>From the Files of the Galaxy Police: Kiyone's Dream (Have you noticed that Mihoshi never gets mad? Have you ever wondered why?) --------------------------------------------------------------- As the Yagami cruised past the orbit of Pluto, Kiyone paused and considered the absurdity of the situation. In the old days, she would have said firmly, "No personal calls while on patrol." But there she was, on the radio with Ryoko, chatting like a couple of schoolgirls. When did she, the most promising young detective of the Galaxy Police, become friends with her, the most wanted criminal in the universe? Kiyone was starting to think, nothing could surprise her any more. 'So what's up?" asked Ryoko. "Why did you two rush off so suddenly?" "Emergency call," said Kiyone. "The bank of Jurai was robbed, and the perps might be headed this way." "At least you've got some excitement. I'm bored out of my mind." "I've already had enough excitement for one day. When we blasted off, Mihoshi almost rammed a jumbo jet at 30,000 feet." Ryoko laughed out loud. "I'll bet you really chewed her out for that." "For ten minutes, at the top of my voice. But it all went in one ear and out the other." "You'd better watch out: one day Mihoshi's going to give as good as she gets." "No, Mihoshi's not like that. She just sits there and takes it." Kiyone stopped and thought: in all their years as partners, Kiyone had seen Mihoshi happy, sad, frightened - but she'd never seen her angry; not even once. Kiyone's thoughts were interrupted by a blip on the radar screen. "Sorry, gotta go," and she cut off the radio. "Mihoshi, lock in on this signal." Kiyone looked around. No, she was not surprised to see Mihoshi laid back and fast asleep. Kiyone grabbed Mihoshi's shoulders, shaking as hard as she could. Mihoshi yawned and stretched. "Just five more minutes, Kiyone..." Kiyone cursed and stomped back to the dispenser for a pitcher of ice water; and splashed it in Mihoshi's face. "Wake up, you dimwit! We've got radar contact!" Kiyone steered the Yagami to the radar blip's co-ordinates. From the corner of her eye, she watched Mihoshi wipe herself dry: humming to herself, not a trace of resentment. So strange... The radar blip was a space ship, powered down and adrift. It was a racing yacht: small, fast, and maneuverable. Kiyone gasped as she saw, on the engines and along the hull, laser burns! This yacht had been in a firefight; it was definitely the bank robber's getaway ship! "Deploy the boarding tube, Mihoshi. We're going in." "Maybe I should wait here. Call for back-up or something." "I said WE'RE going in!" And Kiyone grabbed the back of Mihoshi's collar and dragged her, kicking and crying, into the boarding tube. Kiyone and Mihoshi searched the bridge and crew quarters, and found no one. The engine room was sealed off: a laser blast had punched a hole through the hull, and the atmosphere was lost. Next they tried the cargo hold. "Looks like there's no one on board," said Kiyone. "Good," said Mihoshi. "Let's get out of here!" Kiyone ignored her partner's outburst. "When the engines went down, they must have abandoned ship. Let's check the escape pods." She turned toward the door. There was a blinding flash, and a laser blast hit Kiyone square in the chest - she screamed and crumpled to the floor. "Kiyone!" Mihoshi cried as she fumbled for her pistol, but it was too late. A man with a laser rifle came through the door, and four more rose from the shadows. Kiyone cursed: it was an ambush, and they'd walked right into it. Mihoshi dropped to her knees beside her fallen partner. Kiyone's body armor was cracked and smoking, and deep stabbing pains came with every breath - her ribs were broken. The five robbers surrounded them. Kiyone struggled to sit up. "You're... all... under... arrest..." The robbers all laughed. Then the ringleader stepped forward: he was less ugly and stupid than the others. He poked his rifle into the crack on Kiyone's body armor. "Sorry to shoot and run," he said. "But we are rather pressed for time. So we'll just borrow your ship and be on our way." Kiyone glared at the ringleader. "You... have... the... right... to... remain... silent..." "I don't need a Miranda warning. But I do need the access codes to fly your ship." Kiyone smiled through her pain. "Forget it!" The ringleader slapped Kiyone across the mouth. "No!" Mihoshi tried to grab his arm, but two robbers picked her up and dropped her on a crate, across from Kiyone. Mihoshi burst into tears as the ringleader approached her. "Perhaps you'll give me the access codes." "Don't do it, Mihoshi!" "Yes, do it, Mihoshi. Or else I'll be forced to hurt your friend." Mihoshi screamed in panic, "I don't know what to do!" "Mihoshi, listen to me," said Kiyone, in a weak and tired voice. "If you give him the codes, he'll kill me. He'll kill us both! And they'll get away!" Mihoshi froze. The ringleader cursed and held up his laser rifle for Mihoshi to see. He snapped it on the stun setting. "Every time you say no, she gets a shot! And with every shot, the setting goes up. Now give me the damn codes!" And he aimed at Kiyone. "Don't do it..." There was a tone in Mihoshi's voice that Kiyone had never heard before. Not a tone of begging or pleading, it sounded more like... a threat? The ringleader fired. The laser blast swept across Kiyone's body like a sheet of fire. The ringleader laughed. The robbers laughed. Kiyone screamed in agony. And Mihoshi screamed... in anger! The ringleader turned to look at Mihoshi, and he froze. Mihoshi was breathing deeply, quickly, snorting like an angry bull. Fire blazed in her eyes. Veins bulged and throbbed, her tan skin glistened and dripped with sweat. The robbers backed away from her, and Mihoshi stood up. She seemed taller than before. Horns sprouted from her forehead, fangs from the corners of her mouth, and long ugly claws from her fingers. She threw back her head and bellowed in fury: "YOU HURT KIYONE!!!" The ringleader snapped his rifle to kill setting and fired; the laser blast hit Mihoshi square in the chest. She staggered back, then she crept forward. The ringleader fired again, blasting Mihoshi right in the face. She staggered. Then she gave a roar that rang off the walls and echoed down the length of the ship. Mihoshi picked up a crate and threw it across the room, smashing the ringleader against the wall. Two robbers charged. Mihoshi caught them by the throat, one in each hand; she threw them up against the ceiling and let them crash into a pile of crates. From behind, a robber grabbed Mihoshi and tried to pin her arms. She shook him off and pounced on the last robber, who was cowering in a corner. The air was filled with the sound of Mihoshi's roar and the screams of the robbers... Kiyone felt nothing at all: she seemed to be floating in warmth. All around was a soft pink glow. She'd never been so comfortable. Shadows appeared, and hovered over her. "She's coming out of it," said a familiar voice. "Good," said another. Little by little, Kiyone felt her strength return. Her mind began to focus. The round shadow resolved into a face, a friendly face. "Ryoko...?" "Just relax. Don't try to get up yet." Kiyone felt a hand lift up her head, and a cup pressed against her lips. She drank deeply, till the dryness in her mouth and throat washed away. Then Ryoko laid Kiyone's head gently onto the pillow. "What happened?" asked Kiyone. "Where am I?" "This is Washu's lab. You're in her regeneration chamber. How do you feel?" "Tired... confused..." Kiyone tried to look through the fog in her mind. She remembered the patrol, the space yacht, the robbers, Mihoshi... "Mihoshi! Where is Mihoshi?" Kiyone sat up, but Ryoko held her down. "She's right over there, sleeping like a baby." "Is she... all right?" "She's fine. Not a scratch on her. You were pretty banged up, but you'll be OK. Speaking of banged up, what happened inside that ship? And, my God, those poor bank robbers!" Washu put a finger to her lips, and Ryoko said no more. Sounds and images swirled in Kiyone's mind, but she could grasp nothing. She just shook her head. "I was delirious... It was just a dream..." "What was just a dream?" asked Washu. Kiyone began to tremble, and she broke a cold sweat. "Mihoshi... she went crazy... morphed into some kind of... monster..." Washu and Ryoko exchanged a look. "Try to get some rest," said Ryoko, gently patting Kiyone's hand. Washu beckoned, and Ryoko followed her to a dark corner of the lab. "So what do you think?" asked Washu. "What can I think! You saw that cargo hold! And those bank robbers! Or what was left of them!" "According to the official report, a wild animal broke out of its cage and attacked the robbers. Then it went into the engine room and got sucked out into space. Case closed." "But... Mihoshi... Do you think it might be possible?" "No. If she had that kind of power, I, Washu, would have detected it." Washu and Ryoko went across to the bed where Mihoshi lay sleeping. Ryoko gently tucked in the covers, and Mihoshi snuggled against the pillow with a dreamy smile. "Don't worry, Kiyone," she whispered in her sleep. "I won't let anyone hurt you."