Bubblegum Crusade (Ch. 1 of 24)
Jul. 9th, 2009 11:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fanfic_mausoleum_n_grillPlease Note: The double-space formatting in this fanfic and page notations are preserved as the author originally intended it.
WELCOME TO BUBBLEGUM CRUSADE!
Nonstandard disclaimer: BUBBLEGUM CRUSADE is owned and copyrighted by Glenn
Hough. And, of course, all the basic rights and copyrights to the Knight
Sabers are held by Mr. Suzuki. This is just fanfiction and should be
treated as such. (So, tell you friends, pass it around, comment to
hou...@elwha.evergreen.edu, but don't change anything.)
Two more things before we begin. I make two references to Ping Lin's
story, Bubblegum Crisis: Black Hunter. This does not mean that I hold
with his oppinions about Sylia being a boomer. Katia just added another
excellent layer of subterfuge. Secondly: the first three and 1/2
chapters is an adaptation of the most powerful ellements of the Crisis and
Crash!. This was done to bring the uninitated up to speed for the
remainder of the Crusade. This being stated, ENJOY!
BUBBLEGUM CRUSADE
The story of the Knight Sabers of Mega-Tokyo.
by
Glenn Hough
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: UNENDING JOURNEY - TIME OF BEGINNING P.1
CHAPTER TWO: THERE'S A HURRICANE TONIGHT P.9
CHAPTER THREE: MYSTERIOUS NIGHT P.55
CHAPTER FOUR: DON'T FORGET P.92
CHAPTER FIVE: COOL EYES P.116
CHAPTER SIX: WILD & SCARRED P.150
CHAPTER SEVEN: ROCK ME P.176
CHAPTER EIGHT: CRISIS - RUN WITH ANGER P.208
CHAPTER NINE: CHASE THE DREAM P.236
CHAPTER TEN: SOLDIER OF ROSES P.266
CHAPTER ELEVEN: ANGEL OF LONELINESS P.301
CHAPTER TWELVE: FLY AWAY P.330
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: VICTORY P.358
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: ANGELS DANCING IN THE THRILL P.381
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: MR. DANDY P.410
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: DEVIL AND ANGEL'S KISS P.436
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: HELD IN MY HEART P.469
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: BYE BYE MY CRISIS P.495
CHAPTER NINETEEN: TWILIGHT P.525
CHAPTER TWENTY: TOUCHDOWN TO TOMORROW P.552
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: OVER THE PRESSURE - OVERCOMING TIME P.583
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: CATCH ME P.613
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: MAD MACHINE P.641
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR: AT THE LAST P.657
APPENDIX ONE: THREE SONGS P.667
Cast of Characters:
Sylia Stingray: Leader of the Knight Sabers.
Priss Asagiri: A hard rock'en biker.
Linna Yamazaki: A commodities broker.
Nene Romanova: An AD Police Teck'.
Mackie Stingray: Sylia's younger brother.
*Taki: Nene's lover.
*
*Ming Le: 33-S boomer.
*Peg: 33-S boomer.
*Rumiko: 33-S boomer.
*Anna: 33-S boomer.
*Nabiki: 33-S boomer.
*Kitty: 33-S boomer.
*Lebia: 33-S boomer.
*Joan: 33-S boomer.
*Setsuko: 35-S boomer.
Sylvie: 33-S boomer.
Anri: 33-S boomer.
Meg: 33-S boomer.
Luu: 33-S boomer.
Namu: 33-S boomer.
*
*Janet: 35-S boomer.
ADAMA: A boomer.
Cynthia: A boomer.
ALEX: A supercomputer.
Reika/Vision: Head of the Hou Bang, Chang Conglomerate.
Kou: Reika's lover.
Irene: Reika's sister.
*Fazul: Assistant to the Tai-Pan.
Madigan: Assistant to the Tai-Pan.
Bouwer: Assistant in charge of GENOM security.
*Manual Straksky: Assistant to Bouwer.
Mason: Assistant to the Tai-Pan.
Kaufman: Head of SDPC.
Masashi: Head of GPCC.
*Hayao Kishiro: Head of GENOM Plant #28.
Faugo: Knight Saber's contact inside SDPC.
Leon McNichol: An AD Police officer.
Daley Wong: An AD Police officer.
Naoko: An AD Police Teck'.
*Toshiozo: An AD Police officer.
*Jones: An AD Police Officer.
Billy Fawward: Former AD Police officer.
Jeena: A retired Ad Police officer and now a PI.
*Silver: Owner of the Rock Pile Club; A 33-S.
Callahan: Defense Minister of
*General Brown: Head of USSD
*Col. Shioya: General Brown's underling.
*Dr. Yamigumo: USSD doctor.
*Col. Wildstar: American col.
*Sarg. Rabalichi: Army sergeant.
*Cap. Aleksy Rostrovich: Russian submarine captain.
*Andrevich: Gorbachev Lunar base commander.
*Patrinka: Russian Lunar base Teck'.
*Pres. Pinatubo: American President.
*Pres. Koutovich: Russian President.
*Yun Hi Ping: Premier of
*Dr. Ho Lin We: Leader of the opposition party in
Dr. Raven: Owner of the garage/Knight Saber training area.
**Dr. Katia Toshiro: Boomer scientist/mercenary.
Dr. Katsuhito Stingray: Father to the boomers, Sylia, Mackie.
*Miyoko: Katsuhito's wife.
Dr. Yuri: Assistant to Dr. Stingray.
Dr. Haynes: Assistant to Dr. Stingray.
Dr. Richard Geary: Associate of Dr. Haynes.
*Dr. Simon: Associate of Dr. Geary.
Lisa Vanette: A high school student.
*Kiki: A high school student.
Dr. Yoshida: GENOM scientist turned terrorist.
*Dr. Sausha Botensky: GENOM scientist.
J.B. Gibson: Revenge driven motorist.
Old Man: Former owner-Hot Legs/bootlegger/Replicants.
*Slick: The new owner of the Hot Legs.
*Hasakawa Kitotoshi: News anchorperson.
Violet: Reporter.
*Victor Aramanti: Reporter.
*Gouri Pananopolis: News anchorperson.
*Henrik: A German tourist.
*Connor: SDPC shuttle pilot.
*
*Brenda: Connor's former lover.
*Yama: Was in the Replicants.
*The Abyss: Was in the Replicants.
*Gota: Was in the Replicants.
*Jay: Was in the Replicants.
*Sonada: Was in the Replicants.
*Jen: Gota's girlfriend.
*Matoci: Leader of a rock band.
*Jeff: A man at a ramen lunch counter.
*Jen: A woman at a ramen lunch counter.
*James Arakawa: Innocent bystander in subway.
*Koriko Arakawa: Innocent bystander in subway.
*Tashiko Arakawa: Innocent bystander in subway.
*The Man, *****: God of the Jihad.
[* indicates new character]
[** used with permission. See BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: BLACK HUNTER]
CHAPTER ONE:
HATENAI TABI -- HAJIMARI NO TOKI
(UNENDING JOURNEY -- TIME OF BEGINNING)
People all hold more love and dreams
Than they can hold with both hands,
And paint those dreams for tomorrow,
While entrusting the future
To a new-falling star.
If you go step by step
On your own two legs, without stopping,
Before everything your arms touch
Transforms into phantasms,
You can approach those dreams.
Now! begins the unending dream,
When you search for yourself,
Sleeping in the depths of your heart.
Now! begins the unending journey.
Fix your sights on a faraway sky.
Priss and the Replicants -- The bootleg tapes.
His vision blurred as he slouched back into his chair and
took off his glasses; he rubbed his eyes slowly, methodically,
before trying to focus on the clock. The standard fluorescent
green numbers told him it was 2:06 am.
"Computer...save file, mark as completed..."
"Done," responded the computer in a rich tenor voice. Dr.
Katsuhito Stingray had gotten fed up with the whininess of the
computer voice one day and remodeled its circuitry after
Pavarotti's voice.
When was I last home, he wondered to himself while his tired
mind supplied a movie memory of a madman yelling in the middle of
a severe thunderstorm. "It's alive, alive," screamed
HOUGH/CRUSADE-2
Frankenstein in Dr. Stingray's mind.
"Computer, personal..aaa..files..."
"Ready to record. Go ahead Dr."
Dr. Stingray had slouched further down into his chair and
was staring at a crack in the wood veneer counter-top.
"Project..X., um, S. completed. Done." What did Sylia do in
school today? When did I last see her or Mackie? I can't
remember.
"Dr. Stingray?"
"What?"
"Are you done recording? There has been a 192 second lapse
since your last words."
"Continue recording. The worst part about the S. project
was realizing the mistake; the fundamental mistake that did make
simulation programing impossible in any detail or complexity."
Dr. Stingray laughed weakly before continuing. "Ones and Zeros,
binary, black and white. That structure defeated any attempt so
they said it couldn't be done. Miyoko always said that the
universe was divided into threes. Positive, negative, and
neutral. Binary only gave a Yin/Yang approach, and to simulate
requires something more. One, Zero, Negative One. Three instead
of two. Three to make One, to divide into Two, to make One
again. Fools that we are, we were only working on half the
equation." Dr. Stingray struggled to sit up and then supported
his head with his left hand. "The next challenge was to realize
and then work with the limitations of linear programming. I had
HOUGH/CRUSADE-3
to start in the middle at zero and then the programing had to go
in the basic six directions all at once. Linear through three
dimensions." The Yakuza wanted a simulation. I wonder how mad
they'll be when it works too well.
"I need an extended vacation," he said slowly. "Computer,
standard save and download procedure."
"Save completed." It waited several seconds.
"Acknowledgment from firm X upon receiving latest downloading,
erasure procedure being implemented."
As the computer fell silent, awaiting its next command after
it had forgotten everything Dr. Stingray had done with his
personal files, Dr. Stingray absently stared at the blank
viewscreen. The new CPUs I've build for the C. and S. class
cyberdroids will take the S. program without any...any...is there
still something called sleep? He wondered to himself as he
yawned. "It must be the cloak and dagger in me...to design it as
a virus...to disguise its self as just another part of the
programming....just more useless ones and zeros."
The simulation will grow so good...over time...what would be
the difference? He thought. "A difference that makes no
difference, is no difference," said a memory in Dr. Stingray's
mind. After trying to remember, for close to a minute where he
had heard that phrase, a real voice pulled his scattered thoughts
together.
"Dr. Stingray, Dr. Stingray, I would like to have a word
with you."
HOUGH/CRUSADE-4
Slowly Stingray swiveled around to look at the young man,
the young corporate executive who looked down at him with such
animosity. "If it's another progress report..."
"Nothing of the kind Dr."
After a couple of silent seconds Dr. Stingray was completely
awake as the fear started to grip him. What is he doing here
after two in the morning? Thought Stingray.
"What do you want, Mason?"
Mason only smiled and it added to his air of maliciousness
as he turned around to nod silently to a person Dr. Stingray
hadn't noticed.
"Yuri," breathed Dr. Stingray. "Yuri, what are you...Yuri?"
Dr. Stingray's research partner glanced at him and then at
Mason before he turned and walked away.
"Dr. Stingray," said Mason as he stepped further into the
lab area, his hands in his pockets and a business persona
swallowing all emotional radiations from him. "It would seem
that you have done something quite extraordinary; the makings of
a new race, perhaps."
Dr. Stingray swallowed hard and then rose out of his chair.
* * *
"Papa," she screamed as she rounded the last corner at a
full run; she skidded to a stop by the police cars and panted, a
reflection of fire dancing in the first of her tears.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-5
The Uizu Laboratory was in flames. As she watched, a series
of massive explosions raced through the engulfed structure,
sending the fire fighters scurrying for cover.
"Papa," Sylia whispered.
Sylia Stingray had reached her tolerance point about 1:00 am
that night, right after she had finally gotten her little brother
Mackie to bed. She decided to go see her father because when she
called, Sylia got the standard speech about doing important work
with the cyberdroids, work that couldn't be interrupted.
Sylia caught the 1:35 subway train and then rehearsed what
she was going to say to him as the train moved closer and closer
to the Uizu building where he worked.
"We need you, Papa. It's been over three weeks now. What
could be so important that you'd do this to us? Why papa, why?
We have nobody else. Is it because of Mother that you can't come
home? Why? Please tell me. We love you Papa."
Sylia had mumbled this mantra to herself until she was about
eight minutes from her stop, then pain flashed into her mind.
Sharp and bitting like part of her mind had been ripped away by
some monster and then it was gone. Some people in the full
compartment looked at her; one woman asked if she was alright.
Sylia waved them away and began to shrink into herself with the
certain knowledge that her father was dead.
Sylia ran the twelve blocks from the subway stop to the lab
without stopping.
HOUGH/CRUSADE-6
Dr. Katsuhito Stingray, the world's leading researcher in
the cyberdroid field, was dead.
As the first rays of dawn crept slowly into Sylia's room,
she awoke screaming, the dream finally letting her go.
It had been the same dream the four nights since her
father's death, each night in more detail. It started with Sylia
running down a barren metallic corridor that seemed to somehow
pulse with a deep throbbing, a life of its own. One corridor
turned into a minotaur maze and they went on forever. Sylia
started to cry as she ran, screaming her father's name until she
unexpectedly came upon him. He was sitting by a standard work
station and only glanced at her, but it had been a warm glance
each night, and tonight Sylia got a smile.
"Papa," she screamed, but he turned and went back to his
work. Dr. Stingray's fingers seemed to be flying over a glowing
keyboard that was at least a meter long by half a meter wide.
For each button that Sylia's father played, there were three
corresponding notes that swelled up from his hands and filtered
themselves into the surrounding banks of computer data storage
units. The units themselves seemed to be emitting bursts of
white light, followed by tendrils of blackness that made Sylia
quiver in fear when one came within half a meter of her. Sylia
could see that her father was sweating heavily and that his face
was flushed with an odd expression that Sylia couldn't figure out
if it was pain or pleasure. Some one laughed behind them and
HOUGH/CRUSADE-7
both Sylia and her father turned around to face the shadow. It
hovered and then split into two. One part moved over to the side
and vanished while all the white light and dark tendrils
funnelled into the other part of the shadow. The shadow slowly
became physical and everything else around Sylia became
indistinct, including her father who slowly faded away.
"What are you?" Sylia screamed at the prototype cyberdroid
that leered at her with shinny new space industrial steel teeth.
"Sylia, Sylia Stingray," it murmured as it grew accustom to
its mouth. Its voice circuity made it sound like a human male.
"You can't escape me. I am your future." It had gotten the
voice down and was started to use it's limbs. It took a
faltering step towards Sylia and then it reached out it's arms
toward her. "We will be one, my sister."
"No, NO..NO...NOOOOOOOO..." screamed Sylia as its arms
became a pulsating liquid metal and shot themselves out and
enveloped Sylia's feet, knocking her to the floor. Sylia was
screaming as the metal pressed in on her, flowing over her in
waves. She heard it laughing at her fruitless struggle to
escape. The cyberdroid flesh poured into her mouth, flowed up
her nose, and then clogged up her ears. The metal fully incased
her in an alive darkness and she awoke screaming for air.
At midday, Sylia heard someone come to their door and her
little brother Mackie answered it.
"Sis, this just arrived," he said a moment later when he
HOUGH/CRUSADE-8
entered the kitchen. He held a small neatly wrapped package in
his arms.
"A gold CD ROM?" She took the unit and put it into her
computer.
FOR SYLIA ONLY
The message flashed and then reams of data streamed by her
wide eyes. Cyberdroids, combat suits, programs, hardware
designs, GENOM, Dr. Stingray's personal journal entries. The
last entry was from the early morning when he had died. Sylia
watched her father talk about something she didn't understand and
then the image froze on a tired man slumped in a chair before it
faded away.
"Papa," Sylia said softly. "Papa, this is your legacy to
me. I will not forget. I will not forget. I will not forget
you; oh Papa." The ones and zeros at the end of the CD ROM
blurred as fresh tears began the decent down Sylia's cheeks. "I
will make the world remember you."