Celeste Byrd [nshampoo@gold.interlog.com]
12.05.1998 [May 12, 1998]  Updated 24.05.1998 [May 24, 1998]

Rating: Most audiences approved. Contains some technical babble.

Ranma 1/2 is copyrighted 1998 by Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan Inc. and anyone else who rightfully owns the copyrights. All-Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku is copyrighted 1992 by Yuuzou Takada/Futuba Sha/King Records/Movic. This fanfic was written entirely for entertainment purposes and NOT for monetary benefit. Please don't sue me. Any similarities with other fanfics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

This is my second attempt at a decent fanfic. This also happens to be my first attempt at prose. Be lenient.

Information is based on the author's experience of the two series, meaning a truckload of Ranma 1/2 but two OAVs and a few fics of Nuku Nuku. Japanese will only be used when necessary, and NOT to show that this author can speak English with Japanese phrases. Incidents from Ranma 1/2 are based on the manga and incidents from Nuku Nuku are based on Phases 0I, 0II, 0V, and 0VI.

Cybernetic information and theories were partially influenced by the manga version of Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell. The rest came to me in a dream. You'd be surprised as to the amount of junk that comes to me when I sleep.

Some parts of this fanfic were influenced by Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. If you haven't read any of them, shame on you.

If you've just stumbled upon this, please read the previous chapters to understand anything in this one.

Natsume Kyusaku clenched his teeth as he drove home. It was Christmas Eve, ten months after Genma dropped by at his office with a nearly dead Ranma in his arms. Ten months ago he had seen it as his duty to give the helpless boy a second chance. He was torn however, between working on NK-1078 and seeing his new baby boy. Ryunosuke was barely a few months old, and Kyusaku felt he must act like the responsible father he should be. Strangely enough, Akiko actually encouraged his workaholic activities and didn't mind when he often came home late. She assumed he was working on something very important for Mishima Heavy Industries, and could tolerate almost anything if a profit could be made.

Kyusaku WAS working on a very important project, but not in the way Akiko was thinking.

In the span of six months, Kyusaku studied reports and documents on the human brain and the connection between the frequencies of human brainwaves and the characteristics of movement; with this knowledge he managed to create and build a working "Neural Signal Interface." It analyzed the frequencies in a brainwave and electro-chemical reactions in the neurons; it then sent messages to what Kyusaku called a Central Neural Co-Processor for interpretation; the message was then compiled and executed. Interpreted brainwaves for complex movements (such as walking or flexing) were sent to the Secondary Neural Co-Processor for further interpretation. Basically, instructions from the brain stem and cerebellum were converted into machine-readable code the NSI could understand and carry out.

Kyusaku had then replaced the most damaged areas of Ranma's mangled body; the arms, legs, and skull. Almost everything. He built the artificial parts necessary and attached them to the NSI with fibre-optic wires. Using the most advanced techniques, he succeeded in removing the brain and spinal cord, and encased them in a special container for linkage with the NSI. He'd also removed serious cuts and bruises by growing a tissue culture and applying the skin cells to the affected areas. While Ranma's mind was whittling the months away in a mind simulation Kyusaku created, he linked the brain with the NSI and ran some diagnostics. After a few weeks of testing, Kyusaku could finally declare the project a success. He had created the first ever cyborg. Kyusaku could receive plenty of patents on his work, but due to the nature of the project, he would have to keep it secret for at least several decades. Only he and Genma would know what Ranma was really like.

That was when Ranma's brain started to deteriorate.

Catching the disaster in time, Kyusaku managed to recover Ranma's mind in a "memory box." It was a simple process of transferring the electronic impulses and information stored in the neurons and glial cells of the child's brain into an indexed storage unit. The problem was, though experiences and thought patterns would be transferred completely, things like speech patterns, analytical habits, etc. would be lost. It would reflect on his later years, certainly. The brain itself Kyusaku placed into a redesigned stasis unit. It was damaged beyond use, but he felt it could be used for later study.

Now Kyusaku had to find a way to emulate the Central Neural Processor (Kyusaku's fancy word for brain) without warping any part of Ranma's memory. He knew there was absolutely no way he'd be able to create an artificial brain that could work like a human one. Such powers he felt belonged to the gods; after all, modern science could still not define all the characteristics of the alleged gray matter.

But Kyusaku was not a quitter, and his thoughts the next day proved it: although he could not perfect an artificial brain, he could try and come very damn close to the real thing. All he needed was more time, and more research.

Two sleepless and grueling months later from extensive study of Ranma's brain, Kyusaku came up with enough information to create devices similar in function to the brain stem and the cerebellum. After several project number updates from redesigning and reconstruction, the devices were installed into the NSI-R3 (Revision 3). Project NKI-1078 was almost completed.

Now came the tough part. He'd covered those parts of the nervous system which handled the purely mechanical functions: heart rate, digestion, motor activity... breathing... those were the parts that he, as a scientist/engineer, felt most capable of handling. Kyusaku's lips quirked at the memory of just how WELL he'd handled them. Things like the pituitary and pineal glands he simply could emulate; all he needed to do was to set Ranma's internal structure on an electronic timer to control the ultradian and circadian cycles of the biological clock. He also needed Ranma to visit him at least once a month for updates and maintenance checks. But that still left out the most generous portion of the brain's function. How was Kyusaku, or anyone, going to program a computer to feel?

The most complex part of the brain was undoubtedly the learning and reasoning centres: the cerebrum. To complicate the problem further, the cerebrum was the governor of memory and sensory perception. For this he needed a really serious miracle. Defining it was hard enough, but to attempt to recreate it, to duplicate it mechanically...

Well, Kyusaku did make a preliminary sketch of what it would take for just rudimentary service. Problem was, he highly doubted Ranma would want to carry six hundred kilos of computer equipment on his head. More advanced service, for say a normal human, would require several inconveniently large buildings.

The technical details of how to work it began to rise up in Kyusaku's mind, but with uncharacteristic vehemence he shut them out as he made a turn down through city streets. Not with Ranma! The boy was going to lead a fairly normal life! As normal as Kyusaku could make it! Anything else would be a failure!

In an alley not far down the street, three adolescent boys were chasing a stray cat. It was a mother, and was racing away hurriedly with one of her kittens held firmly in her jaws. Kyusaku at first didn't see them, being lost in the world of technical diagrams, electron flow rates, delta waves, and optical physics. It was when he saw the three young boys running out onto the street that he grabbed the wheel screaming and began swerving and braking. The tires of the land rover shrieked as they sought purchase on the asphalt.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!"

There was silence. The engine of the land rover stopped and started to cool. The three boys stood in a huddled group, suddenly afraid. No longer thinking of chasing anything, the guilty party disappeared. Why they were out so late at night, Kyusaku would never know. He then got out of his vehicle. There had been a slight impact when he stopped, he was sure of it. But if it wasn't one of the boys who was hurt...

He got out and kneeled down to look under the vehicle. There was the mother cat, crouched in concern over the mortal remains of her offspring. The kitten's body was partially crushed under the weight of the tire, its hindlegs no longer active with the rest of it. She licked her child once, then fled from the presence of the looming human.

Disheartenedly, Kyusaku climbed back into the land rover, switched into reverse and backed it up a few centimetres, then went to scoop the fallen body from under the tire. The kitten was still breathing, but it wouldn't be long before it took its last breath. He felt as crushed as the body he was holding, having been thinking so hard about saving one life that he had been careless and took another's. Soon the poor thing would be no more, and somehow it seemed as if his plans to save Ranma were going in the same direction.

Kyusaku cradled the dying kitten in his arms. Even something so simple as this could think and reason better than any machine that he could ever build. Memeory, perhaps. The senses, certainly. Reason? Emotions?

There was one more thing he couldn't program into any machine...

The need to survive. Even as the kitten looked up pitifully at Kyusaku and mewed, he saw it in its eyes. It wanted to live.

Kyusaku sighed. Leave it to Fate to send him back to square one.

If he couldn't even save the life of a little kitten, how could he ever hope to save the life of Genma's son? The kitten's body was destroyed, and Ranma's neural matter was unrecoverable. Two situations, no answer in sight. It wasn't as if their parts were interchangeable...

The cigarette fell from his mouth, forgotten. He looked up as the first snowflakes of the year started to fall. Their patterns were mesmerizing, and Kyusaku couldn't help but watch for a few moments.

Kyusaku bundled the cat carefully and quickly dropped it onto the passenger seat before he even finished his sentimental thought. Ripping streaks of rubber into the road, he jumped the divider and began racing back to the lab, flipping a switch on a little device that would tell the lights between here and there to turn green when he needed them.

He knew with analytical certainty just how long a brain would survive without oxygen. There was still time, and he was determined to use it.

Kyusaku had a plan. Everything else could wait.

RANMA 1/2  and  ALL-PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU NUKU
PROJECT NK-RANMA
Written by Celeste Byrd

CHAPTER FIVE: New Found Origin

"---aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

One.

The appartment door slammed and Kyusaku checked his watch. He then walked out of his workroom and stared down at the boy on the couch. The boy had the strangest expression on his face, as if he'd been offered an all-expenses paid trip across three hundred twenty-eight different dimensions and one hundred ninety-six different astral planes. And took it.

"Nuku Nuku, did you use Ryu's new bicycle?" he asked. Nuku Nuku, standing to one side, nodded her head. Kyusaku sighed, and calculated the time and distance between the appartment and the Mishima building.

"Thirty-five kilometres in twenty seconds flat!" he said. "Now once he catches up to us I'm sure he'll be glad you saved him..."

The sarcasm was lost in Nuku Nuku, who simply giggled and decided to play with the boy's face as if it were silly putty. Kyusaku lit another cigarette and watched for a moment as the boy was lifted off the couch. It was quite comical to see the boy's face being contorted into VERY strange shapes.

"You should stop doing that to the poor kid's face, Nuku Nuku! He's not Eimi, you know."

It was then the disheveled figure groaned. A startled Nuku Nuku accidentally let go, and the boy immediately fell onto the floor face-first. He staggered uncertainly to his feet, looked around the appartment with unfocussed eyes, rubbed the new bump on his face and mumbled something rather incoherently. At least to Kyusaku.

"What's a tomboy, Papa-san?" Nuku Nuku asked.

"He's still a little disoriented," Kyusaku explained. "After travelling at..." He calculated. "...Six thousand three hundred kilometres an hour, he's entitled to feel a little sick. Don't give him a nasty shock."

"Why, Papa-san?"

Kyusaku considered. "Well Nuku Nuku, I'm sure you wouldn't be happy if someone woke you up from a really nice nap."

"But if it was Papa-san or Ryunosuke or Mama-san needing help or Eimi-chan or Arisa wanting to play or Yoshimi-chan..."

"Okay okay, Nuku Nuku. Humans just don't like it, okay?"

"Yes, Papa-san."

The boy's gaze latched onto the bathroom door as if it were the only solid thing in a spinning universe, and lurched towards it as if driven by a puppeteer from above. Kyusaku watched uncertainly as the door closed, hoping there wasn't some sort of malfunction beyond the effects of the wild ride. The water tap could be heard running and a voice suddenly screamed out as the owner woke up. Kyusaku stuck a finger in his ear. Did that voice all of a sudden sound rather like Nuku Nuku? He was very certain that under normal circumstances male vocal cords did not go two octaves higher and reflect the exact same tone as his daughter. Then, it stopped as suddenly as it started, and Kyusaku couldn't dwell on it any further.

"Must have been my imagination," he thought.

The door opened again as the young man, sopping wet, walked out. Ranma blinked at the Natsumes, as if he was just merely operating on conditioned reflex earlier. He took one look around the room and started swaying gently on his heels.

"Err... how did I get here?" Ranma ventured.

"Um. Nuku Nuku brought you here," said Kyusaku, "and under twenty seconds too."

Ranma blinked again. "Err... is that why am I feeling a little sick?"

"Feel free to use the toilet. Just don't get any on the floor."

"Err... where the heck am I?"

"The Natsume residence."

Recognition dawned on Ranma's face as he took a better look at Kyusaku.

"Doctor Natsume," he greeted weakly before falling forward, "I'm back from China."

It was certainly a beautiful day. Soun had laid the shoji board on the lacquered dojo floor, near the gardens, and together both he and Genma-panda were engrossed in their seventh game of the day. On a day like this, both men watched the board in rapt attention, stopping only to drink their sake, watch the butterflies fluttering around the flowers, or notice the other man's distraction and place a few extra tiles on the board. Both found the game very relaxing. It gave them time to reflect on past events, time to clear the mind of the daily ordeals (and Akane's habitual scream of the day), and time to watch each other to make sure they weren't cheating, but for one moment if the other turned around...

"Saotome," Soun said, breaking the silence. "It is a fine day, is it not?"

Genma-panda held up a sign. "[Agreed Tendou,]" it answered. "[I believe tomorrow is also going to be even better.]"

"Ah yes, and I felt yesterday was just as good."

"[Tuesday should be particularly fine.]"

"Yes."

"[Yes.]"

They stared at the board. Kasumi came out and refilled their glasses. The birds chirped.

"Akane has certainly been more and more irate lately, hasn't she?"

"[Don't worry about it, Tendou. She's just growing up.]"

"But the amount of damage she's been causing to the training hall because of your son..."

"[I said not to worry about it! They both prideful children who won't admit to their true feelings. They'll crack soon.]"

"I hope you're right."

"[Indeed, Tendou.]"

"Yes."

"[Yes.]"

They stared at the board, and gulped down their drinks. When you have two grown men with nothing to do but play shoji for seven days of the week, don't expect them to have interesting conversations or social structures. The shoji board itself radiated more intelligence and benevolent experience than these two blundering idiots did.

"I wonder where young Ranma is right now. He's been gone for a few hours."

"[Don't worry about him. He's probably on his way home right now.]"

There was a pause.

"How can you be so sure, Saotome? What if he's seeking attention from his other fiancées?"

"[No problem. That ingrate son of mine has his honour, and he knows he has to marry Akane or his honour is lost.]"

"I hope you're right."

"[Indeed.]"

"Yes."

"[Yes.]"

"Would you two STOP IT?!"

Both men turned to look at Soun's youngest and most violent daughter, who happened to be holding a table to Genma-panda's head.

"Why would I want to marry a perverted, macho, sexist pig?!" Akane asked hotly.

"Oh, my daughter yelled at me!" Soun immediately began to sob.

"Cool it Akane," Nabiki said from behind her. "You know how emotional dad gets. And besides, your target is Ranma, isn't it? Shouldn't you be focusing your anger on him?"

Akane whirled on her sister. "Would YOU stop it?! I'm not jealous!"

"I didn't say you were. I just said your target is Ranma."

"I-" Akane glared. "But you made it sound like he was with another girl! And if he IS, I'll pound him flat. This is all his fault!"

"Like I said, cool it before I charge double for Ranma's whereabouts."

"Oh, my youngest daughter is concerned for her fiancé! No matter what the price, she'll find him and bring him home!"

"[Brings a tear to my eye.]"

"Honestly, I can't understand you two!" Akane yelled before dropping the table. She walked off, Nabiki trailing behind.

"Hey wait sis," Genma-panda heard Nabiki say, "I gotta call a few people first..."

Soun immediately calmed down, the shed tears leaking through the cracks in the wood and nourishing the flowers underneath. He turned back to Genma.

"Do you think they'll find him?" he asked. Genma held up another sign.

"[With Nabiki arranging things? I'm sure it'll happen. Anything could happen today.]"

"It seems today won't be so good after all."

"[Indeed, Tendou.]"

"Yes."

"[Yes.]"

Cologne stepped out of her hiding spot in the shadows and hopped away, oblivious to the two grownups.

"They're both morons," she muttered.

Ranma was still asleep. At least, in the literal sense of the word, he was currently unconscious in the materialistic plane of the third dimension. His mind, somewhere in the seven hundred and sixty-sixth, was quite alert. And talking with itself.

"Neko, would you quit it already?!"

"But Ranma-Neko wants to go out!"

Ranma groaned as he watched his feline counterpart bounce around the abyss he would under normal circumstances call his head.

"Lay it off and let me sleep in pain, will you?" he groused. "I think I've had to wake up four or five times already today. No one will miss me if I decide to sleep the day off."

"Ranma can sleep the day off, but Ranma-Neko wants to get used to his new body!"

"Geez, why don't you just go then?" he asked.

"Ranma has to let me out," R-Neko answered, "I can't just go whenever I want."

"..."

Ranma thought about it. Oh yes, he thought sarcastically, we can all see the logic in NOT letting him out. Oh yes, keep yourself locked in for eight years and see what YOU want to do.

"Shut up," he said.

"What?" asked R-Neko.

"I wasn't talking to you."

Ranma-Neko shrugged. "Oh."

Ranma thought about it some more. What could he do?

"Alright, alright! FINE! Have it your way! Just don't do anything I'll regret later, okay?"

"Like?"

"Um... anything I wouldn't normally do, I guess." The safe route.

"Okay, Ranma!"

"And wake me up if it's important or if there's something to eat, okay?"

"Mmm!"

At the Nekohanten...

"Nihao, and wel... great-grandmother! Come back from shopping so soon?"

"Yes, my child. By the way, has Tendou Nabiki come in here earlier?"

"Yes, great-grandmother. She come in with Violent Tomboy and ask if Shampoo want information about Ranma."

"Did you accept?"

"No, great-grandmother. Shampoo no stupid to ask Mercenary for information. She charge too much."

"That's good child. Get Mousse to clean up the place while you get ready."

"Why, great-grandmother?"

"We're going to find your husband."

"But Ranma is at dojo, right?"

"No child. That is why we have to go now, to find him. Before Akane tears him to shreds."

...at Ucchan's...

"Hello, Nabiki!"

"Hi. I'm here to give you some information regarding Ranma's apparent absence..."

"Um, how long has he been gone?"

"About four hours."

"Er, am I supposed to be paying for information that's totally meaningless to me because Ranchan might have gone shopping with some friends?"

"Ranma has friends?"

"That wasn't very nice, of course he has friends!"

"Right. Anyway, this tidbit's a freebie. He couldn't have gone shopping because a) he doesn't like to shop, b) he would have skipped his Sunday training, and c) Akane punted him out the window this morning."

"Ouch! Poor Ranchan... alright, how much will it cost me?"

"Not much. Only a thousand yen."

"Well... okay. I take it Akane and Shampoo are tagging along?"

"No, only Akane."

"I better go. Ranchan might be hurt! Hey waitasec, why are YOU going too?"

"I need to make sure my prospective brother-in-law doesn't get too badly hurt when Akane is finished with him. He still needs to pay off his debt."

"And how exactly do you plan on stopping Mallet Girl?"

"That's for me to know."

"Okay then. Let me get my spatulas."

...In Kyoto...

"Excuse me, but is this the way to Tokyo?"

"No, it's that way."

"Thank you."

"Hey, where the hell do you think you're going?! It's THAT way!"

"This way?"

"No no! THAT way!"

"Oh, THIS way!"

"NO NO NO NO NO!"

"No no no no no?"

"Oh forget it. It's that way."

"Okay. This way?"

"RIGHT! RIGHT! ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING?"

...And at the Natsume appartment...

"He's coming to."

"He's coming to where, Papa-san?"

"It's just an expression, Nuku Nuku! It means he's waking up."

The first thing Ranma-Neko noticed when he stirred was the smell of a cat. He instantly sobered up and threw open the covers. The second thing R-Neko noticed was a pair of large, cute emerald-green eyes staring at him with an expression of concern. The third thing he noticed was that these eyes were set upon a remarkably attractive face surrounded by a crown of reddish pink hair. The FOURTH thing was something he knew Ranma would hit him for, and so he immediately forgot about it.

"Is Saotome-san okay?" Nuku Nuku asked.

For some reason Ranma-Neko couldn't reply. He kept opening and closing his mouth, and yet no sound seemed to be coming out. The way she was looking at him also must have contributed to his speechlessness. He nudged Ranma awake.

"Ranma, there's something wrong," he thought.

"Wha-? Already?"

"Yes, something's wrong with Ranma's voice. Ranma-Neko can't use it."

"Oh, okay. Let me try."

Ranma soon took over and looked directly into the eyes of Nuku Nuku. Unlike R-Neko, he was used to looking at a pretty girl. However, it didn't help his voice any. Besides, usually the girl was hitting him, or glomping on to him, so his perspective was quite different this time.

"Y-yes, I'm fine," he finally managed to stammer.

"Hey Ranma, you feeling okay?" Kyusaku asked from behind Nuku Nuku. Ranma nodded. He found it a lot easier to concentrate when his attention was focused elsewhere. Strangely enough, it wasn't just her appearance that was making Ranma unbalanced. It was the reflection in her eyes...

"How's it going? You haven't dropped by for at least four years! How's your pop? Is he still in China? How is your training? Everything okay?" Ranma was startled by Kyusaku's bombardment of questions and quickly waved it off.

"I'm okay Doctor Natsume," he said, "Can I answer your questions later? I'm kinda tired."

"Sure! Anyway, this is my daughter Atsuko."

"Atsuko?"

"Well, we usually call her Nuku Nuku."

Nuku Nuku smiled. "Hi Saotome-san!"

"Er, hi."

Kyusaku gestured for Ranma to follow him into the kitchen, away from Nuku Nuku. When she was out of earshot, he nudged Ranma.

"How do you like my daughter?"

Ranma stepped back out of range. "What?!"

Kyusaku smirked at Ranma's rather guilty expression. "I didn't mean it THAT way! I meant if you like my newest android design!" Ranma sighed with relief. Kyusaku continued. "After all, you DID know I didn't have a daughter before you left for China, right?"

"Oh, right," he answered weakly.

"And you do admit my design on her is flawless!"

Ranma looked confused. "Um, sure."

"And that you envy my newest technological breakthrough!"

He now looked hopelessly lost in the conversation. "..." he said.

"And that you'd like to be upgraded to the same model type!"

Ranma tried to get a grip. "Er, before we get any farther Doctor, how many hours have you slept this week?"

"None at all!"

THAT explained it, he thought. When Dr. Natsume had something he wanted to do, he didn't sleep until it was done. At times like this it was best to patiently wait for him to blab the whole thing.

Of course, Ranma was never all that patient, so he said "would you mind explaining to me what you're talking about?"

Kyusaku scratched his head, then laughed. "Oh yeah, you weren't supposed to know that!"

"Know what-?"

"Genma specifically told me not to tell you about it!"

Ranma grabbed Kyusaku by the shirt. "What did pop tell you not to tell me?"

"You're an android!"

"Hey, waitasecond..." Ranma let go, and put two and two together. "Is your personal name Kyusaku?"

"Yes, didn't you know that? I'm sure I've told you before."

"No! This weirdo at Mishima something or other kept ranting on how I was a machine built by you and how she was going to tear me apart to get her son back. At least, that's what I think she wanted to do."

Kyusaku now looked solemn and sat down at the kitchen table. "Akiko."

"What?" Ranma asked, following suit.

"My wife. She's the granddaughter of the CEO. She always does things like this."

"Oh, really?"

"Her sense of business sometimes gets the better of her. When I mean 'business', I mean 'Is it a moneymaking venture? Buy it if you can. Is it an obstacle between me and my son? Send in the troops and take no prisoners.' That sort of thing. Let me fill you in on the last four years..."

Despite how much Ranma found this interesting, he really needed to rest. He asked Ranma-Neko to retell whatever Kyusaku said to him later, and he readily agreed. Ranma once again went into dreamland.

"It's all pop's fault. It's always his fault..." Ranma murmured before departing. Ranma-Neko saluted him, then tuned in to reality.

"...And here you are," Kyusaku finished.

Ranma-Neko was at a loss on what to do next. Ranma had told him to not do anything he wouldn't want to do. Wait, maybe a question would be in order!

"So, I'm really a machine, huh?" he asked. After all, he thought, Ranma would appreciate me asking them for him.

"Well, more of a cyborg. You're part human, part android. You see..."

Nuku Nuku watched from outside the kitchen as Papa-san talked to that boy she rescued from Mishima Heavy Industries. She didn't know why he wanted her to do that, but she rarely knew why Papa-san wanted to do anything.

Nuku Nuku turned her attention onto the boy. She didn't know why she decided to stretch his face back there, but it was fun!

There was something odd about Ranma, she knew. It may have been his choice of clothing, for Chinese outfits were usually only seen in circuses. It may have been his hair, for no one nowadays kept their hair so long and tied it in a pigtail. It may have even been his stance, for it had an unusual poised grace, indicating a seasoned acrobat or fighter.

It may have been all those things, but the one thing that stood out most in Nuku Nuku's mind was his scent. It reminded her of a cat. The whole situation was rather weird to her. In the kitchen was a total stranger and Nuku Nuku already found herself attracted to him!

"My lady, we are approaching Kyusaku's apartment."

"Good. Demand he releases the escaped android, and rough him up a bit if he doesn't. Warning shots only."

"Aww..."

"Yes, Lady Akiko."

"...and then you left for China."

"I'm sorry, Doctor Natsume..."

"Just call me Natsume-san."

"Okay Natsume-san. Pops usually springs stuff like that onto me."

"I know, Ranma. He always does. By the way, I need to run some diagnostics on you and get that leg fixed. Is it okay if you stay the night? Besides, it'd keep my wife out of your hair for a day."

Ranma-Neko shrugged. Not only would Psycho Lady be at bay, he knew Ranma wanted to stay away from Akane for a few hours as well. Who wouldn't? What was a day going to do?

"Okay," he answered simply.

Kyusaku clapped his hands together. "Good!" he said. "I'd really like to hear of your adventures in China, but right now I have to work on a very important project."

R-Neko shrugged again. "Okay."

"Oh, and one more thing." Kyusaku leaned over the table to whisper something into Ranma-Neko's ear. "Be nice to my daughter, okay? Try and be a feminist."

A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Ranma-Neko's head. "Er, yes sir."

Nuku Nuku noticed Papa-san get up and leave the kitchen. Now was her chance! Maybe she could try and figure out why she felt this way for the boy...

Ranma-Neko nodded. "Yes, Natsume-san." Inwardly, he wondered how he should go about it. Despite the fact he found Nuku Nuku attractive, Ranma's words continued to echo in his mind.

"'Just don't do anything I'll regret later... anything I wouldn't normally do.'"

"Anything he wouldn't normally do?" Ranma-Neko pondered. He shrugged. He hadn't been out much, and Ranma's memory seemed vague under the subject of 'normal'.

It was when Nuku Nuku in her cheery demeanor decided to walk in. Ranma-Neko once again found himself captivated by her presence. Nuku Nuku seemed the same. They both looked at each other, at a loss for words. It was then Nuku Nuku broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Saotome-san," she said.

Ranma-Neko looked confused. "Why is Nuku Nuku sorry?" he asked.

"Nuku Nuku... made Saotome-san sick from riding Ryunosuke's bicycle."

"That's okay, Nuku Nuku. Ranma's not that sick anymore. Besides, it was kinda fun!"

Nuku Nuku giggled happily. "Will Saotome-san be Nuku Nuku's friend?"

"Okay, Nuku Nuku! But just call me Ranma!"

"Okay Ranma-kun!"

It was amazing. In the span of ten seconds he had made his first friend! As he looked at Nuku Nuku, a sudden inspiration flooded into his brain. Normal was what happened all the time, right? Ranma wanted him to do what normally happened, right? That meant he should be engaged to this girl!

Ranma-Neko opened his mouth to ask, but unlike Ranma, thought better of it. Maybe Ranma wouldn't like that. Oh well, he'd have to ask him later.

A bright idea flashed into his mind. This he was SURE Ranma would agree to! After all, he always wanted to practice. He wouldn't object if R-Neko trained with Nuku Nuku, would he?

"Nuku Nuku, do you want to play?"

Nuku Nuku's eyes widened and her face lit up into one of her huge smiles. She clasped her hands before her and nodded, beaming with happiness.

"Ranma you jerk! Ranma you jerk!"

"Calm down Akane! Honestly, you constantly get worked up over nothing."

"NOTHING?! He's always with another girl, cheating!"

"Don't you know him at all? He never cheats on anybody! You're just jealous when he even gets near another girl!"

"...Shut up Ukyou!"

"Hey, you know I'm right."

"Approaching target now. Awaiting orders, Lady Akiko."

"Like I said before. No, if he doesn't co-operate, use pilot's discretion."

"My Lady, are you sure-"

"YES, MY LADY! Thank you!"

"Uh oh."

At last! Chapter five is out! That took a while though... oh well, better than nothing. Sorry for taking so long!

NOTE: Ranma-Neko constantly changes from first to third person. He usually talks in third, but Ranma's eight-year influence caused his speech pattern to fluctuate.

NOTE: In Japan, a male feminist means he is courteous to ladies. A female feminist means she cares only about herself. Strange yet true.

I have to thank Jared (a.k.a. Skysaber) for helping me conclude the opening and the last parts of this chapter. Thanks, and keep up the work on your "Mirrors Multiplied"! Thanks should also be sent to Jim Robert Bader (a.k.a. Shadowmane) for giving me a similar idea for concluding the opening. I'm sorry that I didn't use it very much, Jim! Other thank yous should be sent to Richard Lawson, Wade Tritschler, and to my other Prereaders of the Third Circle.

The Project NK-Ranma series is archived at:

[http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/seagate/131/nkranma.html]

That's it, I think. Chapter six is already underway, and involves... well, I'm not sure what it involves yet. Maybe ammunition, the search for the missing martial artist, and a new school. Don't take my word for it, I could be completely wrong.

This worker drone does not express the opinions of the hive. Buzz off.