THUNDERCATHIANS
CAPÍTULO 2: RAURI
A light green colored liquid fills a tank of armored glass in what appears to be the interior of a high-tech laboratory. Suddenly, the surface of the liquid element is disturbed by the submersion of a foreign body in the shape of a life-size Japanese puppet.
The liquid element reacts to the contact of the foreign body as the entire contents of the tank begin to release bubbles, after a while all activity ceases and all colored water is evacuated from the tank leaving the puppet naked as the sole occupant of the interior.
A robotic arm lifts the puppet and places it on an operating table where machines graft chestnut-coloured hair onto what appears to be the "robot", an inaccurate description as Cathia's scientists arrive and begin to revise what appears to be not an android, but rather a biodroid as the "android" appears to have biological elements inserted into it.
After finishing the check-up and grafting the hair, other machines place a pair of cat ears made of a gray metal alloy. The scientists go out and another robotic arm lifts the biodroid, which adopts a rigid posture as if it were not being suspended in the air, but rather as if it were lying on the floor.
Tubes approach and start spraying the entire surface of the female shaped biodroid with a spray. After a few seconds, the liquid from the spray on the biodroid solidifies, but it is then released by other tubes that blow cold air under pressure.
The robotic arm places the biodroid on the table. After a few seconds the "woman" opens her eyes and a tear slips down her right cheek.
“…I am not a doll...”
.
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Many years after the previous scene, a military limousine carried both Risu and Yuubi, who were on their way to the Kyontes aero-space military base.
“This looks bad Risu, with this traffic jam we are already late for the crew magazine and apparently we will stay another hour on the highway," said Yuubi, as he breathed a sigh of frustration.
“Don't worry Yuubi, it's not like they have anything to do either.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the crew doesn't need to go back to the military barracks.”
“What do you mean, they don't need to go back to the barracks? They have to keep to a schedule and even if they are still at the academy... but please, even you Risu wouldn't be dumb enough to form a crew of newcomers to the academy.”
“Well, I wish the crew were students of the academy," said Risu, making Yuubi open his eyes in exorbitance.
“Explain yourself!”
“Well, you see, Yuubi.... don't get angry, okay.”
“I promise I will be angry, and I promise I will be furious if you don't explain all this to me soon.”
“It's that the ship, the "Thundercat", will not only go on a deep space exploration mission, it's more about reaching the third planet of a solar system light years beyond any of Cathia's outer limits or any of the known star races.”
“I know that, Captain, sir," Yubbi cut him off sarcastically, "tell me why we're going to a crew magazine, which apparently has a civilian schedule.”
“...Well, it turns out that the scientists and structural engineers of the hyperdimensional transposition engines calculated the success rate that an operation like the one we're trying to carry out could have... and I think they overreacted with their reaction....”
“What are the chances of success?”
“...From 3040 to one...”
“...But... that's almost zero!”
“It's one, not a zero, I think we have a chance.”
“We all have a chance to win the lottery jackpot! In theory, only in theory! Risu, this whole project with the "Thundercat" seems very forced even for you. You want to tell me what's really going on? This whole operation would not go ahead without your consent, the decisions of the high command are subordinate to the imperial family... What did you do, Risu?”
“I just want to put it all behind me before the current takes us down Yubbi.”
“What do you mean?”
“Our fathers fought in the great war. Melmak and his allies almost defeated Cathia....”
“I know, my father died protecting your father, the admiral. We lost a lot in that war, but in the end we got a kind of victory, so many deaths to return to the status quo.... in the end we negotiated an expensive peace, a very expensive and very guarded peace.”
“My father told me that the Dogisian fleets are preparing for war. And not only dogisian, but also melmak and the other enemy planets... Yuubi, our generation will be drawn into a war that has not been seen since the Cathians were Cathians.”
“We're imperial soldiers, Risu, we mustn't run away.”
“I don't plan to run away! I hope that these unknown cathians I plan to meet have technology that will help us against dogisia, melmak and the others.”
“Since this is a mission whose ultimate objective is uncertain, not to mention the low rate of success in the transposition operation, I suppose that is why we do not have a crew that is characterised by experience or efficiency, am I right? But let the imperial family and your father decide to give you a free pass!”
“I've caused a lot of trouble already, Yuubi, if not this will be the front line fleet at the front.”
“You are no coward, Risu, so why do you insist on...?”
Risu took a meaningful look at Yuubi.
“...it's me, isn't it? You're doing this for me?”
“They didn't approve of your promotion to become an officer, they say... "He doesn't have what it takes”."
“You mean, I don't belong to the aristocracy.... dogs!, so much effort to become the first in the history of the academy for nothing!” Yuubi shouted as he leaned in, staring at the floor of the limousine and clenched his fists on his knees.
“Risu, I saw the troop movement sheet, your name is among those who are going to be moved to the front line, not even in the vanguard fleet, but rather as a vanguard shock infantry. That's like a death sentence! Only 12 percent of those soldiers return alive, and yet the number of maimed and disabled is almost total!”
The fear this time was reflected in Yuubis face and eyes, and his friend put his hands on his shoulders to calm him down.
“With the mission in the "Thundercat" you will not only be saved, you will also receive the appointment of deputy captain of a mission approved by the imperial house itself, even if you do not succeed, on our return after the war, you will no longer have any problem with this shit of the aristocracy, you will surely be appointed lord at least and your future in imperial society and your military life will not only be assured, it will also be very successful!”
Yubbi wanted to protest but his pride wounded by the news of Risu finally convinced him.
The limousine arrived at its destination and Yuubi confirmed his fears about the crew. At best it was made up of very young civilian volunteers, much more than he and Risu, the other being former soldiers who were ignominiously expelled from the regular army.
After the magazine, Risu and Yuubi decided to return but a figure was waiting for them by the limousine.
A Cathian woman in an aristocratic white suit, beautiful, with elegant features but a sad smile and look, was waiting for them sitting in an elegant wheelchair.
“Mother, what are you doing here!” said Risu as he hurried his steps toward the lady with long golden hair like the sun.
“Dear son, the youngest son the goddesses blessed me with, I know I said goodbye to you, but I couldn't go in before I gave you something... Rauri, dear.”
Risu had not noticed but instead of the usual servant who always accompanied his mother, behind her stood an apparently first-generation asistedroid.
Rauri stepped to the side of the young man's mother and bowed slightly up the sides of her skirt as she bowed her head slightly.
“Rauri?”
“That's right my boy, she doesn't have any numbering and she doesn't deserve to be called like a robot either. It belonged to your late grandfather," the woman concluded as she saw her son's expression of discomfort.
“...Grandpa, but.... I didn't think Grandpa had that fetish...”
Risus mother stretched out her arm, but instead of a slap, the woman put her fingers delicately on her youngest son's lips.
“You look a lot like your grandfather... maybe... maybe... fu, it doesn't matter. Rauri helped your grandfather in the war, not as a combat assistant, but as her servant.”
“Which war of Grandpa's generation do you mean? We've had so many already.”
“I wish you to stay away from the war that will soon be upon us, are you sure you will not take any risks on your mission?”
Risu denied with a smile, as he had agreed with his father. It may sound terrible but the young cathian was good at deceiving the opposite sex.
Mother and son said goodbye, and Yuubi took Risus mother to her royal chariot where an asistantdroid would take her to her palace.
.
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In Thundera, a couple of days had passed since the attack of the reptilians under the command of Slithe and his lord Mumm-ra, columns of smoke, though thin, continued their ascent into the sky, columns that testified to the destruction of the kingdom of Claudus.
Three figures covered in blue cloaks with hoods that at the time hid their faces, saw the ruins of the recently devastated kingdom.
“We must go, Lion-O," said Cheetara after a long silence.
“We have to go after Mumm-ra," said Lion-O with a cold accent.
“What we have to do is to go in search of the book of omens as Llaga asked," said Tygra.
Cheetara agreed with Tygra and as a warrior priestess under the orders of Llaga would prefer to go after the book of omens, however, Lion-O had accepted his fate as the successor of the late Claudus after the sword of omens recognized him as a future king, and he insisted on going after Mumm-ra.
The Thundercat was frustrated by the situation, knowing full well that if her new king had decided to go after the book of omens, Tygra would have insisted on going after the sorcerer Mumm-ra.
"They never agree on anything, and I suspect that even if they agree on something, they insist on contradicting themselves."
Lion-O turned around and with a determined step followed in Mumm-ra's footsteps though he had no idea where the wizard's base might be.
CONTINUARÁ…
Author's final notes: I think it is interesting to see Cathia's social political situation a thousand years before the events in the anime Asobi Ni Iku Yo, especially how Rauri and the Captain of the failed space mission first met.
Rauri's creation is based on the film "Ghost in the Shell" and the adult anime "Maid to order".
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