TENCHI MUYO! : "Mother's Day" by Ryan Mathews CHAPTER TWO Ryoko yawned. She was only a single day out from Earth, and already she was bored to tears. She wasn't used to these long, dull trips. The last time she'd taken one, she had been aboard the _Souja_, and there had been plenty to do there. Ryo-oh-ki wasn't designed for long trips. It had basically just one large room, the bridge, with only minimal comfort facilities for humanoids and a single bay for pirated cargo. Her passenger, Lhim-Zen, didn't help much to alleviate her boredom. He hadn't said more than three sentences to her since the trip had begun. He spent his days in apparent meditation. Occasionally he would walk about the bridge, waving his hands in an odd rhythm. When asked, he explained that it was a meditative dance, similar to Tai Chi, but didn't elaborate. Once he ate some food that he materialized with his gloves. Ryoko sighed and tried to remember how she had been talked into playing taxi for this man. She couldn't recall precisely what he had said, only that it had made perfect sense at the time. she thought. Nothing to do but get this over with as fast as possible. Unfortunately, that meant five more days of boredom. "Ryo-oh-ki, gimme the Playstation!" One of Ryo-oh-ki's crystals floated over to Ryoko and extended a compact disc tray. Ryoko fished in her outfit and came up with one of the video games she'd borrowed from Tenchi. The software was primitive, but the games were clever and challenging. Ryoko had considered going into business selling copies of the games on other planets, if she could ever talk Tenchi into leaving Earth. It was a perfect fit: the space pirate becoming a software pirate. She placed the CD in the tray and gave it a push. A control pad popped out of the crystal and a viewscreen materialized. Ryoko caught the control pad and winced. Her right hand was red and raw, as if she'd burned it on something. It had been that way for at least a day. She must have burned it pretty bad for it not to have healed yet, but she had no memory of how it had happened. Lhim-Zen rose from his meditation and began to do his dance again. Fed up, Ryoko threw down the control pad and stood up. "Hey, Zen! Let's talk!" Zen paid no notice and continued his movements. Now Ryoko was really pissed. "Hey! Zen! You're the one who said you wanted to spend some quality time with your sister, right? So what's with the damn silent treatment?" When Zen still did not respond, Ryoko angrily grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. She swallowed as a chill went down her spine. The expression on Zen's face was cold and emotionless. It was as if there was no soul behind the face, just a void. When saw Ryoko's reaction he blinked and it was if he put on a new face. His eyes sparkled and the warm smile that had charmed Tenchi and the others returned. "Forgive me, my sister. Sometimes I let my work distract me." "I thought you were meditating." "Indeed. Meditating on present and future scientific projects. It's 'mental work'. What did you want to ask me?" "I..." Ryoko didn't know. She figured he'd want to ask her something. Again, wasn't that the point of the trip? A beeping noise came from Ryo-oh-ki's speakers and screens activated, showing an approaching ship hailing them. The face of a Juraian military officer appeared. "This is the Juraian ship _Nagami_ to _Ryo-oh-ki_. You are ordered to halt your vessel and prepare for inspection." "What the hell?" said Ryoko. She activated the comlink. "_Nagami_, what's the problem? What have I been accused of this time?" "We mean you no harm, Ryoko," said the officer, "but you know you're not allowed anywhere in Juraian space other than the Sol System." "'Juraian space'?" Ryoko asked, incredulous. "I'm not anywhere near Juraian space! I'm enroute to the Bedart-Prime Spaceport." The officer gave her an odd look. "If you truly believe that, there must be something wrong with your navigation systems." Ryoko checked her coordinates. They showed her on course for Bedart. To be certain, she checked the maps against her view of the stars. They didn't match. "Uh... I don't know what to say. Ryo-oh-ki's never done this before. Where exactly am I?" "You are point-seven-five light years inside the Juraian border, on course for planet Jurai." Ryoko paled. "I, uh, didn't mean it. Honest!" "Not a problem. All we need is a brief inspection of your ship, and we'll escort you to the border." "Sure! Go ahead." "Please prepare to be--" The image was abruptly cut off. Ryoko tried the comlink again, with negative results. "Ryo-oh-ki, try to get him back!" Ryo-oh-ki didn't reply. Instead the ship began to rotate slowly, and a low humming noise began to build, louder and louder. Ryoko recognized the sound. The main gun was being brought on-line and targeted. "Ryo-oh-ki, what are you doing! Ryo-oh-ki!" "Miya?" Ryoko looked down to see the furry animal and knew beyond all doubt that something was horribly wrong. The _Nagami_ attempted to deploy its Lighthawk Wings, but it was too late. Ryo-oh-ki fired. The beam punched right through the partially deployed Wings, into the _Nagami_ and out the other side. The Juraian ship blossomed into an immense fireball. * * * "A trip to Jurai?!" said Tenchi, Aeka, Sasami, and Washu in unison. "Of course," said a gleeful Misaki. "I've *always* wanted to invite my new family to visit the homeworld. The only stumbling block was Ryoko. She's persona non grata on Jurai, and it would be so rude to invite everyone *but* Ryoko. But now she's gone for six days! We can visit Jurai and be back before she returns!" Aeka was puzzled. "But Mother, Jurai is even farther away than the spaceport to which Ryoko is traveling." "Not anymore!" announced Washu. "Correct," agreed Funaho. "Washu installed a warp point in nearby space that leads directly to the heart of the Juraian Empire. We used it to come here. The trip took about twenty hours." Washu grinned. "It was the least I could do after having invented so many things that had devastated their planet." "What about Father?" Aeka asked. "I didn't think he liked Tenchi very much." "Oh, you mustn't read too much into your father's attitude. He's warming to Tenchi, really he is! Besides," Misaki grinned, "he's on a tour of the outer colonies and won't be back for three weeks!" "You're right, sister," said Funaho, "you are a bad girl." "What do you think, Tenchi?" asked Aeka, delighted. "Isn't it a marvelous idea? I would so much love to show you the beauty of Jurai!" "I don't know," said Tenchi. "It seems cruel to Ryoko to leave her out like this." "You could always make it up to her later," suggested Funaho. "Uh, yes, of course!" agreed Aeka. she added to herself. Tenchi considered. "I've always wanted to see Jurai, ever since I learned about it. I guess I really can't pass up the opportunity." "Then it's decided!" bubbled Misaki. "We'll leave right away! Everyone get packed!" "You're invited too, Washu-chan," said Funaho. "Goody!" Washu chirped. "Can I take a look inside your tree nursery?" "Um... We'll talk about it," Funaho replied, a bead of sweat appearing on her brow. Sasami walked into Tenchi's room. "Tenchi, are you ready to go? We're about to leave." "I'm all packed. I just can't find my sword. It's weird. I always put in the same drawer but I must have forgotten last time. I can't find it anywhere." "You shouldn't need it on Jurai." "I know, but Grandfather told me to always carry it with me. Oh, well," Tenchi sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. It's not like there's anyone else on Earth that could use it. Tell the others I'll be right there." He sighed again. "Tenchi, are you okay?" Sasami asked. "I just don't like lying to Ryoko, that's all." "So don't lie! Like Aunt Funaho said, you can make it up to her." Tenchi brightened. "You're right. I could buy her some of that sake she likes so much, or take to her to a restaurant. With you as chaperone, of course." Sasami giggled. "You're kind and thoughtful, Tenchi. That's why I--" "What?" "Uh, nothing." she thought to herself. "Are you sure you can't come with us, Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked as he prepared to board the royal ship. "Ooh, I want to so much, but I can't. I have a big test Friday, and I have to study." In her zeal to contribute to the new extended Masaki family of which she was now a part, Mihoshi had begun taking night classes at a local college. Although she always seemed to be struggling miserably, she had somehow managed to pass all her exams and was on course for a degree. "Besides, someone has to look after the house while you're gone." "Speaking of that," said Tenchi, "if you see my sword somewhere, could you keep track of it until I get back?" "Sure! You can count on me!" As Mihoshi waved good-bye, he was enveloped in a ball of energy and pulled into the ship. "Bring me back a souvenir!" she called after him. As the ship rose into the air, she added, "Something I can eat!" * * * As she stared at the lazily drifting field of debris that moments ago had been a Juraian ship, two questions simultaneously vied for attention in Ryoko's mind: "Why?" and "How?". Why did Ryo-oh-ki ignore her command to stop? And how was she able to destroy the _Nagami_? Ryo-oh-ki was powerful, but not *that* powerful. There was no way she could have destroyed a Juraian military vessel with a single shot. The furry animal Ryo-oh-ki meowed at Ryoko's feet, and she picked her up. This in itself was odd. Ryo-oh-ki was never in animal form aboard her own ship body. Ryoko stroked Ryo-oh-ki's fur. "You aren't in control, are you?" But if Ryo-oh-ki wasn't in control of her ship form, who was? The obvious answer was Lhim-Zen, but how? Ryoko looked at her passenger. He seemed totally oblivious to what had just happened, and continued his bizarre dance. Ryoko decided to take the direct route. "You! What do you know about this?" Without turning to face her, Zen responded, "I don't know what you mean." "The hell you don't. I want my ship back, you bastard!" Zen gave her an amused smile. "My dear sister, how could I possibly be in control of your ship?" Ryoko sneered. "I don't know, but I'm gonna find out." She marched toward him, prepared to beat the answer out of him. Zen smile disappeared, replaced by alarm. He tried to wave her off. "Wait! Stay back!" Ryoko collided with thin air and fell on her butt. "You tripped," said Zen. Ryoko nodded. "Damn. I'm so clumsy." Something in her mind screamed . Suddenly overcome with dizziness, Ryoko sat on the floor, holding her head. Her mind seemed to have split into two parts. One screamed at her to ignore everything that had happened and press on to the spaceport. The other half screamed equally loudly that something was horribly wrong. For once, Ryoko had Lhim-Zen's full attention. He stared at her intently, waiting. Ryoko tried desperately to sort out the voices in her head. What was the truth? She needed a second opinion, and it occurred to her how she could get one. She closed her eyes, and asked Ryo-oh-ki to show her what she saw. The cabbit's eyes scanned the bridge. It was a laboratory under construction. The bridge was half-filled with devices. Some Ryoko recognized from Washu's lab, some were from the _Souja_. Others Ryoko had never seen before. Ryoko slowly got to her feet. "'Meditative dance', my ass. You and your magic gloves have been filling my ship full of shit!" Lhim-Zen sighed. "This is regrettable, indeed. Oh, well, I suppose nothing ever goes precisely as planned." Ryoko became dizzy once more, and when it cleared, she could see the lab with her own eyes. In the center of the bridge, surrounded by Ryo-oh-ki's control crystals, was a large, shimmering crystal cylinder. She knew was it was, but was afraid to say it. "That's..." "The main core from the _Souja_, yes," confirmed Lhim-Zen. "You can't comprehend how lucky I was to have found it. Of course, I simply had to get ahold of the one remaining ship in the universe that was compatible with it." "To do what?" "All in good time. So you recognize the main core. I take it then that you recognize this?" Zen held up a small, palm-sized device, the same one Ryoko had seen on the Masaki's roof. Ryoko did recognize it. Kagato had once had one just like it, two thousand years ago. It was a compact transmitter tied into the _Souja_'s core. With it, Kagato could control all the functions of his ship. He could also use it to control Ryoko. "I won't do it," said Ryoko. "I won't be your slave." "Unless there's something I'm missing, I don't believe you have a choice." Ryoko's sword appeared in her hand. "Give it to me," she hissed. "I wouldn't do that," said Zen. "I haven't had much practice with this device and I can't guarantee I won't hurt you." Ryoko charged. * * * The trip to Juraian space was uneventful. The royal ship approached the warp point, a small spherical object floating in space. The sphere split into four sections as they approached, spreading a web of energy. The ship flew into the web and found itself in Juraian space, close enough to the planet that its continents could be made out through a telescope. A few more hours of travel, and the face of Jurai was clearly visible with the naked eye, drawing a crowd of spectators. Sasami was unable to contain her excitement. "Look, Tenchi, look! There's our home! There's where we grew up!" Tenchi smiled. "Yes, Sasami, that's your homeworld." "No, no, no! I mean our home city! Where Aeka and I grew up! Right there!" Sasami pointed. It was impossible to tell exactly where Sasami was pointing, so Aeka helped out. "It's at the south end of the bay, at the western edge of the northern continent." Tenchi looked. He saw the area to which Aeka was referring, but they were still much too far away from the planet to make out a city. "It looks so much like Earth." "It's very nearly identical. The air, the water, the weather, it's all just like your world." "But Earth doesn't have cheena birds!" piped Sasami. Aeka laughed. "It's Sasami's favorite bird. There are many plants and animals you'll see for the first time, Tenchi." Sasami nodded. "I'm gonna make you my favorite dessert, Tenchi! It's made with fruit that grows only in the royal gardens!" Tenchi smiled at Sasami, as Aeka looked on, feeling giddy with anticipation. These next few days were going to be the most wonderful in her life and, she hoped, the most wonderful for Tenchi as well. When they returned to Earth, Tenchi's heart would be completely and irrevocably hers. She'd promised Ryoko she would neither marry nor bed Tenchi, and Aeka was a princess of her word. However, she hadn't said anything about taking long, romantic walks with Tenchi in the light of Jurai's moon. She hadn't said anything about holding his hand or (dare she even think it?) kissing him! Oh, how she wanted the trip to be over, for the ship to land so she could step onto the sacred soil of Jurai arm-in-arm with her beloved-- "Um, Aeka?" said Sasami. "You're drooling." * * * Ryoko awoke to blackness and utter silence. The last thing she remembered was rushing Lhim-Zen, intending to wrest the controller from him by force. Now it was dark. She sat up, straining to see anything. She listened for even the slightest sound. Nothing. The only sensation was that of the floor, cold and real beneath her. She called out to Ryo-oh-ki to activate the lights and could not hear her own voice. She became scared. Something was very wrong. Then, with a chill, she understood what that something was. Trembling, she raised her hands to her neck, hoping she was mistaken. She wasn't. Her head was missing. Fighting off the urge to panic, she felt the area around her, on the slight chance her head had come loose when she'd fallen unconscious, and was still asleep. No luck. The ability to separate her body into autonomous segments was one of the more useless of Ryoko's abilities, and she'd taken off her head only once in recent memory: at a costume party to freak out Aeka. She'd had no reason to do it since. Ryoko tried desperately to stay calm and think, a difficult task with her primary brain missing. Even if her head was detached, she should be in contact with it. Unless... She shivered in terror. What if Lhim-Zen had "pocketed" her head with those damned gloves of his, and left the rest of her behind with the ship? Maybe that was all he needed. Ryoko tried to grow another head. It was no use. She no idea how. The knowledge of how to regenerate lost body parts was in her primary brain. Without her head, Ryoko couldn't see, hear, talk, eat, drink, or barely even think! She needed her head! She finally did panic, flailing about the room, feeling desperately for anything that could help. Finally, her hand touched something. Something warm and furry. Ryo-oh-ki. Overjoyed with relief, she grasped Ryo-oh-ki with both hands and made the creature's eyes and ears her own. She was still on the bridge of Ryo-oh-ki the ship. Lhim-Zen had not left, and had installed even more devices, continuing the process of turning Ryo-oh-ki into a mobile laboratory. Ryoko's head was hooked up to one of the devices, and was looking worriedly back at her. "Can we please end this?" pleaded Ryoko. "My body is freaking out over there." "Fascinating, isn't it?" replied Lhim-Zen. "And it proves my hypothesis. Total cellular homogeneity." Ryoko's headless body got to its feet and walked toward them. It slammed into a force field and dropped Ryo-oh-ki. It immediately flailed around, desperately searching for its "eyes". "Oh god," said Ryoko. The sight was painful for her to watch. "Ryo-oh-ki, please help her!" Ryo-oh-ki meowed loudly, then realized that would have no effect. She rubbed up against Ryoko's leg and was immediately picked up. Lhim-Zen continued, not paying the slightest attention. "What it means is that any cell in your body can modify itself to perform the function of any other cell. It's why you're so hard to kill. When I cut off your head and isolated it, you didn't die. Instead, cells in your neck formed a basic brain. After a while, it became sufficiently developed to allow your body independent thought and action, as you see now. As for your head..." He detached Ryoko's head from the device and took a closer look. "You seem to have formed rudimentary air-bladders in your throat, allowing you to speak. I'm still not certain how you're circulating your blood, though. What do you think?" "I think," said Ryoko, choosing her words carefully, "that I would like to be in one piece again. Please." Lhim-Zen considered her request for a moment. "Very well." He hit a switch to lower the force-field, shouted "Catch!", and tossed her head to her body, which barely managed to catch it. Ryoko reattached her head, marveling at how good it felt. "Alright, you've made your point. You're in control. Now what do you want from me?" "Nothing all that much. Just an errand." END CHAPTER TWO