12:45 PM, September 19, 2016
Corner of Presa St. and E. Commerce
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Their money was exchanged and they looked around. McDonald’s was deemed too cheap and Hardrock Cafe a bit too expensive. And loud. In the end, they settled on a place that seemed to be a local favorite.
“Whataburger?” said Sousuke suspiciously. “That almost sounds like a name you make up for a work of fiction.”
“Well, it’s real, it seems popular, and if the brand name directly implies they have great burgers, then I’m sold,” said Kaname. “C’mon. Even if it’s not the best, it’s still food.”
As they stood in the back of the line, looking at the menu board, something came back to haunt Kaname.
“So... how come I’m suddenly fluent in English?”
“That’s... That’s troubling,” replied Sousuke.
“Yeah, no kidding,” Kaname shot back.
“Captain, what do you suggest we do? I have no frame of reference for a situation like this.”
“First of all, don’t call me Captain here. Secondly, it’d be best if we just accepted it for now, or else we’ll draw attention to ourselves.”
“I think it may be too late for that,” said Sousuke.
“What?”
“Don’t look. Male, medium build, about 25 years old. Waist-length black hair with beard and mustache. He’s been following us ever since the shopping mall.”
“... is he alone?” asked Teletha.
“I can’t tell for sure. I thought he was with a group before.”
“Are you armed?”
“Yes.”
“Well, stay calm. It may just be a coincidence. The last thing we need is for a bunch of people to get hurt in a misunderstanding.”
“Understood.”
The three placed their orders, were given a numbered table tent, and went to find a seat.
At this point, Kaname and Teletha were able to get a look at him. Sousuke’s description of him was accurate, but it did little justice to him.
He was handsome.
Not that Sousuke wasn’t, but Kaname and Teletha weren’t blind. Idly Kaname wondered what he might have looked like at her age. With a face like that? He could only have looked like an elf or something!
They both tensed, though, when after placing his own order, he turned to lock eyes on them...
...and then smiled kindly as he made his way towards them - it was almost as if he knew they were in a bad situation and wanted to make them feel better.
“I hope you guys don’t mind, but I wanted to chat with you. You’re here for the convention, right? San Japan Sinister Six?”
“Ah... Yeah! Sinister Six!” said Kaname, trying to keep calm. “We heard all about it so we had to come and see for ourselves.”
The man nodded. “Except that Sinister Six was two years ago. After that was Samurai Seven, and this year it’s Eight-Bit. And that Convention happened two weeks ago.”
Sousuke, Teletha, and Kaname sat utterly still in their seats.
“Howdy guys. I’m Benjamin, and I’m gonna need you three to stay frosty here for a few minutes because the shit has hit the fan in a most profound manner, and everyone’s getting covered.”
“What do you mean?” said Sousuke right away. “What have you done?”
“I’m as much of a victim as you guys are,” said Ben firmly, holding up a hand to forestall further commentary. “Like I said, the shit has hit the fan and everyone’s getting covered by it. The only difference between me and you is that I’ve been empowered to help people like you.”
“By who?” asked Teletha.
“God.”
“... Okay guys,” said Kaname nervously, “I think we should get going...”
“Okay, maybe that was a little sudden,” said Ben placatingly. “Let’s try this.” He then turned and waved at a group standing outside. A Japanese boy about Sousuke’s age, and two women and two girls with bizarrely colored hair. They all came inside and the boy introduced himself.
In flawless Japanese.
“Hi. I’m Masaki Tenchi. I know things are kinda scary right now, but Rodes’-san is only trying to help. Oh, and these are my friends, Ayeka, Ryoko, Sasami, and Washu.”
Kaname blinked. “You’re really from Japan? Not American-Japanese?”
Tenchi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Ah yeah. It’s a very strange situation. Maybe we should sit at one of the bigger tables and talk?”
##
Everyone else placed their orders while Kaname, Sousuke, and myself began to sort through things.
“That is really Tenchi Masaki from Tenchi Muyo?” said Kaname in shock as she watched the boy not much older than her placing his order. “This isn’t some put on, is it?”
“I’m afraid not,” Ben replied soberly. “The short version is that the Multi-verse broke down and a lot of realities have been getting mashed up together.”
“Multi-verse?” asked Sousuke.
“Argh,” grumbled Ben. “Okay, you know the basic premise about Alternate Realities, right? Like what could have been if you made a different choice at a critical point in time, right?”
“Yes,” said Teletha, “this is familiar to me.”
“Well, imagine that applied to everyone in the entire universe all at once. With that, it’s possible that if you could go from one to another that you could very well wind up in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.”
“Are you saying we’re in Tenchi Muyo right now!?” cried out Kaname, just barely managing to keep her voice down.
“Were it so simple,” sighed Ben, rolling his eyes. “No, what’s going on instead is that we’re in something called the Meta-Continuity. Skuld explained it to me once - and yes, I do mean THAT Skuld who’s an adorable little tech-head with an attitude and the biggest penchant for icecream ever.
“Anyhow, the thing is that this is usually sort of a testing grounds - a completely self-contained machine networked into the Yggdrasil-Nidhogg system that is capable of operating independently of the rest of the system.
“When the system crashed completely, a failsafe mechanism kicked in that froze the entire multiverse, and it’s steadily bringing up backups of the most important bits of each universe here - that is, people like you guys and Tenchi.”
“Wait, let me get this straight,” said Kaname. “We’re the important ones? Like Tenchi? Then...”
“Yep. Hate to say it, but it’s true. To most people you’re fictional characters, just as Tenchi is."
Teletha was thoughtful. Sousuke didn’t seem to know what to think and Kaname looked like she was about to need a paper bag to hyperventilate into. Fortunately, Tenchi came to my rescue.
“Hey guys. I guess he dumped it on you, huh?” he said sheepishly. But then he sobered, seeing that Kaname was about to have a panic attack. “Look, guys? It’s okay. Just because we’re fictional to some people doesn’t make us any less real. It just means that someone happened to make a story about our lives.”
“HOW!?” cried out Kaname. “By peeping on us!?”
An amused snort came from Washu as she sauntered over. “As if. Really, it’s more like the idea behind Infinite Monkeys on Infinite Typewriters - eventually, one of them is gonna accidentally type up all of Shakespeare’s plays, and maybe even a few he was going to do, but never did.”
“So who the hell is this guy in all this mess then?” said Kaname hotly as she gestured to me.
Washu shrugged. “Think of him as sort of a caretaker. He’s familiar with quite a number of works of fiction, so he knows what to expect from people like you and me, and how to make our lives easier.”
“Alright,” said Teletha, cutting off Kaname, “say for the sake of argument that you’re right - and I must admit, it’s sounding very much that way, as strange as it seems - why should we go with you?”
“Well, let me count the ways,” said Ben. “First of all, we can provide you with passports and identification; get you enrolled into one of the local schools or just have you test-out for a General Equivalency Diploma; maybe get you into one of the MANY local colleges here; provide you with a place to live - one that’s even Japanese style to ease the homesickness, get you Japanese style food as well; and generally help you out however we can so you don’t go stir-crazy.”
Kaname’s eyes narrowed at me. “What -kind- of colleges?”
I smiled back. “What kind of degree do you want? Medical? Engineering? Literature? Law? Biology? We got schools for just about everything here except for a handful of highly specialized fields like Aerospace Engineering. For stuff like that, you’d have to go to one of the BIG schools like University of Texas’s main school up in Austin.”
“And you’d set us up?” said Teletha with a raised eyebrow. “Just like that?”
Ben shrugged. “It’s kinda my thing. I like to help people out of the kindness of my own heart - mainly because I’ve been dealt a real shitty deal for most of my life, so I know how it feels to have the rug yanked out from under you.”
“What happened to you?” asked Teletha with mild concern.
“Physical and emotional childhood abuse. Makes it real hard to cope with the world in general - there’s been a few times I’ve nearly crossed the line into dissociation. Bad enough I was a serious day-dreamer to begin with.”
Teletha winced in sympathy, but Kaname was not placated.
“Why are you telling us that you’re a crazy person?”
“Did I say I was?”
“You said you have issues.”
Benjamin sighed. “‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ said Alice.
‘Oh you can’t help that,’ said the Cat. ‘We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’
‘How do you know I’m mad?’
‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come.’”
“I didn’t come here of my own free will!” hissed Kaname.
Ben inclined his head. “No. But you’ve stuck things out with Sagara.”
Kaname winced and Teletha giggled.
“He’s got you dead to rights, Kaname!”
“Shut up.”
Sousuke stepped in at this point. “What of the others?” he asked. “If we’re here, then perhaps the crew is as well.”
Ben nodded at that. “Reasonable. Very very reasonable. So far, you’re the first we’ve found so far, and only by pure dumb luck - I’d brought the others here out so they can do a bit of shopping and sightseeing - you know, get to know the place a bit better. San Antonio is rife with history in a way that only places like Boston and Chicago are.
“But getting back to your question... Honestly, we’d have to go looking. And I think we’d better get to it quickly.”
“Why’s that?” asked Kaname, having just recovered her composure.
“Sousuke and Teletha should know already. San Antonio is also a huge Military Town. We have four major installations here, along with a few lesser ones, and the NSA even has a signals intelligence center here. If anyone so much as glimpses an M9, then we’re in serious trouble.”
Teletha nodded. “He’s right, though the NSA facility is new to me.”
“It’s the year 2016. A lot has happened lately. I’ll try and get you guys caught up as we go, but I think Tenchi’s gonna be doing the majority of that. He can best frame it for you guys.”
Tenchi nodded at that. “I’ll try my best.”
“Regardless,” said Sousuke, “we must move right away. As he said, there are a lot of military installations in this city, and the presence of an Armslave - even one using an ECS system, will not go unnoticed for long.”
“But first,” said Kaname as she noticed a woman with two trays coming over.
“Okay, you had a Whataburger all the way, with medium fries, and a Double Whatburger, also with fries, and a Junior Whataburger with onion rings. Any ketchup or other sauces?”
“Try the Spicy Ketchup,” I said. “It’s a favorite of a lot of people here.”
“How hot is it?” asked Kaname.
“Just a little,” said the lady. “He’s right about it being popular, though. We even sell it at the local grocery stores.”
“Okay, if it’s that popular, then it’s gotta be good,” said Kaname. “Let me try one.”
Kaname opened up the wrapping on her burger with an eager smile on her face, and with an ‘Itadakimase!’ she bit in.
Her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head.
“Oh. Oh yes. This. I have missed this so much. Thank you, Whataburger!”
##
1:15 PM
Before they went back to the apartment complex, Benjamin did a quick round of what he called ‘The Box’ - the convergence of highways that boxed in the Downtown area - and kept to the upper-decks where the highways became bi-level.
Kaname declared San Antonio to be rather small for a major metropolitan, but pleasant.
On the way home, though, Ben noticed one of San Antonio’s more interesting quirks was at play as they approached the Highway 90 and State Route 151 Interchange.
“Hey, everyone! Eye’s up! The fighter pilot trainees are out and about in their T-38 Talons!”
Indeed, there they were up ahead, on approach to practice their touch-and-goes, passing over the expressway.
“Those are trainers?” said Kaname. “But they look so much like actual fighter jets.”
“That’s the idea,” said Teletha. “Only something that is built like a fighter jet is going to have the flight characteristics of one. The T-38’s are good at what they do. Simple, uncomplicated, but very much capable. They were the first super-sonic trainers in the world.”
Benjamin nodded. “That they are. In fact, they’re so good that the Air Force is looking into a modernization program to extend their lifespans.”
Sousuke made a noise of approval. “Indeed. In the world of Armslaves, the main concerns are not only other armslaves, but ground attack aircraft. It’s interesting to see them training for once.”
“They even train on the F-16’s out here as well,” said Ben.
“Indeed. That’s not a particularly fast fighter, but its agility make it formidable, even in a ground attack role.”
“Even I must admit,” said Washu from the back, “despite the relatively primitive technology, those are some very well engineered machines. It’s interesting to see them in action.
“They are rather graceful, aren’t they?” said Ayeka.
“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘cool’,” countered Ryoko playfully, “but I guess that works, too.”
##
“Ah, Ben?”
“Yes Miss Chidori?”
“Just Kaname is fine. This neighborhood looks pretty... rough.”
“It’s getting better. When everything got started, the apartment complex I’m running had a bunch of squatters there. Mostly local thugs and homeless people. But now that we’re in there and the place is fixed up, it’s slowly getting better. I also hear they’re gonna demolish all those empty and dilapidated store fronts out there and put in something nice.”
“That’s a relief then.”
Ben easily navigated his way through the back roads of the neighborhood, and soon drove the van in through the back entrance of the apartment complex.
Ben and Washu hadn't been idling around very much once everyone had gotten settled in. Using a small army of construction drones, the curb around the entire complex had been rebuilt and a proper sidewalk added. While the front face of the complex had been left wide open, a gated entry had been put in the main entrance with an electronic directory so guests could be buzzed in by the tenants.
A tall, imposing, black wrought iron fence at a staggering twelve feet tall had been put in, extending from the southeast corner of the building to the sidewalk, and then along the sidewalk to the back entrance. There, a set of gates was situated - an entrance and an exit that both swung open. The entrance had only a keypad with no directory. This was only in case anyone lost their key fob and had to use the entry code instead.
"Well, at least your security looks decent," said Kaname appreciatively.
Ben nodded as he drove through the entrance gate. "I felt it was only prudent."
“Oh, it’s so beautiful here!” said Teletha in surprise as everyone took in the pristine courtyard full of palm trees, flower beds, song birds, and the glimmering swimming pool.
“We certainly couldn’t have done it without Belldandy’s help,” said Ben with a smile. “Let’s go ahead and let you guys pick out a unit... Uhm, would you three be alright with sharing a unit?”
“Whhaaaa?” said Kaname in surprise.
“Easy, easy,” said Ben placatingly. “It will be a two-bedroom unit, and the bedrooms are big and well insulated.”
“Why only two?” asked Kaname. “Don’t you have any three bedroom units?”
“We do,” said Ben, “but while the master bedroom is decently sized, the second bedroom is an odd shape and the third... is tiny.”
“How tiny?” asked Kaname.
“Barely more than two tatami by your reckoning.”
“Yeeeeeee,” said Kaname in surprise.
“It’s alright, Kaname,” said Teletha, trying to comfort her fellow Whispered. “I know that you and I can share a bedroom with no problem.”
Kaname sighed. “Well, I might as well look. They better be nice.”
“Oh, they are,” said Ben with a smile as he led them to an apartment, leaving Tenchi and the others to get their shopping bags from the van.
He unlocked a door and led the two inside.
“It... feels nice in here!” said Kaname in surprise.
“How can you afford to keep the air conditioning running like this?” asked Teletha.
“We’re using a solar-fired evaporative system. Not the most efficient way to do things, but since it’s all solar, there’s no issue. And sunny days here tend to be the rule. Besides, it’s when it’s sunny outside when you need the air conditioning the most.”
“That’s remarkable!” said Teletha happily. “So we can make it as cold as we want to in here? And it won’t affect anything?”
“Not a thing!” replied Ben with a grin.
“It’s pretty big in here,” said Kaname as she took in the space. “I can’t imagine how much something like this might have gone for back home. And you said this is a two-bedroom unit?”
“Yep. Let’s show you the kitchen first. So, first off, you guys have a pair of gas-fired convection ovens with a gas range top. All very clean and efficient. The vent hood works - actually vents to the outside - and above it you have a high efficiency microwave oven.
“The refrigerator is a bottom pull-out freezer chest, with a double-door refrigerator on top. There’s also a door-within-door feature for quick access the the in-door shelves, and there’s an ice and chilled water dispenser on the other door.
“You have a trash compactor for the recyclables. There’s no presort requirement, and there’s a list of what is considered recyclable here. It’s actually a pretty broad list - you can even recycle plastic bags and Styrofoam containers.
“We also have a composting program here in San Antonio, so anything organic that breaks down quickly can be dumped in this little green garbage can under the sink,” said Ben as he opened the cabinet door to show two small trash bins inside. “The green one is compost. The black one is for all other trash. You can empty the compost into the large green trash can outside. The small green dumpster out there is for the recyclables, and the black one is for all other trash.
“We do have a hazardous waste program for things like batteries and fluorescent lamps with mercury, but there is no pick-up for those items. But I’ll handle that part. You can safely put stuff like that in the yellow trash can outside.
“You also have an in-sink disposal unit. You can us that for organics that you don’t usually compost, like fat trimmings. There’s also a dishwasher machine that will help you make short work of the dishes.”
“Hey, what’s this?” said Kaname. “Is this... A LAUNDRY MACHINE!?”
“Yup. It’s a two-in-one unit with a condensing dryer function. You can throw a load of laundry in there, set the program, and it will automatically kick over from the wash cycle to the dry cycle. It’s heated using gas, so it does the job real quickly.”
“You said it was a condensing dryer though,” said Teletha. “How much water does it use for the heat exchanger?”
“Not as much as you’re thinking. It uses an air-to-air heat exchanger using outside air.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” replied Teletha. “But it is a bit small.”
“We got a little laundromat with bigger machines - two of them are even big enough to handle a single futon if you ever need to get one deep-cleaned.”
Kaname’s eyes widened. “That’s... That’s really nice!”
“Ain’t it?” said Ben with a smile. “Next up, bathroom.”
“You said it’s Japanese style?” asked Teletha.
“Yeah,” replied Ben as he led them over to that part of the apartment. “Now, don’t wig out over this, but I had some very pleasant experiences with love hotels in Japan and how nice the bathrooms were there. So, I felt that the residents here deserve nothing less.”
Kaname and Teletha were agog when he showed her the space. All nice tile, with sleek modern fixtures. The remote shower head could be mounted high or low so it could be used while sitting or standing, and the bathtub facet was one of the nicer ones with a timer mechanism that automatically shuts off the water.
“All this for us!? What the hell, are you made of money or something?”
“Nah,” said Ben with a smile. “I just have some very powerful backers. Remember I mentioned the Goddesses and Demons? This thing is so big that they’re setting their differences aside.”
“Ah, right,” said Kaname sheepishly. “So, what about these bedrooms?”
Ben smiled and led them into one of them.
“Wow, not bad at all! This has to be like eight tatami in here.”
Ben shrugged. "Really more like seven and a half, but there's no way you can get an auspicious pattern in a perfect square out of that number. Anyhow, you even got plenty of closet space here,” said Ben as he showed them the wide closet, and then the built-in drawers and storage cabinet.
“Okay,” said Kaname. “And you said they’re well insulated?”
“Yeah, Belldandy went a little overboard when I asked for soundproofing and blast resistance charms. You can literally set off a pipe bomb in the next bedroom and you’ll hardly hear a thing.
“Okay, I’m sold. But...” she then looked around. There was a futon and a desk. And the dining area had a table and chairs. But other than that, there was nothing else.
“It’s alright,” said Ben. “Part of the backing that I get is for getting you guys set up. If you two are up for it, I we can head on out now to take care of that.”
“That’d be great and it’d give us something to do. You up for it, Sousuke?”
“That would be very agreeable to me.”
“Alright,” said Ben with a clap of his hands. “We’ll take the Super Beast - we’re gonna need it for the bigger things.”
##
“Okay guys, this is probably gonna wig you out a bit, but I need to show you this just so you know this particular creature comfort exists.”
Benjamin then opened the door to what had been the old manager’s office...
...And led them into what was unmistakably the lobby area for an onsen.
“YOU HAVE AN ONSEN HERE!?” cried out Kaname in shock.
“But how?” said Teletha. “This lobby by itself is bigger than the building... unless... Washu did it?”
Ben shrugged. “It was more of Ryoko’s doing. Say what you will about her, she definitely knows what’s needed to kick back and relax. NOW, Features! You will notice that there are three bathing areas and they are clearly labeled. There’s even indicators to show that they occupied, so you know beforehand that there’s someone there. I also had Washu-chan make sure that system was relatively fool proof - you’d have to actively tamper with the system, and at that point we’d know about it because malfunctions trigger an alarm to go off.”
“Why the mixed-gender family bath?” asked Kaname.
“We don’t know who we’re gonna get in the future, so I felt it was better to be safe than sorry.” He then sighed. “Or, you know, maybe I might find someone special. Once pigs learn to fly, anyways.”
Kaname gave me a somewhat sympathetic look. “Can’t be that bad, can it?”
“The last time I had a girlfriend was back in February 2011. It’s October 2016 now.”
Kaname cringed as she reared back. “HOW!? I mean, you seem like such a great guy! How can you NOT have a girlfriend!?”
Ben sighed at that. “Like I’ve said before, life’s been real shitty to me. But enough about my problems, that’s not something I want you guys to be burdened with. Let’s go ahead and talk to Washu about scouting around some to see if anyone else might have arrived. Then we’ll see about getting everything you need so you guys can get settled in.”
##
They quickly made deed to word, and by the time they got to Washu’s lab (further wowing Kaname, Teletha, and Sousuke) she already had several drones up in the air looking for heat signatures that would imply a mecha of some kind.
“It’s kinda tricky working around the airfields here,” said Washu as she typed command lines into a console session. “Fortunately, though, most of those are in highly urbanized areas of town. But even so, San Antonio is certainly not Japan - the roads here may be wider, but they carry far more traffic since they don’t even have light rail here. So that’s a lot more prying eyes I need to avoid.”
“How do you guys manage without trains?” asked Kaname.
I shrugged. “Everyone that can afford it just drives cars. And sometimes the traffic is just as heinous as you think it is. Especially in the areas where they’re working on the highway upgrades. But once those are finished up, things should flow a lot more smoothly.
“Oh, by the way, once things settle in a bit more around here I’m going to be teaching people how to drive. Sousuke, can you manage a stick shift?”
“Affirmative.”
“Good. Just to be safe, though, I’ll show you the methodology my stepdad used to teach me, then there will be two of us that can teach others to drive.”
“How many vehicles do you have that use an automatic transmission?”
“Just the passenger van so far. I got lucky with Super Beast being Manual everything through and through. Soon enough I’m gonna go on a spree buying up old cars and fixing them up, and I want most of them to be stick shift. The only automatics I’ll take are the ones that are metaphorically bullet proof.”
“Understandable. That is part of why I have always appreciated the first generation Savage. A well thought out machine for its time, though the cooling system left something to be desired.”
“You guys don’t need to hang around,” said Washu. “Even with my network of drones, it’s going to take a while. I’m not only searching the city, but also all the surrounding counties up to fifty miles out. But if they’re out there, I’ll find them, and you guys will be the first to know right after me.”
“Thanks Washu-chan,” said Ben. “Well, you heard the pint-sized super-genius. No need to crowd her. Let’s go and get you guys kitted out.”
##
From there, it was more of the same. Kaname was shocked that there was a legitimate Japanese grocery store, and at Ben’s urging stocked up on everything she’d need for the kitchen, because Kaname actually liked to cook. Along with basic staples like rice and soba noodles, Kaname even picked out a good selection of snack foods, seasoning, sauces, teas, and even a few calpis drinks.
Then it was off to Walmart for electronics, lamps, furnishings, and basic clothes. Superbeast’s cargo bed was quickly filled. Though Ben had to drag Sousuke away from the sporting goods section.
“We have much better places to shop for those kinds of things,” he said as he tugged the young soldier away from the sporting goods.
Lastly, there was HEB for the food, toiletries, and household cleaning supplies. The three were duly impressed by the wide array of food - between that and Minano’s, Kaname stated that she would be hard pressed to get homesick over the food.
And then it was back home where Ben would help them get everything moved into their unit.
##
7:25 PM
Washu's Lab
“Got ‘em!” cried out Washu gleefully, though only to follow it up quickly with “Uh-oh.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Ben.
“Sousuke’s friends? They’re up in Camp Bullis.”
“..... FUCK!” cried out Ben in alarm, setting the others on edge. “Have they been captured or anything yet?”
“No, according the to the drone’s feed, they’re keeping pretty well hidden. But that isn’t going to last long. The Army knows something is up. They got all the bases here on lock-down and they’re sending out scouting parties. Looks like they’re trying to figure out what’s going on before someone goes off half-cocked.”
“Okay, enough dilly dallying then. Washu-chan, we’ll need a radio set that-”
“Already ahead of you,” she said as she handed over a walkie-talkie.
“Encryption?”
“Same algorithm and key Sousuke’s friends are using.”
“How did you do that?” asked Sousuke.
“When you have five planets worth of quantum computing power, breaking even 256-bit encryption keys is a piece of cake. Now, get going. Ben knows the area better than you do.”
“Understood. Mr. Rhodes, let’s not waste time.”
“Right. We’ll take Superbeast again. It’s not quite powerful enough to haul an armslave, but it’ll do for the sundries. Washu-chan, get Ryoko for us, would you please? We’ll need help getting the truck unloaded fast, and I think it’d be a good idea to have her along in case we need support.”
“Right. She’s on her way down and will meet you at the truck.”
Corner of Presa St. and E. Commerce
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Their money was exchanged and they looked around. McDonald’s was deemed too cheap and Hardrock Cafe a bit too expensive. And loud. In the end, they settled on a place that seemed to be a local favorite.
“Whataburger?” said Sousuke suspiciously. “That almost sounds like a name you make up for a work of fiction.”
“Well, it’s real, it seems popular, and if the brand name directly implies they have great burgers, then I’m sold,” said Kaname. “C’mon. Even if it’s not the best, it’s still food.”
As they stood in the back of the line, looking at the menu board, something came back to haunt Kaname.
“So... how come I’m suddenly fluent in English?”
“That’s... That’s troubling,” replied Sousuke.
“Yeah, no kidding,” Kaname shot back.
“Captain, what do you suggest we do? I have no frame of reference for a situation like this.”
“First of all, don’t call me Captain here. Secondly, it’d be best if we just accepted it for now, or else we’ll draw attention to ourselves.”
“I think it may be too late for that,” said Sousuke.
“What?”
“Don’t look. Male, medium build, about 25 years old. Waist-length black hair with beard and mustache. He’s been following us ever since the shopping mall.”
“... is he alone?” asked Teletha.
“I can’t tell for sure. I thought he was with a group before.”
“Are you armed?”
“Yes.”
“Well, stay calm. It may just be a coincidence. The last thing we need is for a bunch of people to get hurt in a misunderstanding.”
“Understood.”
The three placed their orders, were given a numbered table tent, and went to find a seat.
At this point, Kaname and Teletha were able to get a look at him. Sousuke’s description of him was accurate, but it did little justice to him.
He was handsome.
Not that Sousuke wasn’t, but Kaname and Teletha weren’t blind. Idly Kaname wondered what he might have looked like at her age. With a face like that? He could only have looked like an elf or something!
They both tensed, though, when after placing his own order, he turned to lock eyes on them...
...and then smiled kindly as he made his way towards them - it was almost as if he knew they were in a bad situation and wanted to make them feel better.
“I hope you guys don’t mind, but I wanted to chat with you. You’re here for the convention, right? San Japan Sinister Six?”
“Ah... Yeah! Sinister Six!” said Kaname, trying to keep calm. “We heard all about it so we had to come and see for ourselves.”
The man nodded. “Except that Sinister Six was two years ago. After that was Samurai Seven, and this year it’s Eight-Bit. And that Convention happened two weeks ago.”
Sousuke, Teletha, and Kaname sat utterly still in their seats.
“Howdy guys. I’m Benjamin, and I’m gonna need you three to stay frosty here for a few minutes because the shit has hit the fan in a most profound manner, and everyone’s getting covered.”
“What do you mean?” said Sousuke right away. “What have you done?”
“I’m as much of a victim as you guys are,” said Ben firmly, holding up a hand to forestall further commentary. “Like I said, the shit has hit the fan and everyone’s getting covered by it. The only difference between me and you is that I’ve been empowered to help people like you.”
“By who?” asked Teletha.
“God.”
“... Okay guys,” said Kaname nervously, “I think we should get going...”
“Okay, maybe that was a little sudden,” said Ben placatingly. “Let’s try this.” He then turned and waved at a group standing outside. A Japanese boy about Sousuke’s age, and two women and two girls with bizarrely colored hair. They all came inside and the boy introduced himself.
In flawless Japanese.
“Hi. I’m Masaki Tenchi. I know things are kinda scary right now, but Rodes’-san is only trying to help. Oh, and these are my friends, Ayeka, Ryoko, Sasami, and Washu.”
Kaname blinked. “You’re really from Japan? Not American-Japanese?”
Tenchi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Ah yeah. It’s a very strange situation. Maybe we should sit at one of the bigger tables and talk?”
##
Everyone else placed their orders while Kaname, Sousuke, and myself began to sort through things.
“That is really Tenchi Masaki from Tenchi Muyo?” said Kaname in shock as she watched the boy not much older than her placing his order. “This isn’t some put on, is it?”
“I’m afraid not,” Ben replied soberly. “The short version is that the Multi-verse broke down and a lot of realities have been getting mashed up together.”
“Multi-verse?” asked Sousuke.
“Argh,” grumbled Ben. “Okay, you know the basic premise about Alternate Realities, right? Like what could have been if you made a different choice at a critical point in time, right?”
“Yes,” said Teletha, “this is familiar to me.”
“Well, imagine that applied to everyone in the entire universe all at once. With that, it’s possible that if you could go from one to another that you could very well wind up in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.”
“Are you saying we’re in Tenchi Muyo right now!?” cried out Kaname, just barely managing to keep her voice down.
“Were it so simple,” sighed Ben, rolling his eyes. “No, what’s going on instead is that we’re in something called the Meta-Continuity. Skuld explained it to me once - and yes, I do mean THAT Skuld who’s an adorable little tech-head with an attitude and the biggest penchant for icecream ever.
“Anyhow, the thing is that this is usually sort of a testing grounds - a completely self-contained machine networked into the Yggdrasil-Nidhogg system that is capable of operating independently of the rest of the system.
“When the system crashed completely, a failsafe mechanism kicked in that froze the entire multiverse, and it’s steadily bringing up backups of the most important bits of each universe here - that is, people like you guys and Tenchi.”
“Wait, let me get this straight,” said Kaname. “We’re the important ones? Like Tenchi? Then...”
“Yep. Hate to say it, but it’s true. To most people you’re fictional characters, just as Tenchi is."
Teletha was thoughtful. Sousuke didn’t seem to know what to think and Kaname looked like she was about to need a paper bag to hyperventilate into. Fortunately, Tenchi came to my rescue.
“Hey guys. I guess he dumped it on you, huh?” he said sheepishly. But then he sobered, seeing that Kaname was about to have a panic attack. “Look, guys? It’s okay. Just because we’re fictional to some people doesn’t make us any less real. It just means that someone happened to make a story about our lives.”
“HOW!?” cried out Kaname. “By peeping on us!?”
An amused snort came from Washu as she sauntered over. “As if. Really, it’s more like the idea behind Infinite Monkeys on Infinite Typewriters - eventually, one of them is gonna accidentally type up all of Shakespeare’s plays, and maybe even a few he was going to do, but never did.”
“So who the hell is this guy in all this mess then?” said Kaname hotly as she gestured to me.
Washu shrugged. “Think of him as sort of a caretaker. He’s familiar with quite a number of works of fiction, so he knows what to expect from people like you and me, and how to make our lives easier.”
“Alright,” said Teletha, cutting off Kaname, “say for the sake of argument that you’re right - and I must admit, it’s sounding very much that way, as strange as it seems - why should we go with you?”
“Well, let me count the ways,” said Ben. “First of all, we can provide you with passports and identification; get you enrolled into one of the local schools or just have you test-out for a General Equivalency Diploma; maybe get you into one of the MANY local colleges here; provide you with a place to live - one that’s even Japanese style to ease the homesickness, get you Japanese style food as well; and generally help you out however we can so you don’t go stir-crazy.”
Kaname’s eyes narrowed at me. “What -kind- of colleges?”
I smiled back. “What kind of degree do you want? Medical? Engineering? Literature? Law? Biology? We got schools for just about everything here except for a handful of highly specialized fields like Aerospace Engineering. For stuff like that, you’d have to go to one of the BIG schools like University of Texas’s main school up in Austin.”
“And you’d set us up?” said Teletha with a raised eyebrow. “Just like that?”
Ben shrugged. “It’s kinda my thing. I like to help people out of the kindness of my own heart - mainly because I’ve been dealt a real shitty deal for most of my life, so I know how it feels to have the rug yanked out from under you.”
“What happened to you?” asked Teletha with mild concern.
“Physical and emotional childhood abuse. Makes it real hard to cope with the world in general - there’s been a few times I’ve nearly crossed the line into dissociation. Bad enough I was a serious day-dreamer to begin with.”
Teletha winced in sympathy, but Kaname was not placated.
“Why are you telling us that you’re a crazy person?”
“Did I say I was?”
“You said you have issues.”
Benjamin sighed. “‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ said Alice.
‘Oh you can’t help that,’ said the Cat. ‘We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’
‘How do you know I’m mad?’
‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come.’”
“I didn’t come here of my own free will!” hissed Kaname.
Ben inclined his head. “No. But you’ve stuck things out with Sagara.”
Kaname winced and Teletha giggled.
“He’s got you dead to rights, Kaname!”
“Shut up.”
Sousuke stepped in at this point. “What of the others?” he asked. “If we’re here, then perhaps the crew is as well.”
Ben nodded at that. “Reasonable. Very very reasonable. So far, you’re the first we’ve found so far, and only by pure dumb luck - I’d brought the others here out so they can do a bit of shopping and sightseeing - you know, get to know the place a bit better. San Antonio is rife with history in a way that only places like Boston and Chicago are.
“But getting back to your question... Honestly, we’d have to go looking. And I think we’d better get to it quickly.”
“Why’s that?” asked Kaname, having just recovered her composure.
“Sousuke and Teletha should know already. San Antonio is also a huge Military Town. We have four major installations here, along with a few lesser ones, and the NSA even has a signals intelligence center here. If anyone so much as glimpses an M9, then we’re in serious trouble.”
Teletha nodded. “He’s right, though the NSA facility is new to me.”
“It’s the year 2016. A lot has happened lately. I’ll try and get you guys caught up as we go, but I think Tenchi’s gonna be doing the majority of that. He can best frame it for you guys.”
Tenchi nodded at that. “I’ll try my best.”
“Regardless,” said Sousuke, “we must move right away. As he said, there are a lot of military installations in this city, and the presence of an Armslave - even one using an ECS system, will not go unnoticed for long.”
“But first,” said Kaname as she noticed a woman with two trays coming over.
“Okay, you had a Whataburger all the way, with medium fries, and a Double Whatburger, also with fries, and a Junior Whataburger with onion rings. Any ketchup or other sauces?”
“Try the Spicy Ketchup,” I said. “It’s a favorite of a lot of people here.”
“How hot is it?” asked Kaname.
“Just a little,” said the lady. “He’s right about it being popular, though. We even sell it at the local grocery stores.”
“Okay, if it’s that popular, then it’s gotta be good,” said Kaname. “Let me try one.”
Kaname opened up the wrapping on her burger with an eager smile on her face, and with an ‘Itadakimase!’ she bit in.
Her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head.
“Oh. Oh yes. This. I have missed this so much. Thank you, Whataburger!”
##
1:15 PM
Before they went back to the apartment complex, Benjamin did a quick round of what he called ‘The Box’ - the convergence of highways that boxed in the Downtown area - and kept to the upper-decks where the highways became bi-level.
Kaname declared San Antonio to be rather small for a major metropolitan, but pleasant.
On the way home, though, Ben noticed one of San Antonio’s more interesting quirks was at play as they approached the Highway 90 and State Route 151 Interchange.
“Hey, everyone! Eye’s up! The fighter pilot trainees are out and about in their T-38 Talons!”
Indeed, there they were up ahead, on approach to practice their touch-and-goes, passing over the expressway.
“Those are trainers?” said Kaname. “But they look so much like actual fighter jets.”
“That’s the idea,” said Teletha. “Only something that is built like a fighter jet is going to have the flight characteristics of one. The T-38’s are good at what they do. Simple, uncomplicated, but very much capable. They were the first super-sonic trainers in the world.”
Benjamin nodded. “That they are. In fact, they’re so good that the Air Force is looking into a modernization program to extend their lifespans.”
Sousuke made a noise of approval. “Indeed. In the world of Armslaves, the main concerns are not only other armslaves, but ground attack aircraft. It’s interesting to see them training for once.”
“They even train on the F-16’s out here as well,” said Ben.
“Indeed. That’s not a particularly fast fighter, but its agility make it formidable, even in a ground attack role.”
“Even I must admit,” said Washu from the back, “despite the relatively primitive technology, those are some very well engineered machines. It’s interesting to see them in action.
“They are rather graceful, aren’t they?” said Ayeka.
“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘cool’,” countered Ryoko playfully, “but I guess that works, too.”
##
“Ah, Ben?”
“Yes Miss Chidori?”
“Just Kaname is fine. This neighborhood looks pretty... rough.”
“It’s getting better. When everything got started, the apartment complex I’m running had a bunch of squatters there. Mostly local thugs and homeless people. But now that we’re in there and the place is fixed up, it’s slowly getting better. I also hear they’re gonna demolish all those empty and dilapidated store fronts out there and put in something nice.”
“That’s a relief then.”
Ben easily navigated his way through the back roads of the neighborhood, and soon drove the van in through the back entrance of the apartment complex.
Ben and Washu hadn't been idling around very much once everyone had gotten settled in. Using a small army of construction drones, the curb around the entire complex had been rebuilt and a proper sidewalk added. While the front face of the complex had been left wide open, a gated entry had been put in the main entrance with an electronic directory so guests could be buzzed in by the tenants.
A tall, imposing, black wrought iron fence at a staggering twelve feet tall had been put in, extending from the southeast corner of the building to the sidewalk, and then along the sidewalk to the back entrance. There, a set of gates was situated - an entrance and an exit that both swung open. The entrance had only a keypad with no directory. This was only in case anyone lost their key fob and had to use the entry code instead.
"Well, at least your security looks decent," said Kaname appreciatively.
Ben nodded as he drove through the entrance gate. "I felt it was only prudent."
“Oh, it’s so beautiful here!” said Teletha in surprise as everyone took in the pristine courtyard full of palm trees, flower beds, song birds, and the glimmering swimming pool.
“We certainly couldn’t have done it without Belldandy’s help,” said Ben with a smile. “Let’s go ahead and let you guys pick out a unit... Uhm, would you three be alright with sharing a unit?”
“Whhaaaa?” said Kaname in surprise.
“Easy, easy,” said Ben placatingly. “It will be a two-bedroom unit, and the bedrooms are big and well insulated.”
“Why only two?” asked Kaname. “Don’t you have any three bedroom units?”
“We do,” said Ben, “but while the master bedroom is decently sized, the second bedroom is an odd shape and the third... is tiny.”
“How tiny?” asked Kaname.
“Barely more than two tatami by your reckoning.”
“Yeeeeeee,” said Kaname in surprise.
“It’s alright, Kaname,” said Teletha, trying to comfort her fellow Whispered. “I know that you and I can share a bedroom with no problem.”
Kaname sighed. “Well, I might as well look. They better be nice.”
“Oh, they are,” said Ben with a smile as he led them to an apartment, leaving Tenchi and the others to get their shopping bags from the van.
He unlocked a door and led the two inside.
“It... feels nice in here!” said Kaname in surprise.
“How can you afford to keep the air conditioning running like this?” asked Teletha.
“We’re using a solar-fired evaporative system. Not the most efficient way to do things, but since it’s all solar, there’s no issue. And sunny days here tend to be the rule. Besides, it’s when it’s sunny outside when you need the air conditioning the most.”
“That’s remarkable!” said Teletha happily. “So we can make it as cold as we want to in here? And it won’t affect anything?”
“Not a thing!” replied Ben with a grin.
“It’s pretty big in here,” said Kaname as she took in the space. “I can’t imagine how much something like this might have gone for back home. And you said this is a two-bedroom unit?”
“Yep. Let’s show you the kitchen first. So, first off, you guys have a pair of gas-fired convection ovens with a gas range top. All very clean and efficient. The vent hood works - actually vents to the outside - and above it you have a high efficiency microwave oven.
“The refrigerator is a bottom pull-out freezer chest, with a double-door refrigerator on top. There’s also a door-within-door feature for quick access the the in-door shelves, and there’s an ice and chilled water dispenser on the other door.
“You have a trash compactor for the recyclables. There’s no presort requirement, and there’s a list of what is considered recyclable here. It’s actually a pretty broad list - you can even recycle plastic bags and Styrofoam containers.
“We also have a composting program here in San Antonio, so anything organic that breaks down quickly can be dumped in this little green garbage can under the sink,” said Ben as he opened the cabinet door to show two small trash bins inside. “The green one is compost. The black one is for all other trash. You can empty the compost into the large green trash can outside. The small green dumpster out there is for the recyclables, and the black one is for all other trash.
“We do have a hazardous waste program for things like batteries and fluorescent lamps with mercury, but there is no pick-up for those items. But I’ll handle that part. You can safely put stuff like that in the yellow trash can outside.
“You also have an in-sink disposal unit. You can us that for organics that you don’t usually compost, like fat trimmings. There’s also a dishwasher machine that will help you make short work of the dishes.”
“Hey, what’s this?” said Kaname. “Is this... A LAUNDRY MACHINE!?”
“Yup. It’s a two-in-one unit with a condensing dryer function. You can throw a load of laundry in there, set the program, and it will automatically kick over from the wash cycle to the dry cycle. It’s heated using gas, so it does the job real quickly.”
“You said it was a condensing dryer though,” said Teletha. “How much water does it use for the heat exchanger?”
“Not as much as you’re thinking. It uses an air-to-air heat exchanger using outside air.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” replied Teletha. “But it is a bit small.”
“We got a little laundromat with bigger machines - two of them are even big enough to handle a single futon if you ever need to get one deep-cleaned.”
Kaname’s eyes widened. “That’s... That’s really nice!”
“Ain’t it?” said Ben with a smile. “Next up, bathroom.”
“You said it’s Japanese style?” asked Teletha.
“Yeah,” replied Ben as he led them over to that part of the apartment. “Now, don’t wig out over this, but I had some very pleasant experiences with love hotels in Japan and how nice the bathrooms were there. So, I felt that the residents here deserve nothing less.”
Kaname and Teletha were agog when he showed her the space. All nice tile, with sleek modern fixtures. The remote shower head could be mounted high or low so it could be used while sitting or standing, and the bathtub facet was one of the nicer ones with a timer mechanism that automatically shuts off the water.
“All this for us!? What the hell, are you made of money or something?”
“Nah,” said Ben with a smile. “I just have some very powerful backers. Remember I mentioned the Goddesses and Demons? This thing is so big that they’re setting their differences aside.”
“Ah, right,” said Kaname sheepishly. “So, what about these bedrooms?”
Ben smiled and led them into one of them.
“Wow, not bad at all! This has to be like eight tatami in here.”
Ben shrugged. "Really more like seven and a half, but there's no way you can get an auspicious pattern in a perfect square out of that number. Anyhow, you even got plenty of closet space here,” said Ben as he showed them the wide closet, and then the built-in drawers and storage cabinet.
“Okay,” said Kaname. “And you said they’re well insulated?”
“Yeah, Belldandy went a little overboard when I asked for soundproofing and blast resistance charms. You can literally set off a pipe bomb in the next bedroom and you’ll hardly hear a thing.
“Okay, I’m sold. But...” she then looked around. There was a futon and a desk. And the dining area had a table and chairs. But other than that, there was nothing else.
“It’s alright,” said Ben. “Part of the backing that I get is for getting you guys set up. If you two are up for it, I we can head on out now to take care of that.”
“That’d be great and it’d give us something to do. You up for it, Sousuke?”
“That would be very agreeable to me.”
“Alright,” said Ben with a clap of his hands. “We’ll take the Super Beast - we’re gonna need it for the bigger things.”
##
“Okay guys, this is probably gonna wig you out a bit, but I need to show you this just so you know this particular creature comfort exists.”
Benjamin then opened the door to what had been the old manager’s office...
...And led them into what was unmistakably the lobby area for an onsen.
“YOU HAVE AN ONSEN HERE!?” cried out Kaname in shock.
“But how?” said Teletha. “This lobby by itself is bigger than the building... unless... Washu did it?”
Ben shrugged. “It was more of Ryoko’s doing. Say what you will about her, she definitely knows what’s needed to kick back and relax. NOW, Features! You will notice that there are three bathing areas and they are clearly labeled. There’s even indicators to show that they occupied, so you know beforehand that there’s someone there. I also had Washu-chan make sure that system was relatively fool proof - you’d have to actively tamper with the system, and at that point we’d know about it because malfunctions trigger an alarm to go off.”
“Why the mixed-gender family bath?” asked Kaname.
“We don’t know who we’re gonna get in the future, so I felt it was better to be safe than sorry.” He then sighed. “Or, you know, maybe I might find someone special. Once pigs learn to fly, anyways.”
Kaname gave me a somewhat sympathetic look. “Can’t be that bad, can it?”
“The last time I had a girlfriend was back in February 2011. It’s October 2016 now.”
Kaname cringed as she reared back. “HOW!? I mean, you seem like such a great guy! How can you NOT have a girlfriend!?”
Ben sighed at that. “Like I’ve said before, life’s been real shitty to me. But enough about my problems, that’s not something I want you guys to be burdened with. Let’s go ahead and talk to Washu about scouting around some to see if anyone else might have arrived. Then we’ll see about getting everything you need so you guys can get settled in.”
##
They quickly made deed to word, and by the time they got to Washu’s lab (further wowing Kaname, Teletha, and Sousuke) she already had several drones up in the air looking for heat signatures that would imply a mecha of some kind.
“It’s kinda tricky working around the airfields here,” said Washu as she typed command lines into a console session. “Fortunately, though, most of those are in highly urbanized areas of town. But even so, San Antonio is certainly not Japan - the roads here may be wider, but they carry far more traffic since they don’t even have light rail here. So that’s a lot more prying eyes I need to avoid.”
“How do you guys manage without trains?” asked Kaname.
I shrugged. “Everyone that can afford it just drives cars. And sometimes the traffic is just as heinous as you think it is. Especially in the areas where they’re working on the highway upgrades. But once those are finished up, things should flow a lot more smoothly.
“Oh, by the way, once things settle in a bit more around here I’m going to be teaching people how to drive. Sousuke, can you manage a stick shift?”
“Affirmative.”
“Good. Just to be safe, though, I’ll show you the methodology my stepdad used to teach me, then there will be two of us that can teach others to drive.”
“How many vehicles do you have that use an automatic transmission?”
“Just the passenger van so far. I got lucky with Super Beast being Manual everything through and through. Soon enough I’m gonna go on a spree buying up old cars and fixing them up, and I want most of them to be stick shift. The only automatics I’ll take are the ones that are metaphorically bullet proof.”
“Understandable. That is part of why I have always appreciated the first generation Savage. A well thought out machine for its time, though the cooling system left something to be desired.”
“You guys don’t need to hang around,” said Washu. “Even with my network of drones, it’s going to take a while. I’m not only searching the city, but also all the surrounding counties up to fifty miles out. But if they’re out there, I’ll find them, and you guys will be the first to know right after me.”
“Thanks Washu-chan,” said Ben. “Well, you heard the pint-sized super-genius. No need to crowd her. Let’s go and get you guys kitted out.”
##
From there, it was more of the same. Kaname was shocked that there was a legitimate Japanese grocery store, and at Ben’s urging stocked up on everything she’d need for the kitchen, because Kaname actually liked to cook. Along with basic staples like rice and soba noodles, Kaname even picked out a good selection of snack foods, seasoning, sauces, teas, and even a few calpis drinks.
Then it was off to Walmart for electronics, lamps, furnishings, and basic clothes. Superbeast’s cargo bed was quickly filled. Though Ben had to drag Sousuke away from the sporting goods section.
“We have much better places to shop for those kinds of things,” he said as he tugged the young soldier away from the sporting goods.
Lastly, there was HEB for the food, toiletries, and household cleaning supplies. The three were duly impressed by the wide array of food - between that and Minano’s, Kaname stated that she would be hard pressed to get homesick over the food.
And then it was back home where Ben would help them get everything moved into their unit.
##
7:25 PM
Washu's Lab
“Got ‘em!” cried out Washu gleefully, though only to follow it up quickly with “Uh-oh.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Ben.
“Sousuke’s friends? They’re up in Camp Bullis.”
“..... FUCK!” cried out Ben in alarm, setting the others on edge. “Have they been captured or anything yet?”
“No, according the to the drone’s feed, they’re keeping pretty well hidden. But that isn’t going to last long. The Army knows something is up. They got all the bases here on lock-down and they’re sending out scouting parties. Looks like they’re trying to figure out what’s going on before someone goes off half-cocked.”
“Okay, enough dilly dallying then. Washu-chan, we’ll need a radio set that-”
“Already ahead of you,” she said as she handed over a walkie-talkie.
“Encryption?”
“Same algorithm and key Sousuke’s friends are using.”
“How did you do that?” asked Sousuke.
“When you have five planets worth of quantum computing power, breaking even 256-bit encryption keys is a piece of cake. Now, get going. Ben knows the area better than you do.”
“Understood. Mr. Rhodes, let’s not waste time.”
“Right. We’ll take Superbeast again. It’s not quite powerful enough to haul an armslave, but it’ll do for the sundries. Washu-chan, get Ryoko for us, would you please? We’ll need help getting the truck unloaded fast, and I think it’d be a good idea to have her along in case we need support.”
“Right. She’s on her way down and will meet you at the truck.”