Ranmatech

     Introduction: This is basically a total revamp of the original 
Ranma Project story. It was pointed out to me that the technology 
that rebuilt the crippled Ranma did seem a bit too advanced, even 
for Japanese anime. It looked like only someone of Washu's genius 
(the mad intergalactic scientist from Tenchi Muyo) could come up 
with something like that. So I decided to keep the basic idea of a 
bionic Ranma, but totally rewrite his origins.
     This story takes place after Genma had become dissatisfied with 
the rate in which Ranma was training in the Cat Fist and threw him 
to the lions. In the manga, Ranma was trained in this dreaded (and 
stupid technique) at the age of 10, so I decided to use that age in 
this story as a starting point. Some of the ideas were inspired by 
Gregg Sharp, the Dragon Bard and countless other fanfic writers. I 
was also given new inspiration from the Bet Series, A Source of 
Pride, A Private Bet #10, Mirrors Multiplied and countless
science-fiction anime tapes.

<>: Thoughts
[ ]: Alien language
(* *) Computer response
<" "> Chinese Language

                                  Chapter 1
                                Reconstruction

     Somewhere outside of Earth stratosphere, a small, unobtrusive 
space cruiser was orbiting the planet and was currently using its 
cloaking field to mask its presence from the primitive, long-range 
sensor technology of the world below. On board the bridge of the 
ship, two beings of extraterrestrial origin were busy looking at a 
monitor that depicted a map of the area of the planet's surface that 
they were currently scanning.
     The first alien was a bipedal reptilian and wore a bulky, black 
armor. He snorted in disgust as he looked at the sensor readouts 
that were coming from the exploratory probe they had launched five 
hours ago. [Damn! Hasn't that probe found at least one miserable 
subject on this whole stinking planet?!]
     The second being was insectlike and looked like a cross between 
a praying mantis and a scarab beetle. [Patience Oruk! It takes a while 
to scan more than six billion sentient life forms!]
     [Bah! I don't see what difference it makes! The dominant race on 
this whole mud ball is pretty pathetic! They're all basically the 
same, so why we don't we just pick one and get it over with? I don't 
want to spend any more time near this backwater planet than we have 
to!]
     [You think I like being here Oruk? I don't want to waste my time 
in the boonies either! But we were paid good credits to find 
someone who'd fit Dr. Shero's criteria. Since we can't snatch 
anyone within the boundaries of the Interplanetary Frontier 
Alliance, we have to look for our subject outside the quadrant! 
That's why we're here! Even though the humans of this world look 
the same in appearance, our scanners indicate that a handful of these 
lesser beings possess the right genetic sequences for Dr. Shero's 
experiments. Be patient Oruk. We'll soon find] The alien stopped 
as an insistent beeping was heard coming from the console. [Wait a 
moment!]
     [What is it Seyon?]
     [The probe has found something!]
     [Is it what we're looking for?]
     There was a long pause as Seyon checked the readouts. [Yes! 
This is what we've been waiting for! One subject meets all the 
genetic criteria that we've been given!]
     [Just one? Out of over six billion? What's the condition of the 
subject?]
     [Hmmm the being is immature and not an adolescent yet. It has 
some extensive physical damage and barely measurable vital 
readings. The subject is dying.]
     [Then forget about it! It would be too much trouble to bring him 
aboard and keep him onlife-support.]
     [I don't think we have a choice Oruk. According to the probe, our 
initial scan of the planet was in error. Of all the beings on this 
miserable world, only this subject is a perfect match to what Dr. 
Shero requires. You also have to remember that we have a deadline 
to keep if we want to get that other half of that twenty million 
credits! If we don't take this one, we'll be forced to go onto the next 
system and judging from our remaining power reserves, we can't 
afford it. You also recall what he told us if we didn't bring him back 
a subject and ran with the ten million credits we have now.]
     [Damn that @#*$!!! If he didn't implant those implosion devices 
in our brains] Oruk let off disgusted sigh and nodded his head. 
[Commence retrieval procedures. Dr. Shero didn't specify what 
condition his guinea pig had to be in, as long as we brought it back 
alive.]
     Seyon nodded as he began pressing a few buttons. [Initiating 
long-range teleporter. Coordinates locked on and ready to beam the 
subject directly into the stasis pod.]
     [Do it.]
     A small, tight beam of white light was emitted from the ship and 
sent toward the surface of the planet. When the beam struck its 
target, there was brief moment of absolute silence. Seyon then 
looked at his console and said. [Subject has been transported to the 
stasis pod. Mission accomplished."]
     [And the probe?]
     [Its self-destruct sequence had already been activated and it 
destroyed itself. No trace of it has been left and any witnesses near 
the probe were probably destroyed along with it.]
     [Engage the warp drive and lets get going then.]

     On Earth, in some region near the Bayankala Mountain Range in 
China, Genma Saotome crawled out of the smoking crater. He was 
sorry sight to behold as he sported several burns and his gi had been 
reduced to a tattered ruin. He had a dazed and confused look about 
him as he began looking for his crippled son. He didn't know what 
had just occurred but one thing was for sure. Nodoka was going to 
kill him.
     It had just been a mere week since he had stolen his son from the 
intensive care ward at a hospital in Japan and escaped from the 
country. The law was after him for throwing Ranma to the lions, due 
to Genma's dissatisfaction at how slow the boy was learning the Cat 
Fist. After three failed attempts, the stupid disciple of Happosai had 
thought that bigger cats were required. He had used his job as a 
zookeeper to throw Ranma into the pit of lions with steaks strapped 
to his back.
     Unfortunately for Ranma, the cats had mauled him to the point in 
which his right arm had to be amputated. He had also lost his right 
eye and ear. The rest of his body had been badly savaged and was 
covered in suture lines. In short, Ranma was a mangled mess of a 
human being. Genma was soon a wanted man and had to flee the 
country.
     After stealing his son from the hospital, Genma had thought to 
continue the boy's training in China, but that was when they 
encountered strange-looking machine. The device was shaped like a 
Frisbee and was the size of a manhole cover. However, before 
Genma could get a better look at it, his ten-year old son suddenly 
disappeared in a flash of light and the weird contraption went off 
like a bomb. The explosion was equivalent to five sticks of dynamite 
and unfortunately, Genma was at the center of the explosion. It was 
just by sheer luck that he survived. But with his son gone, Genma 
found himself in big trouble.
     <Ranma's gone! I'm dead!>

In a galaxy, far, far away
     Dr. Shero chortled with glee at his new project. He looked to be 
a humanoid of about fifty or so standard years, but his eyes were 
solid red and he had green hair that was beginning to thin near his 
receding hairline. He wore a white body suit and had a strange 
device that resembled a monocle over his right eye. Oruk and Seyon 
had done well. The subject they had brought him was perfect. It 
didn't matter that Ranma was a bit young and his body was a 
shredded mess. The latest techniques in accelerating aging were 
available and his new nanite technology would restore the boy to 
full operational status. No it was Ranma's genetic makeup that he 
was most concerned with.
     [Interesting.] A tech commented as he looked at the readouts on 
his console.
     [What is?] Dr. Shero asked.
     [According to what the scanner is telling us, the subject is 
emitting relatively high amounts of bio-energy. In fact, he is 
generating more power than an individual of his physical and mental 
development is supposed to be able to do. The fact that he's doing it 
despite the heavy structural damage is nothing short of remarkable.]
     [So you think he'll be able to survive the reconstruction?]
     The technician paused as he gauged the readouts. [Yes. He has 
the right genetic combinations in which the nanites will be able to 
fuse with his damaged tissue and begin bioregeneration. Not only 
that, but also this particular specimen's genetic makeup is on the 
verge of completing the next stage of evolution of its race. With the 
nanites augmenting his cells, he'll be able to evolve to meet any new 
situation he encounters.]
     [Excellent! That fits in with the project quite nicely. Oh by the 
way, did you take care of that little detail with those mercenaries?]
     [Yes sir. I had activated the implosion devices in their cerebral 
cortexes the moment they left the system. The credits have already 
been retrieved and deposited back into your account.]
     [Good. Now let's get started. So what was the reading on his bio-
energy output?]
     [Nine thousand.]
     [Nine thousand? Are you sure?]
     [Yes sir.]
     [How old is this kid?]
     [He's approximately ten standard years according to most 
humanoid references.]
     [Well now. That is a bonus! I have no doubt that this person will 
indeed survive the nanite implantation. He certainly possesses 
enough cyster.]
     [Cyster?]
     [That's the Bimekron word for bio-energy. On Ninedar III, it is 
called tekari. On Saldor, it is she'lla.]
     [What do the inhabitants of his world call it?]
     [I believe they call it ki.]

A month later
     [The subject is responding well to the aging drugs Dr. Shero.] A 
lab assistant told him as he handed him a data pad.
     [Yes. I thought that the subject should be matured a bit more 
before we start implantation of the new type of biotech nanites. 
How is the regeneration coming along?] 
     The assistant began checking off the list of things that had 
already been done. [The subject has already regenerated his missing 
arm, eye and ear and all damage done to the rest of his body has 
been corrected. The nanites are following their programming and 
have begun enhancement of his physical capabilities. Strength, 
speed, reflexes and cognitive abilities have now increased by a 
factor of five. And as you requested, we have already done a full 
mind-wipe of the boy's previous memories. He won't remember 
anything about his past life other than his name.]
     [Good. And what about those energy converters I created?]
     [They have already been implanted and the nanites have begun 
fusing them into his systems. He'll be able to convert his bio-
energy or ki into any form that he wants. Lasers, particle beams, 
photon bolts, sonic waves, the works! He will be able to fire these 
blasts at will from his hands and eyes, either in their converted 
forms or as pure ki itself. Their destructive potential is equivalent 
to a Mark IV Anti-Proton Cannon.]
     [His senses?]
     [The nanites have formed an extensive sensor array that has 
augmented his physical senses to beyond normal ranges. His eyes 
are now able to see across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. 
Hearing can pick up sounds that are less than one trillionth of a 
decibel.]
     [Very good. Keep me posted on his progress.]

Another month later
     [Doctor? Are you sure you want to let him have that?]
     [Are you questioning me?] Dr. Shero asked in a menacing tone.
     [N-N-No sir! I was just]
     [Spare me your feeble explanations and give me a rundown on the 
prototype's status.]
     [Y-Yes sir.] The lab technician held up a data pad and began 
reading off the list. [The nanites have completed construction of the 
dimensional hole generator and are now transporting the arsenal that 
you had created for him into the subspace pocket, including] The 
lab tech shuddered. [The Annihilator.] 
     [Very good. And what about his physical abilities?]
     [He's so far performed beyond our greatest expectations. 
Strength level is rated at forty tons and gradually increasing. Speed 
and reflexes are operating at about forty times faster than normal. 
He seems to have a natural aptitude for hand to hand combat. He's 
already mastered more than twenty styles and thanks to the nanite 
web matrix computer in his brain, he retains everything that he sees 
and hears. Cognitive and analytical skills have also increased.]
     [What about that side effect you were talking about last week?]
     [The aging drugs had acted a bit differently than we expected. We 
managed to accelerate him to his current age of sixteen standard 
years, but the drugs then caused his body to go into a form of 
suspended aging once the desired age was reached. I guess were just 
going to have to wait until his body readjusts to the new chemical 
imbalance and flushes out the drugs.]
     [How long will that be?]
     [Well you how the effects of those drugs tend to linger even 
after the substance is gone so I'd estimate that it would take another 
four years before he starts to age normally again.]
     [Four years?! You mean that for the next four years, he's not 
going to age any further?]
     [Yes.]
     [I see. Oh well, that's only a minor detail. He's already at the age 
that we want him to be so it's nothing. So what about the other 
additives I have planned for him?"
     [Already operational sir. The nanites have created anti-graviton 
generators, which allows for flight capabilities. The dimensional 
hole generator allows him to store and retrieve the weapons and 
equipment he needs from subspace, including that ahem, addition 
to his arsenal. He's packing enough firepower to totally destroy a 
Dimallian Dreadnought single-handedly and can duplicate any 
fighting maneuver used against him a few seconds after seeing it. 
We've also added a cyberweave body suit to give his organic tissue 
added protection. Although his flesh can now withstand extreme 
temperatures and high impacts, the new cyberweave armor will 
increase protection by tenfold and even allow him to operate in the 
vacuum of space. The suit also contains reconfiguring circuits so 
that he can change its shape and appearance when he needs to.]
     [Excellent! And the cloaking devices?]
     [It is fully operational. He can easily evade most conventional 
scanners and sensor equipment and can adapt to anything new that is 
used against him.]
     [Good. Everything is going according to plan. How about his 
energy source?]
     [The subject will be able to survive on minimal amounts of food 
and rest. His cells have now been evolved to the point in which he 
can absorb outside energy sources such as solar power and ambient 
power like electricity and convert them into that bio-energy of his. 
The meson/antimeson thermoelectric batteries that are within him 
will act, as secondary backups should his primary sources of power 
fail. Of course the nanites are constantly improving and maintaining 
his body.] 
     Dr. Shero smiled, as his dream of conquest was about to become 
a reality. Once this new nanotech soldier had passed the final testing 
stages and received the proper programming, then he would clone 
and mass-produce this model by the thousands. One Ranma alone 
was destructive, but an entire army of them would assure the 
downfall of the Intergalactic Council and establish himself as 
supreme ruler of the cosmos! Nothing could stop him now.
     Unknown to him, the Council had already been aware of Dr. 
Shero's plans but had only now been able to track him down to the 
asteroid that contained his secret lab. Outside the asteroid, a crack 
unit of their best commandos was about to stage a daring raid on the 
complex. Once the leader of the group gave the go ahead, the twelve 
men in high-tech body armor ignited their flight packs and charged 
into the installation.
     Alarms and defense systems were activated as sensors picked up 
the intruders. Laser turrets popped out of their hidden 
emplacements and started firing. The invaders skillfully maneuvered 
their way around the crisscrossing beams of lethal light and 
returned fire with their plasma rifles and hyper-velocity rail canons. 
Destruction and chaos reigned as the asteroid rocked with 
explosions.
     One of the commandos had managed to get past the outer 
defenses and into the complex. There he met stiff resistance as he 
fought his way through enemy defense drones and heavily armed 
guards. He was barely able to make it to the center of the complex 
and found the main reactor. Placing a proton thermal detonator on 
it, he then communicated to the rest of his group to clear out. 
Setting the timer for two minutes, the soldier turned and screamed 
as a guard appeared from behind and fired his plasma rifle. The shot 
plowed though the commando's armor in the chest. As a reflex, the 
dying man squeezed the trigger of his own weapon, which 
discharged and burned the guard's head off.
     Dr. Shero smiled as he saw on the monitor of the retreating 
attack group. Confident that no one had gotten through his defenses, 
he decided to initiate the final programming procedures for his 
masterpiece. This would turn the boy into the perfect killing 
machine, obedient only to him. Ranma would become the perfect 
weapon in his bid to conquer the galaxy. Not knowing that his life 
was about to end, the scientist headed down the hallway to where his 
creation was resting in stasis. It was then that the timer on the 
detonator reached 0.
     The asteroid was rocked again by a series of chain reactions as 
the small explosion caused by the detonator ignited the main 
reactor. After the last of the smaller explosions went off, the entire 
chunk of space rock exploded in a gigantic blast and space debris 
went flying off in all directions. The surviving members of the 
raiding party held on for dear life as their ship was rocked by the 
shockwave and pelted with pieces of the asteroid. The navigator of 
the craft was able to pilot the ship out of the danger zone as Dr. 
Shero and his legacy was reduced to cosmic dust. The crew all 
agreed that nothing could have survived that explosion.
     Nothing, except a small, armored stasis pod that had been blown 
clear of the blast and was now tumbling through space. 

Six Standard Years later
     It was a peaceful night in the village of the Nieuchiezu, as the 
Amazons prepared to settle down for the evening. In a small area 
outside the village gates, two girls were sparring with each other, 
when suddenly, one of the combatants stopped and pointed up 
toward the sky. The second girl stopped as well and looked up in the 
direction that the first one was indicating.
     <"Look up there! A shooting star!">
     <"That could be a good sign Shampoo.">
     <"I hope so Mint. Tomorrow, those bad men will come again. 
The scouts say that they bringing those war machines this time.">
     <"Yes, we must be ready to fight them.">
     <"Mint, I'm worried.">
     <"I'm worried too Shampoo. Those machines of the Chinese 
army are terrible and they've already destroyed or conquered the 
other villages. We're the only Amazon village left that's still 
holding out and"> Mint's voice trailed off as thought of the 
upcoming battle. For the past several weeks, the warrior women had 
been getting into a few skirmishes with members of the Chinese 
Army as their leaders tried to impose their will upon them. So far, 
the soldiers have been using small arms against them, but the village 
had survived their assaults. Now, things had started to become 
serious. She didn't think that they had much of a chance against the 
tanks and heavy artillery of the Chinese government, but they were 
Amazons and it was their way to fight to the death, even against 
overwhelming odds.
     A few miles away, the light that Shampoo had spotted landed 
gently in the midst of a dense forest near the Bayankala Mountain 
range. The light, was in fact the glow of the impulse engines of a 
small, star cruiser. The otherworldly ship was sleek and had an 
impressive armored skin that covered its hull. The firepower it 
contained was enough to level a level a small city within twenty 
minutes. However, it was its sole occupant that was of greatest 
concern.
     The hatch of the ship opened up and a figure stepped out into the 
night. The person was tall and wore a tight-fitting, black body suit 
that covered everything except his head. The man had raven hair, 
which was done in a small ponytail. His eyes were blue and they 
seemed to radiate a sense of overwhelming power and control as 
they scanned the area. His vision swept the forest as his bio-
computer took in the data from the infrared, microwave and other 
wavelengths that his eyes were sensing. Finally, the scanning 
procedure was complete and Ranma mentally asked the computer in 
his brain. 
     <Computer, are you certain that this is my planet of origin?>
     (*Affirmative Ranma. All the available data that we have 
accumulated confirms this.*)
     Ranma nodded as he took a deep breath. After spending six long 
years wandering the galaxies, he had finally come home. The serum 
that had been used to accelerate his age, then stopped his aging 
process had finally worn off two years ago. He was aging normally 
again, but he now had the body of a nineteen-year old, instead of his 
expected age of sixteen. While wandering the cosmos, the 
cybernetic martial artist had visited many worlds and gained an 
incredible amount of knowledge, including clues as to where he 
came from. He eventually came across information about the planet 
that he was stolen from six-years ago and after a little bit of friendly 
'persuasion' he was able to get the coordinates of his home world. 
However, this did not get him any of his missing memories back. 
Dr. Shero's mindwipe had been quite extensive and the memories of 
his past before he was kidnapped were trickling back at an 
unbearably slow rate. He had thought that coming back to Earth 
might stimulate his recall faster, but he still could not remember 
much more than his own name.
     Sighing again, he decided to consult the biocomputer in his head. 
<Computer, any suggestions as to our current situation?>
     (*Unable to comply, due to the limited amount of data. As you 
would put it, I haven't the foggiest idea. Suggest scouting the area 
and questioning the natives until new data is presented. Also suggest 
that you keep a low profile, as this is a backwater world.*)
     Ranma nodded as he went back inside his ship to prepare for the 
next day. The hatch closed with a quiet hiss and then the whole ship 
began to shimmer as the cloaking devices activated themselves. In 
an instant, the ship faded from view and nothing was left to indicate 
that it even existed.
     The very next day, Ranma was soaring above the treetops at a 
relatively slow speed as he scouted the area. Although it would have 
been easier to remain inside his ship and send out probes, he had 
felt confined within his craft and wanted to experience the outside 
world. As of now, he was flying at an altitude of three thousand feet 
and was enjoying the scenery below. Just as he was about to 
approach the Bayankala Mountain range, his telescopic vision had 
spotted a series of explosions in the distance. Focusing his eyesight 
on the disturbance, he saw a scene of chaos and destruction.
     Primitive war machines (by his standards) were spearheading an 
attack on a small village. Soldiers were firing crude projectile 
weapons at the defenders, who were retaliating with swords, clubs 
and all sorts of sharp or blunt hand to hand instruments. Landing on 
a cliff that overlooked the battlefield, Ranma engaged his 
computer's tactical mode. As his computer analyzed the situation, 
Ranma watched with fascination as the female warriors of the 
village inflicted considerable damage to their attackers. He 
witnessed several impressive displays of martial arts and every now 
and then, an Amazon would demonstrate a ki attack. The foot 
soldiers that were foolish enough to get close to one of them would 
learn the error of their mistake a few seconds before their lives 
ended. However, the rest of the troops were smart enough to stay 
back and lay down withering machine gunfire and to let the tanks do 
their job. The armored behemoths let loose with deafening volleys 
of death from their turrets that shot over the heads of the Amazons 
and blasted away at the village behind them. It was quite apparent 
what the eventual outcome would be.
     (*Native village on the verge of being overwhelmed by superior 
forces. Enemy outnumbers defenders by twenty to one. Weapons 
used against defenders consist of high-explosive projectile shells, 
heavy armor units and firearms. Estimate total annihilation within 
five minutes.*)
     <They'll be massacred! We have to help them!>
     (*Decision to interfere with the affairs of the locals not within 
mission to retrieve lost data on your past existence.*)
     <I don't care! I can't just stand by and let this happen when I have 
the power to stop it!>
     (*Direct involvement may result in unforeseen consequences. 
Preservation of this unit is of highest priority.*)
     <Computer please, you know I'm right. Let me do this.>
     There was a long pause as the computer considered Ranma's 
request. Although it would have been a simple matter to immobilize 
Ranma and prevent him from interfering, the biotechnological 
wonder had undergone some changes since its activation six years 
ago. As it was merged with Ranma's brain, it had begun to pick up 
some humanistic qualities. Although its primary function was to act 
as an information source and defend its host, it had started to 
exhibit some sensations all on its own. Things that would have 
meant nothing to a purely logical computer were now starting to 
show value to the nanites. Concepts such as compassion, mercy, 
honor and loyalty now had an effect on it. Throughout their travels 
through the cosmos, Ranma had aided hundreds of beings and gotten 
into situations that endangered his life, when it would have been 
more logical to not get involved. Ranma had made a lot of enemies 
because of his interference. Then again, he had made some powerful 
allies as well. If Ranma could help, then he would. It was that 
humanity, which defined him and the computer, had just recently 
begun to appreciate that part of him. In some cases, they had 
survived only because of it. In any case, wasn't it the computer's job 
to aid its host? That was its purpose. That was the reason it was 
created in the first place. 
     (*Will comply with request to aid defenders.*)
     <Thanks computer.>
     Ranma took a deep breath while powering up his energies, then 
dived down toward the battle. Remembering his computer's 
suggestion to keep a low profile, he gave a mental command to the 
microcircuits in his cyberweave suit, and the fabric became like a 
thing alive as it moved to cover his head into a mask of the black 
material. The only feature was a stylish red visor that covered his 
eyes. Now that no one could visually identify him, Ranma eagerly 
flew toward the village. <I've been itching for some action, 
computer. Let's go kick some butt!>
     (*Affirmative.*)

     <"AIIIIYEEEEEE!"> Shampoo felt a sharp pain in her side as 
several bullets hit her. She fell to the ground with a profuse gunshot 
wound in her right flank. She dropped her bonbori and clutched at 
the bleeding hole, hoping to stem the flow of crimson that was now 
dripping down to the ground. Shampoo knew that she was dying, but 
she would not give up. If she was going to die, then she was going to 
do it on her feet and fighting the enemy. She tried to get up, but her 
legs just wouldn't respond. The bullets had shot through her 
midsection and one of them hit her vertebrae, severing her spinal 
cord. She had been crippled by the cowardly attack and as she 
looked up, she saw a tank rumbling its way toward her. It seemed 
that she would soon join her ancestors. She shut her eyes and waited 
for the end.
     The end never came. She heard startled cries coming from the 
soldiers and her sister Amazons alike. The clanking noises of the 
tank's wheels could still be heard, but they seemed to be coming 
from above? She cautiously opened her eyes and looked up. Her 
eyes became the size of saucers (the flying kind) as she beheld the 
sight before her.
     The stranger was tall, about 6'4" at least. He had a lean, muscular 
frame and was wearing a black, skintight, full body suit and boots 
that covered him from head to toe. The headmask had no features 
save for a red strip of semitransparent material across the eyes that 
resembled a visor. The being was radiating ki energy on a scale that 
no one of her tribe had ever encountered before. His power was 
enormous! The fact that he was holding up a forty-ton tank over his 
head demonstrated this point. The war machine's treads were still 
rolling in their futile attempt to get traction. 
     One of the occupants came out of the hatch at the top of the 
turret and looked down. His eyes bugged out when he saw why his 
vehicle wasn't going anywhere. He screamed down to his 
compatriots inside the tank and in less than a minute, four members 
of the Chinese Army were scrambling out of the armored vehicle 
and leaping away. 
     <"W-W-Who are you?">
     Ranma looked down at the injured girl with a bit of confusion. 
<Computer, do you have any idea what's she's saying?>
     (*Dialect is currently unknown. Translation program already in 
progress in deciphering her language. Will be able to comprehend 
in thirty seconds.*)
     <Never mind that now computer. Give me a tactical assessment 
of the situation.> Ranma's eyes began scanning the battlefield, his 
eyes analyzing the numbers of enemy soldiers and their weapons.
     (*Analysis complete. Main strength of attacking force is their 
battle machines. Neutralization of these elements will diminish the 
attacking force's ability to fight by seventy-five percent.*)
     Ranma nodded as he reared back and threw the tank at another 
one that was nearby. Soldiers were barely able to get out of their 
vehicle when the heavy projectile came crashing down on top of it. 
Ranma turned and raised one arm, pointing the index finger at the 
smashed tanks.
     <Laser beam.> Ranma mentally commanded as he focused some 
of his ki into the digit. The energy converters within his body 
transformed his power into an intense beam of focused light, which 
shot out and struck the two tanks. The superheated beam pierced the 
thick armor and ignited the ammunition and explosive shells within 
them, transforming the hulks into fireballs of exploding shrapnel 
and mangled parts. 
     Some of the soldiers finally got over their moment of shock 
when they saw this nearly effortless destruction of two of their 
tanks. The ones that were nearest to Ranma took a dozen steps back 
and began shooting at him with their assault rifles. However, this 
proved to be a mistake.
     Ranma turned around and saw the bullets streak at him. Although 
he knew that the primitive arms the soldiers were carrying wouldn't 
even scratch his skin, let alone his cyberweave armor, he still had 
the innocent behind him to think about. So instead of just standing 
there and let them ricochet off his body, his arms and hands became 
a blur, catching each and every bullet of the lethal salvo. The 
Amazons and Shampoo especially were rendered speechless. Their 
own speed technique, the Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken, was fast but 
it didn't have anywhere close to the speed of this newcomer. It 
certainly wasn't fast enough to catch bullets!
     Ranma smirked from behind his mask as the soldiers continued 
to fire their weapons. For twenty seconds, the sounds of nonstop 
gunfire hammered away. Finally, the assault rifles clicked on empty, 
as their magazines were depleted. The troops were astounded when 
they saw that their foe did not even have a scratch. Their horror was 
increased by tenfold when they saw the stranger casually open his 
hands and showed their spent shots. He had caught them all! He then 
proceeded to crush the contents of his hands and a moment later; he 
brushed away the powdered remnants of the bullets.
     The troops looked down at their weapons with fear. Their guns 
were just about a effective against this newcomer as pea shooters. 
They were just reaching for new magazines from their ammo belts 
when Ranma raised an arm and began focusing his ki again.
     <Compression blast.>
     The energy converters began using his ki to gather in his 
outstretched hand and began compressing the air in front of him. 
Then suddenly, the soldiers were knocked off their feet and sent 
hurtling backward thirty feet. The sudden impact sent them all into 
unconsciousness as Ranma used the air pressure blast like a 
battering ram. 
     The other soldiers knew that this was no ordinary opponent and 
therefore thought it best to concentrate their efforts on eliminating 
him. Forgetting to attack the Amazons, the soldiers began a flanking 
maneuver on both sides. Ranma saw this coming and decided to get 
out of the way. Gently picking up the injured Shampoo in his arms, 
he took to the air, just as the soldiers began lobbing grenades and 
opening fire with their assault rifles.
     Ranma rose to a height of a hundred feet and hovered there with 
the still shocked Amazon. Seeing that the other warrior women had 
gotten some distance from the immediate area, Ranma floated down 
toward them and silently handed the purple-haired girl to them. He 
then turned and sped to rejoin the fray. The Amazons watched in 
amazement as the nanotech warrior proceeded to tear their enemies 
apart.
     The cybernetic soldier went after the tanks first, ripping them 
open as if they were made out of tinfoil. The troops were soon 
panicking and many were retreating from the relentless onslaught of 
one man. They soon found out that bullets were nothing to him as he 
let them bounce off him like jellybeans. The tremendous firepower 
of the tanks was no match for him as he easily evaded the 
cumbersome and slow behemoths. When the last tank was torn into 
scrap metal, Ranma then took care of whatever remaining troops 
that were left. The soldiers got the pounding of their lives as their 
foe decided to give them a painful demonstration of his martial arts 
abilities. Having traveled the galaxies, Ranma had been exposed to 
thousands of different styles of hand to hand combat, all of which 
he used to incredible effect. 
     One of the commanders, who had been watching on the sidelines, 
decided that it was time to bring in his trump card. Taking out his 
walkie-talkie, he gave the order for the assault helicopters to 
assemble and prepare for an all-out attack on the village. 
     In the meanwhile, Ranma was weaving in and out of the platoons 
of highly trained soldiers as easily as one would wade through still 
waters. He moved with incredible speed and several times, his 
opponents would hear miniature sonic booms, as Ranma would 
travel fast enough to exceed the sound barrier. Dozens of troops 
would be rendered unconscious or too injured to fight as he took 
them out in milliseconds. After the last of the soldiers had been 
dealt with, Ranma then got a signal from his computer's long-range 
sensors.
     (*Ranma! Scanners are picking up several new contacts heading 
in our direction.*)
     <What's their ETA?>
     (*One minute.*)
     <Sounds like they're sending in reinforcements.>
     Ranma's assumption was confirmed as he heard the distant 
clatter of helicopter rotors. Looking up into the distance, he saw the 
distinct silhouettes of six assault choppers as they began to 
converge on the battlefield. The Amazons also sighted them and 
their morale began to fall again. They had been thought that the 
danger had passed when this stranger had destroyed the tanks and 
defeated the soldiers but now these new war machines were coming. 
They could see them begin to aim their weapons of mass 
destruction at their village. They hovered in the air some twelve 
hundred meters from their village and waited for the order to fire.
     The commander of the squadron spoke through a loudspeaker and 
gave out his ultimatum. <"Drop your weapons and surrender now. I 
repeat, drop your weapons and surrender at once. Any further 
resistance will result in your utter destruction!"> 
     Ranma scanned the new assault vehicles and didn't like what he 
saw. Although they posed no real threat to him, they possessed 
enough firepower to destroy the village that he was trying to save. 
He could see their primitive targeting devices already locking on 
the village and rockets being armed. His translation program had 
already deciphered the Chinese language and he was now able to 
fully understand the threat that the commander had given. 
     <Computer, give me some options!>
     (*Analyzing.*) A moment later the biotech wonder had the 
answer. (*Suggest using photon burst to confuse the enemy, then 
utilize electrodisrupter cannon on a wide beam setting to neutralize 
their weapon systems.*)
     <Then what?>
     (*Current situation suggests that a demonstration of greater 
firepower may be necessary.*)
     Ranma smiled. He knew exactly what he could use to cow these 
bastards. <Let's do it!>
     Meanwhile, the commander of the attacking force was getting 
impatient. <"This is your last warning! Surrender now, or be 
destroyed!"> 
     <Photon burst!>
     Ranma's battle aura suddenly flared as his energy converters 
transformed his ki into pure light. The sudden explosion of 
luminescence caused all those who were watching to become 
blinded. In those few precious seconds that they were distracted, 
Ranma held out an arm and activated his recall circuits. A large, 
cylindrical object appeared and settled over his shoulder like a 
bazooka. The muzzle of the weapon was shaped like a satellite dish 
and began to power up. Ranma aimed the weapon to the group of 
choppers and pulled the trigger. 
     A wide beam of blue-white energy enveloped the helicopters as 
they hovered unsteadily in the air, their pilots struggling to keep 
them aloft as their eyesight slowly returned to them. It was then that 
their commander gave them the order to fire. The pilots pressed 
their firing mechanisms and nothing happened. They pressed their 
buttons again and still nothing happened. 
     <"Commander! All units have experienced a major malfunction 
in the firing controls!"> 
     <"WHAT?!">
     <"They're not working sir!">
     Ranma smiled as he overheard their communications with his 
enhanced hearing. He then made his electrodisrupter cannon 
dematerialize back into subspace and then called forth the REALLY 
BIG GUN.
     <Annihilator! Set for one billionth of the maximum payload!>
     (*Acknowledged.*)
     Ranma's arm once again raised and something materialized above 
it. This time however, it was the size of a field artillery piece. The 
massive, super anti-matter cannon materialized and settled itself on 
Ranma's arm. The weapon measured more than ten meters in length 
and sported a muzzle with a diameter the size of a trashcan lid. The 
anti-graviton field generators were keeping the whole thing 
balanced on his arm and the weapon began charging up as Ranma 
began feeding his ki into it. The business end of the barrel began 
glowing with a pure white light as a ball of energy began to form in 
the barrel near the opening. It became more concentrated as a 
targeting sight popped out from one side of the weapon and fitted 
itself over Ranma's right eye.
     The pilots and their commanders all wet their pants when they 
saw the Annihilator. That thing was huge! Worse of all, it was aimed 
at them and they couldn't shoot back. When they saw that ball of 
energy begin to appear, they thought that it was time for them to die. 
However, that was not Ranma's intention as he pivoted around and 
had the cannon pointed at one of the Bayankala Mountains in the 
distance. He smirked as he mentally released the safety locks and 
pressed the firing stud. 
     A concentrated beam of pure anti-matter shot forth and struck 
the mountain at its foundation. The huge rock glowed with a white 
light before it was obliterated into its component molecules. There 
was a huge explosion, followed by an equally severe aftershock that 
was felt for miles around. Even though that particular mountain was 
more than ten miles away, the village and the surrounding area was 
rattled as if it had been subjected to a small earthquake. The winds 
buffeted the choppers with near-hurricane speeds and the pilots 
barely managed to keep from crashing into the ground and each 
other.
     When the winds and aftershocks finally died down. Ranma 
pivoted and had the muzzle pointed back at the helicopters. There 
was a moment of unnatural silence as the pilots considered the 
predicament they were in. They then made their choice. They ran. 
The soldiers on the ground also retreated, picking up their fallen 
comrades and hightailed it as fast as they could.
     Ranma stood motionless until the last of the invading army had 
disappeared from sight. When they had vanished over the horizon, 
he then dematerialized the Annihilator and fell to his knees. Using 
the anti-matter weapon, even for just a second at one billionth of its 
power was extremely draining. He had only used it four times since 
he was awakened six years ago and only once did he ever use it at 
full power. As of now, his body was exhausted from the battle and 
he was currently running on reserve power.
     Taking some time to collect himself, he slowly got up and 
walked over to where the Amazons were still staring in disbelief. 
They became a little more than nervous as he approached them and 
some were already taking battle stances. Ranma stopped a few feet 
before them and raised his hands to show that he wasn't there to hurt 
them.
     <"Don't worry. I mean you no harm."> He then gestured to 
Shampoo, who was lying on the ground, her head resting against 
another Amazon's legs who was kneeling behind her. <"Is she all 
right?">
     The Amazon looked at the masked figure with suspicion as she 
slowly answered, <"She is We managed to stop the bleeding, 
but her injuries were too severe."> The Amazon bowed her head. 
<"She says that she cannot feel or move her legs.">
     Ranma nodded as he scanned Shampoo's battered body. Sure 
enough, his bioscanners revealed that her spinal cord had been 
severed and that a bullet was lodged between a couple of her 
vertebrae near the lumbar portion of her backbone.
     Ranma knelt down beside the crippled Amazon and replied, <"I 
can help her.">

To be continued

Author's Notes
     Okay. This is going to be the final rewrite that I'll ever do to this 
part of the story. Due to countless e-mail from my readers, I've 
decided to make Ranma into a sort of Nanotech soldier with 
incredible fighting abilities and high-tech weaponry. The nanites had 
totally restored Ranma but he is without his memories other than 
his name. He has been wandering the cosmos for any clues to his 
past and his search has now led him to Earth.
     The computer is a sort of companion to Ranma in which he 
depends heavily on for advice and information. It has taken on a 
more humanistic personality, due to its close contact with Ranma. 
It's implanted in his brain after all. The nanites are now fully bonded 
to our nanotech warrior and give him tremendous power as well as 
access to advanced technology.
     Where can I go with this? Well, after he helps out the Amazons, 
you can be sure that they'll be after him. His travels will also bring 
him to Japan and all the craziness that occurs there. I can see a few 
crossovers as well with Sailor Moon, Devil Hunter Yohko, Tenchi 
Muyo and others. (I've even got an idea for a crossover with the 
Slayers, as I couldn't resist a battle between sorcery and super-
science!) And you can bet that the beings that Ranma had 
encountered in space will come looking for him, either as friend or 
foe. Just watch the sparks fly!
     I got the idea for the Annihilator after playing Marvel 
Superheroes at the arcade. I just loved Iron Man's Proton Cannon! 


