Iczer-one Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Earth Child ❯ R&R in New Gamora ( Chapter 18 )

The Earthchild

 

(An Iczer/Ranma/Sailor Moon Crossover)

 

Written by

Jim Robert Bader

 

Proofread by

Shiva Barnwell

 

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi,

Naoko Takeuchi, Toshihiro Hirano, & Hitoshi Okuda,

with ideas and suggestions by TH Tiger and Johannes Huber)

 

 

 

 

 

“Hello, Mom? It's me…”

 

No sooner were those words out of Muku's mouth when she had to recoil from the anticipated, “WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, YOUNG LADY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS???” reaction that was all too typical of her mother.

 

“Ah…yeah, about that, Mom,” Muku winced, “There was a little…accident…well, actually, a friend of mine got hurt in a fight and I…had to take her home, and…well…it got late and…well…is it all right if I stay over at her place tonight? I promise I'll be back in the morning…”

 

“You are aware that it's a school day, are you not, young lady?” her mother sternly asked, to which Muku could only sheepishly reply in a standard---if not entirely reassuring---manner.

 

“Oh yeah…don't worry, I promise I'll do my homework and everything, Mom,” Muku made a placating gesture, “But…you know how these fights are…guys spring up and attack you out of nowhere and hardly take the time for proper introductions…”

 

Oddly enough, her mother seemed to visibly relax at that as she stared at the viewscreen and said, “Well…I suppose that's true enough…but I wish you'd have called earlier. Your father and I have been worried sick about you…”

 

“Just as long as you weren't hurt, Muku-chan,” her father said as he eased his way into the Vid Camera eye-scope, “Was your friend hurt bad?”

 

“Pretty bad,” Muku winced, “But…she's recovering just fine…kind of reminds me of Sakura the way she heals back when she gets hurt, know what I mean?”

 

“Oh yeah,” her mother sniffed, “I've got a pretty good idea of what that's like…”

 

“Saotome healing prowess,” her father remarked, “If we could bottle and sell it we'd easily make a fortune.”

 

“Yeah, just about,” Muku said, “Is it all right, then, if I spend the night here?”

 

“Well…” her mother exchanged looks with her father, tacitly leaving it to him to say, “You just take care of your friend and come back when she's better, Muku-chan. We'll be waiting to hear all the details when you get home after school.”

 

“Thanks Dad,” Muku smiled, “Mom…you're the greatest. Bye now.”

 

Muku sighed as she broke the connection, then turned to Sister Saffron, who obligingly canceled the holographic illusion of a house in the background, allowing Muku to turn and see Rhea, once gain floating naked in her regeneration chamber. Rhea was looking back at her with an apologetic expression, and then she formed the words that were somehow transmitted through the breathable fluid and transparent cylinder that contained her, “I'm sorry to put you to so much trouble, Muku-chan. I know you hate deceiving your parents…”

 

“Hey, I didn't lie to them,” Muku shrugged as she placed a hand against the wall of the tube, only to see Rhea place her own hand just opposite it as though to symbolically share the gesture, “I just don't think they're ready to know all about…this. What about you…feeling better?”

 

“Oh yes,” Rhea replied, “I am almost ninety-eight percent recovered, thanks to your friends and their healing abilities. I am amazed to learn that they are so talented as all that…”

 

“Yeah, well…” Muku smiled lopsidedly and said, “I've known them for a number of years, since we were kids in fact, but it was a couple years back I found out something really strange about them, like the fact that their parents were the Sailor Senshi. It's…kind of a long story how their folks and mine met…”

 

“You don't have to tell me in words,” Rhea closed her eyes and floated for a moment, then opened them again and said, “Your memories are fully accessible to me…such interesting people you know…and all of them attend the same high school?”

 

“Yeah…well…strange stuff seems to happen around Nerima,” Muku shrugged as she studied the all-too-human form of her Bioroid companion, marveling at how beautiful she was in the all together…right up until she saw Rhea's knowing smile and realized that her friend was reading her thoughts again and responding with open affection. Muku forced her eyes away as her cheeks began to color, and then she added, “Of course Rini…that's short for Serenity. We used to call her Chibi Usa when she was little…she lives in the Jubaan area, the same place where Yui's mom runs a shrine that used to belong to her grandfather. We also like to call her `The Princess' because her mother is supposed to be the Empress of the Moon, or something like that…”

 

“I should like to meet her mother, and to learn more about these people who once lived in their Moon Kingdom,” Rhea noted, “They sound as though they might have been another lost colony of my people with their reliance on women soldiers and their command of psionically enhancing crystals.”

 

“Ah…never thought of it like that,” Muku mused, “So…you think there might be some relationship between you guys and Rini's people?”

 

“Difficult to say without more research,” said Sister Saffron at her monitoring station, “We have encountered many references to the Moon Kingdom during our inhabitation of this colony, and if they are a power that once held sway in this star system, then it would be to our advantage to seek friendly ties with any remnants of their civilization.”

 

“By the way,” Rhea asked, “Where are your friends? I should like to thank them in person for saving my life.”

 

“Ah…good question,” Muku glanced around, “They were here waiting in the lobby…but I guess they got bored and wandered off to explore this place. It can be pretty intimidating the first time here…and the second time too,” she added with a sheepish expression.

 

Sister Turquoise---another C'thuwulf attendant who was on duty, reported, “Your friends asked if there were any place where they could comfortably relax while waiting for Rhea-chan to recover, so we directed them to the onsen where you went bathing with Nagisa.”

 

“Oh, that place?” Muku said, “I think I know where that is. Maybe I'll go there when Rhea gets done fixing herself up…”

 

“I am ready to accompany you now, Muku-chan,” Rhea replied as the fluids in her regeneration chamber started to flush out, leaving her to stand naked as some overhead gismos dried off her fully recovered body, even leaving her hair as lustrous and shiny as ever Muku had seen it. A moment later Rhea stepped from the chamber and smiled at her, obviously relishing the way Muku's eyes drank in the nakedness of her body. Then Rhea closed her eyes for a moment and soon her form began to shimmer as her armor once again covered her body. She took Muku's unresisting hand and squeezed it with affection, then leaned forward and gave Muku another kiss on her cheek, only to turn and plant the next one on her lips as Muku held her ground and reacted with a wide-eyed response that was entirely instinctive.

 

“Thank you for worrying about me,” Rhea said as their lips parted from that kiss, and then the Bioroid drew Muku along with her as she led the way from the laboratory and out into the hallway…

 

 

 

 

“Oh man…this place is something else!” Yumi groaned as she stretched her naked body, which was submerged within the warm mineral waters of the hot spring.

 

“You said it,” Yui noted pleasantly as she allowed herself to soak with a rare, untroubled expression, “These aliens do know how to live and to treat their guests, I'll give them that much…”

 

“I could spend all night here,” the pink-haired Rini grinned as she leaned back and allowed herself to be carried on the water, floating in absolute comfort, “This is way better than the baths they have back in Jubaan, I feel as pampered as a Princess!”

 

“And what about you, Sakura-chan?” Yumi asked as she glanced at the fourth member of their little group, “Cabbit got your tongue or something? You look like you forgot the recipe to your favorite dish of okonomiyaki.”

 

“Eh?” Sakura looked up, then glanced down again with an unusually thoughtful expression, “It's…nothing…I was just wondering about Troi…”

 

“Troi?” Rini asked with the raising of a pink eyebrow.

 

“One of the aliens who live here,” Yui replied, “She looks like an elf but has the manners of a Moroboshi.”

 

“Surely not that bad!” Rini winced, unconsciously covering over her breasts as she straightened out in the water.

 

“Oh relax,” Yumi chuckled, “Troi may be a character, but she's pretty cool. Seemed to take a real shine to you, Sakura-chan…is that why you arrived here with her in the belly of that robot?”

 

“It's not like that,” Sakura said defensively, coloring slightly, “Well…not exactly…but…you know that woman who attacked us?”

 

“That maniac who blew up a part of the mall?” Yui asked.

 

“She blew up a MALL?” Rini started, “That's criminal! Is it one of those I liked to go to?”

 

“Afraid so,” Yumi replied, “We were in Pierre's dress shop when this armored chick attacked us…only three other armored ladies showed up and gave us time to clear out of there before it went up like a torch…”

 

“She did that to PIERRE'S???” Rini made a fist and splashed it against the water, “How dare she? For doing that she deserves the righteous vengeance of the heavens!”

 

“Why don't you all put a sock on it?” Sakura grunted, “There are a lot more important things in the world than the loss of one dress shop…such as the lives that could have been lost or ruined in the battle.”

 

All three of her friends blinked their eyes as they looked at her, then Yui asked, “What brought this on? Was there someone you know who got injured by the explosion?”

 

“No,” Sakura sighed, “But Troi found out that the one we were fighting was none other than her daughter.”

 

There was a momentary pause, then a collective, “WHAAAT?” from all three of her companions.

 

“You've gotta be kidding!” Yumi said after another brief pause, “That crazy chick was Troi's DAUGHTER???”

 

“Hey, it came as much of a surprise to her as to anybody,” Sakura paused before continuing, “I…sort of got mixed up in their fight, and…I kind of lost it back there and put her kid in the medical ward…”

 

“Wait a minute,” Rini said, “This Troi…she's like Rhea, right?”

 

“Her aunt as a matter of fact,” Yui noted.

 

“But…I thought they were supposed to be some kind of android,” Rini continued, “How can she have a daughter?”

 

“You're asking me to explain that?” Yumi asked, “What about you, Sakura…how did you get mixed up with Troi's business anyway?”

 

“That's none of your business,” Sakura said indifferently, earning a raised eyebrow look from all three of her companions.

 

“Hello now,” a cheerful voice called out, “Any objections from you young people if a few of us old timers take a soak with you?”

 

“Who?” Yui started to turn around when her mouth hung open.

 

“Who are you guys?” Rini asked as she stared at three beautiful women who looked to be in their mid-twenties.

 

“We met before,” said the tall blonde, who looked far more imposing than her towel-wrapped colleagues, “When we brought you to this place.”

 

“We're three members of the Iczelion Corps,” said a lanky girl with long brown hair and a cheerful smile that gave her face and warm and friendly demeanor.

 

“The elite human soldiers who jointly defend the Earth and the C'thuwulf people,” a perky girl whose hair was a slightly more violet shade of pink than Rini's replied in a cocky manner, “I'm Ijima Kiiro, the Gold Iczelion.”

 

“Kawaii Kawai,” the brown haired girl added, “Silver Iczelion.”

 

“Shiina Nami,” the blonde concluded, “Black Iczelion, at your service.”

 

“You guys are those armored knights who brought us here?” Yumi blinked, “Cool! You look almost like rock stars!”

 

“More than that,” Yui said in a curiously disturbed tone of voice, “You're Kiiro…the Idol singer! I have all of your albums on cube back home!”

 

“So you're the one who's been buying them up?” Kiiro smiled, “Actually, I've been thinking about retiring and going into acting. I've had several very tempting offers…”

 

“So have I,” Nami mused, “But an exotic dancer is used to receiving all sorts of interesting invitations.”

 

“You're an exotic dancer?” Rini asked.

 

“One of the best,” Nami nodded to the side, “While Kawai here has a real job in the Technical department. We're all three from Earth, just like you, but we live among the C'thuwulf like sisters…”

 

“Most Iczelions are C'thuwulf soldiers,” Kawai cheerfully added, “But we were selected from among the human populace because of our unique abilities to bond with our Iczelion armor.”

 

“Now, if introductions are done here,” Kiiro said as she removed her towel and sat down on a bench to wash herself off, “Nami-chan, would you mind washing my back for me? I'd ask Kawai, but she usually likes to start on my front end…”

 

“But that's the way you always like it,” Kawai added all the more sweetly.

 

“I'll leave you two sex-maniacs to handle it yourselves,” Nami sniffed, undoing her towel as if totally unselfconscious about her body, “I just came here to soak, and that's what I intend on doing. That fight put a strain on all of us, and I---for one---do not mean to wait around for it.”

 

Without preamble the tall blonde stepped into the pool without pausing to scrub herself off, earning a wrathful look from Kiiro.

 

“Hey, don't wade in without scrubbing!” she covered her face with a hand when Nami returned a one-finger gesture, “That girl has no manners whatsoever…”

 

“Let's not worry about her for once, Kiiro-chan,” Kawaii touched her bare shoulder with a hand, having already removed her own bath towel, “Let's you and I set a better example for these younger people.”

 

“Good point,” Kiiro grinned back, “You're only young once, C'thuwulf longevity techniques notwithstanding…”

 

“So,” Nami said as she moved closer to Sakura, “You're the young woman who bonded with Troi in a temporary arrangement? I hear you commandeered control over her Iczer Robo and took out an enemy Void by yourself…quite impressive for a Rookie.”

 

“Huh?” Yumi blinked, “You did all that, Sakura?”

 

“I…was acting pretty much on instinct,” Sakura colored again, “It wasn't quite like I was trying to run the show…”

 

“Why not?” Yui asked, “You're a Saotome, why break from tradition?”

 

“It is very rare for an amateur to bond with an Iczer, even one with Troi's rather flexible nature,” Nami noted, “To achieve momentary Synchronization while overriding her commands to Iczer Delta makes you an exceptional player. Only rarely has anyone even come close to duplicating your feat, and Nagisa was the one both times to achieve this.”

 

“Who's Nagisa?” Rini asked.

 

“Rhea's mother…I think,” Yumi replied, “You'd have to ask Muku, she knows a lot more about it.”

 

Sakura frowned at that and glared sullenly away, only to turn her head with a start as she heard a sound like a moan coming from the benches.

 

Kawai was rubbing her hands over the lavender-haired girl's body, only her hands were not confined to just the back area and were---in fact---sliding around to cup and fondle the Idol singer's breasts, giving them an affectionate massage that quite obviously earned a heartfelt groan of approval from Kiiro.

 

“What the heck…?” Rini asked.

 

“You'll have to forgive them,” Nami mused, “Kiiro and Kawaii have been partners for a number of years now…they often have difficulty keeping their hands off each other when they share quality time together.”

 

“You mean…they're…?” Yui hesitated.

 

“If you asked them they will both assure you that they are straight,” Nami replied, “And they each have had a string of boyfriends to prove this fact, but…none of their relationships outside our little group have proven to be too lasting. Not even the time when Kiiro was dating that charming Prince Petregius, who is still rather sweet on her, I hear…”

 

“But they still screw each other, don't they?” Yumi concluded.

 

“Oh yes,” Nami smiled, “Several times a day when we're all together. By the way…I thought that there was another girl just like you when we brought you here…what happened to her?”

 

“Oh?” Yui looked sheepish, “ Ah…well…there's…kind of a funny story about that…”

 

“She got it from her mother,” Yumi explained, “Who got it trying to help her father find a cure for his condition. They met close to twenty years ago when her father stumbled onto her mother's shrine and got involved in a fight against some Youma. After he saved her life…or was it the other way around? Well, they pretty much became inseparable…and then she learned about his curse…”

 

“Hey!” Yui protested, “It's my story, I should be the one to tell it, big mouth.”

 

“Let's just say that there is more to Yui than you meet on the surface,” Rini noted, “Which pretty much holds true for the rest of us as well…”

 

“Hey, you're all here, guys?”

 

Heads swerved to see Muku approaching in the company of Rhea. Sakura's eyes widened then narrowed quite sharply, and had she sported ears like a cat they most likely would have flattened.

 

“Muku-chan!” Yumi grinned, “And I see sleeping beauty is back in the land of the living. Bet you feel like celebrating over that!”

 

She pointedly ignored the deadly glances that she received from both Sakura and Yui, but Muku did notice them this time and felt more than a little bit sheepish, comprehending now one element of their lifelong rivalry and what both girls secretly felt when they saw her standing there holding hands with Rhea. She attempted a smile but it was weak and facile, knowing instinctively that this was one problem that could not be solved through easy arbitration.

 

“You are looking better, Rhea-chan,” Nami noted, “Come join us in a good soak, I'm sure your partner could certainly use it.”

 

“What a wonderful suggestion, Aunt Nami,” Rhea said, turning a hopeful look Muku's way, “Do you want to take a swim in the holy waters, Muku-chan? They are invigorating and have many curative properties…”

 

“Ah…” Muku was tempted, finding the idea of a hot bath more than tempting, but the suddenly nervous looks that she got from at least two of her friends made her feel that it would be adding fuel to an already raging fire if she flirted with Rhea in such an obvious manner, so instead she sighed and answered, “Maybe later…it would be nice to take a bath before getting some sleep, but…I'm a little too tired to think about it right now. Maybe in the morning before going to school…”

 

She paused as the sound of heavy, muffled groaning came from the other end of the bathing grotto, and as Muku turned to look she saw two women laying on the tiled floor besides the baths with one girl straddling the other while their legs were twined together, both fondling the other's breasts while their mouths were locked together, completely oblivious to everything else that was going on about them.

 

Rhea noticed her shift in attention and followed her stare, then relaxed and said, “Oh, that's just Aunt Kiiro and Aunt Kawai scrubbing each other up before taking a bath together.”

 

“Scrubbing?” Yumi asked blandly.

 

“I don't see either one of them so much as touching a soap bar,” Yui grunted.

 

“Sex fiends,” Nami sighed, then lifted her voice and said, “All right you two, that's enough of a show for now! You're shocking the children and making them think we all lack manners.”

 

“Spoilsport!” Kiiro declared when she and Kawai broke off on their kissing.

 

“Just because you don't have a partner of your own right now is no reason to play the spoiler!” Kawai cheerfully noted.

 

“I could have a partner any time I wanted one,” Nami insisted, “And I could have the both of you for a midnight snack, but there's a time and place for everything, and right now you're shocking the tourists.”

 

“Honestly, we're just making out,” Kiiro insisted.

 

“What's so shocking about that?” Kawai reasoned.

 

Rhea turned back to Muku and said, “If you would like to rest, then I'll show you to your room, Muku-chan, and…in the morning, if you'd like…we can bathe together and I can scrub your back for you, if you'd like.”

 

“Scrub her back?” Sakura repeated with a shocked expression.

 

“Like that?” Yui silently indicated the pair---who had gone right back to fondling and kissing one another, to which Yui mumbled under her breath, “Not on your life…”

 

“Ah…” Muku rubbed the back of her head nervously and said, “I think…I'd rather just rest for now…and maybe think about doing that in the morning, if it's okay with you.”

 

“It is,” Rhea replied, once more taking Muku by the hand and drew her away from the bathing grotto, all the while seemingly oblivious to the murderous looks being turned on her by a seething Yui and a smoldering Sakura.

 

Nami seemed to notice this, however, and a sly smile crossed her sensuous lips as a naughty plan occurred to her then and there. She touched a spot on the bracelet that she was wearing and fed a thought impulse into the band that was relayed through central, and a moment later a number of attendants arrived dressed in towels and nothing but, smiling in approval as they saw the new faces at the onsen.

 

“How do you do?” the leader of this group of three as they reported in, “I am Sister Pink, and these are my attendants, Trout and Salmon. How can we be of service?”

 

“Ah yes,” Nami straightened up and moved closer to the pink-haired Rini, “I require a masseuse right now. A good soak loosens tired muscles, but there is nothing like an all-over body rub down to invigorate a tired body, don't you agree, Princess?”

 

“Eh?” Rini blinked, “Well…I suppose that does make sense…and I am starting to feel a bit like an overcooked lobster…”

 

“Oh, we are very proficient in the art of sensual massage,” Pink noted, “Come over here and lay down on these benches and we will give you what you require, courtesy of the house.”

 

“Excellent,” Nami looked innocently at the others and said, “Who else here would like a massage? These attendants are very good, I assure you, and you'll feel a whole lot better about yourselves in the morning.”

 

“Really?” Yumi brightened, “I'd love to try that!”

 

“I…suppose it might be worth it,” Yui reluctantly conceded, “My mother gives my father many massages that seem to tame the savage fires within his breast…”

 

“Is that a fancy way of saying she screws him?” Sakura sniffed, “I'll pass. I think I'm just going to soak her for a while longer…”

 

“Are you sure?” Nami asked, “After all, you're the conquering heroine of the hour. The least that you could do is allow these attendants to honor you in a manner appropriate to one of your heroism.”

 

“Really, I didn't do anything that exceptional…” Sakura assured, only to give a start as Yumi took her by the hand and started to drag her from the tub and towards the patio where awaited the benches.

 

“Just say yes and go along with it, okonomiyaki-breath,” Yumi teased, “Honestly, it's like you were afraid of showing us your body or something, and you've got a real killer figure.”

 

“But…hey!” Sakura weakly protested as she was all but dragged out of the hot tub.

 

Moments later found the four Earth girls laid out on near-identical stone benches while three of the attendants set to work rubbing in soothing oils and lotions which had been provided for just such a purpose. Nami stood poised over Rini, who had a somewhat dubious expression over the idea of been attended to by an older woman (although in physical appearance Nami did not seem THAT much older).

 

“I thought you were the one who wanted a backrub?” Rini asked as Nami began to lay hands to her shoulders, and then the pink haired girl began to sigh and relax, finding those hands very sensitive and firm against her body.

 

“I can wait my turn,” Nami said with an ominously pleasant expression, “You rub my back and I'll rub yours, fair enough?”

 

“Isn't that what your two friends were saying a moment ago?” Yui began to notice, only to sigh as Trout started massaging her back, to which she groaned, “Oh…that does feel so good…”

 

“You guys are professionals at this, right?” Sakura asked as she found herself going limp and seriously enjoying those feminine hands that was working their way against her back.

 

“Actually this is something of a side-duty for us,” Pink revealed.

 

“Normally we work as technicians in the Biometrics department,” Salmon explained as she worked her hands against an altogether cooperative Yumi, “We, maintain regeneration facilities and things like that, fairly tedious work…but we enjoy the side benefits, and our knowledge of anatomy helps us to find those places most in need of loving attention.”

 

“I'll say…” Yumi rolled her eyes and gave a sigh of utter approval, not even minding when---a few minutes later---those hands began to work over areas not normally considered within the province of a masseuse.

 

Rini had gone limp and was moaning as Nami gave her the treatment, but soon she realized that she was growing excited and said, “Um…is this…a part of the massage process…?”

 

“It most certainly is,” Nami replied, “Just put yourself in my hands, Princess, and you'll be feeling better all over in another minute.”

 

“Hey!” Yui protested, “Don't go down there…those my buttocks you're---OOOHHH!!!”

 

“Hey yourself,” Trout leered, “It's you obvious carry a lot of stress about your hips, like the weight of the world is on your shoulders… but this technique will give you a spring in your step that will make you feel much, much lighter, I guarantee that.”

 

“I like my stride…as springy as it is…OOOH!” Sakura arched her back and said, “W-What are you doing down there…hey, quit that!”

 

“Don't struggle, just relax,” Pink urged, “This is for your own good, and it will help you relieve so much of your excess tension.”

 

“Oh yeah!” Yumi groaned, “I can feel the tension flowing right out of me! You do that soooo nice!”

 

“Why thank you,” Salmon smiled, “I'm so glad that you approve…I am told that I am quite proficient at this particular nerve massage technique.”

 

“Ooooh…stop…oh Kami…oh STOP!” Rini gasped, only to reverse herself a moment later with an, “No---don't stop! Oh yeah…oh yeah…oh yeah…!”

 

“I told you that this would work for you, Princess,” Nami said a bit hoarsely, enjoying running her hands over the tender, supple and YOUNG flesh of the pink haired Moon princess, who by now was quite beyond the point of active refusal.

 

“OH---GAH---MY---GODDESS!” Yui cried out, feeling her pulse race as her nerves were on fire and her body sang to a tune that could not be denied. When Trout lifted her hips with both hands and began to bring her mouth into play there was no mistaking the fact that this was no simple rub down but a love-play in which another girl was using her lips to tease Yui's throbbing clitoris. A moment later and a tongue was applied to a moistening slit, and then Trout latched onto the other girl's snatch and began to rim her tongue around the opening, then plunge in for the honey.

 

“Th-th-this is a massage?” Sakura gasped as she clenched her hands against the stone bench and felt her own loins being attended to by a skillful attendant.

 

“Oh yes,” Pink said between tongue-flicks, “A full-bodied massage, C'thuwulf style. It does wonders to clear out blocked channels and restore the body to full health through vital stimulation.”

 

“Won't hear any---OOOOOOHHH---complaints---AAHHH---out of me!” Yumi gasped, “Oh yeah…keep doing that, PLEASE!”

 

“My pleasure,” Salmon replied between the sounds of some heavy-duty slurping.

 

(My Goddess!) Sakura thought to herself as her body tensed with an impending climax, (Are they all like Troi here???) The mere thought of her nominal `partner' made her wonder where Troi was and what she was up to, and---more importantly---how she was contending with the discovery of incipient parenthood with a daughter who hated her and was programmed to kill by some inhuman computer virus who doubtlessly was laughing up its sleeve at the lives whose patterns it was so callously disrupting…

 

 

 

 

“Here,” Sister Grey handed a mug full of hot brew to a weary-looking Troi, who reluctantly accepted it but did not drink, choosing instead to stare at the rising trails of steam that flowed above it, sitting as she was at the base of a regeneration cubicle with her back against the cylinder that she normally would use for her rest cycle.

 

“You know,” Grey mused, “It is the second law of thermodynamics which dictates that hot objects, when left to themselves, grow cold through heat diffusion…and if you wait long enough, that will fall to room constant…”

 

“I know, Mom,” Troi said with an unusual lack of enthusiasm, “I'm just not very hungry right now…”

 

“Are you sure about that?” Grey asked, “It has been at least twelve hours since your last regeneration cycle.”

 

“So?”

 

“Your original design is much like that of your sister's,” Grey noted, “My contribution notwithstanding. You need a rest cycle as much as you need occasional nutrients, and the longer you go without them the more your natural healing factor will weaken.”

 

“Yeah…well…I'm doing just fine as it is,” Troi said, “And besides…I want to know what progress you're making with…her.”

 

Troi turned to the isolation chamber, in which an inactive Atros presently occupied a separate regeneration cubicle.

 

“Well…our decontamination procedures appear to be working,” Grey noted, “We've isolated and removed the Venomoid seed that was hidden within her body, and we've flushed out all trace of suspicious chemical additives not consistent with your own Bioroid matrix. Physically she is about seventy-eight percent of normal operating function, but inside…”

 

“Yeah…inside, where it really counts,” Troi said, “How much of her is still the same Atros that I remember?”

 

“Surprisingly, quite a lot,” Grey replied, “But the main part of her mind is occupied by Big Gold's personality imprint…the good news is that there has been a pattern degrade to that portion caused by the reassertion of her original personality. Something you either said or did back there in the fight has caused her to reject the overlay, and that means the Atros you know could be making a comeback.”

 

“You think so?” Troi looked up at her biological mother with some hope in her golden eyes, only to glance down again as she said, “But what happens if she does come back to us…to me? I mean…I'm too young to be a mother…and a kid like this, who looks like a cross between me and Nagisa…”

 

“There are bound to be awkward moments,” Grey said with a hint of irony in her voice, “Comes with the job of being a mother.”

 

“Huh?” Troi asked, then she caught her mother's look and said, “Oh yeah…you think this is karma for me or something? Well…”

 

“I didn't say that you were being punished, Child,” Grey smiled, “But it is rather interesting to see you taking something seriously for once. You're usually so very casual about life, one might have trouble knowing the real depths to you, as I do.”

 

“Aw…Mom,” Troi found herself smiling in irony, so she stood up and took a sip from the mug that turned into a full swallow, and then she handed the empty cup back to her creator and said, “Guess maybe it's time I find out what I've been putting you through all these years. If we can bring Atros back onto our side…it's gonna be a whole new ball game, and that spells curtains for Gold and the rest of her cruddy empire.”

 

“I think you will find that motherhood has its warm moments that go with the times of tension and anxiety, Child,” Grey counseled sagely, “My advice to you is to have patience and fortitude…for even if we do cure her of Gold's evil, that does not mean the fight is entirely over.”

 

Troi studied the Chief Scientist's face and said, “You've got some kind of a plan, right? I can tell by that look that you're thinking up something that could tilt things in our favor.”

 

“Perhaps,” Grey noted, “As you said, the true battle over Atros is not an external one but rather an internal fight between a relentless evil and a child who barely even knows her name, let alone the place she comes from…inside herself.”

 

“You mean…she's lost and alone in there and doesn't have a clue how to fight back,” Troi said, gathering the gist of what her mother was saying, “Which means she needs a friend more than ever, huh?”

 

“Or a guardian angel.” Grey replied with a meaningful expression, “Listen to me carefully, Troi…I have always been very proud of you, for all that you sometimes cause Two and One no end of grief. You are my child…the little girl I never had time to have on my own through a partner. That means that I value you and your welfare above all else, and what I have to ask I would not venture if the matter were not as dire as it is. Besides…I think you want to do something useful to help, and this is what I have to offer.”

 

“I think I follow you, Mom,” Troi nodded, “But you're saying that there's some kind of risk involved if we do this, right?”

 

“We could lose both of you,” Grey said with a grave expression, “The evil that is Gold's virus might infect you both and turn you into another one of her minions.”

 

“Me lose out to that Virus?” Troi made a fist, “HAH! That'll be the day! But if it's what it takes to get Atros back on our side…and to be finally rid of whatever crap she's been filling my kid's head with…I'll do whatever it takes, I swear it!”

 

“Good,” Grey nodded, “With Rhea recovered to full strength I think we can spare having you on standby for a while…but it would be nice if we could contact your sisters…”

 

“Ah…well…they're…gonna be busy for a while now,” Troi said evasively, “I know Nagisa and Sayoko have been planning something for a while, and…well…I don't intrude into their business, you know what I mean?”

 

“I…think that I do,” Grey nodded sagely, “A wise woman would never try to interfere with any plans cooked up by those two, and if what you suspect is certain…then I think One and Two will be very busy come the morning.”

 

“Come is the operating word here,” Troi smiled, turning back to the isolation chamber, “Only one thing worries me about this plan of yours…the way I caught Atros wasn't as tough as it should have been if Gold was really intent on keeping her. Makes you wonder if maybe this is one of those fake victories that seems like a charmer but turns into a turkey…”

 

“You mean a Pyrrhic victory,” Grey corrected, “Named for an ancient Earth battle in which an army won but ultimately lost the war. Yes, I quite agree…it is in keeping with Gold's perversity that she might let us think that we have won something valuable when, in fact, we are being set up for something nasty. It would be nice to say that I have anticipated every contingency that she has planned for us, but as brilliant as I may seem at times, to think like her one would have to have a mind like a virus.”

 

“Talk about the cure being worse than the illness,” Troi winced, then sighed, “Let's do this…for Atros's sake…for the mind of my daughter…”

 

 

 

Continued.

 

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