "Well, my parent culture is a lot like yours. The bigger the wedding, the better, with lots of witnesses and usually some sort of official to conduct the actual ceremony. But the Star Guides, whom I became a part of, are too spread out and too few for that to be the norm. Instead, simple vows between the two are made, with only the stars as witness. And we exchange bracelets as tokens of our commitment, not rings as your people do. Eventually, when they can, the bonding ceremony will be registered with our central computer. When there is an in-gathering of Guides many chose to have a second, witnessed ceremony before brethren." "But your people consider the unwitnessed ceremony as legal and binding as the witnessed one?" "We do. Hen, why--?" "You can certainly guess, can't you, Shira? Now that I've finally faced my own feelings, I'm ready to make that commitment. We can always have another ceremony later -- that one to satisfy official protocol and for Patrol records. Will you marry me?" She grinned. "I could guess -- I just wanted to hear you say it! Sure you won't settle for me seducing you? No? Then I guess I'll have to say yes." "Wonderful! Now where..." "Right here, if you like. After all, there ARE no viewports in this ship, only viewscreens. SETH! Project a star-field in here, please. And make up a set of bond bracelets for us." "Affirmative," came the voice of the ship's computer. "He can hear in here?" Henderson was a little disconcerted. "Anywhere in the ship. After all, things can go wrong with this room, too. If you're worried about privacy, Seth won't talk...except to me, of course, if he feels it's necessary." "And I thought I was going fast!" Hen remarked as the starfield flamed into being all around them. "Do you think I'm going to give you a chance for second thoughts? Not on your life! You might change your mind about getting married to such a weird person as me!" Shira laughed. "Never," he replied -- which is what she wanted to hear -- and kissed her. ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 32 ======================================================================= * * * * * * * * * * A few days later, Hen woke up as Shira touched his shoulder. "Morning, love," he murmured. "Another long day..." "Not so long," she smiled back. "Seth says we can wake up Kim this morning. Want to wait for breakfast until we can eat it with him?" "I can hardly wait!" he grinned back. "Shall we tell him right away, or keep him guessing?" "Let him guess -- at least as long as you can keep a straight face!" "Me keep a straight face? How about you?" Henderson demanded. "You're still floating a good yard above the floor, without zero g!" "So are you, love," she replied gently. "Perhaps we'd better play it by ear? The man, after all, has been a Lensman longer than either of us, even if he does act like a snot-nosed teenager at times." "True," Henderson agreed. "Let me get dressed, and we'll go down to see the man." ================== == Chapter Five == ================== Kimball woke, instantly setting nerve blocks in memory of the pain, then realized there was none. They must have gotten back to the ship...he opened his eyes. "You're on the POLE STAR, Kinnison," Henderson's familiar voice said. The pilot sat to one side of his bed, a strange woman Kim didn't recognize on the other side. Then he saw the Lens she wore on her hand and realized it must be Shira, in yet another guise. "Grief. How long have I been out?" Kim demanded. "A little over a month," Shira told him. "Seth said it was best to keep you asleep while your body healed itself -- just about what Lacy did to me after your people rescued me from that Boskone ship." "A month -- and we're not at Grand Base yet? What happened?" "We got holed by a Boskone cruiser during the escape. The warp generator held together just long enough to get us out of the area before it died. We've been pretty busy trying to repair her," Henderson told him. "We hope to be done in another week or so." "Can't reach anyone?" ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 33 ======================================================================= "The subspace radio was destroyed. We're too far away from Grand Base for me to be able to Lens Haynes, and neither Henderson nor I know either Worsel or Tregonsee well enough to reach them," Shira told him. "And I'm too weak to drive a thought across the room!" Kinnison said in disgust. "But you said Henderson--" Suddenly the young man realized that there was a Lens on the pilot's hand. "When did that happen?" "After you got ambushed, while we were trying to rescue you," Henderson told him. "Mentor said I'd need it..." "Congratulations, then," Kim said, shaking the pilot's hand. "We need every Lensman we can get, as if I had to tell you!" "When you're stronger, Kim, we'll have to try a three-way link up and see if all of us together can drive a thought far enough to reach someone," Shira suggested. "Even a few days may be important." "We'll try," Kim agreed. "The sooner we get back the better." "Agreed," Henderson replied. "We've got information here Haynes has been itching for. Still, Kim, you had yourself a nice little vacation, even if you couldn't be awake to enjoy it! Now that you're well enough, we'll work you to your limit." Shira had gotten up and gone over to the table in the room. She came back to Kinnison's bed with two trays of food. "Eat," she commanded sternly. "It's the only way to regain your strength at this point of the treatment, Kim. We'll see how you feel this afternoon and then see if you're up to trying to telepath back to base." Despite his anxiety to contact Grand Base, Kim fell asleep almost as soon as they left him lay back down after the meal. "Well, at least it's a natural sleep this time," Shira said after checking. "He should feel a lot better when he wakes up." "Good," Henderson said soberly. "Maybe he'll be up to Lensing for help by then. Shall we go work on the engines?" "No, better not. We'll need our full strength to back up his call to Worsel or whoever's closer. With any luck someone'll be by to pick us up in a few days." "'Bout time we got a day off!" Henderson grinned, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Shall we go soak up some warmth in the hot tub while we wait?" Shira laughed. "I don't think what you have in mind is rest!" she said. "Seth, monitor Kinnison and let us know when he begins to wake up." ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 34 ======================================================================= "Understood." * * * * * * * * * * Kinnison woke up again later in the afternoon, this time feeling refreshed rather than drawn out. He smiled. This time he could "feel" the presence of Shira and Henderson in the next room as well as hear them. **Hey! I'm starving to death in here!** he spoke lightly over his Lens. **You're up to using your Lens! Good!" Shira's thought came back, the warmth in her mental voice evident. **We're bringing in your stew, boss,** Henderson's "tone" was also affectionate, although he hadn't been Lensman long enough to develop the "depth" to his sending that Shira had. Kinnison was suddenly aware that he could smell the stew through the pilot's senses, and felt his own mouth start to water in response. Of course, his body was so hungry for real food -- despite the broth he'd had earlier -- that even boiled shoe leather probably would have smelled good. And this stuff definitely wasn't shoe leather, he told himself as he forced himself to eat the stew slowly, taking time to savor every bite. "My compliments to the cook who programmed the food processor," he said. "Flavor is as important to the meal as nutrients," Shira said, smiling. "And cooking is a hobby of mine developed into a fine skill during many long months by myself on solo space missions." "Well, Hen, at least you married a woman who can cook a decent meal," Kim grinned. "No jokes about burned meatloaf..." He pushed aside the empty bowl. "Well?" "Deep subject," Henderson intoned. Shira sighed. "Hen....yes, Kim, we're ready to give it a try." "All right. Touch minds, then." Kinnison reached out, linked with the fusion Shira and Henderson had become. Strength radiated from them to him as he flung his mind outward, using Worsel's mental pattern as a goal. He drew a blank, but then his mind touched a familiar one -- Chris! **Clarrissa!** he spoke into her mind. **Kim! You're alive!** his wife replied instantly, relief overwhelming her for a few seconds. **Where are you?** Henderson replied to that, his mind supplying the navigational data needed to locate the battered ship. Then Shira threw in the information about the Boskonian map, and all three emphasized the urgency in getting that item back to Grand Base. ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 35 ======================================================================= **The BRITTANIA will be there as fast as Thomas can boost her,** Chris reassured them. With that, the four-way meld faded. "Yahoo!" Kim hooted. "The BRITTANIA is on her way!" "Which means we'll have the repair work finished at Grand Base," Henderson said. "It should take 'em about 32 hours to get here, if Clarrissa had her coordinates right....which she undoubtably did," he added hastily as Kim's face began to cloud up. "Well, I won't say the work went to waste," Shira said practically. "Another few days -- and we'd've had the drive back on line." Kim has seen from their minds what shape the engine room had been in when they'd started, as well as how much work had since been accomplished. "You did a hell of a lot of work," he said soberly. "Well, let's relax while we can. After the BRITTANIA gets here we'll get no rest..." ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 36 ======================================================================= =========================== == == == MOBIRU SUIT CONFUSION == == By Robert Gibson == == == =========================== [Fan fiction can also be written to make a point in a humorous manner. Robert Gibson (who is currently writing the CAPTAIN HARLOCK comic for Eternity) does this type of fan fiction quite well. This short story was written after Robert had been in anime fandom for a while and had gotten just a bit tired of hearing various amateur translators arguing the "proper" way to transliterate Japanese names.... MOBILE SUIT CONFUSION has been published in the first (and only) issue of Mary Kennard's C/FO APA and in ANIME JANAI.--RSS] Char Azunable sat on the throne of Jion and yawned. After the last Federate War [see ZZZZZZ GUNDAM-RWG], there were only 100 Jions left and most of those were still in diapers. There were no more wars, no more expansion, no more colonization, no more rescue missions, no more spying missions,... "No more fun," he muttered aloud. Sure there were those strange members of that religious order on the other side of the side, but besides being pains in the backside, they stayed on their side, and never sided with the enemies of the side. "Besides, I've exiled their leaders to another side allied with my side," he sighed. This reflective silence was shattered when his second-in-command entered the room hurriedly (through a side door, naturally). Char looked up. "Sir, the zealots from the other side of the side have decided to overthrow the side's current rulership. Meaning you, sir." "So they're revolting, what's new?" "I think they're serious, this time. They're carrying weapons." "You mean..." "Yes sir; sidearms," [At this point, even I will admit I've gotten too many miles out of this joke, so I'll drop it....Plunk....Ouch --RWG] "Well," Char decided. "Get the remaining mobile suit powered up and I'll deal with it." "Sir, don't you remember?" ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 37 ======================================================================= "What?" "Haman Kahn wrecked it while repairing the damage her sister, Madelyn, did to it during the last war. [That's a story for another time--RWG] "Oh. So that's why I haven't been getting any practice recently." "Sir, if you don't mind me saying so, you should have gotten rid of Haman a long time ago. I know she's got a temper, but she's not worth the constant problems. If she keeps seducing all of the New Types, we won't have anyone left." Char sighed. [Ouch; Okay, okay, no more side jokes--RWG] "Maybe you're right, maybe I should finally face the wrath of...." Outside the royal palace, chanting was heard; many loud voices were voicing their displeasure over the state of affairs [or maybe at that last joke, I'm not sure myself--RWG]. "It sounds bad," the beleaguered monarch moaned. He turned to his aide. "Maybe you should get a ship ready and call AEUG and ask for assistance in getting us off of this _____." [HA HA--RWG] "AEUG?" "No, you go. I've got to pack." "No sir. do you want me to call AEUG? Are you sure?" "Yes, I'm sure. As much as it pains me to leave our _____, it's for the best, if it's what the people want." As if to answer him, chants of "Down with Char! Down with Char! Down with the tyrant!" thundered through the streets of the _____. Later, a defeated Char Azunable lay on his bed, awaiting the transport with would carry him away from his beloved Jion to another, friendlier, _____. He still could hear choruses of victory coming from the courtyard out_____. His trusty aide entered. "It's confirmed," the newcomer said. "You go via a AEUG transport to _____ 4, then you go on the AEUG Battleship ARGAMA 5 to asylum on _____ 6. In case your wondering, the zealot leader has just docked and is coming personally to the palace to see you off. He should arrive any minute now -- and it's rumored he's developed a new mobile suit which they plan to mass produce in order to spread their views to the rest of the _____s." Just then, something deep within Char Azunable awoke. An image affronted his "new type" senses. For a brief second, he saw his opponent, the man who caused all this; and Char Azunable felt like puking. Regaining his composure, he walked to the balcony window and opened it wide. Ignoring the cacophonous noises from the filled ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 38 ======================================================================= courtyard, he stepped onto the balcony, to face his once-loyal people. In the air above the palace hovered an awesome sight, a mobile suit twice the size of any used in any of the wars Char had ever been party to. Although bulky, its gracefulness was apparent in the way it turned two somersaults before landing gently in the courtyard, facing the balcony window which held the ruler of Jion. The crowd cheered (even as several people were crushed by the landing mobile suit) and burned dolls and toys of the once-loved Char Azunable. The hatch on the tremendous machine opened. The cheers were deafening, as the turbaned leader of the new colony of Jion was wheeled out onto the platform which extended from the front of the mobile suit to reach the balcony. His long grayish beard was unmoved by the strong wind and his weak eyes strained to meet those of the soon-to-be-exiled Azunable. He was wheelchair bound. "Hail to Itolo Komini, new ruler of Jion," was the prevalent cry. Char studied the man first, then moved on to the machine. So, he thought, this is the dreaded next step in the science of mobile suits, eh -- the Shiite Gundam. The old man spoke in a whisper, but somehow the crowd sensed it and all was quiet. "Now, for your crimes, I cannot allow you to leave. It is my duty to God to arrest you and hold you to your accounts. Hear me, Shah Azunable, you will not leave the _____ alive!" Azunable looked perplexed. "What'd you call me?" "Do not deny your crimes, Shah Azunable." "Char. C-H-A-R. CHAR Azunable." "Nani?" "C-H as in cheddar. A-R as in armor." "Do not try to confuse me, SHAH Azunable, the great book tells all that is in the mind of God." "What book?" The old man clapped his hands twice and a turbaned wise man carried out a HUGE book, which easily dwarfed any Azunable had ever seen. The old man made several gestures to it and mumbled some words (which sounded suspiciously like Japanese) and, with it still being held by the wise man, began gingerly leafing through its pages. Azunable bent over to another wise man who was standing nearby. "What's the book for?" ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 39 ======================================================================= The man looked at Azunable incredulously. "It is THE book. It is THE all. Everything in it is the ultimate truth, always correct. IT is our life." "AHA!" the old man exclaimed finally. "Here it is, the correct spelling is SHAA, which translates as pronounceable to SHAH." He turned back to Azunable. "Your goose is cooked!" And he ordered the book closed on the case of Shah Azunable. But the Jion was not so easily defeated. "Wait, I dispute your findings." He turned to his aide and whispered. The aide ran off into the palace. Shah turned to the crowd. "I proclaim my innocence!" he shouted. "I am not Shah Azunable. The whole thing is a big mistake!" His aide returned a moment later with a smallish red and white book, which Azunable opened to page 418 and began reading aloud. "'The letters AA can be pronounced with an AH sound or an AR sound depending on whether or not you're Iranian or American,'" Azunable smiled. "I declare that I'm American and therefore am SHAR Azunable!" The old man's eyes lit fire. "You cannot dispute the words from the book which came from GOD!!!!" "Well, so what, mine came from Waldenbooks!!!!" "Well, MINE has more pages!" "Well, MINE was written by the official translator of the Japanese delegation to the UN!" "Well, MINE lists all the kanji!" "Well, so does mine and you can find any word in less than an hour!" "Well, MINE has references going back to the beginning of time!" "Well, MINE was last updated last year!" "Well, MINE lists 20 different ways to excuse yourself!" "Really? I've been looking for a different one for quite a while now. 'Gomen Nasai' gets old after a while." "Yes, here it is on page 879...." And so began the hardest battle Char (Shar) (Shah) (Shaa) Azunable ever fought, the war of the correct translation. They might be arguing still.... The moral of this story is -- Well, I think everyone gets the general idea. ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 40 ======================================================================= [Many thanks to Ed Connell of Denver for providing indirectly the idea for this in his comments in C/FOOD LEFTOVERS #1. You can throw all the tomatoes at him.--RWG] ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 41 ======================================================================= ======================== == == == HOBOKEN NO KEN == == By Alvin Ronnfeldt == == == ======================== [Alvin Ronnfeldt has written a very unusual story in HOBOKEN NO KEN. On the surface, it is a very funny parody of the Japanese TV series HOKOTO NO KEN. Alvin hasn't pulled any punches in exploiting all the myriad surface oddies and non-sequiturs of the original series. Even if you hate HOKOTEN NO KEN, you'll probably be laughing your way through this parody. Lurking below the surface, however, is one of the best explanations of the HOKUTO NO KEN series that I've seen. If you've seen any of the series and couldn't understand what was going on, I imagine you'll have a much better idea after you read Alvin's story. HOBOKEN NO KEN originally appeared in the old C/FO-SAN ANTONIO NEWSLETTER.--RSS] ================================== == Chapter 1: Is he Good? == == Or merely stupid? == ================================== At the base of the ever-present stone cliff (across the lot from the rock quarry), a band of mutants were enjoying themselves. The pitiful remains of the destroyed caravan were strewn all around. Three of the eight-foot mutants were playing mumbly-peg with their pocketknives while the rest jammed food into their mouths as fast as they could, dropping more on the ground than they swallowed. The mumbly-peg board stirred and groaned. She was not having a nice day. Her back was a web of fire and rivers of molten lead ran down her legs. The first mutant stood with one foot on the back of her head grinding her face into the dust. He let up on her head long enough to pull it up by the hair. "Look boys," he sneered, "she hasn't finished her dinner. Nice soft dirt and she won't eat it. Maybe we should make her eat a rock." The other mutants laughed hysterically. The mumbly-peg board noticed that mutants were a merry lot who always seemed to be laughing cruelly. "Yeah, hilarious," muttered the woman. "Where'd you pick up your sense of humor, Buchenwald?" The mutant leader blinked stupidly, thought it over, then decided he had been complimented. He laughed uproariously, as did the others. Joan (that was her name by the way, Joan) squinted into the sun shining in her face. (Sun? It had been noon three minutes ago.) Against the setting sun there suddenly appeared a lone distant figure striding upright and tall through the desert. "Looks like Clint Eastwood," she said to herself. ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 42 ======================================================================= The mutants noticed the figure too. "Hey," the first one called, "who's that guy coming this way walking like David Carradine?" "Naw," said another. "Looks more like Billy Jack." "You idiot, he's a fictional character." "So what. So are we." "Oh, yeah. I forgot. Anyway, he looks like a real stud." "Who would go walking through the mutant-haunted-bandit-infested- desert-caused-by-the-great nuclear-war alone? wondered a third. "Kenspiro sometimes travels alone," said the first. The mutants all looked at each other for a moment. "Nah, couldn't be." Kenspiro surveyed the situation. He now stood before the merry mutants. The sun had moved back to the middle of the sky for they all now cast no shadows. His razor keen senses told him something had happened here. He surveyed the wrecked overturned vehicles, the bodies of helpless unarmed refugees scattered around the landscape. Nor did the girl sprawled bleeding in the dust escape his piercing gaze or the mutants gorging themselves on food and water, some of it stained with blood. He read the dire portent suggested by the grisly scene. "You robbed them," he stated flatly. His face turned down in sullen scowl. The mutants collapsed in laughter even though there was nothing funny about this (but they found an excuse to laugh whenever they could). Kenspiro stared at them a minute longer, then came to a second conclusion. "You are bandits." "Wow, he figured that out quick," muttered one mutant admiringly. "Yeah, so what!" challenged their leader. "You read this?" he said pointing to the forehead. "It says 'left' and 'right'," said Ken. "Not that!" howled the leader pointing to the letters J.P.S. branded into his forehead. "That!" A sparkle sparkled in Kenspiro's eye with a tiny 'ting' sound. He recognized this mark. This was the hated mark of his detested enemy John Phillips Souzer; the man he had walked three hundred miles through the desert to find. This, then, was one of his many hordes of mutant bandits. "I'm tired of talking," shouted one of the mutants. "Let's peel him like a grape and douse him with gasoline!" ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 43 ======================================================================= In seconds, a mob of mutants bore down on Kenspiro. "Hai Cha!" A foot embedded itself in a mutant's neck causing his tonsils to pop out of his mouth. "Ya!" Kenspiro neatly kicked a mutant's spine out of his back. "Hyoi Cha!" A mutant flew back twenty-five feet and splattered his brains across the rocky cliff. Four more attackers stood gaping at the smaller man, then each of their heads began to swell up with a gurgling sound. Suddenly they went into silhouette as their brains exited their heads through the skull. Three mutants remained staring at the gore. "This guy's pretty good," stated one. "Think we can handle him?" "Of course," shouted another, "even though he just killed most of our group fighting ten of us at the same time, I know the three of us can take him!" Guess what? They didn't. Another observed this display of Ken's skill. Joan watched the graceful ballet of destruction until Ken stood alone in victory. Her eyes widened in wonder as she gave silent homage as all did to Ken's art. She barfed her guts out. Hours later, Joan awoke. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the face of another man. This man had milk white hair flowing long past his shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard. His face was sorrowful and tranquil and his eyes reflected age old wisdom. He was the spitting image of an albino Jesus Christ. The man seemed to radiate an aura of peace and tranquility. Just being near him gave one a feeling of hope and strength --- and a sudden urge to embrace his knees. "Are you awake?" he asked solemnly. "I think so. Am I dead?" "No, I don't think so. Although life and death really have no meaning being one part of the universal truth," he replied. He raised a small hand-rolled cigarette to his mouth and took a deep inhale, holding it in his lungs for half a minute before letting it out in a contented sigh. He rolled his eyes to look down at her. "My name is Toke. You want a J?" Joan raised herself to one elbow. "I'm Joan. Who is he?" she asked, indicating the brooding man by the fire. "That's my foster brother, Kenspiro. He was adopted by the master of Hok'um Sin-Can, an ancient Jersey martial arts style that uses ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 44 ======================================================================= a man's soul to kill," Toke explained. "He was taught this style along with his other adopted brothers, Yucchy and Cra-uel, who all must someday die --- except one. Because only one master of Hok'um Sin-Can can exist to bring the world out of chaos." Joan looked at him in awe. "How do you do that?" she asked. "I didn't see you breathe once." * * * * * * * * * * The next morning the travelers set out. Joan traveled with them for no particular reason. She found the traveling tedious --- mostly because her two new companions did not keep up any conversation. Ken strode along in silence scowling at rocks, lizards, dust, and cactus indiscriminately. Toke was always lost in a contemplative revery, occasionally swallowing small colored pills. When she tried to speak to him, he merely smiled wisely and offered her an "Existential Blue". Even stranger was the fact that even although Joan was a beautiful woman and knew it, neither of the two men had showed the slightest interest or treated her any differently than they would a man. "Maybe they're gay," she thought, looking at them sidelong. But the strangest part of all was that even though the night before she had been suffering terrible injuries, today she walked non-stop all day through the desert. In the early afternoon they sighted a settlement in the distance. When Joan glanced behind them, she noticed that again the sun had moved behind Ken. It soon became apparent that the town was under attack. Plumes of smoke rose into the sky and hordes of motorcycle riding mutants roared around the compound. Joan wondered briefly where they found the gasoline for their bikes these many years after the War had collapsed civilization. The town was defending itself fiercely. In the forefront of the fray two figures were wreaking havoc among the attackers. One was a handsome man with flowing blonde hair. He was making sweeping gestures at the mutants leaving strange white lines trailing through the air from his fingertips. When he did this, one's vision suddenly blacked out for a second, one saw only strange white slash marks, then the mutants went into silhouette and came apart bloodlessly. The other was a woman who had a yo-yo in each hand. She quickly threw these at mutants (who obligingly attacked two at a time while standing a convenient three feet apart). Joan saw little one inch blades pop out of the yo-yos in flight and gouge six inch deep gashes through mutant faces. Toke and Ken picked up speed as they moved to engage the mutant forces. A swarm of mutants bore down on Ken in the standard mutant battle formation, a double line. They were armed with knives and crossbows since gunpowder (unlike the higher tech gasoline) was rare this long after the War had destroyed civilization. Ken ran down the middle of the lines so quickly he ======================================================================= Copyright (c) 1991 by the Anime Publications Bureau & Randall Stukey Electronic Tales of Animation Volume 1 Number 1 Page 45 ==============================