Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, the Sailor Senshi, et cetra belong to Takeuchi Naoko-sama; no attempt is being made to supersede her copyright, this is just an homage. Further disclaimers will be at the end. Please don't sue me. Magnesite and Margrave in... The Frameup by A. G. Lyman Fade in on Magnesite's office circa 2851 AD. *********************************************************************** Margrave's looking a lot twitchier than usual. Still finding you just turned a client into hamburger is the sort of thing that can really upset dames. Definitely ruins the mood. "If you're done with the brooding monologues can we get back to my little problem?" "Sure doll, but what do you expect me to do about it? Open and shut case, you got a little excited and tore him apart. Maybe you can get away with manslaughter but ..." "Dammit, I didn't kill him! I ..." "Not on purpose, sure. Bad for business. But while my memories of the Kingdom are a little hazy I seem to remember when Calcite worked for me he'd sometimes show up with your marks on him. Nothing he couldn't handle but humans are a lot more fragile." "Idiot! I've been in business for centuries. Have you ever heard of any of my clients turning up dead?" "No. For that matter if they did you'd never have lasted this long." "Right. Nobody gets hurt ... well not unless that's what they want and even there I know where to draw the line." Makes sense but I'm wondering how she manages that. Like I said humans break easily and loss of control is something of a given. "So how ...?" "How do I manage it?" I nod and she tells me, "There's what I call a supressor reflex ... well reflex is the wrong word as you have to consciously engage it. I think it's a leftover from Metallia's engineered evolution. Keep the breeding stock from tearing each other apart. End result is part of my mind stays in control and minimizes the biting and clawing. Accessing it is almost second nature to clawed types like me. I learned how to engage it pretty young but I had to teach Titanite ..." "Titanite? What's this got to do with her." "Think it through, dolt. She's a youma, her partners are human. Someone had to teach her how not to injure them and it never occurred to her relatives. Azzie and Pyrite never had the problem and while Calcite's self control kept him from injuring his human partners it never occurred to him that his sister was in the same boat. Idiot kept thinking of her as the sweet and innocent kid he watched over and didn't notice she'd grown up. So I taught her a few things." That creates a few interesting mental pictures. "What exactly did you teach her ..." "Get your mind out of the gutter! She got theoretical instruction not practical demos. Don't ever suggest otherwise!" Hmmm, definitely a little twitchy about Titanite. Still Polaris is her major defender so she can't get stories circulating that might alienate Titanite. Not after all this time conning her into thinking she's got a heart of gold. "Okay so you've got some mental switch that keeps you from injuring a weaker lover. I take it you didn't have to worry about this with Calcite." "Right. No more than he has to worry about Minako. Or vice versa." "So you've been stuck leaving the switch on for centuries which must be aggravating. So last night you finally hit your limit, got fed up and switched it off. End result was you turned that poor slob into ..." "Dammit, I didn't! I've been framed. Someone used me to kill him!" "How's that?" "Someone shut down the suppressor. Maybe a psychic, maybe they used magic but they did it. They wanted to get rid of Johnson and turned me into their murder weapon." "Interesting theory. So why not go to Rei and have her read your mind. That would establish you're innocent ... relatively speaking." She shakes her head. "Two problems. That'll only prove I believe that's what happened. If I've gone loopy then my sense of reality is gone and my memories can't be trusted. Besides I really don't want her in my head again." "Could mean life or death." "Yeah but not in the way you mean. That's the other problem. The reading would have to be done at a public inquest. Publicity is the last thing I need! Even if I get found innocent it's the charge that'll be remembered. How many clients am I going to get if rumours start that I might kill them? This could ruin me. I'm not ready to start getting old!" She's getting a little hysterical but stops and takes a deep breath. When she resumes she's under control again. "Now, if I can prove I was manipulated and produce the real killer then this need not come to trial. I've got enough connections to get this quietly swept under the rug, same as that Adamite mess." "That what?" "Before your time and not important. That's where you come in." "Why not tell your story to the police." "Because I have zero proof and can't trust them to investigate seriously. On the other hand you owe me quite a bit which should motivate you." I have to smile. "Except that if you get Flame Snipered ..." "... All your IOUs pass to Ti according to my will." She's smiling but I'm not anymore. I really don't want to be in debt to Titanite. She'd love an excuse to ruin me! Aren't they supposed to forgive and forget? "I get the point. Okay so if I find the killer ..." "I'll cancel all your debts for the 28th century." "I was thinking more like all of them." I owe her quite a bit from when they brought me back plus a few favours this century. "Not a chance." I study her and realize she's not bluffing. Her life's on the line and she's not going to give and inch. Hell of a dame. Makes me wish I was still flesh and blood. "You're a real hardcase, lady." "Takes one to know one, Maggie." "However that crack just cost you another 25 years. Take it or leave it." She glares at me before muttering, "Fine, solve this and we're clear 2700 to 2825." I figure that's the best I'm going to get so I tell her, "Congratulations, you just hired the best PI in Crystal Tokyo." "I just hired the only PI in Crystal Tokyo." "Details. Now I'll just revise my contract, you can sign it and I'll get to work. While I'm doing that you can tell me about the late Mr. Johnson." Time to get my brain in gear. So far I'd say there are three possibilities. First, Margrave slipped up and is either trying to set up a good story or has supressed the memory. Second, she's telling the truth and someone had it in for Johnson. Or, something that hasn't occurred to her yet, she's the real target and Johnson is just the innocent bystander. She's made to rip the guy apart and the senshi fry her for it. Margrave is dead, the killer has what they wanted and no one is any the wiser. Question is who hates her that much ... apart from a lot of jealous wives and girlfriends. Could be trickier than I thought. Whoever did it I'd better find an answer fast. The clock is ticking. "Yes, it is." Waah! Who...oh shit, him. "I'm not gonna ask how you got in here, but what did you mean by that?" I asked him. "Since you're narrating out loud, I couldn't help over hearing thoughts," said the Silver Knight. "There's something else you might want to consider: they might both have been targets." "Well, Johnson was one of my regulars," said Margrave, "and he did complain about how possesive his wife was." "So, you're thinking the 'woman scorned' angle," I said. "Jealousy *is* an exellent motive, even in CT. The only real difference between humans & youma is we have to feel guilty afterwards." I like this guy, he's even more cynical than I am. "Silver Knight speak of the how our two races similar, and Margrave know nobody do anything without wanting something back, so what Hardsuit-Man want?" asked the catgirl. I'm kinda curious myself. "How much do you know about me, Magnesite?" he asks. "What has that got to do with it?" "Answer the question, and then you'll know." "OK, you're called the Silver Knight because of that armour you're wearing, & no-one is sure what your real name is. You have a rep about like Calcite's was in the Dark Kingdom, but better by human standards. You work with Lesser Senshi alot, and have way to many aliases. Your house was bought by a Geredo Davisu in 2017, and you're using his bank accounts, but he was shorter than you are. You popped up at the start of the Deathlord War, then vanished when it ended, then showed up in CT around the time Calcite & Venus' first marriage was breaking up. You've got some conection to Ferrite that I don't know much about, and you spend only a few years per century in the city, and when you're here, you have a habit of showing up at just the right time and place, so I guess you saw the catgirl here heading to my office and decided to eavesdrop. Right so far?" "Yes, but what about, oh, education?" Where was this going? Oh, well; only one way to find out... "You picked up a lot of Martial Arts before the War, and you spent about 30 years at CTU taking Magisci courses..." "And when I wasn't in class?" I think I know where this is going now... "You've dated the unattached women in the Court, and I'm guessing you're still in love with Titanite, who cares a lot about Margrave. Your breakup was on par with anything Calcite & Sailor V came up with, wasn't it?" "Yes." "Margrave thanking friend, but have to remind him that Ti maybe no forgive even if he help her," says Margrave. I don't know why she switched to the "stupid catgirl" act, she knows isn't fooling anyone. "True, but it very cute, and some men like much." I've *got* to stop doing that. "I know that Ti will never forgive me, and mayhap it is better that she does not, for she is destined for another, and my only concern is that she be happy," said the Knight. "Are you gonna say 'The stars know all,' next?" "No, astrology is but *one* method of divination, though it is a specialty of mine, which is exactly how I can help you, for viewing past is far easier than seeking the future. I will determine if her mind was tampered with, and if possible learn a little about who did it." Now we're getting somewhere, I thought. "So, can you do this right here?" I asked. If he can tell me enough, I get those favors wiped out, and he does all the work! "Sadly not, it must be at the scene of the...event. Meet me there before sunrise, tommorow, and all shall be revealed." he said, and disappeared. "Is he always like that?" I asked Margrave. "No, sometimes he's worse." Oh, boy. "But he does get better, occasionally." " Say, how come you use the "sex kitten" act on the Knight, but not on me?" I asked. Not that I'd be able to enjoy it if she did... "Because I don't *want* to sleep with you; the problem is, he considers it a great honor to be one of the men I want but can't get!" While she's been talking, I've been revising my contract. I pass it to her. She reads it, signs it, and hands it back. "So, dollface, you said Johnson was a regular, with a jealous wife. Tell me more..." * * * [Scenes of Magnesite investigating. Johnson was a suspected pornographer. Magnesite makes a joke about "kitty porn." The wife is known for her temper, but there's no money missing from either their joint account or the one she kept hidden from her husband.] * * * When I arrived at Margrave's place, I expected it to be full of magical paraphenalia. What I saw was the Silver Knight holding something that looked like a twentieth-century "laptop," but without a screen, and crystals instead of keys. I guess the crystals *were* keys, though, because each one had a symbol or two on it. I recognized the kanji for "go in" & "get out," a few jouma'shak letters, et cetra, and the rest were greek to me, as they say. Instead of a screen, there were a pair of holo-projectors focused on his eyes: he had the visor up; his face was pretty unremarkable, kind of Joe Average looking- "Thank you, Magnesite, for your comments. Now if you're quite finished, I think I have something," he said. "Margrave's mind was indeed interfered with, telepathically to be specific, but the telepath had powerful magic as well, Wizard class, I should think, or else I would not have detected it. You're also looking for a woman who is quite old, over one hundred, at least." He paused for a bit, then said "There was also something wrong with her mind, not insanity, but, something I can't pin down. It was almost like she wasn't...there." Huh? "What do you mean, 'wasn't there'?!" said Margrave. "I just can't explain, I've never seen readings like these. I think I might know her but I can't determine anything else," he replied. "Well, at least now I have something to work with, I just have to find a telepathic Wizard who's a woman that you know, and is long lived. Think we have enough to convince Rei?" The Knight looked at me rather calmly and said, "Much though she hates you two, Rei-chan does trust me, at least that much." * * * The palace hadn't changed since the last time I'd been there, it still shined brightly enough to make me sick; or it would, if I still had a body to be sick with. We headed straight to Rei's office; her secretary took one look at us & decided to just let his boss deal with it. We went in and I said "Rei, we ne- Venus?!" Margrave & the Knight were just as surprised as I was: instead of Mars, Sailor Venus sat behind the desk of the head of Internal Security, and looked somber. Something was *very* wrong. "Lady Venus," said the Knight, "we need to see Rei on a matter of some urgency. Where is she, please?" V looked at us, eyes full of pain, and said, "Re- Sailor Mars is- ... is in a coma." TO BE CONITNUED ********************************************************************** Name: ? Alias: Silver Knight, The Shadow, Alexandrite (in CT), & others - too many to name, really Species: Human? Height: 5'8+, slowly grows to 6'6 during the Hundred Years War (which really lasted 116 years: AD 1337 - AD 1453) then stops Weight: 119, later 190 Hair: Brown, mostly worn long in a pony-tail or short in a "buzz" Eyes: Brown Character Design: Anonymous Guy In Crowd Scene Parents:? Born: April 21, AD 1976 (Probably), in another universe (brought to SME universe by Sailors Pluto & Charon); after 211?, chronological age matches subjective age (they had a good reason for doing this: Sailor Pluto met him during - certain events) First Appeared: The Frameup Personality: Mostly rather calm, but weird. Powers: Immortality (Source Uncertain, probably granted by Serenity in 2017 at the request of Sailor Pluto), Sorcery (& later Magisci), Able to Make & Eat Wixxel Grease without Going Insane (only after 209?), *Very* weak precognition (just enough annoy him - and to let him use Astrology), Dimentional Pocket Skills: Martial Arts master, Ph.d's in Astrology, Enchantment, & Healing Magic; basically anything a smart, reasonably agile person would be able to do if they spent about 30 years studying Martial Arts, & then another 30 studying Magisci at CTU. Anticook - Akane class (Note: as far as he is concerned, this only affects Terran food [perhaps curry is Venusian?]; thus, he is the second-best Shaizaare cook on Earth.) Specialized Effects: The Clouded Mind Sees Nothing - Shadow-derived spell imitates Telempathic Cloaking HAHAHAHAHAHA - Shadow-derived spell Combined fear & paralysis spell Hiryuu Shouten Ha - Anime-derived spell Creates a small, controllable, tornado Healing power, flowing white... - Anime-derived spell heals injuries & illness Lightsabre Combat - RPG-derived spell allows almost impossibly fine control of energy blades, including parrying missile weapons and energy blasts Magic Missile - RPG-derived spell fires an energy-bolt at the target (basically, any of the "special" attacks from Ranma 1/2, most of the spells from Slayers [the ones that *don't* involve pledging oneself to darkness], & anything else that "sounds cool" from 20th Century Anime/Magna, RPGs, Comic-books, et cetra) Armour: after 215?, he wears the hardsuit from which the name "Silver Knight" derives, and almost never removes it. The armour looks sort of like a silvery, masculine version of Sylia's hardsuit from BGC, only without wings. It is normally disguised by a glamour appropriate to his current alias. The outer layer of the suit is an alloy discovered by Richard M. Waterstrat in 1993 at NIST (this is true in our universe: check Popular Science for that year - I don't remember which month), which is highly resistant to kinetic force - any force strong enough to deform it causes it to reinforce itself. The suit is designed to be fully functional in all known environments - from the depths of the sea to the vaccuum of space, from the searing heat of Mercury & Venus to the deadly cold of Pluto, and from Zero-G to Jupiter's "surface." Powers & Equipment: Forcefield Generator, Glamourfield Generator, Psychoplasm Projector, Railgun, Lightsabre, Scanner, Strenth Enhancment, Life Support System, Energy Drainer, Magisci Neural Interface-Single User Model - when removed, the suit usually goes into the Pocket. Badge: Beneath the armour, he wears a black badge with a silver Saturn symbol. He says he wears it "for a friend." (Note: these are his abilities as of 215?. He continues to study and develop new equipment to test. By the 23rd Century, he can do High Magic with a large enough power source, & by the 28th his personal energy reserves allow him to use High Magic once per day, without help. His hardsuit will be improved constantly but the equipment listed above will probably remain constant. He is magically the weakest of Crystal Tokyo's immortals, basically an ordinary mage, with immortality.) Group Affiliation: The Quartet (late Hundred Years War Era) Crystal Tokyo Court (Associate) Order of the Crystal Rose (Founder/Grandmaster) Zodiac Senshi (Founder) (nothing to do with SMZ) Golden Millenium Project (Semi-Unwelcome Associate) ********************************************************************** Afterword: Mark Latus created Margrave, Magnesite, and the opening paragraphs. Frank Barr created Ferrite. Baibai, A. G. Lyman drwho13@hotmail.com "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." William Shakespeare, Macbeth ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com