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[Ranma][Fanfic] the bet-man among men

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GreggSharp

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Oct 21, 1998, 3:00:00 AM10/21/98
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Ranma 1/2: Man Among Men
twisted idea that didn't make the cut,
submitted for your amusement.
Metro...@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/greggsharp/index.html
1: Here's Ranma..
--------------------------
"A tiny change, here."

Toltiir looked over at the other three
horsemen and told them that this would have to
be for the entire set.
---------------------------
excerpts from the journal of Saotome Nabiki:
February 12, 1991______
There's nothing on the news but
the Plague. It wasn't a big deal earlier, just some
bug the Iraqis were threatening to use if the
American led forces didn't pull out of the area.

The Americans didn't pull back, but
they did pause. That should've been the first
clue to the rest of us. For them to even consider
giving in to Hussein's demands after all that
was a red flag that they took it seriously.

There are many who blame the
Americans. After all, if they had simply
packed up and left within 12 hours of the
speech, the virus wouldn't have been
released, right? At least that's what some
news agencies say. You look at the logistics
and tell me that was gonna happen even if
the Americans had been 100% sure that the
man had what he said he did.

The illness was just nausea and
pain for a couple of weeks. The world had a
good laugh at the big threat, and those cruise
missles reduced the weapons labs to a fine
powder, right after some supposedly elite
troopers crashed the place looking for files
and information on the bug.

And because the pain and the
attendant sensations were in some...sensitive
areas, many of those inflicted were reluctant
to come forward. By the time the dying began,
the disease had spread through international
travel throughout much of the world.

Women were unaffected, of course.
Well, mainly. There's some...sensitive stuff.
It was the men that got the full treatment. I
leave the medical studies, the description of
the disease, how the airborne disease attacks
certain specific areas in the male body to the
medical journals.

All this is well documented elsewhere.
What brought it all home was school today. Quite
a few of the guys looked as if they were walking
dead. The news, of course, being that despite the
ban on international travel, and all the quarantines,
that the disease was cutting a swath through Japan.

By the end of the week, we'll know. Out
of five men, one will survive. Out of five survivors,
one won't be permanently sterile.

I hear Hussein, in one of those little
bunkers of his, is refusing to come out or let
anyone in. The powers that be are still debating
turning the entire area into radioactive glass.

We'll see.

February 24, 1991___________
The Red Plague, as it is now called,
has come and gone. They call it that because
of the red striations, and because the Withering
sounds like something out of a horror movie.
It was mainly as bad as everyone said it would be.

Kuno's alive. So are Hiroshi, Daisuke,
Sanjuro, and a bare two dozen others. I stopped
writing for awhile because it was so bad, but
with three suicides today, I felt the need to put
pen to paper again.

Testing of men is going on. Who will
get the sought-after blue mark next to their name,
indicating that they aren't sterile? The ones I
mentioned above. Tatewaki, Hiroshi, Daisuke,
Sanjuro, that foreign exchange student Jared,
Kenji, Yuji, Hikaru, Shigezo, Akira, and Go.
I put together a list to sell very discreetely,
listing their known hobbies, family background,
and what I could find out about their likes and
dislikes.

Daddy was weeping about some
arrangement he'd made with an old friend named
Genma Saotome, to marry one of us off against
the son of his old friend. However, he grabbed
the chance to at least get an heir when he heard
that Tatewaki Kuno was interested in Akane.
They're now engaged and will be married when
she reaches eighteen.

Akane is NOT happy about this
situation.
---------------------------------------------
_May 10, 1992________________
Daddy got a postcard today. His
reaction was loud enough to reach me even
with my stereo going.

His old buddy (see entry of Feb 24,
1991) is on his way back from China. Apparently
both Genma and this son Ranma survived. There
wasn't much detail other than their imminent
arrival and the fact that Ranma was trying to avoid
capture by the Chinese government for their
"repopulation program." Yes, this Ranma person
is one of those who came through the whole thing
with his anatomy functioning.

Because of the various governments
going into a panic, there may be some problems
getting Ranma here. It doesn't take much imagination
to see the problem. Billions dead or sterile means the
next generation is in peril. You hear about these
things, and the group marriages, and all the other
stuff, but you're too busy getting through it all
yourself to really feel it.

Now either I or Kasumi may very well
end up with a fiance. On second thought, considering
what's going on at school, Kasumi _and_ myself
will likely end up as this guy's fiancees. This group
marriage thing may suck, but considering what some
of the European communities are doing- I think there
are worse fates.

If this Ranma gets caught by them, well,
I've never met him but he'd have my sympathies.
------------------------------------------------

The rainslick streets saw a rather large
panda and a short girl walking down the street.
Every time a siren wailed or a police car went by,
the two would flinch and hurry their pace slightly.

"You sure about this, oyaji," the girl
said in a quiet conversational tone. "They're not
gonna turn us in? You heard how much money
that one collective was offering. I don't wanna be
snatched and hauled off to some 'Breeding Camp'
where I'm forcefed a buncha drugs and zoned out
of my mind..."

The panda held up a sign. [Just be glad
we made it to Jusenkyo. One of my better ideas.]

"Yeah, yeah, like you knew what was
gonna happen." Ranma snorted. "You suppose
that bit about draining completely dry..."

Ranma and the panda shuddered.
THAT had been one rumor they had no wish
to investigate any further. The Americans had
an artificial insemination program going, but...
the drugs they used supposedly had a few side
effects. Supposedly this was why some of the
remaining Studs (the new slang for nonsterile
males) in that country were showing up in other
countries.

There was a brief silence as they
walked up to the house.

"Tendo dojo, huh?" Ranma sighed
and looked down at herself. "Go in like this?"

The panda nodded.
-------------------------------------
"So, hot water returns you to being
male? How clever of you, Saotome. With the
checkpoints and barricades in place, it was very
prudent of you."

"Well, yes, I have my moments,"
said Genma with an off-handed gesture.

"And he did test?"

"Had the tests done in one of the
encampments near Shanghai when the Plague
was finished sweeping through. High marks
across the board," Genma's pride was evident.
"Nonsterile, no testosterone deficiency, no
withering."

Ranma blushed and started to
find his hands very fascinating. He studied
them.

"Well, this IS lucky." Soun beamed
and clapped Ranma on the back. "I've already
made arrangements for my youngest daughter
to be the First Wife of a local boy. Now I have
a chance to engage the other two!"

"What?!" Ranma blinked.

"This is my eldest daughter, Kasumi.
She's 19. This is my middle daughter, Nabiki. She's
17. They'll both make excellent brides."

"What?" Ranma repeated.

"It's for your own good, Saotome."
Nabiki smirked. Married women in the new
society had a certain...advantage. Particularly
now that all the important financial and political
positions were being held by women. The
better jobs tended to come their way, partly
because most employers wanted there to be a
next generation. "You DON'T want to be
conscripted, do you?"

"But BOTH of you?" Ranma looked
as shocked as Kasumi and Nabiki had been
earlier at Ranma's transformation. What Nabiki
had said caused him to break out in a cold sweat.
Yes, he'd heard about the conscription programs.

"It's common now in Japan, Taiwan,
some parts of South America, a few other places."
Kasumi poured tea as she explained. "Group
marriages are fairly common in the Mid-east as
well." She was using the formal tea set.

They both noticed Ranma's hand
was shaking as he took the cup of tea. "B-But
it's not right! I mean, I..." He obviously hadn't
noticed that it was the formal tea set.

"Really, Ranma. Where have you
been over the past year?"

"Well, there was that monastery,
and then there was Jusenkyo, and then that
amazon village, and the place with the odd..."

"Hmmm," Nabiki looked over at
Kasumi. "I guess he has been out of touch
this past year."

"I would guess so," Kasumi said.
She had noticed the panic in the boy's eyes.
"Ranma, you've got to be sixteen by now, right?"

"Yes...."

"Ranma, most of the nonsterile guys
your age are either engaged or married by now,
and to four or more women. Here we are just
suggesting you go with two, isn't that much more
reasonable?" Nabiki smirked. Marriage to a
nonsterile guaranteed she'd find employment
fast after school, even preferred status for some
government loans including college.

"Four?! More?! Married?!"

"Information overload," Kasumi said
with a sigh. "He'll never be able to work this out
at this rate. Oh my."
--------------------------
On that very rooftop, purple hair
waving in the wind, a certain amazon smirks.
Soon, she promised herself, soon.
---------------------------
Ryouga was running. He'd been
running for some time. They knew his secret,
and if they saw a little black piglet, they'd throw
hot water on him.

He dodged around a boulder and
screeched to a halt. It was THEM!

One of the amazons smiled as she
came forward, a brass kettle in one hand. "<Here
piggy, piggy. Nice piggy, we hear you passed
the tests and aren't sterile. Good little piggy...>"

Ryouga backed up, there were twelve
of them! He knew he could get away if he just...

Seeing him about to bolt, one of the
amazons played a hunch and ripped open the
front of her shirt.

"<Shu Ga! Such a dishonorable tactic.>"

Shu Ga pointed at the twitching form of
the little black piglet. "<It worked.>"

"<True. Can't argue with success.>"

"<Let's wait on transforming him back
until we're at the village. We know from the reaction
that he's the one we've been tracking.>"

Picking up the little pig, Shu Ga smiled
at him. "<Little piggie, you're gonna just love your
new home.>"
---------------------------------------------
"Oh, hello," said a very worn looking
girl about Ranma's age. "You must be Ranma. I'm
Akane. I hear you're engaged to my sisters."

"It wasn't my idea!"

Giving him a flat look, Akane sighed.
"Hey, it could be worse. Look at me, I'm engaged
to marry Tatewaki Kuno..." She shuddered slightly.

"If he grosses you out..."

"What? The agreement has already been
made. I'm to be Kuno's First Wife, though some of
the others are going to be...difficult for me to take.
I have a feeling life with Azusa Shiratori will be all
sorts of hell." Akane's expression was one of disgust.
"Look, you'll do fine."
--------------------------------------------
Well, this was one i was advised not even
to submit as a Bet entry. Though i thought the concept
amusing enough to throw out to the FFML before i
delete it off my HD.

In this world, four out of five males over
puberty died in between 1991-1992. Out of those
infected, one in twenty-five, hasn't been left
permanently sterile and with a sex drive of zero.

There are also sports and aberrations.

Survivors from the series: Tatewaki Kuno,
Hiroshi, Daisuke(sterile), Sasuke(sterile), Ryouga,
Ranma, Soun(sterile), Genma(sterile), Tarou, Herb
(who's in female form during the plague), Saffron
(likely sterile in the first place).

Enemies that Ranma & Co would face
include government agents, foreign agents, the
equivalent of body chop-shops, rich and powerful
women, etc. Ranma's girl troubles were increased to
the nth degree. Kuno's ego has gotten even more
out of hand.

The particularly amusing part of this
is Nabiki and Kasumi having to rescue Ranma on
a regular basis. Of course, once he agrees to marry
them, the Japanese government switches sides and
is now helping to protect him.

Countries that have a history of polygamy
have returned to the practice, with official sanction.
Parts of Europe have the nonsterile males rounded up
into breeding camps where the "Studs" are drugged
into near mindless states and have to perform their
duties. The United States has a similar approach, but
the rumors are much worse. In both cases, the drugs
used have side effects.

Canada has taken a similar stand to the US,
Mexico is a refuge and dispersement point for refugees,
mainly because the area was thrown into anarchy by
the swath cut through its political powers by the plague.

Despite some predictions by feminist
activists, a world run by female politicians doesn't seem
significantly better than it was under predominantly
male rule. My apologies to anyone whose religion
states otherwise.

Some nonsterile males stranded in foreign
countries by the quarantines and ban on international
travel either decided to stay, were captured, or have
been trying to escape since the plague.

If Ryouga shows, he's got a lot more to
blame Ranma for. "Thanks to you Ranma, I have been
passed around like a bottle of cheap wine! Do you
have any idea what the 'Maiden's Kiss' is?"

Then later, it is revealed that Hussein was
just a puppet in this too. The real villain behind this
piece wanted social upheaval and to eliminate the weak
as a consideration. An "active evolutionist" who seeks
to make the human race stronger by eliminating the chaff.

Dark? Yes. Humorous? That too.

Other series. One can see Tuxedo Mask being
pursued by ALL the Senshi now, as well as being protected
by them. Tenchi would have survived, as would his grandfather.
His father, probably not. Ryunosuke (Nuku Nuku) survived. His
father, doubtful but the last orders to Nuku would have been to
protect Ryu. From Darkstalkers, one can see the various males
surviving either from their supernatural nature or undead status.
Of course, undead is pretty much a guarantee of sterility. That
leaves Talbain and Frank. Keichi Morisato survived, you can
bet that Belldandy would have protected him even if he wouldn't
have survived otherwise.

From American products, one would expect Jeremy
Feeple's luck factor to protect him. Prince Stripe from Gold Digger
would survive, either by being strong enough or due to his
inhuman heritage. Gen is likely to be sterile as a magical being
with no true gender of his own. Seance could have been
conveniently off on Jade with Doctor Diggers. (You'd expect
anyone with a planar transport spell to try getting out before
the plague reached their part of their world. So the Chris Angel
and Brett Handy of this universe would have been safe and
likely in hiding.)

Near humans would likely be affected. Truly alien
creatures probably not.

As for the villain of the piece, I leave the identity
to whoever picks up this idea if someone does. Apocalypse
from Marvel's comics has similar views to Ken-ou (Raou) from
"Hokuto No Ken" and either could have done the deed.

ja ne,
gregg


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